Annual Fund Update To date, 25% of GSCM Families have participated in our annual fund. Whether in prayer, financial support, or volunteer help, we are aiming for 100% participation.
Please send in your pledge today! No gift is too small!
Donate online at www.gscmontessori.org/giving
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"The splendor of Christ risen from the dead
has shone on the people redeemed by His blood. Alleluia!"
Easter Antiphon, Morning Prayer
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Upcoming Dates
Thurs., April 19 Liturgy of Light Celebrations (see below)
Wed., April 25 Last PTO Meeting 7:00 p.m.
April 30-May 18 OAC Arts Residency with Debbie Brod (see below)
Thurs., May 3 First Communion Parent Meeting, 6:00-7:00 p.m.
Wed., May 9 May Crowning (details in future newsletter)
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Liturgy of Light Celebration: Thursday, April 19
The Liturgy of the Light is a beautiful celebration of the Resurrection that is designed especially for children. The celebration includes readings by the children, plenty of singing, and powerful signs from the Church's Easter Vigil: the paschal candle leading us with its one light through the darkness, the spreading of this light to each of us, and the brightening of the dark room as the light of Jesus spreads.
The Liturgy of the Light is one of the most memorable atrium experiences for the children. Celebrations will be held during the school day. Parents who wish to join us for this solemn, joyful celebration are invited to attend as well. Celebration times are:
8:30 Kindergarten and 9-12C
9:30 3-6B and 3-6C preschoolers and 9-12G
10:30 3-6D preschoolers and half of 6-9S/L
11:30 6-9S/O, half of 6-9S/L
Middle School students will participate in the celebrations as lectors, cantors, and other leadership roles.
Children are invited to wear attractive, out-of-uniform clothing
in honor of our celebration. No jeans, t-shirts, or light-up shoes.
Girls should wear pants, not long dresses.
"The children live the proclamation of the death and resurrection especially in the Liturgy of Light, which, through the contrast between darkness and light, involves us dramatically in the fundamental event in the Good Shepherd's life. Based on the observation of numerous children's drawings, we can say that the Liturgy of Light prevails over the historical approach; that is to say, once again the children interpret the events theologically rather than chronicling them."
Sofia Cavalletti, The Religious Potential of the Child
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PTO Speaker Series: Wed., April 25, 7:00 p.m.
Mark your calendar now and plan to attend the PTO Speaker Series on Wednesday, April 25, 2012, at 7:00 pm.
Our special guest speaker this year is Dr. Andrew J. Sodergren, a parent of two GSCM students and a clinical psychologist. Dr. Sodergren, whose doctoral dissertation is entitled Attachment and Morality: A Catholic Perspective, will speak from his experience as a husband, father, and psychologist.
Come and find out what is "the second most important gift you can give your children."
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Mission Alive: Strategic Planning for GSCM
The GSCM Board of Trustees has developed a strategic plan to guide and coordinate the development of our school. A strategic plan clarifies the desired future of the school consistent with its mission, and provides a framework to establish plans and guide decisions. It is a useful tool that will help all of the school leaders, from the staff to the principal and the board to consistently make informed choices as we continue to work toward the vision of what our school can be.
This plan is the outcome of an in-depth process of planning and discussion. It also involved significant input from the school faculty, parents and overall Good Shepherd Catholic Montessori community. It includes information from a variety of research and discussion efforts that have taken place over the past several years, which have included parents and staff, as well as guidance provided by the expert facilitators who conducted the studies and focus groups.
A broad overview of the GSCM strategic plan is illustrated below. The Board identified three major areas of concentration to support the ongoing success and development of our mission: community, enduring sustainability, and child development. Those three themes embody the mission of our school, and reflect the values that we hold important and want to foster going forward.
Within each goal the Board identified more specific objectives, and within each objective the Board and faculty identified measurable tactics to further and assess our school's growth and success. Going forward, we will be looking to guide our work to be consistent with our goals and measuring our progress against those goals.
The overview below indicates our mission, our broad goals, and the sub-goals in each area.
School Mission:
The Good Shepherd Catholic Montessori is dedicated to providing an outstanding education to children ages three to fourteen in a Catholic atmosphere faithful to the Magesterium of the Church. Using the philosophy and techniques of the Montessori approach, including religious education through the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, our goal is to enable each child to develop as a well-integrated human being: spiritually, intellectually, socially, physically, and emotionally.
