February 20th, 2009
ISSUE #11
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Calendar Reminders
Saturday, Feb. 21st - 10:00 am:
GREEN THUMBS WORKING DAY- This meeting is for everyone interested in grounds work. Meetings will
be the 1st and 3rd Saturdays of each month. Please come and participate.Tuesday, Feb. 24th - 8:30 - 10:30 am: "WALK THROUGH THE GRADES" -
Step into each classroom for 10 minutes and observe kindergarten through grade 6. This will be followed by a questions and answer period. Call the office to sign up! Alternate dates: 3/25 & 4/23 Tuesday, Feb. 24th 3:15 pm: BOARD MEETING - All invited. Please see agenda posted on our new bulletin board outside the office.
March 16th - 20th: SPRING BREAKNo School Wednesday, March 25th - 6:00 - 8:00 pm: (note date change) JOAN TREADAWAY TALK - "Seeking the Self - the Journey of the Middle School Student" - Joan will address the characteristics of the 10 - 13 year old tender " tween." How can we strengthen the child through support and guidance so they are ready to face adolescence? How do we work with the seven year cycles to protect and prepare our children for adolescence? And, how can parents keep their sanity and humor?
Please, invite your friends to join us in this presentation and discussion. Submit any questions you would like addressed to the office and they will be passed on to Joan. Two recommended books: Girl Culture by Lauren Greenfield and Reviving Ophelia by Mary Pipher. Location to be announced.
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FROM THE BOARD:
Dear Parents and Friends of Desert Star Community School,
I wish to inform you the Board of Directors decided at their meeting February 12th to offer a multiage class of kindergarten and first graders for next year. We are very excited about this class and the faculty will be discussing what form this multiage class will take over the next few weeks. There is a great deal of experience in our faculty for multiage classes at this level and many ideas have been generated. Prior to Open Enrollment, we will be having a meeting with potential kindergarten and first grade families to describe what the schedule and day will look like.
The Board made the decision that we need to be "sustainable" next year and live within our budget; therefore, grades kindergarten through seven will most likely be located on the current campus. The school has hopes to received a personal loan in order to create a large, playing field next to the parking lot as well as to construct shade structures and do other necessary repairs to the current campus. At this time, the plan is to construct two classrooms in the spring of 2010, one in the second earthship and the other adjacent to it. We are planning to have the kindergarten and first grade combined only for next school year and then separated the year after that.
We would consider revising this plan if suddenly Desert Star were gifted enough money to remodel the earthship. We have made this decision in order to be able to balance our budget and grow into the future responsibly. Thank you for your patience and understanding during this process.
Sincerely,
Catherine Weld
Board President
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Green Thumbs Working Day: Saturday, February 21st - 10:00AM. Spend some volunteer hours and show up with your gardening gloves.
Meetings will be held the first and third Saturdays of the month.
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Fun-d Drive -
Our February Individual Family Fund Drive for Desert Star Community School is going strong!
We want to raise $150,000 - $200,000 to provide an expanded campus for 8 grades (k-7) with exceptional teachers for the next school year 2009-2010.
This fundraiser is a GREAT way for each of our expanded circle of acquaintances, friends and family to be included in supporting our children's education.
Any donation no matter how small or large is welcome, needed and appreciated.
(Remember, these donations are tax-deductable.)
Our combined efforts with this February Fund Drive could allow us to develop a wonderful addition to the school for our children next year. Our school needs our financial support to survive and THRIVE during these economic times.
Please do your part in raising funds in creative and powerful ways. Think outside the box. Call Stephanie (203-1144), Charlotte (204-9015) or other families for ideas on how to reach your family's fundraising goal.
Here are some examples:
· Yard sales
· Asking for money instead of gifts from relatives
· Throw a party and charge admission
· Give away professional services for donations
· Send out an e-mailed letter or mailed letter to all acquaintances, friends and family from your childhood onward asking for a small donation to our extraordinary school.
$20 from 100 people = $2000!
Imagine if every family did this!!! 70 families x $2000 = $140,000
WOW! We can do this!
We have one week left. Can Desert Star count on you?
Donations may be made at www.desertstarschool.org using the PayPal Button on the home page, or mailed to:
Desert Star Community School
1240 S. Recycler Rd.
Cornville, Az 86325
Please have all pledged donations for this February Fund Drive handed into the school by March 1, 2009.
5 Easy Ways to Support Our School
1. We get credit for every single search
and every time you purchase something online! It really works!
GoodSearch.com and GoodShop donate to the organization of your choice
(hopefully Desert Star!) when you perform a search and again when you
buy online through GoodShop.
