The Madrone Trail Public Initiative

Month	Date	Description
July	July 4	Independence Day
September	Sept 1	Labor Day
October	N/A	N/A
November	Nov 11 Nov 27 - 28	Veteran’s Day Thanksgiving
December	Dec 22 -	Holidays & Winter Break
January	Jan 2 Jan 19	Holidays & Winter Break Martin Luther King Jr. birthday
February	Feb 16 - 20	In-Service Week
March	Mar 23 - 27	Spring Break
April	N/A	N/A
May	May 25	Memorial Day
June	N/A	N/A

Educational Program

“ Now where is that book to be found in which the teacher can read what teaching is? The children themselves are this book. We should not learn to teach out of any other book than the one lying open before us and consisting of the children themselves; but in order to read in this book we need the widest possible interest in each individual child and nothing must divert us from this.”

Rudolph Steiner

Vision Statement

Our vision is to develop balanced, successful, socially responsible and contributing community members by introducing a high quality choice in public education using Waldorf-inspired methods, a well-rounded and proven curriculum addressing the needs of the whole child.

Mission Statement

Our mission is to provide expanded high quality educational choices within the public school system for children from kindergarten through grade eight. The Madrone Trail Public Charter School shall strive to provide:

§ A balanced education to nurture the development of the whole child, encouraging each child to become a life-long learner and a benefit to the society. Using a Waldorf inspired curriculum and teaching methods, the school places equal emphasis on a solid academic foundation, academic excellence, artistic expression, attention to the inner emotional life of each child, social development and responsibility, and physical fitness.

§ Professional enrichment and growth to teachers through acquisition and mastery of an innovative and holistic pedagogy and professional empowerment through opportunities to participate in the creative implementation of the curriculum.

§ Opportunities for parents to be directly involved in the school operation and make significant contributions to their children’s educational environment.

§ Opportunities for the community to contribute in shaping the future of the youngest members.

History of Waldorf Methods

Rudolph Steiner started the first Waldorf School 1919 in Stuttgart Germany. Steiner was well known at the turn of the 20th century as a philosopher, writer, and lecturer. The schools Steiner founded are called Waldorf Schools because the first school was started for the children whose parents were workers at the Waldorf Astoria cigarette factory.

The first Waldorf School in America was started in 1928 in New York. Over the next 20 years only 6 more schools were added, but since then the number has nearly doubled every decade. Today there are 150 Waldorf schools in North America and 900 worldwide. There are Waldorf schools in diverse cultures including Sal Palo, Brazil, the black settlements of South Africa, rural Israel Eastern Europe, India, Southeast Asia, Australia, Japan, and the Pine Ridge Lakota Indian Reservation in South Dakota.

There are presently 30 Waldorf public charter schools in the United States, four of which are in Oregon—the Village School in Eugene, the Lighthouse School in Bend, and the Portland Village School in Portland and the Madrone Trail Public Charter School.

History of Madrone Trail Public Charter School

The Madrone Trail Initiative was the beautiful vision of one Jelena Spencer, a parent of a Waldorf preschooler at Star of the Morning Children's Center in Jacksonville. Jelena was a student at Light Valley Waldorf School, and her daughter enjoyed the delight of having Sydney Rudolph as her first teacher, just as her mother Jelena had done some 25 years earlier. Jelena's parents could not afford tuition for all of their children to attend the private Waldorf School but Jelena was able to go. She felt grateful for the education she had received but was saddened that all of her siblings couldn't have the same opportunity. Jelena envisioned a Waldorf School that her children could attend tuition free and was determined to make this type of schooling accessible to a wider community.

Jelena and a small group of parents and interested Waldorf teachers began meeting in the spring of 2004. A book study group, led by Gesine Abraham and Sydney Rudolph began meeting the following fall to enhance the group members' knowledge of Waldorf educational philosophy. The founding members also held regular meetings, open to the public, to begin reaching out to the wider community. Events were held, including a puppet show and curriculum display, fundraising activities and brainstorming meetings.

One of the earliest brainstorming meetings yielded the name Madrone Trail for our future school. These intriguing, native Madrone trees with their twisting trunks and lovely smooth red wood revealed when the bark peels away… the hard strong wood that burns incredibly hot, so full of energy… this tree represented to us the vision of what our school would become: strong, beautiful, and energetic. The trail encompassed our feeling of a seeker's journey through these beautiful woods of our area… the path to knowledge and understanding.

As time passed, Jelena's family moved out of the area. New members brought fresh insight and needed skills and we formed a strong core of committed members with a wide complement of experience. We applied for and were awarded an incentive grant to plan and implement our vision. The Medford School Board approved the Charter proposal in December of 2006. The little seed Jelena planted has blossomed and born fruit. We are well on our way to becoming that strong tree we envisioned for our children…. and yours.

Educational Philosophy and Objectives

“The need for imagination, a sense of trust, and a feeling of responsibility— these are the three forces which are the very nerves of education.”

Rudolph Steiner

A Waldorf inspired education– A balance of head, heart and hands; or of thinking, feeling, and doing.
Arts integrated teaching method incorporating storytelling, drawing, painting, modeling, music, and movement into lesson presentations.
The curriculum reflects developmental rhythms and the child's changing consciousness through the grades.
Strong community-family-school partnership in support of the children.
Multiculturalism incorporated into the social aspects of learning to help young children keep an open mind and gain a deeper understanding of other cultures.

Educational Approach and Distinctive Teaching Techniques

Looping process– teachers and students stay together for five to eight years to foster stability, continuity of guidance, commitment, and trust.
Rhythm of the day is organized to balance thinking, feeling, and doing.
Core academic subjects are taught in block periods.
Textbooks are not used in the lower grades. (Teachers add their artistic creativity to curriculum resources to enliven the presentation of the subject.) Children create their own individual books for each subject.
Science is taught on an empirical basis leading to conclusion of laws and formulas.
Music is introduced in the first grade with the recorder leading to other instruments, choir, and orchestra in the higher grades.

At MTCPS, movement and the arts are not add-ons to a predominately cognitive approach, but are integrated fully into all aspects of teaching. The inclusion of heart and hands is more than a technique for enlivening academic instruction. In a three-fold approach, the heart and the will, as well as the head, are the subjects of educational endeavor. In other words, the arts are not merely a means to an end– improved academic performance-but an end in themselves. To educate the feelings is to edify and refine the emotions so that they are sensitive and responsive to beauty, truth, and goodness. To educate the will is to build a foundation of inner strength leading to a life of conviction and purpose.

“Our Highest endeavor must be to develop free human beings who are able of themselves to impart purpose and direction in their lives.”

Rudolph Steiner

Insights into the Curriculum

The Waldorf curriculum includes science, mathematics, humanities, language arts, geography, visual arts, foreign language, music, handwork, and physical education. The integration of these subjects is a main tenet of Waldorf education, thereby providing the child a balanced and enriching educational experience. The curriculum is conveyed with the hope of awakening within each child a love for, and interest in the world.

The Sciences: Our task is to call forth in the children love, interest, wonder, reverence, and enthusiasm for the natural world. Such feelings experienced in a right relationship to facts will later be transformed into true care and stewardship for nature, as well as a genuine scientific interest in the world.

The study of nature in the early grades takes on the form of stories and exploration. While the children are still young and their consciousness is a participatory one, nature is brought alive: the waters and winds sing, plants and animals play and even argue, and the seasons are personified into quantitative characters. As the children grow older, they experience not only wild nature, but the practical relations humans have with nature through gardening, farming, housing, building, and textiles.

The approach to science becomes more objective as the children mature. The studies of animals, plants, stones and stars in the progressing curriculum allow for natural history awareness and observation to develop with wonder and clarity. In grades six, seven, and eight, as the student’s conceptual ability awakens; the sciences are presented with increasing rigor and discipline, adding physics, chemistry, physiology, and earth studies. A phenomenological approach is emphasized in these years, schooling the child's ability to carefully observe, reflect, describe, discuss, and discover, concepts, laws and formulae, as well as to ponder true mysteries.

Mathematics:

The mathematics curriculum introduces mathematical concepts from practical reality and imaginative pictures in developmentally appropriate ways. The four processes of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division are presented in the first grade with the qualitative character of each woven into imaginative games, stories, and exercises. Rhythm, movement, and counting patterns involve the whole body in understanding and integrating math concepts. Extended practice, mental arithmetic, and patterns (including multiplication tables) continue throughout the grades. With growing complexity, concepts and examples, the themes expand into fractions, decimals, percentages, ratios, powers and algebra throughout the eighth grade. The teacher is sensitive to each student’s ability and encourages each child to work to his or her fullest mathematical potential.

The goals of teaching mathematics are:

To create favorable attitude toward, and to stimulate interest in mathematics.
To lay a sound foundation for future studies.
To develop

1. Competency in fundamental ideas of numbers, measurements and shapes

2. Knowledge of language and relationships

3. Skill in computation and concept application

4. Problem solving in mental and written form

To show the contribution and historical development of mathematics.
To develop an age appropriate transition from concrete and imaginative picture thinking to abstract concept development.
To assist the child in making mathematics his or her own.

Humanities:

The story of humanity is told throughout the grades. Through the imaginative and artistic rendering in the oral tradition of storytelling, these great cultural tales reflect the evolving human consciousness and are conveyed at specific times according to the appropriate developmental stages of the child.

