Desert Sky Community School
A public charter school Inspired by Waldorf Education
Nurturing Grades K-5 for the 2011/2012 school year.
....Desert Sky School in the news
* Sights, sounds of Colombia fill Desert Sky fest *
Published: 05.13.2008 Tucson Citizen tucsoncitizen.com /daily/frontpage/85065.php
A few hundred Tucsonans took in colorful sights, rhythmic sounds and mouth-watering flavors at
Saturday's second annual Colombian Festival at Desert Sky Community School, 122 N. Craycroft Road.
Performing a variety of traditional cumbias were about a dozen dancers from Club Colombia. Children at the charter
school, a tuition-free K-5 inspired by Waldorf Education, joined in as well, showing off cumbia steps they learned from
dance instructor Johana Jaramillo. Local Colombian chefs offered delectable empanadas, tamales, chicharron,
pandebonos almojabanas con bocadillo and other Colombian specialties. Handmade crafts were also for sale.
Dance presentations concluded with a scorching mapalé, an Afro-Colombian dance from the coast of Colombia,
performed by Jaramillo and Dajilmer Lopez. This rendition impressed Tucsonan Gloria Ferrell, who said it was the best
she had seen since coming to the United States from Colombia years ago. Ferrell joined other members of the
audience on the dance floor for a celebration of her cultural heritage.
For more information about Desert Sky, call 745-3888, go online to www.desertskycommunity school.org
or e-mail friends@desertsky communityschool.org.
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Arizona Daily Star -
February 28, 2007 -
Neighbors Briefs
To access the story, please click on this link:
http://www.azstarnet.com/sn /relatedstories/171212.php
Speaker to discuss Waldorf schooling
Desert Sky Community School will host guest speaker Merrill Badger at 6 p.m. March 8, 2007 at the school, 122 N. Craycroft Rd. Badger has 24 years of experience as an educator, including facilitating the development of Waldorf and Waldorf-inspired schools throughout Arizona. His presentation, titled "What is Waldorf? A Journey Through the Grades," is open to the public and will provide an overview for those new to the Waldorf approach. After the talk there will be an opportunity to tour the school, enroll students for the 2007-2008 year and meet members of the school community. Information regarding the school is also available online at www.desertskycommunityschool .org or by calling 745-3888. Desert Sky uses Waldorf methods and plans to grow to include eighth grade. Waldorf methods emphasize teaching that is appropriate to the child's developmental level. Educational opportunities include art, music, movement and Spanish and German starting in first grade.
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Desert Sky students welcome Year of the Pig
Submitted by ERICH SAPHIR - Published: 02.27.2007 in the Tucson Citizen Newspaper
To access the story, please click on this link: http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/daily/frontpage/42732.php
Children paraded in formation, scampered about, and danced as Desert Sky Community School celebrated the Chinese New Year and welcomed the Year of the Pig on Friday. The local charter school, which uses Waldorf methods, focuses on integrating arts, music, movement, and foreign languages into its curriculum. A group of volunteers, led by Kindergarten parent Claire Liu, planned and organized the festival, but the students played an active part. �The kindergarteners made the lion masks today and really enjoyed themselves. They did the parade in a wonderful way without any orchestration,� observed Kindergarten teacher Leila Lopez.
Following the parade, students sampled a variety of Chinese treats while Tom Tank, a guest from Taiwan, gave a demonstration of Chinese brush calligraphy and assisted students in their own efforts at brush drawing. Meanwhile, Mr. Zhu, a guest from Tucson Christian Mandarin Church, taught children and their parents how to fold colorful paper into intricate Origami patterns.
Parent Michael Becherer was impressed: �It's a wonderful thing that the school puts on events like this. It exposes my daughter to thoughts and ideas and cultures she otherwise wouldn't experience in a public school.�
At the end of the festivities, and after more than a few impromptu lion parades, the children assembled as Ms. Liu told the story of how the tradition of Chinese New Year celebrations came about. A long, long time ago, children in a Chinese village set off firecrackers to scare off monsters from the surrounding forests which had been eating children in the wintertime. Out of gratitude, the village's mayor distributed lucky coins to the children in bright red envelopes, a tradition replicated for the eager children at the school with Mr. Zhu stepping into the role of the mayor.
Kindergarten and Second Grade parent Beverly Heal summed up the day's activities most succinctly: �It was fun!'
(story and photos by Erich Saphir, a board member and parent at Desert Sky Community School. )
QUESTIONS?
Email us at friends@desertskycommunityschool.org to share your thoughts and questions. Desert Sky Community School, 1350 N. Arcadia Avenue, Tucson, Arizona 85712-4706 Telephone: (520)745-3888
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