annual newsletter - The Siskiyou School

Transcription

The Siskiyou School
2013 Annual Report and Newsletter
Fall 2013
Inside:
From Our Administr atoR
From the Board President
2
A Look at Our Finances
6
A school is a living organism—changing, growing.
The 2013 issue of our newsletter reflects that
at this moment in time we are many facets
working harmoniously together—a Board keeping
Thank You 2012-2013 Donors
14
us financially strong, teachers striving, parents
helping, children learning and playing, a community
Developing Our Community
forming and celebrating through these precious
8
years of our children’s childhoods.
Parents Making it Work
Spotlight on the Classroom
12
A defining characteristic of our school is the
freedom we feel to imagine what’s possible and
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the will we have to make those dreams a reality. This can-do trait is evident in every
New Programs
18
and the Board’s wise management of our resources, our debt level is coming down
The History Chapter
23
well-being and longevity.
Special Alumni Section
facet of school life. In the financial section, you will see that thanks to your support
and our financial architecture is emerging, critical steps in ensuring our school’s
Classroom life is also thriving. We’ve introduced computers to better prepare our
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middle schoolers and launched the Ohana program led by Nina Gallwey to better
support our younger students. Ms. McKissick’s piece gives us a glimpse of how
science is brought in the lower grades and how a main lesson comes alive, growing
out of the teacher’s ability to be present for what arises from her students. It’s
what all our teachers do.
Our community life has been enlivened in the last couple of years by the vision and
skill of Katie Sloan, our Director of Community Development. Under her direction,
our revenues have increased significantly and our fundraisers are now among the
best parties in town! In Katie’s story we learn what inspires her about this work.
In the last couple of years, we’ve had another notable indicator of the strength of
our institution. We have weathered the departures of esteemed Board members
and teachers, and virtually seamlessly welcomed and integrated new staff, including
four new class teachers. By golly, we’ve landed!
For the first time we’ve included a section on the history of the school and our
alumni. With over 175 alumni, it’s about time we reached out. As you’ll read, all are
finding their way, and treasure their friendships with former classmates. If you
have gone through Waldorf together, you have a BIG family!
Lastly, as reflected in several of our pieces, our ability to realize our dreams for the
school and the children is because of the absolutely incredible support we receive
from our parents. We ask and the help comes. It’s humbling and moving, every day.
So, here is our family album and annual news. Enjoy!
The Siskiyou School
From our Board President
2013–2014
Board of Directors
Amy Clark, President
In the Annual Report and Newsletter, it is the Board
Megan Kirkwood, Vice-President
president’s privilege to share the Board’s behind-the-
Jack Gibbs, Treasurer
scenes work on behalf of the school and the results
Stephen Sloan, Secretary
Molly Gramley
of our annual fall retreat. This year we had the
Stephen Sendar
pleasure of meeting in Marya Hecht’s lovely home.
Bob Hackett
As many of you know, Marya and her family were
James Day
instrumental in obtaining the Clay Street property
Henry Whitridge
for our campus, and we all felt the spirit of the
Hechts and the school’s other founding families as
ADMINISTR ATIVE TE AM
we sat down for a day of visioning and planning.
Catherine Razi, Administrator
The Board looks forward each year to our day-long
Aurilia McNamara, Office Manager
retreat when we spend half a day with the Faculty,
Katie Sloan, Director of Community and the other half as a Board. The retreat offers us the opportunity to step back from
Development
the day-to-day and focus on long-term vision and needs. According to our bylaws, the
Cynthia Bower, Bookkeeper
Board’s responsibility is “to ensure the general well-being of the school, financial stability,
Margie Glatte, Faculty Chair
and legal compliance” and – when the need arises – to hire the school’s administrator. To
steward the school’s general well-being, we know it is important to review and renew
Past Board Presidents
with the faculty our shared commitment to the school’s well-being and our mutual
support toward that end. The retreat ensures we are “on the same page” as we move
Judy Newton, 2004-2006
Hank O’Dougherty, 2006-2008
Stephen Sendar, 2008-2012
forward, in our respective spheres, to manifest what is needed for the school.
This year we started our day together by sharing what we are passionate about in
regards to our school and Waldorf education. The magical list that arose imbued the
Past Board Members
(since 2004)
remainder of the day with a vitality and energy which, to me, felt like the very essence
Judy Newton
Grey Hecht
what we want for the children, what our school does best (what sets us apart from
Bruce Hostetler
Cynthia Bower
Hillary Best
Yarrow Sylvan
Perry Stannard
Jeff Wiencek
incorporate cultivation of a universal outlook as well as reverence, wonder and gratitude.
Theresa Lowrie
Erik Glatte
Then the faculty shared their perspective on the school’s short term and long term
Meredith Lowry
Kasey Acker
Linda Sussman
Heidi Duckhorn
needs, including the need for additional breakout space to better support the curriculum
Eric Strong
Jeff Falzone
or “soul” of our school. We continued with “big picture” discussions on the subjects of
Rebecca Hutchison Chris Wallace
Serena St. ClairNick Doherty
Genna Southworth Karen Harris
Ghigs Razi-Robertson
others), and what parents need. We then refined our mission statement to add emotional
intelligence to the qualities we seek to inspire in our students, and amended our values to
and children‘s individual needs. We reviewed various ways to satisfy this need, and
clarified that our intention as a school is to get better not bigger.
With a productive three and a half hours behind us, we shared a delicious lunch prepared
by Kristine Pandey and said our goodbyes. The Board, with Catherine, then spent the
afternoon refining our five-year strategic vision and talking through some of the
challenges we expect to face over the next few years. We confirmed our commitment
to aggressively reduce our debt to give us the freedom to meet the school’s other goals:
recognizing the value of the faculty through compensation, benefits, and other support,
and having a full-time Community Development Director. We will continue to vision and
plan for the future.
We look forward to sharing the school’s financial picture with you at our Annual Meeting
in early 2014. In the meantime, if you have any questions about the Board’s work or the
school’s finances, please feel free to reach out to any one of us.
— Amy Clark, Board President
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The Siskiyou School
541.482.8223
I am passionate about…
Our Board-Faculty Retreat this fall began with Board members and faculty sharing
what they are passionate about with regard to this school. Like fairy godmothers
bestowing wishes on a newborn, each spoke about what they “hold” for the
Our Mission
school, what inspires them to serve. Below are a handful of those answers.
The Siskiyou’s School’s mission is to honor and
I am passionate about greeting each child in the morning - the presence in my
cultivate the intellectual, imaginative, artistic,
eyes meeting the presence in theirs. I am passionately curious about each
student’s gifts and am motivated to foster a safe and nourishing environment
for them to discover who they are and what calls to them. — Kelly Shelstad
I found a quote recently which summed up what my goal and passion is
every day when I come to work at the school: “It’s not in what you say, but
and individual gifts in each student within a
community that celebrates childhood, practices
compassion, and inspires a passion for learning and
service. — Adopted November 2008
in how you make people feel”. This is what’s most important. I look back
on my own K-12 Waldorf Education in Germany and realize I do remember
highlights from the years of learning, but mostly I hold a feeling -- a good,
grounded all-around feeling of well-being and balance that I received from
so many years of excellent Waldorf education. That’s why in my day-to-day
interactions with the children I try to hold that moment and help make
them feel good while they’re here at the school. — Aurilia McNamara
I love that I get to open the world to my students through language and
build compassion for people who live differently than we.
Our Purpose
To inspire academic excellence, artistic creativity,
emotional intelligence, and social responsibility
through a rich Waldorf curriculum.
Our Values
Uphold academic excellence
Preserve childhood through developmentally
— Dhyana Haynes
I am passionate about cultivating reverence and gratitude for life within
the children and looking to nature as the great teacher.
— Yelena Sedochenkova
appropriate activities
Inspire imagination and nurturing individual potential
Embrace cultural and economic diversity
I am passionate about interacting and connecting with children, and about
how their experience at school will shape them as adults. — Ben Gaskin
This form of teaching
Foster a universal outlook
Ensure creative freedom for teachers to educate
asks of us to be our
highest selves, to delve
Practice good stewardship and fiscal
responsibility
into our own beings and
Create a collaborative partnership among
ask the bigger questions
families, faculty, and Board
of ourselves. I am passionate
about being the best human
being I can be before the children.
— Catherine Dixon
I am passionate about the Waldorf
Integrate artistic activities into the
academics
Cultivate reverence, gratitude, and
wonder for the natural world
curriculum and the way our collective
ancient human wisdom unfolds and holds
our children as they move through the
grades. — Bob Hackett
I am passionate about the school slowing down
and encouraging the children to be children in this
fast paced media driven society. — Molly Gramley
w w w.siskiyouschool.org
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The Siskiyou School
Welcome to New
Board Members
Siskiyou School Board
The Board usually votes in new members
The Board is composed of eight to ten members who serve two year terms,
at its August meeting, the first of a new
renewable. Regular meetings are held once a month. The Board’s Finance Committee
school year. Board members are traditionally
meets in between regular meetings to review the school’s finances and prepare
current parents. This year we welcomed
to report to the full Board. Below, short biographies of our current Board members.
James Day and Henry Whitridge. James has
Jaden in 5th and Samara in 3rd. Henry has
Matilda in 4th and Archie in 2nd.
James Day
James was born
in Minnesota
and lived there
until age six
when his
family moved
to Colorado.
Swimming,
2013–2014 School Year
AMY CLARK, President. Amy grew up in southern Michigan and Charlotte, North
Carolina. She received her BA in philosophy and economics from Wake Forest
University and her law degree from Northwestern in Chicago. She practiced
law in southern California at Hunt-Wesson Foods before moving to Ashland in
2000. She is now General Counsel and Vice-President at Massif Mountain Gear
Company. Children: Fiona, 6th, and Emmeline, 4th.
MEGAN KIRKWOOD, Vice-President. Megan grew up in Ashland, and graduated
with a degree in English literature from Lewis & Clark. She then put her skills to
work in technology and has worked for Microsoft, Macromedia, and, for the last
12 years, Adobe. She has done product, corporate and executive communications,
large scale keynote management, advertising, marketing and community
management. Children: Rogue, 2nd, and Spencer, 4th.
snow and waterskiing enriched his childhood
years and college years at the University of
Colorado at Boulder, where he majored in
Environmental Design. In 1999, he and wife,
Adena, moved to Southern Oregon to start
a family. James is co-owner of Solid Ground
Landscape and loves working outdoors.
Henry
Whitridge
Henry grew up
on a farm near
the Trinity Alps
in Northern
California and
graduated
from Lewis and
Clark with a major in history and a minor in
Chinese. He then joined a shipping company
and spent six months on the high seas, four
months in South Korea, a year in China, and
three years in Singapore, where he met his
wife Carole. Pursuing a lifelong interest
in plants, he returned to Oregon to study
botany at SOU. Henry works as a botanist
Back row: Molly Gramley, Jack Gibbs, Henry Whitridge, Amy Clark, Megan Kirkwood
and an investment advisor.
Front row: James Day, Bob Hackett, Stephen Sloan Missing: Stephen Sendar
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The Siskiyou School
541.482.8223
Salute to Departing
Board Members
JACK GIBBS, Treasurer. Jack was born and raised outside of Chicago and attended
Last June we experienced a big loss when
the University of Notre Dame where he played soccer and majored in accounting.
Rebecca Hutchison and Jeff Wiencek
He then returned to Chicago where he and Jennifer met, fell in love, and
stepped down from the Board. Rebecca
discovered Waldorf education. A licensed CPA, Jack began his career at Ernst &
served from 2008, Jeff from 2009. Their
Young LLP and then formed Fortress Financial Group in 1993. In 2007 the family
wisdom, judicious thinking, and heartfelt
moved to Ashland. Children: Ainsley, 5th, Brianna, 3rd, and Connor, 1st.
common sense guided us through every
STEPHEN SLOAN, Secretary. Stephen grew up in Southern California and attended
UCLA. He then built businesses in office supplies, marketing and software in
Orange County. Soon after Peter’s birth, Stephen and Katie moved to Bainbridge
Island, WA where they fell in love with Waldorf education. In 2010, they moved to
Ashland. Stephen has been involved with Waldorf schools for 12 years as parent,
volunteer, Board member, and guest teacher. After two years at Harry and David,
Stephen recently accepted a position at eMyth. Children: Peter, 7th, Anna, 4th,
and Evi (Kindergarten).
The Board holds responsibility
issue that arose during their time. Providing
health coverage for our teachers was a
priority goal for Rebecca and Jeff, physicians
both. Thanks in large part to their advocacy,
research, and diligence, our teachers now
have coverage. Both were also champions
of reducing our debt, and they helped
formulate our current debt reduction plan.
Our school is the better for their service,
STEPHEN SENDAR. Stephen
and we are deeply grateful for their time and
was born and raised in
many contributions.
Westport, Connecticut
for ensuring the general well-
and received a BA in English
Rebecca
being of the school, financial
from Haverford. In 1994, he
Hutchison is
married Linda, and in 1998
Medical Director
the Sendars relocated to
of Palliative
Ashland. Their daughters
Care at Lovejoy
Ashlee and Tiffany attended
Hospice in
stability, and legal compliance.
the Waldorf School of the Rogue Valley before it closed. In 2005, Stephen helped
Grants Pass.
