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

Bringing the Past to Life

Learning By Doing

Picnic Photos

Social Skills for the Real World

AZ Merit Success!

The wise and wonderful Mary Poppins has some great advice for parents and teachers alike--namely that everyone takes criticism better when it’s delivered with kindness and a smile (just a spoonful of sugar!). So, you might ask, does my child have any musical talent? WRONG QUESTION!

Few things are as damaging to a child's work ethic than being told that it's talent, not hard work, that makes them "special" or successful. It’s best to avoid even using the word "talent" because it's discouraging. If all that matters is inborn talent, then when children encounter difficulties in their lessons, they think it's a lack of talent, not a lack of hard work or practice. When we use encouragement as a means to nurture abilities, then children will persevere.

It's important to remember that kids are sensitive, and even the nicest comment said in a harsh way can easily hurt their feelings and leave them discouraged. Yet, it's vital to give them constructive feedback. What is the best way to balance these two distinct needs? First of all, stay aware of your tone of voice. Parents and teachers can use a calm, neutral tone, a positive tone, or a sympathetic one, depending on the situation. If we sound angry, impatient, or frustrated, then our feedback gets lost in the negative emotion.

Find a balance between encouragement and correction. First, identify what your child is doing right, then focus on a way to make something better. For example, "I like that you are playing with such a nice, full tone! Now what can we do to make that C#

in the second measure more in tune?" Be sensitive to the moment and offer praise or correction as appropriate. Ask questions to help children self-reflect and discover for themselves what areas need improvement. Remember, concert, Wednesday, December 6th at SRRHS PAC.

We are celebrating our academic success on the Spring 2017 AzMERIT tests! Our students scored higher in English Language Arts than any school in the Verde Valley. We scored second in Math only a few points under Mountain View Prep.

2016-17AzMERIT results were released on October 9th as well as new A-F school letter grades. The overall results show that reading and math scores across Arizona have improved in the past three years.

"I believe Arizona’s children and educational system is much better than the scores indicated by AzMERIT,” Diane Douglas, Arizona's superintendent of public instruction, said in a statement following the release.

One important thing for parents to remember is that the AzMERIT test itself is still in its infancy stage. Changes are being made every year and students have gone from taking the test with paper and pencils to taking the test digitally on computers in three short years. The test is not a reflection of what students know as much as it is a reflection of how well they can take a standardized test.

Statewide, math scores have improved 5% and ELA scores have improved 4% since 2015, the first year students took the new test.

Arizona is required by state law to issue rankings to schools on an A-F scale, however, this is the first letter grade issued since 2014. The state paused issuing letter grades during the transition to the new rigorous AzMERIT test. Letter grades will

now focus on the overall improvement from test to test.

SCS received a B letter grade which is the highest letter awarded any school in the Verde Valley. While we celebrate the achievements of our students, we realize there is more work to be done. We are proud to have earned the highest ELA score in our area and the second highest math score.

"AzMERIT was never designed as a tool to evaluate school or teacher performance," Douglas said. It is limited to measuring how well students test in those two areas. We all realize there are many other important subjects our students study and many meaningful aspects to a child’s education that are not and cannot be measured by any test.

School Name Charter ELA Math

Sedona Charter School Yes 61 48

Big Park Community No 47 43

Sedona Red Rock Jr/Sr High No 34 28

West Sedona Elementary No 29 24

Desert Star Community Yes 47 29

American Heritage Academy Yes 29 25

Cottonwood Elementary No 31 25

Cottonwood Middle School No 21 19

Mountain View Prep School No 58 55

Oak Creek Elementary School No 34 33

Our Lower Elementary classroom has

been working on classroom procedures

and learning to master our daily routine.

There is a term in Montessori called

“normalization” where students and

teachers work hard to acclimate to a new

classroom environment.

Our students have been learning the

social and behavioral expectations of the

LE classroom. We expect students to

come to meetings quietly and orderly.

We expect the older students to set a

good example and help the younger

students when necessary. We expect our

classroom to be settled and quiet,

allowing everyone to focus on their

work. Throughout normalization,

students learn how to work together,

work with their teachers and work

independently.

