May 2010 Newsletter
Dear Montessori Parent,
Unbelievable! The end of the school year is in sight after a myriad of planned May activities. I simply must repeat one of my favorite movie lines from Avalon… “If I had known it would have gone by so fast, I would have looked harder.” Just a month left to take in the beauty of the children with which we work. After that, this summer, we entrust you to that task. To all who are moving on, good fortune to you. We will miss you.
Congratulations to First-grader Meriah, who was the 1st Place winner in her age bracket of the WTVP “Kids Go” writing and illustrating contest! She and her story, entitled “Naughty Gnomes”, will go on next to the national competition. You may even see her reading her story on channel 47. Way to go, Meriah!
The Elementary classes have been busy lately. Last week they took the Stanford Achievement tests, the scores for which will be delivered to parents soon. Our students worked very hard on those. They’ll be taking a few field trips this month, so keep your eye on the calendar. Next week, they’ll be visiting Forest Park Nature Center to plant some of the prairie grasses they have been growing in the classroom. We will have a small plot there devoted to our Montessori Prairie, as well as a small one here at school. In the years to come, these prairies will be a nice living reminder for the students (who will, by then, be older and wiser) of their time spent here at MCHP.
The Upper Elementary class is ready for their big trip to St. Louis on Friday and Saturday. Their Art Sale was a great success, and they thank all the parents who helped them raise the money for their trip. Overall, they made a little over $1000 from all the fundraisers! This is a great project for the students to work on – they have learned to make a budget for the trip, and they have mapped out all the locations and the itinerary for the weekend themselves. Be on the lookout in the coming weeks for a display of pictures that they will be taking during the trip. We know they’ll have a great time…
We will be having an Afternoon Tea for current Kindergarten Enrichment parents who are interested in learning more about our Elementary program. It will be on Tuesday, May 11th, at 3:30, and will be served by Upper Elementary students. We are excited about the plans that are being made for the Elementary program for next year, and we would to share these plans with you.
Please thank the following persons with a smile for the wonderful job they did with our children’s Hot Lunches this year… Ed Nehrig, Jennifer Essig, Mona Taher, Michelle Miller, Jenn Bernhard, and Anita Poeppel. Their mission to provide healthy and appealing lunches was very successful. They worked hard to do this…but always with grace and love. Those added ingredients made the lunches exceptional. Well done, indeed.
The Spring Concert is to be presented on Friday evening, May 14, at 7:00. Children need to be here at 6:45 in order that we begin on time. Please bring them to their (AM) classroom at that time. All parents, grandparents, and other family members are cordially invited. This year’s program theme is “Campfire Songs”.
The all-school rehearsal for the concert will be at 9:30 in the morning on the same day, the 14th. We would like for all the afternoon children to attend the morning classes that day, in order for them to participate in the rehearsal. Please inform your directress if that is not possible.
We do need your cooperation in order to make the concert enjoyable for all who attend. Due to the large number of children participating, we must not have parents videotaping in the front of the stage. We have made arrangements for someone to videotape the performance for us, then we will have a DVD available for purchase at the end of the month. So, we encourage you to purchase our recording if you would like one. The cost will be $10, and an order form will be located outside the office so that you can pre-order your copy.
We anticipate a completely filled gymnasium, and so we must all remain seated. Also, younger children must stay with their parents, and comments should be made quietly. We should exercise good manners for our children to emulate. Finally, may we request your help serving refreshments and cleaning up after the program. A sign-up sheet will be available at the office door. Thank you.
The annual Montessori Olympic Games will take place on Wednesday, May 26, at 9:30 AM. Each teacher will provide an event for all the children. Once again, afternoon children should attend in the AM that day. This is an event in which we divide into teams and have outdoor games in the courtyard. Your child’s team will have a particular color and so he/she will need to wear a shirt, bandana, or some other clothing item of that color. It is always a good and happy time. More details will be forthcoming about team arrangements, what color to wear, etc. We do need helpers, so please try to set aside some time in the morning, to help out on that day.
Again, our last day of school is Friday, May 28. We will have our Awards Ceremony that morning in the gymnasium at 10:00. All afternoon children should join us on that morning, too. After the awards, we will do some dancing together. This is one of our traditions, the Montessori end-of-the-year community dance. Please join us. It's fun.
To round off our day on the 28th, we will have the end-of-year school picnic at the Pine/Dogwood shelter in Detweiller Park. All family and friends are cordially invited to come, eat, and relax. We plan to eat at 5:45 p.m. Each family should bring two ample dishes to pass, and their own table service. The school will provide the drink. You might want to bring some lawn chairs or blankets. If the weather is threatening, feel free to call the school before leaving for the park. We hope to see you there.
Down payment fees for children returning for the school year 2010-2011 are now due. We need to plan for staffing and room usage for the coming year. We have many applicants who are not currently at the school, so we need to have your intentions, too. If you have not already done so, please submit your enrollment fee so your child will be assured a place with us. The first day of school for the next school year, by the way, will be Wednesday, September 1st.
As you know, we are making plans for our Primary Summer Program. We need to have these plans in place, so that the program can start smoothly on Tuesday, June 1. Please return the summer form with the weeks you have selected for summer if you have not already done so. More forms are available outside the office. No payment is due until you arrive in June. We look forward to an enjoyable summer together.
Sign-up for Mrs. Fearon’s summer art class will be available soon. Also, you have probably noticed signs for Mr. MC’s Moviemaking Camp, which has been conducted for the past few summers. If you have been able to see any of the past year’s movies, you’ll know that the kids have a good deal of fun and can make some pretty great little movies! Speak to Mr. MC if you know someone (ages 8-13) who might be interested.
Our Hot Lunch this month has been rescheduled to May 27th, to coincide with our Teacher Appreciation Luncheon.
If you have borrowed a book from our Parent Library, please make sure to return it before the end of the year.
Jennifer Bernhard is working with the Friends of the Children of Haiti to purchase items the group has requested using the money raised at the Spring Bazaar,. One item that cannot be purchased but that we are asking you to send in if possible is clean empty prescription bottles. We will have a box outside the office for these donations. Thank you.
Thank you,
The Montessori Staff