Mackintosh Academy Post “One Global Vision”

Volume 4, Issue 4 March/April 2012

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Director Letter : Possibilities, Collaboration Our Future 1-2

Class Valedictorians! Recent Collaboration 3-4

From the Desk of… 5

PAGE SIX

Grants Awarded 7

Parent Spotlight 8

Service Learning Trip 9 Class Happenings 10-13 Special Feature 14

Development/ 15 Calendar PC Corner 16 Variety Show & NAGC 17

DIRECTOR LETTER: by Renu Rose, Executive Director

POSSIBILITIES …

"The future is simply infinite possibility waiting to happen. What it waits on is human imagination to crystallize its possibility." ~Leland Kaiser~

As we begin to wind down from a wonderful, but also whirlwind year as the community of Mackintosh Academy, I just can’t stop thinking about possibilities…

As one of my favorite quotes above notes … it is us, the members of our entire community of parents, students, teachers and friends who over the next many years, will crystallize the vision of Mackintosh Academy and all the possibilities for our children that exist today.

With the addition of our second campus, we are now serving an incredible amount of Colorado’s most gifted children. Our reach goes from as far south as Castle Rock to North Boulder and just as wide a gap from east to west. We are becoming a nationally prominent educational center, drawing students and families from around the country. Our differentiator? An IB World School that puts focus on the whole child, rigorous academics and world interests and views. We have grabbed 21st century requirements and not only expect our children to meet these requirements, but surpass expectations as they set off as leaders of future generations.

One thing I am most proud of today is the past possibility of collaboration. Our students from the Littleton and Boulder campuses have come together in efforts both to achieve and to learn in a joint community of learners with the spirit of collaboration and the vision of “one-ness.” Additionally, our faculty has had the opportunity to gain deep growth by coming together both in vigorous exchange of ideas and best practices and in fostering the development of a seamless team of educators – all on par with “One Global Vision” for themselves, the school and their walk with the students each day. I could not be more proud and have shared more detail in the section below.

In September of 2010, a “Vision for the Future” was written for Mackintosh Academy and its next 10 years. This includes plans for executing long-term goals and objectives and committing to a vision for our students, the curriculum, our day-to-day space and as stewards of our land. I truly believe that we can, and will, exceed these possibilities even above and beyond what is visible today.

Mackintosh Academy’s foundation has been thoughtfully built through time and is ready for the unveiling of the future. As we move through each layer, I envision us as the nation’s leading center for gifted education, sustainable practices, peace studies, visual and performing arts expertise, science, technology and mathematics all with respect, tolerance and diversity at our forefront. We have exceeded our goals for the first two years of that plan and will continue to engage all of our community in determining next steps for the future and ways we can continue to dream of and exceed all possibilities … Continued on page 2

“One Global Vision” PAGE 2

Continued from page 1 … by Renu Rose, executive director

COLLABORATION: ONE GLOBAL VISION …. So many beautiful moments are being shared between our students and our faculty now that we are in a position to focus on collaboration. Being able to work together, and share ideas, across campuses was always the vision for this two-campus academy. With that said, the uncertainty and “unknowns” of day-to-day operations when anything is brand new … especially a building, grounds, children, staff and schedules (it has all been new this year!) it is hard to predict when and how best laid plans will actually be implemented.

As mentioned earlier, the cross-campus collaborative opportunities have been plentiful and have proved to be rewarding for all. For teachers, they have used the past nine months to lean on one-another, to seek advice for best practices, gain insight into International Baccalaureate curriculum and seek fresh ideas and new opportunities for the children. In the spirit of collaboration, the children have gained an extended family on both sides where they look forward to meeting up with their Boulder or Littleton teachers and friends for joint field trips, in class experiments, performances and celebrations.

What a site to see! We have truly come together and united as one. It was once shared that the goal of collaborative efforts was to ensure that no one felt as if they had a “B” or “L” on their shirt as identification of one location or another – but that the focus would be to make everyone feel part of a bigger whole -- Mackintosh Academy! As we all continue into year two as a two campus institution, it seems safe to say that maybe we do all wear letters … but they are “M and A” and we are wearing them on our hearts!

OUR FUTURE … For so many years, Mackintosh Academy has relished in the comfort of being a hidden gem on four serene acres in Littleton, CO where families deeply invested in their children’s educational journeys would eventually find their way to its doors, and ultimately watch those children begin to find their way to exceptional growth and learning. At the end of that journey, graduating seniors on the cusp of their teenage and high school years leave Mackintosh Academy feeling determined, in control and prepared with knowledge to make decisions about the direction of their future as well as how they will make meaningful contributions to society.

