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Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, Ore. Wednesday, May 17, 2017
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Dome School Times, Takilma, Ore. Wednesday, May 17, 2017
Upper elementary examines
exciting elements of our year
Flies Up, Football, Baseball, Jail
Break, 7 up, Platypus, Four Square,
Treasure in the Forest, and more!” –
Noah, Age 10
“We went Ice Skating—me,
Lillianna, Alu and our whole class!
I fell a lot but then Clarysage taught
me to go slow and I went slow and
got pretty good at it! I used one of
the ice walkers to help me go faster!
By the time we left, I was pretty good
at it and I didn’t want to go!” – Deva,
Age 9
“I thought our Redwoods field
trip was fun! I really liked running
on the trees with Noah and the
rest of our class! I liked riding to
and from the Redwoods because I
like the scenery it looks really nice.
We had a scavenger hunt in the
Redwoods where we had to find
burn scars, nurse logs, nesting birds,
Redwood sorrel, banana slugs, and
other cool things. We had a picnic
by the Smith River. Me and my
friend Noah and little sister Kamy
and Albert and Cooper and some
other kids all ate lunch under a
tree—the same place that we ate
lunch together the year before that!”
– Wyatt, Age 10
“I really liked the Bike-A-Thon!
Chela did the best… she rode 35
miles! A first grader named River
did the second best and rode 33
miles! I only rode 30 and a half
miles, but it was really fun. We
cooked rolls and granola bars in
cooking class for the Bike-A-Thon.
We camped at the campground and
my dad brought his bus! Also, Math
was really fun this year! We played
lots of math games like bagels and
snake eyes, the handshake problem,
and close to 10,000. We played lots
of other cool math games, too!” –
Sarodah, Age 11
“Sculpture class is really fun! You
(Photo by Kimiko Maglio)
The Elementary class poses after a rehearsal for their upcoming perfor- get to make whatever you want! We
made dinosaurs, swords, and more! I
mance of Alice in Wonderland.
As in other classes, this week our
Upper Elementary program reflected
on the journey that was the past
year. Here they share highlights:
“This year we made a life-
sized baby African Elephant! The
Zulus (6th-8th graders) started
with making a graph outline of
the elephant. Then Kimi took it
home and when she brought it
back to school it was made into a
wooden armature in the shape of
our elephant with legs! We taped
on lots of newspaper to shape the
elephant in the way we wanted.
Afterwards we paper-mached it lots
of layers. Then we painted it to make
it waterproof! It was fun!”– Fern,
Age 13
“We had an overnight
backpacking trip at the big meadow
on Hope Mountain. Before we left
we were given a nature scavenger
hunt sheet with many cool things
to look for. We hiked up in the
morning. While we were up there we
practiced our play ‘Master Man.’ We
also filtered water out of a stream,
the students set up camp, dug our
scat holes, and tied up our bags to
protect them from bears. We did
sit spot nature drawing. We played
capture the flag and then after
dinner we played tag until late at
night. We got back in the middle of
the next day.” – Rio, Age 13
“Everyone unlocked their inner
poetry and writing zen in writer’s
workshop. We mastered haiku,
couplets, diamonte, odes, triolets
and more! This year we each made
three five-paragraph essays. The first
was a persuasive and students had
the choice to do either Dogs VS Cats
or Star Wars VS Star Trek. Dogs and
Star Wars won. The second was an
informational essay about Wangari
Mathaii, an African environmental
activist. The last was a narrative. I
wrote about a young crippled man
who turned into a zombie and then
was finally happy because he could
see and run.” – Rory, Age 12
“In the game Sharks and
Minnows I used to fall a lot, but
then I got good at it. One game, I
was really fast—so fast—and no one
could tag me. I like playing lots of
other games on our playground, like
Capture the Flag, Sharks from Mars,
Soccer, Marco Polo, Red Light Green
Light, Freeze Tag, Zombie Tag, Three
Having Fun in the Sun
(Photo by Katherine Roncalio)
Our preschool class enjoys a break during a recent nature walk
in the woods.
made a lizard, cars, and a BMX word
sculpture! Terry is a good teacher!” –
Dylan, Age 10
“My favorite books to read at
school are the Harry Potter series
and ‘The Diary of a Wimpy Kid’!
Those are fun. As a class, we have
‘Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s
Stone,’ and we are planning on
reading ‘Harry Potter and the
Chamber of Secrets’ next, then ‘The
Prisoner of Azkaban’! We are all
reading ‘Wild Wings’ right now. Do
you think reading is fun? Or would
you rather just watch the movies? I
think it’s best to read the books first
and then watch the movies! Reading
is fun for everyone—well, for most
people, and it’s especially fun for
me!” - Felix, Age 9
“OBOB, Oregon Battle of the
Books, was a BIG accomplishment.
We read 16 books throughout the
year and then competed at the
Regional Battles. There were so
many other teams in our age group
that 5 teams would get eliminated on
the first round! I was very nervous,
but our team made it through the
first round! We didn’t make it past
An Open Letter to the Community
To All of the Friends and Family of the Illinois Valley and
Takilma:
Did you know that right from the beginning, in 1983,
when the Takilma Community Building (TCB) was just being
completed, even then they knew that the building needed
classrooms. The building was never intended to be mostly a
school; it was meant to meet many of our community needs.
Thirty-four years ago these classrooms were already part of the
big picture and the deeper pull woven into the threads of our
community building was this: We need a place to come together.
After three years at a steady clip, clearing land, gathering
supplies, deconstructing other buildings, fundraising, and most
importantly building the building, the first phase of the project
was, much to everyone’s relief, complete.
