TODAY - Confirmation of Continued Enrollment for 2020-21 forms are due
February 4 -- Board of Directors Meeting
February 11 - Enrollment Lottery Day
February 14 - Valentine’s Day
February 17-19 -- President’s Day and Teacher Conference Days -- NO SCHOOL
February 18 - Board of Directors Meeting
March 5-6 - Parent-Teacher Conferences -- NO STUDENTS
March 20 - Half Day for Kindergarten
March 23-27 - Spring Break -- NO SCHOOL
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This is a reminder that today (January 31) is the deadline for families to turn in your Confirmation of Continued Enrollment forms if you plan to return in the fall and want your spot in the class saved. Please see the note below from Mrs. Sarah Kreger.
I would also like to thank the families who have written such articulate and heartfelt testimonials and shared them as part of our enrollment effort. The enthusiasm you showed at the Town Hall Meeting on January 17th and your efforts to spread the word will definitely help keep our enrollment numbers up. This is important as we go through our Charter Renewal Application process with our authorizer, CSI, and as we look for a new site for the school to move into in 2021. Mountain Song is a valuable school of choice for so many in the Colorado Springs area.
With that in mind, we also are committed to continuous improvement efforts at Mountain Song. We noted at the Town Hall Meeting that we will again survey the community this spring to get your specific feedback and input on how we are doing. We absolutely use your feedback to guide us in changes and decisions. In the meantime, if you have a concern or a follow-up concern, please bring it to us directly so that we can deal with situations, improve our school, and keep your children safe and learning at their highest potential. Please see our grievance policy below.
Finally, just as we are piloting our
Kindness Program
with students at Mountain Song, we also ask families to demonstrate civility, kindness, and neighborly consideration among our community members. As an example, please see the note below from Mr. Dan Kurschner.
We are truly getting excited as plans for the future of Mountain Song are taking shape. This is an amazing community, and we see Mountain Song as contributing to cultural, social, and ecological renewal. Thank you for your part in that!
Warm wishes,
Dr. Teresa M. Woods
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Confirmation of Continued Enrollment for 2020-21 School Year
DEADLINE TODAY
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Your student(s) should have brought home a yellow Confirmation of Continued Enrollment form. Please read it carefully, complete it with the appropriate information, and return it to the school no later than January 31st. If you intend to re-enroll your student(s) in Mountain Song next year, this form is essential to ensuring your placement.
If you have other children you are interested in enrolling for the first time at Mountain Song next school year, please fill out the SY20/21 Intent to Enroll form by clicking
here
or visiting our website at
www.mountainsongschool.com/enrollment
.
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Changes to Middle School Schedule
Starting Monday, February 3rd
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Because we had an unusually snowy 1st semester, we will need to add 10 minutes to the middle school school day starting on Monday, February 3rd in order to make up our lost instructional time. According to the Colorado Compulsory Attendance Law, middle school students must have at least 1,056 instructional hours per school year and we are almost 9 hours short of meeting that minimum requirement. In order for us to avoid extending the school year, classes for the middle school students ONLY will start at 8:05 a.m. and will end at 3:10 p.m. (the current ending time) starting February 3rd. Doors will open at 7:55 p.m. to allow time for middle school students to enter the building and get to class.
The elementary and kindergarten students' schedules will remain the same. We will notify you of any further changes to the schedule, if any need to be made.
We appreciate your understanding and support in ensuring that we make up this missed instructional time for our students. Let's hope we do not have any more snow days this semester!
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Dear Families,
This is a quick reminder to be cautious and respectful as we navigate the neighborhood streets. A neighbor reported to me that his vehicle had been sideswiped this last week during the school dropoff times. I understand the less than ideal situation with parking, and street width is a challenge for all of us. But, we have a responsibility as good neighbors to be safe at all times. If you accidentally hit another car, please leave your contact information with the car’s owner. If you are witness to any reckless behavior or actual vehicle damaging contact, please report this to the Colorado Springs Police Department and bring it to my attention.
Thank you!