Judy Newton, Grey Hecht and others to acquire the 631 Clay Street campus. His
In addition
daughter Isabella joined the Siskiyou School in 2006. Stephen served as Board
to serving
President from 2008-2012 and generously continues to advise us. Stephen
on the Board, Rebecca and her husband,
works in real estate development and serves on the Boards of several non-
Ken Crocker, were instrumental in the
profits.
founding of the school. Their daughter Katie
MOLLY GRAMLEY. Molly was raised in CA and graduated with a degree in political
economy from UC Berkeley and a medical doctorate from Columbia University.
She completed her residency and a chief residency in internal medicine at the
University of Washington. Currently she enjoys her predominantly geriatric
practice working for Providence Medical Group – Ashland. Children: Owen, Riley,
and Lucy, 5th.
graduated last June; Lindsey, in 2010.
Jeff Wiencek
is an emergency
medicine
physician at
Rogue Regional
BOB HACKETT. Bob grew up in New Hampshire and graduated from Dartmouth,
Medical Center.
where he majored in both English and French, and also met his wife, Karen. After
With wife Vicky,
getting an M.F.A. in Poetry and an M.A. in American Literature at the University
they founded
of Montana, he came to Oregon to teach at Willamette University before moving
and run Scrub
to Ashland. He has worked in the marketing department at OSF since 1998, and
Hub in Medford. His daughter Sophia is
has been Marketing Manager since 2004. This is Bob’s second term on the Board.
in 7th grade. His son Harry is four and a
Children: William, 4th, Alice and Hannah, alumnae.
Siskiyou student-to-be, we hope.
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The Siskiyou School
A LOOK AT THE SCHOOL’S FINANCES
Update on debt reduction
We are in Year Three of a five-year debt
reduction campaign. In 2006 we borrowed
over a million dollars to buy our campus. In
In the seven years since we purchased this property, the Board has done an
exemplary job of guiding the school’s resources. We maintain full enrollment and
economic diversity within our student body by offering just about the lowest
2011 the Board felt we were financially
tuition in the country for a full Waldorf program and by supporting a quarter of
strong enough to start paying down that
debt more aggressively. Over the last two
years we have paid off over $200,000 in
loan principal with monies from Annual Giving
our families with tuition assistance. We have also diligently put aside reserves
to ensure that we can handle the unanticipated: emergencies, major repairs,
unexpected drops in enrollment, etc.
and our reserves. Last year the Board re-
As a community, we have learned a great deal since our previous Waldorf school’s
financed the debt at a much lower interest
bankruptcy in 2000 and we carry those lessons with us into our three-pronged
rate, enabling us to pay down the principal
financial strategy to ensure the long-term financial health of the school.
faster and saving us lots of interest over
1. In 2011 the Board launched a five year debt reduction campaign. Debt reduction
the coming years. If we sustain the current
pay-down rate, our debt will drop to
will free up cash for school initiatives.
2. Successful fundraising and community development is another pillar in the
$300,000 by 2017. We are on target with
school’s financial architecture. It allows us to keep tuition low while continuing
our five-year plan. Reducing debt will allow
us to invest more in other school priorities.
to build the school.
3. In 2011 the Board also created an endowment fund which will help secure our
financial stability for generations to come.
#1,200,000
Debt reduction, successful fundraising, and building an endowment are dependent
$1,000,000
upon parent support. The following pages and graphs highlight different aspects
$800,000
of our financial landscape and provide information on how parents can best
$600,000
support the Board’s efforts to keep our school strong.
$400,000
Budget at a glance
$200,000
Our annual budget reflects the school’s
*2017
*2016
*2014
*2015
**2013
*2012
2011
2010
2009
$0
* At current pace/ability to pay down extra
principal each month
**Refinanced debt to One Pacific Coast
Bank. Interest expense reduced by over
$22,000 per year
debt has a certain
St.-Michaelslaying-the-dragon
quality to it.
$200,000
budget is both an art and a science. As
Tuition
Assistance
shown to the right, our budget for 20132014 is 1.585 million dollars. Sixty-two
$70,000
percent, the lion’s share, covers teachers’
salaries. Twenty-two pays for mortgage,
infrastructure, maintenance, etc. The
remaining sixteen percent funds three
Tuition
and Fees
$1,385,000
supports over one quarter of our students;
the $40,000 set aside in reserves and
$150,000 to reduce debt represent our
Plant, Admin,
Ops, Instruct.
Support
solid financial foundation for the school.
Mortgage
$65,000
Reserves
million in tuition revenue will cover 88%
$40,000
of our expenses. The Board has set our
2013-2014 fundraising goal at $200,000,
representing 12% of the budget.
541.482.8223
$980,000
$280,000
from tuition and fundraising. The $1.385
The Siskiyou School
Salaries
safety cushion and investment in building a
Our income to cover all expenses is generated
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Debt
Reduction
$150,000
priorities and financial thinking. Balancing the
critical areas: $70,000 in tuition assistance
Eliminating our
Fundraising
Income
Expenses
$1.585 Million
Annual Giving Drive 2013–2014
Give to Oregon Cultur al Trust (OCT)
and the school…and save
Publication of the Annual Report and Fall Newsletter is the traditional launch
The OCT is a cultural preservation organization
of our Annual Giving Drive. Our 2013-2014 fundraising goal is $200,000. If
that provides funding to arts, humanities, and
recent numbers hold true, we anticipate about 70% of that to be generated
heritage nonprofits in Oregon. The Siskiyou
through contributions into Annual Giving by cash, check, stocks or matching
School is a member. By matching your gift to the
gifts. The balance will be generated through parent-run fundraisers such as
Siskiyou School with one to the OCT, you not
WinterFaire and the Auction.
only support the arts in Oregon and our school,
Each year we expect 100% participation of our community in our Annual
but you receive a mind-boggling tax break from
Giving Drive. We count on every family to make a contribution and we invite
the State of Oregon. Here’s how it works: If
grandparents and alumni to do the same. 100% participation tells our
you give $1000 to the school and a matching
biggest donors that this is a school where everyone does their part, where
$1000 to OCT, your net cash outlay, after taxes,
every parent feels a stake in the well-being of the school, where everyone
will be $350 for a 28% tax bracket couple. (See
understands that successful fundraising keeps tuition lower for all, is a
chart below). In essence, the State subsidizes
direct investment in the educational experience of their children, and secures
our school if you give to both. To learn more, go
the future of the school.
to www.culturaltrust.org or call our Treasurer,
Jack Gibbs, at 541-488-3600. The OCT’s annual
matching limit is $2,500 for corporations, $1,000
Lever aging your gift
As always, cash is what is needed and appreciated now. Your donations are
tax-deductible. Please give what you can.
for couples, and $500 for individuals, but any
amount you choose to give allows you to take
advantage of this program.
Additionally, there are ways to have your dollars go further.
ENDOWMENT Building our endowment will help secure our long-term
Ex ample of Ta x Benefits to Donors
(Assuming a 28% Feder al Ta x Rate)
financial picture. With an endowment, the principal
investments stay intact to create an ongoing income
Donation to the Siskiyou School
$1,000
source. Building an endowment takes time but is a critical
ingredient for success.
Donation to the Oregon Cultural Trust
1,000
by a couple filing jointly
MATCHING
Please ask your employer if they have a matching gift
GIFT
program which would allow your donation to be matched.
Total cash outlay
BEQUEST
The most common type of planned gift is a bequest through
Federal tax savings ($2000 x 28%)
a will or trust. Please consider the Siskiyou School in your
estate planning. Though these gifts are often not realized
quickly, it’s important that we begin now.
OREGON
Leverage your gift and save significant taxes by giving to
CULTURAL
the Siskiyou School through the Oregon Cultural Trust.
TRUST
Details at right.
The Siskiyou School is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Our tax ID# is 82-
2,000
State tax savings on gifts to
560
90
cultural organizations ($1000 x 9%)
State savings from Oregon
1,000
cultural tax credit (100% of OCT)
Total tax savings
1,650
Net cash outlay
350
0540355. Gifts are tax deductible to the full extent allowed by law. For
more information, contact Jack Gibbs, Board Treasurer and CPA at jack@
Benefit to cultur al charities
$2,000
fortress-financial.com or at 541-488-3600.
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The Siskiyou School
Developing our Communit y
In the summer of 2010, I was standing on the
I believe the
wood chips with Catherine, a stranger, and
knowing already that I had found the new school-
feeling of belonging
home for my family. In her intuitive way, Catherine
is one of our
moved to Ashland, my family had been part of
greatest desires
as human beings.
figured the same thing. For the years before we
Madrona School, a Waldorf school on Bainbridge
Island in Washington State. There, I volunteered
countless hours over nearly a decade doing
outreach and running the annual benefit auctions.
Working for the common good of our school was
always the goal, but that isn’t what inspired me.
It was the feeling of family and the genuine love
for each other and for our school. It wasn’t really
a question of what
could I do for the school,
but what wouldn’t I do
for the school? Along
with the staff and so
many other volunteers,
I helped moved things
forward. We increased
annual giving allowing us
to increase the salaries
of our teachers, expand
our playgrounds, paint
The hand-spun ferris wheel is an annual favorite
classrooms, and acquire
at Michaelmas. Here second grader Noah Cott
a building. We took an
summits while first grader Ry Novisedlak gets
Our Michaelmas celebration begins at Clay Street
auction from a gross of
ready to ascend.
Park with traditional challenge games, including the
less than $20,000 to
Tug O’ War. Finding inner strength as the sun wanes
over $90,000. All of that
is the festival theme.
was amazing for sure,
but there was nothing
more impressive than how much we meant to
each other as we moved through all of that
together. Our incentive was clear: our children had
to have this Waldorf school, and so did we.
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The Siskiyou School
Being the Director of Community Development
encompasses all that I love: Waldorf education,
social connection, and my children. I love that the
overarching goal of my work is to create moments
that build our sense of community. In the Waldorf
preschool, I often heard advice from the teacher
regarding work that sounded something like this:
“Give your toddlers meaningful work, like wiping
That was the heart that I brought with me when
the table or chopping a vegetable. They will not
I met Catherine that day, and the Siskiyou School
only be helpful, but will gain confidence and feel
is where I have found that kind of community
included, valued, and connected.” That is true for
again. What I didn’t know is that I would also
all ages. The feeling of belonging is, I believe, one of
have the privilege of having a job and even a title
our greatest desires as human beings, and I love
that puts me in the center of our community.
that my work helps foster that.
541.482.8223
K atie Sloan
Director of Community Development
Under the umbrella
of Community
Development, there
are many events held
in concert with the
staff and parents.
In the fall of 2011,
we transitioned
Michaelmas from a
school-day event to a
full Saturday festival
with games, challenges
and special activities
A WinterFaire favorite is the Sleeping Giant. Children try to
for the kids to watch,
sneak into his lair to steal a gem before he ROARS awake!!!!
and a potluck. I find
myself torn between
paying attention to the event itself and simply visiting with parents, and I think we all
feel that, in a good way—that desire to be in so many places at once at our events.
Katie has three children, Peter (7th
Also that fall, I took on WinterFaire, the Siskiyou School’s annual community-wide
grade), Anna, (4th grade) and Evi
holiday event for families. The event was already well established and well attended.
(kindergarten), and is married to Stephen
Although the event is mostly an outreach event and a beautiful tradition, as well,
Sloan, who serves on the Board. Katie
it is also a fundraising opportunity. By adding a small silent auction, we raised an
has a B.A. in Business Administration from
the University of Washington and has
worked in the high-tech industry and in
all aspects of running small businesses,
from accounting to sales. She has also
planned and hosted many fundraising,
outreach, social, and musical events over
the years. When Peter and Anna started
at The Siskiyou School in September of
2010 Katie began volunteering in the
classroom and at events. In September
of 2011, she was hired as Director of
Community Development. Under her
direction, community life at our school
has been enriched and expanded.
As Aurilia said so well after WinterFaire,
“Katie prepared everything so magically,
so effortlessly and with so much grace
The Roaring 20s was the theme of our 2013 Auction held at the Elks Club in
and love for the event. You really know
downtown Ashland with entertainment including live band, auctioneer, photo
how to bring everyone together in a
booth, and more. Javier del Rio’s pose reflects the playful mood of our evening.
peaceful, creative, calm and purposeful
From left to right: Dawn del Rio, James Day, Adena Tryon, LeeAnn DellaSala,
way. We are so lucky to have you!”
Dominique DellaSala, Suni Teker, Dean Ledbetter.
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The Siskiyou School
Changing
the Face of
Fundr aising
extra $5,000. With the auction, improved PR, and more events, the proceeds from
WinterFaire more than doubled that year and have continued to increase.
This past March, we launched our first large-scale benefit auction. I knew from the
first day I visited that I would be the one to do this, and I was thrilled to finally bring
it to fruition this year. The event itself was a fabulous, lively 20’s-themed party with
over 200 guests decked out in era-appropriate attire. School families and community
Like all private schools we depend
members donated more than 300 items, and the Elks Lodge that night was buzzing
on fundraising to bridge the gap
between tuition revenue and the cost
of a Siskiyou School education. If we
depended entirely on tuition revenue
to pay our teachers and cover our
expenses, each child’s tuition would be
about $1000 more than it is currently.
Rather than charging more per child,
with the excitement of each other, entertainment, and silent auction bidding. Then,
we started the live auction and introduced the professional auctioneer. I had been
in this moment before, and I knew what it could be like. I didn’t know what it would
be like, however, this first time at this school with these people. We had 26 items to
auction off, from fancy dinners to student artwork. The auctioneer went to work, his
bidding cadence captivating the guests and enticing bidders to raise their paddles. And
they did.
we rely on fundraising to bridge
After the auction, a parent said she was looking at my eyes shortly after the live
the gap. Parents can thus give at a level
auction began, and she saw tears in them. She knew what I was thinking: “It is
that fits their budget.
working.” I was moved and thrilled by the success in so many ways of our auction.