The building as of October 1983 didn’t look exactly like
the TCB we see today; there were was still more to come. As
the momentum of the school was burgeoning, those who had
worked so tirelessly to bring the project to fruition took a well
deserved break from such immense projects. The building was
successfully housing the toddling and playing and blossoming
young seeds of the community. The classrooms would come in
their own time. Soon enough, so everyone thought.
In 1995, under the administration of Oshana Emerald the
building project saw a renaissance. The office, Amethyst room,
and front porch were added. The school still needed classrooms
and already the weekly shuffle of putting the school away for
weekend events had become a less than popular after-school
pastime. But the budget certainly didn t call for it; there were
still more pressing projects to attend to. By 1999 Dave Toler
was working the after-school program and writing grants. He
was fortunate and talented enough to access what at the time
seemed like huge sums of money (Thank you Clinton Era!) and
the commercial kitchen and walk-in cooler were added, as well
as a handicapped bathroom and a new janitorial closet. These
were huge improvements to the school’s infrastructure. But still,
we needed classrooms.
Fast forward to 2014. The need to make the TCB accessible
to more people for more projects is clear, as well as simplifying
our ability to gather together. This is what has attracted so many
fine folks to our precious valley. We know how to celebrate
one another, how to come together in good times and in bad,
to laugh and sing and sometimes cry as a community. By now
the weekend shuffle of putting the school away is disruptive to
kids’ education, as well as hindering to what our Community
Building is capable of offering. A new era of enthusiastic board
members know and believe that now is the time to build the
classrooms, expand our scope and vision, and simultaneously
improve how both the Community Building and the Dome
School operate. And one year ago, in May 2016, we broke
ground!
So here we are in the very real Now. Although the project
is once again well under way, we still need classrooms! (Which
translates to: we need more money!) Although so much
progress has been made, the reality is that we are still only part
of the way there. The Building Committee has raised nearly
$100,000 from individual donations and fundraising events.
We have also received more than $35,000 in in-kind service
donations. As well we have received $82,500 in grants, much
of which, unfortunately, we will need to return if we don’t
complete the fundraising. Which means that unless we raise
that final $70,000 or so, we not only lose those grants, but will
owe a penalty to the contractor.
So right about now we are pulling out every trick in the
fundraising book. (See: www.domeschool.org/campaign.) We
are working hard and harder to bring this long-standing goal to
fruition. Once again we need to call on our community for help,
and remind us all of why we are here, and the ties that bind us
all to this vision, whether or not we are aware of it.
This community has shaped our lives. I can guarantee it
has made each of us wiser, more competent, more aware and
in touch. It has given us life-long relationships and priceless
memories. It has raised our children just like any good
community should, maybe even it has raised our husbands and
wives. It has soothed our souls, ruffled our feathers and made
us look at ourselves. This community has shaped our contexts
of what is possible and shown us all for better or worse what
it means to be part of a community. These gifts are priceless in
this world. Our ability to love and support each other and our
children, talents, gifts and visions is priceless.
When this building project first began more than 34 years
ago, its momentum skyrocketed through all of the obstacles
because everyone wanted it so badly and the bigger vision was
held by all. Part of our job right now is to inspire the greater
community to see how this community building can be of use
to each of us, and how to help this vision be held once again
by all of us. Here are examples of what the space could be used
for, and how this project can support the visions and health of
many:
Emergency Center/Shelter ... After-School Center ... Parent
Co-op for Junior High ... Community Certified Kitchen for
business use ... Weekend workshops ... Funerals and Weddings
... Yoga Classes ... Dance Classes ... Music/Drumming practice
space ... Music Venue ... Theatrical Performances ... Dinner
Theatre ... First Aid/ CPR Classes ... Meeting/Conference center
... Senior meals ... Internet cafe ... Potlucks ... and much more ...
The completion of this project could substantially add to the
local economy and culture. It needs each of us to understand the
quality this can add to the lives of all of us. Please remember the
values and ideals that led you to the Illinois Valley, as well as the
hopes and dreams. The connection and community you were
seeking and the amazing people who changed your life that
came from here. Please remember that this community building
is at the heart of so many of the things we hold so dear when we
remember what we love about this place and these people.
As Dr. Suess and The Lorax so eloquently put it, “Unless
someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to
get better. It’s not.”
With Hope and Gratitude,
the second, but it was still a huge
accomplishment not to get sent
home right away.” – Lily, Age 13
“This year we did a lot of plays in
theatre! To name a few, one of them
was ‘Talk’—it was about a farmer
who thinks he’s going crazy because
everything starts talking to him,
another one is ‘Tapiwa’s Uncle’—
it’s about a girl’s uncle, who is a
bushman in Africa, who moves in
with her family and helps around the
house, making food like caterpillar
stew. It’s so fun and awesome acting
and performing!” – Lillianna, Age 10
“I really liked sculpture with
Terry. He taught me how to make
a bust. Lily made a really good one
with really nice hair and Fern made
a lot of daggers and let me decorate
one of them. I made the coolest axe
ever and Terry said he would bronze
it with bronze glaze and it will look
amazing. I have made seven busts,
but two of them broke and it was
sad. Rory, Finn and Rio made some
awesome sculptures and Finn’s were
the best (he said I had to say that).
So, you know, mine were the best.”
– Chela, Age 12
SAVE THE DATES
Graduation / Open House
- May 25. Dinner at 5pm
(provided), Performances &
Ceremony at 6pm.
Hope Mountain Barter
Faire - June 23, 24, 25.
Lake Selmac County Park.
All-School Picnic - May 26.
Green Bridge, 11am-2pm.
Potluck.
Please register for 2017-18
by June 30. Deliver deposits
to school office or our table
at Barter Faire.
Stephanie Moor
Thank you so much to everyone who helped make the 2016-17 school year a success. Have a great summer!