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Important Upcoming Dates
Friday, October 4:
Elementary Director's Coffee, Creek Library, 8:30-9:30 a.m.
Monday, October 14:
Indigenous Peoples' Day- Student/Staff Holiday
Thursday-Friday, October 24-25
:
Conferences
(NO CLASSES HELD), Each Campus
Thursday, October 31
: Primary Signing Songs, Springs Campus, 8:15-8:45 a.m.
Visit Headwaters.org/calendar for more details and see Athletic Schedules. Learn how to export your calendars by visiting this link to the User Tutorial.
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Contents
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By Ted Graf, Head of School
Following the planet-wide and
student-led
climate change strike on September 20, and following the UN's International Day of Peace focused on climate action as a vehicle for peace, and reflecting on Dr. Maria Montessori's 150th birthday, I am grateful to the teachers and parents who had the courage to start The Khabele School and, soon after, Primavera Montessori School nearly twenty years ago.
They seemed to know then, following the tragedy of 9/11, that our school's mission, vision, and values would be relevant for years to come. They knew that a school committed to teaching peace, a school where student input and voice are critical, a place that respects and honors the beauty of childhood, a place where each community member is respected and cared about, a place where we accept and understand that we learn in different ways and at different rates--they knew it was needed then, and they get to see how important it is today.
Last year at this time, when we rolled out the PACT (Peacemakers, Advocates, Thinkers, and Creators) to the community, I don't think we fully appreciated how fully it captures the kind of learning and education we yearn to create. In the spirit of Advocacy at last Friday's climate strike, our delegation from the River Campus was mobilized by several seniors and by guides, including Kelley Janes, our resident physicist and astronomer, who was one of the featured speakers. The event brought parents and students from the Creek Campus as well, and I was delighted to feel the urgency of youth leadership.
With that as a backdrop and as we begin the sixth week of the school year, it feels like the right time to look ahead. I'm excited to share with you some efforts that we hope will define this school year and sustain our relevance as a school.
Since January of 2017, we have been engaged in a process of documentation, analysis, and self-reflection with the hope of earning initial accreditation with the
Independent Schools Association of the Southwest
(ISAS). Much of our professional development this year will be focused internally as we reflect and write the report. Next Monday, September 30 (a day off for students), faculty and staff across all three campuses will be writing about our programs--from facilities and transportation to after-school programs and everything in between. As we look critically at those programs, we'll identify where we shine and where we can improve. We'll also identify plans and priorities as we look ahead.
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O
n Friday, October 11, a professional development half-day, we will follow up that work by
editing those early drafts and looking for patterns and overlaps. Our final ISAS-focused
professional development session will occur on January 29 (yes, another half day!). We'll meet in the Studio on the River Campus and hear both Recommendations and Commendations from the chair of the visiting team. It's important for you to know that these sixteen visitors are not random state bureaucrats, rather they are fellow teachers and school leaders from independent schools in Houston, Tulsa, Dallas, Albuquerque, and Midland who will have read and studied our report. During the three days they'll spend with us, they'll fan out across all campuses and classrooms to observe and gauge whether our self-assessment is accurate and fair.
Like so much of our work this year, whether it's focused on curriculum or culture, after-school programs or athletics, we will be striving to answer these questions:
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What makes Headwaters unique?
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And, how do we sustain our uniqueness while preparing for the school's future?
To all parents, thanks in advance for your support of this important work and for your patience with our days off. I look forward to conversations with you at coffees, at circle drive, on the sidewalks, and at Parent Ed Pitsos throughout the year.
Come join your middle school Hawks for the first Spirit Games of the 2019-2020 school year! These games are an opportunity to rally around the Hawks and cheer them loudly onto victory. We will announce them in advance and invite the entire community to come out and support!
Our admissions season has begun with an open house at the River Campus today, Saturday, September 28. We know our best referrals come from our current families, and we'd be honored if you would pass along information to friends, family, and neighbors about Headwaters. All the information about open houses on each campus is at this link, and you can also share the image (to the side) or share a post from our social media. If you'd like to join our neighborhood networking team, whose members occasionally post information to their neighborhood NextDoor and Facebook groups, email Amy at a.nylund@headwaters.org.
Thanks to all our attendees at last weekend's 4th Annual Community Picnic. We had a great
time at Shady Springs enjoying the entertainment, swimming, photo booth, button-making, and each others' company. A special thanks to all of our attendees, volunteers, and sponsors! Can't wait until next year!
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Kaelee Kress
joined us this year in our Early Elementary Meadowlarks classroom. We are so excited to have her in our community!
Kaelee was born and raised in Oregon. There, she began her foundation in Montessori as a student for nine years of Primary and Elementary schooling. After high school, she attended the University of Oregon, earning degrees in Digital Art and Business Administration. Upon graduating, Kaelee took a year to travel and spent it in Australia. When she returned home to Oregon, she decided to take the steps to become a Montessori-trained guide. She earned her Montessori Elementary Diploma and then a Masters in Montessori Education.
She comes to us after working in an upper elementary classroom in Houston. Before she moved to Austin, Kaelee spent a fully immersive five weeks in Ohio earning her Montessori Adolescent (Ages 12-18) Certificate. Congrats, Kaelee!
As she gets more comfortable in Austin, she says that she is enjoying exploring the city and getting to know people who live here.