With a rich 35 year history, it has always been a consideration for how this “gem” could be shared with the broader community, eventually reaching more children who could benefit from its offerings. But to do this, the timing and need had to be right. Almost two years ago, it became more apparent than ever that too many children without access to Mackintosh were being left behind. This made the time right to pursue the vision and begin executing a new plan for Mackintosh’s future.

The biggest challenge in implementing such a plan is being 100 percent committed to executing the vision – while maintaining complete dedication to the existing program enabling administrators and faculty to continue to provide a holistic, well-rounded program focused on the minds and hearts of children while also nurturing their social, emotional, physical and creative needs.

Today, the vision for expanded reach – enabling all gifted children the opportunity to engage in and have confidence in their educational journey – is reality – on two campuses! The decision to offer a second campus with an identical educational offering in Boulder has been a tremendous gift to so many, as more students can now access one of the area’s only private International Baccalaureate programs (for Primary and Middle Years Programmes) and also one of area’s only private schools dedicated to the unique needs of gifted children.

Thank you so much to everyone who has made the seemingly impossible, possible and the vision of true collaboration a reality for all of our future …

To acknowledge this milestone in our Mackintosh history, to give deep gratitude to those who have made this possible, and to celebrate our inaugural year as two campuses with One Global Vision, please join us for the Mackintosh Academy Ribbon Cutting & Honoring Ceremony, Thursday, May 17, 2012 at 9:00 a.m., at Mackintosh Academy Boulder.

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CLASS VALEDICTORIANS ANNOUNCED: 2011/2012 Academic Year

From Ms. Renu Rose … Speaking of the future and all of its possibilities, it is my deepest honor to announce to you the Mackintosh Academy 2011/2012 Class Valedictorians. This title, so often bestowed upon a much deserving student for their excellence in mastering academics, is also a grand reflection at Mackintosh Academy of the students’ dedication and mastery of the International Baccalaureate learner profile. Please help me to congratulate the following two students, who couldn’t be more deserving and I am so very proud of. With highest honors, I announce …

Belle Farmer as Class Valedictorian for our Littleton campus and

Jake Olkin as Class Valedictorian of our Boulder campus TRULY two incredibly deserving students who will now lead their graduating classes into the future with their wings spread and ready to fly!

CAMPUS COLLABORATION (A Look at Some Recent Memorable Moments) … INTERNATIONAL TOWNE

STUDENTS HAVE ARRIVED FROM TWO DIFFERENT CAMPUSES BLENDING TOGETHER -- MR. JOE PAUSBACK International Towne is a one-of-a-kind educational program offered to 6th,

7th and 8th grade teachers to help teach students about global economics

through fun, hands-on, experiential learning. It is part of the Young

Americans Center for Financial Education in downtown Denver where

Young AmeriTowne and other popular programs are available. After using

the curriculum provided by Young Americans, the culminating activity is a

trip to Young Americans, International Towne facility, where students

spend the day role-playing as consumers and producers in a global

marketplace of 16 countries. It's an unforgettable experience that fosters

lifelong learning!

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DAVINCI EXHIBIT: DENVER PAVILION

Last week all of the 5th/6th, 7th/8th grade students from both campuses

joined together to experience the Da Vinci exhibit at the Denver Pavilion.

The exhibit contained over 60 hand-crafted exhibits, half of which are

interactive, and all made by third-generation craftsmen. Each exhibit is a

replica built from Leonardo’s 500 year old designs

INVERTEBRATE “BIOBLITZ” On Thursday, April 26 the Littleton 3rd-4th grade travelled to the Boulder Campus to collaborate on an invertebrate "Bioblitz" survey in the recently tilled space for the new pollinator garden. During the Bioblitz, students worked together to identify and tally each invertebrate in a square meter of habitat. This baseline data will help us track how new plants in the courtyard affect the invertebrate population in coming years. Here were the results:

Annelids (Earthworms) – 110; Arachnids (Spiders) – 70; Diptera (Flies) – 59; Crustacea (Pill bugs) – 86; Hymenoptera (Ants) – 7; Diplopoda (Millipedes) – 6; Chelicera (Mites) – 7; Chilopoda (Centipedes) – 1

