December 1
Winter Spiral (in-school festival)
December 4
Urban Air Fundraiser
December 6
Parent Circle Meeting 6:30
December 9
Winter Faire 11:00 a.m.- 2:00 p.m.
December 14
Homeschool Winter Spiral 6:30 p.m.
December 18-January 5
No School - Winter Break
*please note Kindergarten returns to school on January 16
January 4-5
Staff Professional Development Days - NO SCHOOL
January 15
Martin Luther King Jr. Day - NO SCHOOL
January 16
Kindergarten Returns to School
January 17
Prospective Families School Tour 8:30 a.m.
January 24
Art Night 4:00 - 6:00 p.m.
Middle School Parent Information Night 4:30 p.m.
January 31
Kindergarten Parent Information Night 6:30 p.m.
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Dearest Mountain Song Community,
Today, we will hold the simple and profound festival of the Winter Spiral. With the room illuminated only by a flickering candlelight in the center of the spiral, the children search within themselves for the courage and curiosity to venture to the center of the spiral to the candle which awaits them. Our elementary students will be assisted by our helpful middle schoolers. It is our hope that our students will reflect on the past year and prepare for the next during this experience. In the spirit of the Winter Spiral, we wish peace to our whole Waldorf Community this holiday season.
My heart is full of gratitude in reflecting on all that Mountain Song is doing.
Our Town Hall on Tuesday evening highlighted the school’s many activities as well as stellar board and staff members committed to the success of the school and our cherished students. Thank you for joining us! If you missed it, view the Town Hall recording here.
Finally, we appreciate your support on Giving Tuesday more than you know! We truly do a happy dance when we see those donations come in (especially this year!). If you haven’t already done so, we hope you’ll consider Marking Ten Years with $10 before that campaign closes at Winter Faire!
We thank you for your support, gift and presence!
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Teresa M. Woods, Ph.D.
Executive Director
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Missed this week’s Town Hall, but still want to know about all the happenings, progress, and challenges here at Mountain Song? You’re in luck! Here are slides and a recording from Tuesday with all the information you need.
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Student Safety During Drop Off & Pick Up |
Please be extra vigilant to keep kids safe during drop-off and pick-up, and please be courteous to others during traffic congestion.
We are receiving numerous complaints from neighbors and parents reporting rude and dangerous behavior from adults during drop-off and pick-up times. We've had several reports of students being nearly hit by cars driven by some of our parents. Rude, aggressive, and dangerous driving is unacceptable and antithetical to our values as a school.
Student safety is our topmost priority. We ask all drivers to the following rules:
1. Kiowa Street and 29th Street are no-parking "kiss and go" lanes. Pick up or drop off your children and move on to allow others access to these lanes. Do not park in these lanes.
2. NEVER park on crosswalks. Park at least 30 feet from the intersection for pedestrian visibility. Do not back your car up into a crosswalk, as children or pedestrians may cross the street.
3. NEVER allow your children to jaywalk. We've witnessed many parents doing this and several small children were almost hit by oncoming cars. Pedestrians must cross the street at designated crosswalks or intersections.
4. NEVER make U-turns in the intersections. This is dangerous for obvious reasons and is against the law.
5. Observe speed limits and do not exceed 20 miles per hour in school zones.
6. Do not obstruct or park in front of our neighbors' driveways, mailboxes, alleys, or access to their houses.
7. Be courteous and refrain from engaging in loud, unsafe or aggressive behavior with other drivers. Everyone wants to make sure their children get to and from school safely, and road rage has no place at our school.
We are working to improve safety conditions around the school and hope to have a consistent crossing guard system in place, better visibility of our crosswalks, and more signage. We are also exploring the option of bringing police presence to the school during our congested traffic times to deter unsafe traffic behavior. If we have any further safety updates, we will let you know.
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Calling the Community
Parent Circle Update
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Parent Circle is collecting items for students in our school community for the holidays and they need your help! If you are able to help the Parent Circle promptly gather the requested items for our Giving Baskets, please see the Sign-Up Genius linked below. All donations can be brought to the front office, but please be sure they are labeled “Parent Circle.”
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Volunteer for Winter Faire
Saturday, December 9
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We hope you’ll volunteer to create some holiday magic for our community at Winter Faire on Saturday, December 9th! You have likely received a sign up form from your child’s teacher or class parent. You can also sign up below. Check with your teacher if your sign up is missing from this list.
This year at Winter Faire, your children can make Yuletide mindful moment candles, bath salts, beeswax luminaries, and enjoy many other hands-on activities. Meanwhile, you can shop at artisan craft booths, buy spice and tea blends straight from our school garden, and enjoy homemade soup and hot cocoa! We'll also have face painting and a visit from Father Winter. All are welcome!
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We will host our popular silent auction during Winter Faire this year! We look to you to fill it with special items and meaningful experiences just in time for the holidays. Have something to donate (or know someone who does)?
Please fill out this form! Thank you for your support!
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Photography Fundraiser
Sunday, December 10th at Rock Ledge Ranch
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Did you know we have a talented professional photographer on staff? Ms. Courtney Gonzalez, a paraprofessional here at MSCS, is the talent behind the lens at Courtney Gayle Photography. She often takes photos at school and at our special events that you have likely seen on our social media channels. She is generously offering mini sessions exclusively for Mountain Song families this holiday season. All proceeds will go to the MSCS Annual Fund to help close the funding gap this year!
$100 for a 20 minute session (10 photos)
Sign up now HERE to reserve your spot.
There are only 7 spots available which will raise $700 for our school! That’s enough to close the funding gap for one student! Please take advantage of this generous offer!
