Back to School 2014

707-472-5000

Here's how:School Site Council Meetings.

Parent/Teacher Association.Volunteer

Back to School Nights Open Housewebsite (www.uusd.net).

You can have a voice in your child's eduction

Parents Count

UKIAH UNIFIEDSCHOOL DISTRICT

(www.uusd.net).(www.uusd.net).

School Offices Open for Enrollment August 6

2014-15 Kindergarten Registration andTransitional Kindergarten Registration

Students age 5 by September 1, 2014 will be enrolled in KindergartenStudents turning 5 between Sept. 2 and Dec. 2 2014 will enroll in our

Transitional Kindergarten ProgramEstudiantes de 5 años de edad para el 1 de septiembre del 2014 serán inscritos en el Kinder.Estudiantes de 5 años de edad entre el 2 de septiembre y el 2 de diciembre del 2014 serán

inscritos en nuestro programa de Kinder Transicional.

Registration orms a ailable at sc ool o ces beginning ug. t and at www.uusd.netE R SD S

alpella Elementary o omis Elementary ran ee Elementary

a anor Elementary race udson Elementary o ayo Elementary

Ukiah Unified KindergartenRegistration

ia ni ed Sc ool District

Serving K-12

UKIAH UNIFIEDSCHOOL DISTRICT

Serving K-12Serving K-12

Ukiah IndependentStudy Academy

Ukiah Unified School District(UUSD) is thrilled to welcomeits students and families back to2014-2015 school year. This yearbrings with it many new excitingchanges and programs, many ofwhich the community had part indeveloping through input into theUkiah Unified School District’sStrategic Plan, which can befound on our website at www.uusd.net.Art and Music are beingbrought back and enhanced inour schools this year. We havebeen busy repairing, purchasing,and polishing our instrumentsin anticipation of listening toour students play instrumentsbeginning in middle school.UUSD hired three instrumentalmusic teachers as we will beoffering music instruction andperformance bands at bothmiddle schools and at the UkiahHigh school. In addition, thehiring of these three teacherswill enable us to offer chorus atPomolita Middle School as anelective option. Furthermore,Art will be offered as an electiveat Pomolita and an art curriculumwill be taught in our elementaryschools. Be on the lookout forannouncements throughout theyear of performances and openhouses where we will showcasethese programs.We are pleased that UkiahIndependent Study Academywas recently accredited throughthe Western Association ofSchools and Colleges (WASC),which enables our college-bound independent studystudents to qualify to attend afour year university. Throughthe Ukiah Independent StudyAcademy, we will be partneringwith Mendocino CommunityCollege to offer a MiddleCollege program which allowsstudents to earn high school andcollege credit simultaneouslyand complete their requirementsfor high school graduationwhile exploring their individualinterests through a diversecollege curriculum. Through our

alternative education program,we offer diverse educationaloptions to meet the varied needsof our families.We are committed to servingstudents both academically andthrough counseling support asneeded. We recently hired anadditional high school counselorand twomiddle school counselorsto assist students and families increating plans for college andcareer at an early age. UkiahHigh is starting a PeerCounselingprogram, and the staff has beenbusy this summer welcomingincoming freshman to programsthat will enable them to besuccessful at Ukiah High andbeyond.The technology departmentis busy at work rolling outadditional Chromebooks forstudents. These computers willbe used in grades 3, 4 ,7, 10 and11 during the 2014-2105 schoolyear. Superintendent Kubin said,“I recently overheard a Ukiah 3rdgrade student talking about howshe could not wait for 3rd Gradeto start so she could start usingher laptop. Teachers are usingthese devices as a learning toolfor students, and it is a pleasurewatching our students learntechnical skills that will helpthem after they graduate.”Ukiah Unified is proud of itsprograms, its staff, and of thesuccess of our students. We havemany new faces in our schools,and we hope you will join us inwelcomingournewstaffmembersto the community. Thank you inadvance for your support of ourschools and do not hesitate to callon us if we can be of assistance.Ukiah Unified is a school districtof choice and we hope you willjoin us throughout the year aswe celebrate our students andfamilies at various events.Schools starts on Monday,August 25! Please check outour website at www.uusd.netfor calendars, bus schedules andmenus and don’t forget to friendus on Facebook for ongoingnews.

Welcome Back for the2014-2015 School Year

ADVERTISEMENT» ukiahdailyjournal.comSunday, August 17, 2014 »MORE AT TWITTER.COM/UDJNEWS, FACEBOOK.COM BY SEARCHING FOR THE UKIAH DAILY JOURNAL

C1

ByAnnKellyLa Vida Charter SchoolExecutive Director

La Vida Charter School isexcited and grateful to havereceived its five-year re-newal from the Willits Uni-fied last spring. The schooladministration is especiallyappreciative of Superinten-dent Patricia Johnson formaking the process smooth,efficient and successful.This new five-year periodwill be marked with manynew classes, programs andassessments supportingthe La Vida blended inde-pendent study programenhanced by Waldorf in-spired on-site classes.As part of the 2014-15theme, Endeavor for Excel-lence, the classical, higherorder pursuits of art his-tory and appreciation andcalligraphy will be taughtby guest teachers art histo-rian Gary Martin and mas-ter calligrapher Jerri-JoIdarius, both from Willits.A variety of new specialtyclasses will vitalize theyear by new and visitingspecialty teachers. Circusarts will liven up the ele-mentary school with jug-gling, mime and stilts andwith students making theirown stilts. Brian Maneelyof Ukiah Players and UkiahCircus Jam will teach stu-dents circus arts. The Re-luctant Dragon will be thefall play this year.

In high school, bringinggeometry to life will hap-pen in a variety of ways.Tim Owen-Kennedy of Vi-tal Systems, will teachwoodworking and clay uti-lizing geometry in natureprinciples as well as the“Designing and buildingWith Nature” class. Ar-chaeologist, Chris Harda-ker, will teach artful geom-etry in “Landscape Arts.”

Other onsite specialties willinclude Mosaics, Collage,Herbal arts, Readers The-ater, Outdoor Adventure,Computer Science, as wellas a Seabiscuit era classand Watershed Science Lab.The Tuesday Tutoring pro-gram will be expanded toinclude a tutor at in publicplaces such as the library,Veteran math teacher andformer superintendent BobHarper will join the schoolstutoring team in math.

Jeff Simpson of masterylearning systems will beon hand at La Vida, teach-ing math in his very effec-tive and humorous methodto help students fill ingaps or build expertise.The year will begin with allstudents taking a diagnos-tic test the first week. LaVida is piloting a new on-line diagnostic from Let’sGo Learn for grades fivethrough 12. Designed bya young educational tech-nology team from Berke-ley, Let’s Go Learn, whichwill give detailed reportsso that teachers will be ableto make personalize assign-ments and suggest supple-mental curriculum basedon the students level. TheMap test which La Vida hasbeen using for years as theformative test in its trian-gulated assessment model,is also going through achange.

LaVida is joining theCali-fornia pilot of the test, with anewonline version combinedwith a new common corealigned test. Supportingthis shift to online testing,the school will be launchinganewportable computer lab.The school purchased 20new laptopswith its commoncore money. Someof the lap-tops will be available for stu-dents to check-out for thosemeeting certain criteria.Homeschooling parents willbe working with new cur-

riculum this year, primarilyin math. Many parents haveopted to use Singapore Mathin the elementary grades.TriumphLearningandRightStart math are two other op-tions that are being pilotedthis year for the commoncore alignments.

