A look back in time

report music notes >>>

Can you hear the difference? Celebrating our 20th year

Can you tell the difference

between a young musician

and a professional violinist

just by listening? Of course you can!

Kristina is excited to begin working with all

of our new and returning students as they

develop their skills as young musicians. An

important part of being a successful musician is

practice. Yes, we’ll all admit it’s not the

glamorous part, but it is extremely important.

Just like one must practice hitting the ball in

order to be a successful baseball player,

musicians need to spend time playing their

instruments outside of school.

Sedona Charter School is known for our

amazing strings program and we want to

continue to develop young musicians with a

love of music and a desire for excellence.

Parents: Your mission, should you choose to

accept it, is to require (yes, I said require) your

children to practice their instruments at home.

The rewards will be eternal and you will be

amazed at how quickly they progress.

Roadrunner academic excellence … personal growth … small school environment

August 2014 >>>

A publication of Sedona Charter School

K-8 Tuition-free Montessori School

Writing and Design: Bethany Cathcart

Photography: Alice Madar

Editor: Jane Cathcart

in this issue >>>

Celebrating our 20th year

Cosmic Education

Classroom Make-overs

Primary Corner

Alumni News

Letter From the President

Every organization or school had a

beginning, and we are taking this 20th year

to take a look back in time to discover our

roots and learn about those who had the

vision to start Sedona Charter School as well

as the people along the way who made it

possible.

We can thank the parents of children

graduating from Miss Gail’s pre-school and

kindergarten at Sedona Montessori School

for their vision to get the ball rolling!

Realizing there were no local elementary

schools providing Montessori based

education, they took advantage of the new

charter school law and worked to build a

school where their children could continue

learning in the same style and learning

environment to which they were

accustomed.

Sedona Charter School was born in

1995 and was one of the first charters

granted in the state of Arizona. After

months of planning and working with

both the City and Sedona Oak Creek

School District, a modular classroom

was set up near the Deer Trail campus

and school began with Bob Wentsch

leading grades 1-2 and Chris McGee

teaching grades 3-5. Enrollment

capped at 90 students in several

locations around town including White

Bear Trail next to the library which

eventually became the Middle School

campus.

Our design team had the vision to

begin working on the charter before the

new AZ charter school law even went

into effect to ensure ours would be one

of the first charters granted. With only

27 of the original 55 charter schools

still operating, we are among the

strongest in the state.

Sedona Charter School was one of

the first 3 charters granted in the

state of Arizona. This school year

we celebrate our 20th year of

educating children in Sedona.

From new carpeting in the LE classroom

to a new playground surface in the pit, Sedona

Charter School has had a busy summer

preparing for school to begin on August 6th.

We’d like to thank all of our parent volunteers

who helped move furniture for our new carpet

to be installed and the many parents and

students who shoveled, raked and rolled bark

for our new playground surface.

Bob, Terri, Ginny, Katarina, and Lucille

have worked diligently to prepare the LE

classroom so that everything students come in

contact with will facilitate and maximize

independent learning and exploration.

Allowing for movement and activity, students

are able to work on the materials at their own

pace permitting each child to experience a

combination of success, freedom and self-

discipline. Our classroom is designed to invite

the learner to come in and work. The

classroom is arranged so that students are able

upper elementary >>>

Cosmic Education Have your children ever asked, “Who am I”? Have

you ever wondered why you exist on this planet?

Cosmic Education was developed by Maria Montessori as a result of her wartime

experiences, designed to help students make sense of their point in time and where they fit

in the world. Rather than focusing her camera on one subject, she sought to capture the

panoramic view, teaching students about themselves as human beings who could make a

difference in their world.

The universe is an imposing reality, and an answer to all questions. All things are

part of the universe and are connected to each other to form one whole unity. The

idea helps the mind of the child to become focused, to stop wandering in an

aimless quest for knowledge. He is satisfied having found the universal center of

himself with all things. Maria Montessori, To Educate the Human Potential

Cosmic Education, simply stated, encompasses so much. It goes beyond traditional

curriculum and teaches children that they are a part of the total creation and have an

important part in it. The natural world comes alive, as does their place in it. Students who

participate in this system of education are better prepared for success as adolescents and as

adults because they develop a sense of themselves as independent individuals with a

balanced understanding of who they are and what role they plan in society. They are able

to reach for the starts and they understand their limits. They understand the necessity to

seek help when needed and the importance of acting responsibly.