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Thank you, Sparks Willson! |
Thank you, Sparks Willson, for your generous sponsorship of Winter Faire!
Sparks Willson is a business law firm. For over forty years they have served as outside general counsel for prominent local and national businesses including Mountain Song Community School. They also have the breadth and depth to represent and advise clients on business litigation, tax planning, employment law, trademark and intellectual property protection.
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Welcome Mr. Chad Salinas! |
We are delighted to announce that Mr. Chad Salinas has been hired as our new Games and Movement Teacher. He has started this week to shadow Coach Jacob Baucom in his last week with us at Mountain Song.
Mr. Salinas holds a B.S. in Kinesiology from Indiana University, with multiple state educator license endorsements in Health and Physical Education (elementary, middle, high school). He taught multiple grade levels in Indiana for several years and coached cross country and track. He served in the U.S. Army prior to that.
Mr. Salinas also worked in a STEM-focused school, and he holds this as a passion and interest close to his heart. His many gifts will serve our students well!
Please give Mr. Chad Salinas a warm welcome when you see him!
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Fare Thee Well, Coach Baucom! |
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We are so proud of our talented MSCS alumni and former students who are doing big things these days!
We hope you’ll come support Tula Wickenkamp, a local singer, as she performs at Buffalo Lodge on December 6th from 6- 8 p.m. During her time at Mountain Song, Tula wrote and recorded a song for her graduating class as part of her 8th grade project. She recently released an album about her generation's addition to screens. Here’s just one of her beautiful songs!
Our former student, Declan Duffie, published a book! With a little help and encouragement, Declan wrote and published Video Knight, which is now available on Amazon.
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Now Enrolling for School Year 2024-25! |
Believe it or not, it's already time to enroll in Mountain Song Community School for School Year 2024-25! Currently enrolled students must “save their seat” while new families must submit an Intent to Enroll form to be eligible for the lottery. You can find all the information about enrollment HERE, including dates for Parent Information Nights and school tours for 2024. Please share with your community and grab a MSCS flyer from the front desk to post on community boards at your favorite places!
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No Assembly or Coffee & Conversation Today |
Due to the lovely Winter Spiral festival happening today in the gym, there will be no Friday Morning Assembly or Coffee & Conversation today. These will resume on December 8th and 15th. We hope to see you there then!
In next week’s Coffee & Conversation, we will delve into the topic of maintaining rhythm and routine for our children during holiday times! For inspiration, listen to this short Simplicity Parenting podcast from Kim John Payne: Holiday Rhythm Time VS Rhythm Zone.
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Click on picture above or here for Facebook Reel Post
In case you missed it on social media…
Just as Dr. Woods said during Friday’s assembly, there are opportunities for gratitude everywhere we turn. We are grateful to our families for entrusting us with their children. We are grateful to our students for the joy they bring to school each day. We are grateful to our teachers and staff who cherish our students so very much. We are grateful for moments like these…
🎨 Ms. Lori Kemmler’s 3rd Grade Class
🎵 Our Mountain Song students led by Ms. Amy Siebert
For a peek into the classroom, we hope you'll follow along on Instagram and Facebook!
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Urban Air Fundraiser
December 4th
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We hope to see you at our next Urban Air Fundraiser on Monday, December 4th. Our school receives 20% of the cost of each admission all day long, so make sure you mention Mountain Song!
Evenings like this provide our families with healthy, fun and screen-free entertainment at reduced prices, while also building community and raising money for our school!
Mark your calendar for our other upcoming fundraising nights!
December 4 Urban Air
January 29 Skate City
February 5 Urban Air
March 4 Skate City
April 1 Urban Air
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Give Mr. Adam the Holidays Off! |
Winter Break is fast approaching! Let’s pitch in and give Mr. Adam the holidays off. Please sign up for a shift in the garden HERE.
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Bring Your Compost to School |
Art by one of our talented MSCS students |
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We invite you to bring your compost to the school garden. Simply dump it over the fence next to the chicken coop before or after school. Please bring only food scraps from fruits and vegetables (no meat or oils, egg shells, plastics, or trash – not even compostable trash). This collective effort will not only help our school garden but also contribute to a better global climate. |
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Art Night
Wednesday, January 24th
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Mark your calendars! We are opening our doors for Art Night on Wednesday, January 24th from 4-6 p.m. to showcase the amazing talents of 1st-8th students, staff, and other local artists. We are featuring visual art of all medium and musical performances. Please invite friends, neighbors, grandparents, and anyone who may be interested in learning more about our wonderful Mountain Song community!
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Chalk art by Ms. Amy Tezak |
DONATE TO THE WINTER FAIRE SILENT AUCTION
MARK 10 YEARS WITH A $10 RECURRING DONATION
VOLUNTEER AT WINTER FAIRE
December 9th 11 a.m - 2 p.m.
GIVE MR. ADAM THE HOLIDAYS OFF
JOIN A COMMITTEE
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Milibo Art Theatre Presents:
Santa’s Elves Annual Talent Show
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Looking for some holiday fun with your family? Look no further than the Millibo Art Theater, owned by MSCS founding family, Jim Jackson and Birgitta De Pree!
Refurbish the Elf returns to the North Pole just in time for the annual Talent Show judged by the Big Guy himself. All of the other elves have talent galore and show off their incredible dancing, singing, aerial acrobatics, and Elfen magic. Refurbish can’t even decide what his talent is. Will he find it in time for the Big Show? Big laughs for the whole family!
December 9th through 23rd
Saturdays at 11:00 am & 2:00 pm
Sundays at 1:00 pm & 3:00 pm
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2022-2023 Calendars and Schedule |
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Please find the 2022-2023 school calendars and daily schedule for grades 1-8 at the links below.
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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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