Just a couple of years ago, 97% of our
There are other stories and events that could be recounted. None of these events
fundraising was achieved through direct
happen without a tremendous outpouring of support and volunteering from our
contributions from families into Annual
parents, students, and wider community. Good things happen to our hearts when we
Giving. About 6% was raised through
gather together, and that is why the gathering is so important. This school has made
parent-run fundraisers. Under Katie
Community Development a priority, because we know that where there is heart, there
Sloan’s direction, those percentages are
is commitment. When we are committed to something, to each other, we are feeling
changing and the whole community is
the confidence and inclusion of community. Karen O’Dougherty, the alum parent and
having more fun. To increase revenues,
wise woman who came before me in this role, said to me one day about work, as well
Katie has redesigned long-standing
as life, “You are exactly where you need to be.” I completely agree.
fundraisers such as WinterFaire and
added new fundraisers such
as the Auction, the May
Day Raffle, SCRIP,
$1,000
Siskiyou School
Dines Out,
Sweatshirts, Misc.
$5,000
WinterFaire
and Misc.
and Siskiyou
Dines Out.
Last year,
$13,000
WinterFaire
$30,000
Auction
parent-run
events
brought
$75,000
Annual Giving
in about
35% of
$110,000
Annual Giving
$12,000
May Day
Raffle
the total
raised.
BEFORE
NOW
2009 –2010 = $80,0 0 0
2013 = $173,50 0
From 6%
to 35% in
the blink of an
eye? Thank you,
Katie. Thank you,
parents. You’re like
the Red Sox. A-M-A-Z-I-N-G.
10
The Siskiyou School
541.482.8223
$7,500
SCRIP
The SCRIP PROGR AM – One of our new fundr aisers
GOOD START— AND WE HAVE A WAYS TO GO
Of all our fundraisers, the SCRIP grocery shopping program has the most
potential. In the two years since we introduced the program, participating
parents have raised $13,833.75 for the school, simply by buying groceries. The
beauty of SCRIP is that those parents didn’t give a cent of that out of their
own pockets to the school, and yet, thanks to them, money flowed to the
school. For every dollar parents spend on groceries through SCRIP, the school
receives five cents. For every $100, $5, etc.
Interestingly, the approximately $14,000 was raised with no more than 30%
of our 140 families participating. See chart below.
WHAT WE’ VE R AISED THROUGH SCRIP WITH 30% PARTICIPATION
2011-2012
2012-2013
30
41
$300
$300
$125,870
$150,805
$524
$628
$6,293.50
$7,540.25
# of participating families
Grocery spending per family per month
Total grocery spending by participating families
5% return to the school per month
Total raised through SCRIP per year
Each Friday, parent and Board member Megan
Kirkwood sells SCRIP out front. Here, 7th grade
teacher Christine Crawley buys a grocery card.
WHAT’S POSSIBLE THROUGH SCRIP with greater participation
What if more families participated? We have 140 families in the school. What if 50% or 100% of our families shopped through SCRIP?
The amount raised would significantly ease the pressure to raise money through other events. The chart below lays out the potential.
# of participating families
Grocery spending per family per month
Total grocery spending by participating families
5% return to the school per month
Total raised through SCRIP per year
Scenario 1
Scenario 2
Scenario 3
Scenario 4
70 (50%)
140 (100%)
70 (50%)
140 (100%)
$300
$300
$500
$500
$21,000
$42,000
$35,000
$70,000
$1,050
$2,100
$1750
$3,500
$12,600
$25,200
$21,000
$42,000
HOW TO PARTICIPATE
Ashland Food Co-op & Shop’n Kart : Stop in the office anytime to buy a SCRIP card.
Market of Choice (Eugene, Corvallis, West Linn, Portland, Ashland) or Safeway (nationwide): Register your debit, credit, or
Safeway card online at www.escrip.com.
Online Shopping : Go to www.escrip.com and www.igive.com and follow the instructions. Over 700 popular retailers, such as
Amazon, Home Depot, REI, Target, etc. are participants.
11
The Siskiyou School
Parents Making it Work!
All aspects of school life are enriched by parent participation.
reading. We count on them showing up for their classes in the
They help in the classrooms, with construction, errands, food,
same way we count on our class and subject teachers. Our
technical support, beautification, assemblies, etc. They help on
handwork helpers this year are Libby Sturgill, Courtney Stiemert,
a one-time basis, on a big event basis—think Auction or WinterFaire
Lisa Rand, Laura Holtsberg, and Emily Waymire. Our reading
—and on a weekly basis. We couldn’t do it without them. A full
helpers are alumna parent Cathy Hubbell, grandmother Joan
roster would include the name of every parent in the school.
Two categories of volunteers work directly with students
on a weekly basis and help carry core programs: handwork and
Vogel, and parents LeeAnn DellaSala, Louis Pierotti, Davis Wilkins,
Patrice Lowes, Gretchen Boylan, and Wendy Duckhorn.
Shout out for you all!
Parents help with Middle School Friday
classes. Here 7th grade dad Marty ReeceSullivan explains the benefit of regular oil
Parents help with construction projects.
Here James Day, Michael McGlone, Chris
Wasgatt, and Nate Sanford unload beams
to line the new parking area on Clay Street.
Parents help with sets and costumes.
changes and shows them how to do it.
Here, 8th grade parent Julie O’Dwyer is
creating the magic flower that created
such mischief in Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Parents help with planting and weeding.
12
Parents help with cooking. Here, 3rd grade
Parents help at recess. The four square
5th grade mom Courtney Stiemert has
mom Katja Toal meets with her Wednesday
court is 6th grade dad Louis Pierotti’s
designated herself caretaker of our big
class, assisted by Shannon Clery.
station.
flower pots. She stays with it year round.
The Siskiyou School
541.482.8223
SUMMER PROJECTS —
ANOTHER WAY PARENTS ARE HELPING
Turning a house into a home takes years of tending and fixing. So,
too, with a school. Thanks to a number of touches, added over time,
each year our campus feels more settled, efficient, and comfortable,
and our schoolhouse has become a school-home. A faculty room has
been created upstairs, a bathroom installed in first grade, tutoring
rooms organized, play structures fashioned, skylights, new windows,
storage cabinets, and bookshelves installed in several classrooms, picnic
tables built, and lots of painting and landscaping done— improvements
representing thousands of dollars. These improvements have not been
paid for out of tuition revenue or annual giving; they have been gifts from
parents who have wanted to do more. Most projects have been done
in summer when the children are away. Funding “summer projects”—nonbudgeted capital improvements—is still another way Siskiyou School parents
Reading group is a favorite time for children in
are helping build the school. On behalf of the school community and all the
2nd – 4th because of enthusiastic helpers
like Cathy Hubbel and Joan Vogel. The children
can’t wait to see what will happen next
children and teachers who benefit daily and directly from these enhancements,
Thank you, benefactors. You know who you are.
and to share how their own experiences
South Windows in Pine Hall
are just like those of the characters. Joan
and Cathy can’t wait to hear too, and they
Last summer eight windows were
know how to keep it moving!
donated in memory of Whitney
Chatfield, and in honor of her siblings
who also attended the school. The
light they bring in has changed the
very energy of the room. Whitney
was a student in Ms. Crawley’s class
of 2002, and her brother Quinn
graduated last June. The windows
have become an inspiration to
complete our Pine Hall renovation.
Facult y Room
Our Faculty Room—
equipped with six desks,
computers, printers,
Jennifer Holtzman and Gina Galardi have got our
file cabinets, and an old
backs—all of our backs. Day in, day out, year in,
leather couch—gives
year out, they do whatever is needed to ensure
that everything works out at the Siskiyou School.
They are better at knowing what we need than
we are ourselves. After observing Jennifer in action
at close range for seven days during last year’s 8th
grade trip to DC, Catherine said in awe to Gina, “It’s like
living with God!” “God AND the president, all in one!” Gina
answered. Jennifer and Gina: Thank you for enveloping us
all—teachers, children, events, parents, campus, school,
every ounce and inch of it—in your grace.
teachers a quiet place
to prepare lessons
and meet when not in
the class. It hosts an
administrative office
as well: Ms. Bower,
our bookkeeper,
claims to have the
best view on campus, overlooking the playground
and western hills.
13
The Siskiyou School
Thank You 2012–2013 Annual Giving donors
Tuition alone does not cover the cost of a Siskiyou School education. The difference is made up through fundraisers, the biggest
of which is Annual Giving. Last year $109,997 was received in Annual Giving contributions from the parents, grandparents, alumni
parents and friends listed below. The donations directly affected our ability to provide this quality of education to our children.
Thank you, all.
PARENTS
Aaren Glover
Adam and Katarina McEnaney
Alison and Greg Chandler
Allison Bonney
Amanda and Greg Alford
Amy Clark
Angie Todd
Ann Fielder
Annabel Allen and Brent Shields
Bethany and Jesse Stonewood
14
Janet Larmore and Tom Strong
Matthew Oliva and Davis Wilkins
Janis Hunt-Johnson and David Johnson
Megan Danforth and Tom Pike
Jason Margulis and Kim Zwemer-Margulis
Megan Kirkwood
Jason Plotts
Melissa Gottschalk
Javier and Dawn del Rio
Michael and Abby Arciniega
Jeff and Vicky Wiencek
Michael and Jen Briola and Jamie Rosenthal
Jeff Falzone
Michael and Venessa Johnson
Jeff Nielsen
Mike and Libby Sturgill
Jeffrey Solomon
Molly and Andrew Gramley
Jennifer Jones and Jon Barry
Nadejda Razi-Robertson
Jocelyn Sanford
Nancy Escherich
Bill and Sue Carroll
John Trivers and Caryn Belafsky
Bill Hernon and Yarrow Sylvan
Jonathan and Aleks Raymond
Bob Hackett and Karen Zischke
Julie O’Dwyer
Brenda and Robert Mead
Jumana and Rara King-Harris
Bret Snyder and Tasa Painter
Karen Sauer
Bryon and Ai DeVore
Karin Volpert and John Spillman
Caraway Timmins and Josh Cott
Kathleen Taylor
Catherine and Allen Adler
Katja Toal and Reggie Gilbert
Chad and Leslie Moyer
Katy Ellison and Jason Woodrum
Chris Keefe
Kelly Burns and Ashleigh Adams
Crystina Brazie and Josh Henderson
Kelly Stone and Michael Thompson
David and Courtney Stiemert
Kevin Casey and Tammy Van Eyke
Ellie Holty
Kristin Laak
Eric and Holly Berg
Kristine Pandey
Eric Brown
Laura and Robert McLellan
Eric Webb
Laurel Steinberg
Erik Glatte and Ingunn Skjervold
Leann and David Tourzan
Suni Teker and Dean Ledbetter
Erin Van Dyke and Andrew Chester
LeeAnn and Dominick DellaSala
Susan and Bill Berry
Gabe and Michele Pereira
Liz and John Schmidt
Tara Thomas and Brad Boucher
Gil and Kathleen Livni
Lorraine McDonald and Michael Davis
Taylor and John Alexander
Glenn Gelfenbein and Alaiya Aguilar
Lynda and Steven Sirianni
Terri McDonald
Henry and Carole Whitridge
Malika Semper
Therese Dacus
Jack and Jen Gibbs
Marilyn and Martin Reece-Sullivan
Tom and Devon Evans
Jake Hayes and Angie Renick-Hayes
Marla Samuel
Tracy and Chris John
James Day and Adena Tryon
Marni Koopman
Violet Springford
Jamie Fahey and Alfred Blea
Mary Sandlin
Yujen Wang and Shahrzad Sheibani
The Siskiyou School
541.482.8223
Nikki and Brad Martell
Patrice and Paul Lowes
Paul Clark
Paul Nash
Peter and Tunde Jordan
Randy and Jennifer Nidalmia
Rebecca Breiholz
Rebecca Hutchison and Ken Crocker
Richard Elmore
Sarah Collard and Tom Dimitrie
Sequoia Pettengell
Shannon Clery and Rob Sweeney
Sonia and Chris Lemacks
Stephen and Katie Sloan
Stephen Kaestner and Nora Lynch
GR ANDPARENTS, FRIENDS,
REL ATIVES, and STUDENTS
Alan and Joan Vogel
Allen Thomashefsky and Hilary Best
Andrew and Jeanne Zwemer
Barbara Haade
Brendan Cabral
Scott Cabral
Sue and John Falzone
Susan Shaffer
Terry Monda
ALUMni PARENTS
AND GR ANDPARENTS
FACULT Y and STAFF
Alex Newport-Berra
Aurilia and Darran McNamara
Ben Gaskin
Catherine Dixon
Catherine Razi
Christine Crawley
Carol Klimboff
Sandra Royce
Cynthia Bower
David and April Clery
Ian Wessler
Debbie Murphy
Dennis Gray and Jane Van Dyke
Betsy Wessler
Dustin Monda
Diana and Robert Cahill
Bruce and Leslie Sargent
Don and Jane Benbow
Cindy and Wes Norton
Ghigs Razi-Robertson and
Michael McGlone
Dr. Eugene Robbins, DDS
Gary Hansen and Judith Newton
Heidi Martin
Eugenia T. Panganiban
Joseph Friedman
Javier Alvarez
Frederic and Lundy Reynolds
Keith Henty
Kelly Shlestad
Frederick Whitridge
Mallory Pierce and Joseph Chaves
Magda and Sergio Paz
Fredric and Lundy Reynolds
Serena St. Claire
Margie and Hayden Glatte
Gail and Roger Samuel
Wanda Putnam
Melissa Archer and James Berge
Gerald and Mildred Brazie
Zane Jones
Molly McKissick
Grace Murdock
Nina Gallwey and Jacob Kahn
Graham Lewis
Hilary Best and Allen Thomashefsky
Holly Fulghum-Nutters
James and Susan Sandlin
Jeanette Suggs
John and Carolee Schmidt
John and Yvonne Gibbs
Joseph and Louise Burke
K. and J. Suggs
LuEllen Pettengell
Marc and Charlene Bole
Mark and Deborah Sanford
Mary and Tom Glatte
Mary Vanier and KarenaToal
Miriam Lichtenstein
Paul and Barbara Flowers
Perry Hart and Sydney Volpert
Randy and Helen Ellison
Raymond and Elaine Ledbetter
Richard Maslow
Donors who made gifts to our school between July 1, 2012 and June 30, 2013 are
Robert and Susan Naymik
listed here. If there is an error or omission in any of the names listed above or in
Sally and Tony Roberts
any place in this newsletter, please accept our sincere apology and contact
Sally Kirkwood
the office (541-482-8223) so we may correct our records.
