Upcoming Dates to Remember
June 17-28 -- Waldorf Teacher Training

June 22 -- Eurythmy Workshop with Jenny Foster

June 29 -- Painting Workshop with Sara Parrilli

August 22-23 - New Staff Orientation

August 26-30 - Teacher PD and Work Days

September 2 - Labor Day

September 3 - First Day of School 1-8

September 4 - First Day of School K
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Saturday Artistic Workshops
We warmly invite you to join our Saturday Artistic Workshops on June 22nd and on June 29th. The artists, who will be here at Mountain Song to teach in the Waldorf Teacher Training program this summer, are offering to share their expertise with our community. 

From the Principal
My first year at Mountain Song is drawing to a close, and I … well, I can’t believe how cold it is in May here! I know it will warm up for a glorious summer! I also can’t wait to start the next academic year! This year has revealed to me the richness and heart of the Mountain Song community, the incredible talent of the teachers and staff, and the truly amazing children that fill the classrooms and halls of the school. I appreciate your support and patience this year, and I am excited about the growth the school is showing, not just in numbers of students, but especially in deepening our understanding of what our children need through the Waldorf model.

Healthy Summer Activities
What are your children doing over the summer? Please be mindful of providing opportunities for healthy activities while excluding harmful activities. Healthy, appropriate activities that are good for physical, social-emotional, and cognitive development include outdoor play, creative play, physical activity, spending time with animals, art, designing their own creations (like puppets or cardboard arcades), reading, time in nature, cooking, gardening, and social time with family and friends.
This Songbird includes reminders of the benefits of spending time in nature, being active and creative, having quality time with others, and reading to children - whether they’re young or old - and summer reading lists. It also includes reminders of the risks of screen time for children and teens (and adults!). Remember that brains grow, develop, and function best by interacting face-to-face with people, and with the three-dimensional world rather than on screens.

Inspire your family by creating Summer Bucket Lists!

Get Kids Outdoors!
Let’s get those kids outdoors! To see what research studies tell us about the importance of outdoor play for children, please see:

This article from Harvard Medical School:   6 Reasons Children Need to Play Outside .

And this article from Psychology Today: 8 Eye-Opening Ways Kids Benefit from Experiences with Nature
Screens and Children
Teresa M. Woods, Ph.D.
Brain development and functioning in children and adults are inextricably connected to environmental stimuli. When we are on screens, our brains function differently. Do you know that “Gaming Disorder” is now on the WHO list of diseases? New studies and documentaries have highlighted the risks of screentime to neurological and social-emotional regulation. Be sure to engage your children in summer activities that are healthy for their development, and avoid those that are harmful. We as adults also need to check the amount of time we spend on our own screens, too. Our children need our full-face attention.

Is Reading to Children Good for Them?
Yes, and in so many ways! In fact, it is so very important, even long before they can read themselves and also well into their teens. I strongly encourage you to make a daily ritual of reading to and with your children. Click on the links below to learn about the many benefits of reading to children, from prenatal to adolescence.


Summer Reading Lists
For recommendations on summer reading lists for Waldorf students, please see the links below:

Lodging Needed Next School Year
Our Pedagogical Coordinator, Donald Samson, who works behind the scenes mentoring the teachers, is in need of lodging for the coming school year. He is only at Mountain Song two weeks a month, Mondays through Thursdays, for a total of eight days a month. He is looking for a quiet place with at least stove top/hot plate cooking capabilities. Please contact him at dsamson@mountainsongschool.com .
Help Mountain Song by Grocery Shopping!
King Soopers is changing their Community Rewards program – and it’s even easier. Once signed up, each time you swipe your King Soopers card, Mountain Song Community School will get a percentage of your spending. New users to King Soopers will need basic information like your name and King Soopers reward card number. You no longer need the reloadable gift card as of April 1.

Once logged into their King Soopers or City Market account they can search for Mountain Song Community School either by name or MC476 and then click Enroll. New users will need to create an account which requires some basic information, a valid email address and a rewards card.

Notes from the Farm
The Farm is in Need of Volunteers over the summer months! This is a very integral part of our school, so please consider using some of your volunteer hours to keep The Farm up and running. Children are more than welcome to help and encouraged to participate. Links are now live for signing up for Fall/Winter and Winter/Spring volunteer hours. See below:
Next Year's Daily Schedule and Full 2019-2020 Calendar
The 2019-2020 Mountain Song Community School daily schedule, approved by the faculty, is below. In the mornings, doors will open at 8:00 a.m., school will start at 8:15 a.m., and students will be tardy after 8:15 a.m. Please note that the time school starts and the time after which students are tardy will be the same. Since school will start 15 minutes later than this year, dismissal in the afternoon will also be 15 minutes later. We look forward to seeing you next year!.
Songbird Contributions
Article or announcement contributions must be submitted to Dr. Woods by Tuesday at 5 p.m. for inclusion in each week’s Songbird newsletter, typically distributed on Fridays. ( twoods@mountainsongschool.com )
As a public charter school, Mountain Song Community School is proud to provide quality Waldorf education at no cost.  Yet the funds we receive as a charter school are less than what a typical Colorado public school receives.

At the same time, we are responsible for additional expenses, such as our facilities and maintenance costs.  The expenses associated with the building lease, instructional and learning materials, staffing, special programs, and field trips continue to increase each year. In order to provide the valuable programming that makes Waldorf education exceptional, we rely on community donations to reach our annual fundraising goals. Please consider signing up for a small monthly recurring contribution today.
Mountain Song Community School | 2904 West Kiowa St, Colorado Springs, CO 80904