2022-2023 School Lunch Menu

2022-2023 Dome School Calendar

2022-2023 Student Enrollment Info!

Hello Students and Families! We are so excited for another wonderful school year. Here is everything you need to know for the tuition and parent hours and discounts for 2022-2023!

Questions or excited to enroll your student? Contact:

The Dome School

PO Box 812
Cave Junction, OR 97523

(541) 592-3911

thedomeschool@gmail.com

Tuition and Parent Hours for 2022-2023:

There are monthly parent hours in addition to tuition, which may be either worked or paid for at minimum wage, which is $13.50 per hour. You may work some and pay for some.

Preschool tuition is $190 plus 4 hours or $54 extra per month; total $244 if you pay for them all.

Kindergarten tuition is $295 plus 6 hours or $81 extra per month, total $376 if you pay for them all.

Elementary tuition is $400 plus 8 hours or $108 extra per month, total $508 if you pay for them all.

There is a $10 per month family discount for an additional child and maximum of 10 required parent hours per month.

Payment and deposit details:

The registration fee is a month’s tuition, which will be applied to the last month of school, May 2023. Registration fees secure a space for your child and are non-refundable. Bills will go out for September tuition including the fee for parent hours if they’re not done ahead of time, but you can get retroactive credit if you do the hours later. This way you’re always a month ahead.

School Days/Times:
Preschool is Tuesday and Thursday, from 9:30-12:30

Kindergarten is Monday, Wednesday and Friday, from 9:30-2:30

Elementary is Monday through Thursday, from 9:30-3:00

Optional breakfast for all students from 9-9:30

2022-2023 Elementary Teacher Update: Position Filled

Update: Position Filled. Please submit your resume and we will consider you for any future openings!

We are seeking an Elementary Teacher. Apply by April 30th 2022. Interviews will be conducted and new teachers will shadow current teachers for 1-3 days in the classroom mid-May!

Resumes can be emailed to TheDomeSchool@Gmail.com or Dropped off at the Dome School Office.

More than 45 years educating the whole child

The Dome School is more than a school, it is a family. The school is located inside the Takilma Community Building, which hosts numerous concerts, plays, gatherings, and other creative and celebratory events throughout the year. Some events serve as school fundraisers to offset the low cost of tuition, while other events are hosted by community members, who have long valued the Takilma Community Building as the cultural center of the artistic and unique community of Takilma, Oregon.

Mission

The Dome School works hand-in-hand with families to ignite a lifelong love of learning and a deep caring for the diversity of humanity and the natural world. By weaving together school, family and community, we create a sense of belonging that empowers children to be leaders in a changing world.

Values

1. Teach the whole child: body, mind, and spirit
2. Create a positive, warm, welcoming, and nurturing learning environment for students
3. Incorporate thematic learning that is based on children’s preferences, interests, and abilities
4. Value unstructured play, creativity, and community-building as integral to the school day
5. Use inquiry-based education techniques to foster discovery, creativity, communication, and teamwork so that students understand concepts instead of just memorizing information  
6. Use non-violent conflict resolution techniques to help children learn from mistakes instead of punishing them for their mistakes
7. Group children into small, multi-level, multi-grade classrooms to encourage children to learn from one another as well as from teachers
8. Emphasize the development of children’s self-esteem and self-regulation
9. Continue the Dome School tradition as a parent cooperative
10. Provide home-cooked, nutritious meals
11. Treat every child as a unique, creative, intelligent, and capable individual

Your Role

Job Summary

The Elementary Co-Teacher is responsible for 9-18 children in grades 1-5, with support from colleagues, Title 1 staff, parents and community teachers. The Elementary Program is located in two classrooms: the Serpentine Room (lower elementary) and the Amethyst Room (upper elementary). The school week is tentatively scheduled for Monday-Thursday, and the school day is from 9:30am to 3:00pm (with breakfast available 9-9:30am). Morning Instruction is 9:30-11:45am, Lunch & Recess 11:45am-12:45pm, and Afternoon Instruction 12:45pm-3:00pm. Teachers supervise Lunch & Recess. The teacher workday begins at 8am and ends at 3:30pm (7.5 hours daily, or 30 hours weekly). The school year begins in early September and concludes at the end of May.