Individually we are one drop. Together we are an ocean. —Ryunosuke Satoro
15
The Siskiyou School
Opening the Door for Science
Molly McKissick, Class 4 Teacher
Science is an art. A scientist and an artist are much the
same; each is curious about the world and has skillfully
sharpened his or her tools for observation.
An artist observes the world and converts those
observations into perceptions, which he then
endeavors to express. Exciting art is most often novel
in some way. Some “new” kind of thinking has taken
flight in response to an observation: the way the light
dances or the wind sings through the leaves. A song or
a painting, a sculpture or a tapestry emerges, and an
artist is born.
Science is the same. A scientist
must first be an observer.
She must look into the world
and wonder. She must gather
information through her
own senses, and then begin
to formulate questions.
She inquires. To answer the
questions, she may craft a
theory. The theory may lead to
Back row: Olivia Beam, Anna Sloan, Mr. Carrots. Front
an experiment, an invention, a
row: Matilda Whitridge, Coco Chanel, Liora Solomon,
medicine, an understanding, or
Ayla Rosenberg, Natalie Adler
more questions.
Angora bunnies, Mr. Carrots and Coco Chanel add a
To nurture science, we should
sweet element to campus life (along with the gifts of
be devoted to helping the
fine spinning fiber and great fertilizer for the garden).
children become astute in their
Their stucco mansion, built last year by Ms. McKissick’s
observations. We must develop
students and parents is big enough for several children
their senses and teach them to
Third grade is about learning self-reliance.
Last year Ms. McKissick’s class made
birchwood drop spindles and learned to
spin tufts of wool into yarn. They used
plants to dye the wool and then wove
it into mats. Children who experience
the whole process understand
something simple but profound: with
nothing you can make something. This is
both empowering and fulfilling. Dieter
Spillman, now a fourth grader, is a master
at spinning.
16
The Siskiyou School
541.482.8223
to sit inside for a visit. Students recently discovered
ask questions.
that Coco had lined her nesting box with fur. Word
In Waldorf schools science
“Maybe she’ll have enough for every child in the school,”
really begins with “nature
spread quickly that Coco may be having babies soon.
a second grader was heard to muse.
studies.” In first grade, we
walk around outside in autumn
and look for signs of fall. When
“Jack Frost” appears, he can’t
escape the keen eyes of little
ones who see him everywhere
he goes. This goes on in second
In third grade when the children study farming,
shelters and clothing, opportunities for observation
abound. Why did the potatoes on one side of the
garden grow better than the others? How does the
spider construct her “shelter.”
grade too. We don’t miss a
The minute children begin to ask questions about what
thing. We see every inch of
they have observed, we have embarked upon science.
ground “Lady Spring” touches.
We must be very careful not to answer the questions,
When we made drop spindles in third grade, the children all learned to spin wool,
Computers in
the classroom
but rather to inquire into the thinking of the children. This is the true nourishment
for the scientific mind.
and they noticed some interesting things. The spindle is a curious tool. It works like
Computers in a Waldorf school? Yes,
a top, or a dreidel, something they’ve all known before—but now the force of the
indeed. We want our Siskiyou School
spinning is accomplishing something. Does that make it a machine? One child noticed
students to graduate feeling as
that a full spindle would spin longer than an empty one. Why? Thinner spun wool
comfortable using computers as they are
would allow the spindle to spin faster. Why?
knitting, or doing calligraphy and algebra.
When we boiled dyes to color our wool, we found that the same dyes dyed in pots
of different metals (copper, iron, steel) yielded different colors. Why?
Supported by a gift of laptops, we now
introduce formal computer instruction
in 7th grade. Though most students
In fourth grade we took a fall trip to Crater Lake, and while we were there I
have access to computers at home, they
told the children that we would be painting the lake in class the next day. We all
are not necessarily proficient in basic
wondered how we would ever find that kind of blue on our paint shelf.
computer skills, and we don’t want to
One child said, “We should bring some of the water back to school.” My immediate
leave this important learning to chance.
response was (I’m sorry to say), “Well, you know the water isn’t actually blue…etc.”
Students are first expected to work
Then I caught myself, mid-sentence and changed course. “You’re absolutely right. We
through a typing program to develop
should bring some water back.”
speed and accuracy. While writing out main
Back at school, we embarked upon an experiment. We wanted to see if Crater Lake
water made a different kind of blue paint than regular water. First, we mixed the
same amount of ultramarine blue pigment in two separate jars filled with the same
amount of water—tap water and Crater Lake water. We proceeded to observe the
substance in every possible way: we shook it, smelled it, felt it, and painted with it.
When the “why” questions came up, we began to theorize. All ideas were valid.
If we are to truly nurture scientific thinking in children we have got to be willing to
lesson texts by hand continues to be the
norm, typed papers begin to be assigned.
Students also receive instruction on how
to format documents, do research, use
different programs, and troubleshoot
technical problems.
In the photo below, Board member
Stephen Sloan is teaching the 8th grade
live with the questions. Living with the questions gives rise to new thinking. New
class how to use PowerPoint. Using
thinking is the art of science.
a projector and screen, he guides the
Most of all, we have to be curious ourselves.
students step-by-step through the
process of developing a slide show for a
Fall is adventure time
for all classes. Class
Four traveled to Crater
Lake as part of their
research assignment. Many students use
PowerPoint slideshows in their 8th grade
project presentations in the spring of
their 8th grade year.
Oregon Geography block.
The blueness of the
water got them asking
questions. Middle school
classes took weeklong
backpacking trips and
younger grades traveled
to farms and harvested
all kinds of good things.
Pictured here, Amelia
Evans, Grade 4, at
Crater Lake.
17
The Siskiyou School
Communit y outreach
When I go to Skylark, I’m not just trying to look happy for the
people; they make me feel genuine joy. — Kaj
Young children leap at the chance to help others. To give their
generosity a place to go and to nurture the love of service
that comes naturally to them, we look for opportunities for
our students to help out in the community. As stewards of
the Clay Street Park, they “free the creek” of tall grasses and
1
blackberry brambles through the year. Each November children
and families are invited to participate in a school-wide food
drive for the Ashland Food Bank. During the rest of the year
our students tend the AFB garden and shelve food donations.
Bringing cheer to the residents at Skylark Assisted Living is
a favorite with our middle schoolers. Some classes have an
ongoing pen pal relationship with children in Africa and South
America, exchanging small packages. During the holiday season,
we gather gifts for
families in need. In giving
we receive.
Being of use and comfort
to others is the best
feeling in the world.
Creating opportunities
for our students to
experience that feeling is
part of our mission. The
love of service becomes
part of who they are.
2
3
Above: Third grade students harvest turnips at Ashland Food Bank.
Below: 7th graders Chloe Boucher and Isabella Mellon, in
Halloween garb, converse with a Skylark resident. The residents
wanted to see kids in costumes.
18
The Siskiyou School
541.482.8223
1 Friends, Idris Tourzan and Nyah Plotts. 2 Mi-cha-el’s sword
of light helps villagers tame the dragon. 3 Growing right up!
Ohana Progr am
We have always strived to meet the
individual needs of our students at The
Siskiyou School. This has resulted in small
reading groups in the younger grades,
breakout groups for middle school math,
assistants in different classes and a
variety of options for children who need
extra help. This year we are excited to
implement a new program, called The Ohana
Program. The younger children (grades 2,
3, and 4 so far) meet four days a week
in Ohana Group for special instruction in
Language Arts. This program allows the
5
4
children who need sensory integration
and a “brick by brick” approach to reading
and writing to have the time to gain
foundational skills before the academics
build in the upper grades. A typical Ohana
class starts with brain integration
exercises that support whole brain learning,
eye tracking, auditory processing and fine
motor skills. We then move into reading,
spelling, writing, and math using a step-bystep multi sensory curriculum. So far, 25
children are in Ohana Groups. I am grateful
to my co-Ohana teacher, Magda Paz.
Together, we are having a wonderful time
helping these children to build strong skills.
— Nina Gallwey
6
7
8
4 Preston Mead as Bottom in the 8th grade’s memorable Midsummer Night’s
Dream. 5 Just ask us. We’ve got it! 6 Blacksmithing with Brian Pancheau, Middle
School Friday. 7 In Games we even learn lacrosse! 8 Alexa Schmidt on stilts.
19
The Siskiyou School
1
2
4
7
3
5
8
1 First grade morning circle. 2 King Gaskin is as nice as they get. 3 The Siskiyou School Cross Country team decked out.
4 What a glorious May Day we had. 5 We love each other! That’s all there is to say. 6 Dr. Spock enjoys his morning coffee.
7 Our fearless leaders. 8 Zee Martell and Avelan McNamara in the 7th Grade play, Where the Wild Things Are 9 The quiet
and the concentration in Ms. Crawley’s painting classes is an experience in itself.
20
The Siskiyou School
541.482.8223
6
9
Farewell to departing teachers
Our one and only MRS . MURPHY
In September Mrs. Murphy moved to Vancouver, Washington, outside of Portland where
Adios y gr acias, Señor a Smith
she grew up. Within four weeks, she put her house on the market, found a new one up
Last June,
north, arranged for her furniture to be moved, and drove off. Mrs. Murphy just does it.
with sadness,
On her last night in town, she had
we said
dinner with her old friend and colleague
goodbye to
Christine Crawley. They reminisced about
Ruthie Smith,
the old Waldorf school, the “pod years,”
our longtime
and the transition into the Siskiyou
Spanish
School. Lots of kids and memories
teacher who
between them. Many good years.
has returned
Mrs. Murphy is settled into a new
house now, making friends, attending
concerts, and creating a new life for
herself. Fiercely independent though
she is, we like knowing she is twenty
minutes from her brother John’s
home and two hours down the road
from her daughter Lindsey in Seattle.
to being a fulltime artist. She had been affiliated
with the school as a parent and
teacher for many years. Her eldest
daughter Djamika graduated from Mrs.
Murphy’s first class and youngest,
Djaruna, graduated Ms. McKissick’s
first class.
From the time her husband Joe died
Señora Smith arrived in each class
in 2011, Debbie imagined she’d move
with her basket full of puppets and
north after graduating her last class.
felted animals and captivated the
Characteristically, she followed through.
children with stories and puppet
She sounds invigorated and happy. At
shows. If you asked the children
school, we miss her.
if they understood what she was
Debbie taught consecutively for 17 years here in Ashland, taking two Waldorf classes
through from first to eighth and then staying on for one last year as a three-quarter
time teacher to help in various classes. She was not only one of our founding class
teachers, but a rock for her students, parents, and us teachers. Her steadiness
steadied us. She was our grown-up, the one we went to. We took strength from her
strength.
saying they’d
answer, Not
a thing! But
Tierra mi cuerpo
the fact that
Agua mi sangre
they laughed
Aire mi espiritu
at the funny
parts and
Fuego mi corazon
In Waldorf kindergartens the teacher often spends much of the morning sitting in a big
grew still in
rocking chair in the middle of the room, knitting or carving. The children occasionally run
the more serious ones and responded
up to her to ask something, but when she is anchored in her rocking chair, they can play
to every request she made of them
for hours without incident. She is the church in the middle of the village, the presence
in Spanish told us otherwise. Señora
that keeps order just by her presence. Debbie was that for us. She held the center, she
Haynes, their new teacher, notes
held a line. She was our Maypole.
what good accents the children all
Her no-nonsense, straight-arrow approach also helped grow us right up. Like a young
stream that meets a boulder as it hurtles downhill willy-nilly, we, when working with
Debbie, had to reckon, had to make up our minds about the direction we were choosing
and take responsibility for our course. Her clarity demanded that we find ours. Thank
you, Mrs. Murphy, for all the ways you touched our lives and shaped our school.
Blessings on your journey!
have and how well-developed is their
listening ear. Thank you, Senora Smith,
for giving our children an excellent
foundation and for your many years of
gracious devotion to our school and
children.
21
The Siskiyou School
New Facult y
2013-2014 FACULT Y & STAFF
Yelena Sedochenkova was born in
Latvia and is
Russian by
heritage. She
immigrated
to Southern
California with
her family at age
10. She got her
BA at UCSD in
Communication and Russian Literature and
completed her Waldorf training at WISC.
She has taught at Waldorf schools in
Guatemala, Colombia, and upstate New York
and traveled widely. She is passionate about
playing music with people, writing and telling
stories, reading, community projects, hiking,
gardening, crafting, and realizing new ideas.