Junior high and highschool students will bebenefiting from the artifi-cial intelligence online tu-tor from Carnegie Learn-ing known as Mathiaand Cognitive Tutor.Teachers have done a vari-ety of training over the sum-mer, many through the Wal-dorf online classes or at Ru-dolph Steiner college. Thefaculty as a group is read-ing the Beginners Guide toConstructing the Universethe Mathematical Arche-types in Art, Science andNature by Michael Schnei-der which inform the pro-gram for the next two years.The La Vida regular fac-ulty for the 2014-15 year in-cludes Cody Dooley KinderInstructor, Barbara Lastgrades 1-2, Emily Gibsongrades 3-4, Marta Wrightjunior high, Karen Loysterart, Michael Charnes musicand movement,. The highschool includes Larry Cole

social studies and languagearts, Craig Rohrbough andAndrew Miller in mathKaren Walsh science, Su-zanne Farris independentstudy coordinator. The Spe-cial Ed team includes MartyWolff, Michael Charnes,

and Craig Rohrbough.Orientation is required

for all new and returningstudents. High school ori-entation is Tuesday August26th at 9:30 AM and 6:30PM. Kindergarten throughsecond grade is August 27

from 9:30 to 2:30. Grades3-4 and junior high will beAugust 28th from 9:30 to2:30. The first day of schoolis September 2. There areopenings in high school.For information call 459-6344.

LAVIDACHARTERSCHOOL

La Vida Charter School granted 5-year renewal

COURTESY PHOTO BY LA VIDA CHARTER SCHOOL

La Vida Charter School twelfth graders expressingappreciation for teachers.

ByHenry SadowskiThe Tutoring Center Director

It seems like it wasn’tthat long ago that weopened our Tutoring Cen-ter here in Ukiah. But it’sbeen five years. Five yearsago at this time we were notquite ready for students, butwere busy building, order-ing supplies and furniture,and preparing to promoteour program.

The first event we partic-ipated in was Pumpkin Festin October of 2009. We re-ceived a great welcome bythe community and appreci-ate the continued support. Ican’t say just how many peo-ple have thanked my wifeand I for bringing our pro-gram to the Ukiah area.

This fall we are offeringa “Back to School” specialfor new enrollments, givingfamilies $100 off their firstmonth’s tuition. We workwith students in grades Kto 12 and offer programs inreading, writing, math, al-gebra I and II, geometry,trigonometry, calculus, andtest prep.

We also offer a home-work study skills programfor children who have goodacademic skills but may notbe meeting their potentialdue to poor study habits,the inability to completehomework, difficulty withnote taking and organiza-tion, and trouble approach-ing how to best study andprepare for tests. And as al-ways, we continue to offerfree diagnostic assessmentsfor new students.

The methods we use grew

out of founder EdwardThalheimer’s research ineducational psychology. Hewas concerned with help-ing children with AttentionDeficit Disorder (ADD) andother learning disabilities.

Our methods work withthese children but canalso help children with-out these conditions learnmore, be more organized,and increase their atten-tion and focus. We special-ize in helping children mas-ter academic skills, get bet-

ter grades, achieve higherstandardized test scores,and gain the confidence,motivation, and concentra-tion necessary to succeed.

For more information onour programs you can goto our company website atwww.tutoringcenter.com,call us at 468-1300, or dropby. We’re located at 307North State Street, abouta block north of the court-house at the northeast cor-ner of Smith and State inUkiah.

TUTORINGCENTER

The Tutoring Center gearsup for next year’s students

The Ukiah

DAILY JOURNALMendocino County’s local newspaper

COURTESY PHOTO BY LA VIDA CHARTER SCHOOL

Last Day of School flytes festivities at La Vida Charter School.

Back to School 2014

Prepari

ng students for college

Recognized by N

ewsweek

& US News as one

of

America’s Best Scho

ols

RedwoodAcademyof Ukiah➢ FREE Public School

➢ Advanced Placement Options➢ Caring, Credentialed Teachers➢ Centrally Located at the Fairgrounds➢ Clubs & Electives, Student Council➢ Serving Grades 7-12➢ Dress Code

www.caredwoods.org • 1059 N. State St., Ukiah

A Small School for Big Thoughts

Enroll Today (707)467-0500

Tree of Life Charter SchoolFree Montessori elementary educationfor children ages 5 through 13

G ive your child ajoyful learning experiencefull of discovery with:Beautiful hands-onlearning materials,lessons, & projectsExploration of owninterests & abilitiesExperiential learningwith field trips, artsRespectful, caringlearning communityMulti-age classes

Call for more information:

707-462-0913treeoflifeschool@pacific.netwww.treeoflifeschool.net

K-12 Home Study with Culturally Rich ClassesSpecialties for 2014-15 year include:Circus Arts, Art History & Appreciation,Calligraphy, Outdoor Adventure,

Computer Science, CTE Classes & More

www.lavidaschool.org

SingingFor Peace

Located OnRidgewoodRanch

OrientationAugust 26,

27, 28459- 6344

| ADVERTISEMENT | UKIAHDAILYJOURNAL.COM SUNDAY, AUGUST 17, 20142 C

COURTESY PHOTO BY STATEPOINT MEDIA

Don’t let back to school shopping be a chore. Thisyear, get the kids off to a great start by making schoolpersonal, stylish and fun.

By Lisa RayDominican UniversityInterim Director

Dominican University’sUkiah Center is welcomingover 25 new teacher candi-dates this fall. These aspir-ing teachers are eager to en-ter the teaching professionas Kindergarten through12th grade teachers in ourlocal schools.

The new teacher candi-dates are enrolled in twoteacher preparation pro-grams. Ukiah residentsPeter Marshall and Bran-don Norbury, are prepar-ing to teach in our mid-dle- and high schools. Pe-ter is preparing to teachscience at the high schoollevel, and Brandon will be-come a PE teacher. Oth-ers, like Jodi Howe, wholives in Lake County, andKathryn Bray, are gettingready to teach in elemen-tary schools.

Dominican studentswill be in public schoolsin Lake, Mendocino, andSonoma counties on thefirst day of school to learnhow classrooms are pre-pared. The Ukiah Center

partners with local schoolsto ensure that their newteacher candidates willobserve and work underthe direction of masterteachers.

Many incoming teachercandidates have alreadysecured teaching posi-tions. They will continuetheir own education at thesame time they are teach-

ing. Casey Merritt and Da-vid Weber, for example,will be teaching at Pomo-lita, teaching English andscience classes, respectively.

The Ukiah Center, whichwas established in 1984 tomeet the needs of work-ing adults, offers classes inUkiah in the late afternoon,in the evening, and on Sat-urdays. The Ukiah Center’s

programs provide highlyqualified instructors, ameaningful, practical, andrelevant curriculum, and arange of outstanding localresources. The Ukiah Cen-ter is located at 2240 OldRiver Road. For more infor-mation, please visit Domin-ican.edu/ukiah, call 463-4800, or email ukiah@do-minican.edu.

DOMINICANUNIVERSITY

Dominican University welcomesteacher candidates at Ukiah Center

COURTESY PHOTO BY DOMINICAN UNIVERSITY

Dominican’s Ukiah Center teacher candidates.

