History

The Madrone Trail Public Charter School is a public charter K-8 school that has been open in the Medford, Oregon school district since September 2007.

The plan set out by the founders of this school was to create a kindergarten through 8th grade school. Madrone Trail started as a kindergarten through second grade school located in very small quarters near the YMCA.

In the Fall of 2010 MTPCS moved into its new campus. The purchase of the facility was made possible by a generous contribution and loan provided by a benefactor. Ongoing support of donations of work and funds by parents and community members has enabled Madrone Trail to grow and thrive.

Each year, we have added a grade, and in 2013 reached our full kindergarten through 8th grade school size.

As a public charter school, there is no tuition and the school is open to anyone residing in Oregon. If demand exceeds spaces, preference is given to students residing within the Medford School district.

Madrone Trail adapts Waldorf educational methods to public education. The school features parent and community participation at all levels, including governance.

At Madrone Trail, movement and the arts are not add-ons to a predominately cognitive approach, but are integrated fully into all aspects of teaching. The inclusion of heart and hands is more than a technique for enlivening academic instruction. In a three-fold approach, the heart and the will, as well as the head, are the subjects of educational endeavor. In other words, the arts are not merely a means to an end– improved academic performance-but an end in themselves.

To educate the feelings is to edify and refine the emotions so that they are sensitive and responsive to beauty, truth, and goodness.

To educate the will is to build a foundation of inner strength leading to a life of conviction and purpose.

Our Vision and Mission

Our vision is to develop balanced, successful, socially responsible and contributing community members by introducing a high quality choice in public education using Waldorf-inspired methods, a well-rounded and proven curriculum addressing the needs of the whole child.

Our mission is to provide expanded high quality educational choices within the public school system for children from kindergarten through grade eight. The Madrone Trail Public Charter School shall strive to provide:

–  A balanced education to nurture the development of the whole child, encouraging each child to become a life-long learner and a benefit to the society. Using a Waldorf inspired curriculum and teaching methods, the school places equal emphasis on a solid academic foundation, academic excellence, artistic expression, attention to the inner emotional life of each child, social development and responsibility, and physical fitness.

–  Professional enrichment and growth to teachers through acquisition and mastery of an innovative and holistic pedagogy and professional empowerment through opportunities to participate in the creative implementation of the curriculum.

–  Opportunities for parents to be directly involved in the school operation and make significant contributions to their children’s educational environment.

–  Opportunities for the community to contribute in shaping the future of the youngest members.

Read all grades teachers bios here by selecting a grade or subject.

Staff

Executive Director

Kendall Roberts

Kendall Roberts grew up in Southern California. Summers would find him either playing in the waves at the beach, or helping his grandparents on their cattle farm. He has always enjoyed the outdoors, working in the garden, hiking, or playing in any body of water.

He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Physical Education from Whitworth University in Spokane, Washington, and his Master’s degree in Special Education from Portland State University, where he also earned his administrative credentials.

He has been an educator for 29 years. He has taught elementary, middle school, and high school and has taught at the Oregon State Hospital, a Day Treatment Program, public school, private school, general education, and special education.

He met his wife, Rachelle, in college and have been married for 31 years. Together they have raised three children, two boys and a girl, and one grandchild born last spring. His youngest son will be a freshman at Oregon State University this fall, studying Mechanical Engineering.

Prior to joining Madrone Trail, he spent two years supporting the special education staff and special education services at all of the charter schools sponsored by the Medford School District, including Madrone Trail Public Charter School. He enjoyed his time on campus, and in meetings with students and families that received those services. A big factor that attracted him to the Madrone Trail Public Charter School was the Waldorf pedagogy, which looks at how the individual child learns and develops. This is also the primary focus of special education. Kendall is starting his second year as the Executive Director of Madrone Trail Public Charter School.

Office Manager

TaurieMichele

Taurie grew up in Southern Oregon and graduated from North Medford High School class of 1997. Her professional background is in Office Management having served many different organizations, corporate offices, healthcare facilities, and small local businesses. She attended Southern Oregon University, and obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Interdisciplinary Studies in 2017. Her studies focused on Communications and Psychology, and also obtained a minor in Philosophy, and a Certificate in Conflict Resolution.

