|
IN THIS ISSUE:
message from the head / outdoor learning / giving tuesday / pancake breakfast news / gardner market has a new date! / priority enrollment / snapshots / health screening reminders / events
|
|
|
|
From the Head of School
Dear Gardner community,
One of the things that I love about working in a school is the predictable patterns the occur with the schedules, seasons, and events in a community. Right now, when I walk through classrooms, I observe that our students and teachers are deeply engaged in project mode and showcasing their learning. It's one of my favorite times because it's when our individualized approach is easiest to clearly see. Not one project looks like another, and each child has added their own interests, talents, and excitement to their individual work as well as the collaborative group work.
At the Gardner School, sharing student work with our parents and community members is an important part of our approach. With an authentic audience, our students take pride in showcasing their projects and practice their speaking and presenting skills. For some students, this area of growth can be as valuable as the academics on display.
When you come on campus, you'll see our belief in action- that children can grow and strengthen the various area of intelligence, and that there isn't just one way of learning. A student's math learning may be evident in their art project, or their writing skills may be on display with their science work. All these approaches together benefit the students, and allow them to see themselves as capable and creative learners. I hope you've marked your calendar and invited your friends and family to join us at 2pm on Thursday, December 15th for our K-6th grade Celebration of Learning.
Looking forward to celebrating our students with you!
|
|
|
|
Program Spotlight
Year-Round Outdoor Learning
|
|
|
Everyone who visits our campus gets to see one of our most unique elements right away- the expansive outdoor spaces for our children to learn in. While the playground spaces are used for fun, exploration, exercise, and more, we use the five acre campus for academic development, too.
Outdoor learning opportunites strengthen children's skills in a variety of ways, but one of the most important research findings show students develop confidence and safe risk-taking skills through outdoor play. That translates to being ready to take academic risks in the classroom, and being resilient when challenges arise.
The Gardner School participated in an interview last year with Green Schoolyards America, and we were featured because of our success learning in-person throughout the pandemic. While other schools had to be fully remote, we were able to welcome children to campus, in part because of how we utilized our outdoor spaces as classroom spaces, too.
Even before the pandemic, our use of the outdoor spaces added richness and meaning to student learning. Our students use the wetlands space to collect natural materials that are used for math lessons, like sorting, counting, and arithmetic. When students are learning about plant cycles, they get to see firsthand how our garden grows. Everything from planting to tending and harvesting to composting is seen by our students, and they take pride in contributing to the Gardner Garden. Recently, our 5th and 6th graders walked the WSU-V trails to collect plants for a fiber dyeing project, combining science and nature learning with art!
We are thankful to be the stewards of this beautiful campus, and we're excited for upcoming plans for improvements to walkways, play areas, and structures. Stay tuned as we continue to support children learning in nature on the Gardner School campus!
|
|
|
Giving Tuesday is Tomorrow!
|
|
In our parent survey, we heard from many families who chose the Gardner School specifically because their child would have the ability to play and learn outside.
For Giving Tuesday, we're asking you to give to our school so we can continue to offer this unique approach to learning, and to enchance what we can provide for students today and into the future.
Click the link to give today!
|
|
|
Volunteers Needed!
Time to Sign Up!
|
|
|
Looking Ahead
Gardner Market has moved to February!
|
|
|
Gardner Market is an opportunity for students in kindergarten through 6th grade to create and sell products or services to our wider community. We heard from families that the end of the year was a little extra busy, so we've moved the market! On February 27th, 2023 we will gather on our campus to purchase these products and services from our students.
Students learn about the basics of running their own business. Our 2nd grade and older students work individually or with a partner to brainstorm ideas and to create their inventory, and our Kalama and Pahto students work as a whole class to prepare items.
Ahead of the market day, students select a local charity to donate the proceeds from the market. Students are allowed to keep up to half of the earnings to cover the cost of materials, but can choose to donate all of the earnings if desired. This act of giving is one of the core elements of Gardner Market, and last year our students donated over $1300 to a deserving local group.
Whether this is your family's first Gardner Market experience, or if your child is a seasoned seller, we know this will be a great day! Save the date on your calendar, and stay tuned for more info to be sent home in classroom newsletters soon. In the meantime, you can check out this FAQ page about Gardner Market.
|
|
|
|
Priority Enrollment Time
Securing your spot for the 23-24 school year
Our currently enrolled families have priority enrollment for the 2023-2024 school year, including for any siblings who may be interested in joining the Gardner School. After our Board of Trustees meets in January to review the budget and set tuition for the upcoming year, re-enrollment letters will be sent out to families.
You can get ready by completing this online application for Early Childhood siblings, and this online application for K-6 siblings.
If you have any questions about the process, feel free to reach out to Courtney Tomlinson at ctomlinson@gardnerschool.org for more information. Stay tuned for upcoming news about Move Up Days and a special Kindergarten Open House just for Mazama parents!
|
|
Campus snapshots
It was a short week last, but our students still were busy creating and learning! Our classes celebrated what they are grateful for, both at home and at school. We are very grateful for the joy your children bring to our campus!
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
Upcoming Events
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.
Saturday, December 3rd
Campus Tours for New Families
Do you know someone who would benefit from learning more about the Gardner School? We have many tour spots available still for this Saturday tour day, and individual tours for this and other days can be scheduled here. Share this opportunity with your community!
Wednesday, December 7th
Mazama Celebration of Learning, 12:00 pm
The Mazama students are "erupting" with excitement to share their learning with their families! Stay tuned for more details in the class newsletter.
Thursday, December 15th
K-6 Celebration of Learning, 2:00 pm
Join us for a display of learning from our kindergarten through 6th grade students, with presentations, artwork, and more!
Friday, December 16th
Pancake Breakfast and Pajama Day
Students love this tradition, and we will be serving a pancake breakfast along with other items in the morning on Friday, December 16th. It's also Pajama Day, and children are welcome to wear cozy items to school.
Friday, December 17th
No After Care Available for Early Childhood and K-6 Students
There will be no after care on this day to allow for our staff to celebrate together.
To see and subscribe to our calendar of events, click below!
|
|
|
|
|
