Dear Siskiyou School Parents,
With this week we are starting the 2nd semester! This semester looks and feels so different than the first. It’s a different time of year, different seasons, different celebrations and events, and the children will change and grow so much between now and the end of the year.
It’s been so wonderful to see what is happening in the classrooms: First, a fantastic 7th grade play which I hope everyone got to see, beautiful watercolor paintings displayed in the front hallway, the 6th grade’s completion of their business math projects (see below) and the middle school Friday program with all it’s wonderful offerings. Last week Chinese was wrapped up in classes 1-5 and Seniora Diez is now teaching Spanish in all the grades for the rest of the year. This Friday we will celebrate the New Lunar Chinese Year with Jennifer Carroll. She will guide the 5th grade students in a Chinese puppet show; we can’t wait to see the story.
As the gifts of Waldorf education keep inspiring and fulfilling the teachers, the kids are met beautifully every day. Please join us, when you can, for our monthly tours. You will get to see main lessons being taught in grades 1-8 and we always make a brief stop by the kindergarten as well. Check the calendar below to see when the tours are scheduled; usually it’s the first Thursday of each month. Please also encourage neighbors and friends to attend; it’s always helpful to get the word out about our school in the larger community.
Please see the traditional verse for grades 1-4 by Rudolf Steiner below. Children around the globe in all Waldorf schools will recite this verse in their language every morning of the school day.
The Sun with loving light
Makes bright for me each day,
The soul with spirit power
Gives strength unto my limbs,
In sunlight shining clear
I revere, oh spirit,
The strength of humankind,
Which thee so graciously
Has planted in my soul,
That I with all my might,
May love to work and learn.
From Thee stream light and strength
To Thee rise love and thanks.
Warmly, Aurilia
Chess Club Update
Hello everyone. This is the first in what will be a weekly update from the Chess Club world.
We have met the last two Fridays, and have a pretty good group of students from across the grades.
There are a number of brand new-to-chess players, so we have taken the time to introduce all the pieces, review their movements, and now are beginning to learn more principles and guidelines around their best uses. We have gone over the basic rules, what constitutes a draw or stalemate, check and checkmate, exchange values, the rarely used but important to know 'en passant', and the ins and outs of castling.
A typical Chess Club will begin with some end game puzzles for the students to solve while the students snack and we wait for everyone to arrive. Next is a review of topics covered the previous week, and an introduction to some new material. The focus in the next few Fridays will be origins and history of the game and the evolution of the pieces, hints and strategies, tactics, as well as starting to look at some specific openings. Obviously each student will absorb different pieces from all of this, depending on their level of play and understanding of the game. But, no matter where they are in their development, I think it's a great life skill to begin to cultivate.
If your child still wants to join us, we meet on Friday's from 12:30 -1:45. Starting this week we will be meeting in Pine Hall instead of the Math Room.
Please email me if you would still like to sign up - - dustin.monda@siskiyouschool.org
Thank you, Mr. Monda
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/