By StatePoint

Back to school shoppingcan seem tedious and bor-ing for some students. Butyou can help your youngones get motivated for anew school year by gettingthem more involved in theexperience.

After an extended vaca-tion, going back to schooland getting back into thedaily grind can seem sti-fling, but personalizingand accessorizing schoolsupplies, lockers and workspaces can be a simple an-tidote.

With that in mind, hereare a few tips and DIYideas to get kids pumpedabout the new school year:

NotebooksWhy settle for the same

plain notebooks everyoneelse has? Liven up math,history and English bydecorating a notebook foreach subject with its ownunique design and colorconcept. Doing so isn’t justfun, it can help studentsfind their stuff quicklyduring the rush betweenclasses.

One easy way to deco-rate notebooks and rein-force them at the same timeagainst wear and tear iswith duct tape. Lay down asolid color duct tape alongthe cover of your notebookin rows, then use a craft-ing knife to cut along thesides, making the edgessharp and clean. After that,lay a few horizontal, diag-onal or vertical stripes ofpatterned duct tape downover the base in fun pat-terns to make it your own.

Don’t forget to labeleach notebook with yourname and subject!

Workspaces

A student’s work spaceshould be a place that in-spires him or her to dogreat work and be cre-ative. But that can seemimpossible when the spaceis colorless and uninspir-ing. To get your kids ex-cited about homework, letthem play a role in choos-ing where they do it andthen allow them to deco-rate that area.

A place for friendly re-minders and to-do listsabove the desk can bea helpful study aid thatkeeps kids on task. How-ever, rather than hanginga conventional chalkboard,create a portable versionwith 3M’s new ScotchChalkboard Tape or DryErase Tape, which acts justlike a regular chalkboardor dry erase surface, butis applied like tape and re-moves cleanly and easilyfrom surfaces.

Be creativeYou provide the binders,

notebooks, pencils and thecrafting supplies and letkids provide the imagina-tion. And now, kids canshare their crafting talentnot just with their class-mates, but also with theworld by entering 3M’s“Tape On” contest wherethey can submit their ownback to school creationsusing duct tape for an op-portunity to win prizes.

Feeling inspired? Chan-nel that creativity thissummer by submittingyour own back to schoolproject. Visit http://go.3M.com/tapeoncontest formore information on howto enter and to see the of-ficial contest rules.

DO ITYOURSELF

Fun DIY projectsfor back to school

BySelah SawyerAccelerated Achievement Acad-emy Principal

Accelerated Achieve-ment Academy is a free,public charter school of-fering a small school en-vironment focused on thesuccess of each child. Weserve students in gradesfour through twelve. Ourmission is to acceleratestudent achievement. Wework with families to helpstudents improve theiracademic performancethrough personalized atten-tion and support programs.We strive to teach studentsnot only the Common CoreState Standards, but alsohow to be productive mem-bers of the community.

We offer three programsfor our students. The el-ementary program is forgrades four through six. Weoffer small classes sizes so

our dedicated teachers canprovide the support eachstudent needs. Studentsparticipate in a very bal-anced approach to teach-ing that includes hands-onactivities and out of classexperiences with multiplefield trips each year. In ad-dition to the classroom ac-tivities, students have theopportunity to participatein several school-wide ac-tivities such as Spirit Week,Talent Show and enrich-ment activities.

The middle school pro-gram for seventh and eighthgraders offers a unique mid-dle school experience.

Middle school can bethe most challenging timefor students both academi-cally and socially. Our pro-gram provides student withadditional support duringthis time by keeping classsizes small and limiting thenumber of teachers the stu-dents have. The 7th grade

students have one primaryteacher for all the academicclasses, as well as, a fitnessand computer teacher. The8th grade students have twoteachers for their academicclasses, as well as, a fitnessand computer teacher. Thisallows teachers to providemore target support for in-dividual students.

The high school pro-gram emphasizes not onlyhigh school success but alsopost graduation success. Weprovide curriculum on posthigh school options includ-ing junior college, techni-cal schools, certificate pro-grams, and career options.We also provide indepen-dent living curriculum sostudents have knowledgeabout everything from per-sonal wellness to finan-cial literacy. We offer manypaths to a high school di-ploma. Our program offersclasses for students who

ACCELERATEDACHIEVEMENTACADEMY

Charter school puts focuson success of each child

AAASCHOOL»PAGE7

By The Willits News

Youngsteras enteringkindergarten are ready forschool when they “can takecare of personal needs andpay attention in the class-room.”

A key skill set is the abil-ity to “use the toilet, washhands, dress, eat and blownose by themselves.” Thechild should be able to stayfocused and pay attentionfor 10 to 15 minutes at atime. The child should beable to ask “for help whenhe or she needs it.” And thechild should be able to “holda pencil, use a crayon andcut with scissors.”

Parents can help young-sters do well in school bysetting a consistent schoolschedule. Avoid a “stress-ful start to the day” by mak-ing preparation the nightbefore such as making surethe student’s clothes arelaid out and ready, the back-pack is ready and lunch (ifyour youngster is takingone) is made.

Your student needs be-tween 10 and 12 hours ofsleep each night. Makesure he/she gets to bedearly. Start the school sleeptime routine no later thana week before school starts.Set aside a place at home foryour student’s school books,backpack, school work and

the like. Once school actu-ally starts, the first weeksare very exhausting for stu-dents. Limiting after schoolactivities until the young-ster has adjusted to the newroutine is one way to ensurethey get enough rest.

Be sure to arrive at schoolon time, again reduce the

potential stress associatedwith lateness. Don’t forgetto hug your youngster andwish him/her a good day.

Before the first day ofschool, visit the teacher,classroom and playgroundwith your youngster. Helphim/her find the restrooms.

BACKTOSCHOOL

Preparing your child for kindergartenTips and techniques to make the transition from home to a new school environment easier

COURTESY PHOTO BY THE WILLITS NEWS

Kindergarten is a time for learning and fun.

TIPS»PAGE7

Back to School 2014

Riding Green is a Bargain

GOING TOSCHOOL?

MTAhas three great options

Mendocino Transit Authority

www.mendocinotransit.org • 800-696-4MTA

Option 1 Zone travelled 2 Zones travelled 3 Zones travelled

CASH FARE $1.50 $2.25 $3.00

PUNCH PASS $1.06/ride (1 punch) $2.12/ride (2 punches $3.18/ride (3 punches)16 punches: $17, Seniors/Disabled: $8.50

MONTHLY PASS $35 (as low as $1.13/ride) $57 (as low as $1.84/ride) $85 (as low as $2.74/ride)Unlimited rides per month

SERVING:Mendocino College-Willits CampusWillits Charter SchoolMendocino College-Ukiah Campus(Local 9 service until 10:10 pm • Saturdays 8 am to 5 pm)Waldorf SchoolUkiah Junior AcademyUkiah High School

Redwood AcademyUkiah Adult SchoolAccelerated Achievement AcademyRiver Oak Charter SchoolPomolitaSt. Mary’sPace School