Mr. Daniel Kurschner
Director of Operations
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Mountain Song is a charter school that I go to and I love it there. The grades go from kindergarten to eighth. I am in seventh grade. I have been here since the school first opened when I started first grade. Mountain Song is such a supportive school because everyone is friendly and kind. What classes do we have? Well, I will tell you. We learn main lesson, math, language arts, music, Spanish, handwork, ag arts and more. I also love the school because every Friday we are reminded about kindness and compassion. Everyone has a place at Mountain Song even if they think they have no friends.
For example, I was having a hard time one day. I was walking around the playground all by myself. As I was passing by the swings, someone from the other seventh grade class noticed I was looking a little sad. So, she invited me to join her and her group of friends. I joined them and now I have new supportive friends who can help me when I’m feeling down.
Even though we are all in different grades, we act like one big family. The older students get to be buddies with the younger students. What I’ve noticed is that this creates a bond between the younger and the older students. Every day, when see each other around the school, the younger buddies acknowledge the older students, run up to them, and hug them.
I am happy about being part of the Mountain Song family. After someone leaves the school whether after graduation or before that time, they are always welcome to our school festivities as though they had never left. All of this makes me proud to be part of Mountain Song Community. When I’m there, I feel happy.
Anna Burkett
7th grade, Willow Class
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Mountain Song strives to be proactive in promoting positive working relationships between all members of the School’s community. If you have a concern or a follow-up concern, our grievance policy details the steps that adult members of the school community are expected to follow to communicate grievances about other members of the community. We are committed to addressing and resolving issues, improving our school, and keeping your children safe and learning at their highest potential. Please see our grievance policy linked below.
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Greetings, Mountain Song Families!
As we enter the new semester, we continue to offer our students social support as they navigate their feelings and relationships. We are implementing school-wide conversations and specific activities which blanket Mountain Song in warmth and kindness. Acts of kindness to ourselves, others, and the environment are being woven into our lessons, play, and interpersonal relationships on a daily basis.
Under this umbrella of kindness, we will be conducting two new groups for students who would like help with Social Skills and Grief & Loss. These will consist of small, age-appropriate group discussions and corresponding activities. Social skill building helps children feel confident and empathetic as they navigate changing social relationships with peers, family members, and adults. Grief can present differently in children, and may result from many circumstances including death, divorce, deployment, moving away, loss of a pet, and loss of friendships.
If you have a child who you believe would benefit from these group discussions, please contact me. We will begin the last week of January and continue through the end of the semester. Our ongoing group for students coping with upcoming or current military deployments will also continue through the end of the school year.
Thank you for your support and consideration.
Cori Karasiuk
Dean of Students
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Skate City Fundraiser
Wednesday, February 12th
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Parent Council is sponsoring a Scavenger Skate Party at Skate City on Wednesday, February 12th from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. Bus permission slips, admission ($5), and skate fees ($3) are due to the Mountain Song front desk no later than Tuesday, February 11 by 3:30 p.m.
The bus leaves Mountain Song at 3:30 p.m. and returns at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, February 12th.
Bus transportation to and from Skate City is available for 1st - 8th grade students; kindergarteners must be driven by a parent or guardian. There are NO SAME DAY SIGN-UPS FOR THE BUS. All bus permission slips and admission/skate money must be turned in to the office by 3:30 pm on THE DAY BEFORE DEPARTURE. If you miss the bus sign-up deadline (or if your student is a kindergartener), your child can still skate, but you will have to provide alternate transportation to and from the event.
Thank you!
Deanna Stonick, Parent Council Fundraising Chairperson, (719) 373-3925.
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All School Dance
March 14th
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Save the date! Parent Council is sponsoring an All School Dance on Saturday, March 14th, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. More details to come!
Thank you!
Deanna Stonick, Parent Council Fundraising Chairperson, (719) 373-3925.
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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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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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Save the Date: Grandparents Day
Thursday, March 19th
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We are very excited to announce 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. In order to send our grandparents a special invitation from the school, we need your help. Please provide us with the mailing and email addresses of the grandparents. We need this information in order to get invitations and information out. To reply with the requested information you can simply click the button below, fill out the needed information and hit submit.
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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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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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