General Duties and Responsibilities

• Develop curriculum for a variety of learning styles, including the purchase and creation of curriculum materials that emphasize creative, thematic-based learning.
• Collaborate with co-teacher(s) daily to ensure curriculum consistency across both classrooms and co-plan opportunities for the entire elementary class.
• Use classroom observation and student input to develop lessons based on student interests.
• Embrace teachable moments and give students choices in many situations to allow them to have some control in their education and help them learn to make authentic choices.
• Guide students in developing conflict-management skills and other social skills.
• Encourage students to manage impulsivity, practice mindfulness, think critically, develop persistence, take responsible risks, and follow their creativity.
• Support the “whole child” (mind, body, spirit) and help children develop all their intelligences (intrapersonal, interpersonal, linguistic, logical-mathematical, spatial, musical, bodily-kinesthetic, and naturalistic intelligences).
• Assess student growth in ways that are not stressful or judgmental.
• Use appropriate positive discipline techniques instead of punishments.
• Practice patience, grace, kindness, compassion, and good humor.
• Create a warm, nurturing environment where children feel safe to make mistakes.
• Unconditionally love and support each child.
• Collaborate with parents as part of the parent cooperative history of the school.
• Collaborate with community volunteers, including those who teach the arts or special skills.
• Design and maintain an organized and stimulating classroom environment that fosters teamwork, cooperation, and peer-to-peer sharing/learning.
• Order school supplies through co-administrators.
• Supervise lunch and recess daily.
• Conduct parent-teacher conferences twice annually.
• Attend and contribute to monthly staff meetings.
• Attend staff training and contribute to monthly staff meetings.
• Prepare the classroom in late August for the first day of school.
• Clean, reorganize, and pack the classroom at the end of the school year in May.
• If possible, attend Dome School functions throughout the year.
• Start a fire for the furnace on your assigned day, learn how to use the alarm system and other basic building functions.
• Abide by Covid-19 protocols as directed by the Oregon Health Authority.

Benefits of Co-Teaching at The Dome School

• Teachers are part of a community with a long and creative history.
• Teaching multi-grade, small classes are more intimate, where “everyone knows everyone.” This allows teachers to know their students for multiple years and develop strong, meaningful relationships with them.
• Teachers have the autonomy to craft and choose their own curriculum, as well as collaboratively find and develop curriculum with their co-teacher(s). Teachers have the freedom to incorporate learning standards in creative ways and can make learning interactive and fun.
• Because teachers guide students throughout the day, they have the power to connect student learning across disciplines.
• Learning times are more intimate and informal than those at public schools and are not constrained by school bells. At the Dome School, Teachers can seize teachable moments, teach outdoors, and even take students on educational hikes from the school building.
• Learning is treated as a fun process instead of as stressful competition to get the best test scores.
• There isn’t pressure to push academics at very young ages; children are allowed to grow and develop skills at their own pace.

Education and Skill Requirements

• A high school diploma/GED is required. 
• An Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree is preferable or the equivalent combination of education, training, and work experience. A small wage increase is provided for teachers with college degrees.
• Flexibility, creativity, and enthusiasm (sing, dance, be playful and have fun).

An update of current events at the Dome School/ TCB, what happened during Covid and what it’s like now:

There are many things to be thankful for. Sustaining us through the year-and-a-half closure included the Cans for Kids program sponsored by IVCanDo, with donations of refundable bottles and cans. Board members, staff, parents and community members have volunteered to sort at these events, roughly once a month.  It’s been a lifesaver and our biggest fundraiser.

