The Countdown Begins…
Courtney Atkinson
It’s official! Target has begun advertising for “back to school essentials” which means we’ve got a month left until summer is really over. Lots of emotions!
Self-promotion is something that I oddly struggle with as a millennial, but when I think about it in terms of sharing all the things our team is working on to ensure next year is the best year yet, it’s manageable. As I write this I have no idea how many things are going to pour out so bear with me…1) We’ve added another rockstar educator to our team! She’s got pep in her step, loves teaching in small groups and is even taking time this summer to get certified in Orton-Gillingham methods of reading instruction when she’s not hitting the trails with MOSS. We cannot wait to work with Courtney aka Miss Sunshine and introduce her to our tribe! 2) Our Badge program is ready to hit the ground running. We've been diligently developing a co-directed learning system that allows students to build skills on their way to ‘self-directed learning’ (which is a buzzword that everyone talks about, yet no one nails). Students will be able to pick up right where they left off and earn Scout-like badges in areas like typing, arts, crafts, novel studies, Leave No Trace, self-care, leadership, etc. Students self select and work on earning these badges all year long and are celebrated at our end of year Badge Banquet. #lifeskills 3) We have two awesome Expeditions in the works for our first semester! First, the Elderberries (4th and 5th graders) will head up to the Glacier Institute to explore GNP and hopefully complete our first-ever float trip on the North Fork. In October, all students and their families are invited to the 320 Guest Ranch to learn, laugh and explore together to ensure we all feel grounded in this amazing community we are building year to year. 4) We have split up in to 3 distinct grade/age bands which will allow us to hone in on what each of our students needs developmentally. I’m so proud to say we are not only invested in making sure each student can perform at grade level, but also keeping tabs on social skills, executive functioning skills, and basics like tying our shoes and how to handle interpersonal conflict. Soon, we’ll need another Magic School Bus, one for each band! 5) There is not a single student, or a family, that we are not excited to be working with. It’s taken a lot of time to cultivate a group of families who want to be here for all of the right reasons and we are genuinely looking forward to continuing building meaningful relationships with everyone come September. We’ve also built partnerships we’re stoked to continue with amazing educators like Ms Trina with Healing Harmony Music Therapy, Ms Susannah at The Artroom East, and Missoula Children’s Theatre.Cheers!!
We have spots for 4 more students - fingers crossed for a few more 3rd & 4th graders - please send this to parents you know who are looking for high-end, experiential education for their children! We have one unclaimed scholarship at this time.