The Elders Teaching the Youngers
My plan was ingenious. We’ve had Dolly, our mixed-breed collie-ish dog, as part of our family for about five years. She is, objectively speaking, what one would call a good girl. She stays on the porch, piddles outside, doesn’t bother our chickens, and can speak on command. Over the years, Dolly did so well, in fact, that we thought we’d add one more dog to our growing family…
Let's Learn Outside
A thoughtful outdoor component is something that I seriously seek for my child’s education. Like many parents, I want my child to grow up with all of the tools he will need to navigate the ever-changing world, both as a self-sufficient person and as someone who values connection with others. And in the midst of a global pandemic, flexibility, creativity and problem solving are much-needed skills in our society and the current environment…
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…
Welcome New Staff Members!
Mountain Sun Community School welcomed four new staff members at the start of the 2020-2021 school year: Anne Nicoletti as Primary Lead Teacher and Kindergarten Teacher, Anna Heard as Primary Assistant Teacher, Sara Schmidt as Communications Coordinator, and Caroline Safford as All School Assistant…
Let's Change
We are a school for peace. This is central to our mission, our educational philosophy, our culture, and our practice. It is infused into all aspects of our curriculum and our relationships…
Nurturing the Spirit of Our Children
Montessori education is often characterized by what is readily visible to us. This may be happy children using beautiful didactic materials such as the pink tower of cubes or the golden beads used in math curriculum. Or perhaps it’s the aesthetically pleasing child-sized classrooms housing mixed age groups working busily…
December 2019 Class Updates
The Owls and Otters are wrapping up their studies of Africa as we head into the holiday break. Days are spent hard at work, exploring works in more complex ways and paying attention to the seasonal changes happening around us…
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…
November Class Updates
The Owls and Otters have dug into their studies of Africa. A generous slew of guest speakers have come into the primary classes recently to share about their experiences with the African continent…
MSCS Students Exploring the Natural World
Backpacking trips, bird banding, paddling 28 miles on the French Broad River, learning primitive skills, and spending a night in a tent: these are some of the things Mountain Sun Community School students do throughout the school year…
Montessori Language Work
Nouns and verbs and adjectives, oh my! Here we go on an adventure of discovery. This may be a difficult and tiresome journey at times but the path is paved in growth and learning. Our path is made clearer by the foundation created by Dr. Maria Montessori…
The Montessori Philosophy: Cultivating Peaceful Independence
More than a century ago, Dr. Maria Montessori pioneered a method of education rooted in the observation that each child is a unique person who is naturally curious and has a desire to learn experientially. When a beautiful educational environment is intentionally created, children find their passion for learning and are able to fully develop intellectually, socially, and emotionally…
Multilingual Education
Part of Mountain Sun Community School’s mission is to cultivate a love of learning through a challenging academic curriculum grounded in mutual respect and a sense of belonging. Our students, all of us actually, are citizens of the world. So, naturally, challenging our students with language learning fits into our mission perfectamente…
Let's Go Out and Play Together!
Join the Natural Play Project at an upcoming Natural Playdate! Playdates are free, facilitated, natural play experiences for children 3-5 years old with their parent/caregiver. They take place outside and include fun, developmentally appropriate educational activities, and time for natural free play…
September 2019 Class Updates
Many of the early days in the Owl and Otter classes are about getting those school routines down pat. Consistent repetition of routine has allowed the classes to have their first full morning work periods, staying busy all the way up to 11:00 on some days! Grace and courtesy is the ever-present thread throughout the primary classes, as the students are reminded to ensure that all actions (and words) are coming from a place of kindness…
MacKenzie Henry to Serve as Assistant Primary Teacher at Mountain Sun Community School
Mountain Sun Community School is pleased to announce the hire of MacKenzie Henry as an assistant teacher of their Primary Class. The independent, non-profit educational institution is grateful to be able to flexibly maximize the time, skills, and passions of our teachers…
Mountain Sun Works with Ellie Elzerman to Develop Curriculum
Over the past school year, Mountain Sun Community School worked in partnership with Ellie Elzerman, Educational Consultant and Montessori expert, to develop and improve the school’s academic curriculum…
May 2019 Classroom Updates
The Owls and Otters have been spending lots of time outdoors exploring the changing season. The children are very interested in the changes in plants, and the more plentiful flowers, butterflies, and song birds…
What is Natural Play?
Natural play can take on many forms, but at its core, it is self-directed, imaginative play in outside spaces that include elements of the natural world. It is exploring and discovering; it is building and demolishing; it is creating and imagining; it is interacting with the environment in hands-on, physics testing, common-sense-building ways…