STORY AND PHOTOS BY KAREN BOSSICK
Ever hear of the “Folsom Zenergy Blues”? Or, “I Float the Line”?
Old country songs took on new meaning at Syringa Mountain School’s annual hoedown this past week as bidders sprang for a membership package at Zenergy Health Club, a whitewater rafting trip with Far and Away and more.
It was all part of a night of fun and games to raise money for the school, which offers a public tuition-free option for children in grades kindergarten through 7th.
Deana Draper and other cowboys and cowgirls played a game of “What’s in my britches?” guessing prizes tucked away in denim pockets strung across a clothesline.
Amy Schlatter was among those leading many of the 250 guests in blackjack and roulette, while Peggy Bates led them in a rowdy bit of line dancing. And former rodeo roper Buck Westfall taught Jamie Truppi, Kevin Ware and others his sure-fired method of lassoing a steer.
“The biggest thing is to rotate your wrist,” he said. Nice open loop—that’s good,” he said as Truppi demonstrated a natural affinity for the practice.
When the last silent auction items featuring 10 nights in Paris and horse riding lessons at Bellevue Academy had been tabulated, the school reached its goal of more than $50,000, said Aris Flood, who serves on the Syringa Mountain School Parent Council.
“Dr. Tom Archie won the month-long Restaurant Round-Up Raffle and Molly and Brian Boomer won the Western Wellness package,” she added.
The school, which boasts 130 students, is inspired by the Waldorf philosophy that emphasizes the role of imagination, along with hands-on activities and creative play.
The school receives 70 percent of its operating expenses from the government but must fund the rest through donations.
“I think it’s great that we can offer an alternative form of schooling,” said Head of School Nigel Whittington. “What has impressed me in my first year with the school is the respect the students have for one another and the environment and the respect that exists between teachers and students.”
In addition, Whittington said, he’s impressed with the way the students come to school using public transportation and then use that same public transportation to explore the valley they live in on school field trips.
“Learning is not necessarily done in the classroom. These kids know all about the river and the trees that are around us,” he said. “Now, we’ve been offered an opportunity to go to the Natootsi Farm where the hoedown was held and see the old structures and buildings there and learn where the city of Bellevue used to be. I’ve lived in the valley for 28 years and I’ve never done that!”
Barb Mercer also made her debut with the school this year, serving as a reading mentor. It could have been small potatoes for her after presiding over a school district in Vancouver, Wash., that included five high schools, five middle schools and 35 elementary schools.
“I’d work with 85 teachers at a time teaching them how to best reach students,” she said. “The state of Washington was seventh best in reading across the nation, whereas Idaho ranks among the lowest. We used to say, ‘If you don’t get going, going, going, we’re going to be down there with Idaho.”
Mercer said she tried retiring after moving to the Sun Valley area but found out she couldn’t stay away. And Michelle Sandoz, a parent of children at the school, was only too happy to sign her up to help out.
“It’s a lovely school–everybody’s happy. And it’s wonderful how they stress reading naturally,” Mercer said. “We have fun reading. We listen to books on tape as we read. We read what the kids are interested in. And I toss a ball around when I ask questions as a way to keep the kids moving, which is so important. Just this week we learned the word ‘impulsively.’ And that’s a big word for little kids. And we had conversations about why we say ‘docter instead of doctor’ when it’s spelled like ‘doctor.’ We are having fun!”