Total Animals: 346

LITTLETON AND BOULDER … TEACHER AND STAFF GATHERINGS:

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FROM THE DESK OF … Littleton Assistant Head of School, Stacey Anderson “When we cast our bread upon the waters, we can presume that someone downstream whose face we will never know will benefit from our action, as we who are downstream from another will profit from that grantor's gift.” -- Maya Angelou As we traverse into May, we travel toward the closing activities of the

school year. What a glorious year, filled with learning, successes and failures, all part of growing up. As I watch the children frolic on the field, I see joy and work all wrapped into one. Visible on our field are children playing soccer, swinging, digging up dandelions, building forts, singing and dancing, communicating both verbally and non-verbally with each other and their teachers. Our students thrived this year under the care, guidance and leadership of their teachers, peers and overall learning community. Eleven students will graduate this year from our 8th grade Middle Years’ program, each one unique and exceptional, many at Mackintosh since they were just 7 or 8 years old. They are transitioning to high school where a whole new world awaits their presence. I can say with assuredness that they depart from us with confidence, integrity and a strong work ethic. We wish them well on their individual journeys, knowing they will be back to visit and share with their younger classmates as has been happening on the Mackintosh Campus for many years. They will be casting their bread upon the waters, impacting others through their actions in our world. I bid you all a beautiful spring season and truly hope that you will attend our anticipated Graduation event on June 1st before departing for the summer months.

MACKINTOSH MOUNTAIN LIONS SCRIMMAGE MACKINTOSH FACULTY

As many of you know, the Mackintosh Mountain Lion season has come to a close. However, we couldn’t pass up

the opportunity to share two of the more memorable moments with our parent community – the

Student vs. Faculty Scrimmage! Each campus hosted an end-of-season game to have a little

fun with less pressure (well, the students were under less pressure anyway!). We even had cheerleaders!

GO MOUNTAIN LIONS!

Boulder Head Coach: Chad Blohm

Littleton Head Coaches: Mike McConnell and Greg Ashworth

“One Global Vision” PAGE SIX

LITTLETON Holt Crawford Dorothea French Rachael Gance Josh Gelman Ryan Hamilton Carien Hoogwater Julia Kerr Chris McAninch Mary Muench Ashlyn Nguyen Lainey Orr Josh Pokorney Natalie Rutty Gabriel Sakr Ethan Walters Jenny Weiske Darcy Cooper Belle Farmer Indeesh Mukhopadyay Joey Procopio Eli Schwanitz Lucia Espineira Jared Hofer Rose Raddatz Adeline Weems

MACKINTOSH STARS!

MACKINTOSH HONOR ROLL

This semester’s honor roll students have been announced and we

could not be more proud of the commitment each of them has made

to achieving their very best, both academically (3.5 GPA or higher)

and through their daily “walk” modeling high standards of the

International Baccalaureate Learner Profile.

CONGRATULATIONS!

BOULDER Alex Chiang Ethan Elterich Ethan Erickson Kenneth Gill Hannah Gross Ethan Higgins Noah Irwin Richard Keck Coby Mandell Zach Olkin Xavier Brenza Alan Grampp Skyler Limber Jake Olkin Sage Rose Anna Lynn Winfrey

THE EXHIBITION:

On Thursday evening, May 10, Littleton’s 6th grade students completed their Exhibition Project by giving final presentations to the parent community. What an amazing showcase of knowledge, hard work, understanding and skills! The students were all amazing and the audience learned an unbelievable amount about the condition of our global water resources and their benefits or deficits around the world! For those unfamiliar, the Exhibition is the culminating experience of a student's PYP experience and gives them the opportunity to show off their growth in the Learner Profile through their demonstration of mastery with the five Essential Elements (Knowledge, Skills, Attitudes, Concepts, and Action.) This experience is done as the final unit of inquiry, but begins well before the final unit of inquiry begins.

Independent Work: This year, the 6th grade students began their Exhibition in January by writing the planner that guided their exhibition. Students then worked independently to research a global water resource and write an in-depth research paper about what they found.

Group Work: Next students worked in small groups to build an understanding of global water “rights and wrongs” (like how things affect access to water, pollution, sanitation, action vs. inaction). They collaborated to demonstrate what they learned in a creative and artistic medium. Most of the student groups elected to create multimedia presentations. Next students mounted an inquiry into responsible action that ends with the students going out and doing something responsible with what they have learned. This process is almost five months of intense work for our 6th grade students!

