From the Director

Dear Madrone Family,



My mother grew up on a farm. No real news there as I mention that beloved farm almost every week. Once she moved on to college, nursing school, marriage, and motherhood, her life became more suburban. Which meant a smaller garden, and of course house plants. Gross amounts of house plants. Rubber trees, Oak Leaf Ivy (Ellen Danica), Croton, Spider Plants, Aloe Vera, and Boston ferns of all sizes, some the size of small trees. Then there were the actual trees (Ficus Benjamina). We had a Ficus that was over 7 feet tall. It was ridiculous. Every Sunday afternoon, my mother would haul this forest out to the patio and water them. It took at least an hour to complete the process. Don’t get me wrong. I am all for clean air and greenery. But massive Boston Ferns? 

I, on the other hand, can garden fairly well if I put my mind to it. Conversely, house plants tend to get overlooked, and best be quite hardy and cat proof to survive my living room. As a teen, I worked in wholesale greenhouses that propagated house plants who then sold them to nurseries and home stores. I would spend hours on my hands and knees weeding below the hanging plants. There were endless greenhouses of all kinds of plants, and a couple tucked at the back of the property that grew a special variety of plant. I wasn’t allowed in those for some reason. I guess you could say that plants were a large part of my life as a child. I understood that if you wanted dinner, you pulled weeds and cared for the garden. It made me wonder why plants were not more prominent in traditional education. 

Because Rudolf Steiner was able to see not merely the forms of all living things but their existence on a higher plane, he postulated that plants and animals are interdependent. Not one to stop at some simple scientific story about photosynthesis and chlorophyll, Rudolf Steiner taught that a plant is nourished at every level, by the soil, the air and of course the warmth and moisture of the heavens. He believed that plants, like people, will differ according to the day and hour of their birth. And he proposed a unique “medicine” for plant health, the “biodynamic preparation” based on the principles of homeopathy.

According to Steiner, “All children, who in their youth learn to know plants according to scientific principles, should first learn about them by comparing them with soul qualities. Later they can study the plant system more scientifically.”

This is an important distinction that could really be applied to all subjects in the Waldorf curriculum: begin “first presenting ideas that relate to the feeling life” before moving on to a more scientific approach.

Steiner continues, “The plant realm is the soul world of the Earth made visible. The carnation is a flirt. The sunflower an old peasant. The sunflower’s shining face is like a jolly old country rustic. Plants with very big leaves would express, in terms of soul life, lack of success in a job, taking a long time with everything, clumsiness, and especially an inability to finish anything; we think that someone has finished, but the person is still at it. Look for the soul element in the plant forms!”

To me, this is like describing the essence of a thing. We want to start with that essence, how we perceive something, and move from feelings to form to intellect. (Aha, like heart, hands, head!)

I am not sure if I ever looked at a plant in the way Steiner describes. To me they are just leafy things, some of whom provide sustenance. I guess it helps to think of the interconnectedness of all living things. All I know is it is such a special experience to see our students joyfully participating in gardening class, and getting their little hands dirty as they plant seeds and tend to the garden. This should be the experience of all children no matter if they live on a farm or in a neighborhood. There is soil everywhere, so drop in some seeds, add water, and watch as nature does the rest!

Have a wonderful weekend,

~Kendall Roberts

Director

kendall.roberts@madronetrail.org

Madrone Trail T-shirts-- Last Weekend to Order!

Madrone Trail shirts and hoodies are now for sale! Pre-order yours now until Monday, October 9. Once the pre-order window closes they will go into production and be delivered to school for pickup, hopefully before our Jog-a-thon on Friday, October 20.

We will have both our Madrone Trail Dragon and Blue Heron designs available in t-shirts, long sleeves, and hoodies from sizes Youth Small to Adult XXL. All proceeds from the Blue Heron shirts go towards the 8th grade class.

Order yours today from the link below! If you have any questions please contact Ms. Cori, cori.royer@madronetrail.org

Welcome Back Picnic and Clothing Swap-- Tomorrow!

We can’t wait to see everyone at Doc Griffin Park Saturday 10/7 from 11am-2pm. We are also hosting a Clothing Swap at that time!

