Upcoming Dates 

Wed., Sept. 12      Picture Day:  elementary classes  

Thurs., Sept. 13     PTO Meeting, 8:15 a.m.

Mon.., Sept. 17      VIRTUS Training, 6:30-9:30 p.m. in '9-12/Guadalupe'

Thurs., Sept.20      Pre-Primary Parent Education Evening 7:00 p.m.

Thurs., Sept. 20     After-School Soccer Clinic, 3:00-4:30 p.m.

Sept.17-20             Middle School Odyssey Trip to Hico, West Virginia

Sept. 19-21            Upper Elementary Trip to Camp Kern

Wed., Sept. 26       Drama Club begins 

 

Pre-Primary Parent Education Evening

Practical Life and Sensorial Exercises: How Do They Help My Child?

Thursday, September 20, 7:00-8:30 p.m. (parents only)

Why is my child scrubbing tables?

What is the purpose of basic Practical Life activities, such as pouring water from one small pitcher to another and twisting a screwdriver?

How do I support the independence of the Montessori environment in my own home?

What are the sensorial materials? Why are they important for the preschool child?

 

If these questions resonate with you or if you have similar questions about our curriculum, please mark your calendars for Thursday, September 20 at 7pm. The Pre-Primary teachers will give an overview of the Practical Life and Sensorial Areas of the classroom. This will include presentations, explanations of the direct and indirect aims of the lessons, as well as an open format for questions.

    
Walkathon Coming Soon!
Lace up your walking shoes and get ready for this year's GSCM Walkathon on Thursday, October 11th.  Start thinking of people to invite to sponsor you.  How many laps can you walk this year?  More details coming soon. 

Mission Alive!

¡HABLAMOS ESPAÑOL!  In-Depth Spanish Instruction at GSCM

Last year the church, which is adjacent to our playground, was having a new roof installed by a crew of Hispanic workers. As the teacher led the children back to school at the end of recess, the workers called down to her, "Who is teaching your kids Spanish? They speak very well!" During recess, a number of the children had been exchanging Spanish words and phrases with the workers up on the roof!

 

At The Good Shepherd Catholic Montessori, we are pleased to offer an in-depth foreign language program, with carefully-planned instruction and ample time for children to truly begin to understand and speak Spanish. Beginning at age three, every student has three Spanish classes per week with one of two Spanish instructors.

 

Two false assumptions surrounding foreign language instruction are:

• "A little bit of language is better than no language at all."
• "Children's language learning is a magical process unrelated to the amount of time allocated to the task."

As one might expect, these assumptions do not support an effective foreign language program. In fact, they are "in direct contradiction to the fact that in order to achieve language fluency an extended sequence of instruction and a certain amount of time are needed." Teamwork in Foreign Languages, 2001 Report of the Central States Conference on the Teaching of Foreign Languages)

 

Upper level students (grades 6-8) focus on grammar, writing, vocabulary, and speaking and listening skills. The students write dialogues and act them out for the class and play many learning games. Use of a Spanish textbook provides the same content that is covered in a high school Spanish classroom. Students have homework and study for quizzes in Spanish just as they do in their other academic subjects. More than 90% of our 2012 graduates tested out of high school Spanish I and entered second year Spanish!

 

The 4^th/5^th grade Spanish program focuses on vocabulary, listening, speaking and some writing.   Students listen to stories told completely in Spanish after they have been introduced to vocabulary that will be used in the stories. Then they act out these stories in their own words in Spanish. Written Spanish is introduced through selected vocabulary words and their correct Spanish spelling.

 

Songs, games, vocabulary and simple conversations are primary sources of instruction for our younger students (preschool through grade 3).   In addition, these children have Spanish-based materials to use both during Spanish class and their open work time during the week.

 

 

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Office News

Marketing Help Wanted

Graphic Designer:  We are looking for a freelance designer to help with our marketing materials and newsletter.  Stipend provided.

Writer:  We are also looking for a writer to assist with writing stories to get GSCM in the news.

 

If you have these talents or know of someone, please contact Susan Fisher at scfisher@mac.com.

 

2012-2013 Yearbook Help Needed

The yearbook staff is looking for a few committed people who will help insure a quality yearbook for the 2012-13 school year. We need people who will:

1) take photos - photos of special events such as walk-a-Thon and/or photos of everyday classroom activities. You can take them of a classroom, a grade level or school wide. Also you can upload them to the yearbook site yourself or you can give them to a coordinator who will upload them for you. It's really that easy

2) label photos - periodically go into the yearbook data base and label the pictures with the children's names that you know. 5 minutes of training required. It's really that easy.

