Montessori School of Westfield
Elementary II Newsletter
November 2008
When the leaves begin turning, it is a sign that the natural world is becoming dormant outside, but it also symbolizes the beginning of the classroom grind. As much as it sounds dreadful, this grind is a beautiful sight to see. Children work as if they are paid to do so, and the joy of learning through action becomes natural almost every day.
The month of November is an entire month we are to express our gratitude for the things we have been given. I am not talking about Nintendo DS, X Boxes, and iPods but, the gifts of health, loving parents, and a school where we all can feel safe and nurtured. Please support this month of reflection as we all mature into the students, teachers, parents, and sons and daughters we all aspire to be.
Helping Others
Our school is committed to involving our students and their families in service to others less fortunate. Here are a variety of projects we have on-going this school year. Although they are listed by classroom, please feel free to contribute to any and all that speak to you personally. Thank you in advance for your generous support to these wonderful causes.
Toddler class: Collecting soap for the Amanda Strong Foundation (Today- December 8th)
Children’s House 1: Collecting food for the Amanda Strong Foundation (Today-December 8th) **This is an ALL SCHOOL drive**
Children’s House 2: Mrs. Bowe and Mrs. Franzen would like to thank all the parents and students who participated in the Hamilton County Coats for Kids program this year—all of our new and gently-used donations will be passed out to kids in our community on Saturday, November 1st.
Children’s House 3: Collecting school supplies to support the Chobots’ mission trip to Mexico (Starting Winter/Spring 2009)
Elementary 1: Collecting toys for the RTV6 Toy Drive (Today-December 15th) **This is an ALL SCHOOL drive**
Elementary 2: Collecting new, “Hip” clothing for the homeless teenagers at the Outreach Program (Today-December 1st)
DATES TO REMEMBER
- November 3 (Monday) December tuition due
- November 7 (Friday) Photo Retake DayNovember 19 (Wednesday)
- Health and Wellness Talk by Anne Marie Frasz for PARENTS ONLY. From 1:30-2:30 PM in the Casa de Familias. Call the office to RSVP @ 867-0158
- November 19-21, 24, 25 The Scholastic Book Fair to benefit our LIBRARY!! Please stop by for all your Christmas and holiday gifts
- November 25 (Tuesday) Thanksgiving Feast
- November 26-28 (Wed-Fri) NO SCHOOL—Thanksgiving Break\
- December 3 (Wednesday) Montessori Kindergarten and 1st Grade evening for PARENTS ONLY: 6:30-7:30 pm
CLASS NEWS AND NOTES
November is Poetry Month in the Elementary II classroom. This will be one of the major focuses in writing this month. Most of it will center on nature and thankfulness, but we might branch out into other areas.
November’s book reports will be due the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, and the theme will be a historical fiction piece. Now, this is not a genre where I have loads of titles in mind, but I am certainly willing to help out the process. A rubric will go home, but the project will be a poster board for the report.
Mary always thinks that we bite off more than we can chew for the annual Thanksgiving Feast. It always works out well, though. For those of you who need volunteer hours, this is a perfect opportunity for you. We need help organizing, preparing, and cleaning, even though the children take an active role in the process. All students will be in charge of a particular dish or job, but I need a parent who can make phone calls and e-mail others to help set this up. THIS WILL COUNT TOWARD YOUR HOURS, and it does not take much effort.
Conferences were pushed back because of the choppiness of October, so, instead, the month of November will be used for our fall meetings. We need to schedule these conferences in the first two and a half weeks of the month, and they need to be scheduled through the office (867-0158).
We need to do this because the school must find coverage for the classroom during the meetings. Generally, we can meet in between 8:00 and 9:00, and even 11:30-12:00. These conferences should last twenty minutes at the most, so please come with any questions or concerns you might have. We can then address those concerns immediately. You can also e-mail questions or concerns anytime at mswelementary2@gmail.com.
Congratulations to Adam Frasz who recently finished third in a state chess tournament up in Logansport. We are all in awe of your playing and are very proud of you. Way to go, Adam!
Thanks so much to the Townsend and Frasz families for providing snacks for the clan this past month!
November snack: Smith
November Social Hour: Smith
Way to step up Andrea!!!
SCHOOL REMINDERS
If you need to complete your volunteer hours but don’t know what to do, we really need parents to share their talents with us. Outside beautification, PTO volunteering, and dismissals are just a few things you can do to help. You can contact the office or me if you have questions or suggestions.
Have a great month, and I look forward to seeing you at the Feast!
Garry Sumski
