K-12 News & Updates

Jennifer Ketring

PCCS Welcomes New Teaching Staff

The Pacific School is excited to welcome new teachers for our 2021-22 school year.

Lili Hillscan, TK-Kindergarten-1st Grade Teacher. Lili earned a Bachelor of Arts in English with a focus in Education from
Humboldt State University and has taken courses on Natural Resources
Management from Santa Rosa Junior College. She has been working with children
of all ages since high school and has always planned on becoming a teacher. Lili has been a part of the Pacific School community for the past 12 years as a volunteer, parent and staff member. She has worked as a Classroom Aide, including with the Forest Kindergarten program, and most recently supported our administrative team as the K-8 Administrative Assistant. She has also
put in lots of time in the K8 kitchen helping with our breakfast and lunch program. Lili enjoys the beauty of the coast and is excited to integrate the joy of being outdoors and lessons of the natural world with our TK-K-1 class. When
she’s not working at the school, you can find her spending time with her family, being
outside, camping, hiking, and sailing, as well as working on her small family
farm.

Charlene Rowland, K-8 After School STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics) Teacher. Charlene grew up farming in the beautiful Canadian prairie province Manitoba. Her mother was an artist and taught art at her elementary school. She was raised with a deep appreciation for nature and environmental health that she strives to share with her students. She has studied and worked in Agriculture for 3 decades. Charlene’s teaching credential is Career Technical Education in Agriculture and Natural Resources and she has been teaching Agriculture in Mendocino county for ten years. Charlene has taught at Anderson Valley Middle/High School, River Community School and Ukiah High School. During the past 5 years she has been teaching Plant Science and Agriculture at Point Arena High School and has been facilitating dozens of successful field trips, apprenticeships, job shadows and outdoor education experiences. Charlene enjoys backpacking, playing banjo and trail running in her free time.

Andrea Mazza, 4th – 12th Health & Wellness Teacher. Andrea earned her single subject teaching credentials in Physical Education and Health Science after a background of working in orthopedic therapies and education. Andrea earned her Bachelor of Arts in Kinesiology with a concentration in Health and Wellness Promotion after earning an Associate of Science in Athletic Training/Sports Medicine. Andrea is an adventurous human and athlete, with a passion for water polo which she played competitively for many years. She’s played and coached many sports, including swimming, tennis, and beach volleyball. Andrea grew up in the foothills and valley of the Sierra Nevada mountains where she learned to love the outdoors. She joined us on the coast five years ago and was thrilled to live where she has been visiting family since she was a small child. Andrea is always up for a challenge – she once lived in Sitka, Alaska where she worked on a commercial fishing boat. Andrea would love to help develop an aquatics program here in Point Arena, because she feels it’s essential for every child to learn swimming and water safety. She’s also a certified EMT and EMR (Emergency Medical Technician/Responder), who trained at Coast Life Support District. Andrea approaches life with gusto and a true growth mindset – she believes in persevering through challenges with a sense of humor and strives to be an asset to every team she joins.


Susan Schaefer Bernardo, High School English Literature and Creative Writing Teacher. Susan brings real-world writing experience to our program, as well as impressive academic qualifications. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from UCLA, a Master’s degree in English Literature from Yale, and did her teacher training at Pepperdine. She is a published author and poet who has also worked in public relations, television and as an arts facilitator and public speaker. Her picture books are used widely to help children cope with social-emotional issues. Notably, she co-authored The Rhino Who Swallowed a Storm with actor LeVar Burton. That book was read aloud to military families by former First Lady Michelle Obama and also sent to the International Space Station and read aloud by astronaut Kate Rubins for Storytime from Space. Susan successfully co-created, crowdfunded and published three more picture books—Sun Kisses, Moon Hugs, The Big Adventures of Tiny House and The Artist Who Loved Cats: The Inspiring Tale of Theophile-Alexandre Steinlen. In 2018 she released Inspired, a YA novel about a girl who discovers she is descended from Muses. Susan moved to Gualala from Los Angeles in 2020. She’s dreamed about living on the redwood coast ever since attending 6th grade science camp here, and she’s looking forward to learning more about this spectacular area through the eyes of her students (and writing about it with them). When she’s not writing or teaching, she enjoys tidepooling, sculpting, gardening, traveling the world, exploring museums, and romping through the woods with her two rescue mutts.
Jennifer Ketring

