KELSEYVILLE— This academic year Lake County welcomed Shade Canyon, its newest tuition free Public Charter School as they opened their doors for the first day of classes on Monday. After years of planning and several months of remodeling the former Lion’s Club located at 4335 Sylar Lane in Kelseyville, Shade Canyon has begun educating its inaugural students with transitional kindergarten (TK) through second grade classes, planning to add additional classes annually until eighth grade.
Shade Canyon is a nature-based, holistic public school founded by Morgan Chinnock and Savannah Mitchell with Mitchell stepping into the position of first/second grade teacher alongside Rachel Anderson teaching TK /Kindergarten, who previously taught at other public schools. Anderson shared her excitement for the first day of school, exploring an alternative educational style and focusing on experiential learning while engaging the “head, heart, and hands.” According to Mitchell the Shade Canyon mission “Is to cultivate inspired learners through an education that engages head, heart, and hands. We believe that by honoring simplicity, we will nurture the spark of the individual and nourish a thriving community.” Chinnock further illustrates the inspirational aspects of the nature-based, holistic program saying “This is a style of education that seeks to honor the gifts and the essence of each individual child, and to give them a structure that supports them in discovering who they really are and becoming the best version of themselves they could be.”
Being a nature-based, holistic school Shade Canyon is independent and inclusive while instructing through hands on activities with an emphasis on arts and creativity. These types of activities include sculpture, dance, music, storytelling, theatre and writing as well as a plethora of outside adventures utilizing the playground at Kelseyville County Park which happens to be located directly behind the Shade Canyon campus.
Office Manager Birdie Segal shared via email a typical student’s day stating “The first/second grade runs from 8:20 to 3 pm. They have a structured day that can (depending on the day) include a main lesson, centers, garden, handwork, Spanish, outdoor math, flutes, string games, crafts, beeswax and clay modeling. They also go outside at break and lunch.” Current class sizes are less than 20 students per class, allowing for individualized experiences for students with Chinnock noting “We’re not here to churn out any cookie cutter kids we’re here to let everyone be exactly who they are.” Mitchell shared the school verse reciting “This is our school. Let peace dwell here. Let the rooms be full of contentment. Let love abide here. Love of one another, love of humankind, and love of life itself. Let us remember that as many hands build a house so many hearts make a school” which is communally recited daily on campus.
Despite its differences, the Shade Canyon program does align with California State Standards and is a part of the Kelseyville Unified School District. Celebrating their ribbon cutting and official opening on Saturday August 26 Lake County Office of Education County Superintendent Brock Falkenberg spoke sharing “I have to say congratulations to the both of you… They started to figure out the bureaucracy within the education system, and it takes a great deal of work to move a little way.” He continued “If that sense of knowledge, dedication, commitment and creativity is the foundation for this school, then I guarantee your children will thrive and succeed here. Welcome to the newest public school in Lake County.”
During the ribbon cutting Chinook provided an overview of their journey over the last five years of planning sharing “Here we are after five years, at the real beginning of something new here. We’ve tended and watered this seed thankfully over countless sleepless nights, astounding obstacles, enduring passion, and a persistent belief in the potential of this vision.”
In closing just prior to the cutting of the ribbon Chinnock shared “We have worked not only because we believe in Waldorf education and the people who have been with us working but because we believe in choice, and that families should have a choice in the way their children are educated. This school offers another choice.” Enrollment is still open with seats available in the first/second grade class as well as the afternoon kindergarten class, and more information is available on their website shadecanyon.org