She feels a special kinship with animals
and has volunteered a lot in animal rescue.
Teaching brings purpose to her life and she
feels honored to share her enthusiasm, love,
CL ASS TE ACHERS
Skills SUPPORT, Gr ades 1–5
Yelena Sedochenkova, First Grade
Heidi Martin, Second Grade
Javier Alvarez, Third Grade
Molly McKissick, Fourth Grade
Ben Gaskin, Fifth Grade
Catherine Dixon, Sixth Grade
Christine Crawley, Seventh Grade
Kelly Shelstad, Eighth Grade
Nina Gallwey, Language Arts & Math
Magda Paz, Language Arts & Math
Michael McGlone, Math
SPECIALT Y TE ACHERS
Margie Glatte, Games
Cynthia Bower, Handwork
Melissa Archer, Music
Jennifer Carroll, Mandarin
Dhyana Haynes, Spanish
Michael McGlone, Woodwork/ Gardening
Aurilia McNamara, Eurythmy
Christine Crawley, Painting
Nina Gallwey, Latin
Tom Shelstad, Outdoor Leadership and
Community Building
SKILLS AND SPECIALT Y
SUPPORT, Gr ades 6 – 8
Claire House, Math,
Dustin Monda, Math,
Alex Newport-Berra, Math
Ghigs Razi, Language Arts
Eve Smyth, Drama
Sue Carney, Recorder
Sue Lundquist, Drumming
Ben Gaskin, Ukulele & Guitar
Jamie Rosenthal, Volleyball
CL ASS ASSISTANTS
Ghigs Razi, First Grade
Dustin Monda, Second Grade
Cynthia Bower, Third Grade
and wonder for the world with her class.
Dhyana
Haynes grew
up in Detroit
and attended
the University
of Michigan,
graduating
with a degree
in Spanish and
Comparative
Literature. She then spent two years
traveling and working on social service
projects in Central and South America
before returning to the US to teach Spanish.
In her teaching she found herself drawing on
her experience as a Waldorf student at the
Detroit Waldorf School and after five years
decided to get her formal Waldorf teacher
training. She received her M.Ed. from Antioch
University in 2011. Dhyana loves to travel,
meet new people, spend long, uninterrupted
time in nature, and teach.
22
The Siskiyou School
541.482.8223
Front Row: Alex Newport-Berra, Catherine Dixon, Christine Crawley, Catherine Razi,
Molly McKissick, Yelena Sedochenkova, Michael McGlone (Makai Gaskin on the grass)
Middle Row: Nina Gallwey, Cynthia Bower, Melissa Archer, Claire House, Kelly Shelstad
Back Row: Jennifer Carroll, Dustin Monda, Aurilia McNamara, Dhyana Haynes, Margie
Glatte, Magda Paz, Ghigs Razi, Ben Gaskin, Javier Alvarez, Heidi Martin
THE HISTORY CHAPTER
Today the Siskiyou School seems so established it’s hard to remember it hasn’t always
been here. When we start forgetting our past, it’s time to bring it into the light.
The Siskiyou School is the second incarnation of a Waldorf school in the Rogue Valley. The
first was founded in 1980 in a church basement in Medford. Christine Crawley was a
founder and the teacher of the first grade. The school was named the Light Valley Waldorf
School. Over the next twenty years the school moved to three other locations including
Jacksonville, 4th and C in Ashland (current Headwaters building), and lastly to East Main,
where Willow Wind now lives. When it moved to Ashland in 1993 it was renamed the
Waldorf School of the Rogue Valley.
During its four relocations there were no interruptions; it was the same school, with the
same core teachers, just in different locations and with a name change halfway through.
When it closed in June 2000 due to financial difficulties, the faculty had grown to about
fifteen and the student body to about 140 in K–8.
That closing and the loss of the property was a huge blow to the Waldorf community.
Many families opted to put their kids in public schools. Four classes and a group of
determined parents and teachers decided to keep going. Soon a fifth class joined them.
Former Staff
CL ASS TE ACHERS
Debbie Murphy, 1996-2012
Ken Friedman, 2007-2012
Ilie Watterson, 2011-2012
Christine Cassagnau, 2006-2011
Jeanne Renaux, 2007-2009
ASSISTANTS
Cats Land, 2005–2009
Erik Hamlet, 2008–2009
Ana Rose Renick, 2010–2011
Matt Dusek, 2006–2009
SUB JECT TE ACHERS
Music
Tish McFadden, 2006–2007
And then a sixth and seventh.
David Ouellette, 2006–2007
These classes became “the bridge classes,” ensuring the continuity of Waldorf education
Math
between the closing of the old school and birth of our new one. The teachers rented
space from area churches, including the church at 631 Clay Street. Each class operated
independently. We call those years “the pod years” or “the years in the wilderness.”
Bruce Dresser, 2005–2006
Bill Ritch, ‘08-’12
Marilyn Reece Sullivan, ‘07–’08
Kim Marie Murphy, ‘10–’11
In 2006 when all the pods coalesced into a new school on a newly acquired campus, it was
Mechtild Howard, ‘05–’07
different in character than the old school. Life on the trail had allowed the teachers and
Spanish
parents to imagine anew what was possible. On the next page, a few of those pioneers
tell what it was like during those years. In future issues we look forward to including
Navin Mahabir, ‘09-’10
more of those stories.
Esther Herranz, ‘06-’07
Henry Fields, ‘05-’06
Amy Godard, ‘08-’09
Games
Paula Lynam, ‘05-’06
Matt Dusek, ‘06-’09
Other
Janet Horn, Form Drawing, ‘06-’07
Susanna Moghbel, Eurythmy, ‘08-’09
Josh Sadler, Wild Program, ‘08-’10
Jenica Krolicki, Dance, ‘10-’11
ADMINISTR ATion
Karen O’Dougherty, Volunteer Development Director, ‘06-’10
Gayle Vezie, Bookkeeper, ‘07-’11
Tracy Biada, Administrative Assistant,
Faculty of the Waldorf School of the Rogue Valley at 4th and C, their first Ashland
‘08-’09
location. Recognize any faces?
23
The Siskiyou School
Voices of the pioneers
From DebbIE Murphy
Imagine you’re the parent of a fourth
grader. Your child is happy in school, has
many friends, and you have become a
strong member of a Waldorf community.
You’ve just weathered the turn of the
century and the much talked about Y2K
fears. Then rumblings begin that the school
might be closing. The rumblings become
fact and decisions must be made. For the
parents of the 4th grade class at The
form when the Class of 2004 was in 8th
we could give our children was a Waldorf
grade. We weren’t really part of the new
education. My son Brendon was happily
school, and yet, we were instrumental
in love with Claire in Kindergarten at the
in holding the space, carrying the torch,
Waldorf School of The Rogue Valley. Then,
and providing an example of what could
news came that the school was closing.
be accomplished. The class inspired those
I was crushed. While happily employed in
who came behind and paved the way for
my private practice working with children
the school that has become such a strong
with learning challenges, I had moved to
part of the Ashland community today.
Ashland because there was a school for
my son. Now what? It only took days for
From Molly McKissick
Waldorf School of the Rogue Valley, this
Back then, every day was a leap of faith
was how the spring of 2000 played out.
for parents and for teachers. The parents
Those families formed the Siskiyou
Learning Cooperative and put their wishes
into action to have a 5th grade class. We
rented space at the church on Clay Street
trusted that the teachers would teach,
and the teachers hoped for a fistful of
tattered personal checks (in varying
amounts) from the families at the end of
the month. Every year, we had to wonder
education to regroup. As a parent body,
we relocated Claire’s kindergarten to one
family’s cottage and hired her to teach
our children. Meanwhile, it was thrilling to
watch other classes set out on their own
in “life rafts,” co-creating with parents
“islands” for the education to carry on.
and three months after the close of the
where our classroom might be and to
old school, we had 15 students in what
I had been a Waldorf teacher for seven
negotiate space and rent for our classes.
years. On hiatus from class teaching, I
When my class entered the sixth grade,
began to feel the passion and fire that
is now known as the Van Gogh room.
Timm Ahern and Billy Collins-Wright took
out the center wall to make the space
big enough. We were only allowed to use
our classroom, the kitchen, and the Great
Room (now the 1st grade room). The kids
were happy as clams even though there
was no real playground. Pepper Trail took
his machete and created a way for us
to get to the Clay Street Park. We had
friends in Ms. Crawley’s 7th grade class
across the asphalt, and three days a week
some first graders were across the hall in
the Dragonfly Garden.
there was no space. Negotiations were
underway with the Nazarene Church but
was being infused into these little “pod”
classes. The pull to join the adventure
were not promising. The day before school
began to tug on my heart, and by the
began, I set up desks on the blacktop
following fall, I had said “yes” to taking a
at Clay Street. I rolled out the portable
class of my own. We rented space in the
chalkboard and drew a cross section of
Clay Street church alongside three other
planet earth. Earth Science, “A Home for
pods, with Molly’s class renting space at
Mankind” was the first block. By 5:00 that
Willow Wind. What a thrill to greet 24
day the Nazarene decided to give us a try.
eager first graders on that first day.
We moved fast. I spent that night at the
church. By six o’clock in the morning I was
ready to greet my students.
From then on, it felt like being on the
“trail.” We just had to make do. One
semester, I only had one specialty teacher
Those were hard times, but we had the
so I was “every teacher.” Yet, we were
Over the next four years the class grew,
pioneer spirit. Deep winters make strong
happy teachers using our Waldorf training
moved across the hall to the (now) music
trees. Now, with a fantastic Board in
with the luxury and freedom to do what
room where we eventually crammed 21
the engine room, Catherine at the helm,
we felt really worked.
7th graders. Another class joined our little
beautiful classrooms, and food on the
enclave in the church. By 8th grade, we
kitchen table, we teachers are free to
had a class of 16. Eight of those had been
teach with all our hearts.
in the class since 1st or 2nd grade—a real
testament to the trust, caring, and hard
work of their parents.
The Siskiyou School was just starting to
24
those of us with hearts committed to the
The Siskiyou School
541.482.8223
From Nina Gallwey
The Nautilus Class graduated with 20 of
the children who started together in first
grade. They, and their parents, along with
the other pod classes, left a beautiful,
well-marked trail behind. It is a true joy
The spring of 2000 was a tumultuous time
to see what has been created out of our
for those of us who felt the best gift
pioneer spirit.
The Dream KEEPERS
during the Pod Years
From June 2000 when the old school closed
to the summer of 2006 when 631 Clay was
bought, certain parents and teachers held
fast to a vision of a new home and a new
school for the Waldorf community. For six
years without interruption work went
on behind the scenes to keep the dream
alive and move it forward. Judy Newton
and a few others provided continuity and
leadership for the dream keepers during the
pod years. The Transition Group that formed
within months of the old school closing
evolved into the Board of Directors of the
Siskiyou Initiative when that legal entity
Waldorf education has come full circle. Magda Paz, one of our current teachers,
was formed in spring of 2002. That later
is one of the students in this photo of the old school. Her son Lupin is in our
became the Parent-Teacher Council of 2003-
second grade, and her son Escher will enter first next year. We look forward to
2004 and eventually a first Board of the
welcoming more children of alum soon. Do you recognize Magda in the back row by
Siskiyou School in 2004.
the pillar and tree? Do you see anyone else you know?
Milestones in forming The Siskiyou School
Tr ansition Group (2001–2002)
Susan Logeais
Grey Hecht
Olivier LogeaisNicoya Hecht
Judy NewtonNina Gallwey
June 2000
Summer 2006
Waldorf School of the
Current campus bought. New Board
Rogue Valley closes its
formed. Administrator hired. Siskiyou
doors for good
Initiative becomes Siskiyou School.
Catherine Razi
Siskiyou Initiative Board of
Directors (2002–2003)
April 2001
September 11, 2006
Judy NewtonSusan Logeais
Siskiyou Initiative
Groundbreaking Ceremony to
Christine CrawleyOlivier Logeais
formed by Transition
begin classroom construction
Nicoya Hecht
Karen Zischke
Grey HechtMeredith Lowry
Group
Debbie Murphy
2005
2000
2010
2013
Parent-Teacher Council
(2003–2004)
May 27, 2004
November 2008
Debbie Murphy Siskiyou Initiative
Last two classrooms
Ingunn SkjervoldNina Gallwey
becomes a 501c3
completed
Judy Newton
Genna Southworth
Spring 2006
Capital campaign launched
to create campus
Yarrow Sylvan
Molly McKissick
Pam Greenblatt
May 2007
Karen O’Dougherty
Janet Horn
Siskiyou School School-Warming
Rob Cain
Patty Schein
Ceremony. Four classrooms
Christine Crawley
completed. First time in eight years
all classes were on one campus.