The Dome School/Takilma Community Building was gifted a brand-new, state-of-the-art wood furnace by Todd Stone, replacing the original which gave many good years of service but was wearing out. It was installed by Board Chair Mark Kelz and Community Volunteer Kerry Whitehead. It works spectacularly, keeping us warm and cozy.

We are fortunate to have received a grant from the Four-Way Community Foundation to upgrade our fire alarm system. To complete the project, we are awaiting parts which have been stalled near the port of Los Angeles.

We were lucky enough to receive a PPP (paycheck protection program) Loan as an emergency government grant, which has since been forgiven. This grant enabled the staff to sort, clean, organize and plan for several months through spring and part of the summer. It was wonderful to be able to come together again after being disbanded for a year. We’re grateful to have a dedicated staff with a supportive Board.

Low enrollment, mostly due to Covid issues, has been another big strain on our budget.  Tuition has always been the greatest source of income and we are struggling until we can approach normal levels of students.

The other big financial strain on the Dome School/TCB has been the fact that we have been unable to use our beautiful building for ANY fundraising events. Normally over a third of our budget comes from our concerts, dances and rentals.  As Covid restrictions ease we will be trying to begin once again having fundraising events, but we are currently far behind the former levels and the future of the pandemic is still in doubt.  

As we try to regain our pre-pandemic equilibrium we are regretfully once again asking friends and family to pitch in if they can to help get us through this school year successfully.  We need to be able to pay teachers and staff so that our kids can continue to learn and grow in our nurturing educational environment.

Warm Regards,

The Dome School Board and Staff

Takilma community rallies to raise money to help the Dome School survive prolonged school closure

After launching GoFundMe campaign on Giving Tuesday, $3,415 of the $22,500 goal has been raised

Takilma, OR — For over 40 years The Dome School and Takilma Community Building have been at the heart of the Takilma community, educating generations of children and supporting the region.

In addition to being a school, it has served as a gathering space and local event center, nestled in the woods approximately 9 miles south of Cave Junction, Oregon.

Community-funded and operated, the Dome School is no stranger to tight budgets. But the prolonged school closure due to the pandemic has the organization and community center fighting to stay afloat.

On Giving Tuesday last week, supporters of the Dome School launched a GoFundMe campaign to help it survive this period and open back up when it’s able to.

Since the campaign went live 5 days ago, 31 people from across Josephine County, Oregon, and the country have contributed, raising $3,415 of the $22,500 goal.

“Not only is the Dome School a beloved and highly effective educational institution, it is the glue that holds together this 50-year-old, close-knit community,” said Kate Dwyer, Takilma resident and Board Member of the Three Rivers School District and the Takilma Community Association.

Due to physical distancing restrictions, the Dome School has not been able to run most of its annual fundraisers that would normally keep the school solvent. In the past, it’s survived through various fundraisers like the Dome of the Dead halloween fundraiser, Women’s Cafe in the spring, Winter Bizarre, and building rentals. None of these have been possible this year.

For many years the Dome School has worked hand-in-hand with families as a non-profit, parent co-operative PreSchool, and Elementary School to ignite a lifelong love of learning and a deep caring for the diversity of humanity and the natural world. By weaving together school, family, and community,the Dome School has created a sense of belonging that empowers children to be leaders in a changing world.

But 2020 has stopped the school right in its tracks.

The school and community gathering place, a host to a number of different needs and functions including the local food co-op, has been closed and hasn’t heard the pitter-patter of children’s feet since the pandemic led to closures in March.

While the school and buildings have been closed, the community of people it’s created over the years was still able to unite during the Slater Fire. Volunteers from around the area stepped up to cook, feed, and support the brave fire fighters and responders that worked tirelessly to keep Josephine County safe.

“The Dome School is a vital part of our community and history. It’s where we teach our kids and come together as a community. The school relies on tuition and community fundraisers to survive financially. Since March 2020 there has been no school or fundraisers,” said Jennifer Folkerts, whose 6-year-old daughter attends the school and is eager to return.

