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MPCS
THE PHOENIX
FLYER
ISSUE 11 :: FEBRUARY
Participate. Celebrate.
The MPCS Annual Give was launched in November. Our 2014-‐15 goal is $100,000, or $40 per student per month. You can sign up for monthly donations by visiting https://
mpcs.webconnex.com/give. !
Parent
Enrichment
Events
We understand some are able to give much more and some are able to give less. We ask that every family gives a meaningful gift, no matter the amount. If you are in a place of abundance and can donate more, we sincerely thank you. We count on, and are extremely grateful for, the generosity within our community. We are also very thankful for support from grandparents, alumni, and friends in our extended community. Invite the important people in your lives to make a lasting gift by enriching your children’s learning experience. (continued on page 6)
Rainbow Rosenbloom
February 11 & 12
7:00 to 8:30 p.m.
Phoenix Room
(details on page 3)
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In This Issue
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Letter from Karen
2
Upcoming Events
3, 4, & 5
From the Foundation
6
Photos of Past Events
7
May Faire
8
Volunteer Spotlight
9
Faculty Highlight
Testing & Assessments
10
11 & 12
Waldorf & Science
13
Waldorf & Art
14
Finding Rhythm
15
6th Grade News
16
Letter From the Interim Director of Education
Dear Mountain Phoenix Community, Each February, Mountain Phoenix hosts a conference for teachers inspired by Waldorf educaTon and invites parents to parTcipate. This year we have the privilege of having Joan Almon as the keynote speaker. The conference will be February 11-‐13 with workshops during the day in many aspects of the Waldorf curriculum. While parents can parTcipate in the conference during these three days (see the link on our website to register), we are also planning three special evening presentaTons craYed especially for parents to beZer understand what a public charter school inspired by Waldorf educaTon is all about. Rainbow Rosenbloom, from the Alliance for Public Waldorf EducaTon, has been a consultant for our school from the very beginning, and he will be talking with parents Wednesday and Thursday evenings from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. on topics near and dear to your hearts, like, what is the essenTal nature of Waldorf educaTon? What is the diﬀerence between an independent Waldorf school and a public school inspired by Waldorf educaTon? Why do the teachers do what they do in the classroom? Why do my children love Mountain Phoenix so much? We anTcipate a big crowd, so please register in advance on our website. On Friday aYernoon, our own Parent Council is sponsoring a showing of the ﬁlm Race to Nowhere from 3:30 to 5:00 p.m. in the Phoenix Room (the former orchestra room). This ﬁlm is quite powerful and will conﬁrm your choice of MPCS and possibly moTvate you to stay for the dinner discussion that follows on “Flower to Fruit: Forming a High School,” which will be from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. in the Great Hall. Our Governing Council has formed an Ad Hoc “We are very proud to be CommiZee to invesTgate a Waldorf-‐inspired high the leader in the state for school as a conTnuaTon of the work the High public Waldorf educa6on and School Steering CommiZee has engaged in for hope that parents will the past 18 months. Your parTcipaTon in the con6nue to support this survey that was sent out and this conversaTonal unique, holis6c educa6on by evening on February 13 will help guide the par6cipa6ng in our February eﬀorts to meet your family’s educaTonal needs. Conference, which this year is called, ‘Building Capaci6es in Our Children, Ourselves, and Our Community.’“ Teachers from our sister charter schools in Colorado, who are also inspired by Waldorf educaTon, will be aZending the conference. We are very proud to be the leader in the state for public Waldorf educaTon and hope that parents will conTnue to support this unique holisTc educaTon by parTcipaTng in our February Conference, which this year is called, “Building CapaciTes in Our Children, Ourselves, and Our Community.” See you there! Karen Bailey Interim Director of EducaTon Building Capacities In
Our Children,
Ourselves, and Our
Communities February 11 - 13
Joan Almon, Keynote Speaker
For over 30 years Joan was a
Waldorf early childhood
educator, teaching in Maryland
and working internationally. She
helped found the Waldorf Early
Childhood Association of North
America and co-chaired it. She
served on the Pedagogical
Section Council and on the
Council of the Anthroposophical
Society in America for which she
also served as General Secretary.
Parent Enrichment
Events !
Wednesday, February 11
!
✴ Rainbow Rosenbloom 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. in the
Phoenix Room
Thursday, February 12
!
✴ Rainbow Rosenbloom 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. in the
Phoenix Room
Friday, February 13
!
!
✴ Screening of Race to
Nowhere - 3:30 to 5:00
p.m. in the Phoenix Room
✴ Dinner and discussion on
the proposed high school
in the Great Hall
Use the links from the MPCS
homepage to register.
