Bighorn Bulletin

Dungeons & Dragons Club Returns to Oasis Academy

Adventurers are ready for their next quest as the Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) Club is back at Oasis Academy. The club is open to students in grades 5-12 and meets Tuesdays after school, giving students the chance to dive into imaginative worlds, create characters, and go on epic quests alongside their peers.

More than just a game, Dungeons & Dragons encourages teamwork, creativity, and problem-solving. Students learn how to collaborate with others, think critically in challenging situations, and use storytelling to build confidence and communication skills. 

“D&D is such a great way for students to express themselves and build friendships,” Adam Revels said. “It combines fun with valuable skills they can carry into the classroom and beyond.”

The Oasis D&D Club is made possible thanks to teachers and staff who volunteer their time to run campaigns and guide students through their adventures. Their efforts help create a safe, welcoming environment where students can explore their imagination while developing leadership, collaboration, and writing skills.

Whether students are seasoned dungeon crawlers or brand-new to the game, all are welcome to join the weekly sessions. With dice rolling, worlds to discover, and countless stories to tell, the Oasis Academy D&D Club is sure to make this school year a legendary one. To learn more about D&D contact Tami McNeill at [email protected].

Oasis Academy Biology Students Put Handwashing to the Test

Ninth-grade biology students are putting science into action by testing which soaps and cleaning products are most effective at removing bacteria.

The experiment began with each student swabbing their hands without washing at all, giving them a baseline look at the germs that naturally collect throughout the day. They then washed their hands with just water and swabbed again. Finally, they used one of several products—Softsoap, Purell, Germ X, Amazon Basics, Dove, or CVS brand soap—before taking a final swab to compare results. The students then waited two days for results to grow. The petri dishes clearly revealed which products removed the most bacteria by how much bacteria or mold they grew. The most effective cleaning agent was Purell.

The experiment not only teaches scientific method and data analysis but also reinforces the importance of proper hand hygiene. By the end of the project, students learned that washing your hands or using hand sanitizer really does work. 

“This project gives students a hands-on way to connect classroom science with real-world health practices,” Jackie Bogdanowicz said. “They get to see for themselves that not all cleaning products work the same way.”

Oasis Academy Fourth Graders Power Up with Amplify Science

Fourth grade students recently dove into the world of electrical systems through the Amplify Science curriculum. Their lessons sparked both curiosity and creativity as they learned how energy flows and how different components work together to create a functioning circuit.

As part of their hands-on experiment, students were given a bag filled with various parts—wires, clips, solar panels, motors, and small devices like a fan or whistle. The challenge was to figure out how to connect the pieces correctly to build an electrical system powered by solar energy.

The activity encouraged problem-solving, collaboration, and critical thinking. Students had to test their designs, troubleshoot when circuits didn’t work, and celebrate when solar power brought their projects to life. Teachers noted that the lesson connected scientific concepts with real-world applications, showing how renewable energy like solar power can be harnessed to run everyday systems.

“The fourth graders put on their scientific investigator hats and explored how electrical systems work this week,” said Michael Horn, fourth grade teacher. “It is exciting as a teacher to facilitate learning tasks where the students get to explore and solve problems for themselves.”