During the first quarter we have also been

learning students’ rights and responsibilities in

the classroom. The students brainstorm what

their rights within the classroom are and then

discuss what sort of responsibilities make

those rights possible. This year, our students

focused on a few specific rights such as: the

right to be safe and the right to work hard. The

class determined the Golden Rule (treat others

the way you want to be treated), would help

everyone handle themselves appropriately in

the classroom.

Obviously, life in the real world is not

always agreeable to everyone else, and on

occasion students disagree with one another or

with teachers. Since a big part of our

Montessori mission is to teach our young

people how to thrive in society and become

productive adults, our LE students are also

learning about peaceful conflict resolution.

History is alive and well in our Upper Elementary community. Our students are passionate about their history studies and look forward to their weekly lesson as they delve into stories about famous battles and people from the past. They make connections to our lives today and see patterns throughout the sands of time.

We wrapped up the Middle Ages in our first quarter, discussing the kings of England and the Black Death that ended the feudal system in Britain and paved the way for the Renaissance. During the lessons, children use different note-taking strategies that will benefit hem throughout life (t-notes, dash facts, Venn diagrams, circle maps and other graphic organizers) and help them remember the important pieces of information from the lessons. Oftentimes, there are maps that go along with each lesson to help paint a clearer picture of where these events took place.

After each history lesson, children choose a follow-up activity. Sometimes it might be a summary of the lesson, other times it involves art, like designing your own coat of arms. Creative writing also comes into play. After studying the Magna Carta, the children each wrote their own Magna Carta. Most recently, they are designing an advertisement for a Black Death cure that might be found in a medieval apothecary shop. Their creativity and passion is on full display when they can express themselves in these creative ways.

We have been studying the Renaissance in October and will jump forward into more modern times and focus on US and Arizona history in November. When we meet for parent/teacher conferences this month, you will have a chance to experience much of this fabulous work. We look forward to seeing you all!

This includes learning how to kindly and

appropriately speak up for themselves.

As the year continues, we look forward

to many more peaceful days as students

learn to respect the rights of others and

treat both teachers and classmates with

kindness and respect.

Our Old Fashioned Family Picnic was another great afternoon filled with fun activities for our families. Many people dressed up, and our best dressed winners were Monica and Dan Garland for the adult division. Lotus Flores took first place in our youth division. As always, the pie contest did not disappoint! We had 10

pies in the auction and raised nearly $200. Judges’ Favorite Pie was baked by the middle school students: Mexican Chocolate Pecan Pie. The winner of our audience favorite was 4th grader Lotus with her delicious apple double cherry pie. Our watermelon contest had 18 entrants and was won by Odin McGinnis, with Maverick White coming in second. This year, our dunk tank was replaced with

“The Eliminator”

ball game which

was a huge hit! A

huge thanks to our

staff and

volunteers for

making this event

such a wonderful

time for everyone.

Did you know that Middle School has an edible garden? What started as an overgrown weed patch quickly became cleared, ready-to-plant and grew into rows of edible foods. This land-based program offers interesting and natural ways for students to invest in their work and learn interdependency. Hand-on activities spawn interest in intellectual subject matter. For example, organic gardening could be the gateway to biology, chemistry and more. Since in nature there is no half-way (plants either grow and thrive or wilt and die), students are more responsible and attached to learning.

KNOWLEDGE. Core knowledge and concepts are acquired through lessons. Once the foundation is laid, students are ready for work. Our class researched planting zones and which plants thrive within our zone; pests and their natural pesticides; seasons and how weather affects growth; and watering schedules. They ask QUESTIONS and are CHALLENGED to plan projects ,deepening their learning by centering on significant issues, debates, or questions that have practical, real-life significance.

WORK. Students get to work focusing on the following:

Context. Students have a reason to learn when they can see the real-life context of their task. After studying which plants will grow in Sedona’s climate, seeds were chosen to plant and nurture. The fruits of their labor (or vegetables in our case) are eaten and shared within our classroom.

Inquiry. Students ask questions, explore and discover, before applying knowledge. Inquiry is individual and collective with many questions and answers discovered while researching.

Choice. Students are given choices which provide individual motivation, a sense of unique identity for the group and an opportunity to pursue individual interests.

