March 3 - MSCS Board Meeting
March 5 - Grades 1-8 Normal School Day -- No Kindergarten Classes
March 6 - Parent-Teacher Conferences K-8 as Needed -- NO STUDENTS
March 8 - Daylight Savings Time Begins
March 17 - MSCS Board Meeting
March 20 - Half Day for Kindergarten
March 23-27 - Spring Break -- NO SCHOOL
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March 5th Change to School Day for Grades 1-8
(Not Parent-Teacher Conference Day)
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Dear Families,
In order to help make up for snow days this year, March 5th (next Thursday) will now be a normal school day for grades 1-8 instead of a Parent-Teacher Conference Day as it had been scheduled. Subsequently, March 6th would be the only day for grades 1-8 Parent-Teacher Conferences, and as such, meetings will only be scheduled on an as-needed basis.
Only Kindergarten Parent-Teacher Conferences will still occur on both March 5th and 6th, and so there will be no Kinder classes on either of those days.
Please note that the Mountain Song Board of Directors approved this change to the Calendar at the February 25th Board Meeting. Depending on how the rest of the season goes regarding any new snow days, we may also need to add a day onto the end of the school year – we will keep you posted.
Thank you,
The Executive Leadership Team
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The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a recent statement warning Americans to plan for the spread of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). We realize you may be concerned about how this may affect you. We take this public health threat seriously, as the safety of our students and staff is our primary concern. We are closely monitoring this evolving situation, and we will keep you up to date on any changes.
Colorado currently has no confirmed cases of COVID-19, according to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE), and the risk of Coloradans contracting this disease is low at this time. To maintain our vigilance, however, we are coordinating with the El Paso County Health Department and our authorizer, the Colorado Charter School Institute, for guidance in planning for any potential spread of this virus.
Monitor the status of COVID-19 in Colorado at this
CDPHE webpage
.
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Throughout the school, each class has a buddy class with whom they meet every other week. Several buddy classes are focusing on Kindness projects. The photos in the gallery linked below were submitted by the Lodgepole Pine first grade class teacher, Ms. Sara Feldman, depicting their last visit from Mr. Nathaniel Dolce’s Redwood seventh grade class. They were focusing on a gratitude project together.
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Agricultural Arts February 28th Update
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Please follow our reinvigorated
Mountain Song Agricultural Arts Facebook page
!
We are now posting updates several times a week. Check our page to see recent Ag Arts highlights, including 2nd graders making bunny ears, 3rd graders crafting valentines for chickens, and 6th graders writing stories in the garden. We also want to say thank you to
Rick's Garden Center
for donating more than 150 seed packets to our program for upcoming spring plantings. We love having the support of a local garden center that is only 5 minutes away!
Mr. Adam Wright
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Muchas Gracias Parent Council and Administrative Team!
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We want to thank the Parent Council and the Administrative team for making it possible for us to attend the Waldorf Spanish Teachers Association conference this year. This was an amazing and inspiring experience. We had the opportunity to meet and collaborate with Waldorf Spanish Teachers from all over the country. The workshops were extremely helpful in furthering our knowledge of Waldorf Pedagogy, specifically for the Spanish curriculum. We are excited to bring our new knowledge and experiences to the classroom.
Con inmensa gratitud,
Maestra Venzor and Maestra Webb
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Mountain Song Voices Published by CSI
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You may have seen the wonderful essay by 7th grade Mountain Song student, Anna Burkett, in the Songbird a few weeks ago. Not only did our local community see it, but staff members at the Charter School Institute (CSI), our authorizers, saw it too! They were so impressed by it that they asked for permission to publish it on their web page titled, “
Our Why
.”
This webpage features voices from students, parents, and staff of the schools in CSI’s portfolio.
Here is a direct link to Anna’s essay
now featured as their first story on their web page. Other parent testimonials from the Mountain Song Community are featured there, too.
This is a link to one
from Hannah Lewis, and
this is a link
to one from an unnamed parent.
