Dates to Remember
October 25 - Dia de los Muertos Assembly

October 30-31 - Parent Teacher Conferences -- NO SCHOOL

November 1 - NO SCHOOL

November 3 - Daylight Savings Time Ends

From the Principal
Our wonderful Parent Council created the most heartwarming Fall Harvest Festival last Saturday, October 12. See below for a link to the pictures. You’ll also see below all the many activities that the Parent Council is sponsoring. If you are looking for ways to get more involved in the community, check out these activities. Thank you so much for all you do, Parent Council!

Please note the other activities below, including the need to ensure completed paperwork, and a link to a feature article in the Colorado League of Charter Schools newsletter this week by our own Lauren Martinez.

I also want to again ask for courtesy and safety at drop-off and pick-up. Be mindful of the no-parking zones, which are drop-and-go lanes in the morning, and pick-up-and-go lanes in the afternoon. Please do not park in these lanes -- it creates dangerous conditions for others. Thank you for helping keep our children safe.

Thank you for your support.

--Dr. Teresa Woods 


Fall Harvest Festival: A Great Success
Our wonderful Parent Council created the most heartwarming Fall Harvest Festival last Saturday, October 12, that featured stories, gifts, bread, and stone soup! If stone soup was there, you know the magical ingredient was there too … sharing! A hearty thank you goes to the Parent Council Festivals Committee, and especially to Cambria Milner for coordinating all the activities!

School Photo Update
Dear Mountain Song Parents,

Thank you for letting me be your school photographer again this year! I love love love watching the kids grow and meeting all the new sweet faces.

All images are online now to view https://noasartphoto.shootproof.com/mscs , and I will start to fill orders at the end of the week. 

I am offering one last opportunity for make-up photos for students and their siblings on Tuesday, October 22nd at 8:15 - 9:00 am on the farm, inside the dome.

That day will also be the very last chance to drop off your order forms. After that, only online orders are possible.

Sincerely,
*Jana

Lilian Kaiser
719-684-5610
Immunization Exclusion Day
Please be sure you are compliant in submitting either your child’s immunization records, or an immunization waiver (must be submitted annually). Beginning on November 13th, students who do not have the required documentation on file will not be allowed to attend school until the necessary paperwork has been provided. 

Our annual Immunization Report must be submitted soon to the state. Families must submit the appropriate paperwork for each of their enrolled students in order to meet state requirements and continue attending school. According to the Colorado Department of Education guidelines, all students enrolled at Mountain Song must comply with state immunization laws. 

Compliance with state immunization requirements can be achieved in two ways:  

1) Students who are fully immunized and whose records are on file with the front office are compliant with state law. 

2) Students who are not immunized or only partially immunized and have an annual waiver (personal, religious, or medical) on file with the front office are compliant with state law. Waivers expire every year on July 1 and must be re-submitted annually. 

If you have already submitted this paperwork, we thank you. The office will be mailing out letters to families with students whose paperwork is incomplete or filled out incorrectly. All currently enrolled MSCS students must be compliant by our school's Immunization Exclusion Day on Wednesday, November 13th, 2019. 

Beginning on November 13th, students who do not have the required documentation on file will not be allowed to attend school until the necessary paperwork has been provided. 

Please direct any questions you have to Kate Pettey in the front office ( kpettey@mountainsongschool.com ).

Federal Impact Aid Forms
Dear Mountain Song Families,

Every year, we survey our families to count how many federally connected students are enrolled in our school. Why? Because the federal government reimburses schools for loss of tax revenue for families that are federally connected (the federal government is exempt from paying property taxes). So be sure to be counted so Mountain Song can benefit from these efforts to level the playing field!

Federally connected students are those connected to members of uniformed services, to federal properties such as Indian lands, national parks, VA hospitals, national labs, federally subsidized low-rent housing, and whose parents work on federal property. Depending on the number of federally connected students we have at our school, we may be eligible to receive additional federal funds.

If you or a member of your household is federally connected, please be sure to be counted by completing this form and returning it to the school by December 10th. The form should be completed per student. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Sarah Kreger at skreger@mountainsongschool.com .
Lauren Martinez 
2019 Colorado Charter Educator of the Year
Last March, Mountain Song’s Special Education Coordinator, Lauren Martinez, was awarded the 2019 Colorado Charter Educator of the Year award, and was inducted into the state’s Charter Schools Hall of Fame. This week, her article, Reflection on the Teaching Profession and Working in a Charter School , was featured in the Colorado League of Charter Schools newsletter. We are so fortunate and proud to have Lauren guiding our work with exceptional children. You’ll enjoy how well spoken she is in this article!

Festival of Courage
Mountain Song students participated in an Obstacle Course and a dramatic pageant during the Friday Assembly last week to celebrate the Autumn Festival of Courage!

Lunch Bunches
Greetings, wonderful Mountain Song community!  

As the school’s new Dean of Students, I am thrilled to be working closely with our faculty and your sweet children in another fulfilling year! 

As I get to know our students, I am finding a few common experiences that are prevalent within our student body. We would like to offer as much support to our students as possible so they understand they are not alone in their experiences. It is also helpful for many children to hear from others as a way of processing their own, sometimes complicated feelings. To help, we will begin instituting a “Lunch Bunch” group, where students can have lunch with Dr. Woods, our Principal, Erin Kivo, our Social Worker, or me. We will simply gather and let the children meet other classmates and allow them to eat together, talk, or just listen to kids who are experiencing similar circumstances.  