These stories include:

KINDERGARTEN Fairy Tales

Grade 1 Fairy and folk tales

Grade 2 Legends of sages and fables

Grade 3 The history of the Hebrew people as told through the Old Testament

Grade 4 Norse mythology, sometimes including the Finnish epic of the Kalevala and stories of the Native American Indians

Grade 5 Ancient Indian, Persian, Egyptian and Greek mythology, and the Golden Age of Greece up to the time of Alexander the Great.

Grade 6 Roman mythology and history, Arthurian and Grail Legends, and the Middle Ages

Grade 7 Renaissance history (The Voyages of Discovery, artists and the reformation)

Grade 8 The American, French, and Industrial Revolutions, United States and modern world history

The humanities are the basis from which many other curriculum studies arise. From these studies stem a multitude of opportunities for developing self-expression.

Language Arts:

Historically, writing arose among humanity from picture writing and hieroglyphics. Accordingly, writing develops in the first grade from pictorial representations. In learning to form the different letters, the whole body is brought into action in walking, marching, running, and whole arm movements. The children then learn to read from their own writing. Through practice and repetition in writing complete words and sentences, the children become readers in a lively and self-creating fashion. This is followed by an introduction to reading from books and gradually the rich world of literature opens up to the students. Main Lesson themes serve as inspiration for literature, and as the years pass, children inspire each other through animated sharing of their favorite books and own book reports. Reading comprehension is further fostered by thoughtful class conversation and assignments in older grades.

Beauty is encouraged in the written word, both in meaning and in appearance. Printing is followed by cursive in second and third grade, and calligraphy or italic writing is taught in the upper grades.

By writing poems and stories, by composing descriptions of their own experiences, and by scripting dictations from the teacher, the children's writing activities intensify through the years as they achieve fluency and confidence. In grade four, grammar lessons accompany this increasing skill as the teacher gradually makes the students aware of language principles that have hitherto been unconscious. Composition styles are developed in the older grades, as well as report writing, which the students gradually incorporate into the main lesson work, as well as special projects and assignments.

Speech is primary in all language skills. Accurate listening is fundamental to accurate speaking, and both lead to better spelling and sentence construction. Speech patterns form the basis for clear thinking processes. Research indicates that the pictorial nature and mental imagery associated with the listening to and telling of stories is characteristic of creative as well as logical thinking. Therefore, Waldorf teachers place extraordinary importance on teaching in the oral traditions of lively storytelling, rich recitation, and active sharing by students. Through example and friendly guidance, children's speaking habits are cultivated, and greater attention spans are developed. All of these capacities are broadly fostered throughout the grades. While the kindergarten and younger grades include more recitation and poems, the older grades utilize individual oral speaking as well as choral work.

Geography:

Geography offers qualities of wholeness and ecology; it connects land, climate, and ecosystems with human nature. It unites the sciences, humanities, and arts. As it is clearly an integration of several subjects, each teacher will approach this somewhat differently. With the world economy, communications, and global concerns, the teaching of geography is more important than ever before.

Geography is taught in step with developmental levels of the children. In the kindergarten and early grades stories, songs, poems, exploration, art, and games awaken loving interest in the surroundings. Practical aspects of the community and land are fostered in gardening, farming, clothing, building, and cooking. The formal study of geography begins with a pictorial/descriptive approach beginning locally. Children draw and shape simple maps with landscape features artistically represented while local history and contemporary elements are woven into the lessons. The curriculum expands from the immediate community to state, regional, national, and global studies. Economic geography and regional living conditions are presented, with the close relationship between humans and nature highlighted. In the upper grades, the great sweeps of history are tied to the colorful characteristics of the sea and land with their respective environmental influences on civilizations. Students become versed in the technical aspects of map making and reading as well as global phenomena such as ocean currents, climate, and weather. Feelings of social responsibility and international goodwill are awakened through focusing on many different cultures and lands around the world. Gradually, a sense that the earth is “home” matures into a thoughtful understanding and interest in the broader word.

Foreign Language:

Starting in the first grade, students learn a second language by imitating not only the outer sounds and tones of the new language, but also its inner soul element. When learning another language, the process itself demands lateral (versus linear) thinking and influences the flexibility and development of the speech organs. In the older grades, written work, grammar and syntax are emphasized as well. The foreign language curriculum also strives to nurture within the child an interest in and an understanding of other people and their cultures.

Visual Arts:

“ Joy and happiness in living, a love for all existence, a power and energy for work, such are the life results of a right cultivation of the feeling for beauty and for art.”

Rudolph Steiner

The visual arts program is an integral part of the total curriculum. In the kindergarten and younger grades the sense for color is carefully cultivated as a fundamental training in aesthetics. Through the wet-on-wet watercolor painting technique, the students experience a personal sense for the nature of each color. Children learn balance and harmony in blending the colors, as well as flexibility. Teachers gradually guide the students in creating form out of the colors themselves.

Drawings are created with large block and stick crayons in the kindergarten and younger grades, followed by stick crayons and colored pencils, as the children grow older. The tools become more refined as do the children's motor skills. The specific subject of form drawing develops the sense for lines and curves. Symmetry, balance, centering, rhythmical repetition, patterns, and metamorphosis are all experienced through form drawing.

Modeling:

“ Modeling can help to overcome the problem of passive taking of sense perception so prevalent in today's world, by bringing about a lovely, healthy connection between the three realms of thinking, feeling, and willing.”

Rudolph Steiner

Through the media of beeswax, plasticine, clay, and wood, children develop a tangible sense of form. By molding and shaping with fingers and hands, pupils gain a tactile, spatial orientation to their environment. Neurologists indicate the importance of this in such diverse realms as reading and mechanics. Students also cultivate a qualitative feeling for different natural substances and thus refine and integrate their many senses, which come into play such as touch, warmth, smell, weight, movement and balance. Modeling is an activity that strengthens attention span and imaginative creativity as well as practical skill.

Music:

Music permeates a Waldorf school and is taught not only for its own sake and the joy it engenders but also for the strong harmonizing and humanizing force it brings into a student’s life. In the Waldorf School, each student is given the opportunity to experience great richness and variety of music. We strive to give students a “live” music experience where feeling and understanding of the beauty of musical work is cultivated. The teachers sing with the children from the earliest years, and singing remains a vital part of the child's education throughout the grades. To this is added instruction in a variety of instruments throughout the years including the recorder beginning in first grade, and a stringed instrument in the upper grades.

Handwork:

“Nimble fingers make nimble minds!” This old cliché refers to the mysterious link between hands on activity and thinking, which contemporary child development specialists now recognize as well. Handwork activities such as spinning, knitting, hand stitching, embroidery, crochet, weaving, doll and puppet making, papermaking, clothing construction, form the handwork curriculum. In designing and creating handwork pieces children develop a sense of color, concentration, manual dexterity and coordination. Each child expresses his or her personality through individual choices in design and color. Positive habits are developed in self-direction, cooperation, support of others and responsibility in carrying a project through to completion. The child experiences the value of planning, the efficient use of tools and the beauty of natural materials. It is hoped that each child will gain through the handwork curriculum a respect for skilled crafts people and develop pride in one’s own abilities and accomplishments. Handwork is taught throughout the grades.

Physical Education:

Spatial orientation, strength, skill, balance, coordination and speed are developed in physical education. Besides bodily skill, children experience interplay with timidity, courage, daring, fairness, team skills, discipline and confidence. Exercises in the younger grades are little removed from the realm of play, employing games of various kinds. The children are gradually led over from play activity to conscious, controlled and precise movements through more technical training, games, and sports in the upper grades.

Kindergarten through Eighth Grade Curriculum

Kindergarten:

The kindergarten curriculum is organized through a structure of daily, weekly, and seasonal rhythms. The daily rhythm follows a consistent schedule that provides a secure structure for the children. The daily rhythm includes a planned activity for each day that is repeated weekly. These activities include baking, painting, modeling, coloring and crafts. The planned activity is followed by free play, circle time (recitation, singing, and movement), snack, story and outdoor play. The curriculum focus changes with each season, providing inspiration for crafts, songs, stories, practical life, gardening and cooking projects.

Daily storytelling, poetry recitation accompanied by movement, singing, and vivid imaginative speech allow for a full and varied experience of language. The result of being immersed in such a rich oral environment is a subtle degree of refinement in the child's ability to listen, comprehend, recite and internalize oral rhythms and inflections. The kindergarten curriculum plants the seeds of a deep love and pleasure in language and literature.

First Grade:

Pictorial and phonetic introduction to the letters of the alphabet, reading from writing, rhythmic poems, speech exercises/ form drawing of curves, straight lines and patterns/ qualities of numbers and elements of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division/ counting, Roman numerals, fairytales, foreign language, songs, games, and poems; pentatonic recorder, seasonal songs, wet on wet painting using the three primary colors, knitting using two needles, beeswax modeling using scenes from fairy tales and simple figures, the wonder of nature through simple observation, nature studies from stories in an imaginative manner, circle games.

