Headwaters School’s Post

It's #FacultyFriday! Here's a spotlight from the March/April 2024 Edition of the Current featuring Christina Keller, Early Elementary Kingfishers Guide! What Brought You To Headwaters: I was drawn to Headwaters by the focus on social justice that is seen through the PACT. I love that we explicitly focus on helping children become advocates and peacemakers. I've enjoyed helping the wonderful Kingfisher students write letters to government officials advocating for change, raise money to help provide clean drinking water for others, and practice voting. Fun Facts about Christina: - I really enjoy long distance running. You can probably find me running around Town Lake on the weekends. One of my favorite runs was hiking up Humphreys Peak in Arizona, and then running down it in a monsoon. - I grew up near an apple orchard in Minnesota, and love having students taste test different kinds of apples in the fall. - I did improv when I first moved to Austin and once played the role of a pompom that dreamed of becoming a jellyfish. - I enjoy having dance parties with my two dogs and two guinea pigs. - Manatees are my favorite animal! Read more about Christina here: https://lnkd.in/eFyDxw6Q

Happy Independence Day! Enjoy the festivities and have a safe and joyful 4th of July!

Headwaters School will be taking a social media break this week. Please note that our school offices will be closed, and our summer camp will run a modified schedule. We wish everyone a joyful and safe holiday week! We'll be back to share more updates and stories soon.

It's #FacultyFriday! Here's a spotlight from the January/February 2024 Edition of the Current featuring Mei Hu, our High School Mandarin Guide! What Drew Mei to Headwaters: "Headwaters is a very supportive community. All the students call the guides by their first names and can find help from guides any time. People are very nice to each other. It's like a big family. I like the small class size. I like the smiles on students' faces. I like the Forward with lots of interactions from students. The teenagers make me feel young again! I am also grateful for the supportive administration team and colleagues." Fun Facts About Mei: - I joined a Toastmasters Club on Friday evenings to meet interesting people and learn from different experiences. - I sometimes do Zumba fitness dance with an online group. I joined an advanced beginner tennis class in a park. - I like cooking. Sometimes I experiment with cooking different stuff and it doesn't taste good! Haha! Read more about Mei here: https://lnkd.in/gaR3r7FQ

It's #FacultyFriday! Here's a spotlight from the November/December 2023 edition of the Current featuring Jaclyn Anderson, Lead Guide in the Primary Bluebirds Classroom. What Brought Jaclyn to Headwaters: I am so happy to be a part of this amazing school community. What first attracted me to Headwaters was the passion for whole child education. With a background in Montessori education, this is an important value to me, and it is delightful (and incredibly rare) to see that principle played out in one community from 18-months-old all the way to high school! Fun Facts About Jaclyn: - I was an Air Force brat and have moved 18 times. I have now lived in the Austin area for 9+ years, which is twice as long as I had ever lived in one place before! - I love to travel and hope to eventually visit all 50 states (currently at 44) and all seven continents (currently at three). - In my former (pre-teaching) life I was a financial accountant. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/g_Ca3cwZ

#TBT to our MS/HS Film Showcase! On the evening of April 9, 2024, the Headwaters community gathered at Austin Public Library Special Events Center to attend the Headwaters Film Showcase, a first of its kind event to celebrate the amazing films of MS and HS students. Shortly after, the audiences were enthralled by zany, moving and evocative films by Middle Schoolers, 9th and 10th graders, Juniors and Seniors. After Juniors and Seniors films, they were invited on stage where they answered questions by our community. Seniors were given helpful feedback to improve their final IB Collaborative Project submissions. The audience witnessed the growth and maturity of students' films from MS to IB, both in content and production quality. Thank you to PVC for organizing the event and providing refreshments for the attendees. Thank you to Dominique Estevez for capturing memorable moments for our Headwaters community.

It's #FacultyFriday! Here's a spotlight from the September/October edition of the Current featuring Elementary Music Guide Melissa Solomon! What drew Melissa to Headwaters: I felt an irresistible connection to teaching at Headwaters, drawn by the caring, warm, open, and inclusive community. It's a place where down-to-earth, authentic individuals cultivate an environment brimming with love, humanity, and unwavering support for growth and creativity. I resonated with a place that has the PACT at its core, encouraging everyone to be Peacemakers, Advocates, Creators, and Thinkers. I absolutely love that everyone has such a terrific sense of humor too! Headwaters–-and our cozy Yurt–is a teaching sanctuary I'm proud to call home. Fun Facts about Melissa: - I love the wide variety of experiences life offers us! I have loved experiencing all kinds of things, from being chased by an elephant in an open safari vehicle, nipped on my bottom by a lion, and a way-too-close encounter with a baboon that got into our car, to playing in Carnegie Hall with the Juilliard Symphony, with Michael Buble in the AT&T Stadium, and on stages around the world, to snow-machining in the Alaskan Brooks Range, dog-sledding along the Yukon Quest Trail, seeing the Northern Lights in -40 degrees, and camping in the soft moss covered Boreal Forest, the Redwood Forest and State and National Parks around the country. I love experiencing life fully in all its colors, flavors, sounds and variations, from smelling the tiniest flower on a morning walk to thrilling adventures and everything in between. - My favorite hobbies that I could spend all day doing if I have time are wood carving, being outdoors in nature, or playing chamber music with friends. - I am fascinated with psychology and brain science. To me, teaching music to children is part music, part psychology, part brain science and part emotional intelligence and every part of it is interesting every day! - My other job is being a cello teacher in my wonderful cello studio after school hours, where I teach kids ages 3-18 private lessons, and have cello orchestra, quartet, beginning and advanced ensembles, recitals and teach masterclasses and workshops around the country. - My two kids, ages 12 and 10, are the apples of my eye, the loves of my life, my greatest joy and the center of my universe. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/gRDeUSJq

This spring, our IB photo juniors visited local gallery Women & Their Work to explore Alejandra Almuelle’s "Circular Body" exhibition. We were guided through the exhibition, helping students understand the connections between the pieces and how to read exhibition texts—skills they'll use for their own Year 2 Exhibition. Each student chose a piece that inspired them and participated in a brief studio workshop with the prompt: create your own halo. Back in class, students crafted sample works using air-dry clay, combined with another medium and texture or color, reflecting on their process and photographing their creations for their process portfolios. Some might even develop these samples into resolved artworks this fall! #ArtEducation #IBArt #StudentArtists #austin #IB

This spring, the Doves dove into money and value! Our 1st graders sorted quarters, nickels, dimes, and pennies, learned about the historical figures on them, and practiced "money menu math" exercises. Then, they transformed the classroom into a grocery store. Given a $10 budget, students shopped for a protein, fruit, vegetable, snack, and drink--making healthy choices while staying within budget. Our standout math students took on the roles of store associates, ringing up purchases and creating receipts. This hands-on experience wrapped up our STEM lessons for the year, showcasing the students' growth in collaboration and critical thinking. #MontessoriMonday