Raven’s Call March Newsletter
March Newsletter – Happy Spring, Ravens!
The days are growing longer, daffodils are sprinkling the grounds and lining Slab Creek Road, and rainbows and frogs are greeting us daily. The fresh spring rain has us out and about, learning how our environment is waking up and showing off its beauty.
In the spirit of new beginnings and fresh starts, we have a few exciting things on the horizon!
Introducing WILD COAST CAMPS!
We’re thrilled to announce the launch of our new WILD COAST CAMPS, starting with our summer camp. Over seven weeks, campers will dive into outdoor adventures—exploring the environment while learning bushcraft, survival skills, and much more. It’s sure to be a wildly fun time here at NVS! Visit our website to learn more or register.
Welcome, New Families!
We’re excited to welcome the new families joining us next year. We’ve been enjoying school tours and getting to know you right from the start. At NVS, we prioritize building relationships—not only because we value community but also to ensure that new students feel supported in every way possible.
Upcoming Events
As we wind down for spring break, we’re gearing up for some exciting events afterward:
Open House & Games Night – On April 8th, we’re hosting a fun-filled evening for current and new parents to kick off our Financial Aid Spring Fundraiser.
Earth Week – Later in April, students will celebrate with a week of engaging, earth-friendly activities.
Looking Ahead
With all this spring energy, we’re already planning for next year! We’re excited to announce a new partnership with the Cascade Head Biosphere. This collaboration will give our students even more opportunities to get involved in environmental stewardship and give back to our community.
Our Garden is Growing!
We’re moving our school garden! The old location became too shady over the years as the wetland expanded. The new spot will be right in the middle of the playground, near our apple trees. This sunny new location will serve as an outdoor learning space, with a garden curriculum for the entire school to enjoy—during both summer camp and the school year.
We hope the sunny breaks and rainbows bring smiles to your faces. Here’s to fresh beginnings and exciting adventures ahead!
With gratitude and springtime cheer,
The NVS Team
Kelsey Leatherman
Board Chair
Interim Head of School
Upcoming Events
March 24 - April 4: Spring Break
April 2 - 18: Spring Financial Aid Fundraiser
April 8: Open House and Games Night
April 16 - 22: Earth Week
Spotlight on Learning
From our Trackers (preschool-prek):
The Trackers have been looking for signs of spring! They have noticed buds, blossoms, blooming daffodils, frog eggs, changes in weather, new plants, and flocks of robins hunting worms on the playground. They continue to develop their social skills through imaginative play. They listened and discussed St Patrick's Day stories and collaborated on a trap--that leprechaun sure caused mischief in the classroom! Last week, the Trackers got to celebrate their 90th Day of School with a much-anticipated pajama day! At carpet time we rehearse for the end-of-year school play, observe changes to our plant starts, and practice counting. We look forward to the official start of Spring! - Teacher Miss Annie (what her students like to call her)
From our Explorers (lower school):
The Explorers are studying life cycles of living things. They are raising tadpoles, growing beans, and searching in nature for the various plants in various stages of life. They have fully embraced the onset of spring and are learning the art of nature journaling. These various skills are being put to use as they create their first research projects in the form of a lapbook. On a humorous note, they engineered leprechaun traps after reading several books about leprechauns! That mischievous leprechaun came on the 17th of March, but he got away, leaving the classroom in chaos! The students were delighted, and continue to find gold confetti everywhere! - Rhonda
From our Upper School:
Upper school are working on their respective Math lessons (5th: shapes on the coordinate plane, 6th: rational numbers, 7th: expressions equations and inequalities, 8th: exponents and scientific notation, 9th&10th: circles). We are studying animal diversity, vertebrates and invertebrates in Science. Students will conduct an invertebrate investigation of our playground soil today. In humanities, we finished Plato's Republic and have begun reading and discussing The Art of War by Sun Tzu. Students are also in the midst of writing their "Is ignorance bliss" essay, which they will answer using evidence from the many ancient texts we've read this year. Our band is solidifying the sixth piece in our repertoire, Dark Red by Steve Lacy. And students are working on a "path to your dream career" poster in Graphic Design class. Notably, during activities yesterday a 5th grader scored a goal with her foot during our hockey end-of-day activity. - Sam
Open House-Games Night
April 8th Spring Financial Aid Fundraiser
Tuesday, April 8th, 3:30 - 5, at Neskowin Valley School
Join us for a special evening as we kick off our Spring Financial Aid Fundraiser with a $15,000 matching challenge! Thanks to a generous donor, every dollar raised will be matched, doubling the impact up to $30,000. Prospective families are invited to explore our school during a welcoming Open House, meet current families, and enjoy a fun-filled Games Night with activities for all ages. Don’t miss this opportunity to connect, play, and help us make a meaningful difference in expanding access to financial aid!