Second Grade:

Small letters / cursive writing/reading / plays / speech work / beginning elements of grammar / dictation / composition / symmetry-mirror form drawing / times table / time / money / situation problems / numerical patterns / place value, carrying and borrowing/legends and animal fables / foreign language— counting, names of animals, family members, parts of the body, food, seasons, colors, months / beginning recorder and folksongs / painting secondary colors and animal forms / knitting and purling, knitted animals / beeswax modeling scenes from legends and fables / the environment through observation / nature studies from stories in an imaginative manner / jump rope / hopscotch / rhythmic games.

Third Grade:

Cursive writing / parts of speech, sentence building and punctuation / composition / weights and measures / the use of money / higher multiplication tables / measurement / carrying and borrowing / Old Testament stories as an introduction to history / American Indian legends / foreign language (same as above) / the octave in song and recorder / musical notation / luster colors and interaction of colors in painting / crochet / modeling from main lesson work / house building, farming and clothing / building materials and food production / ring games, line games, work games and songs.

Fourth Grade:

Parts of speech/tenses/ letter writing/grammatical rules/ fractions and decimals/ word problems/ long division/averages/ Norse and Germanic myths and sagas/ alliteration/ foreign language –as above, grammar begins, written work and dictation/ music- time values, harmony, major and minor third, rounds and orchestral stringed instruments such as cello or violin/ cross stitch and embroidery/ clay modeling of animals and geometric shapes/ local history and early settlers/ map making/ zoology/ square and folk dancing/ running jumping and throwing games.

Fifth Grade:

Subject and predicate/ syntax/ composition and speech including research reports/ writing/ active and passive tenses/ arithmetic including decimals, ratio, proportion, and calculation of perimeters and area/ mythology and ancient history/ foreign language- simple text, syntax, short descriptions/ music- major and minor scales, strings and winds/ three part singing/ painting/ four needle knitting/free geometric drawing/ clay modeling/ dynamic drawing/ work with a carving knife to make an egg and simple toy/ geography of the United States/ zoology/ Greek sports- javelin, discus, shot put, long jump etc.

Sixth Grade:

Advanced grammar/ descriptive and expository writing/ composition, including business letters and journalism/ business math including interest, percentage and discount/ proportion/ tales of chivalry, poetry/ ballads/ foreign language- reading texts, humorous stories, free translations/ music- descant, alto and tenor recorders, strings and winds/ painting of landscapes, color contrasts, spectrum/ sewing and pattern making/ modeling/ exact geometric drawing/ black and white drawing/ beginning use of saws, rasps, gouges, etc./ history of ancient Rome/ geography of Canada, Central and South America/ physics/ geology and mineralogy/ team sports.

Seventh Grade:

Creative writing/ research papers/ book reports/ geometry/ algebra/ graphs/ perimeters and area/ powers/ Arthurian legends/ historical novels/ poetry/ foreign language- reading and conversation, grammar, and structure/ choir/ orchestra/ wet and dry transparent color painting/ sewing and embroidery/ model the human hand, foot and bones/ perspective drawing/ drawing platonic solids/ woodworking to shape bowls and moveable toys/ history of 1400-1700/ European and African geography/ tides/ map making/ weather/ inorganic chemistry/ physiology/ astronomy/ nutrition/ first aid/ gymnastics and team sports.

Eighth Grade:

Grammar/ composition and speech including book and scientific reports/ practical mathematics/ algebra/ geometry/ Shakespeare/ epic and dramatic poetry/ folklore/ foreign language- vocabulary building and dialogues/ choir/ orchestra/ painting/ using a sewing machine/ modeling the human head/ 3 dimensional drawing/ wood carving/history of 1700 to present including United States history/ geography of Asia, Australia, and Antarctica as well as global contrasts/ art history/ chemistry/ physiology/ gymnastics with equipment/ team games and sports.

ESL Program:

The main lesson teacher will be the primary provider of support to second language learners. When the second language learners at MTCPS reach a critical number that would make ESL program cost effective, the school will contract with a certified ESL teacher to provide support to these second language learners.

Festivals

Celebrating seasonal festivals at MTCPS is a way of observing and showing appreciation for the recurring rhythms and cycles in nature. As the Earth makes its journey around the sun, the solstices and equinoxes become the four cornerstones for the rhythm of the year. They inspire our seasonal festivals in the themes that are universal and culturally diverse. In the autumn, we celebrate a Harvest Festival. We also have a lantern walk for the early grades. Both of these events fill the children with excitement and anticipation. As the days continue to grow shorter in the winter, we celebrate the image of the sleeping earth and the light to come in the spring. With the New Year comes a gradual transition of winter into spring. We mark the spring equinox with our Spring Festival. This is celebrated with maypole dances, music and games in a country fair atmosphere.

Academic Assessment

The academic assessment used within the Waldorf inspired program includes a wide array of assessment tools to evaluate capacities according to the goals of the charter to educate the Head, Heart, and Hands. The teachers observe the children in a variety of situations in order to evaluate their progress in these areas and in accordance with the expected student outcomes. Since non-academic and more qualitative outcomes (such as attentiveness, enthusiasm, involvement in class discussions, initiative, effort, judgment, goodwill, commitment, etc.) are as integral to our mission as objective outcomes, the portfolio method of evaluation will be a most important method of assessment.

Included in the portfolios will be a sample of the child’s main lesson books, various pieces of art, practice papers, and evaluation rubrics. Examples of other reliable methods that will be used are oral recitations, performances, demonstrations, curriculum based assessments, teacher observation, and student self-evaluation.

Teacher evaluations become the essential ingredients in a bi-annual written report/evaluation in narrative format, based on the portfolio of student work, performance assessments, enumeration of subjects adequately completed, and a mention of areas needing additional focus. The report will reference study habits, attitudes, and social abilities.

Student progress and development are carefully monitored and formally reported to the parents in the parent-teacher conferences in November. Additionally, a parent or teacher may request a conference at any time. Parents will also receive a written curriculum report providing details of the curriculum that has been covered for the school year.

Home Support for the Curriculum

Rhythm

Establishing healthy daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly rhythms is an essential consideration in the Waldorf approach to education, even in the creation of the daily rhythm to insure a balance of academic, artistic, and hands on work in the structure of the day. An important way parents can link school and home is through the establishment of a regular routine for meals, play, housekeeping tasks, and bedtime. Children flourish in environments that are not only loving but also loving and predictable. Just knowing what is expected at different intervals during the day can help children feel secure in the world.

Media

In our school, we make a conscious choice not to use mediated tools of instruction at the younger grades (overhead projectors, VCR’s, computers), since we want to encourage direct experience with the world, not a world mediated by electronics. The entire purpose of the Steiner inspired curriculum is to engage the will and imagination of the student directly, through the imagination and will of the teaching methods.

Over and above the message the student may receive from television or video games, we find that the effect of the medium itself is not harmonious with our approach to learning. Waldorf teachers strive to bring images to life as part of the educational experience. If children are preoccupied with media images, the instructional images are less compelling.

We also believe that it is very important that children have time to be actively involved in a variety of home projects, reading, and unstructured indoor and outdoor play. Engaging in electronic entertainment reduces the time spent on personally creative activities that nurture intelligence.

Real multi-sensory experiences are the seeds of imagination and creativity. It is important that your child be able to absorb the curriculum of the day, without electronic interference, in order to integrate and process it during sleeping hours. This is how learning becomes an integral part of life. Allowing your child to awake and attend to the tasks of the morning without the stimulation of electronic media will enhance their ability to focus and become immersed in the day’s curriculum.

In support of the education of your child, the faculty requests that our families consciously and significantly reduce or eliminate the use of media for children. We realize that limiting or eliminating media from your child’s life might be challenging in today’s world, however, with support and community effort, families often find that more free time means more creative play and more quality time together.

Organizational Structure

Madrone Trail Public Charter School

The governance of MTCPS is primarily exercised by or under the authority of the Board of Directors of the Madrone Trail Initiative. The Madrone Trail Initiative is a 501(c) (3) Oregon Non-Profit Public Benefit Corporation organized for the purpose of operating MTCPS. At least fifty percent of the Board members shall be residents of the Medford School District and no more than fifty percent of board members shall be parents of children enrolled in MTCPS.

Board Duties

The Madrone Trail Initiative has ultimate legal and financial responsibility of the school. Primary board responsibilities include ensuring school compliance to legislation affecting charter schools, maintaining the financial security of the school, long and short term planning and development, creating and overseeing the implementation of policies that are consistent with the pedagogy and vision of the school.

Board Meetings

The Board meets monthly throughout the year; times, dates, and agendas are posted in the main office and on the website. Meetings are open to the public and parental attendance is welcome. Depending on the agenda of the meeting, time may be allotted to public comments.

Requests for an item to be placed on the board agenda must be submitted in writing and delivered to the school office no later than seven school days prior to a regular meeting. Items must be directly related to school business. The School Director determines whether the request is or is not matter subject to the jurisdiction of the board and will determine whether the item is appropriate for discussion in an open or an Executive session of the board.

Director

The School Director is fully responsible for the administration of the Charter School. The School Director acts as a liaison between the various operating bodies of the school and communicates directly with the MTCPS Board of Directors, and to the Medford School District Superintendent and his cabinet.

Faculty

The faculty is responsible for the creation and implementation of the curriculum, student assessments, selection of supporting materials, and all other decisions that are primarily pedagological in nature.