Our first Lunch Bunch group will focus on children who are experiencing a family member who is deployed. The family member can be currently deployed, anticipating a future deployment, or may have recently returned from deployment. We will meet twice per month for several weeks during your child’s normal lunch time. 

Please contact me if you would like your child to participate. I will also personally reach out to families who currently serve in the military to whom we may offer support. I am happy to speak further or answer questions if anyone would like to reach out; my direct phone number is 719-800-5479. Thank you for your consideration!

Warmly,
Cori Karasiuk, Dean of Students
Parent-Teacher Conferences: 
October 30 and 31 - No School
Parent-teacher conferences will be held on October 30th and 31st. Classes will NOT be in session during the parent-teacher conferences. Child care will not be provided during this time. Teachers are sending information about how to sign up for parent conferences. Parents/guardians, please check your emails for additional information, or contact your child's teacher directly with any questions about the conferences.
No School on Friday, November 1
Please remember that there will be no school for students on Friday, November 1, which follows the two days with no school due to Parent-Teacher Conferences. Please also remember that Daylight Savings Time ends on Sunday, November 3rd. This means that clocks are set back one hour. Enjoy the day off for students, as well as the extra hour of sleep over the weekend!

Inclement Weather Policy and School Closures
Now that we are experiencing winter weather, please be reminded of our policy regarding inclement weather school closures and delayed starts.

While Mountain Song is not a District 11 school, it does reside in School District 11. During the school calendar days that coincide with D-11, we will observe their closure schedule for inclement weather. For the days during which we schedule classes when D-11 does not, this decision will be made by the School’s Executive Leadership Team.

We also recognize that weather in our region may vary widely, and that we have many families residing outside of the D-11 area. We encourage families to make wise decisions about coming to school based on safety. Such absences will be excused.  

The Executive Leadership Team
Fall Masquerade Ball
Saturday, October 26th, 5:00 - 8:00 p.m.
$5.00 admission for students, chaperones are free

Please join us in your most fantastically elegant attire for this year’s Fall Masquerade Ball! There will be a photo booth in which to make lasting memories with friends and to show off those amazing masks. Dance and twirl the night away to new music requests (pre-approved) and enjoy some popcorn at the Snack Shack.  

The first hour of the ball (5 - 6 p.m.) will be for ALL students (chaperoned by all parents), while the last 2 hours of the ball (6 - 8 p.m.) will be for middle school students ONLY (chaperoned by parent volunteers in shifts). Middle school students MUST be signed in to enter the Ball and signed out at the conclusion of the Ball. Masks may be worn in front of the face on sticks only (may not be attached to the head) and the dress code is either in line with the theme or nice clothing, no rips or tears, no hoodies or ball caps, etc...

Thank you
Parent Council
Citrus Fundraiser by Parent Council
The Parent Council is in the midst of its citrus fundraiser, featuring the freshest, premium California citrus fruits that will arrive just in time for the winter holidays! Ordering deadline is Friday, November 15. We need 108 boxes ordered to make the companies order minimum, so order today for your holiday gift-giving. The school earns $8.00 per box of citrus purchased, with funds used to benefit our children’s education.  Click here for more information .

Please order online at this link.
Help Restock the Parent Council Food Pantry
The MSCS Parent Council has established a Food Pantry for our school! We have an ongoing need for accessible nutritional food for our students, and with your help, we can fill that need. The Food Pantry is in need of restocking. Please drop off donations in the bin just inside the front doors. Cold items can be dropped at the front desk. 


Pikes Peak Artist Collective
Elizabeth Hildy, teacher for Pikes Peak Artist Collective, is offering a class on October 26th for children aged 9-11 years who want to turn an aluminum can (or cans) into a creature. To sign up, parents go to www.pikespeakartist.com/workshops/ and click on Oct. 26th.

Ms. Splees is now Ms. Tafoya Congratulations!
Ms. Regina Splees, Mountain Song’s Class Teacher of the Willow 7th grade class, married Mr. James Tafoya earlier this fall, and she is now happily known as Ms. Tafoya. Our joyous congratulations to the wonderful couple!
Volunteers Needed: Traffic Safety Monitor
For Drop-Off and Pick-Up
We are looking for volunteers to help keep traffic moving during morning drop off and afternoon pick up. Volunteers will be required to wear a yellow vest. One person will patrol the loading zone at the front of the building (Kiowa Street), the other will patrol the loading zone to the east side (29th Street). The first volunteer to arrive will choose which area they want to patrol.

Volunteers must be prepared to remind fellow parents that they cannot park in the loading zones. Signs on both are clear: "No Parking During School Hours" We need four volunteers each day, two in the morning from 7:50-8:15 am and two in the afternoon from 2:35-3:15 pm.

Since school started this year, we have experienced some close calls in keeping children safe during morning drop-off and pick-up.  Please help keep all children safe during these times by observing traffic zones.

If you are interested in volunteering as a Safety Monitor in a morning or afternoon shift, please sign up here .

100 Years of Waldorf
An Education for the Future

All over the world, people connected to Waldorf schools are celebrating the 100th anniversary of the first Waldorf school this month. Here is a video recently released in celebration of Waldorf schools around the world.
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 )
Mountain Song School Event Calendar
Mark your calendar with these important Mountain Song Community School dates.

Mountain Song Community School | 2904 West Kiowa St, Colorado Springs, CO 80904