Action: On Monday, April 30, the students took action by planting seedling trees to help restore the South Platte Watershed as part of a larger recovery effort to remediate the area burned by the Hayman Fire in 2002. The efforts of our students and countless volunteers to reseed this area will help to decrease erosion of sediments into the South Platte Watershed. This will serve to both protect the water quantity and quality for both wildlife (who live around and in the river) and those of us in the greater Denver area that depend on this water source as our source of water.

“One Global Vision” PAGE 7 MACKINTOSH ACADEMY GRANT WINS! From time to time we come across a grant that enables our community to implement a project that we otherwise would not have been able to due to financial constraints. We are happy to announce we have received two grants this spring, one for Boulder and one for Littleton that will provide excellent opportunities for the children to further advance their studies and make a difference! CONGRATULATIONS!

BOULDER: School Habitat Grant: Colorado Division Of Wildlife

Congratulations to Angela Mundt and the 3/4 class in Boulder for securing a grant through the Colorado Division of Wildlife!

Mackintosh Academy Boulder sits on 22 acres of land which provides opportunities for on-site outdoor education. However, years of neglect by previous owners have left most of the campus covered with invasive insects and weeds. The extent of the issue has left the school without a thriving natural environment to study native ecosystems and species.

In order to connect the students with native plants and ecosystems, the school is teaming with a Wildlife Biologist and Wildland Firefighter from the United States Forest Service to create a pollinator garden. The intent is to start locally on campus where students can participate in every stage of the project. Next fall, the students have been invited by the United States Forest Service to participate in improving pollinator habitat in an area of forest impacted by the 2010 Fourmile wildfire in Boulder County.

The students who make up the combined 3rd and 4th grade class have already created an afterschool Wildlife Club. The students met with the representatives of the Forest Service and have been introduced to native plants, ecosystems and the importance of pollinators. The students have also chosen a location for their garden and will now be able to restore 225 square meters of their campus to native plants, while managing several problematic invasive species and simultaneously providing habitat to native pollinators.

LITTLETON: Whole Foods Garden Grant Deep gratitude to Mrs. Patty Walters who secured $2, 000 to build a community garden via a greenhouse at Mackintosh Academy Littleton through a Whole Kids Foundation and FoodCorps grant. The funding will enable students to build a community garden that will offer children a dynamic learning platform that encourages mastery of educational standards while inspiring them to make cross-disciplinary

connections across all aspects of the International Baccalaureate curriculum. The school garden will provide an experiential learning tool to engage students intellectually, socially and emotionally while supporting a variety of learning styles and abilities. Mackintosh will partner with Arapahoe Landscapes for expert assistance in selecting the greenhouse as well as installation and landscaping services. Owner, Wayne Anderson has spent his entire career in the horticulture business and will be a tremendous resource for the school. This project will start immediately with a team of volunteers who will work towards having the greenhouse ready for students and teachers at the beginning of the 2012/2013 school year. Children will be involved from planning and construction, to growing and tending the plants. The y will be able to enhance their study of science in the greenhouse by measuring variables such as temperature, PH level and humidity. They will also increase their understanding of biology by investigating plant growth. Lastly, the students plan to use the output of the composter to enrich soil for the garden and they will use plants to make natural dyes for art projects. CONGRATULATIONS!

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PARENT SPOTLIGHT: DR. JOSH WURMAN From time to time, The Mackintosh Post will be featuring one of our parents who have had a great achievement, is doing something interesting, or who we just think you will want to know! This month, we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Josh Wurman, our resident Tornado Hunter! Recently featured in The Washington Post, at the core, Dr. Wurman is a meteorologist (someone who studies weather) who has been chasing dangerous storms in the hopes of providing better information to the public. He specifically has been focused on supercell storms, which are the types that give birth to tornadoes. Dr. Wurman is trying to determine why some of these supercell storms eventually dissipate, and why others become deadly. A kid who always loved science, nature and weather, Dr. Wurman has applied those loves to an exciting career! You may recognize him from the hit TV series “Storm Chasers” on the Discovery Channel. He was followed by their TV crew for several seasons as he chased supercell storms looking for tornadoes. In addition, he has been President of the Center for Severe Weather Research in Boulder which manages projects with the DOW (described below). In April, he attended the second USA Science and Engineering Festival, where he allowed kids to climb into his weather chasing storm vehicles. He leaves today, May 5, with a team of 28 people for a six week adventure around the U.S. where he will chase supercell storms. This project is called ROTATE 2012 (Radar Observations of Tornadoes and Thunderstorms Experiment). His goal is to find tornadoes so that they use advanced radar and drop “pods” in front of the twisters, which will then help measure and collect data. Dr. Wurman is trying to collect data on wind speed, temperature and everything else that will help him provide more information on tornadoes, potentially increasing the time given (currently 13 minutes) for residents to receive warnings and get to safety. To track Dr. Wurman’s project and progress and to see amazing photos straight from the field, please go to http://www.cswr.org/projects/rotate/2012/ He typically finds 30 tornadoes a season.

