Upattinas School

Moving forward

2012-03-08T11:32:00.006-08:00

Upattinas has big news to report, and we think that it's good news: We have decided to place the Upattinas campus on the market. (If you have been to any meetings lately, you may already know this, but please read on anyway.)

So why is this good news? First and foremost, because we are taking this action because we want to, not because we have to. To be frank, there was a point last year when our finances were such that we thought we might be forced to sell our property. But then we took several steps that turned things around: We consolidated all students to the Stone Building. We cut costs to the bone. We (very reluctantly) cut staff. We obtained $196,000 in grants. Those steps allowed us the breathing room to decide where we wanted our future to be. It took a couple of years of research and consensus-building (this is Upattinas, after all), but we decided that it's time for us to move. You are part of our family, so we'd like you to know our reasoning:

We no longer need a campus this large. Our student population is in the 40-50 range now and is unlikely to reach 100 again for several years. The Great Recession has impacted enrollment at most private schools, and we are no exception. School districts are making greater efforts to keep students in their home schools. Homeschooling, charter schools, cyber schools, a la carte online courses (e.g. Khan Academy, MIT Open Courseware) and other options offer cheaper alternatives to private school.

The real estate market is favorable. While it's not a seller's market, it's a great time to buy or rent. Prices are low, and so are interest rates -- a rare combination. We had the property appraised at $1.2 million over the summer. Even if we don't get a full-price offer, we should make enough to pay off our $300,000 mortgage and buy or rent a new, smaller campus.

Our current campus is very expensive. While "homey," it's drafty, leaky, and environmentally unfriendly (we heat with oil). We'd need hundreds of thousands of dollars to do the necessary repairs, maintenance and landscaping to truly shape up our school. Upattinas has no maintenance department. The teachers and office staff spend countless hours just trying to make the school habitable. This takes a toll on them and their students.

The prospect of moving is daunting, but also very exciting!

We can move to a more visible, accessible location, with a higher concentration of potential students (and maybe even near a train stop).

We can move closer to a downtown, with greater access to parks, cultural institutions, stores, restaurants, recreation and educational partners.

We can move closer to an area with a more culturally diverse population.

We can have a safer, greener, more attractive, lower-maintenance setting.

We can house the students, office, art, and music programs in one building.

And we can use this defining moment in our history to shape our school exactly the way want it to be in the years ahead.

We hope that you can now agree that this is wonderful -- if somewhat daunting -- news. Rest assured that the Board, students, staff, and parents are all in agreement on this momentous decision. There's no question that we will be sad to leave our home of the past 30-plus years. But we realize that Upattinas is not simply a place; it's people, and an idea, and a spirit. And those will endure, wherever we are.

It's likely to take a while to find a buyer for the school property. When we do, we'll insist upon moving when school is not in session (the summertime). We certainly don't expect anything to happen during the current school year. But we are putting out feelers to potential buyers and have contacted a real estate agent. When the time comes that we receive an offer that we feel is a good one, we will consult the community before accepting it. In the meantime, we’ve already started looking at possible new locations.

Our Upattinas community can look upon the past 40 years with great pride. We will carry our proud history with us over the next 40 years and beyond. We ask you to join us in this adventure.

Wreath making in the Big Room

2012-02-08T11:11:00.000-08:00

Making wreaths together in the Big Room is a beloved Upattinas holiday tradition. This set of pictures will give you a taste of the merriment at December 2011's wreath extravaganza!

Easy ways to help the school

2012-02-02T10:03:00.000-08:00

Remember, there are many ways to help the school while doing your regular shopping!

Register your Giant BONUSCARD to earn cash for the school when you buy your groceries at Giant.
Apply for a Target REDcard and sign up for Take Charge of Education, and 1% of everything you spend at Target (and Target.com) will be donated to the school.
Clip Box Tops for Education from the products you use every day and send them in to us in the office. You can also create an account on the Box Tops site and visit daily to enter sweepstakes and play games which can earn even more for Upattinas. Finally, visit the Box Tops Marketplace to earn eBoxTops while you shop online!

Last year, Upattinas earned over $300 through these three programs, which we spent on supplies, field trips, and other fun (and necessary) stuff!

