 |
|
Important Upcoming Dates
Monday 2/15:
Creek & River: Student Holiday/Staff PD Day
Enrollment Contracts Due
Thursday 3/ 4-Friday 3/ 5:
Creek and Springs Conferences (No School)
Monday 3/8-Friday 3/12: River Project Week (No Classes)
Monday 3/15-Friday 3/19: Spring Break (No Classes)
|
 Contents |
By Ted Graf, Head of School
|
|
Like many of you, I have grown tired of the clichés that dominate news feeds these days--embrace ambiguity, accept uncertainty, plan for disruption, the only constant is change--the list seems endless.
And, yet, I am finding in my personal life, and in my school life, that nearly everyone is reassessing some aspect of their life. A cousin or sibling is now going to retire early; friends are moving "permanently" to the country; families are searching for homes that can support the new work reality; colleagues are moving to be closer to family; friends are starting new businesses; roommates are moving to a new city; and people are rethinking school and education. The amount of change I'm witnessing is dizzying.
At the heart of all this change are questions--valid, thoughtful, and provocative questions. How do we find greater balance between family and career? How can we ensure our children are deeply connected to their extended family? How can we get more support in raising our young family? To what degree can our children learn online (or not)?
As a school, we're asking lots of questions too, especially as we launch two leadership searches. We're writing and posing questions for the dozens of candidates who are drawn to us, and the quality of our questions is critical in shaping our community, our programs, and culture for the next few years.
Amplify Austin, a city-wide day of giving, raises millions of dollars each year for local nonprofits like Headwaters. During Amplify, Headwaters focuses on raising dollars for our financial aid fund, which provides over $570,000 in tuition assistance so that families from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds can be a part of our community. With almost 20% of our families receiving aid, it's easy to see why this is such an important priority for our school.
By participating in Amplify, you can compound the effect of your gift, because all gifts are matched. And there are a variety of prizes and bonuses for the organizations that raise the most. Every gift made between now and Friday, March 5 counts.
A big welcome to Jacqueline Bauer who joined us at the start of the school year as a guide in the K-1 Doves Classroom at the Creek Campus.
After growing up in Cincinnati, Ohio, Jacqueline's Montessori journey started in her first year at Xavier University (also in Cincinnati). She was studying Early Childhood Education and was able to observe Montessori pedagogy in the campus Lab School. She recalls being struck by how children "were guided with respect and compassion." This early exposure stayed with Jacqueline and she graduated in May of 2017 with her American Montessori Society (AMS) certification along with her Bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education.
After graduation, Jacqueline spent three years as a Lead Guide for children ages 6-9 in Chicago before moving to Austin in 2020. She shared that she feels "motivated to honor each unique child and to help them reach their highest potential." She enjoys each facet of the classroom and the Headwaters community, including cultivating peace practice.
Jacqueline also continues her lifelong learning outside the classroom with gardening, fiber arts, and cooking. She also loves to explore new spots to rock climb and bike to the perfect vista to watch a sunset. She says, "I enjoy the rhythms of practicing solitude and discovering the excitement of the world through the stories of friends and family."
What Brought Jacqueline to Headwaters School
My joining of the Headwaters team felt quite serendipitous; everything settled into place at just the right moment. I could tell that the people of Headwaters were authentic and truly caring individuals, and I wanted to be a part of it. I enjoy the laughter that permeates the walls and the quiet that comes with steady concentration. I love the way that it feels when I step into the school in the morning and how every classroom is quite different and so uniquely beautiful, mirroring the individuals that practice in the space.
Fun Facts about Jacqueline -
I recently took up a new hobby of thru-hiking. My dream is to complete the Appalachian Trail! I am currently making my way around the trails of Texas and finding such joy in getting to experience the expansiveness of the land.
-
I'm living out my dream of preparing and teaching in an outdoor classroom. Yvonne and I have completely shifted our entire day to be outside and it has been even better than imagined. It's the simplest joy to be able to be present with the weather changing throughout the day and listening to song birds sing as we greet each other hello.
|
| |
Earlier this month we announced our 2021-2022 At-A-Glance Calendar with next year's major dates. Please note that there are some dates still to be determined and we will be sure to share updated versions of this calendar with you when they become available. And, as always, you can find the most up-to-date calendar events on our website at headwaters.org/calendar or by logging into the Nest.
Headwaters School First Model United Nations Conference
Model United Nations (MUN) has been a part of the school since 2014. As with all River Campus clubs and organizations, there is a big emphasis on student involvement. Headwaters MUN is no exception with the students running the club with the support of their sponsor Joe Sokolik. Currently the group is mostly high schoolers, but is open to those grades 6-12. The group notes that they have "devoted [themselves] to practicing the skills of critical thinking, global studies, and diplomacy."
On Saturday, February 27, Headwaters MUN will be hosting their first conference for students in the Central Texas area. At this virtual conference, students be divided into the following committees for discussion throughout the day: -
UN High Commissioner for Refugees - Yemeni Refugee Crisis
-
UN Security Council - Addressing the North Korea Nuclear Threat
-
UNESCO - Educational Inclusion for People with Disabilities
You can learn more about this conference by visiting their website at this link. A big congratulations to the entire Headwaters MUN group, including the leadership team of Ananya Salem '21, Paulina Espinosa de los Monteros '22, Amalia Allen '22, and Rebecca Alter '22.
We are so thrilled to welcome back Paige Wilks of Austin School Portraits to take school portraits this spring. While a bit later in the year, we know that these photos are treasured mementos of the school year and make wonderful gifts for family. Paige has lots of experience with socially distanced, outdoor photo shoots and is excited to work with our students again. Once photos are available, parents may purchase digitals or prints from her directly.
We will have dates for each campus, as well as a special afternoon for distance learners to come for socially distanced photos. Stay tuned to your Weekly Updates for your campuses' date and more details.
Who doesn't love giving a little something extra while checking things off your to-do list? Shop at any of these places and the companies will donate a portion of the sale to Headwaters! See more ways to contribute here.
Here is the latest visual trivia to familiarize you with new spots or share memorable places on our three campuses. Do you have a picture you would like to share? Email it to [email protected].
Take a look and name where this spot appears--the answer will be in the next Current!
Last Current's photo (below) featured the playground on the Creek Campus.
|
Do you want something shared with the community or a student spotlight?
|
Headwaters School
Each journey begins at the source
|
|
|
|
See what's happening on our social sites
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
