Weekly Bulletin

November 2, 2016
Falling Leaves Festival this Saturday, November 5th from 11am-3pm!
IN THIS WEEK'S ISSUE:
  • Falling Leaves Festival –Coming up!
  • Apple and Cornhusk Donations Needed for Falling Leaves Festival
  • School Directory Fresh Off the Press
  • Lost & Found Donation Day this Friday
  • Library Committee Meeting Tomorrow
  • New Addition to the Kinder Yard
  • Attendance Provides Funding
  • New Email Policy
  • Stone Soup
  • Site Committee Being Formed
  • Winter Spiral
  • Kindergarten Parking Area
  • Bathroom Remodel
  • School and Classroom Visitors
  • This Month in the Garden
  • Calling all Grandparents –I answered and you can too!
  • Hot Lunch for November-December
  • Sports Update
  • Parent Handwork Group Needs Crafters
  • A New Location for SIC
  • Help Students Develop a Love of Reading
  • How to Have Devices Not Be Divisive
  • Classified and Community Events 
  • Community Events
  • Classified
CALENDAR
 

Thursday, November 43rd: Library Committee Meeting

8:30-10:30am in Library
 

Friday, November 4th: Parent Handwork Group

8:30-10:30am in Handwork Room
 

Saturday, November 5th: Falling Leaves Festival (see article)
 

Monday, November 7th: Parent Council Meeting

7:00-9:00pm in the Library
 

Tuesday, November 9th: Site Committee Meeting

1:00-2:00pm in the Library
 

Friday, November 11th: Veterans Day –School Closed 
 

Monday, November 14th: 5th Grade Parent Evening

6:30-8:30pm
 


Monday, November 14th: Parent Education Committee Meeting

(tentative) 8:30am
 

Tuesday, November 15th: Charter Council Meeting 

6:00-9:00pm in Handwork Room
 

Wednesday, November 16th: 3rd Grade Parent Evening

5:30-7:00pm
 


Friday, November 18th: SunRidge Foundation Meeting

9:00am in Library
 

Monday, November 21st: 7th Grade Play (Evening)
 

Tuesday, November 22nd: 7th Grade Play (Main Lesson)
 


Wednesday-Friday, November 23rd-25th: Thanksgiving Break –No

School
Falling Leaves Festival –this weekend!
The Falling Leaves Festival is this Saturday, November 5th from 11am-3pm! Please mark your calendars and invite your friends to come celebrate the beautiful autumn season. Spread the word and let's make this one the best one yet!! If you haven't already, please check which booth your class is doing, and find a way to get involved. The success of this festival takes everyone contributing a little so we can gain a lot! Every student of SunRidge benefits from the fundraising and community building that we celebrate each year on this day.

We need gourds and pumpkins and fall decor! Please bring any that you can acquire by Friday, November 4th. There will be a staging area for them!
 
There are many ways to get involved: Staff a booth, play some music, bake some delicious treats, join the parking and set up/clean up crews, contribute your handmade items to the Marketplace (our biggest fundraising endeavor)! We will have a trunk outside of the office to collect your Marketplace contributions and appreciate every item gifted.
 
If you have any questions, contact Amber Risucci amberrisucci@gmail.com Looking forward to another incredible event! Click here to see the flyer for more information.
Apple and Corn Husk Donations Needed for the Falling Leaves Festival
  • Do you have more apples than you know what to do with? If so, you can donate some of your apples to press for cider for the Falling Leaves Festival. They can be delivered to the boxes outside the first grade classroom. Thank you!
  • A copious amount of corn husks are needed for the crafting table to make cornhusk dolls at the festival this Saturday. Please send all donations to the 5th grade by this Friday, November 4th. If you have any questions please contact Jenni Meyer at budalupe24@yahoo.com. 
School Directory Fresh Off the Press
Our school directory is finished and will be sent home with your child by the end of this week. If you have more than one child at the school the directory will be sent home with the youngest child. If you have any questions, please call or stop by the office. Thank you to Erin for all her hard work on this project!
Lost & Found Donation Day this Friday
Thanks to our wonderful parent volunteers, lost and found items are color coded by the month they come in. Clothes and other items that have been in the lost and found for more than 30 days will be donated to a local charity.  
 