From all of us at Mackintosh Academy …GOOD LUCK DR. WURMAN!

If this sounds interesting to you, you may want to visit the Denver Museum of Nature and Science where one of the featured films in their IMAX theater is called Tornado Alley 3D. Tornado Alley is an “unofficial” term given to the section of the United States, between the Rocky Mountains and the Appalachian Mountains that features a significant amount of yearly tornadoes. The movie features Doppler On Wheels (DOW) radar trucks which were invented by Dr. Wurman. To see a complete interview on how this idea came about while he was working at NCAR (National Center for Atmospheric Research), please visit http://www.tornadoalleymovie.com/index.php/about/behind_the_scenes/q_amp_a_with_josh_wurman/

For more information on the film, please visit http://www.dmns.org/imax/current-films/tornado-alley-3d/ The museum will be running the film through July 12, 2012. For more information on the design and inner and outer details of DOW and its uses, please read this interview with Dr. Wurman at http://broadcast.oreilly.com/2008/12/engineering-tornado-intercepts.html

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MACKINTOSH ACADEMY 8th GRADE SERVICE LEARNING TRIP – APRIL 20-25, 2012

Just a few days ago, our graduating seniors returned from the trip of a lifetime! One of the final critical curriculum pieces to a Mackintosh Academy education is the completion of a supervised Service Learning Trip in the spring. The trip is thoughtfully planned to ensure it is academically rich and incredibly meaningful. Aligning with Earth Day (April 22) and relevant to the theme of “Resource Availability,” this year’s trip took students to San Francisco and Monterrey Bay, California where the goals for the trip included a focus on biodiversity, the available watershed and habitat restoration. In addition, the trip was developed to:

1) To provide students a framework to understand why conservation efforts are important, what is involved, and our role as global citizens.

2) To provide students the opportunity to “give back” to the local communities they’re visiting. Building on the experiences of MY trips in 2010 and 2011, northern California was chosen as the location for this year's Service Learning trip.

During their six-day trip, students spent time volunteering at a variety of locations as outlined below. 1) In the San Francisco Metro area, 197,000 people struggle each day to feed themselves and their families. Students volunteered time at the San Francisco Food Bank and with San Francisco City Impact preparing meals and delivering them to residents of the Tenderloin Neighborhood. 2) Students also volunteered with Save Our Shores in their annual Earth Day San Lorenzo River Clean Up in Santa Cruz. Last year, 3,000 pounds of trash were removed from the river during this event. 3) The group spent significant time helping with habitat restoration in Redwood Creek and Lagunitas Creek watersheds in Marin County. These areas provide critical habitat for steelhead trout, coho salmon, and red-legged frog. Mackintosh Academy students celebrated Earth Day and their hard work by embarking on a whale watching tour in Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary to catch glimpses of humpback whales, an endangered species. In addition, they explored Monterey Bay Aquarium to learn more about the importance of the region as one of the world's most diverse ecosystems. This ecological service work was planned and scheduled through Reefs to the Rockies

who customizes sustainable travel itineraries that aid in conservation efforts.

A special thank you to Greg Ashworth and Alison Kapsalis who so kindly supported our students on this very important life journey

Humpback Whale Photo Courtesy of: Protected Resources Division, La Jolla, California.

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NOTEWORTHY CAMPUS HAPPENINGS:

While there are so many amazing things going on across campus, what the children learn and experience in the classroom is the heart of their experience at Mackintosh Academy. The following provides a window into the children’s lives during the last eight weeks.

Littleton Pre-K: Pre-K children have been so busy working through their current unit on continents! They made salt map dough and then used it to create salt maps which they then painted and labeled. Separately, they learned about 3D shapes in math and created their own 3D shapes with toothpicks and gumdrops. They also learned all the names for the forms they created.

