
Tuesday Notice
January 4, 2022
Dear Siskiyou School Parents,
With this beautiful image from a veil painting by Charles Andrade, I wish you all a very Happy New Year, filled with inspiration, color, light and love.
Teachers and students were clearly glad to be back together again on campus today. All the meaning-filled teaching and good learning are picking up again. With the return of the light, we are excited, grateful and hopeful for the possibilities to come.
Please take a moment to read the office section below. Most of the information was sent out in the Friday Updates last week, but we are not sure everyone got to it. Some parents filled out the google survey and submitted the forms, but we hope every parent will take a moment to do this. Thank you so much! If you have questions, please email Sarah at sarah.collins@siskiyouschool.org.
As per the email sent out by Kristin earlier today, tonight's Town Hall meeting is postponed until next Tuesday, January 11, at 6:30pm. We apologize for any inconvenience.
I encourage all parents of the lower grades to attend Nina Gallwey’s talk tomorrow evening on the foundations of Waldorf education. Her presentation is comprehensive and very lively, with lots of examples and time for questions and answers. It covers "what every parent should know" about the philosophical and pedagogical underpinnings of the education your children are receiving.
Many blessings on your New Year and on our wonderful school!
From my heart to yours, Aurilia
This Week:
Tues, Jan 4: First day back to school. Full-day schedule.
Wed, Jan 5: Window Into Waldorf with Nina Gallwey, Zoom, 6:30pm.
Fri, Jan 7: Incoming Parent Tour, 2:00 pm.
Next Week:
Tues, Jan 11: Town Hall Meeting, Zoom, @ 6:30pm.
Fri, Jan 14: Board, Faculty & Staff retreat, 1:30pm -5:30pm
Looking Ahead:
Mon, Jan 17: No school. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
Thurs, Jan 27: History & Vision Night, location and time TBD.
Back to School Details - IMPORTANT! PLEASE READ!
Starting today, 1/4/22, we will adopt an optional outdoor masking policy during recesses and in outdoor classes such as games, ACORN, woodworking, etc. Indoor masking will still be mandatory.
If parents want their children to wear a mask outdoors due to health concerns, that is up to each family; every family's decision will be fully accepted here on campus. The teachers will talk to the students in a way where every choice is accepted--a very important aspect in this time.
The right masks to wear: Please make sure your child’s mask is well fitting and has at least 2 layers; the cotton masks are fine, but should have two layers. Teachers will check that all kids are wear the right masks starting next week. Thank you for your attention to this detail.
We provide disposable masks at school for students who forget their masks.
Starting today, we will have snack and lunch time indoors. Children will eat at their desks while teachers read to them.
We are now rolling out the new Test to Stay Program which is being launched by the ODE. Our north star has been and will always be consistent in-person learning for all our students, and in-person teaching for all our teachers, and the Test to Stay Program will support this goal. This program will be available for all students and employees who give their consent. As we move indoors for eating and are outdoors without masks, it is likely that more encounters will qualify as an exposure. To allow us to safely continue in person learning, we will offer on-site testing per the Test to Stay program for children exposed on campus. Only on-campus exposures will qualify for testing at school. We will use the same Binax tests we offered this fall. Following an on-campus exposure, children enrolled in the Test to Stay program will be allowed to continue to come to school, receiving regular testing on campus. Children who are not enrolled, depending on their vaccination status, will follow ODE and JCPH quarantine rules.
WHAT WE NEED FROM YOU by Thursday, 1/6/22: Please go to the link below and fill out the google form to enroll your child in the program. Please also read the attached forms and fill those out if you so choose to do. The “testing consent” form by the OHA needs to printed out and sent to the office with your child or handed to any employee at drop-off or pick-up.
New Health Coordinator: We have hired Sarah Collins, (mother of Saia-Moon in 3rd grade), to run the Test To Stay Program and to hold all the details related to illness tracking and contact tracing that comes with positive cases. All parents will likely hear from Sarah at one point or another either via phone or email. Her direct contact is sarah.collins@siskiyouschool.org, 541-214-7015. If your child is ill or tests positive for COVID-19, please be directly in touch with her. At times you might also hear from Melissa Marks-Ladd (mother to Wynter in 8th and Lila in 3rd grade) or from Alicia Welder (mother to Ella in 2nd grade) who will support Sarah in this work. We are very grateful to have Sarah join our team in support of teachers, students and parents.
Illness Policy: Please keep all children home if anyone in your household has any cold symptoms: Runny nose, sore throat, fever. Please contact Sarah Collins who will help determine when your kids can return to school and/or arrange for testing if necessary.
More office details below...
Ms. Tourzan
A big, heartfelt thanks to all of you for your amazing generosity towards us teachers this holiday season. When I read your cards to me and received my gift, I was touched beyond words. What a tremendous blessing it is to be part of such a supportive parent body! Bright wishes for a happy 2022 and stay strong everyone!!
