The Meristem Monitor is a listing of activities and news items occurring at Meristem. This newsletter is a student-centered effort (with a parent advisor) to help students, staff, and parents stay updated on and involved in the Meristem community. For items to be listed or questions and comments, please contact Laura-Lynne Powell at lauralynne.powell@gmail.com, or Taylor Oide, Meristem Marketing Coordinator, at tayloro@meristem.pro.
April 28-May 2
Now Enrolling!
Meristem is now enrolling for Day Program, a re-designed Work Skills program (more information coming soon), and for the ILS/Dorm Program and is encouraging families and friends of the campus to get the word out. To refer a potential student or family, have them email info@meristem.pro to get the enrollment process started. For more information on enrollment processes, visit meristem.pro/enrollment.
Day Program
Students and Families Invited to Shakespeare Performance
Theater Arts instructor Jamie Van Camp has invited students and families to attend his production of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night at a venue near Placerville. ILS/Dorm students will be welcomed to attend with ILS instructors on Saturday, May 10. Day students are also welcomed to attend. If parents would like to drive and chaperone the trip, there are two Day Program instructors who will also attend. As this event occurs outside of regular school hours it is not a formal Day Program event. There is a sign up sheet for interested students. Interested parents who would like to drive or chaperone can contact Shea Smith at shea@meristem.pro.
Jamie is the director of the production as part of Folsom Lake College’s Falcon’s Eye Theater. The play runs May 8 – May 11 and will be performed at the outdoor Wakamatsu Farm in Placerville. Tickets are here.
We Need Your Help in the Garden
Get some free hours and want to get your hands dirty? Come help us for an hour or two in the Garden. Contact Twyla at twylat@meristem.pro to learn more and schedule your visit.
ILS/Dorm Program
Prom for Day and Dorm Students on May 9
The annual Enchanted Prom for special needs teens and young adults will be held this year on Friday, May 9. This event is sponsored by Bayside Church in Granite Bay, includes red carpet entrance, dancing and is an opportunity for students to dress up for the evening. Day students will be able to dress at the Meristem Bed & Breakfast. It will be preceded by an on-campus pre-party 3:30-5 pm at Town Hall. Departure for the prom (8191 Sierra College Blvd.) is at 5 p.m. Event is 6-9 p.m. Day students must have their own ride back to campus or home. More details to follow but RSVPs were requested by April 11. Email ILSM@meristem.pro for confirmation of attendance.
See the flyer for more information.
TAP/Work Skills
Spring Herbal Arts Boxes Delivered
The herbal arts subscription program delivered its Spring boxes that were full of gift-quality items produced by a team of Meristem interns led by herbal arts professional Amy Branum. Items were wrapped sustainably in paper and tied with string. They included pretty soap, lip balm, infused cider, mushroom bouillon powder, and much more. The herbal arts subscription box is a social enterprise that employs Meristem students who harvest herbs, prepare formulas, and pack the boxes. You can sign up now to purchase fall and winter boxes with a $10 savings, or you can purchase a single fall box. Information is here.
Student Coordinators
Family Support Group Meetings Shortened to One Hour
Participants in both the Monday and Thursday sessions have chosen to shorten these sessions to one hour.
Thursday support group meetings are 7:15-8:15 pm, by Zoom only, except as noted. Thursday meetings are held:
May 1
May 15, 6-7 p.m. *note the time change
Monday meetings are a hybrid option with some Zoom participants and some in person. They are held 1:30-2:30 pm. Monday meetings are held:
May 5
May 19
Student Coordinator Helpline
A reminder that students and parents should use their SC as their primary contact and utilize the SC helpline if a quick response is needed (or to report absences, etc.) Perhaps text BOTH your SC and the helpline to be sure your message is received. The SC help line is 916.546.9422.
Cafe Updates
How to Make a Reservation
Want to make a reservation at the Cafe? Email reservations@meristem.