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Community Screening of Race to Nowhere, Dinner, & Discussion on the Proposed High School When: Friday, February 13 Where: Phoenix Room !
3:30 to 5:00 p.m. in the Phoenix Room Showing of Race to Nowhere !
5:00 to 5:30 p.m. in the Great Hall Pasta dinner !
5:30 to 7:00 p.m. in the Great Hall Discussion on proposed high school !
Parent Enrichment Evenings with
Rainbow Rosenbloom
7:00 to 8:30 p.m.
Phoenix Room - No Charge
“The Foundation of Waldorf Education — Public, Private, and the Role of Anthroposophy”
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Feb. 11 to 16 - No School
Feb. 11 to 13 - Waldorf Conference
Feb. 11 - Skate City Rollerskating
FUNdraiser
Feb. 11 - Parent Evening with
Rainbow Rosenbloom
Feb. 12 - Big Time Trampoline
FUNdraiser
Feb. 12 - Parent Evening with
Rainbow Rosenbloom
Feb. 13 - Showing of Race to
Nowhere and Discussion on
Proposed High School.
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Feb. 16 - President’s Day
Links to reserve your spot at the screening and to pay for your dinner can be found on the MPCS homepage. Wednesday, February 11 Upcoming Events
Thursday, February 12 “Social Intelligence and the Mission of Waldorf Education — Transforming Ourselves, Relationships, and Feb. 18 - Community Coffee Hour
Feb. 18 - Finance Committee
Meeting
Feb. 18 - Marketing Committee
Meeting
Feb. 21 - Seed Starting Class
Feb. 25 - GC Meeting
Feb. 28 - Gathering to Discern Our
Core Values
March 5 - Foundation Meeting
March 6 - Master Planning
Committee Meeting
Rainbow Rosenbloom is a Waldorf class teacher, high school teacher, administrator, and consultant who started Live Education! in 1997. He was also a founding board member of the Alliance in 2005.
Sponsored by Parent Council
Kim John Payne
!
will speak on Simplicity Parenting
Thursday, April 9 - 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
March 9 - Diversity & Inclusivity
Committee Meeting
March 11 - Parent Council Meeting
March 18 - Marketing Committee
Meeting
March 25 - Governing Council
Meeting
March 23 to 27 - Spring Break
April 9 - Kim John Payne !
In this lecture and workshop, Kim explains why less is
more and presents four simplicity pathways you can
take to help your child feel calmer, happier, and more
secure. This is the work and the workshop which
provided the inspiration for Kim’s book by the same
name. To find out more info and buy tickets, see the
link on the MPCS homepage.
M P C S C l a s s i f e d A d s !
The classified ads have been moved to the Weekly Reporter. If you have an ad, please email Sandra at 3
Discerning Our Core Values
We are in an exciting and rich time of change and growth at Mountain Phoenix! As we look to the future, it is
important that we all be a part of further clarifying who we are, what we stand for, and how we want to be
together as a community. For this reason, we are inviting the entire community to come together to participate in
a process of identifying our Core Values. Core Values are qualities that describe who we are as a community and
serve as guiding principles. Your input is vital to the future of MPCS! Please be a part of creating MPCS’s future
by joining us on…
Saturday, February 28, 2015
9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the Great Hall
Childcare will be provided by the 8th Graders as a fundraiser for their class trip. Suggested donation: $10
!
About the Process:
During this 3-hour community process, we will discern the community’s top 3-5 values. Then, we will participate in an
appreciative inquiry process about each value to define what it means to us and what it would look like to live it at
MPCS. During the month following the process, that input will be synthesized by a small representative group of 6
people into specific statements about how these values are lived out within the community. They will then bring that
information back to the community in a concise way that we can embody and use as a guide in our interactions.
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About the Facilitator:
Wendy Burroughs is a professional Life and Organizational Coach trained and certified through the
Academy for Coaching Excellence and credentialed by the International Coach Federation (ACC,
Associate Certified Coach). Wendy is also an MPCS Parent and an ordained Unity Minister. Prior to
coaching and ministry, she had a successful corporate career in marketing, advertising, and
eCommerce development. Wendy’s personal mission is “to coach and inspire people to live their
Greatness!”
Sponsored by the Diversity Committee
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Sponsored by Parent Council
Community
Coffee Hour
Rollerskating
Party
Wednesday, February 18
Phoenix Room
8:00 to 9:00 a.m.
Wednesday, February 11
12:00 to 2:00 p.m.
Come enjoy a hot beverage
and a breakfast treat, and get
to know MPCS parents and staff
members. What a great way to
start your day!
Sponsored by Parent Council Big Time Trampoline Fun Center 7330 W 52nd Ave Arvada, Colorado !
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Skate City
!