Thank you, Mountain Song, for not only coming together in so many ways to make this community extraordinary, but also for communicating your appreciation of the school and of our supportive and rigorous authorizer, CSI. Through them, we belong to a network of courageous school communities throughout the state that are innovating in critical ways to meet the needs of students. Thank you for shining our Mountain Song light!
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Middle School Enrollment:
K-8 Schools Are Better for Kids than 6-8 Schools
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The research is clear: kids in grades 6-8 do better in a K-8 environment than in a 6-8 middle school environment. A number of studies, highlighted in the article linked below, demonstrate that children fare better in terms of academics, social/emotional health, and high school completion when they attend sixth grade in a K-8 “elemiddle” school than in a 6-8 middle school. “As it turns out, what children this age need is stability and a secure and familiar environment from which to comfortably challenge themselves academically and socially.” Please consider Mountain Song Community School as a healthy choice for your children in middle school, offering them an advantage in their ongoing education and life journey.
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Understanding Waldorf: Betty Staley Interview
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One of the most influential people regarding Waldorf education in my life has been Betty Staley. This interview with her offers an overview of Waldorf education.
-- Dr. Woods
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The Landsharks Running Club is a non-competitive after-school running club for students in grades Kindergarten through 6th. Practice times will be 3-4pm Monday and Friday starting April 10th. Practices consist of running games and workouts with a strong focus on fun. Meets are held on Sunday afternoons at the Harrison High School Track. Meets will be April 19th, 26th, and May 3. Cost is $60 - Financial Aid is available through Landsharks for those who qualify before March 4th. I look forward to seeing our Mountain Song students.
Mr. Dan Kurschner
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All School Dance
March 14th
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Save the date! Parent Council is sponsoring an All School Dance on Saturday, March 14th, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. More details to come!
Thank you!
Deanna Stonick, Parent Council Fundraising Chairperson, (719) 373-3925.
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Now Taking RSVPs For Grandparents Day
Thursday, March 19th
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We are now taking RSVPs for our second annual Grandparents Day Celebration on Thursday, March 19th. At MSCS, we love and appreciate our grandparents, and believe they are to be honored, treasured and celebrated. We are sending out invitations now, but please feel free to forward the direct link below to those who need to sign up for this special day.
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Support for Mountain Song
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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.
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Volunteers for Middle School Choir
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Dear Parents,
We, along with Mike Harris, would like to thank Cambria Milner, who has agreed to be the Parent Representative for the Middle School Music Program. She has offered to coordinate parent volunteers who would like to help and/or observe in choir rehearsals on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, and we encourage you to participate.
Parents can help in several ways, including set-up and take-down of chairs, distributing music notebooks and new music, and simply providing an “audience” to help prepare the students for their Spring Concert. Please note that the role of parent volunteers is not to discipline students. Disciplinary matters must be handled by Mountain Song staff. At least one additional staff member is present to assist in this way during each choir session.
Choir rehearsals are on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 2:10 - 2:50 p.m. in the gym. Set-up of chairs usually starts at 1:55, so feel free to come early if you would like to help with that. As with all volunteers and visitors, please sign in at the front desk before going to the gym.
We are delighted with the prospect of parent volunteers and class observation. Thank you so much for your support of Mountain Song’s music program.
Warmly,
The Executive Leadership Team
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Volunteers Needed for the Farm
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The Farm is in Need of Volunteers! This is a very integral part of our school, so please consider using some of your volunteer hours to keep The Farm up and running. Children are more than welcome to help and are encouraged to participate. Links are now live for signing up for Fall/Winter and Winter/Spring volunteer hours. See below:
Thank you! Parent Council
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Free Food Distribution
Pikes Peak United Way / Care & Share
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See the information below for upcoming free food distributions sponsored by the Pikes Peak United Way and Care & Share, whose vision is a hunger-free Southern Colorado.
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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
)
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Mountain Song School Calendar
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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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