25
The Siskiyou School
LE TT ER TO TH E AL UMNI
Dear Alumni ~
The Siskiyou School
631 Clay Street
Ashland, Oregon 97520
541.4 82.82 23
[email protected]
we have an idea of where
news . For the first time in a long time
Thanks for responding to our request for
gh school, college, traveling
Though you are now off in the world—hi
many of you are and what you’re up to.
and are curious about what
t you. We care about how you are doing
or work ing somewhere—we never forge
leap up, no matter how many
sight of you in town, our heart s literally
you’re up to. When we happ en to catch
.
ers and students who once share d so much
years have passed. So it is between teach
time we are including an
context of this newsletter. It is the first
It’s exciting to be writing to you in the
h in a more regular way.
so every year as a way of staying in touc
alumni section. Henceforth, we will do
2000 . We counted 173
orf School of the Rogue Valley close d in
Ten classes have graduated since the Wald
8th grade diploma from the
Graduate s are those who received their
actual graduates and about 190 alumni.
and experienced that class
journeyed with a class for part of the way
school. Alumni include any student who
we want to stay in touch.
connection. We remember all of you and
look forward to finding news
rs of our newsletter and that you will
We hope you will become regular reade
it, our goal was just to FIND
es in each issue . In this first attempt at
about former classmate s and schoolmat
ey a sense of the alumni
know that we remember you and to conv
you, to know where you are, to let you
piece s, profiles and features
the future, we envis age more in-depth
community of which you are a part . For
be told, when there’s been no
are and what you are doing .” Yet, truth
that tell more about you than “where you
heart warming.
news for a long time, any information is
are part of its very fabric. It
about the school. You and your parents
We also hope that you will enjoy reading
your pass age, and what was
us and spirit that are here today refle ct
began and grew with you, and the camp
nize it: we’re still the Waldorf
physical changes, but you’d instantly recog
learned from your time . Sure , there are
send your own children here.
school. Who knows? Mayb e one day you’ll
teacher’s request for
ways . Some of you responded to your class
News about you was gathered in different
passed it on. Some updates
ered information through Facebook and
updates via email . Some “class reps” gath
probably didn’ t get every thing
and some just through the grapevine. We
were received through calls to parents
can do it better next time .
ving your corre ctions and updates so we
JUST right , but we look forward to recei
visit . You’d be amazed at how
ashlandhome.net or best of all, stop and
Please email us directly: siskiyouschool@
give by popping in and saying hi.
many remember you and the joy you will
al Giving Fund ? Your donation
making a donation into the school’s Annu
Last but not least : Would you consider
ents receive tuition assis tance.
ation here. About one third of our stud
would help support another child’s educ
school has been built , with a
dollar s could make . Well, that ’s how the
You may wonder what difference a few
ever level feels comfortable,
participation from our alumni—at what
lot of people giving a few dollar s. 100%
wings. It’s a concrete way of
ial to your teachers, wind bene ath our
$1? $5, $20—would be quite a testimon
rs. It’s truly the thought
educ ation and making it possible for othe
expre ssing appre ciation for your Waldorf
t it.
that counts, not the amount!!! Think abou
Blessings on your journeys!
Catherine Razi
Administrator
26
The Siskiyou School
541.482.8223
Alumni
n ew s
CL ASS NOTES
Claire Crawley (‘02)
Claire just spent 26
months in Suyo, Peru
How many Siskiyou School alum are there?
as a Peace Corps
It turns out you’re a pretty big group! Of course it depends somewhat on
volunteer. She was a
how we count you and how far back we want to go. Imagine a fisherman
health promoter, taught
in his pirogue casting his net. If we cast it as wide as it can go, its breadth
school, and built over 50
will cover 35 years and gather up the earliest Waldorf students of the
kitchens and a library.
Rogue Valley. For the purposes of this first “casting of the net,” we have
reached back to the Class of 2002, the class that Ms. Crawley carried
forward the year after the Waldorf School of the Rogue Valley closed. Ten
classes have graduated since then and we count all 173 graduates as alum.
She is pictured here with
families who participated in her Healthy Home
Project. After 7 months of working to better their
nutrition, basic home hygiene and family health,
Gathering information about our ten alumni classes revealed you have varied
they received cocinas mejoradas - improved cook
interests, are finding interesting ways to engage in the world, and share
stoves. Claire will attend graduate school next fall in
your passions. Interestingly, only three of your classes had the same class
California with her fiancé, David Delgado.
teacher all eight years, confirming that having the same class teacher is
NOT the norm in Waldorf schools! Even when you experienced a change
in class teachers, your sense of class remained strong. You lived those
changes together and kept going, just like a family would.
Juliana Wheeler (‘02)
Juliana is a working actor
and musician living in
Portland. She graduated
in 2011 from Portland
CL ASS OF 2002
Actors Conservatory.
CHRISTINE CR AWLEY / ASHL AND GIRLS’ ACADEMY (18 students)
Since, she has performed
in Shakespeare, musicals,
This class had two teachers: Daniel Stokes from 1st-4th and Christine
Crawley from 5th- 8th. They began their journey at the Waldorf School of
the Rogue Valley and had just completed 5th grade when the school closed.
They “stayed calm and carried on.” Larry Medinger, a dad of the class, got
permission from the pastor of the Clay Street Church to build a classroom
out back for Ms. Crawley and her class. The Ashland Girls Academy, as they
named themselves, stayed in that building from 6th through 8th. Their
handprints are still on the front ramp way. The class graduated with 18
comedia dell arte, improv
and sketch comedy. She has recently discovered
a love for writing and is working to develop a
web series, screenplays, and musicals. Juliana also
plays guitar and sings in a band, writes music and
performs around Portland. She is lucky enough to
see several of the girls from her Waldorf class on
an almost daily basis.
Anna Horn (‘02)
Anna is in the Peace
Corps in Burkina Faso,
West Africa. She writes:
“After a year full of wildly
changing emotions and
notions about the world,
and despite the pitfalls
and frustrations, at the
end of it all there is still no place I would rather be.”
27
The Siskiyou School
Ari Susu-Mago (‘04)
Ari recently graduated
students in June 2002. Allegra Archer, daughter of music teacher, Melissa
from Yale University,
Archer, served as alumni coordinator for the class. Thank you, Allegra!
where she sang and
traveled with the Yale
Glee Club, geeked out
with the sci-fi/fantasy
club, and wrote at
breakneck speeds with
the Yale College Noveling
Club. She is currently home in Ashland, working on
a novel and applying to graduate schools in Britain,
where she hopes to pursue a Masters in history
with a focus on the First World War.
n Allegra Archer lives in town and is co-manager of Papaya.
n Maren Borecki lives in Australia with her husband and is doing graphic
and web design.
n Kristin Care is graduating in December with a degree in International
Relations from Hawaii Pacific University. She is getting married in July
and will move to Santa Barbara to work as a research assistant at a nonprofit that promotes ethics in business. [email protected]
n Sophia Palosaari works with the largest Chinese exchange student
program in the U.S. as an International Student Life Dean for St. Mary’s.
n Chloe Delzell is working at a senior high school in Japan as an Assistant
Language Teacher on the Japan Exchange & Teaching (JET) Program.
n Caitlin Maddigan is in Portland working as a birth and postpartum
doula as she begins to get ready for midwifery school.
n Lila Miles-Knepp manages an apartment complex in Portland. In her spare
Sage Trail (‘04)
time works on her food and wine blog, and plays music at small venues.
Sage’s interest in art
n Whitney Chatfield lived a conscious and heroic life. Her strength
emerged at a young
inspired many, her music spoke to our hearts, and her fire kept us all on
age and was nurtured
our toes! The windows in Pine Hall that were donated in her memory
throughout his time at
remind us of her light. In memoriam (1987-2007).
Waldorf. He graduated
magna cum laude in
2012 from The Maryland
Institute College of
Art in Baltimore, earning a BFA in Painting and
a concentration in Curatorial Studies. As part
CL ASS OF 2004
DEBBIE MURPHY (16 STUDENTS)
of his studies, he spent an incredible 5 months
The Class of 2004 had one teacher on their eight year journey, Debbie
in Florence, Italy studying painting, art history,
Murphy. In Mrs. Murphy’s words…The Class of 2004 stays connected
painting conservation and Italian. He is currently
through Facebook and other social media sites. Many of them have travelled
working at the Oregon Cabaret Theatre and spends
and lived abroad. They are all caring, thoughtful young adults, and I am so
his days drawing. Sage’s Kickstarter project, The
proud of each of them. In July some of them heard that I was retiring
Gods and Demons Collection: T-shirts, Phonewear &
and moving to Vancouver. They organized a lovely brunch at Morning Glory
Prints, was recently successfully funded, with over
(reservations were made under the name “Waldorf” of course).Here’s a brief
$6000 pledged. “It can be tough to put yourself
update about some of these alumni:
and your art out there, but it feels amazing when
people respond so positively to it.” He looks
forward to maintaining his commitment to artmaking and seeing where it takes him!
n Allison Backus-Hymans graduated from drama school on Staten Island
and is working in the theater in New York City.
n Terran Ahern received EMT training from COCC in Bend. He is doing
construction work with his dad and saving money to travel the world.
n Djamika Smith graduated from MICA in Baltimore, lived for a while in
The Netherlands working as a graphic artist. Ashland is currently her
home base while she’s travelling and looking for work.
n Colette Pare-Miller graduated from Mills College in California with a
degree in psychology and is now living in Talent and working at the Family
Nurturing Center.
28
The Siskiyou School
541.482.8223
Alumni
n ew s
Saba Buser (‘06)
Saba is in her last year at
Tufts, finishing her double
major in Economics and
International Relations.
She had a wonderful
spring semester in Paris
and after weighing job
offers, she has accepted
a job with a consulting firm in Boston for next fall.
A year from now, she is envisaging law school.
Hannah Wilson (‘06)
n Jake Wixon-Genack graduated from U of O and is working and skiing in
Utah.
n Ariel Rezek graduated from art school in the Bay Area and is working in
Los Angeles.
n Ehlan Stiritz attended PSU, worked in various restaurants and is living
in Ashland and doing construction work with his dad.
n Daniele Cohen is living in Portland, enjoying life, supporting himself,
taking piano lessons and planning a trip to Thailand. Upon graduation from
AHS he studied at Pyramind School of Music Production in San Francisco,
traveled, and volunteered for several months on a farm in Israel. He stays
in close touch with former classmates. Two are still his best friends.
n Ross Casebolt graduated from PSU and is working as an adjuster for
an insurance company in Portland.
Hannah was abroad for
most of the last three
years, studying, teaching,
exploring. She started
with a semester in
Central America through
Portland State’s Carpe
Diem Program. She then
did the TESOL Training in Panama and discovered
that she was good at teaching. She spent this last
year teaching English in Barcelona. She is at Lane
Community College in Eugene, planning to transfer
to U of O in the near future.
n Sam Barco graduated with a degree in Public Health from Westminster
College in Utah and is now teaching skiing, mountain biking and welding.
n Mya Kass graduated from Prescott College in Arizona and is travelling,
looking for work in art therapy and outdoor education.
Maraya Best , Anya Primus
and Raven Susu-Mago (‘06)
These three life-long
CL ASS OF 2006
friends are sharing
a house in Portland.
CHRISTINE CR AWLEY / POL ARIS CL ASS (17 students)
Two attend Lewis
The Class of 2006 had four teachers: Kuros Zahedi in first and second,
graduate with a degree
Molly McKissick in third, Catherine Razi in fourth, and Christine Crawley
in International Affairs
from fifth to eighth. Though the class changed teachers four times, they
and Clark. Maraya will
and a minor in Spanish.
moved sites only once. They began on East Main at the old Waldorf school.
She spent two semesters abroad, one in Cuba, one
When it closed, the class rented space from the new owners: Willow Wind.
in Alicante, Spain. She has applied for a Fulbright
Then in 5th grade when Ms. Crawley became available to teach them they
to go to Andorra. Anya will also graduate with
moved to her rental (the Medinger Building) on the grounds of the Clay
a double major: Hispanic Studies and Sociology/
Street church. They graduated with 17 students in June 2006. Saba Buser
Anthropology. Raven graduates from PSU next
served as alumni coordinator for the class and gathered these notes from
year with a degree in Public Health and a minor in
her classmates. Thank you, Saba
Spanish. Next she will get her EMT certification.
29
The Siskiyou School
Hannah Nor ton (‘06)
Hannah will graduate
in the spring from
Westminster College
with a Bachelor’s in
justice studies (pre Law
Emphasis) and a minor in
Spanish. “I look forward to
hearing what the rest of
you are up to!” flying [email protected]
Lauren Wilson (‘08)
Lauren is in her second
year of a four-year
nursing program at the
University of Portland.
Lauren’s 8th grade
project was midwifery.
Her passion for babies
remains strong; after
getting her RN she plans on becoming a midwife.
She is on the UP crew team. UP is a Division I school
so the training and competition are rigorous. When
we caught up with Lauren she was just coming
home from the vet with a rescued neighborhood
cat that is going to need a few weeks of kitty
bed rest and TL C to recover from an injured leg. O
how lucky to be a lost, injured kitty and end up in
Lauren’s care.
n Louis Borecki I’m living in Portland majoring in German and Applied
Linguistics at PSU. I’ll graduate next spring and am looking at attending
the University of Edinburgh for a master’s degree in International Affairs.
n Kyle Chaquico Love reading all these! I took a little over a year off but
I’m studying criminal justice up in Eugene, and will most likely finish in
Ashland at UO (great program there) within the next two years. Can’t
wait to see everyone.
n Emily Greenblatt I’m volunteering at an orphanage in Peru this term,
then back in January. I’ll graduate in June from U of O with a major in
international studies and a minor in anthropology.
n Skye Hillgartner Hi Everybody! I’m currently studying abroad in
Scotland at the University of Edinburgh, but I will be graduating from
Smith College in Northampton MA with a Bachelor’s degree in English
Language and Literature in May.
n Cordero Juncal Some amazing stories you guys have. I’ll be traveling
in Croatia for a couple months with my li’l bro and then headed back to
UCSD. Good to have a little update on the old crew.
Elise Hansen (‘08)
Elise Hansen is thoroughly
enjoying her sophomore
year at Pomona. She did
a paid internship last
summer in a biology lab
on campus and wants to
major in cellular biology.