Like Maria Montessori, Bill, Shandra and Jim believe that Cosmic Education will

allow children to grow into responsible sons and daughters of the great human family,

with the understanding, ethics, and self-knowledge needed to transform the world.

lower elementary >>>

to help each other and the teacher is not the

only resource. The learning environment is

designed so that students are drawn to work

through activities. Developmentally

appropriate material are carefully placed in

the classroom and move from simple to

complex and concrete to abstract. LE students

are given the freedom to develop their unique

potential through a carefully thought out

learning space.

The purpose of this prepared environment

is to develop the whole personality of the

child, both academically and socially. As

students move out of the classroom to the

playground area, their prepared environment

continues to be safe and orderly. The pit

provides a sustainable, durable, and natural

environment for students to run off extra

energy, socialize with friends and play safely.

Our new engineered wood playground surface

meets all IPEMA standards, providing high

impact absorbing qualities while

guaranteeing a firm, slip resistant surface.

Whether through teamwork on the

playground or academics in the classroom,

our goal is for students to build up an inner

sense of purpose and motivation. This is a

lifelong, intrinsic value that will serve

them well throughout their educational

career and lives. Believing that the

responsibility for learning rests upon each

student, our task is to create the most

conducive environment for successful

learning .

Absorbent Minds Sedona Montessori School is guided by

the observations of Dr. Maria Montessori,

who believed that each child is unique in his

abilities, personality and interests; therefore,

each child should be taught in a unique way.

She was so passionate about this that she

wrote a book called “The Absorbent Mind.”

Our preschool and kindergarten program

is based on the belief that during the first six

years of life, children should develop through

purposeful “work” in an environment that

allows for intellectual freedom and

exploration. During these foundational years

the child’s mind is exceptionally absorbent.

As the children strive to attain their potential,

they

develop

attitudes

and

confidence

that will

serve them

throughout

their lives.

primary >>>

Rejuvenate the Learning Spaces

Peter Paley demonstrates the scale of this project.

The semi load of play-n-fall wood chips are off the

driveway and in the

playground ready for the new school

year!

It is a fundamental principle of Montessori education to carefully prepare the environment for learning.

ask a teacher >>> What do you remember most about our school’s first year?

In the calm, ordered space of the

Montessori prepared environment,

children work on activities of their own

choice at their own pace. They experience

a blend of freedom and self-discipline in

a place especially designed to meet their

developmental needs.

— www.montessori-namta.org

This is as true for adolescents as it is for

pre-schoolers, although the prepared

environment for adolescents has its own

particular requirements. With the arrival of

our new Middle School teachers, Jenn

Jordan and Tim Marsh, there has been a

whirlwind of activity in the MS classroom

this summer. Jenn and Tim have spent

weeks cleaning, repairing furniture,

inventorying materials, and reorganizing

the space for the new school year.

Some of the most significant changes

are:

teacher offices have been re-purposed

to serve as spaces for break-out

lessons, computer language learning

labs and quiet individual study;

the laboratory area is being prepared

for science lessons, which will include

a study of light, color and vision

as related to art, and a chemical

investigation of the process of

soap making;

dedicated spaces for art and

writing workshops have been

created; and

a wireless transmitter has been

installed for the main projector to

allow greater flexibility for

integrating technology into math

and other classes.

Jenn says: “What we’re after is an

environment that helps to smoothly

structure student work. Clean,

attractive spaces, organized materials,

accessible teachers and places for both

individual and group work are all

important components of a successful

adolescence classroom. The classroom

is the basis for the culture of learning

which will be established within. A

well-organized classroom leads to well-

organized work and well-organized

thinking; it is the scaffolding within

which student learning takes place.”

Q:

A:

Dear Sedona Charter

School Families,

Happy August and welcome back to

school everyone! This year, Sedona

Charter School celebrates our 20 Year

Anniversary and we feel confident, it is

going to be THE BEST YEAR EVER!

Sedona Charter School was founded

in 1995 and it is the oldest charter school

in Arizona. We have been a leader among

other charter schools in Arizona, and

have stood the test of time and rigorous

standards when other charter schools in

Arizona could not. Today, our school is

honored and respected within the

educational community and among

families who value excellence in

education.