Thursday, February 12 12-‐2 p.m. Prek -‐ 3rd grade students 2-‐4 p.m. 4th -‐ 8th grade students !
5353 West 64th Avenue,
Arvada, CO
$7 -‐ 7 years old and under (1 free accompanying adult/family) $12 -‐ 8 -‐ 18 years old $6 for entrance &
skate rental
Please tell them you are with MPCS to have proceeds come back to the school! !
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Girls on the Run
Tuesdays & Thursdays
3:45 to 5:15 p.m.
for 6th to 8th grade girls
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Sign up online at:
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http://girlsontherunrockies.org/
Girls will be inspired to a lifetime of self-respect and a
healthy lifestyle through an innovative program that
combines training for a 3.1 mile run/walk race with a
fun, health education lesson plan. This program
promotes individual achievement and self-confidence.
Girls gain self-esteem and learn healthy lifestyle habits
while training for a 5K run/walk race.
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Dream a Little Dream: 2015 MPCS Annual Auction
!
Mark your calendars! MPCS’s 4th Annual AucLon, “Dream a LiPle Dream,” will take place Saturday, April 11, 2015, at the Holiday Event Center (the same dreamy locaLon as last year!). Stay tuned for speciﬁc details in the weeks to come regarding Lckets and the night itself. We have some fabulous ideas to make this a wonderful event…a night NOT to be missed! !
Go Forth and Procure
!
Do you (or anyone you know) have the ability to procure any of these items (valued $150+)? Weekend condo/cabin in mountains, hotel/airfare, ski passes, professional sporLng events, signed sports paraphernalia, exclusive tours, special acLviLes, deluxe spa services, brewery tour/tasLngs, table chef/custom dinner parLes, concert Lckets/venues, kids summer camps/classes, technology gadgets/tools, classes/lectures, etc. !
Once you have a donaKon to submit: 1. Fill out the donaLon form, giving the boPom secLon to the donor for tax records. Write clearly and be sure to provide contact informaLon for the donor on the form! We will be formally thanking and recognizing all who contribute. 2. Drop oﬀ the completed form and donated item to the MPCS Middle School Oﬃce. !Go Big….Be a Corporate Sponsor We are ﬁnalizing the details of our corporate sponsorship program, but if you own or have connecLons with a local business, we want to hear from you! Contact Kim Harr at [email protected] to secure your spot as one of our corporate sponsors for the 2015 aucLon. Beneﬁts of sponsorship include (these vary according to the investment level): • A set number of Lckets to the aucLon • RecogniLon at the event • AdverLsing in school publicaLons • Links from the MPCS website !
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We are opening up this exclusive oﬀer to the MPCS community ﬁrst; then we will be reaching out to local businesses to ﬁll up the spots. So contact Kim ASAP if your organizaLon is interested, to discuss the speciﬁc level you’d like to invest. Donations Needed
The next Lme you are purging your basement, hall closet, or garage (or are out thrif store shopping), please be on the lookout for large baskets, black tablecloths, and 8x10 frames. Please drop oﬀ any of these donaLons in the Middle School Oﬃce. MPCS Annual Give (...conOnued from page 1) You can donate anyLme! All families received a Pledge Sheet in their Friday Folders, as well as an online payment email with all of the details and opLons on how to donate. If you need another Pledge Sheet, there are extras in the Main Oﬃce and the link to donate online is being sent out each week via the Weekly Reporter. All checks should be made out to “MPCS FoundaLon.” There are numerous ways to reach our 2014-‐15 goal. Another math equaLon for you to consider is the “Fair Share” guidelines (see below) that many schools use. Please consider that the most successful Charter Schools are the schools that have culLvated a community of giving. Thank you for giving today. Income from all sources Up to $30,000 $30,000 to $50,000 $50,000 to $75,000 $75,000 to $100,000 $100,000 to $150,000 $150,000 to $200,000 $200,000 to $300,000 Above $300,000 2014-‐2015 Annual Give Patches Thank you to those who have already donated to the Annual Give. We truly appreciate your promptness, and you will receive your patches in the mail shortly. We look forward to seeing the many creaLve ways your children can aPach them to their backpacks, lunch boxes, and more. Here is the ﬁnal design for our MPCS Proud Supporter Patch for 2014-‐2015. Suggested giV to Annual Give $50 to $250 $250 to $500 $500 to $750 $750 to $1250 $1,250 to $2,500 $2,500 to $5,000 $5,000 to $7,500 6
Past Events
Spiral Walk - Thank you to Brigitte, Miss
Laura, and all the volunteers who made this
event so special.
What an incredible season of music performances!
Thank you to Mr. Kern, Mr. Perez, and the student body for
sharing your talents this season. The infusion of music into
our community was such a blessing.
