Tuesday Notice

Our ACORN (Active Curiosity, Observation, and Reverence for Nature) program is primarily focused on teaching the lessons of nature through a lot of good digging and looking on the ground. But this week's eclipse brought a chance for Ms. Leann to direct eyes skyward! Students had a great time safely observing and learning about or our solar system and the fascinating planetary dance in our skies. Thank you, Ms. Leann!

Dear Siskiyou School Parents,

Welcome back from spring break! I hope everyone had a rejuvenating and wonderful time.

We are back now for nine more weeks of school until the end of the school year. This time is full with wonderful events, plays, the Medieval Games, the Olympiad, the last school fundraiser, and end of year projects that need to be finished. In late May we have parent-teacher conferences and then in early June we have the graduation, field day and moving day.

Re-enrollment packets are due in the office on Friday, April 19th. We hope all children will return for next school year! In case anyone is moving on, please be in touch with me as soon as possible. Thank you.

Next week we hope you will join us for our third DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) circle on Wednesday, April 17th at 6:30pm in the 8th grade classroom. Julie Newman (mother to Elana in 5th and Alia in 8th) and Leo Anifowose (father to Josephine in 8th) will be facilitating this evening. This will be the last event on this year’s parent enrichment calendar and we hope to see you there.

Blessings on our wonderful school!

With best and warmest spring greetings, Aurilia

This Week

Thurs, April 11: Main Lesson Tour, 8:30 a.m. - Adults only, please

Fri, April 12: Middle School Open House, 11 - 12 p.m. - Join us for a peek into our Middle School program.

Next Weeks

Mon, April 15: Class 5 parent meeting, 6:00 p.m.

Wed, April 17: DEI Circle, in the 8th grade classroom, 6:30 p.m.

Fri, April 19: ALL RE-ENROLLMENT FORMS DUE (See link below)

Fri, April 19: Class 2 curriculum evening, 5:30 p.m.

Fri, April 19: Earth Day! See our booth at The Farm at SOU (near ScienceWorks)! 3:30 p.m

Looking Ahead

Wed, April 24: Class 3 art show, 5:00 - 7:00 p.m.

Wed, April 24: Class 5 play, The Odyssey, 6:30 p.m. - Presentation for the community

Thurs, April 25: Class 5 play, The Odyssey - Presentation for the school

Thurs & Fri, April 25 - 26: Class 6 Medieval Games

Come see our campus with an eye to our middle school programs and curriculum. Hosted by Mr. Beech, our 8th grade teacher, this Open House is intended for parents and students looking for a different way of approaching the middle school years and instilling a lifelong love of learning! Please invite friends and neighbors, we'd love to have them come!

The Siskiyou School is excited to celebrate Earth Day, Friday, April 19th, with a booth at the SOU Farm near ScienceWorks! Learn more at the link HERE.

As part of their ACORN curriculum with Ms. Leann, the lower grades children learn about the amazing Mason bee and their place in nature that is so important to the health of our local environment, gardens, and farms. the children create Mason bee houses that can be placed around our neighborhood and help provide safe nesting sites for the bees.

Our booth at Earth Day this year will showcase the Siskiyou School’s Mason bee house and pollinator garden projects. At the booth we will also be creating seed balls that contain soil, clay, and wildflower seeds that folks can take to help plant more flowers for bees and butterflies! The booth is a fun way to spread the word about these super pollinators and help others learn more about our school and its programs.

We are looking for some parent volunteers to assist at the booth, setting up and breaking it down, helping visitors in making the seed balls, and chatting about the school. Volunteers will be prepped on the Mason bee and pollinator garden beforehand.

Click the button below to sign up to help with our Mason bee and seed ball booth at Earth Day! Shifts include times from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Sign up for one shift or more. For more information about our projects, contact Ms. Leann. Thank you!

Parent Enrichment: Wednesday, April 17, 6:30 p.m. in the 8th grade classroom

Join us for a facilitated circle to talk about how we embody diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging as individuals and integrate it in our community. This meeting will be led by parents Julie Newman and Leo Anifowose. We will practice speaking openly and listening deeply about the effects of racism and all the 'isms that we as a community are navigating. Only for Siskiyou School parents.