Coffee House 2012

2012-01-18T04:38:00.000-08:00

The date and location for this year's Coffee House have been determined, and we are pleased to announce that we will once again be hosted by Chaplin's in Spring City! This exciting event will take place on Wednesday, February 15, from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m. (with a snow date of Feb. 22). The cost is $5.00 per person and will be collected at the door. Bring your family, bring your friends, and spread the word. See you there!!

Bubble math and the holidays

2011-12-12T07:09:00.000-08:00

This video made me say, "wow, cool!"

Solving optimization problems with soapy water and Plexiglass:

(And speaking of math, I just had to use algebra to figure out what dimensions I should use on the code for this embedded video so it would fit on the page and stay the correct shape. See, you really do use it later!)

In other news, the school is wonderfully busy with holiday events this week -- wreath-making, cookie-baking, field trips to Longwood Gardens and the holiday panto at People's Light, and more! Look for a special post of pictures from all of these events, coming over the break!

Occupy Philly trip

2011-12-08T07:02:00.001-08:00

On Monday, November 7, a group of high school students and staff traveled into downtown Philadelphia to participate in the Occupy Philly protests. It was an exciting and educational trip! You can see a set of pictures from the trip here.

Halloween fun

2011-11-29T08:00:00.000-08:00

On the Friday before Halloween, we had a day of spooky fun -- costumes, games, candy, dancing, and the famous doughnut-on-a-string contest! You can view a set of photos from our day here.

A+ School Rewards

2011-11-10T10:06:00.000-08:00

Through March 31, 2012, Upattinas School will have the opportunity to earn cash through Giant A+ School Rewards Program! If you have a Giant BONUSCARD, you can log on to giantfoodstores.com/aplus to register online, or call 888-448-4642 to register your card over the phone. The code for Upattinas School is ID # 05976.

After you register your card, each shopping trip at Giant using your BONUSCARD earns cash for the school! Each month, the amount of cash awarded will be updated on the Giant website. You can track the amount of points you earn for our school by checking your grocery receipt. Our school will receive a check at the end of the program, and the money can be used for any of our educational needs.

Remember, even if you registered your card last year, you must re-register this year for our school to receive credit. Also, don't forget to encourage your friends and relatives to do the same!

Coffee Break

2011-03-21T06:21:00.000-07:00

Preschool playtime? Slate.

The trip ain't over 'til somebody sings...that's one of the links at MomsMinivan where you'll find a lot of printable, doable, singable, playable car games just in time for Spring Break. Printable battleship - brilliant.

Upattinas in the News

2011-03-13T17:41:00.000-07:00

Fun piece in the Daily Local, 3/13/11.

Coffee Break

2011-03-11T08:07:00.000-08:00

We saw Race to Nowhere last night at the Colonial Theatre and found it very well done. This interactive page, End the Race, has interesting links as well as action steps.

Nancy Collins came across this from our friend Isaac Graves; good read.

Finally, this is a mesmerizing process...

Enjoy your coffee, tea, or other break beverage of choice. Today's here is Good Earth's Sweet & Spicy Herbal.

Coffee Break!

2011-03-03T09:17:00.000-08:00

We've been hearing about this book, A New Culture of Learning, and just ordered a copy to pass around.

Pie Day is coming, and in addition to eating delicious pies, we will be celebrating Pi Day. How can you argue with a day that combines math and pastry?

Race to Nowhere

2011-03-01T13:46:00.000-08:00

The Colonial Theatre in Phoenixville will be showing an important new film, Race to Nowhere, on Thursday, March 10. From the producers:

A concerned mother turned filmmaker aims her camera at the culture of hollow achievement and pressure to perform that has invaded Americaʼs schools. It is destroying our childrenʼs love of learning and feeding an epidemic of unprepared, disengaged, and unhealthy students.

This remarkable new film shines a light on the price our kids pay for this “race to nowhere.” Cheating is commonplace, stress-related illness, depression and burnout are rampant, and ironically, young people arrive at college and the workplace unprepared and uninspired.

Let us know what you think of our latest on-screen ad at the Colonial!

Coffee Break

2011-02-24T07:05:00.000-08:00

Here's some interesting surfing for your coffee break. You're welcome.

From The Chronicle of Higher Education, The Case for Play; How a handful of researchers are trying to save childhood.

This video, which will undoubtedly inspire some doodling.

This one's bookmarked and referred to frequently in the office: New AAP Report Stresses Play for Healthy Development.

