Tuesday Notice

Dear Siskiyou School Parents,

We are in the last stretch before winter break, and I’m sure all families are looking forward to some rest at home soon. Meanwhile, the excitement of the season is in the air here at school!

In spite of the constraints we are operating under, we are bringing beautiful holiday school traditions to the children with full hearts. Sunday was St. Nicholas Day, a European celebration wherein St. Nicholas comes in the night to leave golden nuts, mandarins and other little treats in the children’s shoes for them to find in the morning. Here on campus St. Nicholas visited each year for quite some years, and this year we are so glad he was able to visit again! A big THANK YOU to Rylan Heyerman (father to Kiana in 8th grade), for coming to see 1st - 3rd graders in his incredibly beautiful costume! I hear that the older children got a good glimpse of him as well. This week we will have a gorgeous Advent Spiral in Pine Hall. The children will walk the spiral with each carrying a little light which they will set down in a spot that calls to them amidst the greens. The spiral symbolizes the journey inward we make in this dark time of year and the brightness of the light we can find and rediscover within. This Saturday at 5 pm we hope to see many of you on ZOOM for the Holiday Sing-A-Long. Next week many classes will be taking part in a Secret Santa gifting as well as preparing a “Winter Magic” class presentation which all parents will receive on the last day of school. The 3rd graders are acknowledging Hanukkah in their classroom. ‘Tis the season and how fortunate we are for all these beautiful holiday highlights.

The 3-Hour Schedule:

Please see below the links to each class schedule.

Details:

• Drop-off time is changed to 8:20 and 11:50.

• Pick-up times are staggered. Please see specific times on the class schedules.

• Each class will have a 10-minute snack break during their cohort time. Snacks will be eaten outside with all protocols in place.

• “Independent work” refers to homework time. This period will be an opportunity for students to work on assignments from their class teachers, and, in the upper grades from their math, Latin, and LA teachers as well.

• In the new 3-hour schedule, grades 5-8 will now have two language arts periods per week with Mr. Dilansa.

• Fridays will not go to a 3-hour schedule but stay at a 2 -hour schedule.

Cohorts shifts will be communicated by this coming Friday.

Parents, I continually hold so much gratitude for all you do for your children and for the school. The overwhelming support coming in through Annual Giving has been absolutely breathtaking. It is such a gift to have these children with us. From the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU!

Have a good week, Aurilia

Please do your best to keep the office staff safe. When possible, email or call the office and drop off your tuition payments in the outside tuition box.

This Week:

Sat, Dec 12: Holiday Sing-A-Long with Mrs. Archer via Zoom. 5:00 - 6:00 pm. See More Details Below.

Looking Ahead:

Sun, Dec 13: Holiday Market Auction Closes.

Mon, Dec 14-18: Winter Bundle & Holiday Market Pick-Up at the Siskiyou School.

Fri, Dec 18: Last Day of School Before Winter Break.

Mon, Jan 4: School Resumes.

If your family is planning to stay home or go remote (Touchstone at Home) for any reason, and especially before Winter Break. Please read the following guidelines. If you have any questions, please contact Kristin in the office.

• Please notify your teacher and the office as soon as possible (we require at least 1 day advance notice for remote participation) and for how long you intend to use the Touchstone at Home program.

Thank you for your attention to this and we are grateful to be able to accommodate your family during this time with the remote option.

If your child or anyone in your household is sick, PLEASE KEEP YOUR STUDENT(S) HOME until your doctor advises you that it is okay for your student(s) to return to school. Asymptomatic children sharing a household with an ill family member need to be carefully monitored at home for symptoms until your doctor tells you otherwise. We are more than willing to accommodate your child on Touchstone at Home during the quarantine period. Please remember to notify the office as soon as your child is not attending school for any reason and please keep the office updated on the status of your child’s health and return to school. Thank you and please take good care of yourselves!

We're so excited to again offer our family holiday favorite, the Siskiyou School Sing-a-long with Mrs. Archer this coming Saturday, December 12 from 5:00 to 6:00. This year we'll be singing together remotely, but we'll still be together and sharing our voices in song. Snuggle up with a mug of something warm, your coziest slippers, and your whole family!

Below is a button for our Holiday Songbook. We'll also be giving each family a paper copy which you'll see on Friday, coming home with your oldest child at the school.

Look for the Zoom link in the Friday Reminders (December 11) to join us. For the safety and privacy of our students, please do NOT share this link on any form of social media.

See (and hear) you on Saturday!

As you saw yesterday, we announced our Teacher Cards & Gift Fund. The Teacher Cards & Gift Fund was started many years ago and we continue the tradition this year. Since we are living in different times, we are offering an alternative on how we "write" the cards and are offering an online way of donating to the fund (we do still accept cash and check). Below is a link for a spreadsheet that you can write words to each of your child’s teachers. If you would like to give to the fund, please click on the link below. This will take you to a landing page through Give Lively. There you can make an anonymous donation into the teacher gift fund if you feel so inclined. If you would rather give in cash or by check, please drop that off in the payment box at school and be sure to note the envelope “teacher gift fun."

The last day for writing the cards and donating is Friday, December 18th at 12:00 PM.