Committees

The committees of the school are administrative committees designed to support the School Director. Parents, faculty, board members, and community volunteers may all serve on the various committees. The committee chairs report committee activities to the director for review and approval. The committees work with various bodies within the school, providing support activities as appropriate. Please see a detailed description of Committees, roles and responsibilities of committee members in Appendix A.

Parent Participation

Parent Council

The parent council provides a forum for every parent to voice their ideas, suggestions, and concerns to the board. Parent council meetings are held monthly, and the parents elect the Chair(s). The school Director will formally log all the feedback and communicate such feedback to the board and faculty. Suggestions from the parent council will be taken into consideration in the improvement of school programs and /or policies.

Class Representatives

Each class will have a volunteer Representative to assist the teacher, solicit and coordinate other parents to help with special events, and communicate with representatives of other classes. The Class Representative will also assist parents in addressing questions and concerns to the Faculty, Parent Council, School Director, and Board.

Serving on Committees

Parent Participation is needed on the MTPCS Board of Directors and on various committees. Serving on committees is a major means by which parents can contribute time and skills toward the betterment of the school.

The following is a list of current committees at MTPCS:

· The Festivals Committee

The purpose of the festivals committee is to organize and implement major seasonal and cultural festivals. Festivals afford valuable opportunities for building cooperative spirit within the school and larger community, and also offering expansive opportunities for the children to have multi cultural experiences.

· The Fundraising Committee

This committee holds responsibility for organizing and implementing fundraising activities for the school.

· The Site Committee

The Site Committee members are responsible for planning and coordinating the construction and upgrade of the school grounds and related materials such as playground equipment. Site concerns include beautification of our site, such as gardening or landscaping projects, and handyperson work as needed.

· The Outreach Committee

· The Finance Committee

· The Safety Committee

· The Ombudsman Committee

Facilitation of constructive problem solving and healthy communication are the areas of concern in the Ombudsman Committee. Its main goals are to inform and encourage the use of already existing lines of communication within the school community. Members of this committee will help with logging of conflicts and coordinating mediation sessions and/or arbitration sessions.

Classroom

Parents can help support the class teachers in many ways, both in and out of school. Your class teacher may ask for help in a variety of areas, from making phone calls to organizing class trips to helping keep the classroom clean. Parent support will be organized and projects needing help will be announced in class meetings and teacher letters. Each class has a designated Parent Representative, whom the teacher can call upon for help. Parent and family phone numbers will be made available shortly after the start of the school year.

School

Contact Person for Volunteer Coordinator: The School Director will refer you to the contact person for Volunteer Coordinator

Without the support and help of a dedicated body of parent volunteers, our school could not provide high quality activities and programs. Volunteers are instrumental in many functions of the school. As a charter school, we receive less than 80% of the funding traditional public schools receive. Recent budget cuts mean that we must think creatively about how to provide services to our students. A large part of the solution is in utilizing parent volunteers.

Parents provide innumerable services to the school, including classroom help, special events, festivals, fundraising, communications, specialty classes, etc. Parents may work directly or indirectly with students. The Volunteer Coordinator’s job is to organize the school’s volunteers who work directly with children.

Financial Support

Parents are strongly encouraged to participate yearly in the school’s annual pledge and classroom fund drives by making financial contributions.

Together, our financial contributions sustain our educational vision and make it possible to provide a high quality educational experience for the students of our school.

Admissions and Enrollment

Parent Orientation Meetings/Intent to Enroll

All parents who wish to enroll their children in the MTPCS must attend a Parent Orientation Meeting. These meetings are scheduled throughout the open enrollment period between October and February. Parents will be asked to fill out an Intent-to-Enroll form at these meetings. At the end of the open enrollment period, the intent to enroll forms will be counted for each class. If there are fewer applicants than spaces available all those who applied will be eligible to enroll. However, if the number of applicants exceeds the capacity, students shall be selected through a lottery process. Parents will be notified about their application status in March. Parents must fill out an enrollment application for students who are accepted and return it to the office by the designated date in order to hold the space for their child.

Out of District Enrollment

Students may apply to enroll at the MTPCS from out of district without the need for an inter-district transfer and at no cost. In the event of a lottery, in-district applicants are given priority.

Priority Enrollment

Priority Enrollment will be given to those students who:

1. were enrolled in the School the prior year, or

2. have siblings who are presently enrolled in the School and who were enrolled the prior year.

Grade Level Placement

Kindergarten 5 years or older by June 1^st, prior to the school year for which the applicant is seeking enrollment

First Grade 6 years or older by June 1 prior

Second Grade 7 years or older by June 1 prior

Third Grade 8 years or older by June 1 prior

Fourth Grade 9 years or older by June 1 prior

Fifth Grade 10 years or older by June 1 prior

Sixth Grade 11 years or older by June 1 prior

Seventh Grade 12 years or older by June 1 prior

Eighth Grade 13 years or older by June 1 prior

The MTPCS has the right to refuse admission to any child whose birth date falls outside of the minimum age requirements in each grade level.

Re-Enrollment Procedure

As a current parent at Madrone Trail Public Charter School, you have the opportunity to enroll your child’s siblings into classes first, before spaces are made available to first-time applicants. In order to be certain that your family’s enrollment needs are met, please follow the steps below to re-enroll and enroll new children in the school for the upcoming academic year. You will be guaranteed a space in any newly forming class and any class immediately above the class your child currently attends. However, if you are trying to enroll siblings in a class that is already in operation, you can only enter the sibling child on a space-available basis. For example, if you had a first-grader this year, and you want to enroll a kindergartener and a second-grader next year, the kindergartener would be guaranteed a space in the newly forming class. (We simply enroll siblings’ first, then open enrollment to the public.) However, if you wanted to enroll the second-grader in the existing class, we could only do so if space in the class is available. It is possible in such a case that if someone dropped out of the class, there might be space available. If no space is available, your second-grader would be placed at the top of the waiting list.

The Re-Enrollment Process involves the following steps:

Step 1: Fill out a Re-Enrollment Form. It is your responsibility to obtain, fill out, and submit a re-enrollment form. You MUST submit a re-enrollment form by the deadline in order to be guaranteed that current enrollees as well as new sibling enrollment is made. MTPCS is not responsible for saving or reinstating spaces lost due to late submission of re-enrollment forms.

Step 2: Within a week you will receive a confirmation note listing your children enrolled for the next academic year’s classes. If you don’t receive this note after the week of submitting or mailing in your re-enrollment form, contact the office right away to make sure your enrollment paperwork reached the office and was properly processed.

Step 3: If a class teacher or parent has concerns regarding whether or not a child in school is ready to move up a grade at the end of the academic year, the teacher or parent(s) shall initiate a meeting during the months of January to discuss and assess their concerns. It is possible for the teacher/parent team to make a request of the administrator that a space be reserved in two classes for one child if in fact there is question as to the best placement for the child, and more time is needed to determine the best course of action for the child.

The deadline to submit re-enrollment forms for the following academic year is March 24. Forms must be in the office (not postmarked) by this date.

Madrone Trail Public Charter School Funding Model

The main annual fundraising programs conducted by the Madrone Trail Public Charter School include:

Annual Parent Pledge

All parents of MTPCS are invited to make an annual pledge to the school for general operating support. The pledge can be paid all at once, quarterly or monthly, and may be paid by check or with a credit card. Pledge forms are available in the office and are included in your child’s take home materials early in the year.

Affinity/Scrip Programs

While doing your normal everyday shopping, the school can be making money. MTPCS has agreements with many retailers to give a percentage of your purchases back to MTPCS. Stores such as Safeway, Albertson’s, and many others participate. Forms are easy to fill out, and we encourage you to get your friends and family to fill them out as well. Complete information about these programs and how to sign up is in the office.

Corporate and Foundation Support

Many employers offer a matching grant for educational donations given by employees. Sometimes parents have corporate and/or foundation contacts that could be a useful grant resource for MTPCS. Any and all support is greatly appreciated and the MTPCS is always looking to expand its base of support.

MTPCS hosts an annual Dinner and Auction. This event brings together the community for a night of fun and also raises significant funds for the school.

Festivals, Hospitality and Appreciation

Festivals are an integral component of the MTPCS of the school. They provide opportunities for our community to come together for seasonal/cultural celebrations. Hospitality and Appreciation are how we, as a community, extend ourselves to visitors, and how we honor and appreciate the work of our faculty and staff.

Attendance

Please call the office by 10:00am to excuse a child’s absence.

State law requires schools to withdraw students who have been absent 10 consecutive school days. If you have the intent to keep your child at the School, please communicate this to the School Director because if there is a wait list for the class of the withdrawn student, we are obligated to fill the vacancy in order to continue to receive funding. To avoid excessive absences please schedule vacations during our designated breaks.

Tardy Policy

Please come to school on time! Because we start our day together thoughtfully and lovingly, we don’t want your child to miss the opportunity to begin each day with the class. Classes start promptly at the scheduled time. If a child is late for school, parents must sign them in at the office and pick up a tardy slip.

Madrone Trail Public Charter School works very hard to create a rhythm in the classroom that will lead to a successful day for each child. The first half hour of the day is about bringing the class to focus for the work of the entire day. The early morning activities awaken the body and mind and bring the children from their separate families back into the group. Children who start the day with this kind of engagement are more likely to have a successful day.

