Our middle school students arrived at Mountain Song yesterday morning (Thursday), joyfully reuniting with classmates, welcoming new classmates in person, and wowing teachers and staff with how much they’ve grown over the 7 months we haven’t stood side-by-side. If you know how short I am, that was at times a bit of a dramatic shock!
We couldn’t be happier to move forward with in-person learning in our revised hybrid model. Our remote students have been very present, and I’ve popped my head into some live-stream sessions to be overjoyed at seeing our dear students from home participating so fully!
Thank you for making this journey with us during this difficult time. I know we all wish this were different, and we look forward to the day it is. In the meantime, please know we are monitoring the public health situation closely, and are honestly concerned with the rising rate of virus spread in our county. We ask everyone to be especially careful and help prevent further spread, and to help keep our school open to in-person learning.
❤
Dr. Teresa Woods
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We now have a Return to School webpage linked by a tab at the top of our website. This webpage has been updated with updates, safety measures, COVID health guidelines, pre-screening information, and information on monitoring El Paso County health status.
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Morning Health Screening and Pre-Screening |
We are required to screen all staff and students entering the building for COVID symptoms each day.
Please complete an online form each day before 7:30 a.m. for each child planning to come to school in the In-Person Learning option.
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Here is the link: https://tinyurl.com/mscshealt
- You should receive a notice each morning by email and/or text with the link again as a reminder.
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If you do not receive a notice, click the link above, or go to our website www.mountainsongschool.com and click on the yellow box, labeled “Student Daily Health Pre-Screening Form”.
- Please complete this no later than 7:30 a.m.
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A video with instructions to complete the Pre-Screening form is found on our Return to School page.
If you do not submit a form by 7:30 a.m., you must accompany your child(ren) onto school grounds to meet a Mountain Song staff health screener. Symptom screening, including temperature check, will be conducted at that point.
Students who have one or more symptoms on the list will be required to stay or return home.
Thank you for your cooperation.
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School Supplies Request for Parents |
This year, we have provided portfolios, bags and plastic totes in an effort to help our students keep track of their classroom materials.
Important: We request your partnership to help children take care of and transport materials. If your child loses or breaks classroom materials at home, in school or during transit, we must request reimbursement for the costs of the missing items. We recognize that keeping track of these classroom materials is difficult, especially during this hybrid phase. Your partnership, support, and stewardship of the classroom materials will help us ensure that our students are successful this school year.
Aligned with the Waldorf approach, Mountain Song special orders high-quality materials for students to work with in class. To help defray the costs, parents pay a materials fee of $150. If you have not paid the fee, please click here to complete payment. Materials fees help provide each child with main lesson books, beeswax crayons, beeswax for modeling, natural watercolor paints, watercolor painting paper, natural fiber handwork materials, and all of the materials needed for agricultural arts.
We are sympathetic to the challenges our families face during these hectic times. If your child has lost or damaged any materials, please contact Mr. Dan Kurschner to make payment arrangements. We are willing to work with you regarding payment terms.
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MAP Assessments Grades 3-8 |
In accordance with our charter and public school mandate to track student growth throughout the year, Mountain Song Community School administers the NWEA MAP (Measures of Academic Progress) Growth assessments* three times a year in grades 3 through 8.
Today, October 16, is the last day for students to complete assessments remotely. Make-up days will be used to allow students to continue any unfinished assessments.
Make-up days for Grades 5-8
will be in person at school October 22-23.
Make-up days for Grades 3-5
will be in person at school October 19, 20, 21.
Thank you for your support of our efforts to track student academic growth. Assessment data inform our teachers, interventionists, and administration of specific student performance in mathematics, language usage, and reading, and where they may need additional support. For more information about our Assessment Policies, please visit our website at https://mountainsongschool.com/assessment-policies/.
If you have any questions about the NWEA MAP Growth test or about our assessments in general, please contact Ms. Sarah Kreger, Director of School Performance, at skreger@mountainsongschool.com.
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Parent-Teacher Conferences:
October 29 and 30 - No School
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Parent-teacher conferences will be held on October 29th and 30th. Classes will NOT be in session during the parent-teacher conferences. Child care will not be provided during this time. Teachers will send information about how to sign up for parent-teacher conferences. Parents/guardians, please check your emails for additional information, or contact your child's teacher directly with any questions about the conferences.
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Federal Impact Aid Forms
Are Due December 11th
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If your family is connected to a federal organization or property, please complete and return the survey by December 11 so you can be counted. Mountain Song can benefit from Federal Impact Aid Funds which help level the playing field. Read here for more information.
Click HERE to fill in the Federal Impact Aid Form 2020.
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). 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 11, 2020. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Sarah Kreger.
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With the return to school, our students were able to participate in a modified salad party!
Students were challenged to add and taste 3 things to their salads. Can you see the beautiful colors of fall that our students were able to enjoy with the return to school?