All the clothes that have been in the lost and found for the months of August and September will be donated this Friday, November 4th. Please make sure to check the lost and found before this Friday and claim anything that might belong to your child(ren).
Library Committee Meeting Tomorrow
Library Committee will meet tomorrow, Thursday, Nov. 3, from 8:30 - 10:30am in the library to continue our work. Please come if interested in helping with the library or email Dianne Namkung at: diannenanmkung@gmail.com.  
 
The library committee would like to thank Allie Andruss for culling all the books in the Parent Education section and taking over the arrangement of a new Parent Education Library to be located in the hallway near the office. Also, thank you to the Parent Education Committee for their decision to do this and their help. We are still looking for a bookcase and comfortable chair or sofa to make this space cozy for reading.
New Addition to the Kinder Yard
The Kindergarten Yard has a new sandbox and outdoor sinks thanks to Kindseth Builders and Willie. Kindergarten Yard. We are so grateful for this beautiful new addition to our campus.
 
Attendance Provides Funding
In 2015-16 our attendance rate was 95% whereas other Waldorf schools in the area rates were 98-100% as are the rates of the other schools in our district. With your help we hope to increase this number by 2% in this current school year because every excused and unexcused absence costs the school $43. State funding provides $7,567.21 per student annually, which is factored into our budget each year. When an absent child is on Independent Study our school is able to receive the $43 per day for this type of absence (contact Theresa to find out more about Independent Study). We encourage children who are not contagious to come to school for at least a part of every day, and especially for main lesson. The importance of attendance is not only due to state funding, but also because the consistent presence of each child ensures that academic instruction is received. Also, every child is an important part of creating the on-going caring community at both the classroom and school-wide level. Please support your child getting the most of their education at SunRidge by emphasizing the importance of attending school everyday.
New Email Policy
The Faculty and Charter Council have recently approved an email policy for our school. Please (click here) review these guidelines on our website http://www.sunridgeschool.org/quick-reference-information.html and use them when communicating via email with teachers and staff here at SunRidge.  
Stone Soup
The story "Stone Soup" tells of hungry travelers who arrive in a village and creatively build community (and a meal) by making stone soup. This inspiring and comical tale can be re-enacted today with a twist. We can help those who are hungry by sharing food from our kitchens and make a donation to a food bank.  
 
The HomeSchool and 3rd grade are sponsoring a canned food drive for the Redwood Empire Food Bank from Nov. 2nd to Nov. 22nd.  There are food collection barrels located at the Kindergarten entrance and at the pick up area.  
Recommended items include: 
• Canned Tuna   
• Canned Meats 
• Canned Fruits - No Sugar Added 
• Peanut Butter
• Low-Sodium Canned Soups
• Low-Sodium Canned Vegetables
• Rice & Dry Beans  
PLEASE NO GLASS

With a thankful heart,
Callie Almand
Site Committee Being Formed
Do you have ideas about how SunRidge might look in 5 years? Are you project oriented and like to get things done? A new site committee is being formed to envision how we use the outdoor spaces of our campus. This committee would provide recommendations to the director and charter council and oversee completion of the Kindergarten play yard, school-wide garden areas, and beautification projects. An introductory meeting will be held on Wednesday, November 9th from 1-2pm in the library. If you are interested, please RSVP to Makena at mcollin@twinhillsusd.org. If you are interested but can’t make it to this meeting, email Makena about your interest and availability.
Winter Spiral
Below is the schedule for this year's Winter Spiral, which will take place Thursday, Friday, and Saturday December 1st, 2nd, and 3rd in the SunRidge Multipurpose Room. Please look over the day and hour given for your class. Please note that the time listed is the ceremony starting time. Students should arrive 10 minutes before and gather in their class to prepare for their walk with their teacher. Thank you!
 
Thursday, December 1st
6:00 to 6:55pm   -- 5th Grade
7:00 to 7:55pm   -- 7th Grade
8:00 to 8:55pm   --8th Grade
 
Friday, December 2nd
4:00 to 4:55pm  --Dragonfly Kindergarten
5:00 to 5:55pm   --2nd Grade
6:00 to 6:55pm   --1st Grade
7:00 to 7:55pm   --3rd Grade
8:00 to 8:55pm   --6th Grade
 
Saturday, December 3rd
4:00 to 4:55pm  --Morning Star Kindergarten
5:00 to 5:55pm   --Homeschool
6:00 to 6:55pm   --4th Grade
Kindergarten Parking Area
Kindergarten Parents:
Please reserve the drop off lane for parents with babies and young children during kindergarten pick-up. There are a number of parents with babies and toddlers who may be asleep during pick-up. The drop-off lane is tremendously helpful for these parents to run in and pick up their kindergartener.
 
