The Applegater

Applegater Fall 2018 25 NEXT GENERATION Next Generation features school news and updates and the talents of our local students. All schools in the Applegate Valley are encouraged to submit news, art, writing, photography, and any other creative pieces to gater@applegater.org. Nature is calling! Environmental education at Ruch Outdoor Community School Applegate and Williams schools Settled in the beautiful Applegate Valley, surrounded by vineyards, rushing rivers, majestic mountains, a landscape that offers anyone an opportunity of reflection and gratitude, is Ruch Outdoor Community School (ROCS). Service-learning projects abound in the standard curriculum and the everyday happenings at ROCS. Students, preschool through eighth grade, quickly realize their responsibility of being stewards of their environment. Environmental Education has always been a focus, but this year we are increasing our intention and engagement with a new partnership with Southern Oregon University (SOU) Environmental Education Program. ROCS will serve as SOU's Environmental Education Field School! is will benefit our staff, students, families, and community in so many ways, and we are excited to get started. Potential benefits include: • "Adopt a Classroom" where SOU students will be given a classroom and establish relationships as mentors. • Professional development workshops for teachers in and around the Rogue Valley to learn about best practices in environmental education. • Outdoor education training and opportunities such as "Fall in the Field," which provides place-based O n M a y 1 9 , A p p l e g a t e a n d Williams Schools received the help of 80 volunteers from Serve Grants Pass, who came to work on a variety of maintenance projects. A big thank you to these generous folks. e staffs for both schools returned to work the week of August 27. Students will return to school on Tuesday, September 4. Williams School is excited to welcome Justine Simons, who will be teaching grades two and three. e annual fundraiser for Applegate School's enrichment programs will take place on Saturday, September 22. e event, called the Applegate Vine Run, is again hosted by Wooldridge Creek Winery. Runners can enter the 1K kids' run, the 5K walk/run, or the 12K or 24K runs. is fundraiser requires many volunteers, so please call Applegate School at 541-846-6280 if you can help. Girls volleyball season will begin in September, and plans for the annual jog-a-thon fundraisers will get under way after school starts. All community members hope that the smoke will clear and that the air quality will be healthy before school starts. We are deeply grateful to all the firefighters who have been working hard to control the fires. Jean Hall jhall80@juno.com environmental education through day hikes and residential camps. • University campus visits for ROCS students • Environmental education lesson testing for SOU students • Curriculum development • Student-teaching opportunities at ROCS e staff at ROCS is committed to offering opportunities for all our students that foster growth in the principles of environmental education. is commitment allows our students to explore environmental issues, engage in problem solving and critical thinking, and take action to improve their community and environment where they live and learn. What an exciting time for our families and community members! Help us welcome the folks at Southern Oregon University and the Environmental Education Program. is relationship will provide amazing results and benefits for all of us! Please contact us at 541-842-3850 to tour our school and learn about the programs we offer. e school is located at 156 Upper Applegate Road in Jacksonville (Ruch). Julie Barry, Principal Ruch Outdoor Community School julie.Barry@medford.k12.or.us Applegate School has a new greenhouse! We can't thank John and Carrie DiBiasi enough for their donation of this fine greenhouse for our small K-8 school. Many thanks to John's crew at Evolve Greenhouse Systems too. e old greenhouse was falling apart and beyond repair (see photo). Time went by, and then, before our very eyes, a large new greenhouse came into being, built from the ground up during little bits of spare time that could be donated to the project. In the new greenhouse this past spring, the production of milkweed for monarch butterflies began again. Applegate School has been supporting monarch butterflies and other pollinators since 2001 when we first created our butterfly habitat. Besides growing native milkweeds, we hope to have students grow some native wildflowers and learn about each one. Students can study botany, science, and art when learning about nature in the greenhouse. Along with native plants we will grow a few garden-variety flowers good for pollinators. Carrie DiBiasi and I hope to let students hold small plant sales before summer break to pay The old greenhouse in January 2016, just before it was taken apart and nicely stacked for removal. Photo: Linda Kappen. New Applegate School greenhouse! The new Applegate School greenhouse with plants, on August 1, 2018. Photo: Linda Kappen. for planting supplies and care of the grounds around the greenhouse and butterfly habitat. Many thanks to everyone who was involved in this project, including all the children who helped on the days the greenhouse was erected, and my own family, who was a big help when setup time came. Linda Kappen humbugkapps@hotmail.com C o m p l i m e n t s o f t h e R o d g e r s f a m i l y . A sponsor of the Applegater's annual fundraiser at Valley View Winery on October 14, 2018. A sponsor of the Applegater's annual fundraiser at Valley View Winery on October 14, 2018. Cowhorn Winery 1665 Eastside Road Jacksonville, OR 541-899-6876 "Creating some of Oregon's finest wines." —Wine Spectator cowhornwine.com

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