Break for the Friday Update

The Friday Update is going to enjoy a much deserved break for the holiday next Friday. We will resume our normal Updates on Friday, December 1. Thank you to all those that diligently read it every week.

From the Director

Dear Madrone Family,

Earlier this week a first grader approached me to let me know that the boys’ bathroom needed some custodial attention. I watched as he tried to find the words, and struggled with the content, but also the delivery of the difficult message. I could not help but smile as I saw his little personality shine through as he finally found his voice and was able to share. Watching kids grow and come into their own is one of the joys of this job! I am faced with heavy, challenging situations on a daily basis. Most of these issues I just deal with on my own, as there is really no point in involving anyone else. It is a weight I bear, but it comes with the territory. I could easily let it get me down, and some days I slip a bit. However, I make a conscious choice to be positive and grateful. I am grateful that I found this amazing school! I am grateful that I have such an amazing staff! I am grateful that we have a school filled with such amazing children and families. I am grateful that this is where I get to spend my days! Trust me; I have many jealous colleagues that I have worked with over the years. I am constantly bragging about my wonderful job! 

As we approach Thanksgiving, I cannot help but think of the blessings of life. This will be my first Thanksgiving as a grandpa. My granddaughter is now old enough to enjoy some mashed potatoes and overcooked green beans! My wife and I spend far too much money on her but hey, isn’t that what grandparents are supposed to do?

Rudolf Steiner wrote, "An honest, entirely open, feeling of gratitude must be developed so that children experience it for everything received. Whatever it may be, whatever has been received from another person calls forth a feeling of gratitude. An immense enrichment of the soul is achieved through the experience of feeling this gratitude. One should see to it that, even in a very young child, a feeling of thankfulness is developed. If one does this, a feeling of gratitude will be transformed into love when the child is older. In every situation in life, love will be colored through, permeated with gratitude. Even a superficial observation of social life demonstrates that a valuable impulse for the social question can be fostered when we educate people towards a greater feeling of gratitude for what their fellow human beings are doing. For this feeling of gratitude is a bridge from one human soul and heart to another, without gratitude, this bridge could never be built."

Gratitude is your thankfulness for life’s little and larger blessings. When you practice gratitude,

you can become happier and more resilient. According to the Mayo Clinic, feeling thankful can improve sleep, mood and immunity. Gratitude can decrease depression, anxiety, chronic pain difficulties and disease risk. At our school, a week or two before Thanksgiving, we celebrate together as a community with our Lantern Walk. We gather at dusk, each of us with a beautifully handcrafted lantern. Singing songs of autumn and with our glowing lanterns, we walk our pathway into the early night. Our lanterns shine our gratitude for life’s blessings into the darkness, lighting our way and our hearts. The children walk, sing, and glimmer with reverence.

However you celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday, take some extra time to share your thankfulness for your children. They are the greatest blessing of all!

Have a great weekend and an excellent Thanksgiving holiday!

~Kendall Roberts

Director

kendall.roberts@madronetrail.org

Parent/Teacher Conferences-- NEXT WEEK

Parent/Teacher Conferences will be on Monday, November 20 and Tuesday, November 21. Please use the link below to sign up for your spot to meet with your student's teachers. Conferences are an important time for checking in about your child's progress. We hope to see you there!

Morning Drop Off and Afternoon Pick Up

Parents and Guardians, please do not drop off your children before 7:45 am. Ideally, drop off would take place from 8:00 - 8:30 am as we do not have supervision until 8:00 am. Additionally, teachers that arrive prior to the start of school are preparing for the day, and cannot accommodate students in their classroom until the bell rings. Students are to go to the blacktop upon arrival or the cafeteria if they are getting breakfast. After school, we ask that you pick up your students as promptly as possible. We do not have an after school program and staff have committee commitments and other duties that need their time and attention. Thank you for your understanding.

Kitchen Update

Leonard Apple Orchard is opening up their self-pick orchard tomorrow, Saturday, November 18, to give delicious, tree-ripened apples to your favorite non-profit, food bank, school, church pantry, deserving neighbor or any charity of your choice. If you’re looking for a fun outing with your family tomorrow and would like to pick local apples for the school lunch program, we would be thrilled! Be sure to bring your own containers. Apples can be dropped off at the kitchen on Monday!

