From the Director

Greeting Madrone Trail Parents and Families,

Thank you everyone for your patience and flexibility this week as we had many days of school cancelled due to the snow and ice. I know this can be a hardship for many, and we hope everyone was able to stay safe and warm.

I would also like to thank some specific members of our staff for their help during the closures. Mr. Niq was on campus every day shoveling snow and protecting outdoor structures and vegetation. I was in constant contact with Ms. Sherrie, Ms. Cori, and Ms. Kelly regarding plans, updates, and rolling out communications. While our system isn't flawless, I was thankful to have a dedicated team to help notify people in a timely manner and make adjustments as needed. 

Let's hope next week is a return to the regular rhythm of school for all.

With Gratitude,

Andy Bracco

Director

andy.bracco@madronetrail.org

From the Auction Committee

Get your tickets here

$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)

Check out these amazing Entree options (served with Rise Up! Bread):

Chicken Marbella, Beouf Bourguignon, or Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms, with sides including a smooth squash, potato and parsnip puree, Braised Red Cabbage and a Beet and Wild Rice Salad with Feta.

We are looking forward to offering an array of delicious desserts, and we are looking for some "EGGstra" help... with the rising price of eggs we are hoping that anyone who might have chickens and a surplus might be willing to donate eggs to be used at the auction. Please reach out to us at auction@madronetrail.org if you have access to extra eggs.

Look out for our Auction Table in front of the School next week Monday, Feb 10 and Wed, Feb 12

Link to Decor committee's Wishlist 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

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: Why do you use plastic forks and spoons?

We all know how cringe-worthy single-use items can be, especially plastic ones. When we first launched our lunch program, we used metal utensils. However, we quickly noticed that many of them ended up in the trash—or mysteriously disappeared. To keep up with the demand, we were regularly heading to Goodwill and Salvation Army to buy their entire supply of metal forks and spoons. This became unsustainable, both financially and environmentally, so we made the switch to plastic.

But we’re not giving up on our sustainability goals. With the introduction of our composting program through Rogue Produce, we’re also ramping up our efforts to educate students about food waste and waste in general. Our hope is that with stronger education and better systems in place, we’ll soon be able to bring back metal utensils without experiencing the same loss we faced before.

Our specials next week will be reruns due to all the snow days:

• 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 14th - Kenya: Kenyan Style Chicken Curry or Tempeh Curry with Brown Rice (not spicy)

Chef Evan

evan.wilson@madronetrail.org

From the Athletic Director

Track & Field

Of course I am going to talk about Track & Field with snow on the ground. Makes perfect sense if you live in Southern Oregon!

Forms are attached and I will be visiting the 6th-8th classrooms next week as well to get forms out to interested students.

Practice will begin March 3rd.

Reminder: If your athlete does not have a completed sport physical on file with Madrone within the last 2 years, please get in to see their primary care provider ASAP. The form is attached at the bottom of the athletic section.

Please email me directly if you are having trouble getting in. I have some contacts through my wife’s work that can help get this done if needed. (In fact, a parent of a former Madrone student who is now in high school contacted me this week for assistance with this as well)

Track is our biggest sports season of the year. Last year we had 30 participants and I would love to see that grow. Track & field is a wonderful opportunity for our students and offers so many different events to allow them various opportunities to get involved.

Who: 6th-8th graders

When: Weekdays March 3rd-May 5th (Meets are typically on Mondays this year)

Cost: $100 (Payment and scholarship requests are in the office)

Registration deadline: February 28th 

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

Go Dragons!

Jeff Roberson

jeff.roberson@madronetrail.org

Spotlight on 8th grade

One of my favorite things about Madrone Trail, besides my getting to stay with my class for 8 years, is our system of Buddy Classes. 1st and 8th, 2nd and 7th, 3rd and 6th, and 4th and 5th grades all buddy up for the entire year. Each child is assigned a buddy from that class and the classes regularly get together to have lunch, read books, work on crafts, or go on an adventure. The adventures are the best! This year, the Ladybug and Butterfly classes have gone hiking in Lithia Park to look at the Autumn foliage, hiked in the Jacksonville woods and ate and played together at Doc Griffin Park, joined the Sunflower and Willow classes at the Pumpkin Patch (Pheasant Fields Farm), and most recently donned ice skates together in Ashland at the Darex Family Ice Rink.

These photos are worth the proverbial thousand words, but I'll do my best to offer just a few that do justice to our experiences. The younger students ADORE their older buddies and cheer when they learn about their next opportunity to spend time together. They hold their bigger buddies' hands on the hikes and sit in their laps as they are read to. They race across the blacktop for a quick hug as their buddies pass by on their way to class.  

Those of you who have teenagers know that their attitudes can sometimes be, well... challenging. So you can imagine our hearts melting when we watch these sometime jaded teenagers soften to silk in the presence of the sparkling cherubs who are their first grade buddies. I consistently get asked the same question on trails by stunned hikers, as they encounter 50 some first and eighth graders laughing merrily and traipsing down the path together, "What school are you guys from?" When I think about the state of the average middle schooler in America in 2025, I can't imagine a better advertisement for what we do here at Madrone Trail than seeing our eighth graders soothe an "Owie" or allow themselves to be beaten in a race against a six year old. It's pretty magical.

And while I have revered every class we have buddied up with, there is something incredibly special about the connection between first and eighth grade. Here we have very little children who are just beginning their eight year journey at our school being shepherded by young men and women who are just finishing theirs. Wonder meets Wisdom. Having been through all eight years with my class, I can tell you that they regularly reminisce on shared memories of joy and excitement. But never like they do in eighth grade. The first graders are embarking upon a year of firsts; first Festival of Courage, first pumpkin carving with their buddies, first buddy ice skating. The eighth graders on the other hand, are experiencing a year of lasts, and every one conjures memories from all that have come before. I can't think of a better way to temper the melancholy taint of nostalgia than with the bright and boundless company of a small child. I feel very blessed to bear witness to this amazing opportunity, and am eternally grateful for this wonderful school of ours.

~Mr. Tryllium

Spotlight on Daisy Blossom Kindergarten

What's Been Happening Lately in the Daisy Blossom Kindergarten?

It is said that “nimble fingers make nimble minds,” and the Kindergarten children in the Daisy Blossom class have been diligently working to develop their hand-working abilities this year. Each Kindergartner is making a felt butterfly pin cushion to keep in their sewing baskets, a project we have been working on since before winter break. This is a step by step process, with each step introducing a separate handwork skill:

1. We hand dye our very own skein of yarn. It is magical to see a rainbow appear after dipping the yarn into red, yellow, and blue dye! 

2. Next we learn to roll our yarn into a ball. 

3. After that, each child is guided through an imaginative rhyming story as we learn to finger knit a chord of our yarn. Each child is so proud once they have mastered this fun skill!

4. Now it’s time to learn how to thread a needle, a task that takes plenty of concentration and determination. 

5. Using scissors properly to cut the ends of our thread and yarn is a skill each child is learning to master.

6. Learning how to tie a knot at the end of our thread is the next step, then picking out the colors of our felt butterfly. 

7. "The thread follows the needle" in and out to stitch the two pieces together, while attaching the finger knitted yarn chord to the back. 

Now each child has acquired lifelong hand-working skills, as well as their very own pin cushion for projects the rest of this year, and beyond! 

A big thank you to Miss Joanne, our class volunteer, who devotedly shows up every day to assist the children in their crafting, and much more!

It takes a village, and I have so much gratitude for everyone at Madrone Trail.

~Miss Josclyn

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 you missed last week's article you can read it here.

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.