The Tuesday Notice

The Blessing the Classrooms is a respected and important tradition at the Siskiyou School. Before the beginning of school, the faculty gather in each room and the person that "holds" that space says a little about what they hope that place will bring to the children during the upcoming year. There were many wishes for growth, calm, and a lot of fun! Blessings on our school!

This Week

Wed, Aug 28: Class 1 and Class 8 Meetings (6:30 - 8:00 p.m.)

Thurs, Aug 29: Class 6 Meeting (6:30 p.m.)

Thurs & Fri, Aug. 29 & 30: Kindergarten and First Grade Cubby Days

Thurs & Fri, Aug 29 & 30: Optional Check-ins for Grades 3, 5, 6, 7 & 8

Thurs & Fri, Aug 29 & 30: New Teacher Conferences for Grades 2 & 4

Fri, Aug. 30: Class 1 Picnic (5:30 p.m.)

Next Week

Tues, Sept. 3: Opening Day, First Day of School, Half Day (early dismissal)

And Beyond!

Mon, Sept. 9 through Wed, Sept. 11: Class 6 to Sunset Bay - Fall Orientation Trip

Tues, Sept. 10: Class 7 Meeting (6:30 p.m.)

Thurs, Sept. 12 through Sat, Sept. 14: Class 7 to Sunset Bay - Fall Orientation Trip

Thurs, Sept. 12: Family Welcome Night and Class Meetings (5:45 - 8:00 p.m.)

First Week AM Drop-off

Drop-off for all grades: 8:10-8:25; the bell rings at 8:25.

First Week PM Dismissal Times

1st Day, Tuesday, September 3

Kindergarten and Grade 1: 12:20pm

Grades 2-4: 12:30pm

Grades 5-8: 12:45pm

Wednesday, September 4 and Thursday, September 5

Kindergarten and Grade 1: 12:20pm

Grades 2-4: 3:00pm

Grades 5-8: 3:10pm

Friday, September 6 and ALL Fridays and half-days

Kindergarten and Grade 1: 12:20pm

Grades 2-4: 12:30pm

Grades 5-8: 12:45pm

Week 2 and all weeks Mon-Thurs, starting September 9

Drop-off for all grades: 8:10-8:25; the bell rings at 8:25.

Pick-up times for all grades:

Kindergarten: 12:30pm (for children without afternoon enrichment)

Grade 1: 2:10pm (First Semester, Sept-Feb)

Grades 2-4 and Kindergarten (with enrichment): 3:00pm

Grades 5-8: 3:10pm

• We can't wait to share time with you at our traditional Opening Day Ceremony on Tuesday, September 3, at 8:30 a.m. on the woodchips. This marks the beginning of our 19th year as a school! All parents are invited to join us as we welcome our new and returning students. Stay afterward for tea and a chance to socialize.

  
  

• Our official welcome back for parents and guardians is at our Parent Welcome Night on Thursday, September 12, at 5:45 p.m. with a community dinner, a welcome by the faculty, administration, and board members, and then a parent meeting with your child’s teacher to discuss the curriculum, class schedule, upcoming events, and more. We encourage at least one parent per child to attend. If you have multiple children, please divide your time between meetings. We hope this advance notice helps you arrange childcare.

In the past, Open House was a casual time for students and families to visit, meet teachers, and check out classrooms. However, faculty have decided to step away from this tradition during in-service week and instead provide targeted support based on the needs of the class. You can sign up for these slots using this link: Class Welcome Days Sign-up. Look for the tab at the bottom for your child’s class. If you're using this form on your phone and have trouble editing the document, you might have better luck on a computer. If you encounter any issues, please email the teacher to confirm your sign-up time.

Cubby Days (Kindergarten & 1st Grade Teachers): This is a time for children to greet their teacher, see the classroom, and get a quick walk-through of what the first day will be like. This calm and quiet time is an important step in preparing for a smooth first day.

Teacher Conferences (1st, 2nd & 4th Grade Teachers): “Required” parent-teacher conferences because the teacher is new to this class. This is a time for parents to meet the teacher and discuss their hopes for their child. Because our new 6th grade teacher had conferences with families in the spring, students in Grade 6 have the option of a check.

Optional Check-ins (3rd, 5th, 6th, 7th, & 8th Grade Teachers): Time for those families who would like to meet for about 15 minutes. This is generally for a “summer update” on family and student developments.

There's a lot to keep in mind as we start up again. Being on the same page with schedules, policies, and arrival/dismissal logistics helps everything run smoothly. Thank you for reading through these reminders and marking key dates on your calendars. The updated 2024-25 Parent/Family Handbook will be published in a couple weeks and any updates to the calendar will come through the Tuesday Notice.