According to the Arizona Charter

School Association, charter schools are

public schools that are innovative while

still being held accountable for improved

student achievement. Charter schools

may vary in their mission and style of

teaching while serving a wide range of

students, many with needs beyond the

one-size-fits-all traditional public school.

Arizona continues to lead the nation in

charter school growth, with one of the

highest percentages of students attending

public charter schools.

Here at Sedona Charter School, our

mission is as follows: Our Montessori

school challenges each child to achieve

excellence through an individualized

program. We inspire a passion for

learning, instill a sense of personal

responsibility, and cultivate a respect for

the environment and involvement in the

community.

Please help us celebrate our 20 Year

Anniversary by getting involved in our

school and volunteering! Join a planning

committee, volunteer in your child’s

classroom, teach an elective, or ask a

teacher where they need your help.

Thanks for being a part of this exciting

milestone for Sedona Charter School!

Kristy Kazian, President

Sedona Charter School

Governing Council

Kristy@sedonaharterchool.com

847-624-4341

Letter from the President

middle school >>>

Middle School Make-Over

Our motto was “pack up and move!” Principal Educator Bob

Wentsch recalls that the lower elementary classroom moved three times in the first

week of school in 1995. They began classes in the library’s community room, moved

to the church on Deer Trail and then to a modular classroom with no electricity and

no running water. Moving 45 students 3 times with 4 teachers was quite the

challenge. Bob remembers endless Governing Council meetings with lots of high

expectations and many differing opinions as to how to attain them. “Our first year

was all about making the day to day reality meet the idealistic expectations in order to

achieve a functional school.” The goal was to keep things going and maintain

stability while finding the right people to put ideas into action. I guess we found the

right people! This year marks Bob and Terri’s 20th year at Sedona Charter School.

final Finding An Agent That’s Right For You

looking ahead >>>

September, 2014

October Old-Fashioned Picnic

Settling In (viewpoints from our new teachers)

Alumni Highlights

Sedona Charter School History

Our Mission: Our Montessori school challenges each child to

achieve excellence through an individualized program. We inspire a

passion for learning, instill a sense of personal responsibility, and

cultivate a respect for the environment and involvement in the

community.

staff >>>

contact us at 928-204-6464

www.sedonacharterschool.com

Lower Elementary: Bob and Terri Wentsch, Katarina Houser, Ginny Bianco

Upper Elementary: Bill Baker, Shandra Ryan, Jim Leinbach

Middle School: Jenn Jordan, Tim Marsh

Administration: Alice Madar, Jane Cathcart, Dolores Biermann

Title I and Strings: Teri Lechowski, Kristina Beachell

165 Kachina Drive Sedona, AZ 86336

alumni news >>>

Eva and Annie Wilson spent many

years at Sedona Charter School. The two

sisters are successful college students

ready to change their world for the better.

Annie graduated from SCS in 2006

and went on to attend the Honors College

at the University of Arizona. She will

graduate in December with a B.S. in

Environmental Science/Microbiology

and a minor in

Biochemistry.

Her advice for

students

pursuing

degrees in

science is to

never

underestimate

the amount of

time you will

spend in the

library! You

will work

harder than your peers, spending time in the

lab while everyone else is out socializing.

Always stay positive and enjoy what you’re

studying because most people don’t get the

opportunity to receive a great education.

Make the most of it!

Sedona Charter School taught Annie that

every student learns at her own pace and in

varying ways. As a successful college

student, she focused on how she learned best

and didn’t have to be concerned about the

student next to her. If she didn’t understand,

it was time to change her method of learning.

In the future, Annie plans to attend medical

school and launch her career working with

and researching infectious diseases.

Younger sister Eva is also planning a

career in medicine. “Thanks to the hands-on

learning I received at Sedona Charter School,

I was able to visualize concepts easier.” Eva

learned the importance of repetition and the

ability to learn in different ways. She used

that knowledge and ability to become

Sister Sister

valedictorian of her Sedona Red Rock

High school graduating class in 2013.

This gave her the confidence to attack

college with determination and work

passionately in the field of science. Eva

says never allow yourself to get “stuck”

on the hard things (a bad grade on a test,

a hard teacher, a bad lab group) because

at the end of the day everyone faces hard

times. They are just road blocks that you

need to push through to gain strength to

work harder and achieve even greater

things. Eva plans to graduate from the

University of Arizona with honors in

Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and

move on to medical school to study

pediatric oncology.

Eva Wilson

Annie Wilson

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