Please park in our lot or on Clay Street and enter campus through the person gate door beside 1st grade for the meeting in the 8th grade classroom.

If interested in a position, please send a resume and cover letter to Aurilia McNamara at Aurilia.mcnamara@siskiyouschool.org; she can also share the detailed job description for open positions as needed.

We are looking for a Kindergarten Assistant who will support the Kindergarten and the lead Kindergarten Teacher for the 2024-2025 school year. The work will begin in late August 2024. The position is full-time, paid on an hourly basis, with some benefits. The hours are 8-3:30 pm, Monday - Thursday, and 8:00-1:00 on Fridays. Responsibilities include tag teaming with the lead teacher as needed through the morning, supporting children who need that extra bit of attention to allow the lead teacher to hold the whole, and helping with class logistics and setup to ensure a seamless flow for the children from one activity to the next. It also requires getting trained to hold the afternoon enrichment program from 1:00 - 3:00 pm Monday-Thursday. The assistant will need to be able to sing and stay on pitch, be flexible, good with multi-tasking, able to connect easily with the children, and open to leading a circle and subbing when needed.

The Siskiyou School is looking for a 6th grade class teacher and a 1st grade class teacher for the school year 2024-2025. The current 5th grade, called the Raven Class, has had a teacher for their first five years and they are ready to welcome a new class teacher for the middle school years. Our forming first grade will welcome the graduates of our first year of Kindergarten as well as some new friends.

The class teacher is the main holder of a class. They teach their students main lesson and some of the core skills. They oversee their students’ academic progress, guide their social and emotional development, organize field trips, and keep in communication with parents through regular conferences and class meetings. Class teachers are the point person for their students, parents, other teachers and the administration for all matters regarding their class.

We require at least 2 years of teaching experience in the grades. A Waldorf Teacher certificate is also preferable, but we are also open to training a teacher or sending the candidate to Waldorf summer training.

As the class has formed and the children have come together as a kind class community, we spend our days singing and learning with purposeful movement and activities as well as play. Since Winter Break, they have crafted Redwood Cone Gnomes, made Violet Syrup, sewn Mice and Heart Necklaces, woven together Heart Pouches for their Valentines cards, finger knitted, sewn Mushroom Pawns for our Auction Project and themselves, wet felted Spring Eggs and planted Spring Wheatgrass Baskets. This is in addition to weekly activities of drawing, painting, soup making and bread baking. It feels like a wondrous and busy bee hive in the Glendale House! This spring, the rising First Grade ready students will make their own doll and blanket while the children who are fortunate to have another year of kindergarten will make their own table puppet.

In kindergarten, the children cultivate their fine and gross motor skills, gain confidence and capacity, foster their independence and practical life skills as well as further their communication and problem-solving skills in a beautiful, supportive learning environment. All the while, having a lovely time!

~ Ms. Caterina

Hoping you all had a nurturing break and are finding your way into this beautiful spring

weather! I look forward to seeing you at one of our upcoming events. Heads up…the popular Tween Parent Support Circle now has an afternoon time for those of you who could not make mornings. Come after lunch and gain deep insight into how to support the emotional development of your child as they go through this key time of growth between 7-14 years. Here to serve your parenting journey with inspiration, tools, and maps. Register on-line.

I look forward to walking with you, Nina Gallwey

APRIL OFFERINGS: go on-line to more details on each gathering under Events.

ohanafamilyresources.com

April 18, 25 and May 2 Tween Parent Support Circle 1:00-2:30 p.m.

Spring Coffee Talks 9:00-10:30 a.m.

• April 16: Developing the Inner Compass: Guiding Children to Guide Themselves
• April 24: Tech Intentional Family Life: Managing Screens At Home
• May 1 and 8: Forging New Pathways (2 sessions on neural plasticity)
• May 2: Sleep and Brain Health: The Architecture of Sleep

Workshop May 4: 9:00 a.m.- 3:00 p.m.

