From the Board

Hello Madrone Trail Family!

The board has been hard at work on the search for our permanent executive director. We are nearing the end of the process and should have a decision by the end of next week. Here is what has happened so far:

We began by collecting many applications and ultimately had six candidates that had an initial interview. All six were wonderful applicants but the hiring committee chose four of those applicants to move to the second round of interviews. This included an interview with faculty, an interview with some parents, and then another interview with the board Thursday night. We have been collecting feedback from all who participated in those various interviews along with our initial survey to help us understand what the community is looking for in our new director. The board had our initial deliberations Thursday night after all the interviews were concluded and will let it settle for the weekend before we have an executive session Monday evening to make a final decision and discuss an offer to the chosen candidate. An announcement will be made as soon as we have a signed offer from our candidate.

We want to thank all in the community who have participated in this process to help us find the best director for our school. We know how important this decision is and we approach it with as much thoughtfulness and care as we can while considering all possible angles. The candidates are all very impressive and we feel confident that any one of them could do the job. We have the luxury of choosing which one will be the best fit for our school all things considered.

Thank you for all of your support in this process. This community cares deeply about the well being of our school and it is a privilege to be a part of that. We look forward to announcing our new director as soon as we can.

For the good of the school,

Madrone Trail Board of Directors

board@madronetrail.org

Spirit Week-- NEXT WEEK

Auction Update

The Final Numbers Are In!

Revenues have been calculated, expenses deducted, and final accounting reports scrutinized... The 17th Annual Madrone Trail Benefit Auction pulled in just over $32,000 net, which doubles last year's outcome!

This would not have been possible without the support of our fabulous school community of students, faculty, parents and volunteers as well as the generous in-kind donations from local businesses and the cash sponsors. THANK YOU! These funds will be put to good use! We hope you are already excited for next year!

Don't forget to fill out the Auction Survey. We would love to hear from you about what you loved (and think could improve) about the Auction. Even if you did not attend the Auction, we would love to know why!

Pre-Order your Yearbook

We are putting the finishing touches on the yearbook in the next couple weeks, so it's time to pre-order your student a yearbook! They are $20, and your last opportunity to get a yearbook with 8th grader Isaac Richardson's original artwork on it. The pre-order window closes April 12, then they will be on sale on a first come, first served basis when we get them in May.

Sibling Enrollment Form Deadline: Next Friday

Please fill out the linked form below if you have an incoming Kindergartner or another child whom you would like to enroll for the 2024-2025 school year if there is space available. Please fill this form out even if your other children are already on the waitlist, as siblings of current students get waitlist priority. Kindergartners will be placed in next year's classes on a first come, first served basis before we lottery non-Madrone Trail families. Please note that incoming Kindergartners need to be 5 years old by June 1st, 2024 to be eligible to enroll for the 2024-2025 school year. The form is due March 22.

From the Athletic Director

Track Meet Time!

Next Wednesday we will have our first track meet of the season. This meet will be a big meet with Butte Falls, Lorna Byrne, Logos, New Hope Christian, Rogue River, and the Valley School all set to bring their teams.

Reminder: Please pick your student up promptly at 5pm on practice days.

Updated Meet Schedule

(FYI: Times are typically anywhere between 4:00-8:30 pm)

Wednesday March 20th @ Hidden Valley High School 4:00 pm

Wednesday April 3rd @ Saint Mary’s 4:00 pm

(Optional meet for MT students during 2nd week of Spring Break.)

(We must know by March 22nd if you will be participating)

(Practice Monday and Tuesday only of that week 3:30-5:00 pm at Madrone Trail)

Monday, April 8th @ Hidden Valley High School 4:30 pm

Thursday, April 11th @ White Mountain Middle School 4:00 pm

Monday April 15th @ Spiegelberg (Oakdale Middle school) 4:00 pm

Wednesday, April 24th @ Ashland middle school (6th grade districts) 3:00 pm

Note: 6th graders will not practice after this date

Thursday, May 2nd@ Eagle Point High School (7th/8th district) 1:00 pm

Soccer Club

Reminder: Soccer club is Wednesdays 1:30-3:00 pm. Please pick your student up promptly at 3:00 pm.  No soccer club during Spring Break.

