Wellsprings Friends SchoolSpring, 2010 Newsletter3590 W. 18th Ave, Eugene, Oregon 97402 541-686-1223 www.wellspringsfriends.org

“THE LITTLE SCHOOL WITH THE BIG HEART”

Thank You, Vicki!After serving eight years on our Board of Trustees, Vicki Morgan is retiring at the end of the school year. In an interview conducted by Todd Peterson, Vicki shared the following comments about her experience with Wellsprings.

Who inspired you to join the Wellsprings Board?

“In 2002 I was approached by a member of the Mennonite church (also the parent of a WFS student) to see if I’d be interested in serving on the Wellsprings board. There was an almost immediate sense of rightness about saying “yes” to this question. Most of my working life I’ve been involved in various ways with kids and teens, and at one time, as an advocate for improving educational options for public school students. Although I attend the Mennonite church, my connections with Quaker belief and practice from early connections to Friends are still strong, and I liked the idea of connecting my Mennonite and Quaker worlds, acting in part as a liaison between the two groups who shared one building. Becoming a part of the Wellsprings community seemed like a natural fit.”

Describe some of your fondest memories of the time you’ve been on theBoard.

“Each time I encounter the staff of the school--at school events, the annual gathering with the staff and board, in the classroom, at parents’ meetings, at graduation—I’m struck with their caring, their commitment to the well-being and success of each and every student. They never cease to amaze me. More than anything else, that’s what continues to impress me about the school.

“One of the most satisfying things for me as a board member was having a part in advocating for and implementing improvements in the wages and benefits for school staff. It would be difficult to pay them what they’re really worth (priceless!), but this effort conveys the board’s understanding that adequate compensation is vital to the lives and health (literally) of the staff.”

What do you see as the most notable strengths of Wellsprings?

“Over the time I’ve been on the board the school has continued to strengthen its mission and to gain

clarity about its philosophy, which is affirmed and confirmed by the responses of students and their families. The school has solidified in a dynamic sort of way. Many students have found their way in life or gained a sense of individual identity within the caring community; students recognize their inherent worth, recognizing they have something to offer the world. Their curiosity is awakened, their interests are affirmed, their minds are challenged, and their individuality is celebrated.”

What have you gained personally from your experience on the Board?

“I’ve enjoyed offering support to the hard-working staff as a board member; it’s been inspiring to work with people who are so committed to making a difference in the lives of individuals, of supporting each student along with their families. Acting as somewhat of a liaison between the school and church communities has been a privilege, although it hasn’t always been an easy role for me to play. It’s challenging to be completely objective when I know each group fairly well and am invested in the success and interests of each group which are generally compatible but sometimes need some negotiating and seasoning. It’s been my hope to be able to speak my truth and then let it go, trusting those who are also part of these communities. Learning how a non-profit board functions has been interesting, in particular as it attempts to work within the spirit of Quaker thought and practice. Working much of the time behind the scenes with dedicated board members has been inspiring as well. My involvement with the board cements my commitment to supporting the success of the school, and I plan to continue offering my support in ways other than board service.”

What hopes/dreams do you have for the future of Wellsprings?

“I think of Wellsprings’ future as more of the same, building on the strengths of the caring community that encourages each person to rise to their potential--knowing they are loved and capable human beings—combined with an expanded facility that more completely matches the needs of the school. I look forward to pounding some nails and painting some walls with students building their new school sometime in the not-too-distant future!”

“Vicki’s love for Wellsprings was what first drew me to serve on the board. I have

known and respected her for many years, and believe her when she says Wellsprings is a fantastic school that serves students on the basis of love,

respect and community. I appreciate her good sense,

her perceptive observations, and her obvious love for the school and its values. I’ve enjoyed commuting

with her to and from board meetings, especially in the winter months, because she has the most intense bicycle headlight I’ve ever seen.”

-Tom Stave

An Absolutely “Cozmic” Benefit Concertby Chanci Herer

Our annual benefit concert at Cozmic Pizza was a great success with an enthusiastic crowd of students, parents, and friends of Wellsprings. The benefit concert is a chance for current and former students and staff to gather and showcase their artistic passions. Former students informally meet current students and share their favorite Wellsprings stories, and parents and friends gather to show their support for the performers and the school. This year we had a wide variety of performances from music to spoken word to dance.

Wellsprings’ teachers Bob, Paul, Tyler and Chanci kicked off the night with the jazzy folk fusion of Chancipants and the Educators. Former student Laura Hopkins and graduating senior Alexandra Bryson performed singer/songwriter style duets, including Dolly Parton’s Jolene that Alexandra re-wrote to express her feelings for Wellsprings. Kai Norman and Antony Hewitt (backed by Tyler on drums) gave us a taste of metal while Kai held down the bass line, and Antony showed off his impressive speed and fretwork. Alex Williams took the stage with a guitar and sang; then joined by Paul on bass and Tyler on drums he unleashed a ferocious guitar solo.