Parent Volunteers and Specialty Teachers:
Please park in the back lot if you are going to be at school during kindergarten pick-up (12:30-12:40). It would be helpful to reserve the front spaces for parents picking up their kindergarteners during that time. Much appreciation for your cooperation!
Bathroom Remodel
The bathroom at the front of the school is currently under construction to meet the requirements stated in the Americans with Disabilities Act. Sebastopol Union School District is providing funding for this project, which will take place for the next three weeks. Until then, the bathroom in the hallway across from the office will be a co-ed restroom for adults only.
School and Classroom Visitors
We welcome parents to observe and volunteer in the classroom. The school has guidelines established for all visitors to the school that ensure safety and minimum disruption of student learning. If you wish to observe a class in session, the first step is to schedule a time with the teacher at least 24 hours in advance. Once the teacher lets you know what day will work, on that day, please check in at the office, sign the visitor’s log and take a visitor’s badge. When the observation is complete, sign out and return the badge in the office. The same procedure is also necessary when volunteering in the classroom. If you have further questions, please feel free to contact Theresa or Kalen.
This Month in the Garden
Seeds of change are upon us and everyone is eager to see the garden grow. October we focused on getting settled, cleaning the shed, moving supplies, and starting up the kitchen. So far the children have excelled in learning how to use and care for the tools, and we have set the rhythms and routines of the class. We have also begun looking into propagation (anyone with interest please contact me). The kitchen is almost done and ready to be fired up on Friday, yay! We need hooks for the shed, spices, and aprons if any parents can donate please do. There will be a sign up for laundry on the kitchen board.
 
After a lot of prep, we are finally ready to get busy in the garden. We are looking for artichokes, calendula and borage seeds, comfrey roots, echinacea roots, fruit trees, cover crop seeds, any bulbs, rhizomes, or corms. The focus of November will be to mulch, and get fruit trees in. Please be on the lookout for our garden portal! Once it is up and running we will attach a link to the school website.
 
Please feel free to send me an email vbrunsing@twinhillsusd.org if you have any questions. I want to thank each and every parent that has come up, said hello, and welcomed me into your wonderful community. I am impressed and eager to unite with the parents that have actively participated and helped me along the way. I love these children very much, and I am so happy to be with them. What a blessing to see the kids laugh and smile. To share and grow. Thank you again and again.
 
-Vanessa Brunsing, Miss Nessa
Pledges Received through October 2016: $41,275
Pledge Participation Rate: 80%
The amount needed to be on track through the end of October is $56,250. 
Calling all Grandparents –I answered and you can too!
My name is Gene Gallock and I am a grandparent like you. All three of my grandsons have passed through SunRidge in the past 10 years, and the last one is currently in the 5th grade. It has been greatly rewarding to participate in both the school’s and the kid’s activities. SunRidge would greatly benefit from your participation too. SunRidge would like to keep you informed about your grandchild’s education and the many activities and events at SunRidge. You can find out more about how you can participate and make a positive difference in these young peoples’ lives by coming to the Falling Leaves Festival, Saturday, November 5th from 11:00am-3:00pm at the SunRidge campus on 7285 Hayden Avenue, Sebastopol. The students and parents have made all kinds of crafts that they will be selling at the marketplace. There will be music, entertainment and food. Stop by the SunRidge Foundation booth and say “Hi Gene.” I can answer your questions and let you know how you can get involved. If you can’t make it you can contact me at ggallock@sonic.net or call me at (707) 823-4024.
Hot Lunch November-December
Hot lunch order forms for November-December are now available. The current 6th grade (Ms. Colby's class) is taking over the Hot Lunch Fundraiser. The day for orders are due will be Wednesday at 3:00pm beginning in November. Forms can be found outside the office.
Click here to download your hot lunch form for November-December.
Sports Update
8th grade volleyball played well in their tournament. Though we missed a few players, we still wore our new uniforms with pride and had some excellent moments through multiple matches. Every member of the team is ready for high school play. Both teams had superb seasons, and thanks go out to Curt Quantz for refereeing home matches, and to players (6th) Q and Sasha; (7th) Luna, Kayla, Caleb, Sebastian, Sakiko, Marley; and (8th) Sahaja, Sierra, Aiyana, Genevieve, Travis, Orion, and Caden.
 
