From the Principal
Happy Midsummer! We recently passed the Summer Solstice (June 20th), the day of year with the longest daylight and the shortest night. I love the brilliant midsummer light that illuminates our lives.  

Daylight is also shining on social justice realms in historic ways. Deep human stories are being listened to as never before about systemic injustices people of color and other marginalized groups endure. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled last week that illegal sex discrimination includes discrimination against LGBTQ individuals. Mountain Song families and teachers are stepping forward (thank you!) to shed more light on our own community about how we can listen more deeply and elevate each other more respectfully. In the midst of our turbulent times, I am honestly hopeful for a brighter light, deeper understanding, and more appreciative care for each other.  

We cannot forget our health crisis. Experts tell us that how well we respect the social distancing guidelines in public will determine what our upcoming months look like. Mountain Song now has an active committee of 14 staff members planning for school opening in the fall. We are optimistic that we can open school for in-person instruction, while we also must protect the health and safety of our children, families, teachers, and staff members.  

Today you should receive our parent survey for your input on fall planning. When you receive the email link, please don’t wait to weigh in on these important matters.  

We recently received our school budget from the state, which was cut by 5%, imposing cuts throughout the school, though not as deep as we feared, so we are grateful. We are also receiving public school emergency funds to help us respond to additional COVID costs.  

We optimistically look forward to the new school year when we will welcome many new families and reconnect with our returning families in our beautiful Mountain Song Community! 

  
Dr. Teresa Woods
Parent Survey for 2020-21 Planning
Our Return-to-School Committee is now in full action to develop a plan for school in the 2020-21 school year in light of the current COVID-19 public health crisis.
 
As promised, we are sending out a parent survey to get your perspectives. We have hired School Perceptions, an independent educational research firm, to conduct this survey. Today, Friday June 26, you will be receiving an email from School Perceptions with an invitation to share your input through a parent planning survey. We are asking that you please take 5 minutes to respond.
 
The survey will open Friday, June 26, and will close on Monday, July 6, at 5:00 p.m.
 
If you do not receive an email invitation to complete the survey, please check your “spam/junk” folder and then contact Dr. Woods for assistance ( twoods@mountainsongschool.com ).
 
We value your comments and suggestions and strongly encourage you to participate in this important survey. We want your input so that we can tailor our plan for the Mountain Song Community. 
Report Cards and Narratives
Second semester report cards and end-of-year narratives are being sent to families this week, so please look for those in the mail. Please know that there will be some 'NM' (Not Measured) scores for content areas on the report cards if the content was not covered during the COVID-19 closure, or if the students did not participate in the Continuous Learning during that time. Other scores will reflect the work provided by the student before the closure or during the closure if students participated in the Continuous Learning and provided evidence of their work during that time. If you have any questions about your child's report cards, please contact your child's teacher or Sarah Kreger at skreger@mountainsongschool.com
Welcome Ms. Katie White!
We are delighted to announce that we have hired Ms. Katie White as class teacher for the Evergreen Class as they enter the 4th grade. Ms. White has been interested in Waldorf education for a number of years, and has been participating in the Mountain Song Waldorf training program from its start last summer.  

Ms. White holds an M.A. degree in Elementary Education, a B.A. in Psychology with a minor in Spanish, and a Colorado Professional Teaching License. She has been an elementary teacher since 2014, primarily in the 4th grade and most recently at the Colorado Springs Charter Academy.   

She was born, raised, and educated in Chicago. “I loved growing up in a diverse and world class city where I had access to unlimited cultural experiences.” These experiences and her holistically-oriented education “sparked the light of social justice in me.” Prior to starting her teaching career, she taught yoga, was a licensed massage therapist, a certified nursing assistant, a full-time nanny for two toddlers, and a case manager for Catholic Charities.

Please join us in welcoming Ms. Katie White to Mountain Song as the Evergreen Class Teacher.  

Warm wishes,
The Executive Leadership Team
Teacher Webpages Open
Many teachers are keeping their web pages open during the summer. They are still accessible through the Continuous Learning portal. You will need the password from your teacher.


