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IN THIS ISSUE:
message from the head / parent survey link / spirit week / program spotlight / meet the staff / family spotlight / growing gardner update / snapshots / events
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From the Head of School
Dear Gardner families,
Last week held a lot of excitement with a fun-filled Spirit Week and that joy continued today as students and staff are dressed up and enjoying Costume Day. If you were on campus, you likely laughed with us at the funny unicorn running around campus, and shared in our joy as students and staff dressed up and had fun together. These days can be silly, but community building is always a worthwhile endeavor. As a school rooted in the traditions of progressive education, we provide opportunities for students and staff to create the kind of community where they feel heard, valued, and safe. This is our work as a school, and the work that our team of teachers and administrators are highly skilled at creating and supporting.
Each one of us chose the Gardner School for a specific reason, but together, those reasons are why the Gardner School is the unique school that it is, and why it is an important place for children in Clark County. As we build our Strategic Plan this year, we are reflecting on our institutional identity and refining the process through which we deliver on that promise. I invite each parent of a student at our school to join that conversation by completing the parent survey.
As we enter November, we're looking forward to sharing our practices of gratitude in our community. I hope your relationship to the Gardner School is something you are grateful for, as we are thankful for every member of our community.
With care,
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Please take our parent survey!
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This survey provides the opportunity for parents to share their perspectives with our Strategic Planning committee, and we highly value your input! We welcome each parent to fill it out.
The survey will be up for the next two weeks, and we hope to have 100% parent participation. Thank you for your support of our school, and partnering with us to continue to improve it.
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A rainbow through the rain!
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We loved all the creative ways teachers and students participated in our Spirit Week last week. Each classroom was well represented for Class Colors Day, and together, we formed a beautiful rainbow!
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Program Spotlight
Deep Learning Opportunties
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Gardner School students base their learning in a series of thematic studies throughout the year. Thematic studies are integrated in all subject areas to enhance learning and create strong understanding. This means the learning happening in the homeroom classroom is reinforced and reimagined in the Art, Music, Science, and Spanish classrooms, and deepened with field trips and guest speakers.
Students develop skills of observing, questioning, experimenting, and investigating while focusing on relationships between environments and cultures. At the end of a thematic unit, students collaborate to share their learning with families through performances and visual displays for an authentic audience.
This approach includes student choice, connecting with the multiple intelligences by allowing students to demonstrate their understanding and growth through a variety of modalities and means, rather than relying solely on the results of traditional tests and written essays. Students collaborate with one another and their teachers to learn from each other, practice valuable interpersonal skills, and deepen their understanding.
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Meet the Staff
Brianna Kroeker
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Brianna Kroeker was born and raised in Vancouver, Washington. She graduated from Prairie High School in 2012 and Clark Community College in 2013 with her Associate's Degree. She is currently earning her Bachelor’s in Sustainability through Arizona State University with a focus on Economics in Sustainability and a minor in Urban Planning, and is getting ready to graduate this December! She has a passion for environmental education, and is a board member for the Lacamas Watershed Council.
Brianna has a love for her community that shows in the work that she does and the projects she supports. At Gardner, you'll see her supporting all students and teachers in her role. She works with both our Early Childhood and K-6 students, and was a pivotal part of setting up our first Book Swap event. We appreciate all the ways she contributes to the day to day operations at our school!
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Community Spotlight
The Palmer Family
We explored sending Mila to the Gardner School for preschool last year but there didn’t end up being a spot available for her. However, we were so taken by the educational approach and friendly community that we planned to try again for Kindergarten. This was going to be Mila’s first experience being away from home during the day and it was really important to us that she was in a place where she could bring her whole self, feel supported where she was academically, and continue learning to be a kind and contributing member of her community. We’ve been so happy with our experience so far at the school and can see that she’s thriving. I feel so lucky to have found this place and this community for her (and for us!) and we look forward to seeing her continue to grow through her experiences here.
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Growing Gardner
Opportunties to Support the School
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Did you know that the Gardner School is also a non-profit? That means that a portion of our yearly budget relies on tax-deductible donations, and those gifts strengthen our school, and provide more opportunities for children to grow, learn, and engage with the world around them.
We invite and encourage our parents, grandparents, and community members to give to the Gardner School on Giving Tuesday - November 29th, 2022. Each gift given to the Gardner School on Giving Tuesday allows us to move forward our mission to cultivate authentic learning through integrated experiences in a supportive community. Leading up to Giving Tuesday, you'll receive email updates on why you should give to the Gardner School.
How can you participate?
1) Donate. Send in a check or click the link shared in our newsletters and on our website.
2) Volunteer. Contact our school to give the gift of time in our classrooms and on our campus.
3) Share. Spread the word about the Gardner School! Like us on Facebook, invite friends to follow us, write positive reviews online, and share your stories with friends, family, and neighbors. Encourage others to give the gifts of treasure and time, too.
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Campus snapshots
Lots of smiles and learning last week on campus! Our hands-on activities like makerspaces and robotics were big hits last week for our students.
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Keeping all of our students in school depends on our families following the requests below for screening for symptoms.
1. In the last 72 hours, has your child had one or more of the following symptoms: fever > 100.4 F, cough, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, chills, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea and/or vomiting, diarrhea, or loss of smell/taste?
2. Has your child been in close contact with anyone with confirmed COVID-19 or has a public health or medical professional told your child to self isolate or self-quarantine because of concerns about COVID-19 infection?
3. If any of the answers to these questions are yes, have you emailed health@gardnerschool.org and been cleared to be on campus? If not, please remain off campus until cleared.
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Upcoming Events
Monday, 10/31
Parent Survey Opens
Please complete this parent survey at your earliest convenience. The information gathered here will inform our strategic planning process, and we want to hear your voice!
Tuesday 11/1
Día de los Muertos
Students learn about the tradition of Día de los Muertos in their Spanish classes and presentations.
Friday 11/11
Veteran's Day, No School
Thursday 11/17
Community Check-In Chat, 8:30 am
Join Courtney and other parents in the Farmhouse after drop off for a hot beverage and pastries. Come share, chat, and ask questions!
Wednesday- Friday 11/23- 11/25
Thanksgiving Break, No School
Tuesday, November 29th
Giving Tuesday
Giving Tuesday is a global generosity movement, unleashing the power of people and organizations to transform their communities and the world. As a small nonprofit, we invite our community to choose the Gardner School to donate to on this important day.
To see and subscribe to our calendar of events, click below!
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