The Developmental Symphony

An in-depth exploration into neurodevelopmental movement as foundation for

physical, mental, and intellectual health.

Nina Gallwey
Ohana Family Resources
295 E Main St. #8
Ashland, Oregon
ohanafamilyresources@gmail.com

ohanafamilyresources.com

Happy Spring everyone! I hope you all enjoyed the break, and possibly even

played a game or two of chess with your child. I'm looking forward to this upcoming Session 2 (April 12th, 19th, 26th, and May 10th, and 17th) as the enthusiasm I'm witnessing and experiencing with the students has been very inspiring for me. It's allowed me a re-look at my own chess game and where the notable holes and areas for improvement are. For those of you who might want a refresher on the game and the moves for yourself, or even to learn for the first time, you can still sign up through the Online Auction link the Chess For Beginners Evening, happening next Friday, April 19th, from 6-7:30. It will be casual and low key, and a fun way to connect with some others in the community.

*Timing Change - I've been noticing more often the last few classes that many students can only get through one game and then have a difficult time settling for the remainder of the period. They are always strongly encouraged to play another game (which some do), or quietly watch a game already in progress. Maybe it's the weather starting to get nicer, but, particularly the last 15 minutes or so of each class, many tend to wander around unsettled, and/or be disruptive to those already engaged in their games. For this reason, in Session 2 we will be going back to the original Chess Club time of one hour, 12:30-1:30. Since there are also still students who are productively using this time, I am fine if they want to finish a game they are currently playing, and continue to the previous 1:45 time. But, for most, particularly the younger grade students, they seem to max out at about an hour. Which makes sense after a long week.

If there are any questions about any of this, or the upcoming tournament (details in the TN 3/19), please feel free to reach out at dustin.monda@siskiyouschool.org

Chess Club Session 2 will be $50 for the full session or $15 drop-in. Thank you, Dustin Monda

The Children's Garden is presently taking applications for the 2024-2025 school year.

We are offering a Waldorf based preschool program for a small group of seven 3 and 4 years old Monday thru Thursday from 9am to 2pm.

The daily schedule offers a predictable rhythm that includes:

• morning circle where children gather together for seasonal songs and verses.
• creative playtime where imagination flourishes and where positive social skills are fostered.
• snack time where the children help prepare a warm, nutritious snack and the group comes together as a community.
• story time where children sometimes listen to a story, watch a puppet show, or act out the story
• ample outdoor playtime in a magical garden space bordering a creek.

The teacher, Claire Marie, has decades of early childhood teaching experience. Working with this age group is her love and passion. She takes care in providing a homelike environment radiating beauty and warmth. She particularly enjoys getting to know each child deeply with their unique personalities and gifts.

The Children's Garden is located just blocks from the Siskiyou School. For more information and to schedule a visit call Claire at: 541-944-9777

We hope your 11-14 year old girl will consider joining us as we creatively explore this week's topics, including:

April 4th- Exiting Childhood: Growing Up / Being a Young Teen

How do we say goodbye to childhood and enter teen years? Come make a childhood Time capsule, while discussing what it means to grow up! What do others expect of you? Responsibilities, Pressures, & freedoms? How does this change during these important years? What aspects of childhood are helpful to hold onto and let go of?

* April 11th- Staying Safe Online: Navigating the world of social media

How do young teens navigate this online world and stay safe? We'll look at social and parental pressure, risks and rewards, young teenage brains and why this is a hot topic! Tools and resources will be offered. We'll look at the most popular uses of social media and the risks and benefits.

April 18th- Strengthening Healthy Relationships. We accept the love we think we deserve”. What is healthy? What is toxic? How do we treat others- and allow them to treat us? Applies to all types of relationships/ friendships. Art will be making compasses

To sign up online, go to www.FlipSideAshland.com. We hope your emerging teen will join us for one of our Thursday workshops! We meet at The Dance Space, 280 E Hersey #10, Ashland. Registration is required & Space is limited. Share with a friend. Reach out with any questions!

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/