Littleton Kindergarten: This was our trip to the Denver botanic gardens, we visited the rain forest which goes with are new unit, and trying to ID plants by smell.

Littleton 1st and 2nd: Littleton’s 1st and 2nd grade class recently enjoyed a walking field trip to the Charley Emley park close to campus grounds. They were able to enjoy water exploration and water habitats in Lee Gulch which runs through the park.

Littleton 3rd and 4th:

Cure Organic Farm is a commercial family farm located six miles east of Boulder, Colorado. They grow 100 different varieties of certified organic vegetables, herbs and flowers on 10 acres. All of the crops grown are distributed within 50 miles of the farm to local restaurants, farmers markets and a farm store on site. The farm is also home to several honey bee hives, over 150 laying hens and ducks, heritage pigs, turkeys and Rambouillet sheep that are raised for meat. Our Mackintosh Academy 3rd/4th grade classes from Littleton and Boulder attended this special field trip together!

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Littleton 3rd and 4th Continued…

Field trip to King Soopers for unit on nutrition.

Spanish class where students were healthy/not-healthy people at a restaurant.

Math inquiry where students were checking the ads in stores to "buy" food from various food groups.

Littleton 5th and 6th: Our 5th and 6th graders have been busy with many preparing for the upcoming Exhibition (profiled separately). They recently went to International Towne and also enjoyed a great day celebrating “National Poem in Your Pocket Day!”

Littleton 7th and 8th: Middle Years students are incredibly hard working as they continue to excel in so many important educational endeavors.

Recently, they conducted lab experiments (blood typing and pH indicator testing) for their Wildlife Forensics unit followed by a trip to the Challenger Learning center in Colorado Springs to conduct their Voyage to Mars mission. The class had been preparing for weeks for this event. They studied weight, spectrometry, latitude and longitude, and many other topics. Once they arrived at the Challenger space center, they met Commander Stutz and Commander Henry and then got a small brief on the mission and received jobs. The students worked together and cooperated between Mars and Space, and hence, completed the mission. In addition, the 8th grade students diligently prepared for their Service Learning Trip to California.

Littleton Spanish: Mrs. Cardona is always seeking ways to engage students in using their Spanish outside of the classroom. What follows are several of the experiences the children have enjoyed!

--The 5/6 grade students attended the CHAC (Chicano Humanities and Arts Council) Mask workshop. --7th graders kept busy performing a skit about being in a Spanish Restaurant. --8th grade students also did a skit showing information about travel --Middle Years students attended CHAC to create Spanish Art.

Littleton Visual Arts: As usual, Visual Arts, led by Becky Van Buren is full of amazing results with the students consistently exploring artistic mediums relevant to their units of inquiry.

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Boulder Kindergarten and 1st: Our Boulder K/1 has been so busy this year. Day in and day out, they are working hard and growing their minds. Please take a look at this glimpse into their busy days including building a fort in the sandbox, a world affairs presentation on giant jellyfish, fun at recess, an examination of bones in vinegar, studies on the circulatory system, reading by 8th grader Jesse, building a digestive system, vampire bats at the zoo and learning about a bromeliad plant visiting forest ecologist regarding plants in the rainforest.

Boulder 2nd:

In addition to their “Water is Life” theater performance, the second grade class has been thriving in lessons of their IB curriculum, but equally important, lessons of friendship, cooperation and appreciation. The photos below show them working together on projects both in their playtime (recess) and in the classroom. It is truly an inspiring environment of collaborative learning!

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Boulder 3rd and 4th: “Legacies of Rome Museum” -- The 3/4 students produced an “artifact” of Roman technology. They discussed how their artifact helped the Roman empire gain power and the impacts of the technology on modern times. Students also classified invertebrates in Spanish!

Boulder 5th and 6th: Boulder 5th and 6th graders enjoyed a trip to Byers Evans House Museum and the Black American West Museum in connection with their Colorado unit. As a bonus, the Littleton 5th and 6th grade class also joined at the museum to promote cross-campus learning opportunities and relationships among the students. The all ate together as a family! Below, the Boulder 5th and 6th grade students enjoy a meal prepared through solar cooking!