You'll Love This

2011-02-23T15:17:00.001-08:00

Upattinas at the Mall

2011-02-14T06:45:00.000-08:00

We've set up a kiosk in the Exton Mall and think it looks fabulous. Take a look!

The other side:

The kiosk is in a great spot, near the food court, and is a wonderful opportunity to share our message with the surrounding communities. The picture frame in the bottom right corner is a digital frame running a slide show of photos.

Our magnetic poetry sets are put to good use here. Designed with input from students, the words help convey what Upattinas means to everyone.

Stop by and take a look!

Welcome Back Russell!

2011-02-06T13:04:00.002-08:00

Russell Buckingham, former teacher, artist extraordinaire, Renaissance Man, and all around Great Guy is returning to teaching at Upattinas! He will spend two days a week working with students of all ages doing drawing and painting, and supporting portfolio development.

How excited are we? Well, click here to discover some of Russell's art, then come back.Finished? Good, because there's more.

Russell brings his love of art, collecting, history, and tango, (yes, tango classes are a possibility!) two days a week. A field trip to STEAMpunk at Penn State's Freyburger Gallery is already on the books as the first of many plans Russell has for field trips.

There is also a rumor that the Trading Post will be revived. Stay tuned...

A New Home for Sweetie Mama?

2010-12-10T15:00:00.000-08:00

Oh Sweetie Mama.

It's a long story, you and your hanging around the campus.

Looks like you found a warm spot during last week's cold temps, but rumor has it that director Nancy Collins has taken a shine to you and has scheduled a series of meetings with Katja, her current cat, to discuss your adoption. Nice work, all that purring and meowing whenever Nancy walked by.

Holiday Bazaar, 2010

2010-12-09T07:37:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday's Holiday Bazaar was great fun, as always, and well attended by our school families and surrounding neighbors. Our staff and students again created a fantastic collection of handmade wreaths, decorations, accessories, and pottery. The Coffee Shop was busy all day and small children happily shopped for (and wrapped!) presents in the Children's Shop.

Congratulations to the Krebs family on winning the Christmas Tree Raffle, and to Julia Trott and Sara Funk, who took home the two beautiful coffee baskets!

This just in!

2010-12-03T03:03:00.000-08:00

The Upattinas Christmas tree is front and center at the Longwood Gardens Children's Christmas Tree Display! Go check it out!

Kind Words

2010-12-01T11:09:00.000-08:00

We got this fantastic holiday card today from a lower school student and we had to share. It is lovely and we wish it had scanned nicely with all its red decorated paper fanciness, but it didn't! Thank you, Indigo!

Warwick County Park Harvest Festival

2010-10-11T10:09:00.001-07:00

Upattinas School, in the form of staff members, students, alumni, friends, and parents, volunteered at the super-fun Harvest Festival at Warwick County Park. We meet lots of families and entertained visiting children with fun games and a puzzle booklet to take home.

Our Bean Bag Toss, complete with spider rings for prizes, was a hit with all the children, no matter their age. They were in love with the bean bags that were sewn together by our middle school students, and decorated by the lower school.

How many pieces of candy corn were in the jar? Guesses ranged from 4 to over 1000, but the winner guessed 260, just two away from the count of 258! She was thrilled - and so was Mom, who was reported to be a big fan of candy corn!

Our volunteers (shown here, a mom, a friend, and an alumna) were visible in their bright green Upattinas t-shirts as they helped children paint pumpkins and served food with the Friends of Warwick Park.

Speaking of friends, here are a few new ones - Friends of Warwick Park - who served fall refreshments throughout the day.Finally, this guy - - now you see him....
...now you don't!

2010-10-08T13:22:00.000-07:00

WHAT'S THE LOWER SCHOOL READING?

The Art Room

2010-10-04T13:12:00.001-07:00

One of our high school students found herself alone in the art room, a rare occurrence. We love the picture.

WHYY and Upattinas

2010-09-27T09:19:00.000-07:00

Upattinas School - including high school students, staff, parents, and alumni - will once again answer phones during WHYY radio's pledge drive. Tune in October 19th from 3 - 8 pm!

Lower School Music...

2010-09-24T14:14:00.000-07:00

A peek into the lower school window!

You can read Bambi...

