The Winter Solstice is upon us as we conclude this most challenging year. Warmest congratulations and deep gratitude to you for the herculean efforts these times have required. Teachers, students, parents, grandparents, and supporters of all types have pulled together in inspiring ways, and we are thankful. With a deep breath, we now pause for the midwinter break.
I hope that in the next few days, you take a moment to turn your eyes skyward at night to witness the light from both Jupiter and Saturn growing brighter as their lights join together in conjunction. It engenders awe, hope, and faith for brighter days.
The wonder of light occupies our thoughts during these dark days as we celebrate the varied festivals of light. Waldorf schools mark the passing of seasons in such beautiful ways to create living pictures of the seasonal qualities reflected in outer and inner nature. In doing so, we create safe and empathetic spaces for our children as well as for ourselves.
In the extraordinary conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn, it seems nature herself has provided a choreographed festival all her own that can be seen around the world, uniting us in an exquisite natural festival of light, made all the more poignant at a time when we limit gathering together. Our lights really do shine more brightly when they are joined together. All around the world.
Wishing you a peaceful and safe midwinter break.
Blessings,
Dr. Teresa Woods
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CSI Grants Charter Renewal |
The Board of Directors and Executive Leadership Team announce the excellent news that Mountain Song Community School’s charter contract was renewed for a base term of three years and granted a “Performance” rating by the Colorado Charter School Institute (CSI) Board of Directors at its December 15th meeting. If certain academic benchmarks continue to be met, the contract will be automatically extended for an additional two years after that.
This milestone reflects the dedicated efforts of students, teachers, administration, parents, board members, and community over the four years since our last charter renewal. We are deeply grateful for the outstanding work of everyone involved in supporting teaching and learning at Mountain Song.
Well done, Mountain Song!
Board of Directors
Executive Leadership Team
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Mountain Song Winter Break
December 21 - January 5
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Today is the last day of the first semester. There will be no school during Winter Break from December 21st through January 5th. School resumes on Wednesday, January 6th.
Mountain Song has partnered with Innovation Learning to provide child care when school resumes on January 6th. If you are interested in Innovation Learning, please contact Dan Kurschner for more information about enrollment and fees: dkurschner@mountainsongschool.com.
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After Winter Break, school will resume on Wednesday, January 6th with all students in Remote Learning until January 22nd. We will maintain our current school schedule upon return from Winter Break on Wednesday, January 6th. Teachers will communicate with families specific details about their class schedules.
We are developing a plan for students in grades K-4 to return to in-person learning starting January 25th. We anticipate grades 5-8 will remain in Remote Learning at that time. Please note that these plans are dependent on changes to our county’s color dial and recommendations from El Paso County Public Health. Stay updated at Mountain Song’s Return to School webpage.
As we consider staffing strategies and how to best meet the needs of our school community, we would appreciate the input of families with students in K-4 by completing a short survey linked here.
We implore our community to stay vigilant and keep practicing and modeling the hygiene, distancing, and masking practices that yield lower virus transmission. Please consider the holiday guidance linked here to control the community spread. Lowering the spread will help us bring back students to in-person learning as soon as possible.
Wishing you a safe and healthy Winter Break,
The Executive Leadership Team
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First semester report cards are currently being prepared by teachers. Please know that there will be some ‘NA’ (Not Assessed) scores for students who have not participated enough for the teacher to adequately assess certain skills. Other scores will reflect the work provided by the student during remote learning or hybrid learning. If you have any questions about your child's report cards, please contact your child's teacher or Sarah Kreger at skreger@mountainsongschool.com.
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Mountain Song has embraced creativity with remote winter festivals. Please take a moment to peruse the Festivals page by Parent Council.
There are crafts to brighten our winter windows, tabletops, and more. There are recipes to inspire us to try something new, warm our souls, and tickle our taste buds. You will also find stories that will warm our hearts.
As a Waldorf-inspired school, Mountain Song festivals are a vital part of our education. The festivals provide nourishment to the individual and bring the community together in meaningful ways. The festival is an anniversary that brings to a community the richness of story and song, light and food, and celebrates our shared humanity while marking the passage of time.
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Accepting Intent to Enroll Forms for the 2021-2022 School Year |
Families interested in enrolling their children in Kindergarten through Grade 8 classes or our Homeschool Enrichment Program must submit a SY21-22 Intent to Enroll form by January 31, 2021 to place their child(ren) in the Enrollment Lottery. The Intent to Enroll forms are also available at the front office . The lottery will occur on Tuesday, February 9, 2021. If your child is selected in the lottery, enrollment packets will be sent to you from our Director of School Performance after confirmation in February. Please contact Sarah Kreger with questions at skreger@mountainsongschool.com.
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Confirmation of Continued Enrollment for 2021-22 School Year |
Current Mountain Song families must complete and submit a Confirmation of Continued Enrollment form for their students by January 31st.