Please go through your wardrobes and donate your gently used items!

What's allowed:

-Children AND Adult clothing 

-Boots, Mittens, Hats, Socks

What's not allowed:

-Dirty clothes

-Clothing with holes or excessive damage

Thank you everyone for supporting our school community! 

If you have any questions please reach out!

Sincerely,

Megan Shaw

Parent Council Chair

meganzshaw@gmail.com

Picture Day- Next Tuesday

Picture Day is Tuesday, October 10. Order forms have gone home this week. You can also order pictures directly from Lifetouch's website. Use Picture Day ID: EVTTXZRVF. We will need a few parent volunteers to help with picture day. Let Sherrie know if you can help out, sherrie.gasper@madronetrail.org or 541-842-3657

Stewardship Day

It's time for our first Stewardship Day of the school year! Our School needs YOUR help to refresh, organize and beautify our campus:

When: Saturday, Oct. 21st 10am-1pm.

What: Our Middle School teachers and Site Committee members will be on campus to hold this day of stewardship for our school. Please see the project list below and click on the link to sign up for a project that calls to you. 

Please check-in at the Kinderyard between 10-10:30 am to be guided to your task/project. 

Bring: Tools/gloves for your specified task, and a water bottle. 

Child care: Provided by the 8th grade! Cash donations are gladly accepted and will go toward their 8th grade class trip fundraiser.  

Lunch: Pizza will be provided at noon! 

Projects:

• Weed whacking
• Costume closet organizing
• Decluttering/dump runs
• Gardening- planting, mulching
• Blackberry removal
• Picnic table repairs and refinishing

What project calls to you? Sign up by clicking the link below:

Jog-a-thon

We will be having our 12th annual Jog-a-thon on Friday, October 20! Forms went home this week and are due the day of the Jog-a-thon. There are extra Jog-a-thon forms in the office and on the website (click on the calendar event). This is a big fundraiser every year for our school. Last year we made over $17,000! The money we earn goes towards classroom funds, our athletic program, and helps fund Games events the older grades attend.

The Jog-a-thon is more than just a fundraiser though, it is an integral experience of Games class. Unlike the Olympiad and Medieval Games which students get to experience just once, the Jog-a-thon is an annual event they get to participate in every year throughout the grades. They get to reflect back on past experiences, look forward to future experiences, and see their progress year to year. The fact that it also makes money for our school is an added bonus.

A lot of what we do in Waldorf education is to help children build their will forces, and one of the best ways to do that is through challenging experiences. Games class is a great place for children to learn how to deal with challenging experiences: taking turns, getting tagged/being "out," working as a team, learning to move their bodies in a way that may not come easy for them, failing at something at first but continuing to try, and building physical endurance. All bigger lessons that will translate to other aspects of life. 

The Jog-a-thon likewise is a great activity for students to challenge themselves, to push themselves to their limit, to do something they didn’t think they were capable of, to set a goal for themselves and try to achieve it, or to just participate even if they didn’t want to. Challenging experiences should be designed to not be too easy, but also not so difficult they can’t be completed. This is why there are different lengths of time for the different grades, all chosen to be achievable for the age of the students.

One of the most satisfying moments of every Jog-a-thon is when a student marvels at how many laps they did and how many miles it translates to, and their sense of pride in themselves for accomplishing it, whether they did 6 laps or 30. It’s also sweet to see the students celebrate each other’s accomplishments as well. They cheer the students who ran the most, but also cheer the students to whom they know 6 laps is a lot of effort. Even if a student walks the entire time, there is still a sense of accomplishment that they did something physical for a sustained period of time. It is such a transformative experience for some students throughout the years, similar to what is seen at the Olympiad or Medieval Games. 

Games class and games activities/events are just as integral to our education as all the other subjects at our school and therefore shouldn’t be seen as something optional to opt out of. If a student has an injury or illness that prevents participation, they can still participate by cheering on their classmates. If families don’t want to participate in the fundraising side of the Jog-a-thon, that’s perfectly fine, there is no requirement to do so. Participation in the Jog-a-thon itself is expected for all 1st-8th grade students, in whatever form that takes (running, jogging, walking, cheering.)

