"What really makes a teacher is love for the human child; for it is love that transforms the social duty of the educator into the higher consciousness of a mission." 

Maria Montessori, The Montessori Method

Priority Registration Period for 2012-13: January 17-February 10

The priority registration period for the 2012-13 school year will run from January 17 through February 10. During this time, current GSCM students may re-register and their siblings may apply for acceptance for 2012-13. We reserve enrollment for all current students and give priority consideration for all sibling applications through February 10. After that date, openings are no longer reserved but are offered to new applicants. Re-enrollment forms and tuition information will be sent home on Tuesday, January 17 via backpack mail and will also be available on line at www.gscmontessori.org.

Financial Aid Application Process for 2012-13 School Year

The Good Shepherd Catholic Montessori offers a financial aid program for current and incoming students. To apply for financial aid for the 2012-13 school year, parents must submit a financial aid application to Private School Aid Service by March 5. By mid-April, GSCM will notify parents of the amount of aid (if any) they will receive from the school. Financial aid applications are available from Lynette Rosati Shim in the school office and can be downloaded from our website, www.gscmontessori.org. Go to "Admissions/Financial Aid." If you have any questions, please contact Lynette Rosati Shim in the school office.

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Information Nights for Parents

IMPORTANT:  Please be sure to RSVP to Nancy Toon (ntoon@gscmontessori.org) if you plan to attend one of these events.  Events will be cancelled if there is not enough interest.

Lower Elementary Information Night:  

Wed., Jan. 18, 7:00-8:30 p.m.

Our lower elementary classrooms are warm, relaxed, and purposeful environments for children.  All classrooms are well-established with a rich array of learning materials.  Our teachers will provide an overview of our lower elementary program.  The presentation outline includes:  

• Imagine a school: Montessori for elementary children
• Moving from concrete to abstract: teachers present Montessori materials
• Classroom work expectations and assessments
• Structure and choice in the Montessori 6-9 classroom
• Montessori elementary multi-age philosophy
• The lower elementary atrium experience (with Jana Widmeyer)

 Upper Elementary Information Session:  

Thurs., Jan. 19, 7:00-8:30 p.m.

Our 9-12 classrooms have a talented corps of lead and assistant teachers, a strong curriculum, and a rich array of learning materials.  The combination of Montessori education with the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd continues to offer a unique opportunity for each child to grow as a well-rounded individual. 

Lead teachers Jenny Griffin (math/science) and LinMarie Cameron (language arts/history) will describe.

• Program philosophy and curriculum
• Student work Expectations
• Parent involvement
• Homework
• Assessment
• Atrium for the upper elementary child (with Dan Teller)

Middle School Information Night:   

Tues. Jan. 17, 7:00-8:30 p.m.

John Bennett, Mary Hamiter, and Beth Beatrice, our middle school teachers, will present an overview of our middle school program.  This event will have the following components:  

• Curriculum and Montessori Principles:  What is the curriculum?  What are academic expectations?  What are the leading values and guiding principles that underlay our practices in Montessori adolescent education?  Why do we do what we do?  How do we serve Montessori's vision of the adolescent? 
• High School Preparation:  Several current middle school parents who also have high school children will be on hand to join our staff in answering questions from upper elementary parents.  In addition to drawing from their past and current experiences in the middle school, these parents will also able to reference the high school experience of their older child(ren).  How did the GSCM experience prepare their child for high school?  How was the transition?

• Religious Education in the Middle School (with Annette Lustenberger)
• Questions and Answers

NEW: Theology of the Body Parent Information Meeting:   

Tues., Jan. 24, 7:00 p.m.

Recognizing parents as the primary educators of their children in matters of faith and morals, we invite all parents to a Parent Information Meeting about an excellent new program that we are presenting to our 8th grade students:   Theology of the Body for Teens: Middle School Edition.

The program is based on Blessed Pope John Paul II's Theology of the Body, which offers a very positive message of the gift of sexuality as a good and essential part of love and life.   It is our hope that this curriculum will provide the children with the knowledge and understanding they need concerning the meaning and purpose of their identity, their sexuality and of their very existence.  

Sacrament of Reconciliation

In order to make the Sacrament of Reconciliation more accessible to our Catholic students, our 3rd through 8th graders will have the opportunity to go to Confession immediately following Mass, starting next week and going through the beginning of Lent.  The Confessions schedule will be as follows:

            Jan. 17 -  8th grade

            Jan. 24-   7th grade

            Jan. 31-   6th grade

            Feb. 7   - 5th grade

            Feb. 14 - 4th grade

            Feb. 28 - 3rd grade

Jelly / Jam Collection Thursday, Jan. 19

Our first collection for 2012 for Inter Parish Ministry's food pantry will be Thursday, January 19. Each student is asked to bring in one jar of jam or jelly, any flavor.

Dress for the Weather

Now that cold weather is here, please make sure to send your children with a hat and gloves.  If it has snowed or is supposed to snow, boots and snow pants are also needed.  Students go out for Phys Ed and they also go out every day for recess unless it is extremely cold, windy or raining.  Please put their names on their clothing, boots, gloves etc. (if possible).    

PTO News and Focus on Volunteers

Thank you PTO Volunteers!

One of the things that makes GSCM such a unique school is the countless hours spent by our volunteers.  As we start the New Year, 2012, we want to thank our volunteers and the PTO Officers and Committee Chairs for all they do for our school.

Officers:

President                      Jana Widmeyer

Vice President               Ellen Stephenson

Secretary                      Lisa Schmitz

Treasurer                       Jane Koenig

Committee Chairs:

PTO Fundraisers           Carrie Lynn Ellis

Community Relations     Dinese Young

Celebrations                  Sheri Mitchell

Arts Events                   Rhonda Hamall

Volunteer Coordinator    Shannon Lotterer

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Architecture Club Starts this month!

The first GSCM Architecture Club will begin this month. It is open to anyone in grades 3-6, and will meet Tuesdays from 3-4PM.  Registration is $25, and will cover materials and snacks. The club will be participating in the AIA's ABC competition, whose theme this year is bridges. AIA assigns each school a professional architect to guide through a student-design/build project that begins in January, and is judged with peers throughout the city in April. Top scored projects will be on display in the Cincinnati Public Library in April/May. Dinese Young, certified gifted educator, will be supervising/leading the club, but parents of club members must commit to attending at least one afterschool session/day for room monitoring. Please sign up ASAP with Dinese Young, dyoung5281@gmail.com. The FIRST club meeting will begin Jauary 31st from 3-4PM.