We are providing an electronic version of the Confirmation of Continued Enrollment form. Please click here or visit our website at www.mountainsongschool.com/enrollment to fill in the Google Form and submit it electronically by January 31st.
Every year we survey our families about whether or not they intend on bringing their children back to Mountain Song the following school year. We use this information to determine our enrollment projections. Because this information is so valuable, we ask all our families to fill in these forms, even if their children will not return to Mountain Song next fall. If you intend to re-enroll your student(s) in Mountain Song next year, this form is essential to ensure placement.
If you have other children you are interested in enrolling for the first time at Mountain Song next school year, please fill in the SY21/22 Intent to Enroll form by clicking here or visiting our website at www.mountainsongschool.com/enrollment.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Sarah Kreger at skreger@mountainsongschool.com.
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Support Mountain Song While Shopping |
There are many simple ways to raise funds for Mountain Song Community School through our routine shopping (groceries, holidays, gift cards, etc.).
- Shopping at King Soopers for food or how about Amazon for that special something?
- Buying any gift cards for others this holiday season?
Mountain Song can earn funds through participation in fundraising programs with just a little effort on our part.
Please take time to sign up and support Mountain Song!
Parent Council Fundraising Committee
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December Farm Volunteers Needed! |
Our garden is asleep except for some greenhouse plants. We need volunteers to help us keep our animals fed through December. We have 2 bunnies, 4 chickens, and many fish that require our warmth and attention.
We need volunteers daily, including Winter Break. We have slots open for December Farm volunteers! If interested, please volunteer via our Sign-Up Genius.
This is a wonderful way for you and your family to safely engage with our school garden. If you haven't volunteered in the garden before, please contact Mr. Adam at awright@mountainsongschool.com so he can arrange a time for you to be trained.
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2020 Annual Appeal: November 15 – December 31 |
The Mountain Song Community School Annual Appeal is an important time for Mountain Song Community School where we ask families, friends, and other members of our community to support the school with a philanthropic gift. This year we are continuing to ask families, faculty and friends to join others in considering giving the gift that keeps on giving by signing up for a small monthly recurring gift.
Signing up is simple on Mountain Song Community School's secure online giving page. Just select an amount to give per month and click on “recurring donation." Those who sign up for a monthly gift will be honored with a special Waldorf star in the school, and will receive a SY20-21 Mountain Song Community School Monthly Donor decal.
Together, small recurring automatic gifts can really add up, and - combined with others - a monthly gift of just $10, $20 or $50 can provide significant and transformational resources for our school to support. End-of-year one-time contributions are also simple to make and have an immediate impact.
Please consider joining the Song by signing up for a monthly recurring gift. Together we can truly make a difference!
Sincerely,
The Mountain Song Community School Development Committee
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As the winter holidays approach, we are faced with decisions about whether we should gather with family and friends, as well as figuring out how to celebrate during the pandemic. Some of the resources below may be helpful as you plan for this time this year.
The Simplicity Parenting Podcast with Kim John Payne is full of practical parenting tips for helping children grow in developmentally appropriate ways, in offering security and love to them while also cultivating discipline, self-regulation, and resilience. Kim John Payne has been to Mountain Song several times, and is deeply aligned with Waldorf education.
The Child Mind Institute’s article on Holidays During the Pandemic offers suggestions from mental health experts on how we can reduce stress, help kids (and parents) cope, and form new creative traditions this year.
The Children and Nature Network Families Page will be music to many parents’ ears in showing how time in nature strengthens family bonds. This resource also offers numerous ideas, insights, and activities for enjoying the outdoors with your family (be sure to scroll down the page to see them all).
We very much wish you a healthy and safe holiday break.
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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. |
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Do you long to know more about Waldorf festivals? Maybe you love to craft and want to help find a safe way to celebrate each festival this year. Would you like to help create online, interactive festivals?
Please join:
Festivals Committee
Meets 2nd Wednesday each month at 4pm
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Do you care for the physical and emotional health of our community? Would you enjoy supporting our Waldorf community by involvement with Mountain Song’s media policy, food program, and dress code?
Please join:
Health and Wellness/Hospitality Committee
Meets 2nd Tuesday each month at 4pm
Next Meeting January 12th at 4 pm on this Zoom link
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Are you a natural communicator and enjoy coordinating? Parent Council seeks a Chair to host monthly meetings, help coordinate committees, act as a liaison between staff and parent council, and communicate with the Board Liaison.
Please join:
Parent Council
Meets 3rd Thursday each month at 4pm
Next Meeting January 14th at 4 pm on this Zoom link
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All Parent Council committees seek volunteers. Remember, involvement on the Parent Council committee satisfies volunteer requirements for Mountain Song! Please reach out to Cambria at pcchair@mountainsongschool.com if you are interested.
The school's Board of Directors also has committees that are seeking volunteers. Please reach out to them at board@mountainsongschool.com for more information.
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Get Social with Mountain Song |
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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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