March 2008
The Willow Wind
CommunityLearningCenter
Newsletter
1497 E. Main Street, Ashland, OR. 97520, Center (541) 488-2684NOTES FROM THE OFFICE
As I look across the field from the window in my office, I see the baby calves running and chasing each other. These new calves are surely a sign that spring is around the corner. Next time you are here, take a minute, look over the fence with your children and introduce yourself to the babies next door. The children are running around, too, and as they get hot, they shed their coats and many are left at Willow Wind. If your family is missing a coat… please come check the lost and found!
Although it feels like we have just begun the new semester, we will have to be thinking about fall classes in the near future! The more advance notice we have, the more carefully we can explore the possibilities. I always enjoy working with families to develop classes and explore learning opportunities, so come by, have a cup of tea and let's dream up some exciting new programming.
If you know of families who are interested in attending Willow Wind next year, please encourage them to contact us. We will be starting our Inquiry List for Fall 2007, on the first of March.
It's time to get outdoors again: find a four-leaf clover, plant a bulb and prepare for spring.
INFORMATIONAL MEETING FOR FAMILIES WITH HIGH SCHOOL AGED STUDENTS
Thursday, March 11 at 4:30 pm
How can my child take classes at AshlandHigh School? Can he/she earn a high school diploma? What about a GED? Do you need a diploma to go to college? If you are looking for answers to these questions, or others concerning high school, please plan to attend this important informational meeting.
/ FALL PLANNING BEGINS NOWPlanning for fall classes is starting now. The Course Selection Committee wants to hear from you! The process of class planning is an open one, with ideas coming from kids, parents and teachers. However, we really need to know what classes the community most wants to see offered on the fall schedule. The ideas for course offerings that are most important are the ones that come from the community or respond to community needs. It’s hard to overstate how important this feedback is for us. Without it, we’re just guessing what your needs are.
This year, all age groups will come on the same evening, but at different times. These meetings are a great place to express your needs and interests. Both kids and adults are welcome to attend. It’s also an opportunity to hear what other people are thinking and to stimulate new ideas. Preparing a little prior to the meetings can be especially productive:
Talk with your kids about their interests. Are there areas in which a teacher or class support might open up learning opportunities? Like-minded parents or kids can get together in small groups ahead of time to develop ideas or identify needs that can then be brought to the meetings.
Planning Meetings:
5–10 year olds:
Wed., March 19, 5:00 – 6:00
11+ year olds:
Wed, March 19, 6:30 – 7:30
ALL FALL PROPOSALS WILL BE DUE ON
TUESDAY, APRIL 22, 2007
More Events…
YEARBOOK PLANNING MEETING
Thursday, March 6 at 3:00We need to create covers, organize collage pages, and text.
If you are willing to help organize and plan, please attend the meeting on Thursday, March 6 at 3:00.
We will begin work parties soon and will set the times based on the availability of those interested in participating. Older students are welcome to come with their parents, high school aged students may come without a parent. This is a great way to get family service hours, meet other families and contribute to our wonderful yearbook!
March Parent Council Meeting
Tuesday, March 11 at 2:30We have Landscape/Garden workdays scheduled for April and May. Please sign up in the office if you are interested. That will help us plan the projects and maximize your time.
·Sunday, April 27th: Noon - 4 p.m.
·Thursday, May 8th: 2 p.m. - 4 p.m.
·Sunday, May 18th: Noon - 4 p.m.
·Friday, May 23rd: 2 p.m. - 4 p.m.
Announcements
SPRING BREAK
Willow Wind will be closed March 24-30 for Spring Break.
UPCOMING ASSESSMENT DATES
- Science Tests: March 17 - 21
- Math Tests: April 14- 18
- Science Tests: April 21-25
SCHOLASTIC BOOK ORDER
The Spring Scholastic book selections are in the office. Book orders are due March 14. Only ONE check, made out to Scholastic, is needed for all book club orders.
Lunch Bunch Helpers Needed
We have a really large group of kids at Lunch Bunch this year. The staff feels that kids would be better supervised with more adults on the play area at lunch. Please sign up to help with Lunch Bunch supervision. Remember, you can accrue family service hours!
Planned ParenthoodCoin Drive!!!