SUNDAY, AUGUST 17, 2014 UKIAHDAILYJOURNAL.COM | ADVERTISEMENT | 3C

Article submitted bySt. Mary’s School

With a focus on strongacademics, spiritual growthand physical development,St. Mary of the Angels Cath-olic School creates an atmo-sphere that combines struc-ture with creativity, andfosters an enthusiasm forlife-long learning. In keep-ingwith theirmission of ed-ucating the whole child, St.Mary’s helps students un-derstand the responsibil-ity of being a global citizenand empowers students tomake a difference in theircommunity and the world.St. Mary’s School is

unique; the school’s facultyis able to nurture in theirstudents the core values ofrespect, compassion, andthe importance of a spir-itual life, so students areprepared for a successfullife, and one that is joyfulandmeaningful as well. Forfamilies, St. Mary’s offers anetwork of relationshipsthat help provide supportand stability. Recent arriv-als to town find that theirchildren have a place in theclassroom, and that they asparents, have gained an in-stant community to sup-port them as they settle intotheir new hometown.St. Mary’s has an estab-

lishedmusic program and afaculty that believes in thepowermusic has to enhancepersonal and academic per-formance. The school’s ex-tensive music programgives all students the op-portunity to learn a varietyof musical instruments in-

cluding keyboards, drums,guitars, ukuleles, and handchimes. Children can dis-cover the joy of singing asthey participate in choralclassesRecognizing the impor-

tance a strong STEM cur-riculummakes in their stu-dents’ continuing academicand professional success,the school has invested inupgrading the computerlabs with new Chrome-books, a Junior High sci-ence lab, iPads, sciencecamps, and a strong sciencefair program. St.Mary’s stu-dents’ projects have quali-fied for the California statescience fair for the pastthree years.St. Mary’s School gradu-

ates are well prepared forhigh school academically.St. Mary’s offers studentsin grades 6-8 five levels ofmath, including Geometryand Algebra II. The JuniorHigh Spanish program of-fers 7th and 8th gradersan optional zero period ofSpanish instruction, whichallows students to takeSpanish II as Ukiah HighSchool freshmen.St. Mary’s School fosters

in its students the spirit ofcommunity service. It is agraduation requirementthat 8th graders perform40 hours of service to thesick, poor, and convalescentin our community. All stu-dents participate in fundraising efforts and serviceprojects to serve others lo-cally, nationally and glob-ally through Plowshares(our local community din-ing room and service cen-

ter), providing supplies toan orphanage in Mexico,participating in the Amer-ican Cancer Society’s Re-lay for Life, and collectingfunds for the DominicanSisters Vision of Hope, andthe American Red Cross, Tolearnmore about St. Mary’sSchool’s Student LearningExpectations please visitwww.stmarysukiah.org/philosophy.html.St. Mary’s unique ability

to provide a well-roundededucation for the wholechild produces results: scho-lastically, athletically, and instudent body leadership, St.Mary’s students excel inhighschool. To quote a UkiahHigh School Vice Princi-pal, St. Mary’s students “arewell prepared, have excellentstudy skills, leadership skills,and academic foundations.”While representing only 4%of the UHS student body,

graduates comprise 38% ofthe students in honors andAP classes.Thoughtful attention to

facility upgrades resulted ina UPD officer describing St.Mary’s School as “one of thesafest campuses in Ukiah”.Hot lunches are preparedin the school kitchen fivedays a week. In addition,St. Mary’s offers Kid’s Clubextended day care for stu-dents, before and after

school, with a breakfastserved in the morning. In-terested families are alsowelcome to call the officeat 462-3888 and schedulea time to drop in and ob-serve a classroom. Applica-tions, School Fact Sheet andapplications for tuition as-sistance are available inthe school office or onlineat www.stmarysukiah.org.St. Mary’s is located at 991S. Dora St. in Ukiah.

ST. MARY’S SCHOOL — WHERETHE WHOLE CHILD IS EDUCATED

ByAngela Eaves-Lewisand Jamie Eaves-Lewis

What happens when oneof our kids reaches out andno one is there to answer?This June marked the

end of a very tumultuousjourney for one RCS youthand the beginning of a won-derful adventure. For thepurpose of confidentialitywe will refer to this youthas Adam.Adam is an 18 year old

that spent over half his lifein foster care moving fromgroup home to group home.Late in 2013 Adam, then 17years old, was atMendocinoCounty Children’s Center(MC3) after a very tumultu-ous year. The shelter crewmet and developed a planwith the Behavioral HealthServices team to structurean individualized routinethat could both meet Ad-am’s high level of need andkeep everyone safe. Theplan succeeded beyond any-one’s expectations.Why was the MC3 team

successful when other pro-grams failed Adam? Adamhad always been treatedlike a volcano that coulderupt at any time. WhenAdam was talked aboutby other agencies he wastreated like a person othersshould fear. Treating chil-dren like they are a prob-lem to be managed insteadof a person in the recoverymodel sends the messagethat the child is inherentlybad. Adam communicatedclearly that he needed afamily and identified mem-bers of the RCS team asthat family. MC3 providedAdamwith a sense of safetythat was consistent and un-wavering. What does safetymean to you? To Adam itmeant consistency, keep-ing your word, and staff notbeing afraid. After watch-ing Adam flourish over a7 month stay it was obvi-ous that Adam’s primaryconcern was knowing whothe “safe people” were.The staff contoured Ad-am’s program toward pro-moting safety awareness

by empowering him withstatements like “if this cri-sis occurred how could wehandle it?” Adam thrivedunder this program.Toward the end of Adam’s

stay thereweremulti-agencymeetings to rally commu-nity supports andfindAdama placement. The clock wasticking, Adam’s 18th birth-day was approaching, andmoving from the safety ofMC3 was inevitable.During the seven month

stay atMC3 Adamwould sitin my office and ask ques-tions like “what will hap-pen when I turn 18?” Mywife and I had been certi-fied for respite foster carebut had never taken a childinto our home. It becameobvious that Adam’s needswould be best met witha foster home but I knewAdam’s file would preventmost foster parents fromconsidering him.During ameeting around

three weeks before his 18birthday it began to looklike Adam would be movedto a locked facility. RCSstaff met to discuss Adam’supcoming transition. Atthat meeting I mentioned

that my wife and I couldtake Adam as a foster youthif RCS could wrap servicesaround our family. At thetime no one had envisionedthat Adam could be suc-cessful without round theclock staff. I gave the teama snapshot of the supportJamie, Adam, and I wouldneed andRCS rallied to pro-vide that. During the daysbefore Adam’s birthday hehad no idea where he wouldmove but trusted the teamand his social worker tokeep him safe. Jamie and Icalled our friends and wentto work renovating a room,building a bed, and intro-ducing Adam to the familydogs. The day before Ad-am’s birthday and gradua-tion party I took Adam tobreakfast and showed himpictures of the remodelproject. When Adam sawthe picture of the DisneyCars decal on the wall Iasked him how he wouldlike to live with us. Adamgot the biggest smile on hisface and asked if he wouldbe mine and Jamie’s son.The day of the gradua-

tion party Adam was ableto wear a cap and gown

and walk through a crowdof his supporters to receivehis certificate of high schoolcompletion. Adam took Ja-mie around the party intro-ducing her to everyone tell-ing them she and I were hisnew foster mom’s.Life since the move has

been amazing. I never en-visioned myself as a par-ent. We were the proudparents of dogs, cats, chick-en’s, and ducks and werehappy to call them ourkids. When Adam came

into our home he enrichedour lives as much as we en-riched his. Adam is happi-est when he has three dogsin his lap begging for himto pet them while they tryto steal kisses. Adam is al-ways smiling. Life is not al-ways simple or easy at ourhouse but it is happy.This is a child who be-

lieved he was bad. Kidsaren’t bad but their behav-ior can sometimes be a chal-lenge. We treated Adamlike a human and he re-

warded us with trust. RCSwas the agent of changeAdam needed in his life sohe could take his next bigleap into adulthood.I think we have all heard

the term wraparound.What does the term wrap-around services reallymean? To Adam it meansthat people listened whenhe said he needed a family.

