Dear Syringa Mountain School Families and Friends, A few short months ago, our vision for providing a school of choice, a Waldorf inspired public education was realized. We opened our doors to 135 children, with our promise to cultivate intellectually curious, eco-literate, compassionate, self-reliant thinkers, prepared to solve the challenges of our world. We are delivering on that promise by providing an aesthetically pleasing learning environment, infusing rigorous academics with the arts, Spanish, and farm, garden and sustainability, and delivered by committed, passionate and compassionate educators who truly believe Waldorf methodology educates each child uniquely and holistically. What a perfect time to acknowledge all that has been accomplished and what yet lay ahead. Our blessings are numerous. Our SMS parents and supporters continue their tireless efforts on our behalf with their expansive generosity: plowing our sidewalks and parking lot; tidying our classrooms weekly so they are ready each Monday for our children; raising $58,000 at the Harvest Dinners; re-staining the 3rd grade floor; building “official” soccer goals for our budding athletes; and not to mention the stunning transformation of our common space for the winter spiral walk. Bobbi Filbert has just joined our SMS Board with the creation of a board seat for whomever serves as the Parent Council Chair. Our enrollment has remained steady. Our SMS Board has navigated these uncharted waters of opening a new school with steady leadership, focus and unbound enthusiasm. Our children are, on most days, successfully commuting to school using Mountain Rides. Thanks to Al and Ali, our Farm to School Table lunch program is launched. And we are happy to report that most or our neighbors enjoy having us in the neighborhood! And Lita, your building has provided us the perfect facility and setting in which our children might thrive! We continue to find creative ways to surmount the challenges of starting a new school, through the ingenuity, selflessness and sacrifice of our staff, School Board and consultants. November marked the addition of a seasoned and gifted educator joining our ranks as our pedagogical director, Ms. Mende Coblentz. November also marked an untimely staff departure leaving a fifth grade teacher opening. Completely unexpectedly, our charter school mentor and education consultant, Dr. Goral, offered to teach our fifth grade class for the month of December, while we searched for a new teacher. Mary traveled all the way from Indiana, and in three short weeks, captured our fifth grade children’s imaginations and hearts with their study of ancient India, and with gripping tales of her dog. After completing candidate interviews, our Board decided the strongest course of action was to have Ms. Coblentz assume the fifth grade teaching position for the remainder of the school year. But don’t be surprised to see Dr. Goral on campus. She will be providing pedagogical support along with Mende, as the school year progresses. In December the SMS Board also decided to combine the two kindergarten programs. Our Kindergarten classes have stayed well under our state approved 40 student limit, with 26 students and 4 teaching staff. This decision to blend the two classes provided the fortuitous opportunity for Kristen Albright to join our second grade as a co-teacher with Mr. Andy Martone. And lastly, dropping enrollment in the upper grades after school program has caused us to temporarily suspend our program for our children in grades 2-5. We will continue to offer our K-1 after school program and hope over time to be able to offer some specialty activities for those older children. As January nears, uncharted territory still lies ahead. Can we all find agreement on how we define what a “Waldorf-inspired” public school looks like, feels like, accomplishes? How will our children “measure up” to the required state testing? When compared to their peers, how long will it take for our SMS children to show the promised gains that other public Waldorf schools have realized? When we administer our school parent survey this spring, will we find that most of our families are satisfied or even pleased with their children’s education? And what are the areas you will tell us we need to devote more attention to and improve? Will we be able to muster the required additional financial support each year to fill the gap between the costs of this public school choice and the allotted state level school funding? And what might a mutually beneficial relationship with our local school district look like and will it materialize? With four full and eventful months behind us, we look ahead with clarity of purpose and strength of will. May our successes be beyond measure and our failings redeemable. May we continue to share this incredible journey together, shoulder to shoulder, heart to heart. There could be no better travel companions than all of you. And for that, we are eternally grateful. Happy, joyous holidays to all. With deepest gratitude, The Syringa Mountain School Board and Staff
Posted on: Fri, 26 Dec 2014 14:57:46 +0000
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