From the Director

Greetings Madrone Trail Parents and Families,

This week we were blessed with another excellent theater performance as Ms. Cantrell and her 6th grade class performed a series of monologues as tales from the medieval times. Great job Sunflower class!

It is the season when we are going to have a lot of volunteers in and out throughout the day, and for the sake of safety and liability, we need to know when visitors are here. Please remember all guests and visitors who are on campus during the school day must check in at the office. I appreciate your cooperation and please remind your friends and family.

I will also be reaching out to some families soon to offer support related to your student’s attendance. It is critical to your child’s opportunities for learning, routine, rhythm, and formation of their future habits that they attend on a regular basis and are here on time. I know sometimes life circumstances happen, and there are some habitual patterns that we need to work together to address and improve.

I’m looking forward to all the events and activities that lie ahead of us this spring, which will be here before we know it. Thank you everyone who helps make Madrone Trail Public Waldorf School such a place of love and kindness.

Andy Bracco

Director

andy.bracco@madronetrail.org

From the Auction Committee

Get your tickets here

We are excited to announce that we will have live music by the Bathtub Gin Serenaders at this years auction, as well as a booth offering permanent jewelry for purchase by Pamela Susan Jewelry  

$60 through February 22, $75 After February 22

A ticket includes a meal and a drink 

****If you sign up for a volunteer shift your price is: FREE****

(Volunteer opportunities coming soon)

Link to Decor committee's Wishlist here- Particular needs are ANY TYPE OF LIGHTS!! If you see items with a large quantity, please know you don't need to purchase that amount, any would be helpful. 

If you own or work at a small business (or know someone who works with one), and would like to donate goods or services to this years auction please visit our 2025 Auction Benefit Page here

Last but not least, if you would like a free drink or 50/50 raffle ticket, be the first to name which Grimm's Fairytale this picture is associated with, email us at auction@madronetrail.org

From the Kitchen

Our popular broccoli-cheddar soup!

Phew! What a week at the Dragon Café! It turns out broccoli cheddar soup is a fan favorite! We've had several requests for the recipe, and I’m excited to share my version—it’s gluten-free, packed with nutritious veggies and protein, and lighter on dairy than most traditional recipes. This weekend, I’ll be adapting it for an easy, at-home batch. If you'd like a copy, send me an email!

Dragon Cafe Q & A:

To increase awareness and transparency about our meal program, we’re launching a weekly Q&A series! As a sponsor of the National School Lunch Program, we navigate complex regulations and tight budgets every day. Each week, we’ll answer real questions from parents and students or share insights we think our community will appreciate. Want to ask a question? Send an email to Chef Evan. All selected questions will be presented as anonymous in the Friday Update… First up…

Q: We’re not complaining about the free lunches—we love them! But who pays for them?

A: Madrone Trail’s lunch program is funded through a mix of federal and state reimbursements. The USDA provides funding, with additional support from the State of Oregon, all managed by the Oregon Department of Education (ODE). Each meal served is reimbursed at a set rate—about $3 for breakfast and $4.80 for lunch. Think of it like going out to brunch with Uncle Sam—he covers the bill, but only up to a fixed amount. Our costs aren’t covered dollar for dollar, so we have to stretch every penny to make it work! In fact, reimbursements basically cover our food and supplies costs. 

We also rely on renewable and one-time grants to support our hardworking team, upgrade equipment, and purchase local, organic farm products. Without this extra funding, the Dragon Cafe would run at a deficit, requiring the school budget to cover the shortfall. We are all working hard to explore future grant opportunities and funding sources to make sure our program continues to provide this valuable meal service to our students and families. 

Specials Next Week:

• Soup: Split Pea & Ham
• Wednesday Scramble Special: Bell Pepper, Onion, Spinach 
• Friday Crispy Grilled Cheese Breakfast Roll-Up: Turkey Sausage 

Upcoming Foreign Friday Specials:

• February 7th - Indonesia: Ginger Honey Chicken or Tofu with Veggie Fried Rice 
• February 14th - Kenya: Kenyan Style Chicken Curry or Tempeh Curry with Brown Rice (mild)

Chef Evan

evan.wilson@madronetrail.org

From the Athletic Director

Soccer Club

We will once again be having Soccer Club this Spring here at Madrone. Reminder; club participants do not need a sport physical, but they will still need a participation form turned in to Ms. Sherrie along with payments or payment arrangements. (Scholarship and payment request forms are in the office.)

