Upcoming Dates to Remember
March 29
Grades K-4 Resume In-Person
Grades 5-8 Begin “Remote Mondays” for In-Person Schedule

March 30
Grades 5-8 Return to In-Person

March 31
Grants Committee 11:00am

April 12 - May 14
CMAS Testing Days

April 19
MSCS School Accountability Committee 6:00pm

April 20-21
School Picture Days

April 23
K-3 No School, Assessment Day

April 27
Futures Committee 3:30pm

April 30
May Day - In School Festival

From the Principal
Mother Nature has provided excitement during Spring Break, with lovely snow showers, dynamic skyscapes, cold blustery days, and clear warm days. I hope these have been rejuvenating for you and your family. I have enjoyed it all while reflecting on this most challenging year from last March to this month. I am truly so happy to have all our grades In-Person next week!

Below are reminders of our arrival and dismissal procedures, including morning health pre-screenings. Please remember that masks are required of everyone in the building. We have masks available for anyone needing one.  

As we embark on our end-of-the-year homestretch at Mountain Song, I feel it important to emphasize our dedication to social and cultural renewal in welcoming each student with dignity and respect. Our teachers and staff are committed to nurturing this throughout our school with optimism and warmth.  

For this, Mother Nature also provides inspiration in the plant sprouts pushing up through ice and snow to start again in this new season. It is such resilience, hope, and enthusiasm for that spark of life that we aim to cultivate in ourselves, our students, and our families.  

Welcome, Spring, at Mountain Song!

Blessings,
Dr. Teresa Woods
Learning Plan Update
We are overjoyed to have grades 5-8 join grades K-4 for In-Person Learning next Tuesday, March 30th. Please note updates below. Your child’s teacher is providing more detailed information and class schedule with you.  

In-Person Learning
Full Remote Learning

Some families have communicated their choice to stay in full Remote Learning due to COVID, and we have staffed accordingly to continue to provide a Mountain Song experience.
 
Arrival and Dismissal
Morning Health Pre-Screening
Please fill out the Online Health Pre-Screening form before 7:30 a.m. on the days your child will be coming to school. This form is the best option for a quick drop off. (This form is not an attendance form.)
 
  • Each morning between 6:00 and 7:30 a.m., parents or guardians send in health pre-screen information for each student at this link: https://tinyurl.com/mscshealth.
  
  • Parents or guardians will be sent this link each morning by automated email.
 
  • To see an instructional video about the Health Pre-Screening, click here.

  • Students without pre-screening will be screened at school.
Morning Drop-Off Procedure
Please drop off your child(ren) between 8:00 - 8:15 a.m. on 29th Street (east side of the building) heading south (toward Colorado Ave.). Staff members are present to help students get from the car to the school building. For safety reasons and traffic flow, we ask that you drop off only heading south on 29th Street next to the school in order to avoid having children cross the street.
Innovation Learning After School Program for Families
Innovation Learning is offering an after school program for K-8 in-person students beginning March 29th. If you are interested in joining Innovation Learning, please click here for information about how to register.
 
CCCAP is accepted. CCCAP is the Colorado Child Care Assistance Program (CCCAP) that provides child care assistance to families who are working, searching for employment, or are in training, and families who are enrolled in the Colorado Works program. View the Family Income Guidelines for CCCAP eligibility.
Grades 3-8 CMAS State Assessments
April 12 - May 14
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 the assessments will be given April 12 through May 14.  

Grades 3-8 teachers will inform their 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 send their opt-out notice in writing to the School Assessment Coordinator, Sarah Kreger, at skreger@mountainsongschool.com.  

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
School Picture Days 
April 20-21, 2021
School pictures are scheduled to be taken on April 20-21, 2021. Please mark your calendars. Details are forthcoming!
Farm Volunteers Needed in March!
Thank you to our winter volunteers who have kept our animals fed and their habitats clean and tidy! Thank you to our Spring Break volunteers who embraced all four seasons in one week! Soon, we will open up April slots for volunteers in the garden. Please consider becoming part of our team! Seedlings are growing indoors and in the greenhouse, and our animals still require our warmth and attention.

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.

If interested, please volunteer via our Sign-Up Genius
Thank You, 
Festivals Committee
We extend a huge thank you to the Parent Council Festivals Committee who hosted two small-group in-person classes on Saturday, March 20th! The Seed Starting and Stuffed Bunny classes were held outdoors at school under a warm and sunny spring sky. If you love to craft and are interested in helping create similar small group in-person classes or interactive online festivals, please reach out to the Festivals Committee to volunteer.
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.

Join in the celebrations with the Parent Council this Spring! Click here to bring the Spring Festival into your home!  Please share the link with family and friends.
Parent Council Meeting Dates
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. 

Festivals Committee 
Meets 2nd Wednesday each month at 4pm
Meetings at 4pm on this Zoom link

Health and Wellness/Hospitality Committee 
Meets 2nd Tuesday each month at 4pm
Meetings at 4 pm on this Zoom link

Parent Council 
Meets 3rd Thursday each month at 4pm
Meetings at 4 pm on this Zoom link

All Parent Council committees seek volunteers. Remember, involvement in Parent Council committees satisfies volunteer requirements for Mountain Song! Please reach out to Cambria at pcchair@mountainsongschool.com if you are interested. 
Calling All Songwriters:
Youth Songwriting Contest
Rocky Mountain Highway is proud to announce its inaugural Steve Harris Songwriter of the Year Contest open to anyone 18 years of age and younger. Mountain Song musicians are especially encouraged to enter and join this community event!  
 
There are two categories, one for ages 13-18 with the chance to win $500.00, and one for 12 year olds and younger with the chance to win $250.00. Deadline for submissions is March 31st!
 
The winner from each category will have the opportunity to perform their song on the stage at this year's MeadowGrass Music Festival, Memorial Day Weekend. There is a $10.00 entry fee per submission. No one will be turned away, so please contact Executive Director Nicole Nicoletta to request a fee waiver.  
 
Rocky Mountain Highway is a non-profit organization in Colorado Springs that builds community through live music. Visit the website for more information, or contact Nicole at (719)426-1483 / rmhmc09@gmail.com.
Songbird Contributions
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
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
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