Philanthropy Education for Children
The programmatic purpose of SLPs at Mountain Sun is to give children the chance to “belong,” a key piece of our school’s mission. By engaging with others and learning how to coexist peacefully, children learn that the school and their communities are places of helping, belonging, and acceptance.
How To Do A Peace Talk
“If there is to be peace in the world, there must be peace in the nations. If there is to be peace in the nations, there must be peace in the cities. If there is to be peace in the cities, there must be peace between neighbors. If there is to be peace between neighbors, there must be peace in the home. If there is to be peace in the home, there must be peace in the heart.”
Emotional Intelligence 101: Belong
Emotional Intelligence (EI) is a big topic. I am just initially and gracefully entering this field of study, which makes me think of myself as taking a swan dive into the giant pool of EI…
Seasons Greetings
I sip my bright green spinach smoothie while waiting for my cinnamon oatmeal muffins to cool. A normal Saturday morning in the Carlson household. As the end of the year quickly approaches I find myself, like many people, thinking about loved ones, both friends and family. It is a time for reflection and giving. I am not a gifter, though there are times I wish I were. I need to give with time, service, and kind words…
Practicing Gratitude with Community
'Tis the season for traditions! At Mountain Sun Community School there are many ways these traditions are celebrated, both in school and in the homes of our students. “Belong” is one of the five keywords rooting Mountain Sun Community School’s philosophy…
Connecting the Class to the Stars
This will be a walk through the wild and wonderful world of the Acorn classroom. We start on a Monday morning, it is cold so you are wearing your extra layers; a coat, mittens, that wool hat with a big ball on the top and last but not least a scarf that is longer than you are tall…
Boundaries
When working with the Acorn age group (6-9 years old), their need to find their boundaries is clear. They are, once again, newly awakening to the world around them. Yes, they have seen it and been a part of it for quite a while by this time. However, they are coming to a new understanding: becoming aware of being a part of the whole rather than the reason for the whole…
Compassionate Community
"Many things are true at once," is something I keep hearing. I was speaking to a friend last night and reflecting on how, for our kiddos, that can feel a little confusing. In the Acorn class, we do our morning check-ins as a group…
January 2019 Classroom Updates
The Owls and Otters are moving into their studies of Asia. The teachers have decided that both classes will first study China and then move on to Thailand. This week they will have a guest speaker, Kert Peterson, who will speak to the classes about Taekwondo…
December Classroom Updates
The two younger classes have had parent and teacher conferences. Both classes are taking opportunities to go out and about with trips to the Library, Care Partners, and Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education…
Actitud De Gratitud
Every day I drive into our beautiful school campus, I can’t help but feel grateful. I get to work with amazing children and colleagues and I get to teach and share two of my passions: Yoga AND Spanish! This month I am overflowing with gratitude, on the heels of the amazing fall color and leading up to my personal favorite holiday of all: Thanksgiving…
Storytelling
When I think back to my childhood and some of the stories I heard from my parents, I smile at the images that come to my mind. My favorite was one that my father told often about cooties and the spoon that found them. It was magical, and I always wondered how he knew to use such an amazing tool to identify the infected…
Mountain Sun Announces the Natural Play Project
As part of the “Get Set” Early Childhood Initiative, Mountain Sun Community School has partnered with local organizations and is launching the Natural Play Project. Funded in large part by the United Way, MSCS is developing and enhancing its outdoor learning environment in order to provide a space for natural play programs for the diverse families and children of Transylvania County…
Boundaries in the Outdoors
One of the places that the children play is an open area of grass, with some large beautiful boulders, and an old hemlock tree. There are boundaries that the children learn and respect. They understand how they are helpers in that they do not venture into the well-manicured flower beds…
National Childhood Cancer Awareness
September is National Childhood Cancer Awareness month...not a pretty topic what-so-ever. Yet it is one that is dear to my heart as a parent of a child who has been bravely fighting brain cancer for the past four years. My son Holmes was diagnosed right after he turned five years old, and ever since we were thrown onto this journey, we have been advocating for more awareness and more funds to help find better treatments and cures…
We Got This
Volunteering is important here at Mountain Sun. For our children, it’s a way to serve the community and get a chance to make an impact on the world around us. Starting from the beginning, we all encourage students to look beyond themselves and see how they can help others in class and at home…
September 2018 Class Updates
These young students are busy exploring their campus and classroom. The Otters enjoyed their first field trip last week. They had story time at the library and got a tour of the children’s section. They are learning about the 5 senses: sight, sound, touch, hearing, and taste…
Contemporaries in a Revolution
Around the age of five, I had a best friend named Jessica. Our fathers worked together, we “played” t-ball together (if picking flowers in the outfield is considered playing), so we saw each other often. I remember we were at a holiday dinner with a bunch of families at a large table and Jessica’s family had just gotten a new conversion van with a bed in the back…
The Power of Language
According to dictionary.com the word language means “a body of words and the systems for their use common to a people who are of the same community or nation, the same geographical area, or the same cultural tradition.” I am always amazed at how something so complicated can be summed up in so few words…