Our cross-country team, in its first full season, had some remarkable finishes. I'm very proud we had such large participation for our school. Those who sprouted Mercury's wings from their shoes this season are (5th) Toby, Traver, Domino, Satori, Elliott, (6th) Owen, Q, Lorenzo; (7th) Sebastian, Caleb, Henry; and (8th) Nakaia, Brennan, Orion.

Open Gym is Wednesdays, after school (no open gym on November 9th) until mid-December. There are fitness opportunities (jumprope, light weights, the climber) and basketball. We had more than 10 students last week.
Parent Handwork Group Needs Crafters
The Parent Handwork Group is looking for crafters to create for the Market Place at the upcoming Falling Leaves Festival. Bring your ideas and material, or contribute time to the projects we are currently working on. All parents and grandparents are welcome!
Where: The SunRidge Handwork Group
When: Every Friday, 8:30-10:30am
New Location for SIC
Congratulations to our sister school - the Sebastopol Independent Charter will be able to move to a new location! Read more about the move here: http://www.pressdemocrat.com/news/6232966-181/sebastopol-independent-charter-school-gets
Help Students Develop a Love of Reading
A survey conducted by Scholastic last year found only 51% of kids surveyed said reading is something they like or love to do, a 9% drop from when the survey was conducted in 2010. So how do we get children to enjoy reading again without feeling like we are forcing it upon them? This article by Holly Korbey, discusses ways in which you can help your child(ren) begin to enjoy reading through creating a family value of reading. Visit this link to read the full article: https://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2016/10/31/how-to-help-students-develop-a-love-of-reading/
How To Have Devices Not be Divisive
In an article published in the Waldorf Today Newsletter Kim John Payne addresses some concerns and questions parents have around effects electronic devices have on our children and their ability to connect with others and the world around them. Kim states that “the one thing we can do as parents to give our kids a chance to be able to deal well with what life brings their way is not complicated; it is done by slowly building up connection.” To read more use the link below to access the complete article: http://us1.campaign-archive1.com/?u=a0ce04e5a70babb8ef1330163&id=540fb386d4&e=d81d341d9d
Classified & Community Events
At the end of every week’s bulletin, a section titles Community Events will appear containing happenings in the community that may be of interest to SunRidge families. The Classified section will follow containing not-for-profit ads regarding housing, items for sale, and other community needs. Please email your requests for these sections to Makena in the SunRidge office mcollin@twinhillsusd.org for review and possible placement in future bulletins. Requests should be submitted no later than the end of the day on Monday every week. 
COMMUNITY EVENTS
I Know That Tune!
Famous Melodies of Song and Opera:
Friday, November 4
7:30 p.m.
Christ Church United Methodist
1717 Yulupa Avenue, Santa Rosa
Free and Open to the Public
 
Featuring Catherine Swanson, soprano, of Stuttgart, Germany, accompanied by her sister, Carol-Jean Boevers, a parent in our homeschool. The one-hour program of well-known melodies is suitable for all ages and all levels of musical savvy. The performance is light-hearted and, besides the beautiful music, you will hear a little bit about the composers and the musical style. It is an excellent way to introduce children to opera and the beauty of the human voice. Please click here to see the flyer for more information. 