Angela Eaves-Lewis andJamie Eaves-Lewis areRCS foster parents.

Redwood Children’s Services: A youth’s journey

CONTRIBUTED

St. Mary’s new science lab encourages students to develop the STEM skills so highly sought after in the workplace oftoday. Sixty percent of U.S. employers are having difficulties finding qualified workers in these areas. St. Mary’s Schooland it’s students are poised to meet this need.

Back to School 2014

• Roots and Shoots: ParentChild Course for parents andyoung children

• Aftercare available Monday –Friday until 5:30 p.m.

• School Tours offered Monthly

TheSchool

Inspired Education... Preschool thru 8th GradeInspired Education... Preschool thru 8th Grade

ALDORFwof Mendocino Countyof Mendocino Countyof Mendocino Countyof Mendocino Countyw 707-485-8719707-485-87196280 Third Street, Calpella CA6280 Third Street, Calpella CAwww.waldorfmendocino.com www.waldorfmendocino.com

Offering inspired education preschool to 8th Grade

waldorf schoolwaldorf schoolof mendocino countyof mendocino county

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Article submitted by WaldorfSchool of Mendocino County

Transformation, nov-elty, and wonder abound atthe Waldorf School of Men-docino County (WSMC) inCalpella, CA. New programofferings, campus improve-ments, and inspired chil-dren and families combineto create the world we de-sire at WSMC.

What is offered at theWSMC is unique: the be-ginning of a lifelong love oflearning. The Waldorf ed-ucation system recognizesand meets the need forstrong development of theintellect. Waldorf is com-mitted to excellence in allbasic academic skills. Itprovides a full introduc-tion to the classics, foreignlanguages, history, geogra-phy, mathematics, and sci-ence. While doing so, it alsoaddresses the whole child:head, heart, and hands.The mind of a Waldorf stu-dent is stimulated with thefull spectrum of traditionalacademic subjects. Healthyemotional development isnurtured through experi-ence, and the hands andbody are engaged througha broad range of artistichandwork, craft activities,music and movement.

At WSMC the Waldorf ex-perience is offered to chil-dren in preschool through8th grade. Our Early Child-hood program offerings in-clude two mixed-age kinder-gartens and two preschools.Our preschools are welcometo children ages 2 and 3 byJune 1st. Kindergartenersages 4 or 5 by June 1st arewelcome to attend five daysper week from 8:30 am to 1p.m. Small class sizes withteachers and assistants al-low children to have a qual-ity educational experience.Children enjoy outdoor playtime and nature experienceson our 32 acre-campus andadventure to local creeks,ponds, and vineyards.

This year, WSMC is ex-cited to announce a newpreschool: Primrose Pre-school. Under the gentle,sweet, presence of Ms. Em-ily Palmer, Primrose pre-school offers a unique ap-proach to preschool includ-ing a Forest Classroom oneday per week.

Roots and Shoots: A Par-ent and Child course will beoffered in 2014-2015. Par-

ents with little ones learntogether in a group guidedby a skilled facilitator, AmyStocker. The Fall sessionwill meet six Wednesdaymornings in a row start-ing in mid-October at theWSMC campus. Young chil-dren ages 1-3 and walkingare welcome to attend with

interested parents.To register for preschool,

kindergarten, take a schooltour, or attend a MorningRoses: Introduction to Wal-dorf Preschool and Kinder-garten event contact theschool at 707-485-8719 oremail enroll@mendocinow-aldorf.org.

CALPELLA

New programs, campusimprovements at Waldorf

Article submitted byMendocino College

Mendocino College isproud to be celebrating 41years of serving the edu-cational and communityneeds of the Mendocino-Lake Community CollegeDistrict! It was in Sep-tember of 1973 when por-table classrooms arrivedat the Ukiah County Fair-grounds and the first fallsemester began with morethan 1,000 students en-rolled. Today, that numberhas grown to more than6,000 students and Men-docino College now servesapproximately 100,000people and eight unifiedschool districts over morethan 3,200 square miles,employing over 400 clas-sified faculty and manage-ment personnel.

Some exciting thingshave happened at Men-docino College over thelast year, most notably theofficial notice of Reaffir-mation of Accreditation, ina letter from the Accredit-ing Commission for Com-munity and Junior Col-leges (ACCJC). This ac-creditation ensures thatthe education earned atour institution is of valueto the student who earnedit. With this accreditation,employers, profession-re-lated licensing agenciesand other colleges anduniversities can accept ourstudents’ credentials as le-

gitimate. Mendocino Col-lege was thrilled to be oneof only seven colleges, inthe western region, to beawarded reaccreditationstatus without sanction atthis year’s meeting.

In addition to that ex-citement, Mendocino Col-lege will also be offer-ing classes in Fort Braggfor the fall 2014 semes-ter! According to Men-docino College PresidentArturo Reyes, “MendocinoCollege is excited to formnew partnerships with thecoast communities and toprovide exceptional, acces-sible and affordable educa-tional opportunities to thearea residents.”

The educational oppor-tunities don’t stop there,our Ukiah campus, newNorth County Center andour Lake County Cen-ter all offer a wide rangeof classes for students towork toward their certifi-cate, associate’s degree ortheir transfer to a four year

COMMUNITYCOLLEGE

Mendocino opensFort Bragg campusfor fall semester

The Waldorf School campus in Calpella has undergonemany improvements for the upcoming school year.

Article submitted byRiver Oak Charter School

River Oak Charter Schoolenriches the lives of all stu-dents through the offer-ing of music instruction.The primary grades intro-duce music through his-tory, theory, cultural under-standing, and performingwith recorders, pentatonicharps, singing, and dance.Students in grade four be-gin with violin and maychoose other orchestral orband instruments in gradesfive through eight. In addi-tion, all middle school stu-dents participate in choralinstruction.

The music staff includesHolly Fagan, strings,Dorian May, band, and Jan-ice Timm, choir. The schoolcelebrates the opportunityto provide a vital part of thehuman experience throughmusic and fine arts.

River Oak has adopteda modified version of thevery successful RudolphSteiner curriculum whichplaces a high value on ar-tistic instruction. Teachingis an art. River Oak teach-ers are committed to creat-ing lively, memorable les-sons which engage and mo-tivate their students. Theyuse music, movement, andart to educate the wholechild: the mind, the hands,and the heart. Each classteacher is highly educated,holding two teaching cre-dentials: a California multi-ple subject teaching creden-tial, and a Waldorf teachingcertificate.

River Oak is a free pub-lic charter school, open toall California residents.The school serves childrenin grades kindergartenthrough eighth with a max-imum capacity of 238 stu-

MUSIC

River Oak musicprograms sing

COURTESY PHOTOS BY WALDORF SCHOOL OF MENDOCINO COUNTY

Students practice penmanship at the Waldorf School of Mendocino County.

MUSIC»PAGE7

“MendocinoCollege isexcited toformnewpartnershipswith the coastcommunities.”— Mendocino CollegePresident Arturo Reyes

MENDOCINO»PAGE7

Back to School 2014

CALL ACCELERATED TODAY!