We will need parent volunteers, especially in the lower grades, to help mark laps, attend to the water stations, set-up the tables, and clean-up afterwards. If you can help on the day of please let Ms. Cori know, cori.royer@madronetrail.org or just show up the day of. You will need to be a registered volunteer to participate, and you still have time to get that done! Click here to get started with your application.

The classes will be running at the following times:

6th-8th grade: 9:00-10:00 am

1st grade: 11:10-11:40 am

2nd-3rd grade: 11:45-12:30 pm

4th-5th: 1:45-2:45 pm

From the Kitchen

PRE-ORDER FOR ENTREES NEXT WEEK ENDS TOMORROW (SATURDAY) AT 10 AM!

The kids and staff are loving our new hot lunch entrees! Be sure to order by Saturday at 10 am for the upcoming week. We highly recommend pre-ordering through winter break! As a reminder, if you are paid status, your account will not be debited until your student receives the meal (if they are absent or don’t take a school lunch, you will not be charged).

Sandwiches & soup will still be available every day without having to pre-order! Our hot lunch entrees for grades 3-8 are…

Mondays

Chicken Alfredo Pasta

Vegan Marinara Pasta (not GF)

Tuesdays

Bean, Rice & Cheese Burrito

Served with optional sour cream and salsa

Thursdays

Cheeseburger

Hamburger

Veggie Burger w/ Cheese

Vegan Burger

Fridays

Chicken Teriyaki (GF?)

Vegan Teriyaki

K-2 Menu

Mondays - Vegan Marinara Pasta (not GF)

Tuesdays - Bean, Rice & Cheese Burritos

Wednesdays - Sunbutter Sandwiches

Thursdays - Cheese Burgers (vegan burgers available by request by emailing Chef Evan @ evan.wilson@madronetrail.org or by informing your class teacher)

Fridays for grades 1 & 2 - Stone Soup

Still haven’t applied for free meals?

Click here to apply for free breakfast and lunch 

Free lunch applications are being accepted and are essential to complete if you qualify, even if you were approved last year. 

New parents: Click here for instructions to register your EZ app meals account 

SNACKS

Please note that snacks are available during each class’ snack period. We highly encourage parents of students in grades K-2 to pack a snack so your student does not have to leave the classroom during this period. We do not offer free snacks, even if you qualify for free breakfast and lunch and you do need to have funds on your EZ app account if you would like your student to be able to purchase snacks. Examples of snacks we offer are fresh fruit, milk, cheese, granola, nutri grain bars, and chips (baked Lays, pita chips).

Pricing and Payments

If you do not qualify for free meals, a complete meal for lunch will be $3.50 for grades K-2 and $4.25 for grades 3-8. Breakfast including fresh fruit and milk is $3 for all grades. A la carte and snack items will also be available for purchase during breakfast, snack and lunch periods. You will need to have funds in your EZ account to pay for snacks and a la carte items (all parents). Funds can be added to your account online or you may avoid the processing fee and provide funds to Ms. Sherrie ($10 minimum please). We do not accept payments at our point of service. 

Thank you!

From the Athletic Director

It’s hard to imagine, but there are only 2 weeks left of Volleyball and Cross Country. Both our coaches have been very impressed by the work ethic and dedication by all of our athletes this fall. 3 of the last 4 volleyball matches are at Home, so make sure and come check it out!

Up next is Boys’ Basketball. Athletic participation forms were sent home with 6th-8th grade boys who showed interest. Practice begins October 23rd. Feel free to email me If you need more information. Girls, be on the lookout for forms to go home before Winter Break.

Volleyball

Monday, our players had only 1 match vs. Prospect and won 2-1! Wednesday we were away @ Shady Cove. Our varsity girls came up short 0 sets to 3. We battled hard and three standouts were Nusa, Ella, and Fiona. The JV team won the first game, but ultimately fell 1 game to 2. They showed great teamwork. Anastasia did a great job with returns and saves. Faith was on fire with her returns and Natasha had some great plays at the net.  