Miss Taurie spends her personal time handcrafting herbal medicines, creating nourishing meals, facilitating Sound Bath Tea Ceremonies, and being in service to her community. She is passionate about holistic health, nutrition, self-care, native spirituality, herbalism, plants, art, and music. She collects tiny things, chopsticks and stickers. Her house is covered with over 100 houseplants! Taurie Michele is also local folk musician and singer songwriter that has performed in venues around Southern Oregon.

She moved to Ashland in 2007 to raise her daughter, and attend SOU. She currently lives with her 18 year old daughter, Sage, who is also her best friend! They also have three cats Jupiter, Venus, and Malibu.

Secretary

Sherrie Gasper

Sherrie was born and raised here in the Rogue Valley and has seen a lot of change over the years. She graduated from Rogue Community College with an Associate’s Degree in Human Services. She most recently worked at OnTrack Addictions Recovery for six years working with adults and most recently teens, which she found very rewarding.

This is Sherrie’s first opportunity to work in a school and is enjoying discovering the new experiences of it. She is glad to be here at Madrone Trail and is entertained daily by the joy, innocence, and comedy of the children. She has a daughter and son-in-law and four grandchildren.

 

Interventionist

Jeff Roberson

Jeff Roberson was born in Southern California and loved boogie boarding at the beach often while growing up. He also played many sports during his youth, including soccer and cross country. His main love was basketball and he was able to play pickup basketball games at local parks, pretty much year round due to the favorable southern California weather. Jeff fondly remembers his parents telling him, “Basketball can’t be your whole life.” Maybe not, but it certainly has come close.

Jeff has been an educator and a coach his entire adult life. With a master’s degree in Education, he has taught many grade levels-from preschool all the way up to 8th grade. He especially loves coaching basketball, and has coached youth basketball for over 15 years as well as high-level men’s wheelchair basketball for two years. He also recently published his Middle Grade fiction book: Homecourt.

Jeff and his wife, Sarah, have three children and enjoy the role of being foster parents to several more as well. Jeff and Sarah were living in Long Beach, CA when they found out they were pregnant with their first child, 14 years ago. They had been to Medford several times already after Sarah’s father transferred within the Providence healthcare system. They decided Southern Oregon would be a great place to raise a family and made the move, which they have never regretted.

Jeff is very excited to work with the students of Madrone Trail and has already begun to see tremendous growth in their reading abilities. The students here are eager to learn and work hard every day, which is an awesome thing to see.

 

Reading Interventionist

Suzanne Percy

Suzanne was born in San Diego and moved to Oregon as a child. She graduated with a B.A. in History from Southern Oregon University and went on to attend the archeological field school at Boise State University. She then worked as an archeologist in Hawaii and Idaho. After meeting her husband in Idaho she obtained a teaching credential there and taught both social studies and science at the middle school level for four years. Suzanne left teaching for eight years to stay at home with her daughters. She joined the Madrone Trail staff last year as the assistant in the Poppy Kindergarten Class. She is so grateful to be a part of a staff that cares so well for and is deeply committed to their students.

Outside of work Suzanne has traveled extensively including trips to Kenya, Iceland, Israel, Mexico, Canada, and many European countries. Travel remains one of her prime passions along with reading, baking, music and crafts.  Suzanne enjoys spending time with her three hilarious sisters, three wonderful daughters and her lovely husband.  

Social Emotional Learning Advocate

Shelby Dias

Shelby Dias holds a Master’s in Teaching from Southern Oregon University, is a licensed TSPC educator, and has been a second-fifth grade teacher for eight years in the Rogue Valley, where she has carefully honed and refined her craft of teaching and growing all children in core subjects, project based learning, environmental sciences and outdoor education. She is honored to have the opportunity to join this team in a new position as Social Emotional Learning Advocate to foster inclusion and the building of social emotional skills in all Madrone Trail students through mindfulness, storytelling, art, growth mindset, celebrating growth, and relationship building, through the lens of positive discipline and trauma informed care.

Little Hummingbirds Kindergarten Assistant

Rachel Cermak

Ms. Rachel grew up in Northern California, in a small town among oceans and redwoods. There she started her journey working with children ages pre-K and younger at various Montessori schools around the Bay Area. From there Rachel worked as a nanny while she began her journey as a mother. Her and her family happily moved to Southern Oregon eight years ago, where they were first introduced to Madrone Trail and Waldorf education. After watching her eldest son flourish at Madrone Trail she quickly enrolled her two younger boys.