Rogue Valley YMCA Volleyball and Track

The Rogue Valley YMCA is offering both spring volleyball and track. Please do not confuse signing up through them as signing up for a Madrone Trail sport. Signing up with the YMCA is completely separate from Madrone Trail. However, I do appreciate the YMCA’s sport offerings and desire to “emphasize teamwork and cooperation over winning and help youth develop the core values of caring, honesty, respect, and responsibility.”

Both Track and Field and Volleyball have the same dates, grades, and cost, but different registration links.

Who: 3rd-6th Grade

Cost: $85  

When: April 15th-June 1st

Practices: Two 1-hour practices on weekdays

Registration: March 1st-April 15th

Links to register:

(Volleyball) https://rvymca.org/programs/120020/volleyball/

(Track) https://rvymca.org/programs/120037/track-field/?locations=13

Go Dragons!

Jeff Roberson

jeff.roberson@madronetrail.org

May Faire- Save the Date!

May Faire will be on May 4th this year from 11:00-3:00 pm, with set up before 11:00 am and clean up after 3:00 pm. Class teachers and/or parent reps will be reaching out to you after Spring Break for volunteer help in your class booth. We will also have a sign up sheet for all volunteers needed for the Faire after the break. 

Library Committee Looking for Volunteers

We want to give a big thank you to everyone who has donated books to our library! We have hundreds of books waiting to be logged into our system and shelved. The Library Committee is looking for volunteers to help in this process. Hours are very flexible! Please click the sign-up link below and Megan Shaw will contact you to set up a time to come in.

Sprouts Program 2024-2025

We will begin accepting applications for the 2024-2025 Sprouts Preschool Program after we return from Spring Break beginning April 8th. Interested families who have not yet filled out the Sprouts Preschool Program Interest Form should fill out the form to get on the list. Once you have submitted the form, the program manager will send further details about the program, teacher bios, cost, etc., for your review so you can make the best decision for your family. Applications will be sent out to families who have submitted their form.

Your child must meet the following criteria to be eligible to apply:

1. Child must be 4 years of age by June 1st, 2024 to be considered for the 24-25 school year. 

2. Child must be potty trained.

3. Child must be able to be away from parents for at least a four hour period.

4. Note: Enrollment into the Sprouts program does not guarantee a spot in Kindergarten

For further questions, please contact the program manager: taurie.michele@madronetrail.org

Media Mindfulness March

March is Media Mindfulness Month at Madrone Trail! 

This month, we will be sharing some interesting info on the topic of screentime and how it impacts our students.

This is a great podcast episode about our social construction and media awareness. The second half focuses on the impact of phone culture on our kids and offers some solutions for parents.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hidden-brain/id1028908750?i=1000648773765

This is a link to sign-up for Tech Talk Tuesdays, a weekly blog about a variety of topics surrounding teens and media use written by the creator of the movie Screenagers or just browse the topics they have already covered.

https://www.screenagersmovie.com/blog

And lastly, here is a pamphlet put together by the Portland Waldorf School about Limiting Electronics.

Why Limit Electronics?

Chipotle Fundraiser

Thank you to all the families who went to Chipotle on Monday, we raised $187 for our school! We hope to do more of these quick and easy fundraisers in the future, every dollar helps!

State Testing

The window for taking our state-wide assessment, the SBAC, opens when we get back from Spring Break. Students in 3rd-8th grade are tested annually in Language Arts and Math, and 5th and 8th graders are tested in Science as well. As per Oregon law, parents and guardians have the right to opt their children out of this assessment. In order to do this, you will need to meet in person with our School Test Coordinator, Ms. Cori, to sign the opt-out form. Please email her to set-up a time to meet if you wish to opt your child out of state testing, cori.royer@madronetrail.org. As a reminder, 3rd, 5th, and 8th graders do not have to take the Spring I-ready assessment so they can focus all of their attention on the SBAC.

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.