Tuesday Notice

Dear Siskiyou School Parents,

What a beautiful time of year! The rain blessed our valley once again, and we are truly entering the season of fall. All is well on campus; the children are happy to be at school and our teachers are doing a fantastic job and holding the children in a most wonderful way.

This Friday we will celebrate Michaelmas on campus. We will have our first all-school assembly at Clay Street Park. We will sing together, hear a story about courage and strength and hear the middle school sing one of our traditional Michaelmas songs. After the assembly each class will do some sort of service on our campus. Parent volunteers will be baking apple crisps so we can serve each child a sweet apple treat. Sometime during the morning we might even get a glimpse of our beautiful dragon! Check in with your children at the end of the day on Friday to hear their stories about the day.

Please be sure to check out our “Waldorf Gems”; we posted a wonderful article about Michaelmas there.

The autumn wind blows open the gate,

St. Michael for you we wait.

We follow you, show us the way,

With joy we start this autumn day;

Good Morning!

The flowers fade, the grains turn gold,

Oh autumn morn you are so cold.

The pumpkins ripen on the vine,

Oh autumn days, you are so fine.

Good Morning!

From my heart to yours, Aurilia

This Week:
Tues, Sept 28: First Grade Enrichment Evening, 6:30-7:30pm, Zoom.

Fri, Oct 1: Michaelmas (in-house).

Looking Ahead:

Tues, Oct 5: Wellness Evening on Zoom.

• 6:30pm-7:10pm, Parents of Grades 1-5.
  
• 7:15pm-8:00pm, Parents of Grades 6-8.
  

Fri, Oct 8: Morning Coffee Chat with Nina Gallwey, 9:00-10:00am, Zoom.

Tues, Oct 12: Fourth Grade Enrichment Evening with Nina Gallwey, 6:30pm-7:30pm.

Thurs & Fri, Oct 14 & Oct 15: No School, Conferences.

Mon, Oct 18: No School.

Please join us next Tuesday night for our zoom evening about our Grades 1-8 developmental Wellness Program. The Wellness Program has become a very important part of the Siskiyou School curriculum, and next Tuesday evening is an opportunity for you to learn more about it and meet some of the teachers of that curriculum. Under the umbrella of our Wellness Program, students in grades 1-8 receive instruction between 4- 8 “classes” per year. Different presenters, specialists in their field, come into the classrooms to talk to the children about specific wellness-related topics and facilitate discussions with the children around these subjects. We established the program in 2015 with the following express goals:

• To support teachers in holding the social & emotional development of the children.
• To ensure that Siskiyou School students in grades 1-8 are given the tools and language to have conversations around their feelings and difficult topics.
• To ensure that Siskiyou School graduates have accurate information and appropriate guidance about range of “wellness” topics related to healthy relations, healthy choices & self-care, appropriate use of social media, sexuality and gender -- with all topics brought with developmentally appropriate sequencing and language.
• To ensure that the school has protocols and lines of communication in place to properly support students needing extra support socially and emotionally.
• To provide education for parents on issues adolescents in our community are facing and guidance for how to navigate these issues with their kids.

Next Tuesday you will hear how we are achieving those goals and hear from several of our presenters, including Kyndra Laughery, Angela Fleischer, Kelly Tisdel, and our new school counselor Tricia Zane. There will also be time for questions.

Dear Parents,

Here is another reminder what to do if your child gets sick. We are also outlining what we need to do from our end to make sure children are healthy and well when they return to school in the best interest of everyone.

Is your child sick with any cold, flu and/or COVID-19 like symptoms?

• If yes, stay home and inform the Siskiyou School office.

• Parents will receive a check-in call from the front office staff. We will ask questions about your child’s symptoms and let you know what the next steps might be. These may include either testing, or a note from your family doctor for best time for your child to safely return to school.

• Make sure your child stays home as long as needed to rest and recover.

• Once all that is in place, please inform the office with an email the day before your child returns to school.

Please read the following COVID policy.

Thank you so much for your attention to this matter. With joint effort, we are doing great keeping our teachers and children healthy and well.

Make-up day for school pictures will be Wednesday, September 29. If your student missed their day, please let Kristin know (kristin.beers@siskiyouschool.org) and she’ll be sure they have their picture taken.

We all know how important the Siskiyou School directory is! Let our families know about your business by placing an advertisement with us. Ads in the directory are $10 for ¼ page or business card size, $25 for a half-page, and $50 for a full-page ad.

The ads are in the back of the directory and are printed in black and white. The proceeds help to offset the cost of printing.

Please send an email to Jenny James (jenny.james@siskiyouschool.org) and include a jpg or picture file of your ad. We can also scan and include business cards.

Ads are due FRIDAY, October 1. Thank you for your support!

We are excited to launch our 2021-2022 Siskiyou School Sponsorship Program. If you, or a family member, have a local business and would like to be a Siskiyou School Sponsor, please contact Lora in the office at lora.wilde@siskiyouschool.org.

The details of the year-long sponsorship are outlined below:

• $500 annual fee (tax-deductible) for one business for the school year. We will accept amounts higher than $500.

• Payment is due at the time of commitment (or an agreed payment schedule). You can pay either by cash, check or credit card (fees apply). Checks to be made out to: The Siskiyou School.