Would your childthrive with moresupport and a smallerschool environment?

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www.aaacademy.org • 1031 N. State St., Ukiah

All Grades Fully Accredited by theWestern Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC)

Enroll Today (707)463-7080

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BySavannahMarlow

Redwood academy hasserved as my home for fouryears. This school providedme with the family-like en-vironment I never knew Iwanted and challengingcurriculum I have learnedto love. Before RedwoodAcademy, I spent the ma-jority of my life in WestTexas. Being a strong, out-spoken feministmeant I of-ten did not fit in. I learnedto always keep my guardup, and I had to work hardto hold onto my beliefs.Despite feeling like a bit ofan outcast in Texas, mov-ing to California was stilldifficult, as I was leavingfamiliar ground. However,the transition from Texasto California could havebeen much worse had itnot been for the welcom-ing environment I foundat Redwood Academy. Likeevery school, it isn’t with-out some problems; how-ever, Redwood Academy isvastly superior to any otherschool experience I’ve hadthanks to its teachers, ad-ministrators, and studentswhowork together tomakeRedwood Academy thewonderful place that it is.The teachers honestly

care about their studentsand are constantly ded-icated to helping themachieve their goals. Theteachers at Redwood Acad-emy put in many morehours and effort thanfound in other schools I’veattended. These teachersaren’t there just to collecta paycheck, they are therefor their students. On nu-merous occasions, I wouldstay after school until sixor even seven in the eve-ning with my math teach-ers working on home-work. Yes, Redwood Acad-emy asks their students todo homework, contrary topopular belief; however,Redwood Academy doesnot ask their students todo their homework alone.The school provides astudy period so studentscan get the help they needon homework, and teach-ers hold extra help hoursafter school. Teachers atRedwood Academy genu-inely care about their stu-dents and will work along-side them to ensure theyachieve their goals.The administrators at

our school also work ex-traordinarily hard to guar-antee our students achievetheir goals. The Principalof Redwood Academy stillteaches an English class

to ensure that she remainsclose with the students andin touch with the teachers’needs. Every member ofthe office staff at RedwoodAcademy knows each stu-dent on a first name basis.Redwood Academy of-

fers a learning atmo-sphere like no other. Red-wood’s small-school at-mosphere ensures theseteachers spend 1 on 1time with their students.The teachers and stu-dents alike are motivatedto achieve high academicstandards. I could bragabout our school’s high testscores and numerous aca-demic accolades--but thosestats aren’t what make ourschool great. Our students,who are bright, accepting,and thoughtful learners,

are what make RedwoodAcademy really great forme. I can honestly say thatmy classmates are my fam-ily. The people in my classare all my best friends whohave been an encourage-ment in my life. I wouldnot be the same socially oracademically if it were notfor my classmates pushingme to do better everyday.My experience at Red-

wood Academy has givenme the confidence andtools I need to pursue mydreams. This school hastaught me to value my edu-cation and take it with meeverywhere I go. I am solucky Redwood Academyfound me—this school ac-cepted me for who I waswhen I arrived and helpedto shape who I am today.

STUDENTPERSPECTIVE

Redwood Academy seniorlooks to the coming year

Back to School 2014

Ukiah Unified School DistrictBell Schedules

2014-15

School Start TimeM,Tu,Th & FDismissal Time

WednesdayDismissal Time

MinimumDays Dismissal

Minimum Days

Calpella 472-5630 8:15 am 2:25 pm 12:55 pm12:55 pm12:35 pm

(Conferences) Nov. 14, 17, 18, 20, 21( Last day of school) June 11

Eagle Peak 472-5250 8:05 am 2:45 pm 1:15 pm 12:05 pm

(Conferences, 5th gr. only) Nov. 14, 17, 18, 20, 21(Mid terms, 6-8th gr. only) Jan 21, 22, 23

(Finals, 6-8th gr. only) June 9, 10, 11( Last day of school) June 11

Frank Zeek 472-5100 8:10 am 2:29 pm 1:29 pm 12:04 pm(Conferences) Nov. 14, 17, 18, 20, 21

( Last day of school) June 11

Grace Hudson 472-5460 8:00 am 2:30 pm 1:07 pm1:01 pm12:59pm

(Conferences) Nov. 14, 17, 18, 20, 21( Last day of school) June 11

Nokomis 472-5550 8:00 am 2:25 pm 12:58 pm 12:45 pm(Conferences) Nov. 14, 17, 18, 20, 21

( Last day of school) June 11

Oak Manor 472-5180 8:30 am 3:00 pm 12:58 pm 1:08 pm(Conferences) Nov. 14, 17, 18, 20, 21

( Last day of school) June 11

Pomolita 472-5350 8:15 am 3:00 pm 1:30 pm 12:37 pm(Mid terms) Jan 21, 22, 23

(Finals) June 9, 10, 11( Last day of school) June 11

So. Valley 472-5150 8:30 am 2:40 pm 1:27 pm 11:45 am(Mid terms) Jan 21, 22, 23

(Finals) June 9, 10, 11( Last day of school) June 11

Ukiah High 472-5750 7:30 am 2:45 pm 1:36 pm 11:50 am(Mid terms) Jan 21, 22, 23

(Finals) June 9, 10, 11( Last day of school) June 11

Yokayo 472-5690 8:00 am 2:16 pm 1:25 pm12:40 pm12:25 pm

(Conferences) Nov. 14, 17, 18, 20, 21( Last day of school) June 11

Community 467-5155 8:00 am 2:20 pm 1:15 pm N/A N/ACTP 468-3340 8:00 am 2:30 pm 1:15 pm N/A N/AOrr Creek 467-2524 8:15 am 1:35 pm 12:20 pm N/A N/APreSchool Village AM (M-Th)468-3300 8:30 am 11:30 am 11:30 am

N/A N/APreSchool Village PM (M-Th)

12:00 pm 3:00 pm 3:00 pmN/A N/A

Calpella Preschool AM (M-Th)485-7372 8:30 am 11:30 am 11:30 am

N/A N/A

Calpella Preschool PM (M-Th) 12:04 pm 3:04 pm 3:04 pm N/A N/A

UKIAH HIGH SCHOOL 7:30 - 2:45 Wed 1:36

Redwood Valley / Calpella Area AM Bus Time at FirstStop PM Bus Time at

First StopEast Rd. (North of School Way) 10 6:20 29 4:00East Rd. (South of School Way) 10 6:19 29 4:19Lake Mendocino Dr. - E/S Calpella Rd. 6 6:17 6 4:06Laughlin Way - Uva Dr. 10 6:40 29 3:58North State Street 3 6:38 6&29 3:27 & 3:32Orr Springs Road 6 6:58 6 3:14Road B 10 6:10 6 3:58Road D thru Road J - Colony Dr. 1 6:25 29 4:27Tomki Rd. & West Rd. 10 6:26 29 3:47Twin Palms 6 6:55 6 3:29

Ukiah / Talmage Area AM Bus Time at FirstStop PM Bus Time at

First StopEl Dorado Estates - Oak Manor 4 6:29 4 3:07Mill Creek Road 9 6:54 3 3:55Oak Knoll Rd. - Grace Hudson School 8 6:52 30 3:47Redemeyer Rd. - Deerwood Dr. 4 6:34 4 3:40Rogina Heights - Knob Hill - Sanford Ranch Rd. 9 6:57 4 3:16Ruddick Cunningham Rd. - Old River Road 9 6:34 3 3:55So. State St. - Boonville Rd. 26 6:30 30 3:43Talmage Rd. 9 7:00 4 3:15Triple S @ Lorraine 5 6:53 3 3:44Washington Ave. - Observatory Ave. 5 6:42 No Service -----Wonderbread 29 6:44 3&30 3:38Yokayo School 29 6:36 3 3:33