Pacific School Celebrates 8th Grade Promotion & High School Graduation

 The Pacific School ended this challenging year of schooling
with two in-person celebrations to recognize the promotion of three 8th
graders and the graduation of five Seniors. Family, friends, classmates and
school staff gathered together at the Point Arena Park on Thursday, June 10 to
honor 8th grade students Kadynce Swartz, Addison Tait and Elijah
Garcia. All three students shared speeches with their reflections on middle
school and enjoyed cupcakes, sunshine and music to mark their passage from
middle school to high school.

8th Graders and Teachers: Angela Lang (Art
Teacher), Kadynce Swartz, Dana Beer (English Teacher), Isabel Kuniholm (Math
& Science Teacher), Elijah Garcia, Addison Tait.

The next day, Friday, June 11, family and friends came out
to the Point Arena Lighthouse to celebrate the graduating Seniors—Keaton
Beattie, Levi Teal Roach, Aiyana Robinson, Flavio Smith-Ray and Max Mirassou.
This was the 2nd year of gathering at the Lighthouse to recognize
the Pacific School graduates. Last year’s graduation was a drive-through with
decorated cars parading past the line of Seniors. This year’s celebration was
the same venue but was able to be in-person, complete with all the makings of a
graduation ceremony from the speeches to the tassel-turning to the tears.

Graduating Seniors: Flavio Smith-Ray, Levi Teal Roach, Aiyana
Robinson, Keaton Beattie. 

The Class of 2021 persevered through the global pandemic and
remains hopeful for the future with their plans and dreams. Aiyana Robinson plans
study animal science at Mendocino College with the aim of becoming a game
warden. Levi Teal Roach is heading to the College of the Siskiyous to study welding
and firefighting. Flavio Smith-Ray is ready to start working and enjoying the
outdoors. Keaton Beattie hopes to pursue hands-on work that allows him to build
and create. Max Mirassou looks forward to traveling and exploring the world
beyond high school.

Jennifer Ketring

K-8 May E-Newsletter

Hello everyone!

Wow, I can’t believe that it is already May! Before we know it, June 11th will be here, and this wild ride of a school year will come to a close. Thank you everyone for all of your hard work, patience and flexibility. Please keep it up for a few more weeks and then soon we will get a well earned summer break.

Thank you everyone for helping your students to complete the NWEA assessments. We complete computer based assessments in order for us to generate data that gives us a glimpse into how our students are doing after this year of hybrid/distance learning. In the last two weeks of May, our 3-8th grade students will complete the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASSP) during their in-person time. These assessments are mandated by the state, and allow us to see how our students are doing relative to other students in California.

Work on our yearbook has begun. We have been photographing students during in-person days, and collecting photos from our outdoor learning sessions throughout the school year. If you have fun photographs of your child learning at home, please feel free to email them to the school to be possibly included in this year’s yearbook. We will send out ordering information soon!

Planning has started for our 8th grade promotion ceremony. If you have an 8th grade student, and you would like to be on the planning committee, please let me or your child’s teacher know as soon as possible.

As we begin to think about the end of the year, please plan to return your child’s school issued tablet or Chromebook beginning on June 7th. All students must return their school issued device prior to the last day of school on June 11th. Please be sure to return all headphones, and chargers as well.

Thank you everyone. Have a great month!

-Todd

Read the Full E-Newsletter Here

Jennifer Ketring

High School May E-Newsletter

Dear Families,

Thank you for all your support with the successful launch of our new Spring Fridays outdoor learning model at the H.S. site. Our in-person learning days have helped bridge the gap between distance learning and real-time questions that occur when completing class assignments asynchronously. Students have been busy at the school site on Fridays, working on collaborative outdoor activities, including sanding and oiling the benches, painting the building, and going on hikes exploring our local coast.

