Meadowlarks Culminating Event: A Bridge Between Past and Present

On December 5, the Meadowlarks welcomed families to an interactive salon that showcased their fall study of water, Portland’s bridges, and the many connections among engineering, history, and art. The event served as a celebration of months of inquiry-based learning where curiosity flowed as freely as the river beneath Portland’s iconic spans.

Throughout the fall, Meadowlarks researched one of Portland’s bridges and the era in which it was built. Students dug into questions about design, technology, and the cultural context of their chosen time period, weaving together a rich understanding of how bridges connect not only places, but people and stories across time.

Their learning culminated in a multi-disciplinary exhibit that brought each bridge and its history to life. Students created dynamic displays featuring slide presentations, posters, string art interpretations, original poetry, historical timelines, and even period-inspired costumes that reflected their bridge’s moment in history. The creativity and thoughtfulness behind each display offered a clear window into the Meadowlarks’ deep engagement with their topics.

Visitors were invited to wander the salon as active participants, completing a scavenger hunt to discover key facts, sampling foods from the featured eras, enjoying a lively fashion show of student-created costumes, and listening to poetry readings that blended imagination with research. The room buzzed with excitement, pride, and discovery as families experienced the breadth of the students’ work.

This culminating event was a joyful conclusion to a rich exploration of engineering, science, history, and literacy; an experience that beautifully demonstrates the integrated, hands-on learning at the heart of The Marylhurst School.