The SunRose School of Integrated Arts

Hello dear friends and colleagues,

It was not an easy decision to close the doors of SunRose, but thanks to the encouraging support of my family it is time to rest a bit. I’ve been teaching an average of 50 hours a week year round since 2012 which can take a toll, especially working mostly alone with small children. This amount of pushing myself has led to some scary hospital visits over the years, but now we know via recent diagnoses that autoimmune disease has had a lot to do with it. Though we are thrilled to have the mystery partially solved there are many more appointments and much rest needed to figure out how to move ahead.

Jim wanted to surprise me with this GoFundMe as a form of acknowledgment for my years of service (I’ve been teaching in many capacities since 1994, and as a Waldorf teacher since 2005) and mostly in difficult situations:
• years for a closing program (River Song Grades K-3, 2005-2008)
• an emergency Kindergarten teacher for a Waldorf Class whose venue fell through at the last minute (Mountain Star Kindergarten for Mountain Sage School 2012/2013)
• and my beloved SunRose School, planned in late 2013 but fully founded when Jim’s young children unexpectedly came to live with us full time the day of our wedding in 2014.

Stepping up for children in need of education and leadership during difficult times has been a calling for me from the start, but now it is time to rest and heal.

I’d like to encourage you if you have in any way been touched by my work over the years to please consider a gift, no matter how small or large, to the years ahead as we continue to unravel this autoimmune mystery that has caused serious health problems for me since I was first hospitalized for it in 2009. I’m so glad we are finding out about it now, but it’s going to be a long haul to get tests done, monitor my cortisol levels, establish treatment protocols, etc. No gift is too small and is deeply appreciated from the bottom of my heart.

Donate to Ms. Tracey: A Lifetime of Dedication, organized by James C Likens The time has come. After decades of service to children and parents seeking Waldor… James C Likens needs your support for Ms. Tracey: A Lifetime of Dedication

https://gofund.me/b5a11bff

Donate to Ms. Tracey: A Lifetime of Dedication, organized by James C Likens The time has come. After decades of service to children and parents seeking Waldor… James C Likens needs your support for Ms. Tracey: A Lifetime of Dedication

✨💖 The First Years 💖✨

The SunRose School: 2014-2016

The end of this summer, on August 15th, the SunRose School will close its doors after 11 successful, heart filled years of providing licensed Waldorf Inspired pre-k care to the Fort Collins area. It’s been a wonderful endeavor working with some very special families. Thank you to everyone who has supported The SunRose School throughout the years and a special thank you to the children of SunRose, who were always our greatest teachers!

Our final summer program begins tomorrow and we breathe out. Each and every year I marvel at just how beautiful the SunRose back yard becomes… the hops climbing the back fence, the aspen grove in the corner of the yard, our sturdy stalwart apple tree that’s so great for young ones to climb, the majestic cherry tree whose shade provides comfort during mud/water sensory play. The purple coneflowers give beauty and craft supplies while our abundant mint is a cool favorite for the children to pick and chew throughout the hot days. Our sprinkler system is a fun addition to any backyard water adventure. In all this backyard is truly a garden for children. 🥰💯

Our final summer program begins tomorrow and we breathe out. Each and every year I marvel at just how beautiful the SunRose back yard becomes… the hops climbing the back fence, the aspen grove in the corner of the yard, our sturdy stalwart apple tree that’s so great for young ones to climb, the majestic cherry tree whose shade provides comfort during mud/water sensory play. The purple coneflowers give beauty and craft supplies while our abundant mint is a cool favorite for the children to pick and chew throughout the hot days. Our sprinkler system is a fun addition to any backyard water adventure. In all this backyard is truly a garden for children. 🥰💯

The SunRose children hand painted remnants of Purple Coneflowers with home made pigments to provide a sweet sneak peek at the spring bouquets to come…

Our SunRose little ones discovered a gigantic Tomato Hornworm on one of our tomato plants! So we put him in a big screen top jar with MORE tomato plant clippings to observe his life cycle in the classroom… one day, if we are lucky, he will emerge a beautiful Hummingbird Moth, and pollinate the tomato flowers next year! We will keep you posted!

These child-led home-made masks turned regular play into something special! Who knew that a whale shark and a rainbow vampire could be such good friends?!