• Year-long exposure through Siskiyou School events and marketing.

• The first recognition will be in our weekly newsletter, the Tuesday Notice, on October 12th.

The first graders are immersed in the magic of fairy tales and legends as well as in a realistic story of three travelers that weaves in and out of the developing curriculum and parallels our learning discoveries in class. The journey of the grandfather figure, a boy and a girl connect the class to their lessons in an imaginative way. The re-telling of the fairy tales offers wonderful language practice. When we recall the story, the children eagerly use the exact words they heard characters in the story speak -- often old English words. The daily recall provides opportunities to expand vocabulary, practice sequencing, strengthen memory, and practice speech. As part of our ongoing work with language, we will now also be learning some tricky tongue twisters! In addition, this week, in celebration of Michaelmas the children will enjoy a puppet show of The Dragon's Gate, the story of a courageous little fish who overcomes his fears and becomes a dragon. A true example of strength and courage! This autumn rain is a precious gift. Embrace it! ~ Ms. Tourzan

We have studied the night sky with famous stars and constellations in all directions and are now ready to observe! On Friday night, the 6thgrade will come back to school to look into the dark sky to find Ursa Major, the North Star, Cassiopeia and her entourage, Pegasus, Delphinus, the Summer Triangle, Orion and his entourage, and Gemini… among others. There is magic for this age group in bringing attention to the Universe we are within. The lights get lit, the questions abound, imaginations fly with wondering about being on the sun, the edge of the galaxy, what it would feel like to be off Earth and floating in space. What happens to time when there isn’t day and night? What is a light year and how fast does light actually travel? We’ve gone to the reaches and will come back to Earth with Rome next week. Blessings to you at this Michaelmas time. ~ Ms. Tisdel

We are super excited to announce that you can now purchase all kinds of Siskiyou School items online. We have sweatshirts, t-shirts (long and short sleeve), beanies, hats, totes, and more in youth/teen/and adult sizes.

How it works - You simply place your order and your item will be direct shipped to you. It's that easy. Happy shopping and feel free to share with your friends and family!

This week Michaelmas is on September 29th and we will celebrate as a school on Friday, October 1st. You might be asking yourself, "Why do Waldorf schools celebrate Michaelmas?" We are happy to share this wonderful article featured on Waldorf Publications. Read more here.

One of our teachers had their bike stolen last week. It is a black, hybrid adult bike with straight handlebars. If you have any information, please contact the office at 541-482-8223.

Virtual guitar and ukulele lessons by an experienced Waldorf teacher for students ages 7-14. Enjoy personalized lessons from the convenience of your home. Text Don DeHart at 541-778-8740 for further information or email dcdehart@gmail.com.

Body Basics offers puberty education and body literacy classes for youth starting in 4th grade. Each year students return for the next developmentally appropriate curriculum guiding youth and their parenting adults towards and through adolescence, normalizing this most misunderstood phase of life. Our programs for boys (6th grade- 9th grade) will be launched in January of 2022! Educators Karen O'Dougherty and Jane Higgins are excited to welcome Aaron Boyd to the Body Basics team. For more information and to register for the fall session, go to bodybasicsand beyond.com. For questions please email Karen at karen@bodybasicsandbeyond.com

Need to get your kiddo moving? Gymnastics and Obstacle classes at FlipSide start next week! Join us for our 8 week fall session(Sept 27-Nov 19). We still have openings in several classes- in addition to our usual classes, we have space in our * Beg Teen 1 & Adv Teen 2 Tumbling classes (ages 10 & up); *Friday early release 2pm Tumbling & Obstacles class (ages 5-8); *Friday Ninjas int and * Warrior adv Tumbling & Parkour Obstacles classes! Class sizes are limited. We mask, Covid check, sanitize and ventilate! For more info or to sign up online, go to www.FlipsideAshland.com (FlipSide is owned by Tracy John, alum parent and 1st grade assistant:)

8th grader, Kieran Sweeney, has been searching for a mentor to learn silversmithing for his 8th grade project. If you or someone you know may be interested in working with him, please contact Shannon at mamaspruce@gmail.com or 541-890-1717. Thanks!

Ruth Hoffecker, a Waldorf graduate and certified Singing Teacher offers private lessons and small group classes to singers of all ages and abilities. Learn to sing for the first time, cultivate the skills to set your voice free, or experience personal renewal through engaging in this Anthroposophical art form.

Contact Ruth Hoffecker

rmhoffecker@gmail.com

541-531-9442

Ben Gaskin (formerly Mr. Gaskin) is offering individual ukulele lessons to kids and adults for a limited time only. Beginner to intermediate levels welcome. $30 for 1/2 hour or $40 for 45 minute lessons. All lessons outdoors from his home in downtown Ashland (has covered structure with fire table). Email bengaskin09@gmail.com or call 541-531-2624 if interested and to check availability!

Siskiyou School Mom, Ruth Nelson-Moore and girls, Kayla Hawkins (8th grade), and Eleanor Hawkins (2nd grade) and two small outdoor bunnies are looking for a 2-3-bedroom home by Oct. 1. Thank-you for any leads! 541-292-1986

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/