Thank You for Ag Arts Support
We want to express our sincere gratitude to those of you who supported our Ag Arts plant sale during the past few weeks. In total, we raised more than $400 for our program! These funds have been used to purchase cooking equipment, wheelbarrows, a variety of tools, and 30 pairs of gloves that will help with new health protocols in the fall. Most excitedly, we also purchased a Wi-Fi weather station that connects to a smartphone app. If you haven't noticed, the Colorado weather is crazy --it can be snowing in one place and sunny in the neighboring zip code--so the weather station will greatly help our ability to monitor the wind, rain, temperature, etc. of our garden's microclimate.
Volunteers Needed on the Farm!
We are happy to announce that our school garden is back open to volunteers! We would deeply appreciate your support this summer in helping to water, weed, and keep our animals fed. If interested, please volunteer via our Sign-Up Genius . Thank you for your support!
Part-time Custodian Position Available
Custodial Assistant - Temporary Position
Summer through December 2020
4 hours per day, 5 days a week

Mountain Song Community School is looking for a part-time Custodial Assistant to work four hours per day 5 days a week. This person will be able to perform general cleaning tasks such as cleaning and sanitizing related to COVID-19. Must be able to perform building and custodial related work, communicate effectively, and work cooperatively with others. This person is dependable and able to arrive at work as scheduled. This is a temporary position. Email your application ( found on our website ) with a cover letter to dkurschner@mountainsongschool.com
Planning for 2020 - 2021
What will school look like in the fall when the new academic year starts? Our fall school planning committee is now in full motion gathering the information we need to be developing options for the fall.  

All schools in Colorado, including Mountain Song, must abide by the guidelines coming from the Colorado Department of Education (CDE) and the Colorado Department of Public Health and the Environment (CDPHE), and we are working closely with our state leaders at CSI for guidance as well.  

We expect the outlook to change somewhat over the summer months, depending on the public health situation.  

We have a responsibility to provide safe conditions at school for students, families, teachers, and staff. Maintaining physical distance is so incredibly hard -- most of us want to simply be able to hug each other and go back to how we interacted before the crisis. We have faith that our current conditions will pass at some point, and we will be able to be together comfortably again. We just don’t know when that will be.

In the meantime, please confirm your enrollment for fall with us. We will work with you to do what is best for your family. We want you here at Mountain Song so that we can rejoice in seeing you and your children carry forward with our beautiful Waldorf education!

Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us with any further questions. We will keep you informed.

The Executive Leadership Team 
Racism and Violence: How to Help Kids
As if there wasn’t enough anxiety in our children’s lives recently, news of the protests and the reasons for them can be very scary for children. One of my favorite sources for sound advice on supporting children, the Child Mind Institute, has provided some wonderful resources on this topic.  

The article, Racism and Violence: How to Help Kids Handle the News , offers guidance on helping our kids process their feelings and understanding of these issues. At the end of the article, the Child Mind Institute provides several other resources, such as this set of Resources for Talking About Race, Racism, and Racialized Violence with Kids , from the Center for Racial Justice in Education.

Finally, a committee to address social justice and equity is forming here at Mountain Song. If you are interested in joining such a committee, please contact Dr. Woods at twoods@mountainsongschool.com .  
Getting Children and Teens Outside While Social Distancing
Parent Council Fundraising
Hello families,
 
Our school is happy to help support small businesses, and Skate City will be offering their Membership Cards for our students and families at a discounted rate. 

With a $5 membership card ($12 at the facility), any child or adult can skate for just $1 admission during any public skating session through the end of 2020 ! You will also receive $5 loaded onto your game card upon entry each time you use your membership card.

Should this interest you, all you would need to do is click the link below and make sure to select the school name, as $1.50 for each card purchased will go back to the school!

Deanna Stonick
Parent Council Fundraising Committee
Community Resources - Dial 2-1-1
Pikes Peak United Way can help you access resources that may help you through this challenging time. By dialing 2-1-1 between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, you will be connected to a trained information specialist who can help you find the health and human service providers that you need. Dial 2-1-1.

Support for Mountain Song
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.
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 Calendar
Mark your calendar with these important Mountain Song Community School dates.


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