ELPAC testing has also been completed onsite and MAP testing is currently taking place remotely and on-site during CLS class time. Our Spring CLS Exhibition will be taking place on May 19th & 20th during CLS class time and in-person opportunities are available to present on Friday May 21st. Please make an appointment with your CLS teacher if you would like to present in-person. We are very inspired by the diverse projects that students and families have worked on remotely this year and will be spotlighting student Passages on our website.

We are pleased to announce the 2021 Graduating Class Commencement Ceremony will be held at the Point Arena Lighthouse on Friday, June 11th. As our county currently remains in the yellow tier, this allows us to plan for an outdoor event. We are collaborating with the senior students, families and teachers in partnership with our Graduation Planning Committee. We will meet with students every Friday at 10:00 to discuss planning details (in-person and online access is available). Senior signatures are due (by email or in-person) now for the Class of 2021 sweatshirts. Senior photos (baby, middle, senior) are due by May 14th (this Friday) for the senior slideshow. More details will be shared with all senior families in the following week.

Our Expanded Learning Opportunities funding is allowing us to address the learning loss that has occurred during COVID-19 with distance learning. Summer school is available this year and we want to reach out and connect with our students who struggled with online learning and discuss summer school options. This is an opportunity for credit recovery with on-site teacher support in July 2021. Please contact us at the office (707-882-2298) for more information about participating in summer school.

Following Teacher Appreciation Week last week, Pacific Community Charter High School would like to say a BIG THANK YOU for all the hard work and flexibility that teachers, staff and families have put in above and beyond this academic year. Thank you to everyone for supporting education in our community and breaking ground together. As we begin to reopen safely, our goal is to continue to meet each and every one of our students where they are at during these challenging times.

Take Care & Stay Well,

Michele

Read the Full E-Newsletter Here

Jennifer Ketring

K-12 April E-Newsletter

SCHOOL NEWS & UPDATES

UPDATED K-12 IN-PERSON SCHEDULE

This week we are launching our spring in-person schedule. In-person days will still be complemented with distance learning days (with the exception of our Forest Kindergarten class) and we will follow this schedule through the end of the school year. Teachers will continue to communicate directly with students and families with more details and any changes—be sure to check your email regularly.

Forest Kindergarten

  • Mondays. 9:00 – 12:00. K-8.
  • Tuesdays. 9:00 – 12:00. Forest days at locations TBA.
  • Wednesdays. 9:00 – 12:00. K-8.
  • Thursdays. 9:00 – 12:00. Forest days at locations TBA.
  • Fridays. 9:00 – 12:00. K-8.

1st – 2nd Class

  • Mondays. 10:30 – 3:00. K-8 Outdoor Classroom.
  • Wednesdays. 9:00 – 1:00. Windy Hollow Farm.
  • Fridays. 10:30 – 3:00. K-8 Outdoor Classroom.

3rd – 5th Class

  • Mondays. 10:00 – 3:00. Windy Hollow Farm.
  • Wednesdays. 8:45 – 12:45. K-8 Outdoor Classroom.
  • Fridays. 10:30 – 3:00. Windy Hollow Farm.

Middle School

  • Tuesdays. 11:00 – 3:00. K-8 Outdoor Classroom.
  • Thursdays. 11:00 – 3:00. K-8 Outdoor Classroom.

High School

Read the Full E-Newsletter Here
Jennifer Ketring

High School April E-Newsletter

Dear Families,

April marks the start of the fourth quarter as we welcome the warm spring season. Now that Mendocino County has moved into the Red Tier, we are able to start our HS Spring Fridays. We will be offering in-person instruction at our new HS outdoor classroom, after spring break (4/23). Family volunteers, students and teachers have been busy preparing the new outdoor space with our wind fence, benches and outdoor structure projects. We are very excited to get everything completed for a successful start to our outdoor hybrid learning model. Review our outdoor learning protocols for information about COVID practices.

