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IN THIS ISSUE:
message from the head / field days / heard on campus / program spotlight / meet the staff / share about gardner / snapshots / events
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Message from the Head
Dear Gardner community,
We've had a joyful start to the school year with happy children, skilled teachers, and learning galore. It's amazing to walk around campus at any time of day to hear happy voices in the field, see hands-on math activities, hear lively music lessons, and walk past engaged students during art, writing, and Spanish lessons.
With the excitement also comes the reality of new schedules and transitions. Starting a new school year is going to have ups and downs for children and families. Adjusting to new routines and rules takes time, and emotions can bubble up. This is normal. Children are taking risks, trying new things, engaging with a wide range of personalities, and this is going to stretch them. That's learning! Imagine if we put a group of adults together and asked them to go through the life as a Gardner student for a day. You would sing and clap, you'd be asked to play a new game with new rules to follow, figure out when to eat, use the bathroom, and drink water, while also writing a story, practicing new reading skills, and spend time creating a new art piece. All of this might happen before lunch!
At the Gardner School, we cultivate authentic learning through integrated experiences in a supportive community. Our mission statement can be seen in action in all of those ways listed above, and also in all the ways our staff and parents support one another through the ebbs and flows of a school year. Thank you for all being a part of that community that shows up to come together around those shared goals of supporting students.
Warmly,
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We value play at Gardner and Field Days in the fall and spring are times when kids and staff have a blast together! Our Tumtum and Mazama classes will have Field Day on Thursday, 9/7, and K-6 will have their day on Friday, 9/8. You can expect messy play, happy kids, and lots of wet clothes to bring home. Early Childhood teachers will email with more age-specific advice, and our K-6 families should plan to pack extra (extra!) changes of clothes, a towel, and sunscreen for kids to apply.
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"I'm actually giving her a hug because she's my friend."
- Margot, Mazama student
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Program Spotlight
Settling into School
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Whether it's their ninth year or first year at Gardner, starting a school year is an exciting time that comes with lots of feelings and energy. Our teachers intentionally create classroom-culture activities like classroom charters, All About Me presentations, and routines that support kids getting back in the swing of things while feeling safe and supported. Many families report very tired kids at the end of the day for the first few weeks, which is all to be expected!
This week, teachers continue beginning of the year assessments and have conversations about supporting student needs. Reading the classroom newsletters is a great way to get some conversation starters about the activities kids participated in throughout the day, and more information will be shared at the upcoming Back to School Family Meetings for each homeroom class. Save the dates!
Monday, 9/18- Klickitat and Wy'East (4:00 pm)
Tuesday, 9/19- Mazama and Tumtum T/Th class (3:00 pm)
Thursday, 9/21- Loowit and Pahto (4:00 pm)
Friday, 9/22- Tumtum M/W/F (3:00 pm) and Kalama (4:00 pm)
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Meet the Staff
Christina Snailum, K-1st Assistant Teacher
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Our staff is growing, and we're excited to welcome Christina Snailum to our team as an Assistant Teacher!
Christina has been an elementary educator for more than a decade. She first became interested in pursuing education while teaching English to South Korean children for two summers in high school. She studied Anthropology and Psychology during her undergraduate years, then earned her MA in Elementary Education from Roosevelt University in Chicago, IL.
Eleven years later, she's happy to say her teaching experience has been incredibly diverse. Christina has taken on both part-time and full-time teaching roles for grades ranging from 1st to 6th. She has worked in private, charter, and public schools, spending half of her teaching career in gifted and talented classrooms. Christina returned to the PNW in 2020 and took some time off from classroom teaching, working mostly as a part-time online math tutor.
Christina enjoys collecting sea turtles in all shapes, sizes, and forms! She also enjoys playing the piano poorly and the acoustic guitar even more poorly, with hopes of one day learning to play the cello only somewhat poorly. A lifelong reader and writer, one of her dreams is to become a published author. Christina is looking forward to a great first year at Gardner School working with the Kalama and Pahto classrooms!
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Share your Gardner Experience!
We are proud of the unique school community that exists here at the Gardner School, and we want your help to share about it! Here are some things you can do to help our school get noticed in Clark County, and to help future families learn more about the Gardner School.
1. Share and love our posts on social media. You can find our Facebook and Instagram posts and add your comments, too! You can also invite friends and family to like our pages, too.
2. Invite your extended family community to sign up for our newsletter at this link.
3. Suggest a tour to any friends and neighbors who are looking for a different school experience for their child. We have limited spaces available still for this school year in our elementary program!
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Campus snapshots
Our first week was a short one, but it was filled with lots of moments of connection and play while students settled into routines.
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Upcoming Events
Thursday, 9/7
Early Childhood Field Day
Students will have a blast playing extra outside today! Stay tuned for newsletters from your child's classroom with more details.
Friday, 9/8
K-6 Field Day
It's going to be an afternoon of outdoor play for our kindergarten through 6th grade students! Expect kids to get a little extra messy, and an extra set of clothes and a towel should be sent from home.
Friday, 9/15
Wheels in School
Wheels in Schools is a favorite event at the Gardner School! Your child can bring their non-motorized bike or scooter, along with any safety gear for fun at recess time. Helmets are required to ride. Please allow for some extra time at drop off and pick up for loading.
Monday, 9/18- Friday, 9/22
Back to School Parent Meetings, 3:00 pm (EC) and 4:00 pm (K-6)
Each class will have a scheduled in-person meeting to review curriculum, meet other families, and connect with your child's homeroom teacher. Free extended care is provided for the meeting time!
Monday, 9/18- Klickitat and Wy'East (4:00 pm)
Tuesday, 9/19- Mazama and Tumtum T/Th class (3:00 pm)
Thursday, 9/21- Loowit and Pahto (4:00 pm)
Friday, 9/22- Tumtum M/W/F (3:00 pm) and Kalama (4:00 pm)
Thursday, 9/28 and Friday, 9/29
Picture Day
Paul Quackenbush Photography will be here to take pictures of individual students, classes, and siblings! More information and ordering packets will be sent home from your child's homeroom teacher.
To see and subscribe to our calendar of events, click below!
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