2. Next you can REALLY help Desert Star by using GoodShop to make all your online purchases!
Here's how: Make Good Search.com your home page with Desert Star
Community School chosen as who you GoodSearch for, then every time you
need to shop hit the Shop Now link on the GoodSearch page, in GoodShop
search for the store of your choice - there are hundreds! When you
purchase this way, Desert Star can get up to 37% of your purchase
donated to the school! Remember this for any large purchases you need
to make, it can really add up for the school.
3. Be
sure to use Desert Star's Amazon Link, located in the right hand column
of our website on the home page. We get credit from Amazon only if your
purchase through Desert Star's Amazon links, yet not from Amazon
directly. Please do all your Amazon shopping through our link.
4. You
can also order from our Waldorf book list right from our site! Go to
our website under Parent Resources and then to Recommended Books.
5. And
be
sure you, and all your Arizona friends and relatives direct a portion
of your state income tax (up to $200 per individual/$400 per couple
filing jointly) to Desert
Star. It's easy - just pick up a form in the office or to the Support Us page on our website then go to the State Tax
Credit page.
THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT!
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Greetings!
There has been a lot of reporting in the news recently about people and institutions that have failed. What grade would you give to the banks? Wall Street? Congress? What criteria would you use to make your decisions? It's that time of year that we once again report to you about the progress your child is making at Desert Star. Parent conferences are designed to share student strengths and areas that need improvement with you. Teachers will mostly discuss the good work and wonderful progress of your child. Make sure you participate in this important dialogue with your child's teacher.
Susan Simon
Administrator, Desert Star Community School
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Parent-Teacher Conferences
By Susan Simon, Principal
We're in the process, at Desert Star School, of meeting with parents to review student work during the second marking period. The purpose of these conferences is to summarize in about twenty minutes all that has happened during a nine-week period. That would seem like a rather impossible task. This time spent with the teacher is really designed to give you a brief overview of all that has occurred in this snapshot of time.
Parent conferences should not surprise you. If the class teacher is communicating with you on a regular basis, through phone calls, emails, notes and meetings, it's likely that you know what's going on with your child. When a student is failing during a given marking period, the teacher should be communicating with the parents so that this situation can be turned around. A surprise failing grade on the report card should be questioned. "Why didn't you let me know my son was failing Math? I would have helped him." If we're doing our job, you should never have to ask that question.
Teachers use multiple of ways of assessing student skill levels and mastery of specific content. Some common assessment tools used at Desert Star would include; teacher observation, test results, main lesson books, performances, recitations, projects and worksheets. Hopefully, you have the opportunity to see the results of these efforts when your children bring papers home; you attend a school play or music program; or the teacher and you discuss homework.
All students ought to be evaluated in multiple ways to insure that we are tapping into their areas of strength. Ask your child's teacher what tools he or she uses to arrive at the student grades on the report cards. If you disagree with or question a grade, say something to the teacher about your concern. Conferences are designed to be two-way communication.
Teachers spend a lot of time preparing for parent conferences. They try to make them as meaningful as possible. You play an important role in your child taking report card marks seriously. Spend time with your child reinforcing all the good things that the report reflects. Offer help in the weak areas. Be supportive, not judgmental.
Submitted by Susan Simon, Principal
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Teacher & Community Corner
Announcements Supply Donation Reminder:Desert Star asks $150 Per Semester Per Child to help support the school.
Please get your donation in as soon as you can.
Newsletter Survey Update:Thank you for all those that participated in our Newsletter Survey sent last week. Based on results obtained from parents and staff, the newsletter will be delivered as an e-version and there will be no hard copy version. Your participation has been invaluable. If you know of anyone that might benefit from the information in our newsletter please forward by clicking the link at the bottom of this page.
Community Yard Sale To Benefit Desert Star:Fri Feb. 20th and Sat Feb 21st at 450 Page Springs Rd
Look for signs and balloons. PLEASE take this opportunity to do some spring cleaning and go through your things, any and all donations are welcome to help support our wonderful school. Bring your donations to 450 N Page Springs RD. Enter the barn, put your stuff to the right. For more information or to drop stuff off contact Sherri 282-0876 or Bridget 204-9687. Host An Exchange Student:The PAX Exchange program offers your family an opportunity to share your daily life with an international exchange student for a semester. A host family should be ready to share their lives with a PAX student. Students are ages 15 to 18 with at least 3 years of English. They must demonstrate satisfactory academic performance, good health, and good teacher references. They are covered by full medical insurance and supplied with spending money for personal expenses.
 The host family provides the student with a bed and quiet place to study; meals; and love and support a teenager needs. Students are expected to help out with family chores and share their culture. Please consider opening your heart and home to a 5 month student from Belgium, or Germany. If interested, contact Marcia Goebel, 204 2075 day, 301 9868 eve and weekends. Marcia is available to provide counseling and support for the student. Open House Walk-Through Tuesday, February 24th:
You are invited to spend the morning rotating through each classroom.