Mr. Criswell
Thank you for your generosity and heartfelt words. I was overwhelmed to receive such lovely holiday wishes and support from our classroom families. Your thoughtful gifts have already become small treasures in my home. It is a joy to spend my days working with your children and I am humbled by your words of encouragement toward that effort.
Mr. Alvarez
Happy New Year! Thank you so much for your gracious gifts that I received right before the winter break. Your generosity added extra cheer to our Christmas. I was able to spend time with family in Boston and here in Ashland. It was truly a magical Christmas!
Mrs. Martin
Miss Benson
Thank you for your generous contributions to the teacher holiday fund and the warm words written on the holiday card. The financial boost allowed for a bit more ease in visiting my family for the holiday. Each and every contribution makes a difference, and your thoughtful words warmed my heart as we moved into Winter Break. May the new year shine with love, light, and renewal! Thank you again!
Ms. Tisdel
What a blessing and a gift. Thank you, parents, for your generosity and heartfelt messages. This act of love and service is not taken for granted. Each year, I am warmly reminded of the specialness of this community and the way support is given with open-heartedness. There's always I moment after the last day is complete when I sit and open the envelope. Your messages greet me. The gift is given. I am filled. Thank you so much, this year and every year. May 2022 bring us all grace, ease, and recognition of the light within us all.
Ms. Franczak
Ms. Razi
Ms. Bower
Ms. James
I want to send out my deepest gratitude for the generosity of resources and sentiments that were given to all the faculty and staff over Winter Break. Those cards and the gift was deeply appreciated. As teachers, we never got into our profession to become financially wealthy; our compensation has always been the moments of comprehension on a student's face, or the comfort a child feels in class, or watching them grow confidently into the people they are meant to become. However, it is always nice to be rewarded with the loving and gracious heartfelt sentiments of the families we touch.
The gift you always give is your trust in our expertise and care for your children. Thank-you that we get to be a part of your lives.
Senora Lawton-Diez
Your generosity is unmatched. I am an observer to your pure dedication and commitment to helping create a thriving school community, and it is extraordinary. Thank you, parents, for your kind words and gifts. They are appreciated greatly.
Ms. Glatte
Thank you, dear Parents, for your sweet words on my holiday cards and for your cash gift. I love our school; I love to teach your children; I am beyond grateful for your support in every way. I couldn't do this without your dedication and care. I feel blessed and loved. Thank you!
Mrs. Archer
Mr. McGlone
Mr. Dilansa
Ms. Gallwey
After all the festivities, I finally had a moment on this silent, snowy day to sit and read all your beautiful heartfelt messages. As it is every year, the generous gift of resources and your words fill my heart with gratitude. It is such a gift to work with your children, and to feel the connection with you is the double gift. Thank you for supporting us as teachers and going out of your way to make our holiday so bountiful. It really makes a difference. As the snow comes down and blankets the earth with peace, I too am blanketed with the kindness pouring out of these cards. Huge thanks!
Ms. Paz
Imagine the vastness and depth of the winter night sky. . . Your words and gifts were as inspiring and beautiful as those twinkling stars I love so dearly. Thank you. I am deeply grateful to be part of something that values our relationships, our humanity, our children and our future. Best, Magda
Kristin Beers
I am so truly grateful for all your support. Because you continue to entrust us with our most precious gift, your children, you are showing that you believe in us, our work, and the school as a whole. That's an amazing vote of confidence in these times. It’s amazing to see how the students grow in resiliency and compassion as they face challenges head-on with open hearts! Thank you for your uplifting words of encouragement, they truly keep me going!
Lora Wilde
Additional Office Details..
Second Semester Hot Lunch Orders
Second Semester begins January 31st. Hot Lunch forms are here and in the front hallway for Falafel Tuesday and Pizza Wednesday. If you’re not sure your child is signed up for the full year of lunches, just email Kristin.Beers@siskiyouschool.org. Thank you for supporting the 8th grade trip!
Parent Handbook
2021-2022 Parent Handbooks have been delivered to the classrooms and will be coming home with students this week. Your oldest child at the school will be given them to give to you. You can also view the Parent Handbook by using the link below.
Brain Bowl – Team forming!
Middle School parents, if your child loves trivia is interested in being part of the Siskiyou School Brain Bowl team, please email coach Kristin Beers at kristin.beers@siskiyouschool.org.
Practices will be one hour after school, once weekly, day to be determined. Matches take place during the school day (probably at lunch), once a week from Jan through Feb. Brain Bowl students are required to keep up with their school work, making up any material missed due to matches. Team members are also asked to do some studying on their own time. All that said, it’s so much fun!
Brain Bowl is an international competition hosted through SOU Youth Programs. The Siskiyou School Team competes with middle schools in the valley and are current Division B Champions! For more information see their page HERE or watch the 2019 competition HERE.
Looking for Vacation Rental for February 15th-28th:
The Siskiyou School
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/