November 5
Daylight Saving Time Ends
November 6
Skate City Fundraising Night
November 7
Winter Faire “Crafternoon”
November 9
Lantern Walks
November 10
Group Tour 8:30 a.m.
November 11
Homeschool Lantern Walk 4:00 p.m.
November 13
Family Engagement Committee Meeting
November 17
Half Day for Kindergarten
November 20-24
Fall Break
November 28
Town Hall
December 1
Winter Spiral (in-school festival)
December 4
Urban Air Fundraiser
December 9
Winter Faire
December 14
Homeschool Winter Spiral 6:30 p.m.
December 18-January 5
No School - Winter Break
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Dearest Mountain Song Community,
We hope you enjoyed some quality time with your children these last few days and that you left your parent-teacher conferences informed, energized and committed.
Teachers have remarked on how much insight they’ve gained from these conversations with you, and how deeply they value partnering with you. We track your children’s skill development in multiple ways, and in sharing their progress with you in conversation, we all gain greater understanding for supporting your precious children. We very much look forward to seeing them on Monday!
I would also like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to Maestra Maria Webb for organizing a beautiful Día de los Muertos celebration that captured the meaning and the joy behind this ancient tradition. I am still in awe of our middle schoolers and our staff as they performed their hearts out. In case you missed it, you can find a video of some of the highlights here on our Festivals page (where you can also learn more about the festivals we celebrate and why).
Lastly, we will share the tradition of evening lantern walks next week, marking the end of the autumn harvest and the advent of wintry weather. Children in our youngest grades light lanterns, sing beautiful songs, and share autumn treats. We hope you enjoy this special reverent evening with your family. Remember, it's not a time to socialize with other parents, so please set a good example for your children.
Thank you all for being part of this special community!
Cheers to ten years,
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Teresa M. Woods, Ph.D.
Executive Director
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Daylight Saving Time Ends |
On Sunday November 5th, we will be setting our clocks back one hour at 2:00 a.m. as we say farewell to Daylight Saving Time. Although falling back into bed for that extra hour can feel magical, it does mean adjustments to our circadian rhythms and sleep schedules.
Please consider easing this effect on your children by adjusting sleep schedules in smaller increments over the next few days, while keeping their routines consistent and predictable. And remember general sleep care, such as:
- Making sure children get exercise during the day
- No screen time at least 2 hours before bedtime
- Maintaining dark during sleep
- Letting light in when it’s time to wake up
- Healthy eating habits
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Next week, we will mark the tradition of evening lantern walks in the younger grades. In Waldorf-inspired schools, this marks the end of the autumn harvest and the advent of wintry weather. Children light lanterns, sing beautiful songs, and share autumn treats.
Lighting the lantern at this time of year invokes a sense of hope, beauty, and wonder. The lantern shining in the darkness kindles in our hearts the warm light of our spirit, quickening our generosity and empathy amidst life’s outward, sometimes challenging and always changing circumstances.
This year, lantern walks will be held November 9th at 5:30 p.m. at Red Rocks Open Space for most classes in grades K-3 unless you have heard otherwise from your child's teacher.
May our lanterns shine brightly with compassion, kindness and empathy as we enter the shorter days and longer nights of the coming season.
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Last School Tour of 2023
Friday, November 10th
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Chalk art by Ms. Amy Tezak |
Do you know any families interested in learning more about our school? Invite them to join us for the last tour of the year on Friday, November 10, 8:30am. Visitors will observe a few minutes of each grade so that they can understand what a day in the life of a Mountain Song student looks like. Interested parties must sign up HERE. Space is limited. Adults only, please. Please contact our registrar, Mary Ann Major (mamajor@mountainsongschool.com), with any questions.
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Ms. Alisia McCabe with three of her Magnolia Class alumni |
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As Grant explains, “Every child has hidden potential. It’s easy to spot the ones who are already sparkling, but many students are uncut gems. When teachers stay with their students longer, they can see beyond the surface and recognize the brilliance beneath… With more time to get to know each student personally, teachers gain a deeper grasp of the kids’ strengths and challenges. The teachers have more opportunities to tailor their instructional and emotional support to help all the students in the class reach their potential. They’re able to identify growth not only in peaks reached, but also in obstacles overcome. The nuanced knowledge they acquire about each student isn’t lost in the handoff to the next year’s teacher.”
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Now Enrolling for SY24-25! |
Chalk art by Ms. Katie Blum, 7th grade |
Believe it or not, it's already time to enroll in Mountain Song Community School for SY24-25! Currently enrolled students must “save their seat” while new families must submit an Intent to Enroll form to be eligible for the lottery. You can find all the information about enrollment HERE.
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Town Hall
Save the Date: November 28th
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Chalk art by Mr. Kyle McCabe, 6th Grade Violetwood Class |
Save the date for the MSCS Board of Directors’ Town Hall meeting on November 28th from 6-7:30 p.m. Please note that childcare will not be available. |
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We still are looking for substitute teachers and special education paraprofessionals at Mountain Song! If you know of anyone that would be a good fit for the only Waldorf-inspired public school in Southern Colorado, please send them our way.
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Parent Circle Meeting
November 8th
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This year's Parent Circle will be meeting on the first Wednesday of each month beginning at 6:30 p.m. via Zoom.
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Lost and Found Friday
Back In Action
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Next Friday, November 10th, will be the first Lost and Found Friday! All lost items from this school year will be hung on the fence along 29th street from 3:00 p.m.- 3:30 p.m. to reunite them with their rightful owners.
Items remaining after 3:30 p.m. will be added to our Community Closet or brought to nearby donation locations, due to our limited space.
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Skate City Fundraiser
Monday, November 6
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Join your friends at Mountain Song for an evening of roller skating on Monday, November 6th from 5-7 p.m. These evenings provide our families with healthy, fun and screen-free entertainment at reduced prices, while also raising money for our school!
Admission is $7 and you can rent skates for $4! If at least 50 skaters attend, we'll raise $150 for our school that night!
Mark your calendar for our other Skate City fundraising nights January 29th and March 4th! We also hope to see you at Urban Air on December 4th, February 5th & April 1st, where Mountain Song receives 20% of the cost of each admission.
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Click on picture above or here for Facebook Reel Post
In case you missed it on social media…
It was a joy to mark the ancient tradition of Día de Muertos here at Mountain Song. This day beautifully honors the loved ones who have gone before us. Here’s a peek at our assembly Friday morning with songs and performances our students learned in Spanish class. Enjoy!
Monday, October 30, 2023
For a peek into the classroom, we hope you'll follow along on Instagram and Facebook!
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Main Lesson, 2nd Grade Huckleberry Class |
JOIN OUR “CRAFTERNOON”
Come to the Garden after school on Tuesdays
VOLUNTEER IN THE GARDEN
MARK 10 YEARS WITH $10
JOIN A COMMITTEE
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2022-2023 Calendars and Schedule |
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Please find the 2022-2023 school calendars and daily schedule for grades 1-8 at the links below.
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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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