Strategic Plan Summary
Community
- 100% parent involvement and partnership
- Intentionally reaffirm and foster the GSCM culture
- Foster mutual understanding through communication
- Provide the most affordable/accessible education possible
- Establish plan for capital giving to insure viability of facilities
- Provide the best environment for Montessori
- Meet or exceed goals established for each of the developmental areas identified in the GSCM mission: Intellectual, Spiritual, Physical, Social and Emotional
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 OAC Residency: Welcome Debbie Brod! GSCM will host visual artist Debbie Brod from April 30-May 18 in a three-week arts residency through the Ohio Arts Council's Artist in Education Program. Debbie, a local visual artist, was a resident artist at our school in 2005, and with our students created the beautiful 3-D sculpture installation that brightens our west stairway. During the upcoming residency, Debbie will work with our students in the media of 3-D sculpture and also fabric art. The residency will again lead to an installation in our east stairwell. We are looking forward to this dynamic event with a very talented and inspirational artist. Part of Debbie's biographical sketch from the OAC website is below. For more information, go to:Click Here Debbie Brod writes: Each residency is a journey. The energy and momentum that build from beginning to end of a residency can be joyous and empowering to everyone. I like helping people expand their view of what art can be, and what each person can do. My background is in painting and I particularly enjoy combining painting with the physicality of three-dimensional media. Materials from the community and its surroundings -- wood from attics and lumberyards, driftwood from the Ohio River, etc. -- are inspiring: they carry something of the lives of the people who used them, the energy of a place. .... I like tapping into what is meaningful to people, and offering them materials and techniques with which to express themselves. Often, all our efforts are combined in a permanent installation to which everyone has contributed, expressing each person's particular energy and yet coherently combining all. Please send in newspapers for use in the residency. We are collecting them starting now in the front hallway. Back to top |
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Office News
CONFIRMATION ANNOUNCEMENTS
Please keep the following students in your prayers, that the Holy Spirit will pour out His gifts and love into their hearts on their Confirmation: Elizabeth Lotterer was confirmed on Saturday April 14 at St. Maximilian Kolbe Church. Courtney Calo, Megan Griffin and Katie Guarasci will be confirmed this Thursday April 19 at St. Peter in Chains Cathedral. IPM Food Collection Thursday, Apr. 26 Our next collection for Inter Parish Ministry's food choice pantry will be Thursday, April 26. Each student is asked to bring in one boxed "Helper Meal"-hamburger helper, tuna helper, etc. This is a very popular item with families coming in for food, so supplies get depleted pretty fast. Please remember this when shopping for your own groceries between now and then. Once again, thank you very much for supporting this very important work. Back to top
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Staffing News: Spanish Program
Welcome Teresa Mejia
We have hired Teresa Mejia to serve as our pre-primary and lower elementary Spanish teacher, beginning in August 2012. Teresa, a native of the Dominican Republic, presented a number of qualities that enabled her to stand out from a strong pool of candidates. As part of the application process, Teresa taught a sample class to our lower elementary students. She was extremely organized, very upbeat, and engaged with the children very effectively.
Formerly a medical doctor, Teresa has embarked upon Montessori education as a second career and is currently taking classes in Xavier University's Montessori Elementary Teacher Training Program. She is married with two grown children.
An important consideration in selecting Teresa for this position was her understanding of Montessori philosophy and pedagogy, and her ability to easily integrate Montessori principles and curriculum themes into her work with Spanish instruction. This was very evident in her sample teaching as well as in the interview process. We are looking forward to developing our Spanish program for our younger students with Teresa's talent and knowledge.
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PTO News
Box Tops
We will be collecting box tops for the month of April. The class that sends in the most box tops will win an ice cream party! Please turn in box tops in an envelope or Ziploc with your name and class. If you prefer a box top collection sheet there are extras in one of the box top baskets. This will be the last collection for the school year so please turn in all your box tops.
Order Your Yearbook
Don't wait until the last minute to order your 2011-12 GSCM yearbook. The GSCM PTO and Yearbook Club will be taking PREORDERS ONLY for this year's book. No extra books will be ordered and resold. Yearbooks cost $25 for one, $44 for two and $60 for three. Make check payable to GSCM PTO. Yearbooks will be delivered to students in the fall of the following school year. Non returning families may pick up their books in the fall or pay to have the yearbooks mailed. Order forms available in the office.
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Summer Camp News
Please visit our website www.gscmontessori.org for a current summer camp brochure. Camps are offered the weeks of June 11-14 and 18-21:
- Nature Trail: Instructor: Jeanne Speier, M.F.A., Music Instructor at GSCM
- Let's Go Outside! Instructor: Jeanne Speier, M.F.A., Music Instructor at GSCM
- Drama for the Young Child: Instructor: Rhonda Hamall, Associate of Arts, Founder and Director of the Backyard Theatre Company;
- Drama for the Older Child: Instructor: Rhonda Hamall, Associate of Arts, Founder and Director of the Backyard Theatre Company;
- Ultimate! (Frisbee, that is): Instructors: Evan Conrad, University of Cincinnati Ultimate Frisbee Team; Jack Teller, starter on 6-time
- Sculpture for the Elementary Child: Walking with the Gargoyles: Instructor: Shannon Treier, BFA, fine arts teacher at GSCM
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Book Club Get-Together
Wednesday, April 25, 7pm at Shea Lawrence's House 1555 Wild Cherry Drive, Milford. Come discuss our recent reads and weigh in for the next get together - Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand (Author of Seabiscuit), Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese and The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. Even if you haven't read the books, come for some great topical discussion and good books. RSVP - Shea.Lawrence@gmail.com or 673-2972
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Kroger Rewards Program
Starting May 1, the Kroger Reward program is changing. Parents will enroll their Kroger Plus Card in the Community Rewards Program, indicate GSCM as the charitable organization of choice, and then every time that family's Plus Card is used at a Kroger store, GSCM will receive a percentage of every purchase.
Our school utilizes these funds for Staff Development and Financial Aid. In the near future, look for information on how you can register your Kroger Plus Card to benefit our school.
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