The Common Thread September 2017 Newsletter |
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Golden light is turning grey, mists begin to rule the day. Bare the trees, their branches lift; clouds of dead leaves earthward drift. Through the field the farmer goes, seeds of ripened corn he sows; Trusts the earth will hold it warm, shelter it from cold and harm. For he knows, that warmth and light; live there, hidden from our sight; And beneath a sheltering wing, deep below, new life will spring! Deep below, deep below, new life will spring! |
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Looking Ahead! Sept. 4, 2017 - No School Labor Day Holiday Sept. 13, 2017 - Parent Circle Meeting 6:30 PM - 7:30 PM (Multipurpose Room) Click to learn more about the COS Parent Circle Sept. 28, 2017 - COS Board Meeting 7:00 PM Start Time (Multipurpose Room) Sept. 29, 2017 - Day of Courage For students only; not a parent event Oct. 10, 2017 - School Picture Day! (Picture Retakes Nov. 17, 2017) Oct. 11, 2017 - Parent Circle Meeting 6:30 PM - 7:30 PM (Multipurpose Room) |
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Dear Families & Community Members My first month at Circle of Seasons has been a joy and delight. We are a school community devoted to our children and led by dedicated teachers, staff, families, and community partners. Together we are blazing the trail for Public Waldorf education in our region. In the 2016-17 school year Circle of Seasons engaged in a strategic planning process to reflect on the progress of the school and renew our commitment to Public Waldorf education. The results of this gathering of stakeholders in the COS community are reflected in four primary goals dedicated to innovative teaching and learning, fiscal strength and resiliency, state-of-the-art campus development, and establishing COS as a leading educational resource in our region. |
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This team of invested leaders staff, families, and community partners also captured who we are today (our mission) and our inspired intentions for the future (our vision). Our new Mission and Vision (see below) will guide every decision we make on behalf of COS and our strategic plan goals will set our path as we move forward into our next phase of school growth. Thank you for your contribution to our efforts. I look forward to working together with you all. Sincerely, Alison Saeger Panik Head of School |
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MISSION STATEMENT Circle of Seasons Charter School is an innovative leader in the national interest to transform public education. We fully meet the diverse needs of our 21st Century students using the 100-year-old Waldorf teaching philosophy.
VISION STATEMENT
Every child is unique. Circle of Seasons (COS) Charter School's teachers and staff work with each student's developmental and educational needs to foster an environment that supports creative and independent thinking. Through a method of interdisciplinary, experiential, and engaged learning. COS students emerge as lifelong learners with the self-confidence to impart direction and purpose to their lives and leadership to their communities. Our model for success is that our students graduate proficient in all core subjects, are self-aware, and well equipped to pursue further academic, professional, and personal goals. |
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Day of Courage - September 29th This school celebration of courage is related to a festival that has existed for hundreds of years. In the days when people were responsible for growing, harvesting, and storing all the food they would need for the winter, autumn was a cause for both celebration and trepidation. They celebrated their harvest each autumn, but at the same time feared the possibility that all they had grown might not be enough to sustain them through a hard winter. Although our children do not need to fear that they will not have food this winter, we all have our own fears, great and small, to overcome. We wish to teach our children to be brave enough to face their fears, to be courageous enough to overcome fear and become something greater with each victory. This is the heart of our Day of Courage. This year the school will come together to celebrate by performing a play with a special part for each grade level to deliver. |
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Circle of Seasons Middle School Opens! Circle of Seasons Charter School achieved a significant goal this school year as we welcomed our first sixth grade class to our new Middle School! COS sixth graders and their families got a sneak peek of the new Middle School at a Meet and Greet on August 10. Middle School Coordinator April Huff introduced new teachers Greg Kapner, who teaches science and history, and Stephen Hausman, who teaches mathematics. Middle-schoolers and their parents also had the opportunity to meet Alison Saeger Panik, our new Head of School. The middle school years in the Waldorf curriculum offer students more rigorous academics and the freedom to manage their time more independently. Study blocks include geology and mineralogy, astronomy, physics, geometry, business math and independent writing. |
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Parent Drop Off Update Our children's safety is a top priority at COS. The morning drop off and afternoon pickup procedures have changed to accommodate our school's growth. Thank you to all the caring parents and vigilant bus drivers for your care and understanding. Sincerely, Tim Whitney Operations Manager |
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Policy for Parents who wish to accompany their children to their meeting places at morning drop off: Please use the upper lots above where the buses drop off if you want to get out of your vehicle with your child. This will alleviate the congestion created by cars pulling in an out of spots in the line of drop off cars. Hopefully this will result in a safer alternative while also speeding up the drop off process. **Do not drop off children at the upper lot** Thank you for your attention and continued support! |
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A Message from Ms. Edit (Games + Movement Teacher) Dear Parent Community, I am writing to invite all of you to reflect on what movement related expertise you may have that you would be willing and able to share with our students. I would love to see parent volunteers do some guest teaching or simple presentations that would add to the excitement that the children have about the content of our Games and Movement classes. I think they would be thrilled to see you teach something to their class or another class. The following is a list of ideas for opportunities to contribute with your knowledge or experience, and guest teach during Games and Movement class: - 1st-2nd grade: jump roping, hula-hooping, running, yoga, tumbling (gymnastics)
- 3rd-4th grade: juggling, gymnastics, acrobatics, dodgeball, running
- 5th grade: Greek Olympics -wrestling (Greco-Roman), distance and sprint running, track and field (mostly javelin and discus), long jump (we do hurdling too), and any nutritional consulting
- 6th grade: soccer, basketball, volleyball, (but any sport expertise would be interesting to students)
I also teach work-up games for lots of sports starting in 3rd grade (such as tennis, baseball, football etc.) so if you don't see your expertise on the above list, I still do it in some form probably. If you decide for example that you played 10 years of basketball and dabbled in couching, I would be forever grateful if you contacted me. Once you email me, I can tell you when I teach the classes that would most benefit from your area of knowledge and we could coordinate times. Don't hesitate to contact me if you just take yoga once a week and love how it's affecting your well-being. You don't have to be an expert to share your passion and infect children with enthusiasm. Thank you for taking the time to read this, and I hope to hear from many of you! Best, Edit (Games and Movement teacher) |
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