The instructional day at MTPCS begins at 8:30 am. We ask your help in ensuring that students are at school and in their seats by 8:30 each morning. So you may want to allow an extra five minutes or so to make this happen. Students who arrive after 8:45 are tardy and must stop in the office to sign in and pick a tardy pass.

The following applies:

1. Students are expected to attend school regularly and on time. The school will keep a record of all student absences and tardies. State law requires the school to contact students’ homes to verify absences.

2. A written verification noting the reason for absence should be signed by the parent of guardian or a doctor and presented to the school when the student returns. Doctor and dental appointments should, whenever possible, be arranged before or after school.

Students who attend school on a regular basis have greater opportunities for increased learning. At Madrone Trail Public Charter School, where instructional materials are created by teacher and students in the Main Lesson block, regular attendance becomes even more important. Attendance and tardiness are monitored on a regular basis and maintained in a database.

School Rules and Policies

Field Trips and Driving

Field trips are an integral part of our school curriculum and mostly occur during the school day. We hold students to their classroom behavioral expectations, and if they behave inappropriately, they will receive the same consequences as if they were in the school building and, in addition, may be excluded from the next field trip. Parents will receive a consent form prior to the trip describing the purpose of the trip, where the student will be traveling, and when the student will leave and return. Please sign the form and return it to the teacher promptly.

MTPCS asks parents to drive on field trips. In order to do so they must supply insurance information and complete a MTPCS driving form. All adults who serve as field trip drivers and/or supervisors must maintain a standard of exemplary conduct and behavior. That includes, but is not limited to:

· Adhering to the posted speed limits;

· Refrain from smoking in the presence of students while on the trip;

· Ensuring that each child and the driver have and use a seat belt, and that children under 60 pounds have a car-seat;

· Neither consuming nor providing for another any alcohol or judgment-impairing drug substance prior to or during the event;

· Avoiding unplanned stops – only those designated by the teacher;

· Ensuring that children sitting in front of an airbag meet age, height, and weight requirement.

Parent/Chaperone Supervision Guidelines

· Please review the VIM (Volunteers in Medford) guidelines and work rules. We ask that you adhere to these guidelines at all time during an activity.

· In some circumstances, the classroom extension may not be a safe environment or an appropriate setting for a younger sibling. Please do not bring a small child with you on the outing without prior permission from the teacher.

· Please leave your cell phone off during the trip.

· Please stay with the class throughout the activity unless you have made prior arrangements with the classroom teacher.

· You may be assigned a child or a group of children to supervise. Students assigned to your supervision have been instructed to follow your directions.

· Please supervise the behavior of these students to ensure that they are safe, respectful of the rules and courteous to all.

· If you have a student with a discipline problem, please notify the classroom teacher immediately.

Parking and Traffic

Parents are permitted to park in the school parking lot and for fifteen minutes (15 min) in the YMCA parking lot during pick-up and drop-off times if you are a member. Entrance of the school parking lot is on Oakdale Avenue and the exit is to the alley.

Pick Up and Drop Off

Drop-off time is between 8:15am and 8:30am. Pick-up time is at 2:45pm unless your child stays in aftercare.

Clothing & Dress Code

The weather in our area varies considerably from early morning to late afternoon and children should come to school dressed for that variety. Except on the warmest days, every child should have several layers of clothing including a warm sweater or coat, so that they can keep themselves warm when outdoors and remove layers as the temperature rises. All students should also have rain gear for rainy days. We allow outside play even when there is a light rain if a child has proper protection (weatherproof coat, boots, and hood or hat).

At MTPCS we strive to surround the children with what is beautiful and worthy of imitation. Just as language, gesture and behavior create the surrounding environment, so do clothing and grooming. Therefore, we ask for your thoughtful cooperation in maintaining certain standards of dress and grooming while at school. In support of our media policy we ask that clothing be free of movies, cartoons and prominent advertisements. Clothing is expected to be in good repair and modest in nature.

MTPCS follows the same dress code policy as the Medford 549C School District as outlined below:

Skirts and dresses must be an appropriate length (fingertip).
Pants and shorts must stay up without a belt.
Underwear must not be showing.
During warm weather, shorts may be worn but they must have a definite leg (at least fingertip length). “Short-shorts” or “jogger shorts” are not allowed.
No midriff or mesh, see through, plunging necklines, or anything with spaghetti straps. No strapless, see-through blouses, halter or tank tops.
Clothing and accessories may not have any sign of or promote: graffiti, alcohol/drugs, racism, gang affiliation, tobacco, profanity, drug paraphernalia, sexual connotations, or violence.
No chains or loose straps hanging from clothing.
No hats, bandanas or sunglasses are to be worn in school buildings.
Shoes must be worn at all times for safety reasons. Students wearing inadequate footwear may be restricted from recess or PE activities.
Make-up and hair dyes are strongly discouraged.
Clothing or grooming that is disruptive to the classroom-learning environment is not allowed.

Hair

Students will refrain from wearing unnatural hair colors that are deemed distracting. Hair is expected to be clean, neat, and out-of-the-face.

Accessories

Dangling jewelry, earrings, necklaces or bracelets are prohibited. Watches that beep or jewelry that makes noise are not allowed.

Shoes

Our class days include a lot of movement and activity. Therefore shoes which are closed-toe, closed-back and without heels must be worn when outdoors. Shoes must be worn at all times. Children need rubber-soled indoor shoes or slippers that do not easily slip off. Loose fitting footwear can be a hindrance in class activities. No sandals or flip-flops, please.

Visitors

Visitors must first obtain permission to be in the school by registering at the office before going to any classroom or other area of any school building. All visitors must wear a visitor badge provided by the school.

Playground

Dome:

Twelve (12) children limit on the dome.
Certain weather may keep your child from using the dome.
Do not bring any toys on the dome.

The shed is used to store playground equipment; it is not for play.

Sandbox: Water is allowed in designated sandbox only. Sand must stay in the sandbox; no throwing sand.

Wagon: Children must walk while pulling the wagon and sit when in the wagon.

Gates: Children should not leave the playground area without adult permission.

Water: Outdoor hose water will be used with adult supervision.

Garden: Children will be respectful of the garden area: not picking the flowers, leaving the soil in the garden box.

Basketball hoop: Do not climb; only a teacher adjusts. No touching the hoop.

Tetherball: Take turns. Do not climb or pull the ball off.

Balls: No kicking. Adults get the stray balls that go over the fence. No throwing the ball at people.

No running by the dome area, only on blacktop

Discipline Policy

When children come to school, even in the earliest years, the most basic level of their learning has to do with social interaction. In school they meet their “peers”, and they meet other adults beside parents and grandparents who will become their “role models”. Every sort of learning is possible in this social setting, through stories, songs, poetry, artistic expression, rhythmic movement, games, drama and play! The teacher brings his or her inspiration to the children, and the children receive, respond and create out of what the teacher brings. As the children participate in this process of learning and sharing, this give-and-take, they also gain social skills. They practice their “manners” in every moment of the day, from the moment they enter the classroom in the morning.

These “manners” that children must practice and learn in school, together with the content of every lesson, will prepare them for life. Nobody will deny that the ability to truly listen to another person is less important in life than learning what is 7 x 9.

For all children the family provides the first schooling in “manners,” or how to relate and live courteously in a social setting, and every family must have its “rules” and “consequences” for stepping outside what is acceptable within that social fabric. In the school we must also have our rules, some of which are particular to a class, and some as school-wide. And in moments when children push against these rules, or test them, we must also have consequences that will hopefully educate and awaken the children in our care.

Generally, then, in our young school, we expect that the children will be courteous to one another, that they will respect one another’s bodies and possessions, that they will not use rude or abusive language toward one another, that they will be responsive to the requests of all adults and teachers, whether indoors or out, that they will take care with school equipment and facilities.

Discipline grows out of an orderly and loving environment. Children need examples, guidance and clear expectations for their actions. They also need affirmation of their efforts.

At MTPCS we strive to educate the children by drawing out their appreciation for each other and their surroundings. We feel and recognize how important it is that they participate in this process through their own hearts and behavior. Upon this foundation we have created guidelines so that the faculty, parents, and students can cooperate in maintaining certain standards at school.

Inherent in the acceptance of these policies is the responsibility that we all bear. For teachers it is to educate the children about the policies, and then observe and enforce them consistently and appropriately. For parents it is to understand the policies of the school and support them through their parenting. For the students it means to know the policies and makes their best effort to abide by them.

Most discipline situations are handled by the teachers on an individual basis. The child is respected at all times. There is no place for humiliation or labeling.

Level I Infraction --

Disruption of the classroom environment by calling out in class, speaking inappropriately to a classmate or teacher, passing notes, or neglecting to respect the rules/wishes of a teacher, fall under the jurisdiction of the class or specialty teacher. The teacher responds as she/he feels is appropriate. Responses can include giving the student a simple reminder, asking the child to take a time-out within or outside of the classroom, staying in at lunch or recess, doing a class chore, and/or writing a reflective piece. Parents are not generally notified in cases of Level 1 infractions.

Level II Infraction --

Serious disruptive behavior such as swearing, physically or verbally provocative or unsafe behavior such as swearing, name calling, bullying, punching, hitting, or kicking result in a more serious consequence. Parents will be notified in all Level II cases. Consequences can include having the child sent home immediately, suspension from school, suspension from a particular specialty class, a written or reflective piece, loss of a field trip opportunity, or of other class privileges. As necessary, a meeting will be called, and the School Director will join the Class Teacher and parents for this conversation. The meeting will be documented and will go into the child's file in the office. The consequence for any Level II infraction will be decided on a case by case basis by the Class Teacher, in consultation with the School Director.