Alumi Spotlight
Erica Morgan
The Richie Morgan Playground Campaign
Erica Morgan: From NVS Playground to Leadership
For generations, the playground at Neskowin Valley School (NVS) has been a place where children learned to take risks, build confidence, and create lifelong memories. For Erica Morgan, an NVS alum, those early experiences shaped the foundation of her resilience, leadership, and career. Erica was always more confident outside of the classroom, from playing outside to dance class.
Her resiliency and inquisitive nature were nurtured by her teachers at NVS and helped her transition from the Oregon Coast to Maryland in middle school. The supportive environment at NVS instilled in her a lifelong passion for exploration and learning, values that her parents, Richie and Lovetta Morgan, sought when they chose the school for their three children.
Richie Morgan was a devoted father and husband who prioritized a strong foundation of education and adventure for his children—Erica, Isaac, and Rachel—who all attended NVS in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The Morgan children thrived at the school, and the playground was a space where they learned to take chances, challenge themselves, and embrace the joy of play.
After leaving the Oregon Coast, Erica’s journey took her to the University of Maryland, College Park, where she earned her bachelor’s degree, and later to George Washington University, where she obtained a master’s degree in Legislative Affairs. Today, Erica serves as the Deputy Division Chief, DAFC, GS14-4, bringing her expertise in legislative affairs and leadership to her role. When Erica and her husband, Nate, visited NVS in the fall of 2023, they were surprised to see the same playground equipment from the 1990s still in use. That moment sparked a powerful idea.
"To best honor my father Richie’s legacy of exploration and risk-taking, we’re going to build a new playground for the next generation," said Erica.
Richie's adventurous spirit lives on in his children. He excelled in soccer, baseball, and basketball and later enjoyed CrossFit with his son, Isaac. Today, Isaac is a marathon runner, a CrossFit enthusiast, and a partner at a law firm in Frederick, Maryland. His sister Rachel works in the U.S. Senate managing legislative operations on the Senate Floor and stays active with Pure Barre and Peloton. Erica, a dedicated public servant, recently completed the Army 10-Miler and also trains on Peloton.
The Morgan family’s dedication to perseverance, adventure, and community aligns perfectly with the spirit of NVS. They are asking for your help in bringing this vision to life.
This new playground will be a tribute to Richie’s legacy and a gift to the future students of NVS—a space where they, too, can learn, grow, and embrace adventure through play.
To donate to this campaign, please visit: https://givebutter.com/nvsplayground
Career Opportunities
We are Hiring!
We are hiring multiple positions for our 25/26 school year and summer day camp program.
Joining our team at Neskowin Valley School means becoming part of a dynamic and passionate community dedicated to outdoor and experiential learning. We offer opportunities for professional growth through mentorship, training, and hands-on experience in a student-centered environment. Educators here can develop expertise in nature-based learning, emergent curriculum, and social-emotional development while working in a supportive and collaborative setting. Whether you're an experienced teacher or an emerging educator eager to explore innovative early childhood education approaches, we welcome individuals who share our commitment to nurturing lifelong learners.
Visit our website to see all available positions, and for all inquiries, please email kelsey@neskowinvalleyschool.com