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May Faire: A Community Celebration of Spring
by Laura Childers, Sunflower Kindergarten Teacher
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May Faire is a celebration to welcome back to the light, the warmth, and the bounty of the earth. Many Waldorf
Schools have an all-school festival,
which features a May Pole
decorated with hundreds of flowers
and colored ribbons, and the
classes dance and play music for
the event. A May King and Queen
may be selected, chosen by the
Spring Chicken! In some schools,
the May King and Queen, and their
court, is led by the 8th grade, and a
special dance like the Virginia reel
may occur. Morris dancing, an old
English tradition, is a spectacle
worth seeing! Flower garlands are
always a visual treat, as is delicious
food.
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When we approach May Faire, our
classroom preparations may
include painting, sowing flower seeds, and making snail buns. Some classes enjoy watching a butterfly transform
from caterpillar to butterfly and then setting it free. We may
dye capes with colors from the Earth, or make fairy wands.
Does festival work speak
We may have a visit from Lady Spring, who bestows little
to you? Help us deepen and
packets of flower seeds, or strews petals around. She helps
us welcome the spring with its burst of flowers and renewed
enrich the festivals at MPCS.
growth. Young children may dance around a May Pole at
Look out for ways you can
circle time and hear songs just for the event. They also may
participate in the May Faire.
accompany their family and witness the May Pole dancing
as a larger, all-school event to anticipate when they become
a grade school or middle school student.
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Wish, Wonder
and Surprise
A poem from Mr. Mason’s
seventh grade student
Can You?
by Makenna Sherry
Can you still hear me even though
you’re gone.
Can you still feel the pain left inside,
Do you always have to cry from my
cries,
Can you still see how I'm doing on
earth.
Do you watch over me?
Can you still hear me even though
you're gone?
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V
O L U N T E E R
S
P O T L I G H T
:
John Kaltenbach, President of the MPCS Foundation
What brought you to Mountain Phoenix? In the fall of my daughter’s second grade year, we started to realize the class was not a good ﬁt for her. We were not sure what she needed, but when we started looking around, we heard many good things about Mountain Phoenix. We made several visits, including a trip to the Winter Faire, and she really liked the atmosphere. My wife, Melissa, and I were aPracted to the whole-‐child philosophy, and the warm and caring atmosphere of the classroom. We deﬁnitely made the correct decision. What do you like most about Mountain Phoenix? There is a lot to like, but speciﬁcally, the aPempt to match the curriculum with the children at their developmental level. More generally I like the sense of community and caring for our children. What inspired you to volunteer? Simply, my daughter’s love for the school and her teacher. What was your journey to becoming foundaKon president? I aPended a few meeLngs to learn about the needs of the school and to help write a grant. Then, the FoundaLon needed a president, and I was voted into the role by the Directors of the FoundaLon. What does the foundaKon do for Mountain Phoenix? The purpose of the MPCS FoundaLon is to raise and house the funds necessary to support the mission and vision of Mountain Phoenix. This includes support for professional development of faculty and staﬀ, capital improvements, and classroom support. We want to help the school oﬀer what other schools are unable to provide, parLcularly anything that can enhance the Waldorf methods and the specials (Spanish, Handwork, Orchestra, Band, PE, and Eurythmy). StarLng last fall, with a few other parents at the school, we have been working to clarify our roles and update our policies, and we are almost there. At the same Lme, we are running the Annual Give, planning the AucLon, and working to culLvate philanthropy with donors in our community and beyond. We have some important decisions to make on how the funds are distributed and how we can help the school succeed. H o w c a n p e o p l e g e t i nv o l v e d w i t h t h e foundation? The FoundaLon is a group of ﬁve volunteers (four parents and a grandparent of children at our school). There will be some seats open at the end of the school year, but even before then we are seeking individuals with accounLng or bookkeeping, markeLng, sales, fundraising, and other philanthropic skills. We would love to have you get involved. If you are interested, email me [email protected]. We meet regularly on the ﬁrst Thursday of each month from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the Phoenix Room.
Gratitude & Celebrations Final Fun Run Results
The MPCS Foundation would like to
congratulate the community on raising
the most money ever during the 2014 Fun
Run. Your hard work will directly benefit
our teachers, the PE program, and your
child(ren)’s classrooms. Together, we
raised…
$ 21,523.36!
A special “thank you” to Mr. White’s 5th
graders. These impressive young runners
worked together to run the most laps out of all
the classrooms at MPCS. Awesome work!
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Faculty Highlight:
Brice White, 5th Grade Teacher
s
What inspired you to become a teacher?
