Upcoming Dates to Remember |
April 12 - May 14
CMAS Testing Days
April 13
Homeschool Information Session 6:30pm
April 15
Parent Council Meeting 4:00pm
April 17
Parent Council Fairy Festival 10:00am - 6:00pm
April 19
MSCS School Accountability Committee 6:00pm
April 20-21
School Picture Days
April 20
MSCS Board Meeting 6:00pm
April 23
K-3 No School, Assessment Day
Grades 4-8 School In-Session
April 27
Futures Committee 3:30pm
April 29
May Day - In School Festival
May 3
No School - Teacher Work Day
May 8
May Faire Community Festival
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Let’s tie a flower crown on this eventful year! Based on public health guidance, it looks like we will be able to celebrate May Faire in-person as a community on May 8th from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
While we still have many decisions to make in order to keep everyone safe, and we’re brainstorming ways to bring the full experience to those who cannot attend in-person, we wanted to share this joyous news so you can save the date.
For those of you unfamiliar with this treasured Waldorf tradition, May Faire is a festival that celebrates the arrival of spring and the new beginnings that come with the season. Join us on this day of renewal as we sing, dance, and give back to our beloved Mountain Song Community School.
Our fundraising goal between now and May Faire is to raise $20,000 as we set our sights on a new permanent building, where Mountain Song Community School will plant roots.
In the coming weeks, we will challenge each Mountain Song family to invest in our school and our future so that Southern Colorado children can learn, grow & be inspired in the Waldorf tradition for years to come. Even $5 makes an impact!
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Nimble Fingers Make Nimble Minds |
“Nimble fingers make nimble minds!” refers to the mysterious link between hands on activity and thinking, which contemporary child development specialists now recognize.
Spinning, knitting, hand stitching, embroidery, crochet, weaving, doll and puppet making, papermaking and clothing construction help children develop a sense of color, concentration, manual dexterity and coordination.
Students express their own personalities through individual choices in design and develop, self-direction, cooperation and responsibility in carrying a project through to completion. They experience the value of planning, the efficient use of tools and the beauty of natural materials.
We hope each child will develop pride in his/her own abilities and accomplishments as well as a respect for craftsmanship and the people behind the products we use each day.
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Homeschool Program Information Session
April 13th
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Did you know about Mountain Song’s Homeschool Enrichment Program? We have two programs, an in-person (Village) program and a fully online (Frontier) program. Both are tuition-free programs that use Waldorf approaches.
In our homeschool programs, children join a teacher once a week for main lesson, music, art and creative movement. Some weeks also include lessons in health, wellness, cooking, and nutrition.
Parents can learn all about the Village and Frontier options on Tuesday, April 13th at 6:30pm in a virtual (online) meeting. Come join us and bring your friends!
Meeting ID: 903 207 6923
Passcode: 714394y
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School Picture Days
April 20-21, 2021
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Colleen Harvey Photography is scheduled to take student pictures outside in the school garden on April 20-21, 2021. Please mark your calendars! Click here for the order form that needs to be turned in to classroom teachers with payment by picture day.
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5th Grade Pentathlon Training Began This Week! |
Preparations for this year’s 5th Grade Pentathlon Tournament have commenced. Pentathlon training began this week at Vermijo Park, led by Games and Movement teacher, Mrs. Denise Neal. The Pentathlon, modified this year due to COVID, will take place in early June.
In the Waldorf curriculum, the Pentathlon is the student's first introduction to competitive games. The training and competition is designed to enhance and bring to life the study of Ancient Greece, which the students are immersed in during their fifth grade year. Events are designed to combine and develop the elements of physical strength, stamina, coordination, balance, and aiming skills, which are all essential for the healthy physical development of children.
During the Games and Movement class preparations, the children are working on the five Greek events of running, jumping, wrestling, javelin throwing, and discus throwing. These movements emphasize harmony and balance in the body, reinforced through the harmonious Greek imaginations. The students observe and imitate these archetypal movements, striving for beauty, truth, and strength.
