Willow Wind News

Friday was a wonderful celebration of fall at the Pumpkin Festival. All of the students had fun with games, crafts and pumpkin carving. THANK YOU to all of the parent volunteers who showed up to help and THANK YOU to all of the families who came to participate.

This week we had the joy of conferencing with families on campus here at Willow Wind. Students have been sharing their goals as well as celebrating their accomplishments. Teachers look forward to this time to connect individually with students and families.

We will see you all on Monday, November 6th. Remember that we will "fall back" Sunday night so it might feel like we got an extra hour of sleep.

• Parent Council - First Monday of the Month (November 6)
• Vision Screening
• January Focus Workshop Session
• Spring Term Proposals Due
• 2023-24 Willow Wind Handbook
• Parent EDI Committee
• Outdoor Kitchen Project
• Winter Fair
• Family Service Reminder
• Weekend Food Program for Families

Please reach out if you have questions.

Our Fall term will end when we close for Winter Break and we are beginning the process of planning for January Focus Workshop Session and Spring Term. If you have ideas for new classes, please reach out to Debbie – we are always looking for new ideas! The deadlines for proposals are listed in the “important dates” section below.

During the weeks of January 2-12, Willow Wind will once again offer an interterm program that will provide a more intensive experience in various topics. During Winter Workshops, Parent Partner (full time) students will be involved in math and language arts instruction in the mornings. The afternoons will be spent doing focused work in an area of the student’s choice. Homeschooling students are welcome to choose a Winter Workshop too! Students will have a chance to sign-up for one “choice class” that will meet each afternoon (Tuesday – Friday) during the first two weeks of January.

A school where everyone can fit in and feel welcome is a better, fairer and safer place for everyone. It is a community where no one feels inferior, singles out or left behind. It’s a place where respect and diversity are valued and everyone can contribute and develop. Teaching diversity exposes students to various cultural and social groups and prepares students to become better citizens in their communities.

We need your input and ideas to continue to grow our commitment to this philosophy. Please consider joining this new committee to share your observations, knowledge and suggestions with Willow Wind staff. We will meet several times during the year to check in with families and gather ideas.

FIRST MEETING: MONDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2023 @ 1:30

We will be doing our annual vision screenings on November 14. These are conducted each year under the direction of the District Nurse in partnership with the Oregon Lion’s Sight and Hearing Foundation. They are a required component of our prevention health and wellness practices and a fantastic way to identify vision conditions that have a direct impact on children’s ability to learn.

We utilize the Spot Vision Screener cameras which can detect six different vision conditions. Parents will be provided with a copy of their child’s results as well as resources and supports for any recommended follow-up care. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the screenings, please contact the District Nurse- Belinda.Brown@ashland.k12.or.us or your building Principal.

We are excited to move forward with an “Outdoor Kitchen” space to increase garden-based culinary projects. The first step is putting a roof on the cob bench gazebo so that we have a covered space to prepare and cook food. We are looking for an individual or team from our community to help us build it. We have ~$2000 for materials. I am hoping to get this project done by/on spring break. I was imagining using clear PVC roofing panels but I am open to other suggestions. Please reach out to me if you are interested. Zoe.lavierfisher@ashland.k12.or.us This project will count for volunteer hours.

Fall is here in the WW garden. We are vine ripening our green tomatoes, harvesting our pumpkins, and making dehydrator pear chips with the last of the tree fruit.

This is a chance to come together and celebrate the season. Winter Faire is one of Willow Wind’s favorite events. Come and enjoy COMMUNITY, CRAFTS, FOOD and FUN! Please bring cookies to share, and join us for a wonderful time. Tea will be served in the Barn.

This is a family event and we ask that parents help their children engage with the inside activities – Volunteers are always needed and this is a great way to complete family service hours. Debbie will be contacting volunteers right after Thanksgiving but you are welcome to reach out to her!

Make sure you have signed up to volunteer and been cleared. THANKS!

All families should have completed 6 hours of Family Service by Winter Break.

