Madrone Adventist Elementary School is excited to let our local community know we have new things happening at our school for the 2022/2023 school year. MAES has reestablished its Pre-K/Kindergarten program. The MAES School Board, in conjunction with the Oregon Conference of Seventh-day Adventist (OCSDA) has hired a new teaching-principal and Pre-K/Kindergarten teacher.
We are pleased to introduce Mrs. Lyana Wallace, who has accepted the position of our Pre-K/K teacher. Lyana attended Pacific Union College where she worked towards her teaching degree in early childhood education, specializing in Montessori methods. She recently relocated to the Portland area, where her husband is completing his Pharmacy degree. Mrs. Wallace and her husband are looking to become permanent residents of the Grants Pass area. Mrs. Wallace stated, “I am excited to be the new Pre-K/K teacher at Madrone Adventist Elementary School. I aspire to make learning a fun experience for my students. This year, I hope to teach students to be their best independent selves while also pushing them to reach their learning goals.”
Some of the goals the school board and OCSDA looked for in a teaching-principal included: Developing a school culture that values and responds to the needs of individuals; ability to drive the school’s vision further; promote experiential learning which empowers brain-friendly learning environments; and engagement with students, families and community.
Mr. James graduated from college with his B.S . recreation degree with an emphasis in outdoor youth leadership. He enjoys a variety of sports and out door activities, including but not limited to: soccer, disc golf, ultimate Frisbee, Native horsemanship, and wilderness survival/living skills/lifestyle. When reflecting on Mr. James’ skills and interests, Kim Cornette, the district superintendent from the OCSDA stated, “We’re always trying to make efforts to hire adults, whether they’re principals, teachers, paraeducators, etc., to represent the students we serve.” Mr. James was also described by another superintendent, Mr. Jeff Jackson, as “a seasoned veteran, a thoughtful listener, and a systems-oriented thinker.” Mr. Jackson added, “Our commitment is to really create a culture of belonging as we continue to move forward, and I just felt that the way he (Mr. James) presented himself, his skill sets, and experience really aligned to that.”
Madrone still has space available in the Pre-K/Kindergarten class. Students in the 1st – 8th grade are being accepted by interview only at this time. Please call the school, 541-592-3330, Mondays – Thursdays 8 a.m. – 4:15 p.m. or visit its website: www.madroneadventistelementary.org.
