As birds voraciously empty the feeders and blackberries grow despite my efforts to remove them, it is enough to pause and enjoy the orchestra of life that surrounds me. Traveling around the neighborhood, I have noticed, along with the idiotic flight paths of the birds as they test fate with my car, the colors of the season.

The spectrum of greens is a sight in itself, but I find myself drawn to the wildflowers that sprout up. While the bright daffodil might be a harbinger for the season, the current colors that are most predominant seem to be the white of the daisies, the yellow of the prairie rockets and (?) the purple of the milk-vetch (?). As you could guess from the question marks in the previous sentence, I am not a horticulturist - so if you know the names of the yellow flowers that close up at night and the purple flowers that follow in the wake of the wild irises, I would appreciate hearing from you.

Regardless, there are stages to each season, and while summer might be waiting in the wings, spring is not going down without a fight to lift our spirits as it hastens its hearty farewell.

Playground plans

From 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, the Kings Valley Charter School will hold a silent auction and spaghetti feed to help raise funds toward a new playground for the students.

While families and friends of the school have already raised $11,000 toward the total cost of $70,000, Friday's feed and auction will hopefully get the school closer to its current goal of $15,000, which is needed for the initial purchase of this multiple-unit play structure.

If you have items that could be auctioned, it is still not too late to donate to this valuable resource for the children. If you would like to buy outright the entire "playground," I am sure no one will complain. Even if you'd like to just share a meal and place a few bids, your presence is most certainly welcome. For more information, call 541-929-2134.

The write stuff

In discussing the details for Friday's feed, the director of the Kings Valley Charter School, Mark Hazelton, proudly reviewed the school's progress over the last year. With a current enrollment, including preschool, of 108 students, the K-8 grades have been involved in several academic programs that already are showing fruit.

One of the big efforts over the year has been implementing the "Six Traits of Writing" curriculum. This approach establishes an "ethic of excellence" that requires the students to work on writing assignments until they achieve competency. An example of this approach has the student's first draft reviewed by peers, the second draft reviewed by the teacher and the third draft submitted as the final work.

Shared efforts

Along with improving the writing skills of its students, Kings Valley Charter School has developed forums for the students to exhibit their work and skills. This can be seen in students reading their work to other classes. In some cases a first grader might read to the seventh- and eighth-grade class, all of which leads to another focus of the school, to develop a "culture of craftsmanship." Sounds like a good way to develop competent citizens, as well.

Soaring participation

One other development, which became apparent every day I drove by the school, was the use of volunteers. It had seemed that there were more cars than to be expected in the parking lot, and thanks to the charter school's volunteer coordinator, Tamara Sprague, instead of 25 volunteers doing 1,000 hours of work, the last year saw 115 volunteers spending more than 4,000 hours working with the school and the students.

Studies show that having positive adult role models who are interested and involved in a student's learning is extremely valuable in developing capable youths. We'll see the fruit of these relationships for years to come. Perhaps these volunteers were fulfilling the school's motto, "Come Soar With Us!"

The rite stuff

While there is so much going wrong in the world, it is good to see that which is local and positive. Reading the G-T over the last few weeks and seeing the groups of faces smiling as they prepare for their upcoming graduations got me to thinking. In our lives we experience many milestones, some of which are actually "rites of passages." In reviewing an announcement for my son's graduation from Philomath High School this Saturday, I noticed the ceremony is called "Commencement Exercises." So the completion, or attainment of an academic degree is actually a beginning?

The idea of a rite of passage to signify a critical transition in one's life has been around for millenniums. Perhaps we no longer send youth out into the wild to survive before they are allowed to return as "adults." There is value in acknowledging, encouraging, and ultimately welcoming an individual as a fully functioning member of "the tribe."

Without a doubt, graduation from high school is a biggie in the category of "rites of passages." Congratulations to all grads, and particularly to the Philomath High School Class of 2007. Well done! You have earned this right to a rite; now use it wisely.

Dan Hayes reports on news in the Hoskins-Kings Valley community and can be reached at 929-2356 or travelor54@peak.org.