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The Montessori Messenger
October 23rd Volume 3 |
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Message Board
11/10 Parent/Teacher Conferences (No School for Students) please sign up in the office
11/11 Veterans Day - No School
11/16 Board of Directors Meeting
11/24 Thanksgiving Feast - Early Dismissal 11:45am
11/25-27 Thanksgiving Holiday
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A Letter from the Head of School
Dear Montessori Parents,
Thank you for helping us to celebrate International Night. We had many elements that contributed to the overwhelming success of the evening. Some of those were as follows:
-Hardworking volunteers from our PTO and parent community
-Teachers working in the classrooms to prepare the children for the events
-Students and the families creating beautiful cultural costumes
-Families preparing delicious dishes from many different cultures
-Students sharing their love of dance
-Students singing "America"
-Perfect weather
Preparing for International Night is often difficult to navigate for families who are attending the event for the first time. Thank you to the more experienced families who helped to guide our new families.
I have thought a lot this week about the emergence of the normalized child. Dr. Montessori used the term "normalization" to describe the appearance in the school setting of the child who is able to focus and concentrate for sustained periods of time, while deriving self-satisfaction from their work. Love of work, concentration, self-discipline, and sociability let us know that the child is on his way to becoming a contributing member of society.
A "normalized" child will relinquish certain traits that hinder his development. We should not see quarrelsomeness, wavering attention, untidiness, disobedience or greed. We strive in the Montessori classroom to give the child an environment where he can become "normalized."
Thank you for your continued support of your children and their school.
Sincerely,
Peggy Higgins
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Board News
The Board met this Tuesday. Much of the meeting focused on reviewing finances and discussing where we go from here with the school expansion, also known as Project Greenspace. Ann DeCapite, VP and Financial Officer, presented our budget, which was passed, and explained that we are on solid financial footing. Katherine Ellsworth noted that Phase I of expansion is almost complete, and we are happy with our builder, Quadrant. We are working on getting approval of the site plan for Phase II, which is the new Elementary school building. We will begin the loan application process for Phase II once we get city approval. We hope to be in the new building early fall semester 2010! Parent donations of plants are welcome; Katherine will make a list of what is needed. Please join us for Board meetings on the third Tuesday of every month at 6:30 pm at the main school. Our new communications committee is planning a Parent-to-Parent e-mail newsletter to keep parents informed and in touch with the school and community, and post coffee-shop meet ups. Contact Cassandra Davis if you would like to have something included in the Parent-to-Parent newsletter. Our next Board meeting will be November 16.
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A Letter from the Editor
This past weekend my wife and I attended the play "Waiting for Godot" by:Samuel Beckett at UNCW. For those of you who aren't familiar with the play it is about two men that meet near a tree. They talk about many mindless topics as they wait there for a man named Godot. They come in contact with a few people passing by and at the end they are left still waiting for a man named Godot. Many critics have called it "the original play about nothing". On my way home my wife and I were discussing the play and the meaning behind it. I feel that the author was trying to express that it is not the time, but what you do with your time. Even though these two men were waiting and seemingly doing nothing, in fact they were learning more about themselves and each other. As I pondered that idea I thought of my students in the elementary building. Sometimes, I will sit back and simply observe the students during work period. Some students will start diligently working while others seem to "wait" for a while before they start, either to discuss the previous nights antics with a friend or to just day dream for a moment. It's funny what a night out at the theatre can open your eyes to!
Thank you,
Shane Terzaken
A.K.A. Mr. T
Editor
"To realize the unimportance of time is the gate to wisdom"
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Staff Bios of the Week
Stepping Stones East!
Mrs. Katie Beasley
Katie is co-directress in Stepping Stones East. She has a B.A. in History and Communications from the College of Charleston and her AMS Primary Montessori credential from the NC Center for Montessori education. She is also a Montessori child, completing nine years as a student at Chesapeake Montessori School in Annapolis, Md. She has two daughters Marion and Claire who attend MCS. She enjoys spending time with her family, being on the water and working in the garden.
Mrs. Maria Rock
Mrs. Maria Rock is a co-directress in Stepping Stones East. She is a Florida native and grew up in Sarasota. While attending Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, NC, she earned a degree in Early Childhood Education with minors in Intermediate Education and Reading. Maria was a public school teacher for the Camp Lejeune Dependent School System and taught first grade before finding Montessori. Maria was a Montessori parent to Sean, Julia and Joseph before deciding to further her Education by completing the Montessori Certification Birth to three. Maria started an Infant program at MCS in August of 1999. The program evolved to a toddler class the next school year. This will be Maria's tenth year at MCS. Maria and her husband, Paul have three children that attended MCS through third grade. They continue to enjoy their children's success, knowing that their strong foundation started at MCS. In Maria's free time, she can be found in the garden, the kitchen, and on the soccer field, usually with her camera close-by. |
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Volunteer Opportunities
Fix the Shed Door
Change Ceiling Light Bulbs - After School Hours
Change Air Filters
Put a Scrapbook together of International Night
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Theatre and dance News
Dear Community,
The theatre classes have finally begun and new students are welcome to join in the fun. There are two th
eatre classes meeting at the USO. The classes meet on Wednesdays from 4:30-5:15 for the younger new student and 5:15-6:00 for the older student. Past productions include Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, A Christmas Carol, Pinocchio, The Secret Garden, and other children's classic tales. Presently, acting skills, vocal technique, stage movement, improvisation, and memorization are the focus of the classes in preparation of the production. Hopefully, your schedules will permit this wonderful opportunity for your children. Cost of the class is $50.00/month.
Ballroom dance classes meet on Wednesday at the USO from 7:30-8:30. Practice time is available before and after class. Some of the fabulous dances that you will enjoy learning will be the Waltz, Foxtrot, Tango, Salsa, Rhumba, East Coast Swing, West Coast Swing, Night Club Two-Step and many others to come. One very important note - you do not need a partner. For as long as I have been social dancing, and now competitively, I have never gone to a dance with a partner. I hope you will come out on Wednesday night for a grand and wonderful time of learning to "dance the night away!" Cost is $10.00.
Please spread the word to your friends and those who may be interested in these activities.
My best to all of you,
Sharon Veitch
NC School of Performing Arts
910-265-8939 |
Children must wear their seat belts, even babies! It is not only frightening to Montessori faculty to see children not buckled in their seat, it is a form of neglect and abuse that they are professionally bound to report to the proper authorities.
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"Qoute of the Week"
"All children are artists. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up."
-Pablo Picasso- |
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