Planned Parenthood is an organization that delivers vital health care services, education, and health information to millions of women, men, and young people. For more than 90 years, Planned Parenthood has promoted a commonsense approach to women’s health and well being, based on respect for each individual’s right to make informed, independent decisions. Ashland's Planned Parenthood Program is running low on money and is now self-supporting. They need our help! To learn more about Planned Parenthood, visit the web site: Every coin counts!Thank you for your donations.If you have any question about the coin drive, feel free to call Mimi Chouard at 488-3406.(This is a project for the Teen Leadership class)
The Barn Project Update
Once again the barn has received $5,000 from the Architecture Foundation in Portland. The Blues for the Barn Dance was very much fun and raised about $2700. To date we have raised about $580,000. Plans are in the works for breaking ground early in June. Stay tuned!
Family Service Update
At the February Parent Council meeting we discussed adjusting the family service requirement to better fit the different lengths of semesters. What was decided was that the 16 hours a year will still be the requirement. To take part in the first tier of spring semester registration, a family would need to have completed 6 hours by December. To register first tier for the fall semester, a family would need to have completed the remaining 10 hours by June.
Spring is beginning to make a brief appearance now and then. There is much to do in the garden and around the landscape. May Day and End of the Year Celebration will need help. Please let Judith Anne if you are available to help with either event.
News from the Garden
These past few days of sunshine and balmy weather in mid February are such a tease! We all know that the rains are on their way, and, as I glance out the window from the Willow Wind office, I see the drops coming down right now. I can feel the gardener in me beginning the process of gearing up, thinking of all of the things that need to be gathered to begin the process of bringing the garden back to life for another beautiful growing season.
The garden has been resting, but the garden committee has been busy planning for the next phase of work on this lovely property. Our top priority this spring is to finish what we started with the food forest. We received a grant that will make it possible for us to purchase all of the plants and seeds that will be planted around the trees in the food forest area. I know that the food forest is going to be a very popular place at certain times of the year. When I describe it to Willow Wind students, the idea that a person could enter one gate and nibble along the path, all the way to the gate at the other end, I watch the children’s eyes glaze over and their mouths begin to water with anticipation. They ask questions like: how many kinds of grapes will there be? We can grow kiwi in Ashland? We get to eat whatever is in there? This is exactly what the garden committee was hoping for.
The Community Friday classes have all ready begun working on garden projects. One group has been painting signs to label all of the plants and trees in the garden areas. Another group has been turning soil and adding amendments to prepare a blueberry patch for planting. In the next week or two, groups will begin to plant seeds in the greenhouse that will eventually be transplanted into the food forest and vegetable garden areas. Thank you to one Willow Wind family for using their family service hours to put a new layer of plastic on our greenhouse and to attempt to secure the perimeter to keep rodents out of our seeds this spring. Thank you Michael, Heidi, Sonny and Ember!!
If your family is interested in doing your family service hours sooner rather than later in the semester, I am looking for help with several garden tasks. We need some planting boxes built out by the shade structure near the garden. We will provide the materials if you provide the labor. I am looking for someone with a pickup truck who is willing to pick up a load of compost and deliver it to a spot near the garden. We also need a load of soil for an empty bed in the vegetable garden. We need to get a load of manure, too. We need a volunteer to clean out the old tool shed, organize the working tools, and get rid of the broken ones. If you and your family are interested in any of these potential jobs, please let Robin know.
NorthMountainPark
“Collected from the Wild”A Natural Basket Class
Sat, Mar 1, 10am—4pm | $60 | Louisa Lenz-Porter
Peter Britt’s PioneerVictorianGarden
(Winter Wednesday Nature Talk No. 3 of 3)
Wed, Mar 5, 7—8:30pm| $5/adults, $3/children |
Donn Todt / Pine Needle Basketry, an Introduction
Sat, Mar 8, 10am—4pm | $25 | Sue Yamins
Propagation — Growing your own Plants
Sat, Mar 15, 10am noon | $10 | Jennifer Ewing
Composting — Such a Green Thing to Do!
Sat, Mar 15, 1—2pm | Free | Jennifer Ewing
Yearbook Order Form
2007-08 Willow Wind Yearbook Order Form
Date ______Method of Payment: Check# _____ Cash ______
Name______Phone______
Number of Yearbooks ______x $15 each = $ ______
Yearbook business card ad + yearbook ______x $32 each = $______
Please make checks payable to WWCLC. Deadline to order is April 14th.
If you have a business and would like to advertise in the yearbook,
we are offering business card size ads for $32. This great price includes a free yearbook! Please include your artwork or business card with your order. Thank you!