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May Day Flower Donations
April 28-29
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Imagine our students adorned in beautiful flora as they excitedly approach the May Pole for Mountain Song’s annual May Day (In-School) Festival. Our students are practicing and preparing for this event on April 29th and we need flowers! Yes, many, many flowers! Bouquets of all varieties and rose petals galore!
Please bring any flowers you can donate to school on Wednesday and Thursday, April 28th & 29th. We will have buckets of water ready to receive all flower donations for the children to carry and/or wear for May Day!
Thank you!
Internal Festivals Committee
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Student Morning Drop-Off Crosswalk Guard Needed |
Keys to a Safe Drop-Off
1) Avoid dropping off children on the side of the street opposite school property. Take time to go around the block and drop off with your vehicle headed south towards Colorado Avenue.
2) Pull as far forward in the drop-off zone as possible - staff will help your student get onto the other side of the fence safely.
3) Have your child ready for drop-off before you arrive at school, including backpacks, supplies and coats. Having these items ready in the car at home reduces time occupying the drop-off zone.
4) Have your child sitting on the curbside (passenger's side of your vehicle) so that they are not trying to get out of the car into the street.
5) Do not park in the drop-off area. If you need to come into the school, please park in another area and then walk your child in.
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Please review the drop off diagram. This plan has been established to provide the greatest safety for our students during drop-off times. The drop-off plan allows students to be dropped off safely and for there to be a convenient traffic flow for parents entering and leaving the premises during those times. |
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After-School Pick-Up
(COVID Safety)
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As a reminder, each class has an assigned area of the school for dismissal. We are diligent during the school day to keep cohorts separate as an important COVID safety protocol. We understand some families have students in different grades. However, mingling among cohorts is occurring after school outside of these familial settings. This violates the COVID safety protocols that we must maintain.
Please help us follow our safety protocols while on school grounds. In order to maintain separate cohorts, students must not mingle with students outside of their class unless they are in the same household. Please wear masks on school grounds if 6’ social distancing is not possible between non-household members.
Pick-Up Protocols
- K-4 students dismissed at 2:55pm
- Dismissed on the back (north) playground with teachers.
- Student is released from teacher when a parent/guardian is present (or following any arrangement made between teacher and parent/guardian).
- Students whose rides are delayed after 3:10pm will be brought to the front office (unless they are meeting a middle school sibling).
- 5-8 students dismissed at 3:10pm
- Dismissed on the front (south) playground on their own.
- Students can walk directly to their parent/guardian.
- Playground is cleared at 3:25pm to maintain our COVID safety protocols.
Thank you so much for your support in keeping our school safe.
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Grades 3-8 CMAS State Assessments
April 12 - May 14
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Like all Colorado public schools, Mountain Song has a mandate to assess annual academic progress of students in grades 3-8 through the Colorado Measures of Academic Success (CMAS) assessments. Because of the pandemic, the state has extended the testing window for CMAS this year, and assessments will be given April 12 through May 14.
A Colorado Legislative Bill (HB-1161) to reduce CMAS testing this year was partially approved in March. Therefore, we only have to test grades 3, 5, & 7 in English Language Arts and grades 4, 6, & 8 in Math. Grade 8 will take the science tests, but not Grade 5. Parents who want their children to take all tests rather than the reduced requirement can contact Sarah Kreger at skreger@mountainsongschool.com.
Grades 3-8 teachers will inform families of their class testing dates and times. These assessments are paper and pencil, and will be administered in the students’ classrooms. Appropriate accommodations will be arranged for students qualifying for accommodations.
Students in Remote Learning do not need to come into the school building solely for testing. All parents who do not wish their child to participate in the state assessments this year for health-related or other reasons must submit an opt-out notice to the School Assessment Coordinator, Sarah Kreger, at skreger@mountainsongschool.com. The opt-out form can be found in our Assessment Policy on our website at https://mountainsongschool.com/assessment-policies/.
The purpose of these assessments is to track student growth from year to year at Mountain Song. Assessment is helpful in gauging the learning gaps that may exist due to the pandemic.
We ask that you make attendance on testing days a priority. We emphasize with students that these tests absolutely do not impact their grades. We also ask them to do their best because it helps us know how we are doing as a school and how we can improve.