I came to teaching through blacksmithing, and I came to studying history through blacksmithing. I went to Naropa University where I studied theatre. I learned a fair amount about contemplaLve educaLon at Naropa, but a lot of what was missing at Naropa was the hands-‐heart-‐head connecLon — connecLng work with hands to work with the mind and work with the heart. Afer Naropa, I went to study blacksmithing, which was an amazing experience all by itself. I studied in an un-‐renovated 19th century barn in Santa Fe in August, which had one story and very few windows. There were seven coal forges that were operaLng. It was just about literally like being cleansed by ﬁre for four hours a day. It was a very cleansing experience. The water coming out of the well was 87 degrees, and it felt fantasLc. Afer studying blacksmithing, I needed to make a living, and with a background in theatre and blacksmithing what I could do was teach. I started teaching blacksmithing in 2000, and I’ve been teaching young people ever since. I found a job working for Renaissance Adventures, which teaches kids life skills through a live acLon roll playing game. Through doing that, I realized that I wanted to work with kids year round. I ﬁgured out I didn’t want to teach theatre, so I went and got a second bachelors degree at UCD in History. I really want to help kids connect with their deeper intellect. !
How did you come to Waldorf? When I was working for Renaissance adventures, something like 40% of our clientele came from Shepard Valley and Shining Mountain Waldorf Schools. Those students demonstrated an extraordinary engagement between their hearts and their problem solving capabiliLes and their willingness to engage with their imaginaLon. I wanted to know why. !
As I am putng together my own teaching pracLce, I am ﬁguring out (with a lot of help) what the pracLces are and acLviLes are that Steiner was talking about. When put into pracLce as a teacher, they yield totally diﬀerent results from a tradiLonal public school. AddiLonally, one of the other big pieces that I’m really driven by is a Mr. White leading Hero’s Odyssey
sense of fairness and accessibility, and I want as many kids as possible to have access to the kinds of stuﬀ I am learning as a Waldorf teacher. That’s why I believe so deeply in a Waldorf-‐inspired charter school, which makes it accessible to way more people than a tuiLon-‐driven private school. !
What brought you to MPCS?
When the Wheat Ridge campus ﬁrst opened, I wanted desperately to work here. I spent the ﬁrst year working here as a sub. Because I needed to make a living, I took a full-‐Lme posiLon elsewhere when it was oﬀered. When my current posiLon opened up at MPCS, I beat down the door to get in here. !
What do you like best about MPCS?
I really love the community here. I really love the diversity of people who are engaged in a very posiLve change of how we see community educaLon and acLng on that change of how we see community educaLon. It’s not always perfect, but it yields really fantasLc. !
What do you do for fun?
When I am not teaching, I love spending Lme with my family and reading. I also really enjoy blacksmithing and teaching blacksmithing. !
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!!
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Towards Positivity around Testing
by Karen Bailey
Interim Director of Education
Upcoming Grade Level Testing Dates
Mountain Phoenix is a public charter school inspired by Waldorf educaLon. One thing this means is that we must give standardized tests to our students. However, that is just one small part of what we are developing as an Integrated Assessment approach, combining formaLve and summaLve assessments by observing and documenLng what students say and do, which becomes evidence of their healthy, balanced development and growth throughout the school years. Grade
Content
Dates
3
ELA
March 11, 12, 13
Math
March 19, 20
Our approach to assessment does not rank, label, or judge students. Our faculty and administraLon are working together to design and implement a powerful, consistent, and complete assessment system in each classroom and school wide. For more informaLon about this approach, please see “EducaLon Towards Freedom: Using FormaLve Assessment Techniques” on the Alliance for Public Waldorf EducaLon at: hPp://www.allianceforpublicwaldorfeducaLon.org/research-‐and-‐resources/. 4
ELA
March 11, 12, 13
Math
March 19, 20
ELA
March 11, 12, 13
Math
March 19, 20
ELA
March 16, 17, 18
Math
March 4, 5
ELA
March 6, 9, 10
Math
March 2, 3
ELA
March 6, 9, 10
Math
March 2, 3
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Standardized TesLng will occur during “tesLng windows” this spring (schedule aPached). I would like to ask all teachers, staﬀ, and most importantly parents, to develop posiLve intenLons to support tesLng as a learning opportunity. As adults, we can view tesLng as an exercise of our will forces, which will support the children’s developing will forces to say Yes to challenges and learning opportuniLes. As a community we can decide that tesLng is not a necessary evil, a compromise we have to make to be part of a public school district. We can decide that tesLng can be integrated into learning experiences for our children. If children trust that what we bring to them is good, even standardized tesLng will be a posiLve and meaningful experience for them. Fireside ConversaKon with MPCS Directors and Teachers about the Purposes of Assessment Tuesday, February 24 5:30-‐7:00 p.m. Phoenix Room
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Parents can support a balanced attude towards tesLng that doesn’t overplay its importance by creaLng stress, nor underplay the potenLal to make it meaningful. To provide a forum to express joys and concerns around your child and tesLng at Mountain Phoenix, please join us for a “Fireside ConversaLon with MPCS Directors and Teachers about the Purposes of Assessment,” Tuesday, Feb. 24, 5:30-‐7:00 p.m. in the Phoenix Room in the Primary Building. !