“We need to do everything we can to support the Dome School during this pandemic – so there’s still a school for our kids to return to.”

2022 Women’s Cafe – March 12th

WE ARE BAAACCKK! NEW TIME! A MATINEE SHOW!

The Dome School will present its annual “Women’s Café” on *Saturday, March
12. *It is a fine and performing arts show by women from all over Southern
Oregon in celebration of “National Women’s History Month”.

The art show will take place from *noon – 2 p.m.* Food will be available
for purchase at that time.

*Performances will be from 2-4:30 p.m*. This event is open to all, but
young children are discouraged due to delicate artwork and mature topics.

There is a sliding scale admission of $8.00 – $15.00. Food and drinks will
be sold separately. If you would like to be involved or need more
information, call the Dome School in Takilma at (541) 592-3911 or Deb
Murphy 541-592-9593

ART WORK needs to be at Dome School by *no later than NOON on Friday.*

As we have been doing this for decades you know we need: artists,
performers, bakers, chefs, servers, chair arrangers, art curators, cleaners
& more…. e.g. an audience!

Indeed, it takes a whole village to build a Women’s Café Show!

I hope folks will help out. I am very excited!!I hope you are too!

Deb Murphy

2018 Bazaar is Dec 1 & 2

Yes, it’s the Dome School’s 36th (!) annual Winter Holiday Bazaar, happening Saturday, December 1 and Sunday, December 2, at your Takilma Community Building. Saturday hours are 10am-5pm. Sunday hours are 10am-4pm.

Visitors can expect crafts, books, blown glass, herbals, farm products, jewelry, baked goods, note cards, dolls and dollhouses, sculptures, ceramics, knitted and crocheted goods, ornaments, wreaths, bird houses, wooden boxes and bowls, leather goods, pillows, purses, beeswax candles, and much more. The event features live music and raffle prizes. Breakfast and lunch and other food will be available too.

And please don’t forget: this is a fundraiser for the Dome School. At our Dome School table, you’ll be able to find t-shirts, ball caps and beanies, bumper stickers, calendars from Syracuse Cultural Workers, and also Takilma Common Ground anthologies. Please consider supporting the school with your purchases.

We’ll hope to see you all (t)here!

Secondary program news! (hiring and website)

Two quick updates for our Secondary Program:

First, we have a new website! Check it out at http://secondaryclass.weebly.com . We’ll hope to add new content at least every few weeks, so be sure to check back to learn more about the class.

Second, we’re hiring! Yes, we’re looking for someone with an interest in alternative education and working with an amazing group of kids. Here’s the flyer with more information (below). Please let us know if you have any questions. Thanks!

Announcing our “Support” page

Well that was a grand time last night! Our grand re-opening of the Takilma Community Building was an amazing time had by all. Two brilliant bands–the Nomads of Bend and the Illinois Valley’s own Grin Hound. Delicious Lebanese dinner courtesy Steph and the Galloping Goose. The cake from Nia and /’keIk/.  Not to mention the amazing history all around the great room, with the photography of Dr. Jim Shames. New t-shirts with Dallion’s design. Silent Auction. Ribbon-cutting. Tours. And more!

One thing we’d like to highlight here, however, is the announcement of our new monthly giving program. You can set up your bank or credit card to give a small monthly donation to public radio and the library and other places–why not the Dome School?  The short version is this: head to donorbox.org/domeschool and you can pledge $5 or $10 or more to join all your much larger bills.

The longer version can be found at our new “Support” page here on the website. The top of the page details the monthly program, but if you scroll down, you can find other ways to support the school–many that won’t cost you any additional money. Programs at Fred Meyer, Office Depot, and Amazon allow you to designate the Dome School to receive a small bonus each time you shop. And this doesn’t take away from any points you may earn for yourself!  Please check out the SUPPORT page and consider supporting the school. Thanks!