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IN THIS ISSUE:
message from the board / meet the board / parent conference learnings / spirit week / halloween reminders / progressive education / experiential learning / admissions note / snapshots / events
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Dear Gardner families,
On Tuesday, October 18, the Board of Trustees meeting was celebratory. In addition to bringing on a new board member, electing our next Treasurer, and reviewing our financial position for this year, we approved our first investment policy for the school. An investment policy will allow us to uphold our strategic vision and ensure that the Gardner School will continue to be an optimal place for young people to thrive. We’re grateful for our leadership team, our finance committee, and our trustees, all of whom have supported this path forward for our school.
At the meeting, the Board of Trustees:
- Reviewed development/fundraising plans for the year
- Reviewed quarterly financials
- Outlined roles of Board and Head of School in teacher/staff compensation plan
The Board of Trustees voted on the following:
- Jaimie Eck was voted-in as Treasurer
- Susan Melton voted-in as a Trustee… welcome Susan!
- Approved financial delegation of authority
- Approved the investment policy
At our next meeting, the Board of Trustees will:
- Review where we are in our strategic planning process
- Explore models/data that will inform compensation
- Assess our progress as a Board
As always, please reach out if you're interested in learning more about how you can share your time and talents with the Gardner School community through board service. Email Board Chair, Lori Cohen and Head of School, Emily Davis for more information.
Thank you,
Lori Cohen, Board Chair
Anamaria Bambaren Call, Vice Chair
Peter Bryant, Secretary
Jaimie Eck, Treasurer
Juna Kim McDaid, Trustee
Sarah Grenert-Funk, Trustee
Susan Melton, Trustee
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Meet the Board
Sarah Grenert-Funk
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Sarah Grenert-Funk is a former middle and high school English teacher, and she currently serves as the Head of Upper School at Oregon Episcopal School in Portland.
Sarah lives in NE Portland with her husband, Joe, and two daughters, Margaret and Louisa. Originally from the east coast, Sarah enjoys everything the Pacific Northwest has to offer, from outdoor adventures to discovering new coffee shops. In her free time, Sarah can be found going on bike rides with her daughters, reading, creating ceramics, or exploring new neighborhoods.
Sarah was drawn to the Gardner School because of its student-centered and holistic approach to education, clear commitment to progressive education, and the passion and enthusiasm of its educators.
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Parent Conference Learnings
Thank you to families and teachers for the wonderful parent conference meetings. The specific details and goals our teachers create help form individual approaches to support students, and they will continue to monitor growth and learning to share with parents again. These meetings also serve as a tool for parents to support their child's learning at home, too.
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How to Help
Supporting Learning at Home
At parent conferences, teachers share goals for each child and suggestions for support. If your child has specific reading strategies, flashcards, or extension activities to work on at home, teachers can support your family with the tools needed. All students benefit from regular reading at home, too!
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Stay Up to Date
Communication with Teachers
Weekly newsletters are a great way to stay up to date with happenings in the classrooms. These can be great starting spots for conversations with your child about what they're learning and what they're feeling proud of in class. Teachers will connect with individual families at the end of November for a learning progress update, too.
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The rains may be back, but that won't dampen the fun our students and staff have ahead of them this week! All students are encouraged to participate.
Early Childhood students have a modified schedule that has been sent home in the classroom newsletters. For our K-6 students, here are the plans-
Monday, 10/24: Fancy Sock Day
Tuesday, 10/25: Tutu Tuesday
Wednesday, 10/26: Class Color Day (Tumtum and Mazama- Red, Kalama- Orange, Pahto- Yellow, Loowit- Green, Wy'East- Blue, Klickitat- Purple, Staff- Rainbow)
Thursday, 10/27: Favorite Character Day
Friday, 10/28: Pajama Day
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Halloween Reminders
Costumes and Parties
Monday, October 31st is Halloween, and students are allowed to wear costumes to school if they would like. Please keep in mind the following-
1. Costumes should be able to be taken off and put on by children themselves for restroom use.
2. Any accessories like toys, fake weapons, or delicate items should be left at home.
3. No scary or gory outfits or accessories, please.
Classrooms have plans in place for small activities or parties, and we ask that parents do not send in additional toys, gifts, or treats to share outside of those plans.
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Program Spotlight
What is Progressive Education?
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The Gardner School of Arts & Sciences follows the approach of progressive education, which is a term not everyone is familiar with. "Progressive" in this use is related to the 19th century movement to "progress" from old fashioned or outdated approaches to education towards a different model. The schools before that time focused more on teacher-directed learning and rote memorization, and progressive education advocates like John Dewey felt there was a better way to engage children in learning.
Some tenets of progressive education are:
• learning is hands-on
• learning is authentic and relevant to the child’s own experience
• learning engages children by extending educational opportunities to outside the classroom
• learning is social and interactive
• learning focuses on problem solving and critical thinking
• learning places the teacher in the role of guide and facilitator, not lecturer
• learning allows students some say in what they want to learn and how to go about learning it.
You can see these values in place at the Gardner School every day. Students make predictions, create connections, and participate in their learning in a way that develops their independence and curiosity. With a strong foundation like that, students from progressive schools are well equipped for their next academic adventures.
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Experiential Learning
A Trip Back in Time
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Our 1st grade students went to Fort Vancouver to learn more about what life was like for settlers who came to the area in the 19th century. The students learned about the original buildings in the fort, the way the people lived, farmed, and traded, and more. Our Pahto students very respectful visitors, asked lots of questions, and impressed our guide with all they had already learned during their Vancouver Then and Now thematic.
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Not too early to start planning ahead!
Interest for the 23-24 school year is already coming in! We encourage you to share about the Gardner School with friends and neighbors who may want to explore options for their children for the upcoming year, or who may want to learn more about limited available spaces for the 22-23 school year, too. You can share this link to our inquiry form, or introduce them by sending an email to admissions@gardnerschool.org.
Currently enrolled families will be sent more information around re-enrollment at the end of January 2023, and have priority enrollment for siblings, as well. Feel free to let us know ahead of time if we should expect a sibling to apply. If you have any questions about re-enrollment, reach out to Assistant Head of School Courtney Tomlinson for more info.
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Campus snapshots
Last week our students started their new Electives, and continued their deep dives into thematic learning opportunities. While we couldn't spend as much time outdoors last week due to the air quality, our students were resilient and flexible and enjoyed our indoor spaces for recess.
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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 10/24- Friday, 10/28
Spirit Week!
A fun week of themed dress days students and staff are invited to participate!
Monday, 10/24: Fancy Sock Day
Tuesday, 10/25: Tutu Tuesday
Wednesday, 10/26: Class Color Day (Tumtum and Mazama- Red, Kalama- Orange, Pahto- Yellow, Loowit- Green, Wy'East- Blue, Klickitat- Purple, Staff- Rainbow)
Thursday, 10/27: Favorite Character Day
Friday, 10/28: Pajama Day
Monday 10/31
Costume Day
Students who wish to wear costumes to school can, but they are required to be able to get in and out of them on their own. All props should be left at home (including fake weapons), and no scary elements, please.
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
Wednesday- Friday, 11/23-25
Thanksgiving Break, No School
To see and subscribe to our calendar of events, click below!
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