Student Services
Gifted Education
Mountain Song Community School provides programming components, options, and strategies to meet the educational needs of students who perform at, or show potential for performing at, a remarkably high level of accomplishment compared to others of the same age.
Gifted children under five years old may qualify for Early Access gifted education services in kindergarten. Early Access applications are due by April 1st for enrollment in the fall. For more information, please contact our school registrar.
All students are screened for advanced cognitive abilities in the spring of 2nd and 6th grade. This screening is also available to students enrolled in both the in-person and online homeschool enrichment programs. Referrals for screening outside of these grades can be made by teachers, parents, or the Gifted Education Coordinator.
For questions or referrals, please contact our Gifted Education Coordinator, Katherine Kates, at kkates@mountainsongschool.com.
English Language Program
Mountain Song has a growing population of multilingual learners, and we are committed to offering programs that support the academic, linguistic, and social-emotional needs of culturally and linguistically diverse students. Our goal is to help these students develop and acquire English language proficiency while achieving and maintaining grade-level performance in academic content areas.
Identification for this program begins with the home language survey, completed by all students (including Homeschool students) upon enrollment. New students with other languages spoken at home are screened within their first 30 days using the WIDA Screener to determine eligibility. Additionally, all students in the English Language program at MSCS participate in the ACCESS assessment each winter to measure growth.
For more information, please contact our English Language Program Coordinator, Kathy Eans, at keans@mountainsongschool.com.
Special Education and Section 504
Mountain Song Community School offers a wide range of programs and services for students with disabilities.
As a public charter school, we adhere to all state and federal guidelines outlined in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Exceptional Children’s Education Act (ECEA) in Colorado. This includes fulfilling Child Find responsibilities. Mountain Song follows a structured process for evaluating students for Special Education or Section 504 qualification.
Our Special Education programming provides access to highly qualified professionals who support students in areas such as academic skills, speech and language development, motor skills, sensory processing, and social/emotional/behavioral needs. All students are included in general education classrooms, with services delivered through a combination of push-in and pull-out models. Each student’s services are outlined in an Individualized Education Program (IEP), which includes goals, classroom accommodations, testing accommodations, and individualized support.
Section 504 Plans are designed for students with disabilities that significantly impact major life activities, such as thinking, concentrating, learning, or walking. These plans provide classroom and testing accommodations only.
For more information about Special Education or Section 504 programs at Mountain Song, please contact our Director of Student Services, Lauren Artino, at lartino@mountainsongschool.com.
“Waldorf school education is not a pedagogical system but an art—the art of awakening what is actually there within the human being”
~ Rudolf Steiner
Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS)
Mountain Song Community School provides intervention services to general education students who need additional support with academic skill development and/or social, emotional, and behavioral growth. MTSS (Multi-Tiered Systems of Support) refers to the various levels of support available to meet diverse student needs.
Academic Intervention Services
Reading and math intervention services are available for students in grades K-8. Qualification for these intervention groups is based on assessment results, including the DIBELS reading assessment for grades K-3 and the MAP assessment for grades 3-8. Small groups are formed for 6-8 weeks at a time, and MTSS teams meet regularly to review student progress and adjust group placements as needed throughout the year.
For more information about reading and math intervention services, please contact our Director of Student Services, Lauren Artino, at lartino@mountainsongschool.com.
Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Support
Mountain Song has a dedicated mental health team to support the social, emotional, and behavioral development of all students, including those in the homeschool enrichment program. This team, composed of licensed social workers and school counselors, provides:
Classroom programming for social and emotional skill development
Small MTSS intervention groups
Individualized support through Special Education services
We are committed to addressing the needs of the whole child, ensuring students thrive academically, socially, and emotionally.
For more information about our mental health services, please contact our School Counselor, Kim Butler, at kbutler@mountainsongschool.com.