Dates to Remember
March 5th - Grades 1-8 Normal School Day. Kinder Parent-Teacher Conferences (No Kinder Classes)

March 6 - Parent-Teacher Conferences K-8 as Needed -- NO STUDENTS

March 8 - Daylight Savings Time Begins

March 20 - Half Day for Kindergarten

March 23-27 - Spring Break -- NO SCHOOL 
March 5th Change to School Day for Grades 1-8 
(Not Parent-Teacher Conference Day)
Dear Families,
 
In order to help make up for snow days this year, we plan to change March 5th into a normal school day for grades 1-8 instead of a Parent-Teacher Conference Day as it has 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.  

Depending on how the rest of the season goes, we may also need to add a day onto the end of the school year – we will keep you posted.
 
Please note that the plan to switch March 5th to a normal school day for grades 1-8 is subject to approval by the Mountain Song Board of Directors. The Board will meet on February 25th, and we anticipate their approval. We wanted to let you know about this change as soon as possible.  
 
Thank you,
The Executive Leadership Team
Board Meeting Rescheduled for February 25th
Please note that the MSCS Board Meeting that was cancelled on February 18th due to snow has been rescheduled for next Tuesday, February 25th at 6:00 p.m .  
Mountain Song Voices Published by CSI
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!  
Middle School Enrollment:
K-8 Schools Are Better for Kids than 6-8 Schools
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.

To read the full article, click here .  
Understanding Waldorf: Betty Staley Interview
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
Thank You from Parent Council Festivals Committee
The Festivals Committee of the Parent Council would like to thank Walmart and Target for donating over 100 pairs of gloves to give out at the Winter Faire!

We would also like to thank the Parent Council for helping us support so many of our free and reduced families at Winter Faire. Over $1000.00 worth of tokens and food and drink vouchers were distributed to our students and their families to participate in the Faire last December.

Thank You,
Cambria
Board Voice 
Volume 1, No. 5
By Bill Burkett, Board Secretar y
The Mountain Song Board of Directors recently expanded from five members to eight! And we couldn’t be more pleased to welcome our new members. For the awareness of the whole Mountain Song Community, we would like to introduce them to you.

Alexandra Kogan is a Mountain Song parent who moved to Colorado Springs in 2015 to enjoy our “great outdoors.” She has been a member of the Parent Council and wanted to continue and extend that service to the school by joining the Board. She brings with her past experience working with and on nonprofit Boards.

Colorado College has a program called the CC Nonprofit Initiative that seeks to place students on boards of local non-profits for direct experience with how Boards operate and what they do. The Mountain Song Board was lucky enough to elicit the interest and commitment of two CC students to join the Board.  Laurel Sullivan hails from the Boston area and comes from a family of educators. She’s currently a junior studying Sociology and Education and has had board or directors experience as the student representative on the Board of her high school.  Jamyoung Dorji grew up in Colorado and attended a “non-traditional” public charter school that had many of the same values as Mountain Song. He is currently working on his Masters in the Art of Teaching (MAT) at CC and is interning as a classroom teacher at the School In The Woods. He is also interested in becoming a Waldorf-methods teacher.

While Eight Is Great, Nine Would Be Fine: the Board’s target membership level is 9 members, and we’re almost there. If you are interested in Board service, please contact Bill Burkett ( wburkett@mountainsongschool.com ) for more information.
Landsharks Running Club
Registration for Landsharks opens February 23rd, 2020! Please contact Mr. Dan Kurschner (coach) at dkurschner@mountainsongschool.com

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

Pikes Peak Permaculture Presents: 
Permaculture through the Season Certificate Design Course 2020
From Mr. Adam Wright, Agricultural Arts Teacher:

Below you will find information regarding a permaculture course offered by Pikes Peak Permaculture. The organization is offering FULL SCHOLARSHIPS to local middle and high school students who want to participate in the course. I would love to see one of our students become involved with this. For our 6th and 7th graders, this could possibly extend into an internship with the Ag Arts program if they wanted to share their permaculture knowledge when we build a new garden at our next site.
“Permaculture is a design system to meet human needs while enhancing ecosystem health”

This course takes place during the third weekend of the month (see dates below).  
Course Topics Include: Permaculture Ethics and Principles / EcoSystem Patterning / Forest Systems; Organic Food Systems / Soil Building / Alternative Economics / Full Loop Waste Systems; Micro-Climates / Medicinal Herbs / Water Catchment / Earth Works / Cold Season Growing; and more… 

Instructors: Becky Elder / Marco Lam / Jason Gerhardt / Sara Foster-Berry / Tara Rae / and other Colorado Guest Instructors

Costs: $1500.00 Includes books, materials and organically locally sourced meals. Some Scholarships Available. ½ price for returning students.

Please contact: Becky Elder, 719-685-0290, blueplanetbecky@gmail.com www.PikesPeakPermaculture.org

Dates of Course: March 13th-15th; April 17th – 19th; May 15th-17th; June 19th-21st; July 17th – 19th; August 14th-16th; September 18th-20th; October 16th-18th; November 13th-15th
All School Dance
March 14th
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.
Now Taking RSVPs For Grandparents Day
Thursday, March 19th
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.

Volunteers for Middle School Choir
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
Free Food Distribution
Pikes Peak United Way / Care & Share
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.
Support for Mountain Song
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.
Volunteers Needed for the Farm
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
Songbird Contributions
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 )
Mountain Song School Calendar
Mark your calendar with these important Mountain Song Community School dates.

Mountain Song Community School | 2904 West Kiowa St, Colorado Springs, CO 80904