In the case of a conflict between a child and a teacher, a third party (another teacher or the School Director) will be brought in immediately to act as a witness and an advocate for the student as needed.

Classroom Interruptions and Messages

The classroom is a learning environment. When interruptions occur, students are often distracted and taken off tasks. All communication with students must filter through the office first. This includes such things as messages, forgotten lunches, homework, band instruments, etc. Please do not go to the classroom while class is in session.

Legal Names of Students

Parents may request that their children go by any name they wish. However, the child’s legal name must be noted on official school records in addition to the “go by” name. We would also appreciate listing any other names the child has used in the past. This makes locating past records much easier.

Address Changes

It is very important, especially when a student becomes ill or is injured, that the school have current addresses and phone numbers in order that parents can be contacted. Please be sure to notify the school of changes of home address, phone number, and place of employment, day care, or emergency numbers.

Student Checkout Procedures

If a student is to leave school during class time, the student must bring a note from home and meet their parents in the office to sign out. Parents wishing to pick their child up from school during class time should make arrangements through the office. If someone other than a person designated on the registration form picks up a student, the parent must send a note with the child beforehand.

Confidentiality and Release of Information

According to federal and state law, all information about a student, other than directory information, is confidential and is not be given out without an education “need to know.”

Directory information, as defined by law, includes student’s name, address, telephone number (unless unlisted); awards received, and grade assignment. This information may be given to persons deemed to have a legitimate interest unless specifically prohibited by parent request on an annual basis. Applicable examples include giving class lists, including listed phone numbers, to room mother, and listing award recipients in school newsletters, etc.

Non-custodial parents are deemed as having the right to all information about their child, unless there are court orders to the contrary. Non-custodial parents may request a conference.

Parent Right to Inspect Education Records

Parents or students over eighteen years of age have the following rights.

1. You have the right to inspect and review your child’s student records.

2. You may request that your child’s student education records be amended to ensure that they are not inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of the student’s privacy or other rights.

3. Your written consent is needed before the School discloses personally identifiable information contained in the student’s education records, except to educational or institutions as described in item (A) below. Personally identifiable information may include, and is not limited to: a) the name of the child, b) address, c) a personal identifier such as the students social security number, d) the name of the students parent or other family member, or e) a list of the students personal characteristics that would make the students identity easily traceable.

4. You may file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education under 34CFR 99.64 regarding failures by the school to comply with the requirements of the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act.

5. You may obtain a copy of the school policy regarding student education records from the School Director.

In addition:

A. Copies of education records shall be forwarded without signed consent to educational agencies or institution within ten days of receiving a request for a transfer of records.

B. In compliance with federal regulations, the school announces its intent to provide directory information of students to interested parties upon request, unless parents, guardians, or students who have reached eighteen years of age, indicate in writing by the end of two weeks following their first day at the School that they object to the release of directory information. Directory information may include, but is not limited to, student name, parent name, address, telephone number, email address, and a photograph of the child. However, lists of students will be provided only to businesses for school related matters determined by the School Director, and discretion will be used in those cases involving child custody issues.

C. In the case of those students whose parents have requested that the information not be given, the School is not allowed to release the students name and other directory information for programs, awards, and honors.

D. Parents of students enrolling in some time other than the first day of school will be granted two weeks after enrolling to give a written notice if they wish to withhold any or all of the directory information.

Communication

Staying Informed

Communication is vital to the smooth functioning and operation of the school. The channels of communication are as follows:

Weekly Newsletter

The newsletter is published for our parents and the wider community. Contributions are welcome from parents discussing how their children are benefiting from their school experience and which aspects of a Waldorf inspired education are especially important to them. Particularly welcome are bits of conversations revealing the children’s perceptions of life around them. The newsletter publishes a monthly calendar of events and is also a place the share school related events, activities, and educational philosophy. Contributions to the newsletter should be given to the administrative assistant, or emailed to the school; attn newsletter staff. The newsletter is the voice of the school; please let yours be heard!

Office Memos

The office may put out announcements or a schedule of events. Submissions for last minute events should be in the office by Monday morning. The memos do not substitute for the newsletter, which carries notice of all events scheduled in advance.

Class Notices and Lesson Plan Schedules

These notices from the teacher are sent home with your child. They are a very important and valuable source of information about your child’s classroom activities and scheduled lesson plans. Please talk to your teacher if you have any questions regarding these notices.

School Bulletin Board

There is a bulletin board in the Office with a School Calendar that posts our schedules and announcements. We also have posted other Waldorf-related activities on this board.

Mandatory Essential School Meetings

Essential School Meetings are held twice per year. Because they convey crucial information important to parents, and create a venue where everyone in the school can meet one another and strengthen the school community, we urge you to attend. These meetings ensure that we know one another and work together towards the same goals and with the same understanding.

Class Meetings

Class meetings are invaluable opportunities to connect with your child’s teacher to build a common understanding of your child’s stage of development and to learn about what the teacher is teaching your child, and why. In addition, these meetings connect the parents with one another in a social fabric that supports every child and family in the class. It is of vital importance that you attend these meetings.

Parent Teacher Conferences

Grades teachers schedule formal individual conferences with parents during the fall and as needed throughout the year. These conferences offer excellent opportunities to discuss the progress of your particular child, the class itself, and any concerns you might have. Conferences are a direct benefit to your child as they enable the teacher and parents to be jointly supportive of the child’s progress. Please let your teacher know if you would like to schedule a conference at any time.

Board Communication Process

Parents can communicate with the Board via email by writing to issues@madronetrail.org or you may bring a written suggestion to the School Office. This can be especially useful if you are unable to attend Board meetings or participate in the Public Comment sessions that are a frequent feature of our meetings. Should you not have your own email address, you can use the email address parent@madronetrail.org to write to us. To access this email address, please get on the internet and access this website: http://mail.madronetrail.org:8383/

Username = parent@madronetrail.org

password = parent

You are welcome to use the office computer to write your email as well.

You’re welcome to submit an issue to the Board in writing through the school office. Please do so at least a week in advance of a scheduled Board meeting. If the issue pertains to Board matters, it will be placed on the meeting agenda and addressed at that time.

You also have an option to speak during the Public Comment time when it’s on the agenda at a Board meeting. We will include a Public Comment time on the agenda whenever possible. Our meeting agenda is always posted in advance on the school web site. Go to http://www.madronetrail.org/Home.asp Click on the Calendar link, then on the Board Meeting event within the calendar to see the date, time and agenda of the meeting.

An important note about Board meetings; As we strive to include a Public Comment time in every Board meeting, it’s helpful to know how Board meetings and this Public Comment time work. As a rule, Board meetings are open to public attendance, though not public participation. The exception to this is when there is a Public Comment time on the agenda. If you attend a Board Meeting, we ask that you please hold your comments and questions until this Public Comment time. The Board will then listen to statements made by the community. We’ll issue a response as needed at a later date depending on the nature of the comment or issue raised. The Board often needs time to discuss issues raised before we can issue a complete response to the community.

Grievance Policy

The intention of MTPCS is to work collaboratively to create a harmonious environment so that all students and teachers have a fulfilling and successful education experience. While working on achieving this goal, there might be times when issues will arise whereby parents believe their concerns are unsatisfactorily addressed.

Conflicts may fall into one of four major areas (or may be a combination of these areas) as listed below.

1. Policies and Legal Issues

Current policies are available in the school office. Reviewing policies and procedures lends information that may at times solve a conflict. The Board of Director’s at MTPCS has final approval of all school policies and procedures. Issues on policy and procedures should be addressed directly to the Madrone Trail Public Charter School Board (hereinafter MTPCS). Requests to address the Board shall be submitted to the School Director.

2. Procedures/Daily Operations

The Director shall establish procedures designed to carry out the policies adopted by MTPCS. Procedures pertain to anything regarding the daily operations of the MTPCS. Procedures pertain to anything regarding the daily operations of the MTPCS. An office staff member or the Director can clarify procedures. The Director serves as the primary administrator of the school. Any daily operations/procedural issues should be addressed directly to the Director.

3. Pedagogy

Pedagogical issues pertain to anything that occurs in the classroom, i.e. teaching, curriculum, classroom management, or teacher-student relationships. Pedagogical issues should be addressed directly to the class teacher.

4. Interpersonal Communication and Relationships

Concerns between people or communication breakdown should be directly communicated with the person(s) involved. In addition, communication and relationship issues can surface in conjunction with policy and procedural issues or pedagogical issues

The overall purpose of this procedure is to perpetuate a climate of congeniality, mutual trust and respect by resolving differences in a timely, objective, and equitable manner.

If concerns or conflicts regarding policies and procedures, pedagogy, and or community members are not resolved after following the procedures described under “Four Major Areas of Communication”, the following communication lines should be employed.

These communication lines are the vehicles that the MTPCS uses to resolve conflicts within our community as they arise. These pathways form a structure and process that encourage parties involved in a conflict to reach resolution. It is emphasized that the first step in the resolution of conflicts in our community is direct communication with the involved parties. The following steps should then be initiated if issues are not resolved.

