A note from Ryan, and updates about our programming as we head into 2018...

A note from Ryan,

U School director and co-founder

I’ve heard many say that as a startup organization, getting through year three is huge. When Jackson and I wrote the original vision statement for the Ubuntu School, we wrote it in reference to being open for three years. Here we are, halfway through our third year. Much of our vision has been realized—many ideas, thoughts, and dreams have really happened! Other parts of the vision are still in process. Nonetheless, I am incredibly proud of what our community has built in the U School. In 2018, we will begin writing the next vision statement for the U School—this time with input from our school community.

I’m incredibly thankful for YOU! You are part of this community. So many of you have positively engaged with the U School, whether through reading and sharing this newsletter, following our social media posts on Facebook or Instagram, attending events (community dialogues, U Play Pop-Ups, outdoor & handyfolk work days, or the many Soirées that we’ve hosted), donating towards our school’s expansion or our tuition assistance fund, or purchasing an item from our Amazon wish list…The Ubuntu is strong here! Thank you for taking care of us. Next year we will continue this work we love. I wish you all a great and happy New Year!

Peace and Love,
Ryan

Take a look at this photo gallery of highlights from the year...

Enrollment periods coming up!

We are swiftly approaching enrollment periods for the 2018-19 school year and Summer 2018. The U School will facilitate a 3-phased process for the upcoming year:

February 1, 2018 begins enrollment for current families.
March 1, 2018 begins enrollment for “claim your spot” families.
April 1, 2018 begins enrollment for all families.

Opportunities for Summer 2018 enrollment will occur simultaneously with the 2018-19 school year enrollment. Please use the link above to check our website for more info, claim a spot on the wait list, and so forth.

Ubuntu Squad

The Ubuntu Squad, currently our Men’s Basketball team, continues to work hard. This has been a really awesome way for a group of mostly dads to get to know each other. We’ve played hard, and we feel it, but we’ve also started raising money for our tuition assistance fund. There is opportunity for all of YOU to have fun with us and power up our scholarship pool. Learn more, anytime, here: Ubuntu Squad Pledge Form.

Mindful Parents & Educators

M P&E continues to run course after course; we've been running for two years strong now! Registration is open for the upcoming cycle, Winter 2, which runs for eight Wednesday evenings from 6:30-8pm, February 7 - March 28, 2018. Remember: participants can Skype in if they wish to join remotely. Learn attentional strategies that help you enjoy more of life, suffer less, deepen your self-knowledge, improve behaviors, and spread love and compassion. Most importantly, you can re-engineer your relationships with the children around you.

Two new U Family experiences coming soon...

U Move: A series of workshops that facilitate adults exploring and improving their natural human movements as a way to create more connection between themselves and children, and to empower them to be movement leaders for their families.
U Photo: A series of local Saturday morning adventures for families with U School Teacher & Photographer, Ellen. Children will gain experience looking through the viewfinder of a camera, not the screen, while taking pictures on a unique adventure with their families. Along the way, Ellen, will capture high quality images of the family while on their adventure. Child gets the experience and the parents receive a quality photoshoot for their family.

U Play Update

Save the date!

February 10, 2018, 10am-12pm

Our next U Play experience will actually be a “Pop-In” as opposed to the familiar “Pop-Up.” The currently untitled event will be a kinetic and collective art experience. As with all U Play experiences, this will be open to all families in the surrounding community. Natalie, our yoga teacher and local community artist, will project and stencil our logo super large on our east gym wall. We will tape it off and we will cover the walls and floors. Participating families will be encouraged to come in clothes that can be damaged with permanent paint (we will also have some paintable clothes on hand). Families will then be invited in to the gym, we will turn the music up, and they will have at it - dipping fabric balls in different colors of paint and throwing the balls at the logo (or anywhere) like crazy. After all families have opportunity to participate and we are done with this kinetic and collective art experience, we will pull the tape off and unveil our multi-colored U School logo on the wall. In addition, activities throughout the U School will be out to explore and a small snack will be provided in the kitchen.