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We have one more opportunity for our
strings students to shine on stage. Don’t miss
our May 10th concert at The Master’s Bible
Church beginning at 6:30 pm. This is our final
gift to parents and our community to show you
how far our students have progressed in their
musical skills since the beginning of the school
year.
Information will be coming home in a few
days about our dress rehearsal and performance.
Parents — please continue to encourage your
student to practice at home. We know this is
the time of year when kids get “spring fever”
and we need your help to keep them motivated
and finishing well!
Kristina would like to thank all of our parent
volunteers as well as teachers and staff for a
great year of working together. She couldn’t do
all that she does without dedicated teachers and
parents who work behind the scenes ensuring
students practice and get to lessons on time.
Roadrunner academic excellence … personal growth … small school environment
A publication of Sedona Charter School
K-8 Tuition-free Montessori School
Writing: SCS Staff and GC members
Design & Editing: Jane Cathcart
Apex Fun Run
Classroom Updates
Concert Preparation
Alumni News
Letter From the President
Leadership. Fitness. Fundraising.
Now don’t let that last word scare you
off, keep reading! Your students have
been talking all week about the Pep Rally
on April 26th to kick off our two-week
Apex Fun Run. Because we believe that
every child can make a difference in our
school and in the world, and that serving
others brings the greatest joy in life, we
ask for your help with this amazing event!
Students are excited as they learn by
doing and get much needed exercise in
the process. The Apex Fun Run combines
the power of a strong character
curriculum with fitness that is fun.
This is a great fundraiser and it’s
different from the rest! Donors are
encouraging children to run and get
healthy. They are rewarding hard work
and perseverance. During the two-week
event you’ll see our amazing Apex team
leaders running around campus all day
long promoting the fundraiser. Their
lessons are short and to the point, yet they
see every student every day and promote
fitness, fun and character.
Student Pledge kits went home on
April 26th and we are challenging
students to raise pledges for the laps
they will run on May 5th. Students will
run for 30 short minutes and average 26-
36 laps. Sponsors may pledge any
amount per lap and will receive access
codes to donate online. Our goal is to
have EVERYONE involved and
cheering on our runners at 9 am on race
day, May 5th. Parents, please set aside
the time and come out to watch and
support the school and the students. We
promise, it will be amazing!
The Apex Fun Run allows students
to realize that they are helping the
school, and working hard for it. All
money raised during the event will go
toward classroom improvements. We
still need a few more enthusiastic
volunteers to cheer on students and
mark laps. If you would like to
participate, please contact Susana at
602.373.7052. Don’t miss it!
In Montessori classrooms for younger ages, the Practical Life Center is in an obvious place. Students learn pouring from larger vessels, using silverware, cleaning their work areas and even washing dishes. They are also taught the basics of grace and courtesy: saying “please” and “thank you,” tucking in a chair, or holding a door open. In the upper elementary, practical life skills center around all of what we do as students build on their lower elementary experiences. Students not only take on more responsibilities both inside and outside the classroom, they also expand their grace and courtesy skills, progressing from merely saying “please” and “thank you” to learning how to make an apology, or carefully thinking before telling a joke that might hurt someone’s feelings. In addition, students are communicating more and more via social media. It is important for parents to talk with their pre-teens at home and work with them in all of these critical areas of life. Sometimes when parents request more homework, we encourage them to engage their child in practical life activities at home that foster responsibility and independence. For instance, students can learn to wash a cooking pot ‘til it shines, or practice the skills involved in walking and feeding their dog. Some people call these chores, but we know them to be essential practical life skills. Working alongside your child to plant and care for a garden or wash your car, or checking the oil is invaluable. There are many life skills that can replace academic homework: sewing, knitting, doing laundry, cleaning bathrooms, changing furnace filters, reading books to younger siblings … the list goes on and on. Whether baking and frosting a cake or knitting a scarf, UE students want to know they make a difference. As our class works on planning our “big trip,” we are teaching students that planning and follow through are important life skills. The sixth years have been washing mess kits and sorting through camping gear. This engages them as a “drivers” more than just “passengers” on life’s road. The elements required for working together and modeling responsibility from older to younger students is irreplaceable. As they work together in groups, children are better able to focus on and understand each member’s unique abilities. They begin to learn and grow and function as a team as they realize the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. While the specific activities will change over time, these lessons are equally important in the upper elementary, middle school and even high school years. Thank you for the honor of working with your children on these skills that are tantamount for humanity.
