Thursday, March 16
6:00pm
6th Grade play
Thursday, March 16
FEAT Meeting
7:00 - 8:15pm
Two Acres Wood Common House
680 Robinson Road, Sebastopol
Please park on street
Friday, March 17 NO School for students
Kindergarten Conferences / Grades Teachers Professional Development
Monday, March 20th
Parent Council Meeting
7:00-9:00pm
Library
Monday, March 20th - 30th
SunRidge School Online Auction
Tuesday, March 21
4th Grade Parent Evening
6:00-7:00pm
Tuesday, March 21
6th/7th Grade Field Trip to the Exploratorium
9:00am-3:00pm
Wednesday, March 22
1st Grade Play
6:00pm
Wednesday, March 22
8th Grade Presentations
6:00pm
In the Library
Thursday, March 23
8th Grade Presentations
6:00pm
In the Library
Monday, March 27
3rd Grade Field Trip - Miwok Beach
9:00am-1:00pm
Tuesday, March 28th
SEF Meeting
6:00-7:30
Join By Phone 564-217-2000
passcode: 311089
Wednesday, March 29th
Dine & Donate @ Bubbles Boba & Gifts
Thursday, March 30th
8th Grade parent Evening
6:00-7:30pm
✨ Principal's Corner ✨
Hello SunRidge Families,
I want to start my message this week with appreciation for all of the parent volunteers that support our campus. Each one of you brings something valuable to our school to support all of the great things happening at SunRidge. Everyday we have an average of 10 volunteers on campus. This is amazing and shows how strong of a community we have. So, thank you again for all of your time that you share with us.
I would like to highlight some of our other much needed opportunities to volunteer and be a part of the school community. Parent Council, Charter Council, SunRidge Educational Foundation (SEF), and FEAT are always looking for and encouraging parent support and participants. You can find more information regarding these groups on our SunRidge website. Provided is a link to join the SEF https://form.jotform.com/230677466257163.
On a sad note, I wanted to take this opportunity to share with you that we are losing our wonderful woodworking teacher, Brian Baker. As much of a difficult decision this was for him to make, he will be ending his time here with us on March 22. He has been a great member of the SunRidge community and works wonderfully with the students of SunRidge. We will miss his presence on our Campus. With that being said, a posting has been created for his position and is on the district website. If you or anyone you know is interested please reach out to me for questions or go directly to the posting on the district website to apply.
As we are preparing for the upcoming school year some positions needing to be filled are: classroom teacher, instructional assistant, behavioral instructional assistant, substitute teachers and instructional assistants, counselor and woodworking instructor. Many of these positions are currently posted on the district website, please encourage people to apply. It would be great to start the 23-24 school year fully staffed.
In regards to enrollment, I have always been told that word of mouth in Sebastopol is the best way to get the news out. We are looking to increase enrollment within our Middle School program. If you know of people thinking about a new school environment for their child, shout out SunRidge. Prospective families are always able to visit and have their child shadow for a day.
I would like to remind all of the grievance process or line of communication. Please refer to our conflict resolution procedure on page 18 of the Parent Handbook. Communication should start at the core of the situation. Let’s join as a team to come together and land on the same page. Partnership is the best solution to most situations.
Lastly, I am excited to see the interest in the Math Festival. Parents began signing up immediately to volunteer and support the student portion of the event. It is my hope that we bring the fun of math back into approaching math challenges.
Thank you all for your support and positive energy,
Mrs. Ertel
Eighth Grade Projects
by Ms. Hale, 8th Grade Teacher
Before these students, a new door is opening, called adolescence. This is the last stage before these children are adults on their own. Our hope for them is that they have the suitable capacities, judgment, and attitude to take the next step along their life’s path.
At the beginning of 8th Grade, I asked the students to choose an area of interest to explore. Next, they had to find a professional mentor in the community who would guide them through their exploration, and, more than this, they needed to come before the community to share the results of their work.
This was an Interdisciplinary Unit – students needed to create their schedule and do the work independently. So why would we do such a thing?