Grievance Procedure

Level 1: Direct Resolution

If you have a question or concern, go directly to the person(s) in the above areas or categories. Such attempts at informal resolution are strongly encouraged. Please document such attempts so that if a later intervention is needed, an account of what has already occurred is available.

Level 2: Administrative Resolution

The administrative resolution process consists of a meeting between the parties involved with the Director in attendance. An attempt at administrative resolution is to be made prior to requesting formal resolution. For conflicts concerning the Director, a member of the Ombudsman Committee will be called to mediate resolution meetings.

Level 3: Formal Resolution

Formal resolution consists of the submission of a written complaint or grievance to MTPCS Conflict Resolution/Grievance Committee. The Conflict Resolution/Grievance Committee is a standing committee whose members have a background/training in conflict resolution – mediation.

Written Complaint

The written complaint should set forth in detail the basis for the complaint. The following information should be included:

1. Name of persons involved in the complaint

2. Date of the act(s), which is the basis for the complaint

3. Description of the action(s) or omissions, which are the basis of the complaint

4. Names of any other individuals who might have pertinent information

5. Description of any attempts at informal resolution

6. Desired resolution

7. The written complaint must be dated and signed

The Director (or (Ombudsman Committee member as applicable) may also make a determination, with the advice of legal counsel as necessary, that the facts related to the complaint or dispute legally require a different procedure than outlined herein. At all times, legal requirements shall prevail over this procedure.

The School will attempt to treat all internal complaints and their investigation as confidential, recognizing, however, that in the course of investigating and resolving internal complaints some dissemination of information to others may be necessary or appropriate.

Written complaints will be attended to within 30 days of receipt. Upon resolution the Director or Ombudsman shall report the finding(s) to the Complainant in writing and provide a copy to the Board.

Level 4: Arbitrated Resolution

The arbitrated resolution consists of a meeting or meetings between the parties involved with an impartial third party. After hearing from both parties, the arbitrator will render his or her decision that will be binding on both parties. The arbitrated resolution is the final step in the conflict resolution process.

Health and Safety

Emergency Procedures and Drills

Instruction on fire and earthquake danger and drills is conducted for at least thirty minutes each school month. At least one fire drill will be conducted each month and at least two drills in earthquakes will be conducted each school year. A map/ diagram of the escape route will be posted near all class room doorways and reviewed with students. When the fire alarm is sounded, all students and adults in the building must follow the direction of staff quickly and quietly and in an orderly fashion.

In addition to evacuation drills, schools will practice lock down procedures in order to prepare students and staff for any emergency in which the school must go into lockdown.

School Safety Plans

Each Medford school has an extensive safety plan developed in cooperation with local law enforcement agencies. This plan defines the appropriate action for the protection and safety of our students. Unfortunately, circumstances develop from time to time which require us to initiate this plan. The success of such action depends on the quick response of our staff and students, as well as the coordinated effort of our staff and local law enforcement.

What Parents can do in case of an emergency.

1. Please understand that the safety of the students is our utmost concern. We will to the best of our ability, do what is necessary to ensure your child is returned to you safely.

2. While you may want to get to your child as soon as possible, we ask that you do not respond to the school unless directed to do so.

a. The streets surrounding the school may be blocked by emergency equipment, and your efforts to get through may hamper operations and jeopardize the safety of the students and staff.

b. As the streets will be blocked, you would not be allowed in anyway. Staying in the area could possibly block the arrival of further emergency units.

c. Tune to the local radio stations. Instructions will be provided on where to go in order to pick up your child.

d. Officers blocking the streets will also direct you to the location where you can pick up your children.

e. Predetermined locations have been identified for the reunification of parents and students, but the location of these sites depend on the type of emergency.

3. We realize it is important for you to talk with your child, but we ask that you not use the cell phone to call your child. This will tie up the system, which could also hamper emergency operations. If calls are made, keep them as short as possible.

a. After the Columbine incident in 1999, the entire cell phone system in Littleton, Colorado was down for three days due to the overload from the amount of calls made.

b. In addition, the sound of a phone ringing may draw attention to the location of students.

4. Once at the reunification site, do not leave. We will be sending students to this point as quickly as possible.

a. Please be patient. The rescue and evacuation of your students may take some time, but will be done as quickly and safely as possible.

b. If you leave the reunification site, you might pass your child who might be on their way to that location.

c. If a child is sent to a hospital due to wounds or injuries, that information will be passed on to the reunification site. The staff members there will make efforts to locate the parents to notify them as to which hospital the child has been sent.

5. Listen to the staff members at the reunification site and the local radio stations. We will provide updated information as often as possible.

6. Prepare to deal with multiple lockdowns. If there is a lockdown at a High School, some of the surrounding schools may also lockdown as a safety precaution.

7. Do not try to enter the school or get to your child. If the school is in a lockdown, you will not be allowed in. The staff members have instructions not to open the doors for anyone except the police.

Do not call the police department for information. All members of the department, including Dispatch, will be very busy dealing with the emergency at hand and will not have time to talk or to pass on information.

First Aid Emergencies

First aid for minor injuries will be given at school. In case of more serious accidents or sudden illness, the parent is notified. It is essential that emergency contact numbers be up to date in the school office. It is our intent to immediately notify parents for any of the following:

Any head injury
Any bite
An indication of anything communicable such as vomiting, diarrhea, rash, a temperature of 100 degrees Fahrenheit or higher
Significant injury on the playground

Infections

All cases of skin and eye infections must have an admission permit from the physician or health department.

Head Lice

Head lice (Pediculosis) are a communicable condition which can be transmitted from one student to another. Once a student has been identified with head lice, the student will be excluded from school. The student may be readmitted with a statement from a parent/guardian that initial treatment of the following has been initiated: use of pediculocide; removal of nits; and treatment of household items. Approval to attend school must be given by authorized school personnel before being readmitted to school, their head must be checked in the office. Students with live lice in their hair will be sent home for treatment and removal of nits. Students with nits after 14 days from re-admittance may be excluded from school.

Illness

Please call the school if your child will be absent due to illness. If a child has a temperature of 100 degrees or higher in the last 24 hours, is vomiting, or has a colored discharge from the nose, s/he should not be in school. When a child is recovering from an illness, we cannot keep the child in during recess. If a child is too ill to go out, s/he is too ill to be at school. If the child has diarrhea or a deep and persistent cough, the child will be sent home.

Medication at School

Medford School District 549C complies with Oregon State Law requiring that ALL medications administered at school have a signed authorization form from the parents giving specific instructions. All medications must be in the original container with the prescription attached to the container. A faxed prescription from the doctor’s office to the school is acceptable. Children cannot be in possession of any medication at school, with the exception of prescription inhalers. Medication must be kept under supervision in the office.

The school must have written permission and instructions signed by the parent or guardian. District authorization forms are available in the school office for completion.

The school must have a prescription container, labeled with the student's name, name of the medication and dosage, and doctor's name.
Medication is kept in the office and the student will be supervised during the taking of medication.
Medication left for emergency use, such as bee sting kit or medication for asthma, must be properly labeled and must include the complete instructions provided by the physician.
Homeopathic remedies are available in the office. Parents must sign a release giving authorization for the office to administer homeopathic remedies to their child.

Immunizations

State Law requires that children entering Oregon Schools for the first time must be completely immunized for:

5 Diphtheria/Tetanus (D/T)
4 Polio
1 Varicella (Chicken Pox)
2 Measles/Mumps/Rubella (MMR)
2 Hepatitis A (2008 – 2009)
3 Hepatitis B

Children who enroll from other countries may have additional immunization requirements. Students without current immunizations will be excluded from school as required by Oregon law. Religious and medical exemptions will be respected if the appropriate signed forms are presented to the office.

Health Screenings

Yearly health screenings will be announced to parents in advance.

Medical Appointments

Parents are encouraged to make medical appointments outside of school hours to minimize the loss of instructional time.

Reporting Child Abuse

Oregon law requires any school employee who has reasonable cause or suspicion to believe that any child has suffered abuse, or that any person with whom the official comes in contact has abused a child, must immediately make a report to the proper agencies.

Aftercare Program

Kindergarten after-care service is provided from noon to 2:45 pm, Monday, Tuesday and Thursday and to 1:45 on Wednesday. This service is provided by our Kindergarten Assistant. Please contact the School office for further information.

Early Morning Care: There will be no early morning care. Teachers will be preparing for their day so there will be no supervision in the morning.

End of Day: At 3 pm all children will be taken to the After School Program at the YMCA. Non-enrolled students in our After Care will be charged by the YMCA. Please contact the school if there is a special emergency and you cannot pick up your child. Children will be taken to After Care at 2 pm on Wednesday.

General Information

Emergency School Closures or Delayed Openings

MTCPS follows the same closing schedule as the Medford School District. If it becomes necessary to close school due to inclement weather, dangerous condition, or any other emergency, a NO SCHOOL or delayed start announcement will be broadcast via the media. Information will also be posted on the district website at www.medford.k12.or.us Please stay tuned to the radio, television, and/or computer on mornings when the weather looks doubtful.

Modified Schedule

All elementary schools in the Medford School District, including MTCPS, use a modified daily schedule with a shortened day on Wednesday. The schedule lengthens the school day on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. Total weekly instructional time for students remains the same. The schedule shifts teacher planning time to a larger block on Wednesday afternoons. This allows teachers time to meet with their teams, gather resources and materials, and plan units more thoroughly. Better planning results in better instruction for students.