The Middle Years students are studying the historical period of the Middle Ages into the Renaissance. Aside from learning about neumes as the first form of written music and the origins of polyphonic music, in Performing Arts class they have been investigating the Medieval French troubadours and jongleurs. In the spirit of the jongleurs, the Boulder PA class had an in-house field trip with aerialist Jasmine Dancey. Ms. Dancey introduced students to several partnered balance and acrobatic moves, through which students experientially learned about the learner profile. They had a great afternoon and came to understand what it means to be a risk-taker, a communicator, and literally how to be balanced in partner acrobatics.

Additional photos of the 7th and 8th grade students happy at work!

Building Relationships: Enjoying Our Community!

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SPECIAL FEATURE: MACKINTOSH ACADEMY PERFORMING ARTS

The Mackintosh Post features a school department from time to time, because the teaching and output in that class is recognizably above and beyond! This edition salutes Performing Arts teachers, Ms. Matty Miller (Boulder) and Ms. Karyn Estela (Littleton) because they have been so very busy in these past months with teaching children the techniques and discipline associated with music, vocals, and conveying feeling and emotions through use of our bodies and movement on a stage.

In today’s economy and for the future of our children, an education in the arts is more important than ever. The knowledge and creativity that stem from such a foundation have proven to show success not only in “arts” professions, but throughout many other careers and positions where communication, socialization and imagination and resourcefulness are critical. The best way to foster creativity, is through the arts.

Please enjoy some of the recent accomplishments for our students of “the arts” at Mackintosh Academy.

The 2nd Grade play, “Water is Life,” was an incredible success as a performance and a fundraiser! Students performed a showcase of folk tales and songs about people's relationship to water. Some of the songs were sung in Swahili, as the class identified the challenges to finding clean water in some regions of Africa. The students were so inspired by this need in our world and were able to raise over $800 to donate to Charity Water, which will provide clean drinking water for 40 people.

The K/1 class had a very special instrument sharing day. Each student was invited to bring in an instrument from home or to borrow an instrument from school to present to the class and demonstrate their unique skills. The students were such risk-takers as they sat in front of the class and shared stories about why their instrument was special to them. The class was so attentive as each student had his or her turn to share.

The 5/6 class worked on developing professional resumes and head shots as we talked about what it means to have a career in the Performing Arts. They went on to create their own animations and act as the voiceover artists, as we discussed the important behind-the-scenes careers in performance.

Middle Years students in Littleton “wowed” the masses at their first ever flash mob! It was the true marrying of old and new. New, being the mob concept (for those unfamiliar, “flashmob” is a pop-culture term for the quick assembling of people in a public place to perform an unusual act, then disperse). And for all of you who sing “Don’t Stop….Believing” when you hear several measures of rhythmic piano followed by the lyrics “Just a small town girl….living in a lonely world…she took the midnight train goin anywhere” you know that the flashmob was to the hit made famous by “Journey” in the 80’s!

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CALENDAR

Please Note: Items refer to both campuses unless specified just Boulder or just Littleton

MAY:

10 – Exhibition (LITTLETON)

-Variety Show (BOULDER)

17 – Ribbon Cutting and Honor Ceremony

25- Half- Day, Teacher In-Service (Early Dismissal) End of 3rd Trimester

Field Day (BOULDER) K - 2 Classrooms

28 - NO SCHOOL- (Memorial Day)

29 - Field Day – Pre-K – 2nd Grade Classes (LITTLETON)

- Graduation Rehearsal & All School Picnic (BOULDER)

30- Field Day- 3rd – 8th Grade Classes

31 - Graduation Rehearsal & All School Picnic (LITTLETON)

31 – GRADUATION (BOULDER)

JUNE:

1- GRADUATION (LITTLETON)

DEVELOPMENT

This year has been especially wonderful because in addition to working towards the goals and objectives of the development office, there has been a profound sense of “friendship-building” happening throughout the Mackintosh community! For those who volunteered their time this year, THANK YOU! We could not have done it without you!

Volunteering provides parents and children with a stronger sense of belonging and this will continue to grow as more families join Mackintosh Academy and find initiatives to participate in and where they can offer their time and expertise!

There is so much gratitude for everyone who helped Parent Council on their events this year and we can’t say enough about everyone who tirelessly pitched in to make every event, large or small, a success!

