Tuesday Notice

Class 4 is diving into Oregon geography this block. Miss Benson has created a beautiful chalkboard visual for the students.

Dear Siskiyou School Parents,

Lines of poetry or from literature have a way of helping us at times and I have been particularly appreciating these two reminders: This is a wonderful day; I’ve never seen this one before from Maya Angelou, and Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year from Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Every day the teachers bring this spirit of hope and possibility to the children, inspiring them through stories and igniting their imaginations. It is a gift they give each day. May we all remember that there is light and peace, even if unseen.

This coming Saturday, faculty, staff and Board will come together via ZOOM for their annual retreat. We are all looking forward to connecting in a spirit of collaboration and shared purpose. We all—including you, parents—have dedicated countless hours to keeping the school running smoothly for the children these last months. We will reflect on the year and look ahead to next year both financially and pedagogically. We will also talk about EDI - Equity, Diversity, Inclusion - relation to our school. This is a topic we intend to strengthen more and more within all the pillars of the school over the coming years.

Next week, all classes will have parent evenings with their teachers. At the end of January, on 1/28/21 at 6:30 pm, the Board will host our annual History & Vision Night via ZOOM. We hope to see you all at these upcoming events.

Sending light and love to all families, Aurilia

This Week:

Sat, Jan 16: Board-Faculty-Staff Retreat.

Next Week:

Mon, Jan 18: No School. Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Tues, Jan 19: Classes 1, 2, 6 & 7: Parent Evening beginning at 6:30 pm via ZOOM.
Wed, Jan 20: Classes 3, 4, 5 & 8: Parent Evening beginning at 6:30 pm via ZOOM.

Looking Ahead:

Thurs, Jan 28: History & Vision Night at 6:30 pm via ZOOM.

Wed, Feb 3: Supporting the Journey: For parents in grades 1-4, at 6:30 pm via ZOOM.

Wed & Thurs, Feb 10 & 11: Class 8 Parent-Teacher Conferences.

Thurs & Fri, Feb 11 & 12: Classes 1-7 Parent-Teacher Conferences.

A big congratulations to Sara, Jeremiah and Tessa for welcoming the newest member to their family, a baby girl. Mom and baby are doing great! We are very happy for your whole family. Tessa is a student in Mr. Alvarez's second grade class.

Please see the link below for your child's most up-to-date schedule. Current schedules can also be found on your child's main class pages on Canvas. Just click on the "Zoom Links and Schedules" button or the schedule as posted by your teacher.

With the 3 hour schedule, our arrival and pick-up times are as follows: (Note: If you are picking up siblings, please arrive at the later pick-up time for both children.)

Cohort A:

1. Arrival: 8:20 am (not 8:15 am)
   
2. Pick-Up

• Classes 1-2: 11:15 am
• Classes 3-5: 11:20 am
• Classes 6-8: 11:30 am

Cohort B:

1. Arrival: 11:50 am
2. Pick-Up:

• Classes 1-2: 2:45 pm

• Classes 3-5: 2:50 pm

• Classes 6-8: 3:00 pm

It was wonderful to come back from break to an extended schedule! The additional practice time in first grade, along with snack and a little outdoor play, makes all the difference! Masks and distance still make for a challenging year, but I feel we're making the very best of it!

We had a fabulous painting class on Friday. The children nailed the quintessential "color story," a painting that we Waldorf teachers strive towards. It's tough to do. It's a freestyle wet-on-wet watercolor painting that typically turns to mud because it's difficult to keep the colors from "playing together" a little too wildly! Children can hardly resist swirling the pigments altogether on a white page. Covid came in handy this time; the colors were not allowed to touch--just like us!

First, we described the feeling about each color. They agreed, unanimously, that red is loud, rowdy, and very lively. Blue is mellow, according to one first grader, while another described it as "sensitive". Yellow is all fun and games! I gave each color a little phrase on the harp, and the children were to apply each color as they heard its tune. It took a minute. They're used to me telling them just what to do. It reminded me of bringing "imaginative play" to pre-school refugees in Bangladesh. They didn't know where to begin. But the first graders took off quickly: yellow soon tip-toed right onto the paper, while blue waited near the edges, and red tromped all around. We ended the class with quiet observation, as the colors continued to move long after we were finished. I love this part. It's where art really meets science because the children are riveted in observation, and developing keen observation is the key to science! The paintings are all very different--amazing and beautiful.