2010-09-14T10:43:00.000-07:00

or you can watch Bambi drink from the birdbath in front of the school office!

WELCOME BACK TO SCHOOL!

Evening of the Arts!!

2010-05-01T07:18:00.000-07:00

A few pictures of last night's Evening of the Arts, our annual event showcasing the art, music, photography, and creativity of our students. First up, a group of obviously camera-shy students, past and present.

We'll be adding some professional stills to the website, but in the meantime a smattering of student work. The show was full of amazing work, from whimsical to thought-provoking.

We had great music....

and fashionistas!

What a fun night for all of us - kudos not only to our artists, but to the staff and students who worked so hard to transform the gym into a beautiful gallery and stage. More pics are on our Facebook page - check them out!

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2010-05-01T05:52:00.000-07:00

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Setting up for Evening of the Arts

2010-04-29T12:51:00.000-07:00

Everyone is busy transforming the gym into a stage and an art gallery...

Morning Music Parade

2010-03-29T11:29:00.000-07:00

It's a bit blurry but the photographer had to move quickly with a Blackberry when a musical parade made its way through the office, unnanounced!

Upattinas at WHYY

2010-02-21T20:24:00.000-08:00

A super fun project and we'll be doing that again!

All photos courtesy of Emily Savill

Help for Haiti

2010-02-02T10:54:00.000-08:00

Our friend Sam Cantrell at Maysies Farm posted this on his blog and we thought our families might like to know about it. We have known Sam for a long time, have had students intern at his CSA, and are happy to hear about his plans.

Monday, February 1, 2010

Message from Maysie's- Haiti

Greetings Friends -
       If you have been interested in helping the people of Haiti in this time of their desperate need, but have been unsure of the best way to provide that assistance, I can offer you a means of reaching out, if not exactly person to person, at least community to community, to directly aid suffering individuals.
   I will be leaving for Haiti next Sunday, February 7th, and hope to be able to deliver financial donations from people in my community to members of a community there. I also hope to be able to offer assistance in the form of advice on planning and implementing sustainable food production, as I have done on my three previous visits to Haiti.
       I will be traveling with my friend, Aldo Maggazeni, who accompanied me on my 2001 trip to Haiti and then became involved in implementing a water system for a village in Afghanistan. His approach of offering some financial assistance, recruiting local engineers and engaging the villagers themselves in the project, was so successful that he replicated it numerous times in that country and in Kenya and in Mexico. He created a non profit organization, Traveling Mercies (travelingmercies.org), to raise funds for such very efficient, very effective, community level "foreign aid" projects and humanitarian efforts. Now he even has a donor interested in funding the construction of a school.
       We will be working through the Living Hope Mission (livinghopemission.org), near Cap-Hatien, where I designed and started an organic vegetable garden in 1999 that still feeds the Mission staff and their community. Wilbert Merzilus, the Haitian Director, and Meg, his American wife, will be able to connect us to a community or communities that will benefit directly from our financial assistance and project expertise.
       If you are able to offer assistance to people in Haiti I would be very grateful if you could do it by writing a check to Traveling Mercies and sending it to me as soon as possible (though our assistance will be ongoing, continuing after we return from the trip). We will deliver 100% of the donations received to people who will use the funds wisely to ease the suffering and begin the healing process in Haiti.
       The country of Haiti has been in an unbelievable state of desperation for many years - far more so than any of the three dozen-and-some other countries I have visited in my four years-and-some of traveling (mostly in third world countries). There has been almost no infrastructure - pathetically inadequate education, health care and transportation - and governments that were woefully negligent in the good times and brutally oppressive in the bad times. A decade ago it was clear to me that the country's resource base was gone, totally depleted. It looked like the badlands of south Dakota, mountains once covered with tropical forests, now only mountains of gravel. But the people there are human beings - desperate human beings for sure - but capable of love and hope and good will despite their desperation. It's almost unbelievable that that is so, but if you would put yourself down among the mass of people trudging through the sewage filled gullies beside a pitiful track in Port au Prince, if you would open yourself up to engage an individual and look into his eyes, you would see that it is so.
       And now this devastating earthquake has increased their pain and suffering and desperation immeasurably. But it has also brought their situation to the attention of many of the people in the developed world. There is no question about it: we must look at this catastrophy not only as an opportunity to help some of our fellow human beings heal from their terrible wounds, but also as a chance to facilitate the rebuilding of a dysfunctional and devastated country into something better, a place of hope instead of a place of despair.
   I hope you can help.
   Thank you so much -
                                             Sam

Think Globally, Eat Locally
Maysie's Farm Conservation Center
15 St. Andrew's Lane Glenmoore, PA 19343
(610)458-8129 www.maysiesfarm.org

Upattinas and WHYY

2010-01-29T07:05:00.000-08:00

A variety of students, staff, parents, and alumni will be answering phones today from 3:00 to 8:00 p.m. during WHYY's pledge drive. Tune in to 90.9, listen, and pledge!