Russian River Estates / Hopland Area AM Bus Time at FirstStop PM Bus Time at

First StopBurke Hill Dr. - Henry Station - Hopland 2 6:31 7 3:23Old Hopland - Hwy 175 - Hopland Rancheria 2 6:05 2 3:42

EAGLE PEAK SCHOOL 8:05 - 2:45 Wed 1:15 AM Bus Time at FirstStop PM Bus Time at

First StopCentral Ave/North of Moore 28 7:14 10 3:10East Rd. thru Rd. J - Colony & Rds. D,E & I 1 7:31 1 2:55East Road South of School Way 29 7:45 28 2:54Frank Zeek School - No. Bush @ Chablis 1 7:17 3&30 3:15L. Mendocino Dr. - E/S Calpella Rd. 29 7:29 28 2:59Laughlin Way 30 7:38 10 3:36N. State St. (North of Moore St.) 28 6:56 10 3:03N. State St. (South of Moore St.) 1&28 7:17 3 3:03Pinoleville 29 7:16 28 3:08Road B 30 7:05 1 3:28Tomki & West Road 30 7:20 10 3:40Uva Drive 28 7:05 10 3:13

POMOLITA SCHOOL 8:20 - 3:00 Wed 1:30 AM Bus Time at FirstStop PM Bus Time at

First StopBoonville Road 24 7:21 24 3:28Burke Hill 24 7:22 24 3:37Dora @ Oak Knoll - Dora @ Jefferson 24 7:15 24 3:24Hopland School 2 7:30 5 3:48Leslie St. @ Sr. Cntr. 8 7:20 8 3:228 Lorraine (SSS Tires) 8 7:27 8 3:14Old Hopland - Hwy. 175 - Hopland Rancheria 7 7:15 5 3:40Old River Rd 7 7:05 5 4:05Redemeyer Rd. - El Dorado - Deerwood 4 7:35 8 3:52Rogina Heights - Knob Hill & Contreras Mkt. 9 7:53 8 3:36Ruddick Cunningham Rd. 5 7:25 9 3:47Russian River Estates - McNab Ranch 2 7:40 5 3:24South State Street 3,8&24 7:19 5,8&24 3:24Sanford Ranch Road 5 7:52 9 3:31Washington @ Washington Court 8 7:47 8 3:12

CALPELLA SCHOOL 8:15 - 2:25 Wed 12:55 AM Bus Time at FirstStop PM Bus Time at

First StopEast Rd. (North of School Way) 1 7:38 1 2:41East Rd. (South of School Way) 29 7:45 28 2:31Lake Mendocino Dr. - E/S Calpella Rd. 6 7:29 29 2:59Laughlin Way 30 7:38 10 2:41N. State St. South of Calpella 6 7:48 28&29 2:32Coyote Valley 30 7:58 10 2:38Oak Park Mobile Home Park 28 7:39 30 2:40Pinoleville Dr. 6 7:16 6 3:08Road B 30 7:05 1 3:30Road D thru Road J - Colony Dr. 1 7:31 1 2:55Tomki Rd. & West Rd. 30 7:20 10 2:35Twin Palms 6 7:20 29 3:04

YOKAYO SCHOOL 8:00 - 2:16 Wed 1:25 AM Bus Time at FirstStop PM Bus Time at

First Stop

Boys & Girls Club N/A N/A 8 2:54Clara Ave. & Main St. 10 7:24 2 2:27Ford St. 10 7:31 2 2:38

FRANK ZEEK SCHOOL 8:10 - 2:29 Wed 1:29 AM Bus Time at FirstStop PM Bus Time at

First StopBoys & Girls Club N/A N/A 8 2:54

NOKOMIS SCHOOL 8:00 - 2:25 Wed 12:58 AM Bus Time at FirstStop PM Bus Time at

First StopOrchard Park (South Orchard) 8 7:26 7 2:41Leslie St. @ Sr. Center 8 7:22 7 2:46

8 Lorraine St. (AM) / Marlene St. (PM) 8 7:30 7 2:40South Ukiah 3,8&24 7:15 5,7&24 2:37Wonderbread (1450 S. State St.) 8 7:22 7 2:33

OAKMANOR SCHOOL 8:30 - 3:00 Wed 12:58 AM Bus Time at FirstStop PM Bus Time at

First Stop

Old Rvr. Rd. - Old Hopland - Hwy. 175 - Hopland Rancheria 7 7:10 2 3:40Hopland School - Hwy. 101 Corridor 2 7:18 7 3:23Old River Road 5&7 7:35 2&9 3:36Redemeyer Rd. - Deerwood - El Dorado Estates 6 7:35 6 3:40Rogina Heights - Knob Hill - Sanford Ranch Rd. 9 7:53 9 & 4 3:24Ruddick Cunningham Rd. 5 7:25 9 3:47Talmage Rd.- Contreras Mkt. 9 7:35 4 3:20Talmage Rd - Mill Creek Rd. 9 7:44 9 3:40

GRACE HUDSON SCHOOL 8:00-2:30 Wed 1:07 AM Bus Time at FirstStop PM Bus Time at

First StopAlex Thomas Ranch Pear Sheds 24 7:32 24 2:47Boonville Road: Limited Service/Pomolita PM Route 24 7:21 5 3:43Burke Hill Drive: Limited Service/Pomolita PM Route 24 7:22 5 3:45Oak Knoll & Dora 24 7:15 24 2:41South State Street @ Norgard 24 7:38 24 2:40

Amore detailed listing of bus routes is posted on our website at: www.uusd.net

UKIAH UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICTTRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT

SCHOOL BUS SCHEDULES2014-2015

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COURTESY PHOTO BY RIVER OAK CHARTER SCHOOL

River Oak teachers use music, movement, and art toeducate the whole child: the mind, hands, and heart.

dents. Classes are filledfor the 2014-2015 schoolyear, and River Oak willbegin accepting new ap-plications in January2015, for the 2015-2016academic year. Interestedparents of up-coming kin-dergarten students maywish to mark their cal-endars now; classes fillup quickly. Please con-tact the registrar, LucyHaynes, at (707) 467-1855ext. 104, for more infor-mation.