The school year is almost complete, and we are preparing for our year end celebration on Thursday, May 26th at 6 pm. We have spent the entire year facilitating a sense of self-confidence in our students and encouraging them to develop relationships and enjoy learning. This special program gives us all a few moments to cherish and appreciate the growth and progress your children have made this year. While the faces change, the structure of our celebration remains the same; not because we are stuck in a rut, but because the program has stood the test of time showing parents and friends the accomplishments of the year. It’s not just about academics, it’s about life. By involving our students in the planning, preparation and execution of this event, they gain practical life skills for the days and years ahead. You may have noticed we send home very few examples of student work during the year, but that doesn’t mean we aren’t working hard! Teachers and students are
busy putting the final touches on Student Portfolios that show achievements, growth and progress from the first day of school to the last. This is a great keepsake celebrating the year’s projects and activities. It’s kind of cool to look back on your LE accomplishments when you are graduating from high school! “Allemande left and do-si-do, swing your partner, round she goes!” In addition to playing recorders and singing, you won’t want to miss our square dancing! Through dance, students learn how to interact with others and the proper way to respect and touch their partner. Dance improves their social and communication skills, fosters teamwork and develops a greater sense of trust and cooperation. Students demonstrate their ability to listen and follow directions as the Caller directs dancers through a variety of routines and steps. Dancing is a great way to help students relax in front of an audience. Our Third Years are reflecting back and working hard on their “Rite of Passage” speeches, memorizing their material and
gaining poise speaking in front of a group. In addition to recognizing what they’ve learned and thanking the people who have helped them along the way, they are saying goodbye to the LE community (shaking Bob’s hand) and looking forward to new and bigger adventures in the UE classroom (greeting their new Principal Educator, Lisa Hirsch). Our celebration of learning ends with the children singing “Moving Right Along” from the Muppet Movie – a song which describes the Muppets’ quest to find California and their place in life. It seems a fitting end to yet another great year in the LE classroom.
“Moving right along, nice town!
Footloose and fancy-free, You're ready for the big time...
Is it ready for me?”
There’s something about a girl named MARIA
When Maria Montessori was born on August 30, 1870, girls were not permitted to attend public schools. A girl’s family, and the Catholic Church, determined her education. However, by the time Maria turned 7 yrs old, that all changed and she was one of the first females in Italy to attend a public school. Even though Dr. Montessori is known as an innovative educator, she was also the first female doctor in Italy. It is reported that she had to get permission from the Pope to go to medical school. After graduating at the top of her class and winning many scholarships and awards, she specialized in psychiatry. During her residency, she worked in mental institutions, where she was overwhelmed at the plight of handicapped, poor and developmentally delayed children. This fueled her passion to find better methods for teaching the underprivileged. As a result, she developed her own educational materials and methods and opened her first Children’s House in a ghetto in Rome. Today, we still benefit from her profound understanding of how infants and young children learn. In fact, many of her methods and theories, are being confirmed and rediscovered today.
What do they all have in common?
Metamorphosis. If you’ve never had the pleasure of watching a tadpole change into a frog or a caterpillar change into a butterfly, I can tell you that it’s a difficult process. Tadpoles go from swimming creatures with gills to hopping creatures who breathe air and eat insects. It’s not an easy transformation to make. There is a stage when the poor creature can’t do anything very well, swimming, hopping or even eating! In fact, a caterpillar's transformation is so awkward that it builds a cocoon around itself for protection and privacy.
So what about kids? The transformation from child to adult is equally difficult for our species. We call that transformation adolescence, and it takes us years to complete. At this age young people aren’t children anymore, but they aren’t adults either. This can be a very confusing time, especially in the early stages of adolescence. Maria Montessori knew that this was a time of rapid transformation, and her observations have been backed up by modern studies on the adolescent brain.
Just like the tadpole and the caterpillar, early adolescence is not only a
time when bodies are going through maturation, but brains are undergoing a major reorganization as well. Can you remember what it was like to have your body and brain in such a state of confusion?
However, unlike tadpoles and caterpillars, our young people don’t have the options to stop eating or lock themselves away from the world during this stage of life. They must continue to live and grow exposed to all the challenges we face.