Conference week, aka EVALUATIONS!

2010-01-25T04:54:00.000-08:00

Last week was conference week at Upattinas, which meant writing evaluations for high school students. Families meet twice a year with teachers and advisors to review the previous semester and plan for future work. High school students write an evaluation for each of their classes, outlining their course of study, books and materials, projects, and field trips for each. Teachers add their comments and assign credit along with their signatures, and the evaluations are reviewed as part of the family conference.

The computer room is a flurry of activity during the week leading up to conferences. Students are encouraged to make duplicate copies and to save their evals electronically but there will still be a:
lost,
found,
misplaced,
abandoned,
deleted,
tossed,
unfinished,
unsigned,
unfiled,
undated,
or
unnamed
evaluation or two, which can be tragic or just mildly annoying, depending.

In the end, students enjoy seeing the file grow thicker with each passing year as a collection of writing accumulates to represent years of high school work. It's a valuable process we should all participate in periodically, taking the time to review what we've done, and plan next steps.

Conference week is over and "writing evals" is off the table...for a few more months!

Our Longwood Tree

2009-12-04T06:26:00.000-08:00

Here is a picture of the outdoor Wildlife Christmas Tree decorated with ornaments our students made. Beautiful!

Be on the lookout....

2009-11-24T05:57:00.000-08:00

for the next Community Courier, where you might recognize some front page faces!

The Community Courier is helping us publicize the Solstice Fair with a front page article and picture of some of students showing off handcrafted wares. I'm going to try to nab some preview pictures of my favorite items before the show...

Walt Strauss!

2009-11-04T04:23:00.000-08:00

Upattinas Music Series

proudly presents:

An Evening with

Singer/Songwriter

Walter Strauss

www.walterstrauss.com

Upattinas Alumnus 1980

Live in Concert @ Upattinas School

Saturday, November 14, 2009

7:00 p.m. $10 admission

Please join us for a special evening with highly acclaimed musician, Walter Strauss.

Over the last five years, Walter has engaged in unique crosscultural collaborations, touring periodically in a duo with Malian kora virtuoso and 2005 Grammy nominee Mamadou Diabate, and in a duo with Malian kamal'ngoni (hunter's harp) master Mamadou Sidibe. Indeed, Maverick Magazine (UK) credits Walter's music with "an enormous sonic and musical and ethnic palette... world music on guitar." Of late, Walter has been performing solo and with The Walter Strauss Trio – with bassist Sam Bevan (David Grisman, Joe Craven) and drummer/percussionist Kendrick Freeman (Alison Brown, Rob Ickes).

Walter is a graduate of Upattinas School and fresh off a tour of the U.K. and Ireland.

Check out his website www.walterstrauss.com for music, photos, personal background,

and tour dates.
Please invite friends and family to this unique musical event!
All are welcome!

NEWSFLASH!

2009-10-22T13:57:00.000-07:00

At this moment, a handful of Upattinians are manning the phones during WHYY's pledge drive! Tune in to 90.9 and pledge!

Checking in....

2009-10-22T06:14:00.000-07:00

Yes, it is October and school certainly started more than a month ago! Apologies for the lack of pictures and updates, but we're gathering steam to streamline photo transfers and updates on a regular schedule. Stay tuned!