MusicFROMPAGE5

By Tree of Life MontessoriSchool

Fifteen years ago a coregroup of families and teach-ersworked together tomaketheir dream of free, publicMontessori education beingavailable to the children ofUkiah Valley and surround-ing areas. This year Tree ofLife Charter School, whichcurrently serves childrenages 5-13, is celebrating 15years of providing a Mon-tessori elementary edu-cation learning environ-ment to hundreds of localchildren. Tucked away onthe north side of the Red-wood Empire Fairground,the Tree of Life campus ishome to 5 classrooms withan average of 20 studentsper class.Whatmakes aMontessori

education different? Why isthis method used world-wide, and why are parts ofit incorporated into currenttrends in educational mod-els? Based on years of scien-tific observation of the na-ture of children,Montessorieducation has revealed that,in a carefully prepared en-vironment, the child en-joys working and learning.Teachers observe the chil-

dren to determine how theyare progressing andwhat in-terests them. Based on thoseobservations, as well as ageneral curriculum frame-work, teachers give lessonsto guide each child to thenext level or challenge. Stu-dents choose from a vari-ety of activities and beauti-ful, hands-on learning ma-terials, so the children learnby doing. Students works attheir own pace, so each skillis mastered before movingon to the next.Instead of treating each

subject as a separate unit,Montessori curriculum in-tegrates academic subjectswith arts and practical life.From the “Great Lessons,”stories about theuniverse, itsliving and non-living thingsand their special tasks, andthe history and role of hu-mans, all aspects of studiesunfold: astronomy, geology,chemistry, physics, biology,history, mathematics, geom-etry, language and literature,art,music, dance,movement,andpractical life skills. Fromits inception, Montessori ed-ucation has been doingwhatthe newCommonCore Stan-dards recommend! In thespecially prepared learningenvironment, there aremate-

rials and activities designedto ignite the child’s imagina-tion and to encourage chil-dren to ask questions and doresearch, preparing the chil-dren for lifelong learning.Tree of Life is more than

just a school for students,but a community for all ofits families. The multi-ageclassrooms lend themselvesto daily opportunities forstudents to teach each otherand have relationships withpeople of many ages, whichis more natural than con-fining them to classroomswith children of all one age.The school’s families andstudents work together totake care of their schooland each other, with eachfamily volunteering to helpwith maintenance, class-room activities, fund rais-ing, field trips, and schoolgovernance. School barbe-cues, game nights, clubs,celebration days, and per-formances help to bring to-gether people of many ages,cultures, and backgroundsfor enjoyable times together.To visit the campus and

observe a classroom, or tolearnmore about the schoolor Montessori education,please call the school officeat 462-0913.

MONTESSORI

Tree of Life Montessorito celebrate 15 years

COURTESY PHOTO BY TREE OF LIFE MONTESORRI

Students work on a “timeline of life” during the 2013-14school year.

university. For the benefitof our community, classesare offered online as wellas on-ground at all four lo-cations to provide studentswith a variety of flexible op-tions as they pursue theiracademic goals. Counsel-

ors are available to aid stu-dents in their educationalplans and endeavors. Thecareer transfer center alsoprovides students with theopportunity to take an indepth look at their futureand participate in a seriesof workshops that includecareer exploration andtransfers to other collegesand universities.If you are interested in

exploring your academicpotential, achieving suc-cess in your chosen field orretooling your works skillsfor advancement potential,we invite you to join us thiscoming semester and be-yond for an unparalleledacademic experience. Fi-nancial aid is available forthose who qualify, pleasevisit Mendocino.edu formore information.

MendocinoFROMPAGE5

need to make up credits aswell as students whowouldlike to graduate early fromhigh school. Additionally,we offer our students apath that allows them toattend college classes whilein high school. Our goal isfor students to leave highschool with a high school

diploma and a plan fortheir future success.AcceleratedAchievement

Academy’s focus on stan-dards and community cit-izenship is only one aspectof our school. The other isthe tremendous focus oncreating a safe and support-ive school community.Our small school and

small class sizes create avery supportive environ-ment for our students andtheir families. Our students

routinely comment thattheir classes and teach-ers are like family. Whenour seniors graduated lastMay, there were tears shedby both the students andstaff. We care about ourstudents and are eagerto work with parents andfamilies to meet the needsof each one. If you thinkyour child would benefitfrom our program, pleasecall us today for more in-formation.

AAA schoolFROMPAGE3

This may be the first timehe/she has used the toiletalone; make sure they un-derstand the protocol. Youmay wish to pack a zip-locked set of spare under-wear and pants and pro-vide it to the teacher, justin case. Reassure youryoungster to just let theteacher know if he/she hasan accident.Make sure he/she clearly

understands the transpor-tation plans, includingwhowill pick him/her up afterschool. Label your young-ster’s sweaters, coats, back-pack and lunch box.Your child should know

his/her first and last name,the first and last names ofhis/her parents; if he/shehas any food allergies; andunderstand what to do ifapproached by strangers.To help the soon to be

student acclimate to timeaway from home, suggesta sleepover with grand-parents, or play dates withother children of the sameage, especially with kids inhis/her future class. Youmay wish to play “school”to help prepare your young-ster for the real thing. Prac-tice school day activitiesin the weeks leading upto school starting, includ-ing having the new stu-dent dress him/herself, tieshoes, put on a jacket, his/her backpack, etc. If theyare going to take lunches,

pack these as well, to makesure the youngster is com-fortable unpacking themwithout help.There are ways to be-

come involved in yourchild’s school, by gettingto know his/her teacher,volunteering in the classroom and on field trips, at-tend parent teacher confer-ences, open houses, bookfairs and similar oppor-tunities. Join your schoolsParent Teacher Organiza-tion and get involved withthe school’s site council.

Tips gathered from a va-riety of government pub-lications and family selfhelp books. Quotes arefrom a Humboldt CountyOffice of Education pam-phlet.

TipsFROMPAGE3

Subscribe Today 468-3500The Ukiah

DAILY JOURNALDAILY JOURNALMendocino County’slocal newspaper

River Oak Charter SchoolKindergarten – 8th Grade

A Free Public School – Established 1999

The Charter Council(Board of Trustees)

SEEKS1 NEW COMMUNITY MEMBER

Meetings held monthly: 2nd Thursday, 6-8 pm

We offer you the opportunity to serve yourcommunity at this publically funded charterschool where Rudolph Steiner’s educationalmodel artistically educates the whole child.

--------------------------Please contact Rima Meechan, administrator

555 Leslie Street, Ukiah, CA 95482(707) 467-1855 ext. 105rmeechan@mcoe.us

River Oak Charter SchoolA Free Public School – Established 1999

JANUARY 2014KINDERGARTEN OPEN ENROLLMENT

JANUARY 5-29, 2015KINDERGARTEN OPEN ENROLLMENT

For 2015/2016

Back to School 2014SUNDAY, AUGUST 17, 2014 UKIAHDAILYJOURNAL.COM | ADVERTISEMENT | 7C

Back to School 2014

Mendocino College

you can help

Adopt A Fifth-Grader programacademic or enrichment programs

707.467.1018 . foundation@mendocino.eduhttp://foundation.mendocino.edu501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation

Mendocino College Foundation’smission is to support, “MendocinoCollege in educating leaders, fostering

students and communities.”

Your contribution benefitsMendocino College students andeducation programs, including:

2014-2015 scholarship recipient Briceida JacobowithFoundation President Richard Cooper

Learn More!Opportunities for Migrant Workers

Sign up today!Classes Start August 18th

Register online at mendocino.edu

For the latest information and a full report,go to “Measure W” at our website:

www.mendocino.edu

THANK YOU TO THE COMMUNITY!

INDEPENDENT AUDIT AND PERFORMANCE REPORTFISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 2013

MEASUREW BOND PROGRAM FINANCIAL SUMMARYAS OF DECEMBER 31, 2013

Bond Issue

Estimated Interest Income

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Total Expenditures & Encumbrances

Balance

$67,500,000

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$69,257,708

$ 817,292

0 $80,000,000$60,000,000$40,000,000$20,000,000

CITIZENS’ BOND OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE

BOND IMPLEMENTATION PLANNING COMMITTEE

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