September/October 2021 Edition
Upcoming Events Calendar

See the entire calendar online at headwaters.org/calendar.
Ted Talks: What Gives Me Hope
By Ted Graf, Head of School

I have come to believe that those of us who work with children and work in schools during times of upheaval and change (like these) are quite fortunate. While schools, of course, continue to be affected by the pandemic and the accompanying economic uncertainty, we get to spend most of our days with kids who live in the present and many kids who are focused on their futures. They are tired of inaction and lengthy adult explanations—they want connection, they want to see progress, they want discovery and learning. 

Conditions for kids of all ages continue to be challenging, but when the students gather in our prepared environments and with our guides, there is palpable energy and a tendency to gravitate towards joy, wonder, and laughter. In my mind, this is what great schools should be: both refuges (of a kind) so students can develop in the ways they need to, and they should be microcosms of the broader society, too. 

Having completed a little more than a month of school, I wanted you to have a glimpse of what is giving me hope for our school and for the vast world beyond our school.
Founding Day Fling is This Month!
The Founding Day Fling, Headwaters School 20th Anniversary celebration, is right around the corner! We invite our 21-and-up community members to join us for dinner, music, and an opportunity to celebrate with the Headwaters community on Saturday, October 23, 2021 from 6 to 10 p.m. at the Etter-Harbin Alumni Center at the University of Texas.

Proceeds will go towards our Annual Fund campaign which aims to raise $250,000 to support our strategic initiatives. Plus we will have live music from Austin's premier yacht-rock cover band, Heavy Mellow, featuring our very own Cait Taylor, Marc Lionetti, Kelly Dickens, Mike Stavitz, Bill Baldwin, and Thomas Shaw. 
Guide Spotlight: Melissa Petrich
We are so excited to welcome Melissa Petrich to the River Campus as a Middle School Math Guide.
 
Melissa, a native of Minnesota, started her education journey while in college where she worked in the mathematics resource center tutoring other students on campus. She really enjoyed the various math topics she helped students with, so after graduation, she continued on to another college where she coordinated their math center. 
 
In 2017, Melissa and her husband made an exciting move to St. Thomas in the US Virgin Islands. She taught math at the local International Baccalaureate middle and high school, focusing on grades 8, 10, 11, and 12. Melissa shared, ”[I] fell in love not only with teaching, but also with the IB mission.”
 
This past spring, Melissa and her husband made another big move to Austin for her husband’s career. Melissa knew she wanted to continue teaching at an IB school and found us!


Headwaters School is celebrating 20 years! We’re marking the year with a special run of t-shirts for pre-order. Order your unisex, youth, or toddler tee at this link by Monday October 18, 2021 so we can place the order. The shirts are a soft, lightweight cotton blend in a heather grey. 

Once they come in, we will have them available for pick-up on each campus.
Campus Clean-Up Days
Come help us beautify each of our campuses this fall! We have workdays open to anyone in the community at each of our campuses this October. A big thank you to our hosts, the Parent Volunteer Community, for making these happen on each campus.
 
  • Saturday, October 9: Springs Campus Garden Work Day | Springs Campus | 8 a.m.-12 p.m. | Sign-up at this link
  • Saturday, October 16: Creek Campus Garden Workday | Creek Campus | 8 a.m.-12 p.m. | Sign up at this link
  • Sunday, October 17: River Campus Clean Up | River Campus | 11 a.m.-2 p.m. | Sign up at this link
Student Spotlights
“What We Believe” | 6th Graders Explore The Three Ps 
Our 6th graders have been exploring more about the Purpose, Promise, & PACT in Middle School Orientation. This activity asked students to reflect on the “3 Ps” with words and images and we wanted to share a few with the community! Click here to see what students created.
Name That Spot!
Here is the latest visual trivia to familiarize you with new spots or share memorable places on our three campuses. Take a look and name where this spot appears—the answer will be in the next Current!

Do you have a picture you would like to be featured? Email it to communications@headwaters.org.
Last Current's photo featured the car track on the Springs Campus Primary playground.

Do you have a picture you would like to share? Email it to communications@headwaters.org.
Shop & Support
Shop at any of the places below and the companies will donate a portion of the sale to Headwaters! Need more details, click here.
Just search for Headwaters School in the charity list.
Randall's
Head to customer service to complete a Good Neighbor card. Headwater's ID is #12529
Office Depot
Mention the Back to Schools program and our ID# 70204864.
No need to clip! Use the app to scan your receipt.
Search and support by using Microsoft's Bing search engine.
We also recommend checking out the Headwaters School Community Business Directory to shop within our community. See businesses organized by category and even add your own! Click here to visit the directory.