Academic Excellence … Personal Growth … Small School Environment Roadrunner

Building New Opportunities A publication of Sedona Charter School Enrichment Specials K-8 Tuition-free Montessori School Classrooms Without Walls Writing: SCS Staff and GC members Welcome to the Snack Shack! Photos: SCS Staff and parents The Suzuki Philosophy Design & Editing: Jane Cathcart Sights From Our Old-Fashioned Picnic

academic excellence … personal growth … small school environment Roadrunner

We want to take the opportunity to thank Patrons only concert in February, and you will receive 2 free tickets and reserved our parents, students and staff for working Our strings program is unique in around all of our construction these past seating at our winter and spring concerts in that we incorporate the tenets of several months. While not ideal, we are all the 2018-2019 school year. Suzuki Philosophy into our methods of doing our best to enjoy this new progress And for those of you who may have a teaching stringed instruments. In despite the inconveniences it may cause. tendency to worry, please don’t! The sharing the origins of the We are happy to announce that our tiny playground will be rebuilt across the parking philosophy and its basic principles, home for teacher KC O’Connor was lot as soon as the workers complete the we hope to help you and your completed in September and KC is Performing Arts Classroom. It is their final children progress through their enjoying her new home. Thanks to job on campus and the final piece of the musical journey. everyone who worked on the new deck and puzzle to get campus life “back to normal.” Dr. Shinichi Suzuki was a the clean-up. With one down and two to go, We already have violinist, educator, philosopher and we are moving right along to say adios to amazing events humanitarian who based his approach to music our workers and hello to two great new after school events education on the belief that, “Musical ability is student spaces. planned for the not an inborn talent but an ability which can be classroom. We are developed. Any child who is properly trained Work continues on our Performing Arts proud to announce can develop musical ability, just as all children Classroom (PAC) with an anticipated that after receiving develop the ability to speak their mother tongue. completion date very soon. We are so grants and being The potential of every child is unlimited.” excited to be watching this dream come to a sponsored by the After realizing the implications of children the reality. We expect a great space for our City of Sedona, the world over learning to speak their native students to continue to master their stringed Parangello Players language with ease, Suzuki began to apply the instruments, play out their creativity and have exclusively chosen Sedona Charter basic principles of language acquisition to the gather for all school events. Now that the School to offer two after school workshops learning of music. In future articles we will building is nearly complete, it’s time for the for just $65 each throughout November and explore ideas of Parent Responsibility, Loving amenities. If you are looking for a place to Encouragement, Early Beginnings, Listening, spend your charitable dollars, we still need December. They held an ice cream social on Constant Repetition, Learning with Other about $10,000 to purchase chairs and campus last week to introduce these Children, Graded Repertoire and Delayed equipment for the space. opportunities to our students. Reading as they relate to playing a stringed Donations of $500 or more qualify for our Creating Joy through Dance Expression instrument. Patron's will meet Mondays and Wednesdays after In the meantime, save the Circle. Your school with a performance at 7 pm on date for our upcoming Winter name will be December 19th. Empowering Vocal Strings Concert at the Sedona on the wall Performance will meet Tuesdays and RRHS Performing Arts at the entry Thursdays with performances scheduled Center, Wednesday, of the PAC; December 8th at Sedona Sings and December 5th. Please make you will be December 22 at Tlaquepaque. Check the sure your children are invited to a school office for more details on how to PRACTICING every day! special enroll in these exciting opportunities. Integral to Montessori core is the In Amy T’s Computer Special, students inclusion of enrichment programs that are learning how to log into different stimulate children allowing them to learn academic accounts such as: Renaissance while playing and exploring creative Place, Study Island, and Typing Club. outlets. We call these classes Specials. On Their first task was to master the spelling Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and of their first and last names and then Thursday afternoons students participate in memorize their username and password. Art, Music, Physical Education and Students are also learning appropriate Cooperative Musical Chairs where no-one Computers. Each Special is designed to computer etiquette. They are learning how to leaves the game, but the chairs are slowly build community and connections between safely carry a computer and how to properly removed compelling students to work students and staff, reflecting the passion of plug it into the dock in numerical order. Our together to keep from falling off the each of our teachers. third years are logging into Renaissance Place, remaining chairs. practicing math or taking reading/math tests as Katarina’s Art class is portrait drawing. well as logging in and out of Typing Club Students are learning about the importance Students began by learning how to draw a without assistance. of stretching and heart/brain health in Amy face shape and how to divide the face into A’s PE Special. They enjoy playing with the sections to help with placement of the eyes, KC’s Music/Singing class is learning how to parachute and learning how to work together nose, mouth and ears. They practiced follow musical cues and memorizing songs. as a team to accomplish their goal. Students sketching one another and even Katarina. Students have mastered Light a Candle for are honing their coordination skills using Now the students are working on self- Peace and can sing it while simultaneously bean bags and hula hoops, moving in large portraits. After a lesson on primary and signing in sign language. Our first years have groups without bumping into each other and secondary colors and how to blend and use learned the Continent Song and take turns catching. At the end of each PE Special, pastels, students will complete their self- leading it. Second years completed musical students participate in group games like Mr. portraits with pencil and enhance them with pastel pictures, adding special touches to each Fox, Freeze Tag, Bean Bag Scramble and pastels before mounting them on colored other’s drawings. Third years are building Flip the Hoop. paper for display. Stop by our classroom community and teamwork through fun and check-out the finished projects. activities. They especially enjoy playing