We especially would like to invite New Families, so put the word out!
Guidelines:
- Parents must pre-register by calling Desert Star 928-282-0171
- Maximum of 10 parents (due to classroom size)
- Adults only
- Remain quiet observers
- No questions for teacher during visit
- Cell phones off
Format:
8:30-8:45 Sign-in/ Visitor Badge at Office
8:50-9:00 First Grade
9:00-9:10 Second Grade
9:10-9:20 Third Grade
9:20-9:40 Fourth Grade
9:40-9:50 Fifth/Sixth Grade
9:50-10:30 Meet with Administrator for questions
Future Open Houses are being planned.
Student Project Carpentry Help Needed:
Desert Star students will each design a custom 4" x 4" tile that will be fired in the kiln then installed permanently on campus. Some of the classes will install their tiles onto the dismissal benches. Before that can be done, Zenna MacGregor, our art teacher, needs some help with adhering hardy backer board to the surfaces to be tiled. This involves putting the hardy
backer on with project adhesive and screws. She will start with grades 1, 2, and 4 on the benches just as soon as the backings are finished. Mrs. MacGregor has limitations with doing this kind of work and would really appreciate your help. Please email her at zenart@esedona.net or call the
office to leave a phone message.
House For Rent:
One-bedroom
"Earth Ship" house adjacent to DS school. Freshly painted interior,
unfurnished and available now. All utilities included. $800/month. For
information call: Tomas Winn 301-3491
Family Support Events:
Rudolph Steiner College - Informed Family Life
Spring Parenting Conference
"Educating Our Children - Changing the World"
April 25-26, 2009
Sacramento Waldorf School Fair Oaks, CA
Register at informedfamilylife.org
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Participate in TV Turnoff Week, April 23 - 29. ------------------------------------------------------------
Desert Star Teacher Biographies:
Find out who are our teachers and what are their backgrounds? http://www.desertstarschool.org/teachers.html
Desert Star Newsletter Archive Link:
Did you miss any of our newsletters? View them by going here: http://www.desertstarschool.org/newsletters.html
Parent Testimonial Link - Please Add To Our Site:
We are encouraging all parents of Desert Star students to participate in adding to our parent testimonials page. Just click and fill out the form by going to:
http://www.desertstarschool.org/parent-testimonials.html. Thank you!
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Teacher Highlights: "CLEAN GREEN SCENE DAY " By Rhonda Bierman, Environmental Science Teacher
 Armed with healthy attitudes toward our school and the environment, as well as trash bags, shovels, rakes and brooms- students and staff launched their first "CLEAN GREEN SCENE DAY" on Friday, February 6th. Each grade, group and individual went to their chosen landscape area to:
"Tend and Tidy" - our gardens.
"Sweep and Scour"- for litter and debris.
"Remove and Recycle" - materials from our rooms and fields.
"Improve and Approve"- our area as a "Clean Green Scene" of which to be proud to "live in" as well as to display lovingly to others!
 "The joy of nurturing and caring for the land and school that cares for us was apparent in the faces and hard-working hands of the children, some of whom continued weeding and cleaning through their snack and lunch recesses," said Rhonda Bierman, Environmental Science teacher and program coordinator. "This was so successful on so many levels; we will continue it as a program every first Friday of each month."
For more information contact: Rhonda Bierman at the school office.
More Teacher Highlights: "National Arbor Day Poster Competition - School Winner" By Rhonda Bierman, Environmental Science Teacher
Participating 5th and 6th grade classmates cheered when Alanah Bird's original poster, "Trees are Terrific- in Cities and Towns" was chosen to represent Desert Star in the National Arbor Day competition. Reflecting an understanding of the  important role trees play in our social, economic and natural environment, her artwork awaits statewide judging by the State Forester of Arizona. Best wishes and thanks to Alanah and all her classmates who participated during their environmental science classes!
Student Artist Spotlight: Aria Harness, First Grader By Zenna MacGregor, Art Teacher
This month's artist spotlight is on first grader, Aria Harness. Aria has art with Mrs. MacGregor each Monday at Desert Star. Aria really seems to enjoy art class no matter what medium she is working on. Her ability to shape clay forms is way beyond her years and she has a certain color palette that is exclusive to her and shows up in much of her art. Never one to get frustrated, Aria is always on task and positive during art. If she finishes before others she is a willing assistant with clean up and helping her friends. Aria is a joy to have in art class!
Aria in her collage bird mask.
Aria's creations, including a clay sun mask, a pinch pot, and a Mommy platypus with baby aboard.
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Thank you in advance for spreading the word about Desert Star Community School.You may forward this newsletter by clicking on the link at the bottom of this page. For more information, please call or visit us on the web.
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