Dear Families,
It is out of an abundance of caution that Mountain Song is joining El Paso County school districts in closing for two weeks in an attempt to slow the spread of COVID-19. Please see the note below. We will hold school still today, Friday, March 13, so we can bid each other well for the break.
Please watch for further announcements, and watch our
webpage
for updates on the coronovirus situation. Please note that the All-School Dance sponsored by the Parent Council will be postponed and will not occur this Saturday as originally planned.
We are working diligently to develop e-learning opportunities if we need to be closed past March 27th. We want to continue helping your children learn and stay in touch with their teachers. Your children are the reason we are here, and they are in our hearts.
With well wishes,
Dr. Teresa M. Woods
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MSCS CLOSED March 16 - March 27 amid COVID-19 Concerns
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Dear Mountain Song Families,
Starting Monday, March 16, Mountain Song Community School will join El Paso County school districts in closing for a period of 14 days. This necessary action is an attempt to slow the spread of COVID-19 infection. The closure will be from March 16 through March 27, which includes our already-scheduled Spring Break. We will reassess and follow the lead of D-11 as we get closer to that end date to determine if students and staff should return on Monday, March 30. We will work with our authorizer, CSI, in asking the Colorado Department of Education for flexibility on mandatory school days and testing requirements.
We know that closing our school will have a significant impact on families. The decision was made out of an abundance of caution and from a belief that strong, urgent action must be taken to prevent the spread of this disease and to protect lives. This decision was made by local superintendents in the face of an unprecedented public health crisis in our community. District and school leaders depend on the factual information from local, state, and federal agencies, as well as elected officials, to make decisions that protect the health of students, staff, and families in our community.
During the closure, Mountain Song will undergo additional deep cleanings with proper disinfectants. Please continue to practice effective hand washing and follow other recommendations from health agencies about how to avoid the spread of illness.
We are developing plans for e-learning if Mountain Song needs to be closed for a longer time. We will continue to communicate with additional information.
If you need official letters from us for your employer stating your child is enrolled in our school, and that we are closed due to this health crisis, please let us know. We are happy to provide these.
We plan to follow the lead of D-11 for additional closures. We will also stay in close contact with public health officials and elected leaders to keep you updated with new information as it becomes available. Please continue to check your e-mail and other news sources. We now have a webpage dedicated to updates on this evolving public health situation which we encourage you to check for updates:
https://mountainsongschool.com/covid-19/
Thank you for working with us to protect the safety, health, and wellness of our Mountain Song students, staff, and families.
With well wishes,
The Executive Leadership Team
Teresa Woods, Principal
Dan Kurschner, Director of Operations
Sarah Kreger, Director of School Performance
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Talking to Kids About Coronavirus
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With this novel virus being in the news so much, your children may have heard some things about it. They may be concerned and worried. The Child Mind Institute offers wise advice about how to talk to kids about this virus. Their tips include keeping the information you share with them developmentally-appropriate, reassuring them, managing your own anxiety, focusing on what you’re doing to stay safe, maintaining routines, and keeping channels of communication open so they can come to you if they are worried. I highly recommend this article.
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As concerns are raised about the spread of the novel coronavirus, we have all been reminded that effective hand washing and sanitizing commonly used surfaces are the best defenses against COVID-19 as well as the common cold and influenza viruses.
At Mountain Song, our custodial crew is spending extra time to sanitize desks, door knobs, handrails, and other commonly used surfaces. They are now using a special disinfectant that is effective on these viruses.
The links below are helpful in reminding us of effective hand washing practices. Please help your child in developing and maintaining them, as we will do at school. In addition, please help them learn to cough and sneeze into their elbows.
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Starting Monday, March 30th, we will be opening the gym and having an attendant for those students arriving between 7:30 and 7:50 a.m. Students can be dropped off and enter the door that leads directly into the gymnasium on the west side of the school.
Students in kindergarten and 1st grade will then be picked up by a teacher or assistant and guided to their classroom. Students in 2nd through 8th grades will be dismissed directly from the gym to go to their classroom at 7:55 a.m.
We hope that by expanding the drop-off time from 20 to 45 minutes, we will alleviate the congestion that we all experience at the start of the day.
With this, we want to remind those bringing students to school that at no time between 7:30 and 8:15 a.m. should the street directly in front of the school or on the east side of the school be used for parking. These areas are clearly marked as no parking zones. These are intended as drop-off zones.
With everyone’s cooperation, we can have a safe, smooth, stress-free start to our days.
Sincerely,
Dan Kurschner
Director of Operations
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Announcing Mountain Song Agricultural Arts
Summer Garden Camp!
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We are excited to announce our new Mountain Song Agricultural Arts Summer Garden Camp, which will be held every other week beginning June 29! Camp will run Monday-Friday from 8am to 12pm. The cost for each week of camp will be $125 if registering before April 1 and $150 afterwards. (A $25 per day option is available for rising 1st graders only.) Scholarship opportunities are available to middle school students who would like to be junior counselors. More information regarding financial scholarships for families in need will be available mid-March. Payment can be made by check, cash, or on our
website via Paypal
. Contact Mr. Adam at awright@mountainsongschool.com with any questions.
Dates are as follows:
Rising 1st: June 29 - July 3
Rising 2nd - 3rd: July 13 - July 17
Rising 4th - 6th: July 27 - 31
Rising 7th - 9th: August 10 -14
Mr. Adam Wright
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Mountain Song’s 2020-2021 School Calendar
Approved by Board
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Mountain Song’s 2020-2021 School Calendar was approved by the Board of Directors on February 25th, 2020. Please find it linked below.
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Waldorf Education - 100 Years
Learn to Change the World
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This year is the 100th anniversary of the start of the first Waldorf school in Stuttgart, Germany. In 1919, Rudolf Steiner lit a spark in education that would inspire thousands of schools from early childhood to high school across the world. To learn more, view the video below.
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The Landsharks Running Club is a non-competitive after-school running club for students in grades Kindergarten through 6th. Practice times will be 3-4pm Monday and Friday starting April 10th. Practices consist of running games and workouts with a strong focus on fun. Meets are held on Sunday afternoons at the Harrison High School Track. Meets will be April 19th, 26th, and May 3. Cost is $60 - Financial Aid is available through Landsharks for those who qualify before March 4th. I look forward to seeing our Mountain Song students.
Mr. Dan Kurschner
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Support for Mountain Song
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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.
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Volunteers Needed for the Farm
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The Farm is in Need of Volunteers! 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 are encouraged to participate. Links are now live for signing up for Fall/Winter and Winter/Spring volunteer hours. See below:
Thank you! Parent Council
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Free CSA Shares
for Families in Need
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Every season (that's four times per year!)
Ahavah Community Initiative
donates up to 30
free
CSA memberships of local farm-fresh food to families who need it the most. If you need assistance, or know someone who does, please apply to this amazing program! To apply, take 5 minutes to fill out a
quick, anonymous survey
before the deadline of this Sunday, March 8th. All applicants will be notified no later than March 22nd of their status.
Mr. Adam Wright
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Free Food Distribution
Pikes Peak United Way / Care & Share
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See the information below for upcoming free food distributions sponsored by the Pikes Peak United Way and Care & Share, whose vision is a hunger-free Southern Colorado.
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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
)
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Mountain Song School Calendar
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Mark your calendar with these important Mountain Song Community School dates.
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Mountain Song Community School | 2904 West Kiowa St, Colorado Springs, CO 80904
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Looking for past issues of the Songbird or to sign up new recipients
click here
.
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