As adults and teachers, then, it is our job to nourish and protect early adolescents. Our Middle School program is based upon this knowledge of human development and we design our daily activities keeping it in mind. Early adolescence is a unique time of life that requires a unique environment, one built specifically for safe exploration and maturation. At Sedona Charter School, we understand the daily struggles that our students face and we design our small classrooms to meet those needs. Our specially trained teachers strive to provide a safe, understanding atmosphere where
adolescents have freedom to learn and mature into
productive adults.
Hello everyone:
May is a big month for SCS.
Our 8th graders are preparing to leave
the school and some friends whom they
have known, in some cases, for many
years. It is important to remember that
transitioning out of elementary school is
just as significant as transitioning into high
school. Gone will be that sense of safe
space and old friends and teachers. This is
the first big move from childhood into a
different space where there will be new
friends to make and new teachers to get to
know. We who remain here are proud of
our graduates and want them to know that
just because they are moving on, they will
not have moved out of our hearts. We are
still interested in how they are doing and
look forward to hearing from them.
For those who are finishing the year
and moving up to new grades, it is
important to finish the year well. May is
the final push for the year and school
continues normally until Friday, May
27th. It would be foolish to disregard 10%
of your education this year just because it
is spring and the last month. Your teachers
have much to give you even in May. Soak
it all up.
Finally, parents, the Fun Run is a
crucial fundraiser for the school and
an important learning opportunity for your
child. Please become involved in the
lessons and in looking for sponsors. If
SCS is to thrive, it takes all of us. Thank
you for your participation.
Maureen Nealon, President
Sedona Charter School
Governing Council
The kids do a wonderful job of showing appreciation every day, but I love
reading the notes they give us during Teacher Appreciation Week. Knowing that
they took the time to sit down and compose a letter to me means a great deal, and
what they write is surprising and touching. I also love the variety of home-
cooked food people bring in for us, and the flowers and gifts make it a festive
uplifting week!
final
Classroom Updates
Year End Wrap-Up
Alumni Highlights
Fundraising Opportunities
contact us at 928-204-6464
www.sedonacharterschool.com
Lower Elementary: Bob and Terri Wentsch, Katarina Houser, Amy Tedrick,
Dolores Biermann, Meri Thomason
Upper Elementary: Lisa Hirsch, Bill Baker, Maija Alanen, Lucy Schwill (SPED),
Jacquie Randall, Beverly Black
Middle School: Jenn Jordan, Tim Marsh
Administration: Alice Madar, Katie Austin, Noelle Reeves
Title I and Strings: Teri Lechowski, Kristina Beachell
Our Montessori school challenges each
child to achieve excellence through an individualized
program. We inspire a passion for learning, instill a sense
of personal responsibility, and cultivate a respect for the
environment and involvement in the community.
165 Kachina Drive Sedona, AZ 86336
Jonathan Burgueno attended Sedona
Charter School from 3rd to 8th grade,
graduating in 2001—just before the school
moved to its permanent campus on
Kachina Drive. He remembers the school
as free-form, fostering independent
learning in the context of an integrated
curriculum, with frequent collaborative
projects. There was always something to
be working on. His teacher for four years,
Michelle Price, challenged him and pushed
him to constantly grow and expand his
skills.
“It seemed like we gave presentations
in the classroom almost every week,” he
says, which helped boost his comfort level
with public speaking and performing.
Moving on to Sedona Red Rock High
school, he found he was well-prepared and
able to adapt to a variety of settings. He
began interning at KAZM and worked as a
radio personality there for 5 years.
Jonathan enjoyed radio work so much that
he considered a career in broadcast
journalism while attending Northern Arizona
University. But he found the call to business
was stronger. In 2006 he joined a mortgage
brokerage firm in Sedona—and he has been
at it ever since. Now he works for Pinnacle
Capital Mortgage—and both his sisters have
joined him in the business.
“I like the residential mortgage business,”
says Jonathan. “It’s challenging and fun at
the same time and I get to help people buy
homes.” It has also allowed him to stay in
Sedona while growing financially,
purchasing and developing properties in the
Verde Valley.
When asked what advice he has for
current Sedona Charter School
students, Jonathan says, “Take
advantage of the numerous
opportunities that become available to
you—don’t be afraid to try new
things!”
Jonathan Burgueno
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