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Springtime is such a busy time! It’s hot, it’s cold, a hen ends up being a rooster, there’s testing and reports, there’s also waterfalls and ferns, we lost our fish, we gained a friend….March and April certainly embodied the oscillations of spring! First and foremost we’d like to formally welcome our newest Rockwood friend, Mia! Her family came to Austin from Arizona, and we’re glad they chose Cedars as part of their new home. Mia stepped right into the Rockwood flow and is a lovely addition to our community. Her family is still learning about and adjusting to Austin, so be sure to reach out and introduce yourself! Spring always means a classwide nature trip. This year we enjoyed a truly spring day at Krause Springs. It’s a gorgeous swimming hole, one of the best in the Hill Country, and although the weather was a bit “mizzly,” we lucked out! It’s precisely because of that weather that we had the whole place to ourselves!! –Y’ALL!!– That doesn’t happen! It was such a rare treat. Check out our photos–they look like photos from a story book. We swam, swooped off a rope swing, explored rocks, hiked along the river, explored inside a huge tree, and played in spring-fed waters. It was a beautiful day to revel in some Green Time. Sadly, we witnessed a different aspect of nature: the life cycle. Our dear fish, Ritan, swam “over the Rainbow Bridge,” as they say. He had such a long, long life for a betta fish! We are grateful for how strong and healthy he was, and for so long. He is missed. Students wanted to help other animals too, so they turned an original play into a fundraiser for the SPCA. Some Rockwood students wrote, rehearsed, and performed a play in which audience members had to learn who the real villain was, and it was a surprise! There was laughter, swordplay, ice cream, and trickery in this creative production. Thanks to all who came out to watch and to support! Your support is also welcome as we formally announce the grand opening of the Firefly Cafe!! Rockwood’s Full Cycles have been working to pull this together for months! How did it come to be? The Full Cycles wanted to customize their final semester here to reflect their procession from the elementary years into adolescence. The Full Cycles and I recognized how Cedars still suits them and will forever be their home, but it’s also a place they were starting to outgrow. The Firefly Cafe was their response. It involved planning, pulling together resources, shopping, learning new skills (from brewing coffee to retail customer service), and budgeting. And now, it’s open! Phase II: Once their momentum is self-sustaining, they will analyze the entrepreneurial side of this endeavor: repaying their ‘small business loan,’ calculating rent and utilities, determining what to reinvest, and of course, what to do with those profits! These acts are Montessori in action. They are the elementary child’s Practical Life skills combined with the benefits of a Going Out (interacting with larger society to feel one’s place in it), coexisting with the early stages and needs of adolescence, which include experiencing financial independence and a ‘trial run’ of adulthood. All this while having fun with friends, handing out pastries, and sparking new life into a quiet shed on campus. We want to also include, acknowledge, and applaud Dorothy Caldwell for stepping in as the volunteer who provided the launch codes for Firefly Cafe’s take-off, so to speak! We also want to acknowledge the key support of all of the Full Cycle parents and families, coming together to support, problem-solve, help set up, coordinate on weekends, and come to school early on so many mornings! Bravo to all of you. We couldn’t have done it without you (especially this time of year!), and we hope you take a moment to step back and see what you helped them create. And thank YOU for our time together during parent conferences. I really value learning more about your children and your families. I appreciate your input as we grow together as partners in this most important work, your child’s health and development. Reminders ☕ Stop by Firefly Cafe! Open every Monday Wednesday Friday from 8:00 - 9:00. Grab a coffee–it’s the good stuff!–or a pastry. A fun idea: come hang out with other parents after drop off! We’d love for Firefly Cafe to be a favorite spot for parents to get to know each other, generate community, and lounge in some me-time. A great way to start your morning, huh? Now serving hot cocoa and mochas! Upcoming 🌷 Spring Festival is April 29! There are many ways to support the school:
✏️ Standardized testing experience for MidCycles was April 17-19. MID CYCLE families sign up here for a quick, morning meeting on May 12 to learn how to interpret those scores. 😎 We have a Staff Day May 12, which means no school for all children. [But MidCycle families - sign up to go over test scores sometime that morning!] 🎓 GRADUATION will be the afternoon of May 25. Mark your calendars! ☀️ Last Day of School is May 26!
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