Kaelee says this about what drew her to Headwaters School:
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The day that I interviewed at Headwaters, I tried to speak to as many people as possible. I liked to open with the question, "What is the most important thing I should know about this school?" I received overwhelmingly consistent responses--the strong sense of community between staff members, and how incredibly supportive the administration is. This really stood out to me. Having grown up in a Montessori environment, I know how important it is to lead by example as an adult. I was so excited at the prospect of finding an adult community that truly modeled the behaviors they wanted to see reflected by the children. One of my favorite Montessori
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quotes, from Dr. Montessori's
Education and Peace
is, 'The child is capable of developing and giving us tangible proof of the possibility of a better humanity...The child is both a hope and a promise for mankind.' This really conveys the strong sense of responsibility I feel is placed on adults in education in regards to cultivating an environment for the children which supports optimum levels of success."
Fun Facts from Kaelee:
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I just moved to Austin, so right now my hobby is unpacking my apartment!
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I love to travel. Add in any sort of water activity and it's a good trip!
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In general, I love all live music.
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I went to the University of Oregon so I will forever follow Duck sports.
Stay tuned to this section all year for upcoming events and opportunities to meet other parents. Here are some September opportunities to connect with other Headwaters parents:
Wednesday, October 2, Creek Library, 6:30-8:30 p.m
We will be sharing many of our materials with you and you will see first-hand how Montessori materials help build a strong, concrete foundation for math into the middle school years and beyond. Presenters for this workshop are YCC Guide Madicyn Villalobos, Primary Guide Elizabeth Vickers, Early El Guide Kaelee Kress, Upper El Guide Sunni Zuniga, and Middle School Guide Paul Lambert. Check your email for a Paperless Post RSVP.
Elementary Director's Coffee
Friday, October 4, Creek Library, 8:30-9:30 a.m
We will follow up the Math Progression with a discussion Friday, October. 4 at 8:30 a.m. While it is encouraged, you do not need to have attended the Wednesday evening presentation to benefit from the Friday morning discussion.
Wednesday, October 16, Creek Campus, 3:30-4:30 p.m.
Creek Campus parents and students can stop by the Early El Playground after pick-up for a chat with Roberto Germán, Middle School Director. Get any of your Headwaters Middle School questions answered at this informal Q&A.
We will be hosting the Toileting Workshop on Wednesday, October 16 from 3:30-4:30 p.m. in the Manchaca building, in the Roadrunner's Classroom. Limited, complimentary childcare is also available during the Workshop to currently enrolled Headwaters students in the YCC and Primary programs.
Parents, please RSVP for yourself and any childcare by Monday, October 14 at 5 p.m.
Register at this link.
Thursday, October 17, River Campus, 6-8 p.m.
Join us to learn about the Headwaters High School experience. We'll have an overview of the International Baccalaureate Programme, our City as Classroom initiative, our opportunities for student agency and leadership, our stellar college counseling program, our senior thesis colloquium, and the benefits of a small school.
Friday, October 18, Creek Campus, 9-10 a.m.
Current Headwaters Primary parents of Rising Kindergartners are invited to our Creek Campus for a Q&A with Head of Elementary Virginia Luff and two of our K-1 Guides. We will share more with you about our academics and specials classes, as well as our philosophy on learning in the Elementary years and how we support children on their journeys of curiosity and discovery.
Friday, October 18, TBA, 8:30-9:30 a.m.
River Campus parents are invited to meet up at the downtown Whole Foods rooftop plaza after drop-off. Grab some coffee or breakfast and join your fellow parents to chat and get to know each other better. Future coffees may be at different locations, so feel free to share your ideas on possible venues. Email Bryan (bryan@bryanmcneal.com) or Laura (lmquilici@gmail.com), your River Campus PVC reps, with any questions!
Sunday, October 20, Springs Campus, 3:30-5:30 p.m.
Join other Springs Campus parents for a Community Potluck on the Primary Playground! Bring your favorite dish to share (no nuts, please) and enjoy some community time on the Primary Playground with other Springs Campus families this afternoon. Snacks, beverages, fruit, main dishes--any of these would be great to bring.
Tuesday, October 22, River Campus, 6:30-8:30 p.m
In this workshop Bethany adapts her popular "Loving Limits" workshop to specifically support parents of pre-teens and adolescents. We'll discuss how to hold boundaries and make agreements with young teens in a way that honors and respects their true needs for autonomy and freedom of expression, while also honoring the needs of other family members in the shared space. In this workshop we'll also dive into how to build and maintain open communication with our teens, and how to stay connected in these last years before our babies fly the nest. There will also be a substantive Q&A portion of the workshop where parents' specific questions and concerns can be brought to the conversation.
Friday, November 1, Crema, 8:30-9:30 a.m.
Please join us for our monthly Creek parent-connection coffee! We will be at Crema Bakery from 8:30 to 9:30 AM.
We consider every Headwaters parent to be a member of our volunteer community, and we have many opportunities throughout the year to help the school in big and small ways. Please fill out the
Parent Volunteer Interest form
and we'll help connect you with ways to help this school year!
- AmazonSmile - Just search for Headwaters School in the charity list.
- Randall's - Head to customer service to complete a Good Neighbor card. Headwater's ID is #12529
- Box Tops For Education - Just clip them and drop them at the front desk at any campus.
- Office Depot: School ID #70224992
Here is your monthly visual trivia!
Take a look and name where this spot appears--the answer will be in the next month's Current!
Last month's photo is from the Creek Library (see right).
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