Maria Montessori was a proponent of distractions, and even field trips and viewed them as a necessary daily expectations of extension of the elementary classroom. the classroom, free the According to Ottawa Montessori School’s students to explore, website, “Based on her observations, enjoy, play, and work children at the second plane of together in new ways. development (elementary-age) begin to At our October fall camp out, the students find the walls of the classroom too were extremely successful in these confining. They require a wider endeavors. They demonstrated great skill at environment outside the home and planning, packing, practicing, cooking, classroom and wider social contacts to playing, working, and exploring. We had an satisfy their educational needs. In addition amazing time hiking, exploring and even to classroom materials and contacts, stargazing in Catalina State Park in Tucson. children at the age of six or seven begin to The students showed a tremendous amount yearn to explore physical and social worlds of teamwork, even Girls on the Run 5K of a larger scope. Outings present the world pitching in to help set as a classroom and allow children an up their cohorts’ tents. Saturday Nov. 10 opportunity to acclimate to their wider Each activity further physical environment and culture.” built our UE Ft. Tuthill County Park Real world skills such as meal community into more preparation and planning, working unified team, where collaboratively, and identifying plants and students enjoy Flagstaff animals are just a few of the skills that learning from and students are engaged in outside of the interacting with one Registration: 8 am classroom walls. The removal of another. Stretching: 9:30 am Our day at the Biosphere, the earth’s largest outdoor science laboratory, filled us Race Starts: 10 am with awe as well. We explored the earth’s biomes and asked many questions about how we can help our environment. Be sure to ask your child about his/her favorite activity from this awesome outing!