Food

Ensure that your child eats breakfast before coming to school. Grade school students also need a substantial lunch every day and snacks for recess. Be discriminating in your choice of food: diet and behavior can often be linked. If you have any concerns or your child has any dietary restrictions, communicate these to the teachers. Each child should have a small covered basket with a handle for snack food and lunches and two cloth napkins, one for covering the table and one for the lap, as well as a wide-mouthed water bottle. The water bottle should be marked with the child’s name``````` to avoid mix-ups, and should be freshly filled at home each morning. Each day in the Kindergarten, a different organic snack is provided. The fruit or vegetable that each child brings to school will be served with the grain. Children will have the opportunity to help with the preparation of the snack.

For food at school we ask that you provide homemade fare rather than pre-packaged lunch products. Sandwiches, leftovers, soup, etc. as well as fresh vegetables and fruits sent in reusable containers are best for school. Candy, pastries, cakes or sweets of any kind, including soda, squeeze packets of artificially-flavored yogurt and chewing gum are not allowed at school. We do not have a refrigerator to keep the children’s food cool, so if you wish you may include cool packs within the child’s lunch. Similarly, we do not have a way to heat food, so food to be kept warm should be packed in thermos containers.

MTPCS is a peanut-free school. For details please speak with your child’s teacher. Thank you for your co-operation and understanding.

Sleep

Waldorf Education seeks to nourish the being of the child, yet only part of this occurs during waking hours. A rich sleep experience is essential. What children receive at school and during their waking hours is taken into their sleep life. They need the time of sleep to help this become fully integrated into their being. Most children need at least nine hours of sleep at night. A child’s sleep is as sacred as is his awakening to a new day of life and learning.

Lost and Found

Each year many coats, sweaters, lunch boxes, and other items are left unclaimed in the lost and found. PLEASE put your child’s name on all items brought to the school so they can be returned to their rightful owner if they are lost. Unclaimed items will be donated to charity twice per year, once at the end of winter break, and once during summer break.

Phone Use

Students may use the phone for emergency purposes only. Arrangements for after school activities are to be made at home, ahead of time, and if necessary a note sent to school. Students are discouraged from bringing pagers, cell phones, and other personal communication devices to school. The school is not responsible for lost, damaged, or stolen devices. Such devices may not be used during school hours.

Cell Phones

Student cell phones are only to be used before and after school hours for parent contact. Phones must remain off and out of sight during the school day. Cell phones being used during the day may be confiscated.

Parties

Parties scheduled by the school are held in the classroom and supervised by teachers and room parents. Please verify whether your class teacher will hold birthday parties for individual students at school.

Party Invitations

In order to prevent heart breaking situations with private parties, no party invitations are to be distributed at school. Private parties mean birthday, slumber, and any such party held in a private home. Invitations may be emailed or sent via regular postage mail.

Flowers/Balloons

Flowers and/or balloons should not be delivered to your child at school.

Money

Students should bring money to school only when they need it for a specific purpose. Money should be sent in an envelope listing the students name, amount enclosed, and the specific purpose for which it is intended.

Car Pooling

The office staff can provide parents with a family zip code directory. Students will only be released to those persons whose names are on file in the main office.

Appendix A

Committee Role, Responsibilities and Processes

Purpose of this document: The purpose of this document is to clarify the roles, responsibilities and processes related to committee work at the Madrone Trail Public Charter School.

Audience: This document is intended for all volunteer stakeholders who join committees to contribute their effort to help the school create a desirable educational environment for all students.

Definition: There are several categories of committees that are defined in our bylaws: Board Committees, which includes Executive Committees and Non-Board Committees. Non-Board Committees are the category of committees that this document refers to, as at this time, according to the Charter Agreement, Madrone Trail Public Charter School will have Non-Board Committees only. Non-Board Committees are administrative committees and as such, they are task forces that can be created to assist the School Director in different aspects of the management and operations of the school. The concept of committees was originally designed during the Charter Proposal phase to support board activities. During the Charter Agreement negotiations, committees were redefined as administrative committees to help support the School Director. ₍₁₎When a need arises, the School Director, by his/her own initiative or prompted by the school community, will call for the formation of a committee.

Purpose of Committees: Committees are means by which parents, teachers, community members and the board can join force in creating an exciting learning environment for the students. It is an opportunity to build a strong school community that shares the same values and goals. Furthermore, it is an opportunity to enhance the collaboration between different groups within the school community. As charter schools have limited resources and manpower, committees will be essential in providing the much needed assistance to the school administration.

Types of Committees: There are two types of committees- ad-hoc committees that are formed to accomplish a specific task or project; once the task or project is complete the committee is dissolved; and regular committees that are formed to address issues, needs and requirements in certain aspects of the management and operations of the school: Finance, Regulatory, Fundraising, Site, Outreach, Festivals, etc.. Although these committees may refresh its members, they will continue to exist to serve the school on an ongoing basis.

Committee Chair: Each committee will have a chair to coordinate the communication process, tasks and manage any project timeline and ensure the objectives are accomplished. The Committee Chair is responsible for communicating the committee’s progress, results and any issues and roadblocks that prevent members from accomplishing their tasks to the School Director. Ideally, the committee chair serves as the ‘Project Manager’ of the group and will define the work process and monitor the progress of the committee. The Committee Chair may be appointed by the School Director or by the members of that committee. The Committee Chair role may be shared with the School Director.

Committee Members: Members may include parents, teachers, community members and board members. Committee members may be selected by the School Director or the Committee Chair.

When a board member participates in a committee, he/she will advise the committee whether he/she will serve as a volunteer or board member, or both. A board member will participate in his/her board capacity when the committee work is closely associated to one of the board functions or when the board member receives special directives from the board to oversee some aspects of the committee activities as these projects may directly impact board functions and activities of the board member can serve as the liaison between the committee and the board. An example of this will be board participation in the Finance Committee, Fundraising Committee and Regulatory Committee. The focus of these committees is closely related to the primary functions of the board (monitoring financial performance of the school, legal compliance, student safety and strategic planning).

Committee Focus: Some committees will have a research and analysis focus while others will carry-out the implementation tasks of a project approved by the School Director or the Board.

Committee Process: The first step is a kick-off meeting called by the School Director. The second step is the selection of the Committee Chair. The Committee Chair will work with committee members to have a purpose statement defining the objectives of the committee. The Committee Chair will keep a roster with contact information for each member and submits a copy of this roster to the School Director. For any project type work, the committee will have a project time-line with identified milestones and will report its progress against its time-line and milestones. The Committee Chair is responsible for coordinating the work among members, communicating the committee’s progress, results and any issues and roadblocks that prevent members from accomplishing their tasks to the School Director. This will give the School Director an idea whether the project is on target or behind schedule and the reasons why.

At the end of a research and analysis project, the committee will report any findings and recommendations to the School Director with if possible, supporting documentation of pro’s and con’s for each of the recommendations. Ideally, committees should offer more than one recommendation for comparison purpose or a plan B. This process allows for opportunities for members of the committee to be at the forefront of the process to recommend options and thus have a strong influence on the decision to be made. (However, recommendations of the committee are not considered representative of the needs of the entire school unless the findings were based on a survey conducted with the parent body.)

Prior to accepting and implementing recommendations, the School Director will consult with the Board on legal, safety, and/or financial aspects of any Committee recommendation and discuss with the board any proposed solution that might affect the branding, image or reputation of the school.

Decision Making Process: The School Director will review the recommendations and a) may adopt some or all of the recommendations with or without modification, b) may continue to discuss and review the information with the committee to build consensus or c) adopt an entirely different solution. The School Director has the final authority and responsibility for the decision, based on informed consideration of the needs of the School community.

If new information arises following the decision by the School Director but prior to resources being committed to the decision, the School Director has the option to reconsider the previous decision based on the new information.

If new information arises following resources being committed to a decision, the School Director will analyze and weigh the impact of this new information on the decision and will consult with the Board prior to making a change.

As the board’s primary agent, the School Director has the executive authority over day-to-day management and operations. The School Director is responsible for the success of the school and is accountable to the Board. Thus, the executive authority will remain with the School Director for accountability and legal liabilities reasons that are inherent in our governance structure. This executive authority will not be granted to any volunteer member of any committee in any case.

₍₁₎The following are excerpts from the Charter Proposal and Charter Agreement including the definition of committees. The definition from the Charter Proposal indicates that committees are board committees. Charter Organizers later made an amendment to change them to administrative committees, which will report to the School Director instead of the Board and support the School Director in the management and operations of the school.

Page 43 of Charter Proposal: ‘… the Board will select additional volunteers from the community to serve on the above listed committees. Thus, each committee may include board members, school administrators, teachers, and community members. This composition allows for diverse thinking and broad-ranging discussion. These committees will provide assistance to the Board in the research and analysis of different issues as well as in the implementation of different school programs as outlined by the board. Recommendations made by the committees from their research effort provide a basis for school board consideration and action.’

Page 21 of Charter Agreement: ‘…Madrone Trail amends its application to allow the director/administrator to form committees of volunteer stakeholders and delegate them to develop recommendations on different aspects of the school program.’

Table of Contents