December 2009 Newsletter
Dear Montessori Parent,
We hope that you had a good Thanksgiving holiday. We wish to reiterate that we are thankful for you being here and giving us the opportunity of working with your children. That is a responsibilitry which we take very seriously, and it is also a joyful experience as we get to know each child well. We never underestimate what our families go through in order that their children may attend school here. It is just so wonderful to be together…to learn from and appreciate one another and to share in the awesome responsibility of raising up our children. We want them to learn contentment from hard work and accomplishment to the best of their abilities. And, we want them to be kind to one another, to be good stewards of the earth, and to never give up. As Antoine de Saint-Exupéry said so well in The Little Prince, “It is only with the heart that one can see rightly. What is essential is invisible to the eye.”
Kudos to everyone who contributed to making our Great Feast such a wonderful success. We had some great help with the event, which made it go so smoothly and be such an enjoyment for the children and our staff. We heard many good things from the children about all the food they were able to enjoy. It’s so nice to have these events with everyone involved. It always reminds us how thankful we are for our wonderful school community. And the memory of being served by you so graciously sustains us and makes us very happy. Thank you!
You may have seen your child bring home a paper about yoga poses. On Monday we started a weekly movement class for the Primary and Lower Elementary students, taught by our own Mrs. Bencz (mother of Geneva in the Yellow Room). It will have an emphasis on yoga and general physical fitness. We’re happy to be able to offer this to our students, as it will surely add to the atmosphere of peace we always try to create in our classrooms.
Our Hot Lunch this month will be on the 11th. We will post the menu as the date approaches. As always, Hot Lunch is for extended day students only.
On Friday, December 18th, we invite you to attend our annual Holiday Sing-Along with the students. It starts at 10:45, and afternoon students are invited, as well. Please join us if you can. That is also our last day before Winter Vacation. School resumes on Monday, January 4.
Also on the 18th will be our Teachers’ Luncheon. Our staff loves to get together on this last day before the holiday – it is a fun treat to which we all look forward. Please help us by volunteering in your child’s classroom to have lunch with the children on this day. The time would be from 11:30 until 12:45. Thank you so much, and you can let Mr. MC know in the office if you would like to help out.
As we approach colder weather, it is important to be aware of our snow-day policy. Check the three major television stations (WEEK, WHOI, or WMBD) or our website (peoriamontessori.org) to see if we have closed in the event of inclement weather. Make sure to check on succeeding days, as well, as we may reopen before District 150 schools do. In the event of early dismissal due to weather, parents will be notified by phone.
We’d like to thank Jennifer for leading the organization of the Scholastic Book Fair. If you haven’t yet been down to our Library to visit the Book Fair, please do so! It will run until the end of the week.
Lastly, be on the lookout for a holiday fundraiser for the Upper Elementary class trip to St. Louis. The students are working hard to think of something everyone will enjoy!
Thank you,
The Montessori Staff
Items for your calendar:
Dec.1-4 – Scholastic Book Fair
Dec. 2, 9, & 16 – Elementary Drama Class
Dec. 11 – Hot Lunch
Dec. 18 – Holiday Sing-Along
Dec. 19-Jan. 4 – Winter Vacation