An important part of our Montessori Middle School community is the micro- Exercise is a dirty word. Every time I hear it, I wash my mouth out with economy (ME). The micro-economy is a chocolate. – Rita Rudner student-run business that helps to instill practical life skills in accounting, finance, Hello Everyone, marketing, and business planning, as well as In the past two newsletters we discussed oral and written communication. In addition, the importance of diet and sleep to improve the ME assists in the development of a strong student performance. In this newsletter we work ethic among our Middle School students. will discuss something that many don’t At the beginning of this year, our students realize has a big impact on academic decided to open a snack bar for the Middle to create sales. Knowing that it is success… Exercise! School as their ME. Resumes were written to important to promote proper health, items We all remember back in our high school seek the top title of CEO. After careful have been carefully selected to ensure and college days when we were studying for consideration, two CEOs were chosen to work there is not too much salt, sugar, caffeine, exams. We would assemble our notes and collaboratively. One is eighth-year student, or dyes. textbooks, then sit down to study and feel Natalia, and the other is seventh-year, Laura. Using a loan from a generous Arizona very tired all of the sudden. That’s when Having CEOs from both levels will assist with Public Service grant and a helpful parent we’d reach for the coffee, soda or an energy the transition into next year allowing the who has a Costco membership, the first drink for a quick pick me up. Scientists have business to maintain continuity and grow as purchase has been made. It is important to demonstrated that approach is all wrong! Laura mentors and works with a new note that the ME is designed to be self- While it may seem counterproductive to incoming CEO next year. sustaining. This is why the Snack Shack, exercise when you have to study, research shows a significant benefit. Let’s go over the The CEOs listed various job openings to as it has been named, has taken the business loan from the grant awarded to ways that exercise helps students. which their peers could apply. Among these Exercise increases energy levels. In an positions were Finance, Inventory, Sales, and the Middle School classroom. This helps mimic the real world and shows students article published by Psychological bulletin Marketing. The newly hired staff have been the researchers compared 70 studies on working tirelessly to create the best possible how businesses truly function. There are no donations allowed! exercise and fatigue. They concluded that a snack bar. Surveys were taken to ascertain walk is better than a nap or energy drink for which products would be the most successful Middle School students began boosting energy and fighting fatigue. purchasing from the Snack Shack starting Another benefit of exercise is increased brain Monday, October 22. A snack ticket may function. Research shows that physical be purchased for $20.00 or less, which can exercise releases proteins in the brain that be used to make purchases throughout the can actually help improve a student’s year. Further monitoring and market memory and increase cognitive performance. research will determine the asking price of A lesser known, but important benefit of items as well as what inventory to sell. exercise, is that it balances a student’s Money raised by the ME will be reinvested emotional state. Exercise releases endorphins in the Snack Shack. Profits over and above which reduce stress levels and make students the Snack Shack needs will be used to feel happier, which in turn helps decrease fund future adventure trips. anxiety they may feel when facing an upcoming test or project. Here at Sedona Charter School, we encourage children to exercise. We have a sports program at the school where kids can play soccer, volleyball or run cross country. Girls on the Run is another after school program where girls train for a 5K run while building their confidence, positive attitude Thanksgiving’s emphasis on gratitude, family, and special meal memories is and teamwork skills. Our community also priceless. After spending time studying the Pilgrims and Native Americans, our offers swimming, karate, tennis, baseball and students love the hands-on skills they get to hone as they decorate, possibly churn many other sports. And last, but not least we butter, bake muffins or bread, set tables and prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving with are fortunate to live in a place that is full of their classmates and teachers. As any Sedona Charter School graduate will say, this hiking trails at every skill level for all ages to special afternoon is much anticipated and long remembered. enjoy. So, go out and get moving!!

Parents send in traditional Thanksgiving foods to be enjoyed by all. This year, Lower Respectfully yours, Elementary will be preparing stone soup. Preparation for the annual meal connects many lessons across the curriculum and presents the perfect opportunity to practice Steven Paley, President grace and courtesy. While November is the month when our nation focuses on giving Sedona Charter School Governing Council thanks, our students look at gratitude and grace as something to be considered daily. As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.” – John F. Kennedy

finalLower Elementary: Katarina Houser, Amy Tedrick, Amy Alexander, KC O’Connor, Deborah Williams, Dolores Biermann, Heidi Glenn Upper Elementary: Suzi Ashley, Maija Alanen, Lisa Mercer, Mackenzie Pace, Jacquie Randall Middle School: Lauren Rondeau, Laurie Altringer, Ana Hansen Orchestral Strings: Kristina Beachell Drama: Lauren Hendler Administration: Alice Madar, Jannette Villalobos-Gil, Stephanie Knight Title I: Bob Wentsch Special Education: Lucy Schwill, Cynthia Tyler

165 Kachina Drive Sedona, AZ 86336 Classroom Happenings Our Montessori school challenges each Ask A Teacher child to achieve excellence through an individualized Around Campus program, which includes a schoolwide musical strings Winter Strings Concert 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.

Thanks to everyone who made our Old Fashioned Family Picnic an amazing day of fun for our school staff and families. Here are just a few of the sights from that event.

Our winning photo was taken by Kris Hackler capturing two of our students enjoying a cool treat during our Old Fashioned Family Picnic. Congratulations Kris. Keeping parents Sedona Charter School informed november 2018

Su n M on Tu e Wed Thu Fri Sat oo ing head 1 2 3 — — — -- — —

4 5 6 Early Release 7 8 9 10 Girls on the Run 5K Ft. Tuthill County Park Flagstaff Registration: 8 am MS CONFERENCES Stretching: 9:30 am Election Day Race Starts: 10 am

11 NO SCHOOL 12 13 14 15 16 17 VETERAN’S PARENT CONFERENCES AFTER SCHOOL DAY OBSERVED 3:45 pm Governing Thanksgiving in the Council Mtg Classrooms 18 19 20 21 22 23 24

A U T U M N B R E A K 25 26 27 28 29 30