Self-pick is available noon to 4 pm and is located at Leonard Apple Orchard, 2171 Ross Lane, Medford, 541-772-2389

Auction Update

Auction planning is coming along. We can’t wait to share more details about the 2024 auction! We will need a solid group of volunteers to ensure the event goes smoothly and is fun for all. Volunteering means a complimentary ticket and dinner! There are many roles to fill including work leading up to the event that still qualify for comped tickets.

Email auction@madronetrail.org and our volunteer coordinator will reach out to you with details. 

The auction will take place on Saturday, March 2 at the Historic Ashland Armory. Be sure to save the date!

Jog-a-thon Update

We have had a little over $18,500 in pledges turned in so far! We have collected around $14,000 of those pledges as of today. If you haven't turned your pledge sheet in it's not too late! Get it to me or your child's class teacher after the break or during parent/teacher conferences.

Thank you to all the families that collected pledges and turned in money! This is one of our biggest fundraisers of the year, and it really takes a village to make it successful every year. I am always blown away by the generosity of our community. As I have taken in money and processed checks I see many addresses from outside the Rogue Valley, and I feel gratitude that people from afar are willing to support our school. Many thanks to all the contributors to our school.

~Ms. Cori

Games Teacher and Assistant Director

From the Athletic Director

Boys’ Basketball

What a busy week for our boys. They played 3 games, with Thursday’s game being a 1 hour trek to Prospect. On Monday we lost 26-45 to New Hope, but we bounced back quickly winning Wednesday @ Applegate 46-20 and Thursday we won 43-16 @ Prospect. Quite a week.

Notable Performances

Vs. Applegate

Titus Stewart- 12 points, 8 assists

Luke Walker- 10 points, 6 rebounds

Solomon Stricker- 10 points

Theo Gerig- 6 points, 10 rebounds

Khai Knoop- 4 points, 11 rebounds

Vs. Prospect

Luke Walker- 14 points, 8 rebounds

Titus Stewart- 13 points, 5 assists

Roman Roberson- 6 rebounds, 7 steals

Theo Gerig- 6 points, 10 rebounds

No Practice next week during the break.

Games after the Break

Monday 11/27 @ RVA (4:00) 

Wednesday 11/29 @ Rogue River (5:30)              

Cooking Club

Cooking club had another great week. They made peanut butter or sun butter protein balls and Thanksgiving charcuterie boards.

Go Dragons!

~Jeff Roberson

Athletic Director

jeff.roberson@madronetrail.org

Bottles and Cans Fundraiser

WE NEED YOUR BOTTLES AND CANS!! 

Starting yesterday, Thursday, November 15th, BottleDrop will match 20% of all donations to participating organizations through December 2nd. If you have not had a chance to donate, this is a great time to support our 8th Grade Class with their fundraising efforts for their end of the year trip.

This holiday season, BottleDrop Give is contributing up to $65,000 to the Blue Bag Fundraisers (non-profit organizations) through their 7th annual Holiday Give. Full details are available on their Holiday Give page.

Our school is registered to participate so please save up your donations and contribute as much as possible! Only funds raised November 15 – December 2 are eligible for matching through this amazing event.

Do you have your own GREEN BAG BottleDrop Account? You can donate directly from your BottleDrop Account by searching for our school! Click the link to find our school. Matching funds will be deposited to our BottleDrop Give account by December 30. You can find more details about the 8th Grade BottleDrop Fundraiser here. 

Thank you for your continued support!

Chicken Coop in Need of a New Home

Do you need a chicken coop that is a fixer upper? If so, please contact Allison Casenhiser at 

allison.casenhiser@madronetrail.org

Immunization Deadline

All students need to be up to date on their immunizations and have the necessary documentation turned in OR have their exemptions filed by January 17, 2024. Note: 13 year olds are required to get the TDap booster, so if your child is in 7th grade, they will need this one before the deadline. Exemption information can be found here. Sherrie will be sending out email reminders to those who are not up to date before Winter Break. If you have any questions, let Sherrie know, sherrie.gasper@madronetrail.org or 541-842-3657

Substitute Teachers and Assistants Wanted

We are always looking for more Substitute Teachers and Substitute Assistants to be on call throughout the year. If you are interested, please check out our Indeed ads here: SubstituteTeacher and Substitute Teacher Assistant

Parent Education Offering

Quote of the Day

Handlettered by Ms. Cori

MADRONE TRAIL PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL

www.madronetrail.org

Madrone Trail Public Charter School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, religion, disability, or age in its programs and activities.