Day of the Dead Candlelight Procession & Celebration
A series of multicultural arts, culture and music events held throughout October leading up to a music, dance and food-filled celebration of family -- living AND dead  The Big Night! (Nov 5) Bring an electric candle and come to the Windsor Town Green to celebrate your friends and family among the dead! Have your face painted Calavera style. Calavera costumes welcome. Listen to the music, switch on your candles and follow the drummers and dancers of Windsor Bloco around the Town Green. Then enjoy more music, performances, food and fun on the green in celebration of Los Muertos:
  • When: Thursday, November 5th
  • Time: 5:30p-8:30p
  • Windsor Town Green, 701 McClelland Dr., Windsor
  • INFO: Windsor Bloco
The Muslim Next Door
Co-sponsored by the “Of One Soul” Campaign of the Interfaith Council of Sonoma County. Join TNS Host Irwin Keller in a conversation with scholar, writer and speaker Sumbul Ali-Karamali. Sumbul is a lawyer, scholar, and frequent spokesperson on matters of interest to Muslim Americans and Muslim women. Her books and columns have helped translate for mainstream Americans both the history of Islam and Muslim Americans’ everyday realities.
  • Sunday, November 6
  • 3:00 pm - 4:30 pm
  • Congregation Ner Shalom
  • Free; held in Cotati, CA
  • Limited space available.
  • For full details click here
Occupy Sonoma County Presents:
"Gender Awareness and Education"
Gender nonconforming youth panel from Positive Images.
  • Monday, November 7, 7-9 PM
  • Peace and Justice Center, 467 Sebastopol Ave., Santa Rosa
  • Donation Requested
Exploring the gender spectrum and learning more about what it means to be transgender. Because gender is a social construct there are still many things to learn, and to be aware that over time there will be changes and new understandings. For more info: (707) 877-6650 or http://OccupySonomaCounty.org/
 
Occupy Sonoma County embraces the egalitarian, deep democracy principles of the Occupy Movement with a regional strategy for effectively organizing county-wide social justice campaigns that are globally relevant.

Summerfield Waldorf School Winter Fair
When: Friday, December 2nd and Saturday, December 3rd
Where: 655 Willowside Rd. Santa Rosa (707) 575-7194
 
Friday- Evening Shopping Event: 5:30-8:30pm
We are pleased to bring back our adult only shopping evening! This is your chance to shop for local, quality, unique, natural and hand-made items for all those on your holiday gift list. Treasures include jewelry, dolls, books, toys, wooden crafts, candles, soaps & body products, clothes, and much more.
 
Saturday – Faire: 11am – 3pm
The whole family is invited to enjoy the Summerfield campus in its full splendor of evergreens and twinkling lights while holiday music fills the air and hot drinks warm hands. Enjoy making crafts with your children and shopping with local, artisan vendors.  Highlights include a visit by King and Queen Winter, puppet shows, children’s crafts including gingerbread cookie decorating and beeswax candle dipping. The Snowflake Gift Shoppe will be open for children to shop for loved ones and there will be a raffle with wonderful items. Warm and tasty food, drinks and treats will be available in Sophia Hall.
 
Saturday – Circus: 3:30pm
Stick around after the Faire for an unforgettable Circus Waldissima performance the entire family will enjoy!
 
Please click here to see flyer for more information.
 
Bay Area Center for Waldorf Teacher Training Visiting Day –December 3rd
The Bay Area Center for Waldorf Teacher Training is having a visiting day on December 3rd, 2016 from 9am-12pm at East Bay Waldorf School 3800 Clark Road El Sobrante, CA 94803. Registration is required for this event. To register please visit www.bacwtt.org or email/call Tiffany at tiffany@bacwtt.org or (415) 479-4400.
CLASSIFIED
(We can list rentals; parents selling used items, free items, lost and found, or trades. With the exception of private, after-school care available for SunRidge students, we do not list for-profit business ads. After 2-3 publications, ads will automatically be dropped)

Chicken Coop for Sale or Trade 
We are selling our chicken coop since we are not able to have chickens anymore after moving. It is a great coop and has served us well with between 4 and 13 chickens in it. It is a converted playhouse. Dimensions are 8ft 1inch by 6ft 5 inches wide (where the door is) by 6ft 10 inches high at the highest point of the roof. Must be able to come and pick it up in Forestville. Price is negotiable, we're basically just trying to cover our costs but are totally willing to work with you. Needs to go ASAP! Please call Dana Gundling if interested at 707-332-6225, no texts please. Thanks for looking! Photos are up on craigslist.
Great Chicken Coop for Sale (11/2)
 
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Our mailing address is:
7285 Hayden Avenue
Sebastopol, CA 95472

Our website is :
http://www.sunridgeschool.org

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SunRidge School · 7285 Hayden Ave · Sebastpol, CA 95472 · USA

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