Next Week

Monday, 10/9 @ Sacred Heart vs. The Valley School; JV at 4:00, Varsity at 5:00

Wednesday, 10/11 @ Sacred Heart vs. Lorna Byrne; Varsity at 4:00, JV at 5:00

Cross Country

Yesterday, our athletes made the long journey to Roseburg to run at Umpqua Community College. This was quite an endeavor. Special thanks to Russell Bevers for transporting and being a special guest coach for the day. Also, special thanks to all the team moms for solidifying plans and making sure all the athletes had adequate food and hydration. Results are already in. 

Umpqua Community College

(Out of 47 female runners)

Maddy Bevers 15:22.1 (10th overall)

Sidra Price 16:28.8 (12th overall)

Kaela Morgan 26:05.7 (43rd overall)

(Out of 50 male runners)

Theo Gerig 15:43.8 (19th overall)

Isaac Richardson 16:32.8 (27th overall)

Next week:

10/12 @ Valley of the Rogue State Park

Girls race at 4:30, Boys race at 5:00

This looks like a beautiful area and it’s only 20 minutes from Madrone Trail. This meet will be a great opportunity to come out and support our runners!

Exciting news!

We are currently exploring a Cooking Club for 6th-8th graders led by our head chef, Jen! Be on the lookout for more information regarding this opportunity in the coming weeks.

We would like a few more clubs this year. If you have a skill that you would like to teach to any of our grade levels, please let me know. The time commitment is about 20 hours spread out across 8-10 weeks on the days that work best for your schedule. Let’s chat!

Community Sport Opportunity 

Registration is now open for Boys’ Basketball through Junior Comets Sports.

Who: Boys grades 1st-7th

Cost: 1 participant $50, 2 participants $90, 3 0r more participants $120

When: Practice starts 11/1, First game 11/18, last game 1/20

Skills Evaluation date: 10/21 (Location and time TBA) AND last day to register.

Register at https://www.juniorcometsports.com/registration-information2.html

Go Dragons,

Jeff Roberson

jeff.roberson@madronetrail.org

Auction

Annual Auction Benefit - 2024!

The Auction Committee is underway planning this school year’s fabulous event, and we want you on the team! 

We’re still in the beginning stages, so please join us and add your creative input for one of the school’s biggest fundraisers (and the only one where our community comes together as adults without our kiddos!)

Shoot an email to auction@madronetrail.org to jump aboard!

Keep your eyes peeled for auction updates and put a bug in your friends’ and family’s ears to come enjoy a delightful night supporting our school!

Save the date(ish): the Auction will take place in late February or early March!

Looking Towards Halloween

We will be celebrating Halloween at school on Tuesday, October 31. At Madrone Trail, this means we will have a parade of costumes after lunch and then individual class celebrations afterwards. Please do not send your child in their costume to school, or apply elaborate makeup they will have to wear all day as it is very distracting for the first part of the day. Kindergarten classes will be doing their own celebrations, look for specifics in your class emails from Miss Josclyn and Miss Ina.

As you look to purchase or make your child's Halloween costume this year please observe our school guidelines surrounding the Halloween costumes that they wear at school. If students would like to dress up in something that is outside these guidelines, we encourage them to do that on Halloween night instead of at school.

• Bring your costume to change into before parade. Parade will be at 1:30 pm.
• Homemade costumes are encouraged.
• Costumes must follow the school dress code.
• Keep face paint, make-up, and hair simple (you’re going to be applying it all at school.)
• You must be able to sit, walk, hear, and see and be seen with your costume on (no full face masks)
• No costumes that are gory/scary.
• No prop weapons.

New Library Sign

Huge shout out and thanks to an amazing Madrone Trail parent, Trevalyan Sackett of A Better Sign Co., for designing and creating the sign for the new Library by donation! We appreciate you!

Substitute Teachers and Assistants Wanted

We are always looking for more Substitute Teachers and Substitute Assistants to be on call throughout the year. If you are interested, please check out our Indeed ads here: SubstituteTeacher and Substitute Teacher Assistant

Community Offering

Quote of the Day

Handlettered by Ms. Cori

MADRONE TRAIL PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL

www.madronetrail.org

Madrone Trail Public Charter School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, religion, disability, or age in its programs and activities.