Being involved with the school reinvigorated Rachel’s love for working with children. Last year when the opportunity was made available to work in her son’s kindergarten class she excitedly accepted. She has since sought out Waldorf based training for kindergarten and is happy to be working in the Little Hummingbirds kindergarten class this year.

In her free time she enjoys spending time with family and friends, cooking, good music, her pup Haus, playing in the garden, and jewelry making.

Facilities

HEALTHY AND SAFE SCHOOLS PLAN

Introduction

 In 2017, the Oregon State Legislature passed SB 1062, which requires that, every school district, education service district, and public charter school develop a Healthy and Safe Schools Plan (HASS Plan). Each organization’s HASS Plan has specific requirements that must be included for the HASS Plan to comply with state law. All HASS Plans are due to the Oregon Department of Education by July 1, 2019. Additionally, each school district, education service district, and public charter school is required to certify annually that the organization continues to comply with the requirements of the HASS Plan by filing an Annual Statement. The following plan was developed to meet these requirements.

  1. Responsible Person

The person responsible for administering and implementing the Healthy and Safe Schools Plan, is the designated IPM Coordinator, and is responsible for AHERA information:

Name:  Kendall Roberts

Position Title:  Executive Director

Phone Number:  (541) 842-1965

Email Address:  [email protected]

Mailing Address:  3070 Ross Lane, Central Point, OR 97502

  1. List Facilities

All facilities owned or leased by Madrone Trail Public Charter School where students or staff are present on a regular basis are covered by this HASS Plan. The list of those buildings and facilities is below:

 

Facility Name Facility Address
Madrone Trail Public Charter School 3070 Ross Lane, Central Point, OR 97502

 

  1. Elevated Levels of Lead in Water Used for Drinking or Food Preparation

All school districts, education service districts, and public charter schools are required to test for and eliminate exposure to elevated levels of lead in water used for Drinking and Food Preparation through either remediation or eliminating access, according to OAR 333-061-0400 and OAR 581-022-2223. In conformance with those administrative rules, Madrone Trail Public Charter School certifies the following:

  1. All testing was done according to the testing requirements in OAR 333-061-0400;
  2. All samples were analyzed by a lab accredited by Oregon Health Authority to test for those materials;
  3. All water fixtures required to be tested under OAR 333-061-0400 were tested for elevated levels of lead in accordance with the testing schedule developed by the Oregon Health Authority; and
  4. The testing schedule for each building covered by this plan is set forth below:

 

Facility Name Year of Last Test Next Scheduled Test
(beginning of 6 year schedule)		 Schedule or Exemption Reason
Madrone Trail Public Charter School N/A 2025 fiscal year 6 year schedule

 

  1. Lead Paint

In order to comply with the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s Renovation, Repair and Painting Program Rule, the district will either contract only with certified lead based paint renovation contractors licensed by the Oregon Construction Contractors Board, or use school staff that are certified by the Oregon Health Authority to perform the work.

  1. Asbestos

Madrone Trail Public Charter School complies with the federal Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA). All required asbestos management plans are available for viewing by submitting a request to Kendall Roberts.

  1. Radon

Madrone Trail Public Charter School has developed a radon plan as required by ORS 332.167. Community members can access a copy of the radon plan here: Radon Plan

Test results will be made public and are available here: link to come

  1. Integrated Pest Management

Madrone Trail Public Charter School has adopted an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) plan as required by ORS 634.700 through 634.750. Community members can access a copy of the IPM plan here: link to come

  1. Carbon Monoxide Detectors

Madrone Trail Public Charter School certifies that all buildings subject to the Healthy and Safe Schools Plan comply with the carbon monoxide detection standards in the state building code that was in effect when the building was originally constructed or as required by building code due to addition, upgrade, or remodel.

  1. Test Results Publication

Madrone Trail Public Charter School complying with the requirement to provide access to test results, as defined by OAR 581-022-2223 within 10 business days as defined by ORS 332.334. Test results can be found on school’s website at: link to come

Specific test results can be found as follows:

  • Lead in Water: link to come
  • Radon: link to come

Additionally, copies of all test results are available at Madrone Trail Public Charter School and will also use current school email lists or communications programs to provide final test results to staff, students, parents of minor students, and other members of the community. This includes providing actual final test results or providing direct access to final test results through links in the communications. Please contact Kendall Roberts to be added to current district email lists and programs.