On the one hand, the students gained a deeper understanding of a field or skill they hadn’t had the opportunity to develop.
These projects were also given to meet another need the students have; as students enter adolescence, they need to learn from adults who are specialists and have mastery of the subject they are teaching.
This reflects the students developing capacities to think, reason, be critical, and judge. They are developing relationships and interests in the world that need to go deeper.
A challenge at this age can help build persistence, imagination, and self-confidence. Students faced going beyond their comfort zones, going into the unknown, and doing something at which they could fail. Yet, in doing all this, they become more than they already are. They develop an ability to do and create in the world.
In our school years, we study examples of those who exemplify the great spirit of humanity, Gandhi, Sojourner Truth, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and others, those humans who chose to make more of themselves and do something important in the world. They decided to live at a higher standard than that set by society – and in doing so, transformed themselves and the world. This project allowed the students to raise the standard of their work to a new level and transform themselves.
The students then come before the community, presenting the fruits of their hard work and sharing their work and experience. We invite you to the presentations on March 22nd and 23rd at 6:00 PM in the library.
Current Needed Volunteer Roles!
⭐️ Appreciation Coordinator:Support class parents in appreciation tasks, set up gifting tables 2x a year, organize school wide appreciation activities such as "Chalk it Up for Teachers' in May. This role is supported by Parent Council.
⭐️ Dine and Donate Coordinator:Schedule Dine and Donate or similar events such as Skate and Donate through the school calendar year, Create flyers and bulletin posts to communicate events. This role is supported by Parent Council.
⭐️ Costume Closet Coordinator(s):Organize costume closet. Work with teachers and parent play volunteers to gather props and return them properly. This role is supported by Admin and Faculty.
The Parent Council is happy to announce that we are actively planning Sunridge’s
beloved Falling Leaves Festival. It has been far too long since our community has
enjoyed this delightful opportunity to come together to celebrate the changing of the
season. For those who have yet to attend this event...you are in for a treat. With
games, entertainment, seasonal foods, crafts, story telling, music and a marketplace,
the entire family will enjoy this time together.
This festival is one of Sunridge’s most successful outreach events. It has proved to be
a wonderful opportunity to open our campus and share the magic and wonder that our
Waldorf community has to offer. It is also a fun and fulfilling experience in building our
current community. In fact, the Parent Council is actively inviting parents who are
interested in collaborating to create this fun-filled successful event. The parent council
is a committee that promotes community and positivity. A most effective council has
one parent from each class is represented. No experience necessary.
Come join the fun!!!
Parent Council Meeting: March 20th 7-9pm in the Library.
Dine & Donate @ Bubbles Boba & Gifts: March 29th all day.
Skate & Donate: May 19th 5:30pm-7:30pm.
☘️SunRidge Meal Program☘️
Highlights for March include a bean and cheese burrito, strawberry granola with yogurt, pretzel nacho calzone, french toast sticks, an egg and cheese breakfast sandwich, and more!
The meal program is available to all students at no cost to families. Registration forms are available in the office and on our website. Please contact Ms. Jillian atsrcafe@twinhillsusd.orgwith any questions.
Welcome to the SunRidge classifieds! If you would like to add something here, we ask for your support with a $10 donation. Classified listings will run for one month. Please send any requests to Theresa at tthomasson@twinhillsusd.org
A poem in praise of rabbits
A bunny is a quiet pet
A bunny is the best thing yet
A bunny never makes a sound
A bunny’s nice to have around
Puppies whimper bark and growl
Kittens mew and tomcats yowl
Birdies twitter chIrp and tweet
Moo cows moo and lambkins bleat
A bunny tho is never heard
He simply never says a word
A bunny’s a delightful habit
No homes complete without a rabbit
Bilingual (Spanish-English) Family Concert Wednesday, March 29th 6:00 pm
Free Family Concert with Latin Grammy
winning music duo 123 Andres!
Location: Old Courthouse Square
For children of all ages with their parent/caregiver
Central Santa Rosa Library sonomalibrary.org
707 308 3020
