We’re heading to Ekone Ranch!

We’re excited to announce — if CDC/OHA guidelines allow — Hood River New School students will start the 2021 school year with a 3-day adventure to a magical place: Ekone Ranch.  This ranch is located near Goldendale, Washington.  In conjunction with the Sacred Earth Foundation, Ekone runs summer camps for children of all ages and is home to one of only a few wilderness cemeteries in the country.  When Hood River New School embarks on our fall overnight to Ekone, we will begin laying the foundation for a new school year.  Activities, such as the “Grand Adventure”, tending to the animals and the garden, horseback riding, creating and enjoying meals together, and singing songs around the campfire, will allow us to get to know one another and come together as a community.  Weather permitting, we might even have the chance to try out the mega slip ‘n ‘ slide.  This year, we will invite parents to come out for the first day to experience the magic with a parents-only hike and a community lunch.  We hope to set the foundation for a strong and supportive New School community.  As Ekone’s mission statement declares, “We learn to listen to each other, speak our truth with kindness, and create the kind of community we want to live in.”