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IN THIS ISSUE:
program spotlight / news from the pto / gardner goes green / alma notifications / community spotlight / community wellness news / child find notice / lost and found / campus snapshots / events
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Program Spotlight
Place-Based Learning
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Today is Indigenous Peoples Day and we acknowledge that our school is on Chinook and Cowlitz land. The Gardner School strives to educate our students on Native American history and social justice. Our classrooms share the names Native Americans gave to the mountains in the region; Tumtum, Mazama, Kalama, Pahto, Loowit, Wy'East, and Klickitat. You can learn more about the names of our classrooms here on our website.
Today, our Klickitat students traveled to the Columbia Gorge for a hike up Beacon Rock. Past Gardner trips to Beacon Rock have included interpretive tours with the park service staff, where our students had a chance to learn about the history of indigenous people while taking a walk around the Che-che-op-tin Trail (the native name for Beacon Rock).
Another way our curriculum connects to the traditions of this land is when our Loowit students study volcanos for their Earth Science thematic. Along with the geology, they also learn about the Native American mythology around the Cascade Mountain range and its formation. Past Celebration of Learning events included a retelling of these stories by the students to their families, and masks created in Art to connect with the tales.
Connecting students to experiential, place-based learning is an ongoing goal of the Gardner School, and we're thankful to be situated in such a beautiful and historic space to do this work.
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Thank you to everyone who came out virtually to our last PTO meeting. We shared plans for supporting Halloween parties for the classes, and volunteers are busy creating crafts, games, and treats for the students and teachers to enjoy.
We also talked about upcoming plans for a Teacher Appreciation soup luncheon, and more opportunities for parents, teachers, and students to share gratitudes and thanks in the next month.
Would you like to learn more about the plans and help get these events finalized? Email PTO Board Chair, Susan Melton, at ptochair@gardnerschool.org.
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Gardner Goes Green
Environmental Education Through Storytelling
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Rot, recycling, and taking care of our rivers were topics of Will Hornyak's presentation to our K-6 students on Thursday last week. Our school's presentation was funded by Clark County Green Schools, and supports our committment to teaching about environmental sustainability! As an EarthGen certified school, we value opportunities for our students and school community to learn more about being stewards of our Earth.
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Student Information System
Report Cards and Alma
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Teachers and staff are using our student information system, Alma, to create and organize progress reports for the first time, and are learning how to track various benchmarks for future report cards. Part of this process is creating and tracking lessons with learning goals, and as the teachers are learning this process, automated messages may come from Alma saying your child has a missing assignment or other learning related messages. If you receive any of these messages please let Director of Technology, Jared Renfro, know at (jrenfro@gardnerschool.org). We appreciate your support as we continue to be lifelong learners ourselves, and work to improve our systems. Thank you!
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Community Spotlight
The Koch Family
The Koch family is new to The Gardner School this year (we pronounce our name "Cook"). Our daughter, Cat, is in the Wy'East classroom where she has made new friends with students and teachers alike. We first met with Courtney in early 2021 when we were looking for a learning environment that could bring creative, outside-of-the-box lessons to our creative, outside-of-the-box girl. Cat best expresses herself through art and movement, friendships and open spaces. She learns hands-on, one-on-one. For those reasons, she struggled inside the public school system which just couldn't offer her the outlets she needed. But Gardner does, every day, and for that, we're extremely grateful.
Cat's family includes parents Rob and Maggie who met in the Peace Corps and then took a circuitous path to their current home in Camas, as well as an older brother who just started middle school and plays baseball year-round. Cat has a cat (naturally) and two loving dogs. We're all so happy to be a part of the Gardner community and we're looking forward to learning more about you!
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Community Health News
Well Child Visits
Families across the country have been delaying well child visits, and public health experts are encouraging families to get caught up with appointments with their primary care physicians.
As a licensed school, we are required to follow the same rules around immunizations as public schools, and we check annually to make sure all records are in compliance. If your child is due for an appointment or immunization, we recommend taking care of these important health matters.
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From our partners at Battle Ground School District
Child Find Notice
Battle Ground Public Schools are committed to addressing the unique needs of students with disabilities, birth through age 21, who reside within the boundaries of the Battle Ground School District. This includes children with disabilities enrolled in private schools within the district boundaries as well as children who are homeless. Disabilities can be in any one of several categories that ultimately affect a child’s learning, such as the ability to think, to express oneself, to see or hear clearly, to get around, or understand instructions given. If you have a child who you think might have a disability requiring special education instruction or significant accommodations at school, or if you know of such a child, please feel free to call the Battle Ground Public Schools Special Education Office at (360) 885-5318.
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Missing something?
Don't forget to check the Online Lost and Found page!
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Campus snapshots
Our Mazama class has a new group of leaf bugs, and they're learning how to care for them and how to create a cozy environment for them. Klickitat students are integrating technology with their Math and Science learning, and practicing study skills around homework, notetaking, and managing time. All ages in between are engaged, curious, and learning!
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Upcoming Events
Friday, 10/8- Friday, 10/29
Parent Conferences
Check with your child's teacher to schedule your Zoom conference. More information will be sent out in classroom newsletters!
Wednesday, 11/3
PTO Meeting on Zoom, 9:30 am
Join other parents as we discuss the fun, upcoming events for teachers, students and families, and learn how you can help! Email Susan Melton, PTO Chair, at ptochair@gardnerschool.org for the Zoom link or for more information.
Friday, 11/5
School Photo Make-Up Day
Paul Quackenbush Photography will be back in the morning of Friday, November 5th to take pictures for any students who were absent at our first photo day, including sibling photos. If you have already turned in your picture packet, you don't need to do anything else! If you need a new picture packet, reach out to Lisa Linderman, llinderman@gardnerschool.org.
Thursday, 11/11
Veteran's Day, No School
Wednesday, 11/23- Friday, 11/26
Thankgiving Break, No School
Thursday, 12/16
Fall Thematic Celebration of Learning
Stay tuned for details about this opportunity to see the learning from our Earth Science Thematic!
Monday, 12/20- Monday, 1/3
Winter Break, No School
We can't wait to see you in the New Year! Classes resume on Tuesday, January 4th, 2022.
To see and subscribe to our calendar of events, click below!
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