Who: 3rd-5th graders

When: Wednesdays, 1:30-3:00 pm at the Madrone Trail field on the following dates:

March 5th, March 12th, March 19th, April 9th, April 16th, April 23rd, April 30th, May 7th, May 14th, May 21st

Cost: $75

Athletic shoes required. Cleats and shin guards are optional (No Football cleats)

Participation form link below

Community Soccer Opportunity

If you are looking for more soccer opportunities, Junior Comets spring soccer might be what you are looking for. Note: Junior Comets soccer is not affiliated with sports here at Madrone and will include their own registration process, but they have soccer for grades Pre-k all the way to 8th grade.

Reminder; Junior Comets soccer for 6th-8th graders would conflict with our spring Track & Field program. I would ask that you choose Track & Field if you are on the fence between Junior Comets soccer and Madrone Track & Field for those upper grades.

Who: Pre-K-8th grade

When: March 17th-May 24th

Cost: Pre-K-K ($35), 1st-8th ($50/1 participant) ($90/2) ($120/3)

Registration: Open now through February 28th

https://www.juniorcometsports.com/registration-information3.html

Special Thanks to our newest Athletic sponsors this year!

Red Lily Vineyards, Curtius Plumbing & Mechanical, and Homequest Realty.

Three amazing companies committed funds to help ensure our sports programs continue to available to our students.

Go Dragons!

Jeff Roberson

jeff.roberson@madronetrail.org

Insight Into Waldorf Education

Waldorf Education: An Artistic Approach and the Intriguing Connection with the Breath

By Gesine Abraham, Madrone Trail founding member and retired Waldorf Teacher, January 2025

If I had to choose the one thing that is the major distinguishing factor of Waldorf education in the elementary years it would be the fundamental principle that education must take an artistic form. It is not a matter of providing a little sugar to help the medicine go down. It is a matter of understanding in a profound way the quality of consciousness of children in this 2nd seven year cycle. Between the ages of 7 and 14 children are most awake or aware in the feeling realm. They have a picture consciousness and a rhythmical memory.   

The mandate of the teacher in a traditional/mainstream approach is to make sure that the children come away from a lesson having learned certain key concepts that can later be recalled and tested. This is very much the case today with the emphasis on accountability via testing. 

Steiner (the founder of Waldorf Education) points out that such methods are very convenient because they allow the teacher to verify that the child has absorbed what has been taught in the previous lesson. Unfortunately, such an approach misses the heart of the matter regarding the actual nature of children at this stage of life. 

The mandate of the Waldorf main lesson approach is to immerse the children in a lively experience, one that gives them a feeling for things. This holds true for all academic subjects. In teaching Roman history in sixth grade, for example, the teacher prepares by first immersing herself/himself in the subject and then choosing the elements they want to bring to the children. The challenge is to then take this background knowledge and present it in such a way that it appeals to the imagination and feelings of the children and evokes rich inner imagery...

Read the entire article on the Parent Education tab (under For Parents) on Madrone Trail's website

Winter Weather Procedures

Now that we are well into the winter season, this is a reminder that Madrone Trail follows the decisions made by the Medford School District regarding severe weather procedures. Please refer to social media, media announcements, or their website for guidance from MSD. We will also add info to the homepage of our school website. When in doubt, if Medford closes, we close!

In the event school needs to be delayed, canceled, or released early (due to an unexpected weather event occurring during school hours), the following decisions are possible:

• Normal school hours – snow routes: some bus routes in higher elevations change due to snow or slick road conditions. Snow routes are posted ahead of time at  https://msd549c.com/busroutes.
• Cancellation: School and district are closed. Essential safety personnel may be asked to work if safe to do so.
• Two-hour delayed start – regular routes OR snow routes: School begins two hours after regularly scheduled start time. Regular bus routes or snow routes may run, depending on road conditions. 
• Releasing school early – normal routes OR snow routes: School is released early due to hazardous road conditions. Buses may run regular routes or snow routes, depending on road conditions.

Community Offering

Offerings from Nina Gallwey

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.