Paul and Tyler’s other band Strum Theory played a set of original funk infused rock tunes with singer Mike Domagala. Michayla Todd impressed the crowd with her first spoken word performance backed by a jazzy bass line played by Bob and Tyler on drums. Effervescent 2004 graduate Rio Prat got the crowd dancing with a set of lyrically conscious hip-hop. And for the first time in the Wellsprings Benefit Concert history, we had a solo belly-dance performance from senior Nataya Caraveo. After four hours of performances, the evening concluded with jazz from Bob and Tyler’s new band, The Jack Armstrong

Quartet. Thanks to everyone who came and made the event so memorable!

Editor’s Note: The following is a letter written early last fall on her own initiative by a student seeking help from her local (at the time) school district. Due to that district’s policy guidelines and budgetary limits, Hanna’s request for a referral was not granted. Shortly afterwards, however, her family moved to a new home, in a different district, which did grant her a referral to Wellsprings.

I Need An Alternativeby Hanna Johnson (‘10)

September 9, 2009

To the 4j School District:

My name is Hanna Johnson and I’m 16 years old. I moved here from Minneapolis, Minnesota when I was 11, and that’s when my life completely took a turn. Things were different in Eugene in every way possible. That made it hard for me to find friends and places that I felt comfortable with. Since I moved here I have been to a total of six different schools, and none of them seemed to be right for me. I hated school, and everything about it. I started skipping classes and then eventually stopped going because I couldn’t deal with the pressure. To me, it just wasn’t worth going somewhere that made me pretty much hate my life. This attitude, in the end, led to self-destructive behavior that got me into trouble with myself, at home, with school and with the law. I was on a downward spiral.

When I got to high school, I started taking my education more seriously and decided to completely turn my life around as well. I sort of used school as my reality check. I enrolled in South Eugene High School and did not know what I was in for. It was fine at first, a lot of work, but it was nice for a change. I felt good about doing something positive for myself and with being productive. Little by little it started to tear me

apart, one piece at a time, until eventually I completely broke. Everything became too much, the people, the homework, the everyday struggle to keep up. I had no time for myself, when I wasn’t at school I was doing homework

or stressing about having to go the next day. My anxiety was worse than it had ever been and I was extremely unhappy. When I tried to not let things stress me out, I would get behind. I soon stopped caring about the work and started caring about the people I hung out with, thinking that if I maybe hung out with some of the “cool kids” my high school experience wouldn’t suck so bad. Well, I was wrong. I have never met as many fake people in my life as I did at South and I was still having to get up and be there for 7 hours a day 5 days a week. I think that Sydney taking her life was the last straw. I couldn’t take it anymore.

I visited Wellsprings Friends School last year to explore a less stressful high school option. I received a referral (from a counselor at South) to transfer my sophomore year, but I chose to stick it out at South one more year. I dropped out in March of my sophomore year and since then have been unsure which direction to head with my education. I considered getting my G.E.D. and then realized that I still wanted to graduate high school and get my diploma. I feel like it is important that I see this through to completion, and that a G.E.D. is just another way of “taking the easy way out.” Besides, I don’t think I’m ready yet for college. I feel like that would be rushing into adulthood and might stress me just as much as public high school did.

I accepted that public high school was definitely not for me, but I am ready to take my education

Prom Night Organized almost entirely by our students themselves, the Wellsprings Prom this year was held on May 22nd at the Hilyard Community Center. With a theme of “masquerade,” colorful masks covered the faces of young women in dazzling dresses and young men in black tuxes (and one white).

The room was ablaze with lights and silver streamers and there was an awesome array of food and refreshments for nibbling during the evening. Music from the DJs—alumni Mo Hertzbach and Andrew ‘Scoop’ Meyers—was lively and loud, though getting the dancing started was a challenge. There was lots of conversation though, especially about what people were wearing for the masquerade party.

“Planning for the event started last November,” said Geoff Marcus, a senior this year. “We had a committee of six students who were involved. Most of the work happened in a mad rush that started three weeks before the prom. On the day of the event, we got lots of help setting up and organizing the food and drinks from Lane’s dad and his family. Teachers Tyler and Chanci came to help us decorate the room. And, afterwards, lots of students and parents helped with clean-up. All in all, the prom was fun for me. I enjoyed hanging out with my friends from school and seeing all the different ways they dressed for the masquerade party.”

A special thanks to the Shuler family for their financial and organizing support.

seriously. I’ve done some research. I’ve attended a lot of different schools and I know that Wellsprings is where I want to be. At Wellsprings they accept you for who you are, here and now, not where you have been or who you were in the past. They allow you to set your own goals and let you work at your own pace. The environment is less stressful and overwhelming. Even as a visitor I feel part of the community and not just another face in the crowd, as I did at South. At Wellsprings I feel more like a person and not just another number.