One of our new 4th graders, Frederick, was happy to try new things from our fall harvest!
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Get Social with Mountain Song |
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Parent Council Seeks Treasurer
and Committee Volunteers
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Parent Council is seeking a Treasurer for the committee. The Treasurer will coordinate with the Fundraising Committee, help build and approve budgets, and assist staff with grant writing requests from Parent Council.
Please reach out to Cambria at pcchair@mountainsongschool.com if you are interested. Parent Council meets the 3rd Thursday of each month.
Most classes still need a Classroom Representative for each class. Class Reps help the teacher disseminate information to parents, moderate a Shutterfly or Facebook page, support the teacher with tasks like finding volunteers and organizing field trips, and representing the class in Parent Council and/or Board meetings.
All Parent Council committees seek volunteers. Did you know that involvement on the Parent Council committee satisfies volunteer requirements for Mountain Song?
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Festivals Committee seeks people who want to know more about Waldorf festivals. People who love to craft and want to help find a safe way to celebrate each festival this year. People who are interested in helping create online, interactive festivals.
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Health and Wellness/Hospitality Committee seeks people who care for the physical and emotional health of our community.
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Fundraising Committee seeks a chair. This should be a person who loves to come up with creative ways to raise money for the school while keeping the Waldorf model in mind. This person also needs to be comfortable working with Classroom Representatives to organize class fundraisers and work with the Treasurer to keep our reports up to date.
The school's Board of Directors also has committees that are seeking volunteers. Please reach out to them at board@mountainsongschool.com for more information.
Thank you in advance. We look forward to working with you!
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Parent Council Meeting Dates |
Several of the Parent Council committees are meeting this fall. Won’t you join? It counts toward volunteer hours!
Health and Wellness/Hospitality Committee
Meets 2nd Tuesday each month at 4pm
Festivals Committee
Meets 2nd Wednesday each month at 4pm
Upcoming Festivals
Día de los Muertos Oct 20 to Nov 2
Martinmas Nov 11
Parent Council
Meets 3rd Thursday each month at 4pm
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Call to Action - Volunteers Needed for SAC |
Dear Mountain Song Community,
This year, we are making a concerted effort to recruit parent and community volunteers to our School Accountability Committee (SAC). SAC is the only committee at Mountain Song that is required by Colorado law, and the law states that we must have the participation of at least three parent volunteers. Currently, we only have one parent on the committee. Without SAC, Mountain Song Community School cannot meet its legal obligations!
Please join our next meeting
October 19, 6 - 7:30pm
Join our Zoom Meeting by clicking here.
- Meeting ID: 710 1393 4718
- Passcode: 2jCC0X
SAC plays a vital role in the running of our school, so we need your help! The most important job of SAC is to help with the creation of our annual Unified Improvement Plan. SAC is also in charge of the annual Climate Survey that is sent to all parents in the spring. Furthermore, our committee examines student assessment data and makes recommendations to the ELT based on this information and the Climate Survey.
SAC meetings are held from 6:00-7:30 pm either the third or fourth Monday of each month except for vacations: October 19, November 16, January 25, February 22, March 15, April 19, and May 17. When the school opens for in-person classes, we will be offering the choice to meet in-person or via Zoom for our meetings.
You do not need to attend every meeting, but we ask that you attend as many meetings as you possibly can. Best of all, by attending SAC meetings, you will fulfill a good part of your 40 hour a year volunteering commitment to Mountain Song!
Michael Katzenberg
Chair, SAC
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October Farm Volunteers Needed! |
Thanks to all the amazing volunteers who continue to help us water, weed and keep our animals fed. We have bunnies and chickens and veggies, oh my!
We have slots for October Farm volunteers! If interested, please volunteer via our Sign-Up Genius.
This is a wonderful way for you and your family to safely engage with our school garden. If you haven't volunteered in the garden before, please contact Mr. Adam at awright@mountainsongschool.com so he can arrange a time for you to be trained.
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Landsharks will be available as a 'running club' option and not available directly through Mountain Song for this fall season. Please see this letter of explanation if you are interested in your student participating.
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Substitute Teachers Needed |
Are you or someone you know interested in being a Substitute Teacher at Mountain Song?
The ideal candidates will have a passion for Waldorf education, collaboration, and growth, and will demonstrate high personal expectations. A strong sense of personal accountability, a positive attitude and excellent communication skills are a must. We look to our substitute teachers to be engaged and mindful and have an authentic commitment towards carrying out the mission of the school for teachers who are absent.
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Article or announcement contributions must be submitted to Ms. Sŏnia Cruz by Tuesday at 5 p.m. for inclusion in each week’s Songbird newsletter, typically distributed on Fridays. (scruz@mountainsongschool.com)
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Mountain Song School Calendar |
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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