A goal of Waldorf-‐inspired educaOon is to provide an educaOonal environment, embodied in a set of learning experiences and acOviOes that promote student growth, in which all students develop their full capaciOes as human beings and enter young adulthood prepared to live their lives well. !
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(ConOnued on the following page with the 2015 Assessment Schedule for Grades 3 to 8 and descripOons of the assessments.) 5
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PARCC State Assessments Begin
March 2nd
The ﬁrst round of PARCC tesLng for grades 3 to 8 is March 2 to 20. Please mark your calendars! It is very important that students are in aPendance and arriving on Lme for school on these days. The tesLng window runs up to the start of Spring Break so please plan your vacaLons accordingly. Gratitude & Celebrations A special story and thank you to Ms. Drews -‐ I wanted to share an image of my children opening up the giW of a book on Christmas. It was The King of Ireland's Son. CrisOna Drews read this book to her 2nd Grade class. Ryan and Ava were so fascinated by the story and spoke about it oWen to me. Following their experience in the classroom with this book, we purchased it for them for Christmas so they could have it at home. Ms. Drews has so much experience as a Waldorf class teacher, and a true passion for literature. It is so evident to me as a parent to see how this passion resonates with my own children. She shares her love of the wriPen word with the children, and they experience that joy and wonder in their journey at school, and at home. While we had many opLons to read “Christmas stories” on Christmas night, Ryan and Ava insisted we read from The King of Ireland's Son, which we did by the ﬁre. — Kathy & Rich Peters 11
2015 Assessment Schedule for Grades 3 to 8 This table provides an overview of the state required assessments scheduled for the rest of the year. For each grade level, the number and duration of tests in each content area for each assessment is identified.
PARCC – Partnership of Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers. State standardized tests designed to assess student achievement of newly adopted Common Core Standards in Math and English Language Arts. This assessment is administered to students in grades 3-‐8. The Colorado Department of EducaLon has deﬁned two assessment windows this year – March 2-‐20 is the Performance Based Assessment (PBA) window and April 27 – May 22 is the End of Year (EOY) window. Note: These tests replace the CSAP/TCAP assessments. NWEA MAPS – Northwest EvaluaKon AssociaKon-‐ Measures of Academic Progress. MPCS has administered these assessments in Reading and Math for grades 3-‐8 since the school began. They are computer based assessments designed to measure student growth over Lme. This informaLon is an important supplement to the standardized test data which, at MPCS, follows the “Waldorf Curve” – where achievement levels begin below state expectaLons in the early years and gradually increase through the grades into middle school, where achievement levels surpass state and district expectaLons. CMAS – Colorado Measures of Academic Success. State standardized tests designed to assess student achievement in Social Studies, grades 4 & 7, and Science, grades 5 & 8. Jef f c o ’ s Yo ung W ri t er’ s Co nf erenc e 2015
The YWC's goal is to inspire and support our young writers grades 1-‐6. Writers can bring any type of wriPen work. This can include but is not limited to stories, essays, comics, poems, picture-‐only books, ﬁcLon, and non-‐ﬁcLon. They can share any piece they choose, meaning it can be from an assignment in September or something they ﬁnish just before the conference. !
On the night of the conference, writers bring their piece to share with similar age based small groups and a facilitator (teachers). Afer presenLng their piece, there is posiLve feedback given to the writer from the facilitator and group. !
In addiLon, a local author will give a presentaLon about their journey on becoming an author. They will talk about the process, inspiraLons, and challenges that they have overcome. When: Thursday, April 9 6-‐8:30 p.m. Where: Who: Cost: !
Green Mountain High School MPCS grades 1-‐6 FREE to register. If they want a T-‐
shirt, the cost is around $7.50 -‐ $8. Coordinator Contact InformaKon: Melissa Kaltenbach Cell: 303-‐834-‐2772 Home: 303-‐954-‐0780 Email: [email protected] !
Look for more details in Friday folders soon.
12
Waldorf, Science, and my Granddaughter by Rob Erwin, 7
th
grade teacher
I was brought into the world of Waldorf science just a few years ago, and into the world of my granddaughter not too many months ago. Both of these worlds have helped me understand the other. !