This is my chance at graduating high school. At this point my only other option is to drop out and get my G.E.D., which will be very unsatisfying and follow with lots of regret I’m sure. This is my chance at succeeding and accomplishing what I need to move on. I want this more than anything and will fight for it as much as I have to.

Thank you for considering my request.

Prom Album

Peace & Justice Festival 2010

Our 8th annual Peace & Justice Festival was held at school on a beautiful, sunny May Day. Eva Brill, in addition to her fulltime teaching duties, organized the event, arranging for speakers and student participants, designing the fliers, doing publicity, and so on. Mary Steinberg-Pichey, volunteer and mother of an alumna, secured a delightful spread of food donated by local businesses: Cafe Mam, Eugene City Bakery, Toby’s Family Foods, and Dana’s Cheesecake. Several students helped set up beforehand and clean up afterwards. The program began with a presentation on “Fair Trade” by Melanie Bigalke from Cafe Mam. Martin Jones followed with a talk on “How Military Expenditures Impact Economic Problems” and about the organization Beyond War. Next, Wes Shirley from the Eugene-Springfield Solidarity Network spoke about the labor movement in our area. Samantha Chirillo followed with a talk about the Oregon Fair Trade Campaign as well as her personal experience of networking for social justice.

Head of School, Dennis Hoerner, moderated a student/teacher panel which explored the topic of “Teenagers, Jobs, Fairness.” Members of the panel included recent graduate, Mo, current students Nataya and Emily, teacher Eva, and Laurel Henry, a jobs specialist and mother of a Wellsprings alumna. Everyone shared their experiences in getting a job as a teenager (or not) and offered their ideas about what would be helpful for young people seeking employment.

May Day is an ancient holiday celebrating fertility, joy, and renewal. Since the 19th century, people around the world have celebrated it also as a workers’ holiday. Although not a strict theme, this rich cultural and political background was in our minds as we deliberately chose May 1st, which fell on a Saturday this year, as the date of the Peace and Justice Festival.

“Free Sale” Serves the CommunityThe morning of Saturday May 22nd was gray, with light rain falling. The school's parking lot quickly filled up and a crowd of people came through the doors for our second "Free Sale" this year and the 7th since 2005. Yancey DeYoung, organizer of the event, and several students had arranged items on tables and in the hallway for people to take away for free.

The sale provides people in the Eugene/Springfield community with furniture, household items, clothing, toys, and other goods that they would not otherwise be able to afford. For our students, it is one of many community service proj-ects they participate in during the school year.

Thank You!To all those who support the school with time, money, and love, we thank you. The Wellsprings mission is to “provide alternative learning approaches, supportive community, and a culture of individual affirmation, in which teenagers are mentored and assisted towards meeting the challenges of adolescence and adulthood.” We cannot do it without your ongoing support.

Anonymous (6)Peter AnthonyWendy BaileyRose Marie & Michael BarberRobert BellucciRudy BergKelly BrysonRebecca & Peter CacioppiBill CadburyGerald CopelandBarbara CrockerRobin Cushman & John HazenRobert DeckerMarlitt DellaboughErika DeSantisGeorge & Susan DimitroffTerrye EamesSakre EdsonArthur EfronEdith EislerJohn EtterMargot FetzJane Franz & Bob ScheriShirley FroydSusan GoodyearRamona HardistyKaren HewettKarine HomesteadAnn HubbirdKim JohnsonMary G. JohnsonJanet KallstromOgden Ellis KelloggLee KerstenElizabeth KingJaime KolenoDean KortgeFloyd & Ardith MacklerAndrew & Lisa MarcusRonald & Peggy MarsonLyn Marx & Mary Ann DiDomenico

Dixie Maurer & Rick WilcoxEllen McBain-HubbeMichelle MeadorSharon & Paul MerrillAnne M. MichalskiMarjorie MikesellCatherine Ann MinerWilma MintonVicki MorganAmanda MorrowPeg MortonJohn G. MowatGreg & Isabell NormanNorthwest Exposures PhotographyPacific Continental BankHelen ParkEdgar & Phyliss PearaEthen PerkinsTodd PetersonEllen RifkinDarlene RobertsonReynold RydbergDev Sinha & Sujata SanghviJohn & Becky SchenckMary Steinberg-PicheyMatt & Kathleen ShulerSelco Credit UnionSiemens Caring Hands FoundationHelen SillsChristina SimoniPaul & Jennifer SmithTom & Vicki StaveMary Steinberg-PicheyAnita StellingHanna StillKathy Tiger & Joe McKeeverPam & Frank TurnerPat WhitmerJames WhittierPearl Wolfe & Bill GoldsmithRichard Yost

Shay Bohm Sierra Morrison Talea Dukart Tom O'Reilly

Congratulations to the Class of 2010

Alex Williams Alexandra Bryson Anne Sondag Emily Agerter Geoffrey Marcus

Hanna Johnson Kai Norman Kyle Kingery Lane Shuler

Loraine McLeod Mackenzie Sparks Madeline Bourgault Nataya Caraveo Quasei Fannin