We have submitted our exhibition pieces for the Gualala Arts in the Schools online show. The theme for this year’s exhibition is, “Staying Connected in the Time of Covid-19”. We will be hanging this group work at the school.

ELPAC testing is currently being done on site and we have updated our secure web browsers for student testing computers which will also serve our students for upcoming CAASPP testing in May. MAP testing will also be taking place during the last two weeks of April.

We are looking forward to our Zoom Family Forum this week on Wednesday (4/7) and getting family feedback about setting school priorities as we finish this school year and prepare for next year.

Struggling students can now come on site Mon/Wed/Fri to participate in their Zoom classes and get extra support and one-to-one academic tutoring. All COVID protocol is in place and a health screening survey is required upon entry of the building. Contact me at mtaylorjones@pacificcharterschool.org or 707-882-2298 to arrange for participation.

Last Friday we started our Cove Art Contest collaboration between our HS and elementary students. Our first tonal base coat for the background has been applied and we will be working with the 3rd-5th grade students to add kelp forest features. We are hoping to use the artwork to raise awareness about the disappearing kelp forests off our coast.

Open enrollment is happening now and our HS Open house, 9th – 12th grade, will be Wednesday, April 28 from 3:30 – 5:30 pm at PCCHS. Our Annual Spring CLS Passage Exhibition will take place on Zoom this year and in-person presentations will be available in our outdoor classroom. For more details please contact the office.

Stay Well,
Michele

Read the Full E-Newsletter Here

Jennifer Ketring

K-8 April E-Newsletter

Hello everyone!

It is so exciting to feel the seasons start to change and to feel that we are heading in the right direction with Covid-19 here in California. A huge thank you to everyone for all of their efforts to maintain physical distance, wear masks and to get vaccinated. Working together will help us to see the other side of this challenging situation. Please keep it up!

Now that Mendocino County has moved into the Red Tier, we here at the Pacific School have been working hard to modify our schedule to get students together for in-person learning as much as possible. When we return to school after Spring Break, our TK-Kindergarten students will be in class five days a week, and our 1st-5th grade students will have in-person learning three days a week. We are very excited to welcome our 6th-8th grade students back to campus for in-person learning two days a week. With the change in weather, the warm days feel very festive, and our in-person days have been a lot of fun. I look forward to discussing our new in-person schedule with everyone at our Family Forum next week on Wednesday April 7th.

I am very excited to announce the opening of the virtual Gualala Arts in the Schools exhibition on April 16th. The theme for this year’s exhibition is “Staying Connected in the Time of Covid-19”. Please make sure you check out the show and admire the amazing work that students have created.

On another note, I know that some parents have been asking whether or not we are going to have a yearbook this year. We will be taking student pictures during our in-person days. Your child’s teacher will notify you when their class is scheduled to be photographed. If you have photographs of your child learning from home, please send them to me at torenick@pacificcharterschool.org so that we can document this past year of Distance Learning and Outdoor Education.

If you haven’t already filled out enrollment forms for your child for next year, please do so as soon as possible. We appreciate each and every one of you and look forward to everyone returning next year.

Lastly, please be sure to fill out our latest family survey. We truly value your input and use it to guide the decisions we make at the Pacific School. Your opinion matters!

Take care everyone. Happy Spring. Peace!

-Todd

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Jennifer Ketring

K-12 March E-Newsletter

K-12 SCHOOL NEWS & UPDATES


FAMILY FORUM: WEDNESDAY, APRIL 7

We encourage all of our families to participate in our spring Family Forum scheduled for Wednesday, April 7 at 5:30. This will be a chance to:

  • Discuss plans for the remainder of the school year.
  • Look ahead to the next school year.
  • Contribute your ideas for helping us set our goals and priorities for our 3-year Local Control & Accountability Plan.

Read the Full E-Newsletter Here