Waldorf science, in my view, is based in experiencing the world as a collec>on of wonders, just as my granddaughter, Lana, is now doing. I get an amazing joy as I watch her experience one wonder aAer another throughout each and every one of her days. Of course, I try to keep the wonders coming to her. I hide around the corner and she wonders what has happened to me…only to have me suddenly appear with a playful “Boo!” Lana giggles hysterically. She wonders at a person who can appear and disappear. Her dad tosses her high into the air and Lana suddenly shoots upwards, ﬂoats for an instant with a gigan>c grin on her face, and with gravity falls back into Dad’s arms. Of course, the concept of gravity means nothing to her. And she doesn’t need the concept right now. Lana is thoroughly enjoying amazing phenomena with all of her senses, and these deep experiences lead her to ﬁgure out how things work in her world. The phenomena she experiences molds how she will make sense of her world. !
Later in Lana’s development, aAer she has honed her senses and let her imagina>on soar with her many encounters, she will be ready to take on a greater understanding in phenomena she con>nues to encounter. At about fourth grade her mind will be ready to take the many pictures in her imagina>on and start to reason with them in a scien>ﬁc way. !
As her experiences con>nue, she will develop a sense of cause and eﬀect, and by her teen years she will be ready to further her explana>ons of the phenomena in her life. With a sense of wonder s>ll in her, she will be ready to think about and work in more and more complex ways. !
It is a wondrous process at work in a new granddaughter and in a Waldorf classroom. Gratitude & Celebrations
A Celebration of Courage
!
Merrick (a 7th grader) and Lincoln (an 8th grader) were walking to
the bus stop together after school when Merrick was struck by a car.
These extraordinary students were celebrated for their courage —
Lincoln was instrumental in getting his friend help, and Merrick
demonstrated incredible steadiness and bravery during an
unimaginably traumatic experience.
13
Intro to Waldorf Art by Karen Smith
!
At Mountain Phoenix, art is everywhere. You will 7ind it in the curriculum, in the main lesson books, on the chalkboards, and throughout the classrooms and hallways. There are many forms of art studied at our school — music, handwork, theater, and visual arts. It is used as a tool for teaching and a way of understanding learning. Art enriches the child and gives them a means of expression. Once or twice a week every class comes to my art room to focus their studies on the visual arts, but they make and are surrounded by art all day long at our school. In Waldorf education, color is brought to the child slowly with color stories and watercolor painting. One color is presented at a time. This gives the child time to explore that color and understand the complexities and feelings the color creates. These early paintings do not have subject matter beyond the expression of color. It is the process of making the art that is important. Only after the child has spent time with all the primary colors individually are they then able to see how the colors work together. Eventually, the color stories suggest that the colors touch and overlap. The children are then delighted to discover for themselves the magic of two colors connecting together and creating a new color. !
Using Art as a
Communication Tool
!
I have a few suggestions of questions
you could ask your children when
they are showing you their art work
that may help you start a
conversation about what they are
experiencing when they are creating
art.
!
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
!
How does this painting make
you feel?
Is this color telling a story?
How many different shades
of yellow did you find?
How is painting with blue
different from painting with
yellow?
Where else do you see this
color in nature?
Why did you make this
shape?
What do you see in this
painting?
Please keep in mind that younger
children may or may not be able to
As the student grows through the years in Waldorf, so does the complexity of the answer these questions well. Art is
art. In second and third grade often an "in the moment" process for
the abstract color paintings of them. After the process is over, they
7irst grade give way to the may be unable to articulate answers
creation of form in painting. We to these questions. work on developing 7ine motor skills such as cutting with scissors and forming simple patterns with block crayons. Students may work on molding shapes in clay or beeswax. As the student reaches sixth grade we focus on black and white drawing often in charcoal. By eighth grade we return to some of the abstract with the study of modern art. !
!
Artwork also ties in with the main lesson themes at each grade. I often discuss with the grades teacher what they are working on in class so I can tie that into the curriculum I am teaching in art. The more connection we can create between their main lesson studies, and what we are creating in the art room, the deeper the learning becomes for the student. Painted by Ms. Cardona to inspire her 1rst graders
!
Thank you for sharing your wonderful young artists with me. If you have any questions about the art process or what we are creating, please feel free to stop by the art room or send me an email. !
Your art teacher, Karen Smith [email protected]
!!