Thinking, Problem-Solving, Collaborating. Students work together using higher-order thinking skills, clearly and cohesively communicating ideas to one another. Challenges are openly discussed, allowing students to collaborate and problem-solve in a real-world context.

MASTERY. Ultimately, students demonstrate mastery when individual and group work is presented, providing the context to receive peer and teacher feedback. Demonstrating mastery through group presentations gives yet another opportunity to stretch and strengthen an array of skills. With guidance, students are compiling their findings and creating a book of gardening knowledge. They hope this book will be published and offered for sale in Sedona.

The next time you walk by, take a look at our garden and ask students for a bite. They would be glad to share!

“Exercise is a dirty word. Every

time I hear it, I wash my mouth

out with chocolate”

—Rita Rudner.

Hello everyone,

Many believe that exercise is a very important part of a student’s day. At SCS, we believe it is worth your child’s time.

Studies show that body and brain development go hand in hand. Up until recently, it was thought that the interaction between physical and cognitive development ended before 8 years of age. However, more recent studies suggest that this link extends well into teenage years. This means that physically active kids develop stronger neural connections in their brains.

Greater rates of physical activity in children have been associated with higher test scores in reading and math on standardized tests. Several studies have shown that students who are physically active have better working memories and problem-solving skills.

Exercise can prevent and decrease symptoms of depression and anxiety. This has been demonstrated in over 2000 studies according to American Psychological Association.

Exercise in the form of team sports offers excellent opportunities for students to socialize and develop bonds of friendship. Research suggests that kids who play team sports are less likely to feel isolated and more likely to overcome shyness. When playing a team sport kids learn concepts of winning and losing, which in turn help them deal better with adversity in everyday life.

Children who are physically active for at least 60 minutes a day also show lower rates of obesity per the American Academy of Pediatrics.

These are just 5 of the many reasons that exercise helps students. We are blessed to live in a community where our kids have easy access to beautiful hiking and biking trails, an amazing community swimming pool, and parks, creeks and lakes. We are also fortunate to have an afterschool sports program led by Bill Baker that offers a variety of team sports for our children to enjoy. Our school is also involved with Girls on the Run, led by Jillian Anderson. This program builds confidence, positive attitude and team concepts

Respectfully yours, Steven Paley, President Sedona Charter School Governing Council

Winter Strings—December 6th

Classroom Happenings

Ask A Teacher

Winter Holidays Around the World

Field Trip Highlights

contact us at 928-204-6464

www.sedonacharterschool.com

Our Montessori school challenges each

child to achieve excellence through an individualized

program, which includes a schoolwide musical strings

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

final

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

Dolores Biermann, Ana Hansen

Upper Elementary: Suzi Ashley, Maija Alanen, Harry Buedel, Jacquie Randall

Middle School: Lauren Rondeau, Niel Pableo, Bethany Gray

Orchestral Strings: Kristina Beachell

Administration: Alice Madar, Lauren Hendler, Jannette Villalobos-Gil

Title I: Ana Hansen

Special Education: Lucy Schwill, Teri Lechowski

7 Centers Yoga Arts of Sedona, donated 24 yoga mats to Sedona Charter School this last September. The yoga mats are being used in the Upper Elementary and Middle School yoga classes. Yoga has

become an essential activity and an integral part of our physical education curriculum. The mats are primarily used for outdoor practice, and we feel very lucky to have received such a generous donation.

Thank you 7 Centers Yoga Arts!

Thank you to all the staff, students, and community for making September’s International Peace Day Celebration a wonderful success! Bill Baker did a fabulous job as master of ceremony with Terri Wentsch providing technical assistance. Thank you to Riley Whitaker for her beautiful musical talent. Thank you to Hunter White for giving us some background on International Peace Day. The Middle School students helped set up and break down chairs and other equipment.

Thank you to all the students and staff for contributing their

voices in singing, “Light a Candle for

Peace.” Lastly, there is warm appreciation

for Rhea “Peach” Philo and her family’s generous

donation.

—-Ana Hansen

Don’t miss our Kindness Assembly, Friday morning, November 3rd. Be thinking about ways you can show kindness to others during our week

of random acts of kindness, November 5-11.

Girls on the Run 5K Ft. Tuthill County Park

Flagstaff Registration: 8 am Stretching: 9:30 am Race Starts: 10 am

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