Monterey Bay Salmon & Trout Project

 What do graduating eighth graders have in common with Steelhead Trout?
More than you might think…

A couple of years ago, I had the privilege to take a class taught by Dr. Stebbins. In the class, we raised a few dozen Steelhead Trout.  The Steelhead went through a lot of growth in a very short period of time.

Before the Steelhead even arrived, we had to prepare their home.  Dr. Stebbins created a welcoming environment, with an aquarium full of rocks, pebbles and water that was always at just the right temperature.  My task was to build a protective box to help keep the environment safe and quiet. In much the same way, Rogers had created a welcoming, safe environment for our class when we arrived as sixth graders.  Our new campus had just been renovated, and it was beautiful.

A few weeks after the fish eggs were placed into their new home, they hatched.  Gradually, they were exposed to a little more light, until finally the box was lifted and they moved into their next stage of growth.  As students, our growth during the first few weeks at Rogers was just as dramatic.  In elementary school, we had one teacher year-round.  In middle school, we now had different teachers for different subjects!  Also, in elementary school, PE class came once a week.  Now we had PE once a day, and had locker rooms where we had to change into a uniform.  Our transition into middle school also provided new opportunities such as sports, band, theater, and student government.

OK, back to the fish…. 

As the weeks went by, the young fish grew in size and took on beautiful colors.  In our three years at Rogers, we have grown too; both physically and socially.  Along our journey we have made many new friends, both with our classmates and with our teachers and administrators.

As the end of our sixth grade year approached, the time came to complete our project.  One morning, we carefully took the Steelhead into the Santa Cruz Mountains.  We arrived at the San Lorenzo River, where we waded across, and found the perfect spot to release them.  You might say it was their “Promotion day.” For me, it was a sad day because I had to let go of the fish that I had helped to raise.  I was fearful of what might happen to them.  At the same time, I was happy to know that I had played a small role in their growth; that they would continue to grow, and I was hopeful that they would successfully reach their final destination.

Thank you parents. Thank you teachers.  You have helped us to grow and prepare us for our next transition…high school.  We are well prepared for the challenge ahead and look forward to our next destination.

Today is “Release Day” for the Rogers Middle School class of 2005. 
 
The Rimbach Family

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