Courtesy Posting

2009-05-20T07:35:00.000-07:00

This, from our friends Jim and Nao:

Internship and Volunteer Opportunities
For Alternative Learning Center
Wandering Seed
www.wanderingseed.org

The Alternative Learning center for Middle school Youth along the Thai Burmese Border; The Wandering Seed Project, is the growing pilot project from Whispering Seed Foundation, 501 (c) (3) USA. And with cooperation from Global Village School, International Home School USA, Children Village School, Thailand , Children and Youth for Development Foundation , Thai Volunteer Service and student volunteers from various universities and with cooperation from education organizations and the local District Organizations

Internship for these positions for 3 months June-Aug 2009

1. Teaching English for students ( teenagers age ) in program and ethic Thai-Burmese-Karen tribe adults
Teaching Position in Alternative Education for teenage, middle school age, Experience in Walkabout passage will be highly interested.
2. Vocational Training teacher in Wood carving and Sculpture/Pottery/Ceramic
3. Documentary Filmmaker and Animator and Graphic Designer and Children Literature

Volunteer
( At least one week in all above areas and… )
1. Fundraiser
2. Writer for articles, Journalist
3. Teaching academics, English, Math, Science, Social, Ecology, Non-violence communication etc.. for Middle school student, teenage.
Etcs…

For more info contact ; Saowanee Sangkara ( nao )
Email; nao@wanderingseed.org
www.wanderingseed.org

Darling, Darling, Darling

2009-05-10T06:17:00.000-07:00

Finally, at the end of this string of NCACS posts, we come to Darling. I cannot list all that she did, or how many months she spent planning, or how many hours of sleep she got in the weeks before and during the conference. From brochures and registration packets to camping space and name tags, Darling anticipated the needs of the conference and held the project in her heart and hands for a very long time. The equivalent of planning a three-day wedding, the flow and success of the conference was not a surprise to Darling, who knew all along what she - and we - could do.

A final THANK YOU! to Darling, who was pulled in multiple directions and had an answer for eveyone during the conference and managed to look glamorous at the same time!

*Note - Just a few days after the conference ended, at the weekly All School Meeting, Darling's announcement was for everyone to rally for the next event, Evening of the Arts. Relentless.

THANK YOU!

2009-05-10T05:35:00.000-07:00

There is always the danger, when trying to thank a group of people individually, that someone's name will be left off the list. The size of this event and the level of participation make it nearly impossible to list everyone's contribution - you know who you are, and we know we can count on each other.

While it shouldn't be a surprise to any of us, our community rocked before, during, and after this conference! Staff, students, parents, board members, and alumni worked together on workshops, cleaning, planning, transporting, cooking, serving, directing, wiring, networking, greeting, nursing, washing, sweeping, stocking, supplying, sweeping, singing, presenting, organizing, shopping, weeding, recycling, laundry. . . this could go on. Really. And then there are the conference attendees, students and staff alike, who pitched in and offered workshops, volunteered in the kitchen, ran meetings, cleaned up, organized games. . . really, how cool are we?

So THANK YOU everyone and CONGRATULATIONS on being an amazing group of people!

Conference Randomness

2009-05-08T06:07:00.000-07:00

The folks in the kitchen had a pleasant surprise - the Peace Tomato! Lycopene and harmony in a salad; can't beat it.

Gratuitous picture of Indy.

Coffee!
We were happy to have Hobo Ed* and his fabulous coffee on Saturday. It was an unusually hot day and his iced coffees were moving like, well, iced coffees on a hot day. Ed and his family have long ties to Upattinas and it was fun to have him back on campus!

*I don't know why I can't get that link to work, so check him out hoboed.net!

More!

2009-05-05T07:51:00.000-07:00

Yes, I still have more pictures. And yes, there are still a few things to be said.

Think about this: Every room that had a workshop using a microphone or projector had to have been set up. So did the stage, and the music studio. Power had to be run all over campus. AV equipment distributed, connected, checked, maintained. Aren't we lucky we have JEFF DOMENICK???

And on top of all that, he sings.

Hooping!!!

2009-05-02T07:04:00.000-07:00

Shout-out to the new NCACS Board

2009-05-02T06:40:00.000-07:00

A little bit of business-reporting here; there is a new board, after all! It's too early to alphabetize so here, in no particular order besides the executive committee listed first, are the members of the new NCACS Board.

Kristin Lamoureux, Chair
Darling Bonjo, Vice Chair
Cheryl Kruckeberg, Secretary
Terri Wheeler, Treasurer
Vikram Babu, Tech Advisor
Andrew Oak, Student Rep
Maria Corse
Justin Colella
Mary Ellen Bowen

Thank you for taking on the responsibility!

Food!