• Teachers give a lot of thought to the children’s first hour at school because its effect reverberates through the day. As soon as the bell rings, class teachers begin leading their children through a rhythmic sequence of activities designed to bring the class together and the student into a place of readiness for Main Lesson. Getting your children to school 10-15 minutes before the 8:25 a.m. bell to give them a moment to settle in, put belongings away, and connect with their friends is a gift you can give them every day. Thank you for your help with this routine.

  
  

• Teachers encourage children to drink frequently throughout the day to stay well hydrated. All children in grades 1-8 are expected to have a labeled water bottle at school every day. Children can refill their bottle with filtered water from their classroom sink.

  
  

• In addition to water bottles we encourage parents to label all sweatshirts, jackets, and lunch bags, as well as potluck dishes or other items brought on campus. Labeling is a big help in being able to get your things back to you.

  
  

• Students are not allowed to use cell phones/smart watches, electronic devices, or other personal devices during school. If a child needs to communicate with their parent during the school day they may go to the office to use the phone (see Cell Phone/Smart Watch Policy in handbook).

  
  

• For your child’s safety, please make sure their Emergency Form and all important contact information, including phone numbers for parents and emergency contacts are correct and up-to-date.

While it has not been smoke free, we feel grateful we’ve had the pleasure of enjoying many days outside this summer. In the case of smoke rolling into the valley around the start of school, we will have the air purifiers and AC units running at all times. We will track the air quality on Air Now, and decide on outdoor recesses or classes based on the following AQI scale:

• Good (green): Recess and outdoor classes okay.

• Moderate (yellow): Recess and outdoor classes okay.

• Unhealthy for sensitive groups (orange): Recess and outdoor classes okay; masks recommended for sensitive children.

• Unhealthy (red): Recess and outdoor classes moved inside. When outdoors, masks are highly recommended.

Any index past red will automatically move all recesses and outdoor classes inside. School will operate on the full-day schedule if the AQI is 0-150. In extreme circumstances, when the AQI is forecasted to reach 151 or higher by 12:00 noon, school may operate on a half-day schedule.

PLEASE SEND YOUR CHILD TO SCHOOL WITH A MASK on the first day of school in the case of smoke. Thank you!

Illness Policy:

• Children with ANY illness symptoms should be kept home.

• Children must stay home until 24 hours well, especially after having a fever.

• Contact the office any time if your child will be absent for any reason from school. Call the main number 541-482-8223, and press extension 14 to leave a message on the attendance line.

Gastro-Intestinal Illness:

• Any child with diarrhea and/or vomiting must stay at home for 48 hours after symptoms subside.

COVID Illness and other communicable diseases:

• Any child with COVID or any communicable disease, needs to stay home until well.

Dear Siskiyou Community,

I am seeking a ride share for my 5th grade daughter to get to school… especially perhaps during cold, wet, wintery times. I teach in White City and need to leave for work early. We have backup plans, but hoping for multiple options. We just moved to lower Helman and would love to find a family who lives near us who could help with Monday and Tuesday mornings.

Please reach out directly to me if this is something you would consider. 541-244-0391

Sincerely, Tyler Hawkins

September and October are the most beautiful months of the year at the Oregon Coast. Have you been to Alma’s Way yet? Here’s the link to Lily Delgado’s family’s beautiful coast rentals: https://prayerfarm.org/almas-way/

Password: AW@42517

Does your child need some extra academic support this coming school year? Experienced Waldorf class teacher available for virtual tutoring and curriculum support for grades 1-8 and highschool. Expertise includes math, reading, and writing. Check out my website and feel free to reach out.

catherinehdixon.com

Inner Guide Expeditions would like to thank our summer participants for an incredible trip season. There was solid adventure, deep & connective circles, and a few beautiful surprises along the way to feed the soul. We witnesses bravery, vulnerability, leadership, and look for our fall offerings in next Tuesday’s notice and our summer 2025 expeditions will open for registration later in the fall.

https://innerguideexpeditions.com/

Dear Parents,

I hope this finds you well and enjoying the last beautiful days of summer!

Please see our September Offerings below. Not included on the flyer are on-going support for your parenting:

• One-on-One Parent Coaching Sessions
• Sand Tray for children ages 6-12.
• Private mentoring/sensory sessions for children ages 6-14 years.

September’s Parent Coffee them is Seeing Your Child Anew: Parenting with Perspective. An evening date for this talk will also be offered in October. There will also be a day long deep dive on October 5. Stepping Into The Heart Of Childhood: Supporting the Emotional Health of Children will be an inspirational and rich day to gift to yourself and the children you love.

I hope to see you soon. May your journey be one of courage, joy, deep healing, and surprises!

Best, Nina

Email: office@siskiyouschool.org
Website: www.siskiyouschool.org
Location: 631 Clay Street, Ashland, OR, USA
Phone: 541-482-8223