Please make sure you have recorded your hours in the Log Book. If you cannot complete your time for any reason, please complete the waiver form. If you are planning on doing all of your hours on a spring project, please note your intentions on your log page so we know your plan. Your contributions are appreciated! We need everyone to pitch in!

In 2nd and 3rd grade STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) we are studying forces and motion. In our latest project students worked in pairs to design a wind powered vehicle. They had 4 life savers, straws, popsicle sticks, paper and tape. The first challenge was not to eat the life savers! The engineering challenge was to design a car that would travel as far as possible when placed in front of a fan.

Students used the process of Ask, Imagine, Create and Improve to engineer a car that would harness the power of the wind. After 2 days of designing and trying and designing and trying, we gathered all the second graders together for a last vehicle trial. Whether their car went far, or not, all students learned from each other’s successes and failures.

I want to take a moment to appreciate the many parents who are able to and do in fact volunteer on our campus. As I reflect on the experience of teaching in the last 3 or so years, parent presence is the thing I missed the most when we had to “pivot” from school as we knew it to a virtual experience for us all. Thank you for returning to helping in our classrooms, to volunteering on our parent council, and for making fun events like the Pumpkin Festival possible.

In my classroom, specifically, I have several regular volunteers. These folks show up to lead reading groups of 2nd grade students, to provide extended activities for my mathematicians, and to lend an extra hand for Community Friday events such as the fun run and singing in the barn. The students get so excited to see these extra helpers in the classroom, knowing that these helpers often get to do “fun” activities with them. I am grateful to have the extra support, and even more grateful for the opportunity to learn together- with kids and adults alike.

Our beautiful campus and gardens get an extra boost from parent and family helpers. We are able to walk down by the creek because of a few families who donated time and tools to clear the paths for us. Our food forest has been weeded and received a layer of mulch because of family volunteers. I know there are many more jobs that many of you have done; thank you for your service to our beautiful place to learn each day.

Our festivals are an important tradition at Willow Wind. We would not be able to do it all without you. Thank you for preparing craft projects, setting up and cleaning up, and being present to supervise games, activities, and craft projects. It is so much more fun because we share the work and play with you.

If I have neglected to mention the role you play in our campus community, please know that you are appreciated. If it’s not possible for you, at this time, to give extra time to our school, you matter too and we appreciate your contribution to Willow Wind, as a member of this community. Thank you all from Robin Hawley

If you have not paid your fall fees, please try and do it soon. These fees ensure that we are able to purchase materials to sustain the class projects. You can pay your fees by:

• Logging into your PowerSchool Account
• Choosing "school fees" on the left hand bar
• OR......come in to the office and pay Dannette!

We will be requesting a $5.00 fee for January Focus Session Materials too.

All students are welcome to register for classes regardless of their ability to pay fees.

Once again this year we will partner with the Rotary and ACCESS to help with the weekend food program. Many of our Willow Wind families are struggling due to the loss of jobs, income, child care and stable housing. Willow Wind and the Willow Wind Community Association are coordinating an effort to support our families with a weekend food program. Families can also continue to get sack lunches for children through the Ashland School District, separately from this effort.

If you are a family that could benefit from the Weekend Backpack Food Program, please complete this form The program will start the end of September. Information will go directly to our principal, Debbie Pew

November 6........Parent Council 1:30 - 2:30

November 10......No School - Veteran's Day

November 10 ......Winter Workshop Proposals Due

November 14 …….Vision Screening – Grades K-2

November 17.......Native American Heritage Community Friday

November 17………Pizza Friday

November 20 …….Parent EDI Committee Meeting @ 1:30

November 21 .......Spring Term Proposals Due

November 22 - 24...No Classes- Thanksgiving Break

December 4 ...........Parent Council 1:30 - 2:30

December 14 .........Winter Fair - (6:00 - 7:30)

Dec 18 - Jan 1 ........No Classes - Winter Break

Email: debra.schaefferpew@ashland.k12.or.us
Website: https://www.ashland.k12.or.us/o/wwclc
Location: 1497 East Main Street, Ashland, OR, USA
Phone: (541) 488-2684
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Willow-Wind-Community-Learning-Center-100146758840089