November saw the Foresters steeped in the world of Fractions. Cutting pumpkins, chopping wood, baking measurements, and cutting pie, the class witnessed one whole after another divided into its many parts. The children’s dynamic engagement made easy a transition from first-hand experience to formal annotation in their introduction to fractions.

Our gaze turned last week from the world of numbers to the world of nature. This time, when looking into “the whole”, we found the four kingdoms of life. The celebration of Advent served as a framework for Human and Animal Studies. While the children have engaged with nature stories and practical work within the ACORN program in previous grades, the new block marks the first formal in-class science study. In fourth grade, the children have entered “the heart of childhood” --- a ripe mid-point between having a natural affinity for animals in their young feeling lives and experiencing a burgeoning ability to discern from their own observations.

The children's ability to understand the natural world proved instinctive. In sharing their personal reflections on how minerals, plants, animals, and humans are distinguished from one another, questions arose that deepened their curiosity - “What does it mean for something to be living?” “How are human beings distinguished from other animals?” The goal of these conversations was not to indoctrinate pointed facts, but to have the children expand from their own observations, to stir wonder, and to practice their ability to discern.

The children shared their observations of how we as people share qualities and relationships with all the kingdoms, animals in particular. A highlight was watching the children crawl, hop, swim, and scamper around the classroom to imagine the animal-perspective and then, after much intentional frivolity, to see them stand to walk as human beings. From this, they readily shared how special it is that people walk on two feet, freeing their hands to work, to create, to greet, to play, and to destroy by the will of each person. ~ Miss. Benson

The fifth grade has entered the world of Greek Mythology. Through stories of heroes, athletes, artists, and gods that often come disguised to Earth as mortals, the class is working on their writing skills. Just as Prometheus taught human beings the meaning of words and writing, the fifth graders are expanding their use of language to recreate the stories they hear. They are also using their imaginations to do some creative writing of their own. The stories of the Greek gods are filled with magic and gifts, but the gods also make some questionable decisions. This has allowed for some valuable class discussions about the choices we make and how those choices impact others. Finally, the Greek myths include a diverse population of characters which has created a platform for stories that include topics like race, disability, and diverse relationships. In this way, the children hear stories that reflect the diversity of the world we live in. ~ Ms. Mahlstadt

Get your Holiday items at our Holiday Market and Auction.

Class 5 dropped off their items this week! They have made an air plant decoration. What a great gift for someone special.

The online auction closes on December 13th. Make sure you check out all the fun things for your gift buying needs. Place your bid today, or be the highest bidder and make the items yours today!

While we're not able to host our beautiful and fun WinterFaire this year, you can bring a small taste of the magic home! Featured on the Siskiyou School store, along with the other Holiday Market treats, is a "Winter Magic Bundle". Inside the bundle are special gifts from the Fairy Queen, Pocket Person, and Go Fish Gnome. Also included are kits for making your own nut-butter bird feeder and one of the wildly popular peppermint lemons. Winter Magic bundles help bring the fun of the season to your home and support our amazing school. Bundles are $20 and available to order through Wednesday, December 16. Bundle pick-up will begin Monday, December 14.

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.

If you are interested in providing holiday gifts for children affected by the fires please follow the link below and sign-up next to an item. Unwrapped items should be brought to school December 14th-18th with the child's ID written clearly on the gift. Your child can place items in the bins in front of the school at drop-off. If you have any questions or would like to help further with this effort (delivering items or sponsoring more children) please contact Tamara Fields at 707-497-9689 tamaraf76@gmail.com.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1095DleDYrFI5lSyfB9_-N1QT6ATElJkPuu62cL1hlM8/edit?usp=sharing

The Bass (and extended) family has “adopted” a family for Christmas who lost their home in the Almeda Fire. There are 7 children and one on the way. We wanted to reach out to the Siskiyou School Community specifically about the coming baby. Our son Ben, is in 7th grade and we no longer have baby things around our house. We were wondering if any families have any baby gear (high chair, car seat, crib, bouncy seat etc) that they would like to donate to this mama. Additionally, if there are any gently used baby clothes for sizes anywhere from newborn to toddler that families would like to donate that would be amazing. The baby is a boy. If you have something you would like to donate please contact Ann Bass at 541-482-0617 - calling or texting is fine.

Thank you for your consideration and we wish you warm and joyful winter days.

The Bass Family

Nurturing, fun, holistic nanny available, over 20 years experience with all ages, lots of time outside, nature walks, creative play, and reading. CPR and first aid certified. $25 an hour for one child $5/hr more per child minimum 20 hrs per week. Contact Kamalla McNamara for more information call 541-488-6616.

Seeking temporary Nanny/Babysitter for our 8-year-old Siskiyou School Student. Must have experience and references. Requires someone who is reliable, energetic and organized, and able to assist with meal prep, and tutoring. Must have a safe, reliable vehicle. 15-20 hours per week through January. Please call or text Abby, 541-787-1238.

Tenor Trombone for Sale, $990: Professional model, Jupiter XO, lacquered, Wedge delrin plastic mouthpiece, original hard case with custom straps and hinge to keep open, trombone stand included. Contact Darran @ darran1@live.com, or 541-690-7171.

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/