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

Photos: SCS Staff and parents

Design & Editing: Jane Cathcart

Spelling Bee

Classroom Updates

Did You Know?

Around Campus and Beyond

Letter From the Vice-President

In a recent study by the University of Vermont College of Medicine, music education was found to be

one of the most effective ways to ensure students have success as adults. The study analyzed the brain scans of 232 school-age

children looking for relationships between cortical thickness and musical

training. Researchers sought to discover whether a "positive activity" like musical training could affect the opposite changes in young minds. "What we found was the more children train on an instrument," researchers said, “it accelerates cortical organization in attention skills, anxiety management and emotional control." The study found changes in parts of the brain responsible for working memory, attentional control and organizational skills. This research also revealed that 3/4 of school students "rarely or never" receive training in the music or the arts which is depriving kids of way more than just knowing an instrument. Schools that don't dedicate adequate time and resources to musical training are robbing their kids of an important key to success later in life. Prior studies prove that learning music can enhance the ability to solve complex math problems and improve reading comprehension and verbal abilities. Students who receive musical training in school tend to be more civically engaged and maintain higher GPAs than children who don't. One thing is clear: Learning to play any instrument is one of the best things a person can do.

Our 2017 Spelling Bee on January 12 was an

adventure in words, with the whole school

spellbound as our nine finalists (three from each

classroom) went round after round to see who would

emerge as champion and go on to the countywide

spelling bee on February 24 in Camp Verde.

Our bee was judged by Sedona Mayor Sandy

Moriarty with Tim Marsh reading out the words.

The finalists were Alina, Fernando, Nadia, Max,

Lazor, Zach, Levi, Miranda, and Serenity.

After 18 rounds Max Schwartz and Lazor Lanson were still in the game. Finally, Max

got knocked out by the prophetic word: “perilous.” Lazor clinched the title by correctly

spelling the equally appropriate word “thaumaturge,” which means “performer of

miracles, or magician.”

We view spelling bees and geography bees (our 2017 Geography Bee was January 17th)

as important tools for building excitement and personal investment in those subjects.

Participation in spelling bees helps enhance vocabulary, reinforce grammar principles, and

build memorization skills.

Participation in geography bees helps build curiosity about the world. As students

prepare, they learn

interesting facts about

places around the globe,

which can spike an interest

to discover even more. As

a Montessori school, we are

committed to teaching our

students about other places

and cultures to help build

understanding and

ultimately, peace.

As I enter my sixth month of teaching at

Sedona Charter School, I stop to reflect on

how fortunate I am to be allowed to teach on

this campus and be a part of this grand

community. I knew from my early

communications with Lisa that moving to

this area and becoming part of this teaching

team was the best move for me. I felt

welcomed from the moment I arrived and

continue to feel valued as a member of this

outstanding school. My friend and

Montessori instructor, Diana Butler, recently

came to Sedona and visited our school. She

told me that in the short time she toured the

school and met people, she could tell why I

wanted to become part of SCS.

Of course, a school is nothing without

students, and SCS is teaming with

outstanding children in all three

classrooms! I start my day teaching math,

both Montessori lessons and the Arizona

state standards. Even after being exposed to

Montessori methods and materials for nearly

twenty years, I am still in awe of how they

work and how well children learn math by

using them. Even more amazing is watching

my students discover and enjoy learning on

their own as they work independently.

During the month of December,

the Lower Elementary classroom

studied Fundamental Human

Needs. The students started by

imagining being shipwrecked on a

deserted island. As the students

were picturing this scene in their

minds, they were asked what they

would need to survive.

This activity was particularly entertaining

for the educators due to the fact that some

students believe their Xbox is a

Fundamental Human Need! After gathering

a list of things a person would need to

survive, we then discussed why certain

things were vitally important, such as:

food, water, fire, and shelter. Students also

discussed the importance of transportation,

communication and health care.

I am also happy to be in a classroom filled

with writers. Our teachers have high

expectations and goals for students’ writing

assignments. They write in quite a

professional process, planning and prewriting

their assignments, often doing research and

analyzing supporting articles. They type

many of their assignments, making drafts and

multiple edits and revisions with both peers

and teachers. This process continues until

each student has a perfectly published

product. It is amazing to watch them go

through these steps at such a young age with

great success.

A former colleague of mine once told me

how much she loved her job and how happy it

made her feel. I know that feeling quite

well! I wake up in the mornings looking

forward to coming to work with this staff, our

amazing students and my fellow UE

teachers. I sometimes have to watch my

speed as I drive in anticipation toward

Sedona, watching the morning light

illuminating the red rocks of this beautiful

community. At the end of the day I usually go

home tired, and it is worth it! I am proud to

be part of our Sedona Charter School culture.

Harry Buedel

After the class settled on a list they felt

truly represented Fundamental Human Needs,

students began designing their personal

collages of Fundamental Human Needs. Each

student was able to select items of necessity

they would want on their own private island.

Feel free to stop in to our classroom and see

what the students created! Their collages will

be on display in the Lower Elementary

classroom until the end of February.

Enrollment for next school year is

underway! On January 24, we opened

enrollment to new students for next year.

Many new students have already

registered! New enrollment is on a first

come, first-served basis, so if you know of

someone who would like to attend SCS next

year, tell them to sign up now, before classes

fill up—in some grades, we have only one or

two spaces available for next year. We want

the community to know that the Montessori

education provided by Sedona Charter

School is in HIGH demand!

We are holding spaces for all our current

students until re-enrollment is complete. We

will send out re-enrollment packets the week

of February 20th, and we need them

completed (including completion of the

online

survey)

and

returned

before

spring

break.