Hours:
Thursdays and Fridays
11:30am-1:30pm
A Meristem Mom Relies on the Cafe for a Busy Week of Entertaining
I wanted to share how Meristem’s Café and intern chefs and bakers helped me out last week. It was a busy week at my house where we hosted three dinner parties. Both my husband and I work full time so the opportunity to cook just wasn’t there. We decided to turn to Meristem for help. Chef Josh helped arrange 10 servings of the café’s delicious tomato soup. I sent my child to school with plastic ware from my house and the café staff filled them up and sent them home with my child along with condiments of pesto, parmesan, and fig dressing. I served the soup alongside grilled cheese sandwiches that I made myself and they were a huge hit! (I froze leftovers and will be serving them this weekend.) Dinner number one, done. For a meeting of my book club, I made a main course and Josh and his crew made dessert, the flourless chocolate cake. A huge hit! (And no leftovers.) Dinner number three was Easter dinner for which Josh and Meristem Café interns made their out-of-this-world cheesecake with blueberries. One of our dinner guests said it was the best cheesecake she’d ever had. I had one piece of leftovers from that large cheesecake. I’m eating it as soon as I finish typing this up.
To see how the Café can help you out at home, email reservations@meristem.pro or call the reservation line at 916.768.6390.
Development & Philanthropy
Big Day of Giving is May 1
This is a way for families and friends of Meristem, as well as staff and students themselves, to support Meristem and show the community what is being offered at Meristem. Big Day of Giving is a regional fundraising challenge that supports local non-profits. The main event is Thursday, May 1, but early giving has opened. Donate to Meristem using any of the links below. Contact Zoe at zoef@meristem.pro if you’re interested in learning how to participate this year.
Administration
A Few Updates from Erin
In the recent family member Zoom call with Executive Director Erin Schirm last week, Erin reminded parents that weather is about to shift in Sacramento and students should be prepared for cool mornings but potentially hot and sunny afternoons. He hopes students dress in layers and make sure to bring sunscreen, a hat, glasses, and something to drink with them to classes.
He also noted that Meristem has just signed papers with UC Davis’ MIND Institute to work with researchers there on a study about moving young people with autism into a work environment. The project will involved training of Meristem teachers in May and probably launch in June. More details will be provided as they become available.
Next Family Zoom Meeting with Erin Will Be Held Wednesday, May 21
The next family Zoom meeting will be held on Wednesday, May 21, at 5 pm. Salina will email families a link prior to the meeting. And a recording of the meeting is sent in the days that follow it for those who missed. Contact: Salinas@meristem.pro
Farm
More on the Busy Season on the Farm
Farmer Jana reports on the growing community of farm animals:
Our cats and chickens are as cute as ever and a great source of joy and delight on the farm. Blossom and Buttercup are flourishing. Blossom loves to see and be seen (on her terms, of course) and Buttercup is the ever-watchful guardian. They are excellent helpers in the garden, impressive hunters, excessively charming and highly entertaining with their antics, rolling around in the just-prepared garden beds and pouncing on our watering lines.
Our chickens are thriving, healthy, happy, and free. We adopted a small new flock of three hens (Rosemary, Nettle & Melissa) and one cockerel (Yarrow) and the young hens have just started laying. They are sweet and curious and a lovely addition to our growing flock. Our larger flock has the run of the place–the side pasture is chicken territory yet they love to try to sneak into the gardens at least once a day. We have an amazing group of volunteers (from Blue Shield and alumni of Notre Dame) coming out this month to help us build a new chicken run to keep them happy and safe when they aren’t able to free-range. We are collecting an abundance of eggs for the cafe (about 13-16 a day) and are so grateful for the life the chickens bring to the land.
Job Openings
The following job opportunities are available at Meristem: Independent Living Instructor, three positions: one the week day shift and two the weekend shift, and a Work Skills Program Specialist. Details on careers at Meristem are here.