To learn more about assessments at Mountain Song and how to opt your child out of state assessments, please see our Assessment Policy.
Thank you for your support of Mountain Song Community School. If you have any questions about our testing, please contact Ms. Sarah Kreger, Director of School Performance, at skreger@mountainsongschool.com.
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As a public Waldorf-inspired school, we are committed to fostering a culture of healthy relationships. Our four main expectations reiterated throughout the school are shown here. We remind students of these at school, supporting their actions toward themselves and others that emulate these commitments. These simple principles help us have common language when talking to students of all ages. Thank you for your support in cultivating a safe, kind, and caring environment at Mountain Song!
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Fairy Festival - April 17th! |
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Join the Festivals Committee for a Fairy Hunt on April 17th, 10am - 6pm!
This activity is absolutely free and engages families in exploring local parks in a fun way. Participants follow a map to find the treasures at each park. Pick one park or search them all! The Festivals Committee will provide a map to all of the parks holding treasures.
Maps will be available at the Parent Council shed (behind the Chicken Coop on the staff parking lot side of the fence) from Thursday April 15th until Saturday April 17th, or online April 15th at the Parent Council Festivals webpage.
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Parent Council Spring Festival |
Mountain Song’s Parent Council continues to showcase creativity with remote festivals. Please take a moment to peruse the Festivals page for the current Spring Festival.
Preheat the oven and try making something new! Recipes include Bunny Buns and Gluten-Free Hot Cross Buns, as well as a recipe link to an entire meal for Ostara - the celebration of the Spring Equinox. Scroll down the page just a tad to find a few crafts, such as Natural Easter Egg Dye, Paper Flowers and Sprouting Wheat Grass. Below the recipes and crafts, enjoy video stories recorded by our very own Mountain Song teachers: Miss Maple's Seeds, How Fletcher Was Hatched, Festival of Colors, and Rachel's Day in the Garden.
As a Waldorf-inspired school, Mountain Song festivals are a vital part of our education. Festivals mark the rhythms of the seasons with the richness of story and song, light and food, celebrating our shared humanity.
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Parent Council Meeting Dates |
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The mission of the Parent Council is to facilitate parent involvement and to support teachers in preserving the vision of the school. Please support Mountain Song by joining one of these Parent Council committees.
The Festivals Committee and the Health and Wellness/Hospitality Committee met early this month on April 6th at 4pm. If you missed the meeting because of the date change, please reach out to our Parent Council Chair for updates via email at pcchair@mountainsongschool.com .
Our normal schedule is as follows:
Festivals Committee
Meets 2nd Wednesday each month at 4pm
Health and Wellness/Hospitality Committee
Meets 2nd Tuesday each month at 4pm
Parent Council
Meets 3rd Thursday each month at 4pm
All Parent Council committees seek volunteers. Remember, involvement in Parent Council committees satisfies volunteer requirements for Mountain Song! Please contact Cambria at pcchair@mountainsongschool.com if you are interested.
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April slots are open for volunteers in the farm and garden. Please consider becoming part of our team! Our garden is growing in the greenhouse awaiting the warmth of May garden beds, and our animals love our warmth and attention. Families can help by watering plants, feeding animals, and cleaning their habitats.
This is a wonderful way for you and your family to engage with our school garden. If you haven't volunteered in the garden before, please contact Mr. Adam Wright at awright@mountainsongschool.com so he can arrange a time for you to be trained.
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Pikes Peak Permaculture is offering Permaculture Works at the Westside Community Center, 1628 West Bijou Street, 80904, this Saturday!
April 10th, 2021
Session One: (9am-12pm)
- Intro to Permaculture
- Soil Basics
- Soils Classes w/Composting
Session Two: (1pm-4pm)
- Basic Gardening Class
- Seed Starting
Each Session is $15, or the entire day is only $25. Pikes Peak Permaculture is an educational non-profit organization and is able to offer sliding scale fees for those in need. To register or for more Information, please email Brian at truthcoach@yahoo.com or call Becky at 719-685-0290.
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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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