2009-04-30T06:42:00.000-07:00

I had a hard time thinking of a catchy title for this post, one that neatly summed up how delicious and diverse the food was while hinting at the talents, both culinary and organizational, of Schuyler, our Kitchen...what? Manager? Goddess? Magician? Schuyler, who fed over two hundred people, three meals a day, but also divided those meals into vegetarian, "meat eater," vegan, and gluten free. The very same Schuyler who planned the menus, organized the shopping and storage of ingredients before and during the conference, and calculated utensils/pans/pots/serving items..midday snacks...cold drinks in a heatwave....this was huge!

Schuyler would be the very first person to point out that she had lots of help, and she did, of course, have a full roster of people from all the schools ready and willing to prep, serve, or clean up. Hats off to them and a rousing blog cheer for Schuyler, who was instrumental to the success of the conference!

Lady-of-the-moment, Schuyler!

Schuyler and Elaine doing some juggling at the stove.

Good morning!

Food line in the stone hallway. They look really hungry, no?

Some of our kitchen helpers were shy about being photographed.

Some were not.
Frosting cakes and cutting bagels, with Ayako peeking from the stove.

Dancing!

2009-04-28T05:24:00.000-07:00

I know, the pictures are grainy and I had to tweak them a bit because the gym was dark but the energy and joy in the dancing makes them worth posting! I had a hard time choosing between taking pictures or singing and dancing myself as Jeff Domenick and the Fraction - the full band - played!

COMMUNITY!

2009-04-27T08:33:00.000-07:00

Nothing builds community like a couple of meetings.....or creating in the Art Tent.....

or hanging out...(take a look at the community painting-in-progress)

or listening to music....
or listening to poetry....
or a little friendly competition!

Tents II

2009-04-27T07:47:00.000-07:00

As all of you arrive back at your schools and air tents and sleeping bags, a little revisit of the tent village you just left as a reminder of why all of today's work was worth it.....

NCACS Friday

2009-04-24T20:02:00.000-07:00

What a wonderful, absolutely picture perfect, fabulous first conference day!! The conference is off to a great start - workshops were well-attended all day, the food was delicious, and by this evening there was a huge game of Ultimate Frisbee just after the concert and before Open Mike time.

I have too many pictures to put up at once so I'm going to first post pictures of beautiful people on this lovely day of sunshine and sharing....

Lower school students arrived this morning and were either thrilled or overwhelmed to find a campus full of people and breakfast in full swing. The weather and the activities won everyone over in short order.

The field was a place for resting.......
and chatting.....

and greeting friends......

and music, of course.
Donna in the store
Anonymous feet
Announcements from Darling....
and from Sandy!

Tent Excitement!

2009-04-23T18:48:00.000-07:00

Nothing like a tent-raising to start a conference!

Stay tuned!

NCACS Conference!

2009-04-23T13:52:00.000-07:00

Here we are, Thursday, and schools are arriving for the NCACS Conference! We are all so excited for the conference to start tomorrow morning, and our staff and students have worked many hours to plan and prepare for a great weekend. Kudos to Darling for heading up the project!

Right off the bat, this is going to be trouble..... but this could be even bigger trouble! The NCACS Board met today in the school conference room. Our own Josh Heake, a board member, was in attendance. The board at work! Or at least, half the table of board members. Setting up tents A couple of Farm School students ... all the way from Tennessee. Setting up for music!

ALL COMMUNITY MEETING!

2009-04-17T06:33:00.000-07:00

Another year, another All Community Meeting. The budget was passed, the new Board approved, reports were appreciated, and the NCACS conference was outlined.

Let's start right off by pointing out what you missed if you were unable to attend - dessert! And you know what a good job we do on desserts at Upattinas...
Sandy led the meeting in the Big Room. Nice art on the walls!
Bob Sybesma was recognized for many years of service to the Board, including years as Chair. We have been grateful for his time and dedication to the entire community and will miss him at meetings!
Sandy presented Bob with a beautiful - some would say coveted - handmade pewter medallian crafted by Dan Morris and his students a few years ago.
A final shot of a few younger students during the meeting!

Fun Pictures

2009-04-02T03:36:00.000-07:00

Mining through Emily Savill's photographs is great fun ...

Angel Food Cake in Cooking Class

Doubles

Monopoly and lunch

Meeting

Walk in the woods

Tristan and Nate!

