March 6 - Parent-Teacher Conferences K-8 as Needed -- NO STUDENTS
March 8 - Daylight Saving Time Begins
March 17 - MSCS Board Meeting
March 20 - Half Day for Kindergarten
March 23-27 - Spring Break -- NO SCHOOL
March 30 - School Resumes
April 7 - MSCS Board Meeting
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No School Today, March 6th
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Please remember that there is no school today, Friday, March 6th. Parent-Teacher Conferences are being held on an as-needed basis.
We’ll see you next Monday, March 9th!
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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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Adjusting to Daylight Saving Time - Spring Forward
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This weekend, we will set our clocks one hour forward for the benefit of having more daylight in the evening. After this long winter, we can certainly enjoy looking forward to more evening outdoor time. We should prepare, though, for this bi-annual disruption of our circadian rhythm and sleep schedules. We know how such a disruption can affect us as adults! Please assume that it affects children more profoundly.
How can we help our children adjust to the loss of an hour of sleep as we “spring forward?”
Experts tell us
we can help adjust their bedtimes in smaller increments over several days while keeping their bedtime routines consistent and predictable.
This is a time when we can also become more aware of general sleep care: making sure children get exercise during the day, no screen time at least 2 hours before bedtime, maintaining dark during sleep and letting light in when it’s time to wake up, and healthy eating habits.
Please help your children get the sleep they need over the weekend to adjust to the time change and be ready for school on Monday morning!
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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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All School Dance
March 14th, 5:00 - 7:00 p.m.
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The Parent Council is sponsoring an all school dance on Saturday, March 14th, from 5-7pm in the MSCS gym. Admission is $5 for students and non-MSCS school-aged friends of students. There is no charge for younger siblings of MSCS students. This year we have added a (chaperoned) middle school game area as well! You don’t want to miss popcorn, dancing and time with our community!
Thank you!
Deanna Stonick, Parent Council Fundraising Chairperson, (719) 373-3925.
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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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Now Taking RSVPs For Grandparents Day
Thursday, March 19th
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We are now taking RSVPs for our second annual Grandparents Day Celebration on Thursday, March 19th. At MSCS, we love and appreciate our grandparents, and believe they are to be honored, treasured and celebrated. We are sending out invitations now, but please feel free to forward the direct link below to those who need to sign up for this special day.
In light of the novel coronavirus spread, please consider if you are at risk if you travel, and take necessary precautions.
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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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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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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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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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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 for Middle School Choir
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Dear Parents,
We, along with Mike Harris, would like to thank Cambria Milner, who has agreed to be the Parent Representative for the Middle School Music Program. She has offered to coordinate parent volunteers who would like to help and/or observe in choir rehearsals on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, and we encourage you to participate.
Parents can help in several ways, including set-up and take-down of chairs, distributing music notebooks and new music, and simply providing an “audience” to help prepare the students for their Spring Concert. Please note that the role of parent volunteers is not to discipline students. Disciplinary matters must be handled by Mountain Song staff. At least one additional staff member is present to assist in this way during each choir session.
Choir rehearsals are on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 2:10 - 2:50 p.m. in the gym. Set-up of chairs usually starts at 1:55, so feel free to come early if you would like to help with that. As with all volunteers and visitors, please sign in at the front desk before going to the gym.
We are delighted with the prospect of parent volunteers and class observation. Thank you so much for your support of Mountain Song’s music program.
Warmly,
The Executive Leadership Team
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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 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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