Painted by a 2nd grade student
14
Staying Present and Finding Rhythm in the Home
by Kendell Court, MPCS Parent
Throughout our days, we frequently ﬁnd ourselves rushing around trying to catch up. We get so caught up in tasks that we forget to stop and breath, ﬁnd a sense of calm, and just be in the moment. This can be so exhaus>ng, and our children oAen pick up on that same tense energy, either from geRng the day started with rushing out of the door, or from hurrying home to get dinner on the table once we pick them up from school. Crea>ng rhythm in our days can help us ﬁnd balance, stay more present, and appreciate the beau>ful moments that seem to pass us by so suddenly. Now that the holidays are behind us, it is the perfect >me to get back “The rhythm of life is the perfect
combination of rest, activity, and
pace; it enables us to become the
unique individuals we were
created to be, enables us to excel
in all we do, and empowers us
with a certain clarity of mind
and peace of heart. The rhythm
of life is the antidote for our busy
age.” – Matthew Kelly
into a peaceful rhythm so we are able to welcome the small moments in our day and experience how beau>ful our lives really are. Once a rhythm is established in our days, we are able to set expecta>ons for ourselves and our children. Children have a clearer picture of where the day leads and Five Tips for Establishing
a Rhythm
!
Here are five tips to keep in
mind when creating routines
and establishing a rhythm in
your home:
!
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
!
Keep it simple
Stay flexible
Lower your expectations
Make it personal
Stay one step ahead
Provided by simplekids.net. Visit
http://simplekids.net/
establishing-routines/ for an
explanation of each step and
useful suggestions for “Creating
an Easy Rhythm and Adding
Simple Routines to Your Home.”
!
what they need to do to accomplish certain tasks such as geRng ready for school in the mornings, helping with dinner, and preparing for bed>me. Rhythm is par>cularly important in morning and evening rou>nes and during meal>mes and bed>mes. Having meals together, talking about our days, reading or telling stories before bed>me, cooking together, and doing art projects are great ways to establish rhythm and form connec>ons with our family members each day. It is so important to remember to give our children and ourselves >me throughout our busy days to simply be present with one another. These are the moments that our children will truly treasure in their memories as they grow older. !
!
!
!
Wish, Wonder
and Surprise
Poems from
Mr. Mason’s
seventh grade students
ANGELS
Just as Magical
by Aaron Trode
by Brenna Jeffrey
Hot and cold
Fire and ice
They’re not same
Hot is like war
All of the hot rage
Cold is like peace
Kind and sweet
The sun warms
The moon cools
But in the end
They’re just as magical as each other
Gone
They are never totally
Gone
Always there
In you heart
In your mind
In your spirit
Always there
Always with you
Never Gone
15
Sixth Grade News
Ms. Snyder’s Sixth Grade Class
What We’re Studying by Chloe Wastell & Bianca Meurer-‐Zeman In our 6th grade class, we are studying the middle ages. We have totally immersed ourselves in their cultures -‐ food, housing, and even clothing. In the middle ages, they had a system called the feudal society. The queen and/or king ruled everything, along with a little say from the lords and ladies. Also, not only have we been studying the middle ages -‐ but living them too. A lord or lady is at each table group, or manor, along with a knight and about four peasants. Last week, we even had court. All the lords and ladies went up and were the council, then the peasants came up and we helped them sort out their problems (real or Classroom Life by Kylie Harr & Scholastica Salazar Our classroom has many special qualities such as main lesson. For our main lesson block this month, we are learning about the Medieval Ages and how life was long ago. For our activities beyond main lesson we have specials that are very interesting and cool. We have a choice between taking orchestra or band, and everyone’s in P.E. During the end of the day, we have electives that are so much fun! As for our class, we are still working out some kinks, but overall we have an awesome teacher and a friendly classroom vibe.
Opinion on Proposed High School by Chloe Wastell & Bianca Meurer-‐Zeman We really hope the Waldorf High School is ready by the time we graduate from 8th grade, because we plan to stay in Waldorf for the rest of our education -‐ we can’t imagine wanting to learn any other way.
Mr. Anander’s Sixth Grade Class
Hi, I’m Ben and I take Capture the Flag with Ms. Ince. I like it because I get to run and compete against the other team. by Abby Breeser & Bianca Olivia Macleod
Main Lesson Field Trip to Calwood We just finished our first block of Physics and we have moved onto our first block on the Middle Ages. This block is full of excitement, chivalry, and battles. We are reading One Thousand and One Arabian Nights. Our classroom system has switched to a feudal type of arrangement. The classroom has been divided into six sections — five manors and one king's land. We have five lords and ladies and a court and auction every Friday. We went on a trip to Calwood Education Center in November. It was a very good experience to learn about the background of Colorado. We also did fun activities and were outside in the snow. Concerts All concerts were a success and sounded very good.
!
!
Electives !
Hi, I’m Sam and I take Board Games. I like it because we get to play a game about fantasy and it’s strategic and fun. !
Hi, I’m Tru. I take Middle School Music with Mr. Erwin because it’s a hands-‐on, interactive experience. It gives you a chance to explore your ability to act. 16