She works as a writing
tutor and helps even seniors with their papers. She
has been invited by a professor to be a chemistry
tutor and teacher’s aide next semester. She lives
in the French dorm and hopes to do an internship in
Paris next summer.
30
The Siskiyou School
541.482.8223
n McKenzie Maddigan recently completed a training in Peru to be a
certified yoga teacher.
n Njyhalo Pavati I can’t wait to hear from everyone! Love and miss
you all. I’m living in Rochester, NY about to graduate in the spring from
Nazareth College with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration,
with a double minor in Marketing and Sports Management.
n Aaron Pickering Great to hear from everyone! Everything is going
great. I am living in Portland, I graduated in automotive engineering and
am now working for BMW. I am also doing some work for a business
based out of Dubai and I’m hoping that it will open a few nice new doors
in the future.
n Skyler Ryan I’m studying to get a degree in interior design in Santa
Barbara. I’m not sure which school though.
n Amie Zagata-Jacobson I’m exploring different parts of the world at
the moment. XO to everybody!
Alumni
n ew s
Hudson Wallbank (‘09)
CL ASS OF 2008
MOLLY MCKISSICK (11 students)
The Class of 2008 had Ms. McKissick for seven years. It began as a combined
first/second grade, renting from Willow Wind on the East Main Street
property just after the old school closed. They moved to Clay Street when
they were to become a 4th/5th grade class. At that time, Ms. McKissick
split the class to better meet the needs of each age group. She stayed
with the older children. They graduated from high school two years ago.
After working for
Mercedes-Benz of
Medford during his last
two years at AHS, Hudson
knew he wanted to be
involved in the German
automotive industry.
He formed his own
company, Partial Perfection Inc., in San Clemente,
California, and services close to ten different
German automotive dealerships in Orange County
with photography, cinematography, and social
networking management. Hudson doesn’t know for
certain what he wants to do with the rest of his
life, but he’s happy for the time being and says he
owes his creative mind and forever different way
of thinking to the Siskiyou School.
Brendon Sills (‘09)
Brendon is taking a yearoff from school to work
and “experience the
world.” He is currently
working full-time on
n Raina Ahern, Dana Greenblatt and Cory Milgram are all at the
University of Oregon in Eugene and loving it.
n Andre Juncal is taking time off from college UCSC and traveling in
Croatia, Italy, Austria and Switzerland with his brother Cordero.
n Izabel Austin is at U of O in Eugene double majoring in Composition and
remodeling a house near
the beach on Maui. He
enjoys using his hands and
ending his day with a run on the beach at sunset.
He plans to save up some money and travel after
English Literature. She is also doing a minor in Creative Writing. She says
the house is done in January. After completing
she is super busy but loving her classes and experience.
the remodel job at the beach house Kihei, Brendon
n Amelia O’Dougherty is at Prescott College in Arizona and loving it.
took a four day solo hike through Haleakala Crater
n Djaruna Smith did her freshman year at Portland State and then
and out onto the backside of Maui through Kaupo
transferred to Prescott, only to realize she needed time to figure out
Gap. Starting at 10,200 feet he descended into
what she really wants to do. So she’s home. You can find her on some
the heart of the crater where he spent 3 days
days working at Café Namaste, serving the best curries and chai.
exploring the 17 mile stretch of magical volcanic
n Khahlela Reif just started at U of O after a gap year which took her
landscape. On the fourth day he made the “knee
to Israel, Chile, and India. She went to Israel with former classmate Elise
killer” challenging climb down out of Kaupo Gap,
Hansen through the Birthright Program. Then she did a month in Chile
which descends over 6,000 feet in 7 miles. He said
woofing on a farm in the tiny town of Vina del Mar near Valparaiso, and
it was “the hike of a lifetime.”
culminated her year with a two month trip to India with her mom. She
is in a hurry to get her Gen Ed courses out of the way so she can begin
taking education classes. She loves U of O and knows just what she
wants to so: She wants to be a Waldorf teacher. [email protected]
n Eli Melendez is working at Brothers.
31
The Siskiyou School
Ari Marshank (‘09)
Arianna recently got
back from 10 weeks in
India visiting orphanages,
schools, experiencing
n Maggie Schein (Pitzer) is doing a semester abroad in Nepal this fall and
majoring in neuroscience.
n Laney Delgado is in Santa Barbara, living his dream, waking up every
morning and going surfing.
homestays, doing Hindi
language training,
and building houses
through RTU, Reaching
The Unreachable, one of several inspiring NGOs
her group became acquainted with during their
India time. She will spend next semester in Bali
apprenticing with midwives in a birthing clinic.
Meanwhile, she is doing coursework in Calistoga, CA
at the headquarters of LEAPNOW, the organization
through which she is experiencing these incredible
GapYear opportunities. LEAPNOW offers 6000
CL ASS OF 2009
GHIGS R A ZI (20 students)
This class had two teachers: Ms. McKissick and Ms. Razi. They started
as a combined first/second with Ms. McKissick. In fourth/fifth the one
class became two. Ms. Razi became the teacher of the younger group and
carried them from 4th through 8th. The class grew to 20. They graduated
high school in June and are off on their next adventures.
specific internships in countries around the world
for students 17-23. The Bali internship was Ari’s
first choice. Ari is deferring for a year from Lewis
and Clark. Through LeapNow she is receiving college
credit for her year of travel and internships.
Ari would be delighted to talk to anyone who is
considering a gapyear about this program. Her email
is [email protected]
Angelique Brownlie (‘09)
For her 8th grade project
Angelique designed and
sewed her graduation
dress, working with
OSF costume designers
and seamstresses. Her
passion for design has
remained strong and
she was accepted at her first choice, Cornell in
Varsity Cross Country team, and loving it.
n Ted Schein is at Oregon State, Cascade Campus majoring in accounting
and outdoor leadership.
n Zack Bohanna I’m living in my own house now, with an awesome job
(head cook at Kobe), and an awesome love!”
n Taylor Brown is having a blast living on Capitol Hill in Seattle, working
Ithaca New York which offers a major in Apparel
full time for a nonprofit theater and a boutique downtown. She is saving
Design and Fiber Science. Cornell offers students
money for school and travel. She hopes to attend either San Francisco
the opportunity to dive right into their majors as
State or Western Washington next fall and is planning a trip to Greece
freshmen. Three of the five courses Angelique is
taking relate to fashion and design. The projects
32
n Leah Wessler is at Colorado College, studying lots, running for the CC
this spring.
n Sophia Jones is in Guatemala participating in Portland State’s Carpe
she has been assigned are super challenging and
Diem Gap Year Program, whereby she is able to get college credit while
super fun and have required her to work harder
doing service work abroad. After perfecting her Spanish and getting
than she ever has. At this pace, she’ll be ready for
oriented, she will be placed in an internship in another country for the
the big runways of the fashion world in no time.
spring semester. She is interested in doing rainforest restoration in
Stay strong, Angelique! angelique.brownlie@gmail
Ecuador but has until December to decide.
The Siskiyou School
541.482.8223
Alumni
n ew s
Quinn Sargent (‘09)
n Mason McLellan is thoroughly enjoying his first year at Lewis and
Quinn has organized his
dream Gap Year. He got
Clark, majoring in psychology or anthropology.
n Angelina Hess-Glover and McKenna O’Dougherty are at the U of O
his EMT basic training
through NOLS Wilderness
in Eugene and loving it!
n Jack Carroll is at Lane Community College balancing academics with
Medical Institute. He left
his passion, baseball. He is rooming with a teammate and enjoying his
for China in late October
independence.
to spend six months
n Forrest Mead is taking a year off before college. He is occasionally
studying Kung Fu at the
seen at the drive-through at the Sisikyou School picking up his brother
Shaolin Martial Arts Academy in the seaport city
Preston. We also get to see him at Shop’n Kart where he is a cashier.
of Yantai in Shandong province. He does six hours
n Austin Chandler is at Central Oregon Community College in Bend
of intensive Kung Fu training a day and is studying
studying fire management. He is joined by classmate Ted Schein and
Mandarin. Quinn will return next spring and enroll at
perhaps soon to be joined by Quinn Sargent . Austin and Ted enjoy
Bend Community College. Just before leaving, Quinn
playing music together.
received his second degree brown belt.
n Mike Koch is a freshman at SOU. He enjoyed Phoenix High, did well
academically and made good friends. He is living at home and helping out
his mom there and has a passion for MAGIC – the card game version of
Dungeons and Dragons.
n Maddie Chaves is at Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado. She has
Lindsey Crocker and
Jeremiah Lieberman (‘10)
gotten into cycling in a big way and is very happy there. The terrain is
Earlier this fall Lindsey
also great for her other passion: skiing.
and Jeremiah had a
n Annalise Van Aken graduated high school early by taking her GED in the
fall of her senior year. She has been working at the hostel in Ashland and
happy reunion with Ms.
plans to attend the AVEDA Cosmetology school in Portland later this fall.
Shelstad when they
dropped off some fliers
for a drama workshop
they were organizing
CL ASS OF 2010
KELLY SHELSTAD / SEQUOIA CL ASS (13 students)
This class was formed in 2005 as a Waldorf class in third grade. Parent
Jewel Baldwin found Kelly Shelstad to carry a group of children including
her daughter Haley. Ms. Shelstad was their teacher from third to eighth.
They rented space on Clay Street until the church became school property.
The students are now applying to college. We have news about a few.
n Fielding Picton is a star on the Speech and Debate team at Ashland
High and is consistently referred to by his classmates as a really, really
smart guy!!
n Kathleen Fawcett is in her last year at Phoenix High. She still wants
to be a teacher. She plans to attend RCC in the fall and eventually
transfer to SOU.
n Rhiannon Ahimsa is looking forward to a gap year with travel and
at AHS. Both Jeremiah
and Lindsey have been stars in the AHS theater
department these last four years. Most recently
Lindsey starred as Maggie opposite Jeremiah as
Max, in Lend Me a Tenor, adding to a long list of
star credits for both. Both are looking at East
Coast colleges with top drama departments for
next fall. During their visit they took a moment
to give some acting tips to the 8th grade class
rehearsing, Midsummer Night’s Dream. It was
touching to see them in Pine Hall addressing the
8th graders. Pine Hall is where their acting days
began in class plays under the direction of Eve
Smyth. Ah, the places they’ll go…!! Bravo, you two!
We’re excited for you.
woofing (Working On Organic Farms) next fall, possibly in New Zealand or
Hawaii and would like to go to art school after that.
n Haley Baldwin is a senior at Idyllwild Arts Academy in Riverside County,
California, and is loving it. She transferred from AHS in her junior year.
33
The Siskiyou School
Grace St . Clair Bates (‘10)
Pictured here shopping
at WinterFaire with her
mom Serena (former
Board member), Grace, like
Jeremiah and Lindsey,
says her involvement
with theater at AHS
has been a highlight of
her high school years. Her interest has been on
the technical side. Most recently she was stage
manager for the Lend me a Tenor, the one in which
her classmates played leads. Grace spent part of
last summer in Switzerland doing a Rotary Youth
Exchange. She landed in Zurich on her 17th birthday
and spent a wonderful few weeks there. She
has been accepted to PSU, but is still applying to
several other universities. Her application essays
referenced her Waldorf experience as her best
learning environment; in context, in community, and
with committed teacher-mentors.
n Nahanni Lukes spent her junior year in Belgium. She is now excited for
college and wants to pursue a degree in science. She is also planning a
gap year of travel.
n Noah Price is in his senior year at Waldorf Dessert High School in
Phoenix, Arizona. He moved there last year with his mom and likes it!
n Danielle Stannard graduated early by getting her GED. She hopes to
pursue art and music.
Tejas Leier Heyden (‘11)
n Kevin Weatherby is graduating in January. He completed his last season
with the AHS varsity soccer team and is actively raising money for the
team in hopes of traveling to Barcelona during Spring Break to see
Tejas has continued to
European soccer in action and get some professional coaching. As a career,
follow his love of music.
Kevin is thinking about nursing. “The nursing idea just keeps coming back
His band, Chapter II, was
featured at the bandshell
and at me from different sources in a way that can’t be denied.”
n Kyrianna Bolles is in the full throes of college application time and is
on the 4th of July and
looking for a school with strong academics but also, of course, a top-
plays numerous gigs
notch art department.
around the valley. Tejas
is the lead guitar player,
songwriter and singer. Chapter II just finished
recording their first album. We all remember the
electric guitar Tejas built for his 8th grade project.
His passion for making his own instruments is still
alive and he just finished making his second guitar
with plans for the next one on the drawing table.
CL ASS OF 2011
NINA GALLWEY / NAUTILUS CL ASS (20 students)
The Class of 2011 had Ms. Gallwey as their teacher from first through 8th.
Now they’re 11th graders. Nina Gallwey writes: The 20 graduates of the
The Nautilus Class are in the midst of their junior year at high school. It
has been so gratifying as a teacher to see them move into this chapter of
their lives with strength, talent, and a willingness to embrace their unique
paths. Below, updates about some of them.
n Natalie Alexander spent her first two years of high school at St.
Mary’s and is now finishing up at AHS. She loves her AP Composition
class and is passionate about being on the crew team. She is going on a
college tour in the spring.