An extra HUGE thanks to Laura Lee for her complete commitment to the success of this year’s Spring Soiree! In addition, special thanks to Martha Lanaghen, Tara Baker, Amy Wildgrube, Anita Turner, Paula Dupre Pesman, Emily Gephardt, Sue Fagan, Kristi and Frank Celico, Stacey and Seth Chernoff, Gina Caruso-Thompson, Anina Richards, Sue and Gino Grampp, Kate Bachtel, Andy Lee, and Mary Anne Zacek for stepping in to do whatever was needed to ensure a smooth auction and wonderful event! We will send a link to professional photos of the evening soon, but thought you might enjoy this glimpse into the 2012 Spring Soiree at Rembrandt Yard in Boulder on April 14, 2012. Extra gratitude to all the families who made donations to this year’s event and to the teachers and CPR’s for the wonderful class projects that were such a hit!

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PARENT COUNCIL CORNER It is hard to believe that there is still a variety of activities on the calendar for this last month of our 2011/2012 school year! Many of you would agree, this has been an exciting year for Mackintosh Academy and it is time now to celebrate our students, our families, and our growing community. Please take a look below for important information: Teacher Appreciation week is May 7 - 11 and we look forward to celebrating and giving thanks to all of the Mackintosh Academy staff. Littleton Parent Council is hosting a Teacher Appreciation Breakfast on Friday, May 11 and Classroom Parent Representatives will also be remembering each of their classroom teachers individually. In Boulder, a variety of lovely gestures will be given to show gratitude for everything teachers have done this year. If you did not receive this important information, please contact your child’s CPR. In addition, the staff will enjoy a Teacher Appreciation Breakfast Buffet on Wednesday, May 9 (before school) and Chair Massages on Friday, May 11 (in the afternoon). SAVE THE DATE: Please mark your calendars for the Littleton Fall Fundraising Event! We will be hosting a lovely evening for adults to gather and enjoy each other on Saturday, October 6th, 2012 at the Molly Brown Summer House. More information to follow soon, but for now, please save the date! The Boulder Campus Parent Council is finalizing details around its inaugural Student Variety Show! This coming Thursday, May 10 at 6 p.m., the students of Mackintosh Academy will be sure to entertain with their songs, poems and other routines! Please stay tuned for details on important Graduation activities for each campus! Enjoy these beautiful spring days as summer is almost here!

MACKINTOSH ACADEMY LITTLETON:

SPRING PICNIC – The Littleton Parent Council was honored to host all of our Littleton and Boulder families, faculty and board to the Littleton campus last Saturday for a spring picnic! Families brought blankets and settled in for a relaxing night of community building, conversation and fun! Please enjoy some of these photos of the wonderful time shared by all!

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MACKINTOSH ACADEMY INAUGURAL VARIETY SHOW!

Congratulations to all the participants of Boulder’s first Variety Show! What a wonderful evening was had by all as each student wowed the crowd as they showcased their talents from dancing and singing to magic and music with their instruments! Great job!

Shae Shae Miner, Zoey Zacek, Trevianna Barto, Sophie Spruill, Maya Natarajan, Lucy Fagan, Ben Cramer, Morgan Holien, Claire Bachtel, Baillie Weil, Nicolette Bert, Willem Serface, Emma Spruill, CJ Lanaghen, Aidan Corbacioglu, Griffin Craig, Dominique Ketellapper, Molly Fagan, Charlotte Lee, Richard Keck, Megan Bach, Coby Mandell, Zach Olkin, Xavier Brenza & Jake Olkin

59TH ANNUAL NAGC CONVENTION AND EXHIBITION (This is the largest annual convention devoted to gifted and talented learners!)

Classroom teachers, gifted/talented coordinators, school administrators, researchers, parents, college and university faculty, and more, are invited to the Mile-High City from November 15-18, 2012, for the 59th Annual NAGC (National Association for Gifted Children) Convention. Centered around the theme “Educating with Altitude: Reaching Beyond the Summit,” the pre-convention events, concurrent sessions, poster sessions, exhibit hall, general sessions, and networking events (both formal and informal) will harness the power of diverse viewpoints — from the field and from the classroom. You’ll come together to elevate learning, and ensure that our nation’s brightest learners are challenged as they reach their personal best in the classroom and beyond. Please visit http://nagc.org/2012convention.aspx for more information.

CONTACTING US: As always, if you have any questions or comments, please do not hesitate to contact us at our Boulder or Littleton campus locations. All information is below for your convenience. In addition, be sure to find us on Facebook (Mackintosh Academy) as we are posting news and updates.

Mackintosh Academy Littleton Mackintosh Academy Boulder 7018 S. Prince St. 6717 S. Boulder Rd. Littleton, CO 80120 Boulder, CO 80303

303-794-6222 303-554-2011