3) create a page layout- it's easy to do and fun. You might be given an event like Grandparents Day and you can lay out the pictures for that page. The yearbook website has templates and is fun and easy to use.

Please Turn Your Form In

If you haven't turned in the yellow Family Income Form yet, please do so ASAP. The form came home by backpack mail last week. This information is important to ensure our continued participation in the Federal programs which help to provide a variety of materials and services for the children, teachers and our school.

 

Program News 

Drama Program Expands

Due to the huge success of last year's production of The Wizard of Oz, this year we are proud to  expand our drama program with an after-school Drama Club and a kindergarten drama class. Rhonda Hamall, who so skillfully collaborated with our 8^th grade students in last year's production, will be the instructor and producer for both drama experiences.

 

After-School Drama Club for Elementary and Middle School: Wednesdays

Lower Elementary: Practices September 26^th through late January from 3pm -4 pm. January 24th Dress Rehearsal will be during school and the performance is January 25^th at 6 pm in the church.

 

Upper Elementary/Middle School: First meeting and auditions January 30^th 3-4 pm. Practices begin February 6^th until the show. Dress rehearsal will be May 1^st during school, with performances May 2^nd and 3^rd at 6pm in the church.

 

No experience is required to participate in Drama Club, and students do not even have to be actors. We will have many production needs: acting, costumes, makeup, sets, props.   There is an opportunity for everyone to have an important role! To sign up online click here http://gscm.achievesms.com/parentpage/ 

 

The lower elementary club will begin on Wednesday, September 26 with a production in late January. Following that performance we will begin rehearsal for a middle school/upper elementary production. This will follow last year's example and be a student driven production with the middle school students taking lead on directing and all aspects of the show. Their performance will be in late April or early May.

 

Sign-up/registration for Drama Club will be available next week through our Parent Portal. Look for more information in next week's newsletter.

   

Suzuki Violin and Cello Lessons at GSCM!

Violin and cello lessons will be available after school starting this fall. (Viola and bass are also possible- please ask for details.)

 

• All ages from (4 years old and up) are welcome (parents, you are welcome, too!)
• Suzuki method (internationally acclaimed approach to very early childhood instruction) employed for the very young (parental involvement required, initially.)

• Music reading included as children grow more experienced;
• Irish, fiddle, and many other supplemental musical styles included for those interested;
• Group and performance possibilities down the road...

Lessons will be Mondays after school.  Parents (or other adult) must be present at all times

Cost of the lessons is $20/half hour.  Please contact Gloria Fiore at (513) 731-3920 for information, and to SIGN UP.

 

[About the instructor-

Gloria Fiore graduated with highest honors from the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music with a certificate in Music Education, has done extensive Suzuki training in books I thru X and beyond, has much experience teaching all sorts of string programs in a number of area schools, including Montessori, and has performed in a number of orchestras, most notably the West Virginia Symphony and the Dayton Philharmonic for 30+ years. She resides in Amberley Village and also teaches out of her home.

 

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Volunteer News

 

VIRTUS Training Session for New Volunteers

Monday, September 17, 6:30-9:30 p.m. in Our Lady of Guadalupe

All people who work or volunteer with children in any of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati parishes, schools, or institutions have until June 30, 2014 to attend a VIRTUS® Child Awareness Session for the Decree on Child Protection in order to be approved to work with children. GSCM follows these guidelines.  All volunteers with regular and/or significant (e.g., 3 or more hours per month) contact with GSCM students must attend a child protection class. Overnight chaperones to the 9-12 Camp Kern trip must also attend.  A course for volunteers will be held at GSCM on Monday, September 17, 6:30 - 9:30 pm.

 

Those previously trained under the old Awareness Sessions have until June 2014 to take the new Virtus training.    New volunteers, those without previous training, must complete VIRTUS training before volunteering with students or chaperoning at Camp Kern. 

 

To register for the September 17 training session at GSCM, go online to www.virtusonline.org.   If you cannot attend the September 17 session, you can go to www.virtusonline.org to view other area training sessions. 

 

If you were Virtus trained in another diocese, please provide Jana Widmeyer (GSCM Virtus Coordinator) with a copy of your certificate.  Questions?   Contact Jana Widmeyer at jwidmeyer@gscmontessori.org.

 

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