Ben's Weekly Letters

(1)

August 26th, 2010
Salmon Creek Parents and Students,

This is the first of many letters I expect to write throughout the year, to keep everyone abreast of what is going on at school. I will make an effort to make sure that these letters are sent out on Thursdays, after school. I will send print versions until my internet works, then revert to email.

I am writing this in a wonderfully clean and shiny room and would like to thank you all for coming and making it happen. It makes a huge difference to be sitting in a space that has almost completed its journey to full classroomhood.

I would like to let you know the best way to reach me. At the moment I do not have access to internet here on the hill, although that may change as soon as next week. Until I can check my email every day I will make a concerted effort to do so on the weekends, so I will eventually receive and respond to email. My email address is benyorkovich@gmail.com. You can also call me, at 707 223 4657. I buy my phone time by the minute in advance, and so am not a proponent of hours long phone conversations, but do not hesitate to call with questions or to set up a face to face meeting. As far as face to face meetings go, I will be at school after school on Mondays and Tuesdays, as well as Wednesday to some extent. I prefer to meet face to face, and phone and email can mainly be used to set up meeting times other than those after school. I am also happy to answer any questions via email that you are comfortable asking.

To let you know a little about my current situation, I am living at Jack and Jonell's place at the end of the road. It takes me about 18 minutes to get to school. I plan to be here around 8am most mornings. As far as specific lessons go, I will be planning a week in advance, on Wednesday evenings. I hope to have all my planning for the next week done on Wednesday. I will be gone many weekends, as my girlfriend, Sasha, lives in Arcata. She will be coming up here as well, but we have a tendency to wander. I may not always be available on weekends.

For the seventh grade girls we have organized a backpacking trip to take place over the weekend of the 16th of September. I think that pushing them in the direction of self sufficiency is healthy, and that it is a good time to get out. Several parents have offered to come along, and we should discuss logistics soon. I initially said that we would leave Thursday after school, and would now like to push that back to Friday. We will camp the first night on the Trinity, then proceed up Canyon Creek Saturday.
I hope to have other grade specific field trips throughout the year, please do not hesitate to suggest locations.

As always, please do not hesitate to approach me with suggestions or concerns. I will do my best to accommodate any issues that may arise through the course of the year.

Thank you for your reading, and heres to a great year!

Ben

BEN