34
The Siskiyou School
541.482.8223
Alumni
n ew s
Lars Bohanna (‘11)
Lars’ love of woodworking
was born in Mr. McGlone’s
class and took off in
high school when he
was introduced to the
lathe. Lars has created a
wood-product business,
CarverCarpentry, making
artisan pens and boxes. His booth at WinterFaire
nearly sold out. At Michaelmas, kids were fascinated
to watch him turn a block of wood into a beautiful
writing instrument before their very eyes. See
samples of his pieces at larscbohanna.wordpress.com
and call him at 541-210-2781 to place an order.
n Kadin Hecht is at Catlin Gabel High School in Portland. He had the
amazing opportunity last winter to spend three months in Costa Rica
doing research on turtle habitats and watershed management. As his
final project there, he created a composting system for the school. He
is now back in Portland and is combining his experience from Costa Rica
with his upper division science classes while making plans to deepen
these studies in college.
n Joseph Livni ’s two greatest passions at AHS are Speech and Debate
and playing on the varsity soccer team. Joseph qualified for Nationals
in Speech and Debate and loved his week in Alabama participating in
the competition. Meanwhile, he is enjoying his three AP classes (AP
Government, AP Psychology, and AP Literature) and Pre-Calculus Math.
n Kye DeVore has found great joy in percussion music and joined the AHS
band in his freshman year. Now, as a junior, Kye is branching out and has
become a part of the Rogue Valley Symphonic Band. They perform around
Niki Nor ton (‘11)
Niki is a champion skier
and trains all year. She has
managed to earn honors
in her classes, no small
feat, while focusing on
her rigorous ski schedule.
She was recently
recognized as one of the
best in her age division and named to the 2014
Far West Ski Team. Niki is looking at colleges in
Montana, Utah, and Colorado (near good ski slopes).
the Rogue Valley throughout the year. Kye’s favorite class at school is
AP Composition. Kye was an integral part of the Siskiyou School Summer
Fun Program this past summer where he served as a camp counselor.
n Emily Hansen has moved to Vancouver, BC, with her mom Judy to
Hannah Ring (‘11)
attend Eaton Arrowsmith School after two years at AHS. They are loving
Last summer Hannah
Vancouver and the school is a great fit for now.
joined a group of ten St.
n Pyper Sirianni is going into her second year of being on the AHS
Mary’s students on a trip
Equestrian team. School has become something of a joy to attend,
to Uganda. They spent
rather than a chore. She hopes to go into the National Guard, Air force or
two weeks in an
possibly the Marine Corps after attending college for at least 2 years.
orphanage school. They
n Alice Hackett loves St. Mary’s and continues to love taking care of
little ones. She traveled last summer to Greece and Italy as a nanny and
also visited NGOs, and
went on a safari. “Saying
she and her sister Hannah help run the Creekside Cottage summer camp.
that something was “life changing” sounds cliche;
Her favorite high school class is mock trial.
however, my trip to Uganda has, in every way
n Rachel Parks is enjoying her time at AHS. She’s beginning to think of
possible, changed the way I look at life.” Hannah is
college applications. She finds herself drawn both to the medical field
now president of Global Village, an organization at
and to the arts. She is glad she has a while before she has to decide.
St. Mary’s that raises money to allow graduates of
that orphanage school to continue their education.
35
The Siskiyou School
Sage Boucher and Melaiah
Schaefer-Romine (‘11)
Though Sage is at St
Mary’s and Melaiah is
at AHS, they stay close
working together at
SAUCE run by Sage’s
parents. Sage’s favorite
class is German. In addition
to being busy with the
n Steen Fredrickson just finished baseball season and has started up
with basketball. Life is good!
n Autumn Henderson-Brazie is looking forward to moving to Portland
next year with her family. For college she’s interested in starting out
at Portland State and going for a degree in Athletic Training. She’d like
to become a strength and conditioning coach at one of the big sports
schools but she is also considering culinary school. A highlight of her time
at AHS has been being sports editor for the Rogue News online. We can
well imagine Autumn as the next Rachel Maddow of the sports world.
restaurant and her studies, Sage enjoys rowing on
the crew team. Hungry to get on with pursuing
her music career, Melaiah is completing four years
of high school in three and, driven by her strong
CL ASS OF 2012
passion for songwriting, is applying to colleges
DEBBIE MURPHY / SAPPHIRE CL ASS ~ (21 students)
where she can get her music degree.
The Class of 2012 had Mrs. Murphy as their class teachers all eight years.
They are now high school sophomores. Of the 21 who graduated, three
Spencer Tesluk (‘11)
Spencer’s passion for
are at St. Mary’s: Emily Elmore, Ethan Elmore, Jonas Glatte. Fourteen are
at Ashland High: Malakai Davis, Tori Gower, Angela Henty, Devon Lancaster,
Michael Loop, Myles Marcus, Keeley O’Dougherty Simmy Penn-Kout, Sophia
music keeps finding new
Rowan-Labelle, Keltain Reece-Sullivan, Aidan Peterson, Calysta Susu-Mago,
avenues of expression.
Meadow Sylvan. Some are “away” and we have news about a few of them.
He is making albums,
See below and in two sidebars.
deejaying, working in
music production, giving
guitar lessons, and
promoting music and
musicianship. At AHS Spencer formed a National
Music Honors Society to recognize students who
excel academically and have a passion for music. By
the end of December he and girlfriend-musician Xylia
Willow (also a Waldorf graduate, from CA) have a
first album coming out with their band, In Arcadia.
Genre: Indi, Alternative.
Noa Hecht (‘12)
Noa is at the Sun Valley
Ski Academy in Idaho,
tried high school in the Applegate but then opted for homeschooling. She
pursuing his dream to
is raising money for a year of study abroad.
ski. After three years at
Horizonte, Brazil and has been in high school there but continues to pay
combine academics with
visits to her dad here in Ashland and classmates and may be attending
his passion for the slopes
AHS for the spring semester.
Community School in Ketchum.
The Siskiyou School
n Tereza Stott graduated 8th grade from the Waldorf School in Belo
St Mary’s, the urge to
led him to this renowned ski program within the
36
n Alana McNamara is homeschooling in Williams. Upon graduation she
541.482.8223
Alumni
n ew s
CL ASS OF 2013
Simmy Penn Kout
and Devon Lancaster (‘12)
MS . R A ZI / JADE CL ASS (21 students)
Simmy and Devon stopped
The Class of 2013 had three teachers over their eight year journey: Mr.
WinterFaire and to say hi!
McGlone for first and second, Ms. Renaux for third and fourth, and Ms.
Both have been involved
Razi for fifth through eighth. Twenty-one graduated last June. All are
in water sports at AHS.
freshmen in high school. Most are at Ashland High: Carson Barry, Eva Berg,
They just finished the
Kailey Breiholz, Katie Crocker, Leah Dacus, Hannah Hackett, Percy Holtzman,
water polo season. AHS
by to sign up for the
made it to the state
Gabriele Livni, Indianna Renick-Hayes, Anuttara Scherler, Jahiah Shaka, Kuma
Steinberg-Spann, Nellie Strong, and Kaya Van Dyke. Rowan Lovich and Quinn
finals. Devon may co-captain the team next year.
Randall, chose St Mary’s. Three ended up in other schools: Ruby Johnson is
Swimming is next on their extracurricular agenda.
at South Medford. Kaleb Megarity is at Besant Hill School in Ohai, California.
Life is good! When they walked in and heard the
Lillian Lowrie-Otter is in Portland (see box on the next page).
singing coming from the music room, they both
exclaimed, “We miss the music!” Ms. Archer was so
glad to see them.
Miykael Moore (‘12)
Who says your life can’t
change in a day? This
summer one of Miyk’s
dance teachers at a dance
camp in Colorado, said, “You
should apply to Interlochen
Arts Academy High School!”
Within three weeks he
had applied, been accepted, and was boarding the
plane to Michigan. He feels he might not have made
it into that summer camp without the strong
encouragement and support of Sarah Lozoff, a
guest teacher at Dancing People. And we can ask,
who led him to Sarah? Invisible hands at work.
Jasper Weatherby (‘12)
Jasper is in Ottawa at the
Canadian International
Hockey Academy, one of
the world’s elite hockey
schools. He is excelling
both academically and on
the ice. He was recently
Above: Jade Class Grade 1 with Mr. McGlone. Below: Grade 3 with Ms.
chosen to be Assistant
Renaux. And on the next pages, graduating with Ms. Razi. A joyous and
Team Captain, an honor usually reserved for a
heart-felt celebration of their Waldorf journey.
Canadian.
37
The Siskiyou School
Razi-McGlone Clan (‘13)
“Jade class, you have been
with me through the
biggest four years of my
life—from the death of
2013 Gr aduation Address
Michael McGlone
So, 8th Grade, Jade Class. Where were we?
my beloved friend Erin to
Ahh…Yes! The young man in our story set off following a map that he had
the birth of Juniper and
found. Along the way he was joined by a group of children. And boy! Did they
Grace. You know me and
ever find the adventures they were in search of.
I know you, and I am so
Some of our earliest memories were
deeply grateful to have had you to share those big
muddy, wind-swept escapades that
moments with. From the bottom of my heart, thank
took place right over there…(if you
you. Lastly, I would like to thank Michael, without
didn’t already know, there’s an acre
whom I would not be standing here” — Ms. Razi
of wetlands behind The Church of the
Nazerene). This sanctuary provided the
space for so many tree-climbing, creek-
Hannah Ring (’11) And
Hannah Hackett (‘13)
Last spring Hannah H
and Hannah R co-wrote
a piece, Utopia, for Le
Cirque that got such rave
jumping, bridge-making, fort-building and
hill-tumbling good times. An exclamation
of “It’s pouring out there!” with this group, was quickly followed by the
sound of children wrestling with rain jackets and stomping-on oversizedboots—culminating in yelling “Charge!” as they exploded out the backdoor
into the elements.
The years passed. And a new space was made for the children. They were
reviews in Ashland that
led on this leg of their journey by an eclectic and eccentric gypsy sage [Ms.
the cast was invited
Renaux]. The pairing was a wonderful coincidence. Her spritely nature was
to LA in November. They
just what they needed. Oh! The adventures they had.
performed before an
Over the last four years, this group was lead by a straight-talking, voice-
audience of 2000 at the Romon C. Cortines School
like-an-angel, no-nonsense woman [Ms. Razi], whose love of learning
of Visual and Performing Arts. Utopia is a dystopic
is apparent in her students. She has guided, mentored and challenged
drama about “how our world is so consumed by
them— helping to shape them into the amazing class and talented group of
money and greed that it all collapses” and people
individuals they are.
have to reinvent it.
8th Grade, this is a story about your journey…a collection of moments,
connections and shared experiences. Today is a special day. It is a
Lillian Otter (‘13)
Lillian transferred to
I was really trying to avoid the whole “Carpe Diem…Seize-the-day” type of
speech, but in the end that’s what it all really boils down to for me.
Milwaukie Academy of the
Do what you love! Or learn to love what you are doing. Follow your passions
Arts in 8th grade when
and lead with your heart.
her family moved to
Portland. Her academic
and creative life are
thriving. She works at
an art studio in exchange
And be an authentic individual living fully in the world. Everyday, every
possible moment. Live for face-to-face human connections. Dance, paint,
laugh, carve, study, knit, make music. Have Fun. LIVE LIFE!!!
If you take anything away from your time here at the Siskiyou School, my
for private art lessons. She is taking voice lessons
hope is that you remember rhythm, balance, and breathing in whatever you
and performing as a singer. This summer, Lillian will
do. For every out breath let there be an in breath.
attend the Young Writers Institute at Bard College
at Simon’s Rock, in MA.
38
recognition of you and all that you have accomplished up to this point.
The Siskiyou School
I can’t wait to see the ways each of you are going to continue to change
the world.
541.482.8223
Alumni
n ew s
39
The Importance of a Buddy
2013 gr aduate K ailey Breiholz Swafford
reflects on her years at the Siskiyou School
I always loved my older buddy, Amelia—honestly
and truly loved her. Originally I had thought
that she would be like a mentor to me, but she
turned into so much more: she was like an older
sister. She was the best, coolest, funniest,
most generous person in the world. We were
so close and I loved everything about her from
the first day of first grade on. To this day, when
I see her I still feel so excited because she was
just that special to me. It was the first day of
school, and not any school, but real grade school.
It was here that I would spend the next eight
years of my life, which was hard to even imagine
since I hadn’t even experienced that much time
yet. I was only six years old and I was so scared.
I was nervous because I didn’t know anyone, and
excited because I could finally say “Oh yeah? Well,
I’m in elementary school. I’m in the first grade.”
We sat down, me in my mom’s lap, and then
someone began to speak. He was telling a story which I was wrapped up in. I
was taken along on a long journey. I didn’t know where the story would take
me, but I was along for the ride. When he was finished, I was still in a slightly
dream-like state, but the second my name got called, my brain switched into
panic mode. I couldn’t handle this all by myself. I was too fragile. Shakily, I
walked up to that perfect, lovely person holding out her hand to me. I took
it in one hand and the rose she had just given me in the other. All was perfect
now. I had left my mother’s arms only to be caught by another pair. I was
still nervous, but now everything seemed to fit a little bit better.
Everything was wonderful until the end of third
grade when Amelia graduated and we were finally
pulled apart. It was so hard, but I recovered, and
in sixth grade it started all over for me, but this
time, I wasn’t the scared little girl with wonder
in my eyes. This time, I was the steady hand,
and I was ready to block the wind from this
little spark of light if she ever needed me to. I never want this bright little
spark to go out, but sometimes for the little spark to start a fire, and grow
up, you need to blow on the spark and get through some tough times, and
hopefully when I leave this school, everyone will remember me not just as a
spark but also as a flame burning strong for the world to see.

annual newsletter - The Siskiyou School

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