Seventh-grade students in Westminster are getting an up-close look at marine life right in their classroom by raising three Pismo clams with guidance from their teacher and a marine biologist.
Warner Middle School teacher Travis Garwick partnered with local nonprofit Get Inspired and its founder, Nancy Caruso, to lead the students in researching and caring for the clams. As part of their class assignments, the students are learning about water chemistry, aquaculture and biology.
The Orange County Register reported that since November, the students have been observing the clams’ progress outside of the ocean and gathering data on their growth in a non-native environment. Through their research, Garwick’s class is helping marine biologists like Caruso better understand how to preserve Pismo clams and their important role in the ocean’s ecosystem.
Garwick said the months-long class project has encouraged the kids to develop problem-solving skills through real-world applications.
“The stuff we do here, I feel like it’s important to the overall health of the whole world,” said student Jordan Tigglebeck to the Register. “It makes me want to help things and see how beautiful they become because of our work.”
Here are the other stories we’ve been following this week:
- Tustin’s Beckman High School varsity cheer squad was recently crowned national champs in the Large Varsity Non-Tumbling Division I competition — adding to their CIF State and Southern Section victories earlier this school year.
- Elementary school students from the Newport-Mesa Unified School District recently gained confidence in the water through a new swim school offered in partnership with the Newport-Mesa Family YMCA. On Wednesday, 40 students graduated from the after-school program.
- Nearly 200 student projects were recognized last week at the National History Day-Orange County awards ceremony, with 74 student teams advancing to the state competition in May.
- In celebration of World Water Day on March 22, Inside the Outdoors is inviting Orange County classrooms to apply for free water education assemblies and interactive lessons through its Wonders of H2O traveling scientist program.
- Approximately 923 students were nominated for the Orange County Register’s Artists of the Year program across seven artistic disciplines including theater, film and media arts. Finalists will be announced in late April.
- Capistrano Unified School District students explored new career paths and heard from industry professionals during the annual Shorecliffs Middle School career day event.
- A new Assembly bill, if passed, would propose removing ultra-processed ingredients from meals served at California public schools, NBC News reported.
- A Capistrano Unified School District board member issued an apology after using a racial slur while discussing a novel that was being considered for inclusion in the district’s curriculum at a March 12 meeting, according to the Orange County Register.
- President Trump signed an executive order on Thursday directing the U.S. secretary of education to take steps toward closing the U.S. Department of Education.
- San Juan Capistrano City Council members recently voted to approve a 3.7-acre expansion of St. Margaret’s Episcopal School despite concerns expressed by local residents at the council meeting.
- The North Orange County Regional Occupational Program recently named chef Bob Moonswami as its 2025 employee of the year for cultivating culinary excellence as a food service and hospitality pathway instructor at Savanna High School.
This is the part where we encourage you to keep up with local education news stories by bookmarking the OCDE Newsroom, subscribing for emailed updates and following us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.