No, we don’t have a new aquarium. But we did have a couple of sharks visit the classroom just before winter break. Brian David (father of Mazzy) and Cheryl Fleet came to act as the sharks in our middle school version of the popular TV show “Shark Tank.” Students developed business plans individually or as pairs and then presented them with power point presentations and sometimes prototype products.

Social World teacher Tim Marsh put this experience together to complement our unit on economics. Other activities in the unit included the student production and sale of a variety of items from our garden at the Winter Holidays Around the World event. That small business project used a minimum of capital and made over $40 profit. This money will now be reinvested in other middle school business ventures.

Running a business is not the same thing as running a fund raiser. Maria Montessori realized how important learning to run a business is for young people. She originally suggested that middle school students run an entire farm or hotel. Given the larger academic and extracurricular burden modern adolescents carry, this is no longer feasible. However, we still work to make sure that we include business experiences as part of our curriculum.

Students present a sales pitch for their own small business ideas to our two “Sharks”

who offer feedback and marketing advice.

The diversity of products and services developed by students was remarkable: everything from music listening devices installed inside apparel to new ideas in heated mugs, designer necklaces and niche cocoa and coffee products. Every idea was developed into a business plan with thought given to important aspects for any new business like pricing and branding.

Brian’s experience as a working musician, inventor and studio tech, as well as Cheryl’s experience as a self-made travel excursion coordinator made them the ideal people to give feedback to our young entrepreneurs. And the advice they gave students was well received. Everything from product development to marketing, to the pros and cons of partnership was discussed. Students were also given feedback on the importance of how they present themselves with confidence and knowledge playing key roles in an investor’s willingness to fund a start-up business. Our students came away with some great advice for making their dreams into realities. Who knows—we might see some new small businesses opening up in the area in the near future.

Look for some video clips of some of the business pitches and discussion on our middle school Facebook site: https://www.facebook.com/scsmiddleschool/

Montessori education is so much more than just academics, it is about teaching the whole child. I am in awe of our Strings Program and the opportunities it provides for our students to become accomplished musicians at such a young age. What a performance I witnessed in December! Being a long-time music student myself, I remember how much I enjoyed playing and performing as a child and into college. One of my passions is photography, and I was privileged to teach an introductory course as an elective. We learn the history of photography, disciplines of the art, and how one can create excellent images using their phones or tablets. I also have had the pleasure of seeing our students exposed to Spanish cooking as well as learning the importance and methods of recycling and sustainability – all these life skills enhance education and create better human beings.

Harry Buedel

Hello everyone, I want to take a

moment to share with

you how excited I am to

be serving as a member

of our Governing

Council. I joined the

Governing Council at the beginning of this

school year and took the position of Vice-

President and Parent Partnership Chair a few

months ago. I am excited because I believe

Sedona Charter School is the best kept secret

in our community. I love our school and

love the teachers. The environment we have

created in such a small community is indeed

special.

One great example was to see a studemt

put on an entire play because she wanted to

share her passion for drama and all that

inspires. Our Montessori Community--the

teachers, staff, parents, and students--all

supported her. Therefore, it became a reality

and was a great play!! The play and the

support she received shows just one reason

why I love our school. Working together

to create more opportunities and life

experiences for our children--that's just one

example of SCS supporting students' ideas

and passions.

As chair of Parent Partnership, I will be

coordinating volunteers for committees and

events as the school needs them. So, if you

are interested in how you can volunteer, or

have any ideas that you feel would be a great

addition (such as clubs, special programs,

etc.) I am here to listen and be of help.

I would like to create a parent-to-parent

community within our school to work with

volunteers, committees, and the Governing

Council. As a parent of three students at

SCS, I know how busy our lives are, and I

appreciate all of our volunteers and the

unique contributions and abilities each one

brings. Your participation is a key part of our

Montessori community!!!

Kassie Burkee, Vice-President Sedona Charter School Governing Council kassandraburkee@gmail.com

https://www.facebook.com/scsmiddleschool/https://www.facebook.com/scsmiddleschool/mailto:kassandraburkee@gmail.com

final

Classroom Updates

Around Campus and Beyond

Ask A Teacher

PAC Fundraiser—Save the Date —3/29

contact us at 928-204-6464

www.sedonacharterschool.com

Lower Elementary: Bob and Terri Wentsch, Katarina Houser, Amy Tedrick,

Dolores Biermann, Ana Hansen

Upper Elementary: Lisa Hirsch, Bill Baker, Maija Alanen, Harry Buedel,

Jacquie Randall

Middle School: Jenn Jordan, Tim Marsh

Administration: Alice Madar, Katie Austin, Noelle Reeves

Title I and Strings: Joe Falsetto & Ana Hansen, Kristina Beachell

Special Education: Lucy Schwill

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

UE Mountain Bike Elective!

Arizona Public Service Electric Company

(APS) has awarded Sedona Charter School a

$2000 grant to help our students work

toward transforming our school into a zero

waste campus.

Lisa Hirsch, our Upper Elementary

Principal Educator, has been building our

sustainability program for more than a year,

offering a sustainability elective each quarter,

and bringing in outside experts working

across all three classrooms to build

awareness and action among our students.

She wrote this grant to purchase materials

for our students to explore the environmental

impacts of relocating our playground and

building our new Performing Arts

Classroom, and to look for ways to minimize

that impact. They will explore

options for solar panels on campus

and perhaps even over the

playground.

Students will also be developing

a pollinator garden in the area north

of the campus pond, which will

contain native plants that help

sustain butterflies, bees, and

hummingbirds. Gardens for

Humanity and the Northern Arizona

Sustainability Alliance will be working

with the students on these projects,

helping to strengthen our web of

connections within the Sedona

community.

These are just a few ways we are

training responsible citizens and teaching

more than just academics at Sedona

Charter School!

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