2009-02-10T14:57:00.000-08:00

Tristan and Nate had some practice time together on the "school slope" at Blue Mountain.

Tristin and her Snowboard

2009-02-10T06:48:00.000-08:00

Science with Sherri

2009-02-01T06:36:00.000-08:00

Yep, the blog is still here, I've just been short of pictures! Emily Savill contributed this pic of one of Sherri's classes...everyone looks fabulous, eh?

Frenchy - - or Frenchie?

2008-12-22T06:28:00.000-08:00

At the Solstice Faire

Solstice Faire

2008-12-13T18:14:00.000-08:00

The Solstice Faire was so much fun today! We had gifts of every sort for sale, from hand knitted accessories and boutique handbags to pottery and birdhouses. We drew a crowd, met a few new faces, said hello to old friends, and just had a good time!

Annual Appeal Volunteers!

2008-11-24T05:36:00.000-08:00

Thanks to the staff and students who helped put out the annual appeal mailing - - they folded, labeled, stuffed, sealed, and stamped with smiling faces!

Election Day Part Two

2008-11-04T12:23:00.000-08:00

It seems that people like Upattinas as a polling place - they are happy to have so much room in the gym, which means no waiting in line, and have said positive things about the atmosphere and location. Everyone has been very friendly, and our table of coffee, baked goods, and homemade CHILI is a hit. And here we have a family of Republicans who were greeting people in the office parking lot...Democrats on the other side of the gym...

and our students and staff inside the gym.

Election Day!

2008-11-04T07:26:00.000-08:00

Scenes from Upattinas this morning, where the polls opened at 7:00 a.m. to a line of area residents waiting to cast their vote! There was an early-morning wait of about an hour that was down to 5 - 8 minutes 9:30, when these pictures were taken.

There were several people enjoying the baked goods and coffee, and asking questions about the campus and school. I talked with, and photographed, volunteers on both sides of the building who happened to be representing Democrats - I will return later in the day to photograph any Republican volunteers, in the interest of fairness! Members of the Iron Workers Local Union 401, pictured below, were interested in hearing about the campus buildings a little more about

the school.

Busy New Kitchen!

2008-11-03T05:29:00.000-08:00

Our kitchen is a busy place today - and every day! Thanks to the generosity of our supporters and the hard work of a lot of folks we have a lovely new kitchen with the appliances and supplies we need. The kitchen now has:

a commercial refrigerator and freezer

a dishwasher that completes a load in under two minutes

a ten-burner stove with a double oven
new windows, ceiling tiles, and back door

Yes, that said under two minutes.

Today the kitchen will be busy with people baking for an Election Day Bake Sale since Upattinas is now a polling place! A group of students will be out in the morning and throughout the day to greet voters with smiling faces and refreshments. The smiles are free but proceeds from the Bake Sale will benefit the Computer Class and their future projects.

The Lunch Program has been an organized and delicious success. Schuyler Vance Miller has managed to create a varied menu with vegetarian entrees or options every day. The Big Room is set with tables and chairs each day and the pass-through in the wall has been reopened to send trays easily back to the kitchen to be cleaned.

The Cooking Class, under Schuyler's supervision, has students learning basic kitchen skills as well as menu planning. The class has also been a big help to Schuyler in getting the lunch routine running smoothly.

Tomorrow's election is a great opportunity for the larger community to check out our campus and meet a few students and teachers. Hopefully the kids who are preparing for the bake sale and getting up early tomorrow morning will enjoy the experience and make some money for their program!

Upattinas T-Shirts!

2008-10-28T07:05:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Who doesn't want an Upattinas t-shirt?

Hello Upattinians! Just wanted to share a few of the new Upattinas T-shirt designs created yesterday in Accessible Art. Feel free to comment on these awesome designs coming to a t-shirt near you! Vote for your fave and buy it at the Solstice Faire!

Woo Hoo!!

2008-10-24T08:31:00.000-07:00

How about that new website! We, meaning the web committee and most other people at school, are thrilled with how it's been designed to communicate timely information for the community as well as people who are just looking at us for the first time. We hope to update this blog at least weekly, and you should feel free to post comments here. Let us know what you think!

2008-10-22T08:27:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the Upattinas blog! Be sure to check back for news, updates, pictures, and events!