~ Ms. McKissick

The sixth grade is in the second and final Ancient Rome block. Last week, the students heard the story of Gauis Julis Caesar. During Caesar’s rise to power, he made the infamous decision to cross the Rubicon River, armed with his legions. Conversations ensued in class pertaining to the importance of crossing thresholds in history and how often there is no turning back as "the die has been cast.” Decisions have consequences. Of course, relating this concept to the students’ own lives was inevitable. Our lives all have moments that occur (fallen friendships, growing up, becoming an older brother/sister) and, from then on, our lives are forever changed. Today, the students heard one of the greatest love stories of all time between Marc Antony and Cleopatra and how their love and greed was the catalyst to their eventual fall.

The stories and conversations circulating the sixth grade this week have been rich and nuanced, making the students dig deep to discover the characteristics of human nature and irrevocable consequences that our actions carry. The sixth grade is continuing their study of a moment in history that will only continue to feed this theme.

Wishing everyone a wonderful week! Warmly, ~ Ms. Franczak

Have something to share on our Community News and Classifieds section?

Here are the guidelines for the Classifieds:

Please keep your classified ads brief and succinct. We will run ads for two consecutive weeks. Flyers and pictures are appreciated! Send classifieds to Lora Wilde at lora.wilde@siskiyouschool.org by noon on Tuesday.

The Siskiyou School is not responsible for the content.

Bringing stories and connection to your kids. We’re making it happen - dramatically.

Online classes for ages 6-17 start Jan. 19th. www.ashlandchildrenstheatre.com

Ashland Children's Theatre

Ashland Children’s Theatre offers a variety of theatrical experiences for children and teens throughout the year, including classes, workshops, and performances.

Musical Theatre Dance, Acting, & Improv.

Body Basics offers puberty education to youth and for the adults that support them. Many classes are happening in person following safety guidelines, as well as virtually. Winter session registration is open for girls grades 4-8 (Jan.-Mar.). New this winter to Body Basics are parent evenings via Zoom called Parenting During a Pandemic. Parent coaching is also available! To learn more and to register for classes go to bodybasicsandbeyond.com. To register or to get more information about parent evenings and coaching, email Karen O'Dougherty at karen@bodybasicsandbeyond.com

Karen O’Dougherty

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

Body Confidence & Puberty Education

www.bodybasicsandbeyond.com

karen@bodybasicsandbeyond.com

www.facebook.com

541-601-2849

I’m an alumni of the Siskiyou School and received a bachelors degree in music composition from The Los Angeles College of Music in 2018. I’ve been playing the guitar for over a decade and look forward to sharing my knowledge with you! Over the last 5 years I have toured and recorded with multiple artists and bands throughout the US and Canada and taught private lessons in Los Angeles. If you’re looking to work on music theory, songwriting, playing with people, or just want to get more comfortable playing songs that you love, set up a lesson today! I'm happy to work on acoustic or electric guitar and all ages and levels of experience are welcome!

Contact: Tejas Leier Heyden - 541-282-3136 - tleierheyden@gmail.com

Please join me at an online Saturday course for teen girls this January. This mentorship course is for teen girls regarding mental and physical health. I am a trained and experienced Waldorf teacher and I'm offering this to any interested teen youth. I especially love working with Waldorf students. We will meet for four Saturday mornings 10-12 (PST), January 9-30th.

Visit Jenna's website here:

https://liliana.mykajabi.com/Jenna-dalton-youth-mentorship

Thank you,

Jenna D.

Email: office@siskiyouschool.org
Website: www.siskiyouschool.org
Location: 631 Clay Street, Ashland, OR, USA
Phone: 541-482-8223
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/siskiyouschool/