A Letter from the Head of School
Dear Parents,
Next week the PTO is hosting a Book Fair at Barnes and Noble. Some of our staff will be reading their favorite holiday stories. Have a look at the schedule and try to bring your children for a storytime. At our request Barnes and Noble will have a display of Caldecott Award books.
We all recognize the importance of language in the life of a child. The infant is especially focused on the acquisition of sound, thereby learning to communicate. The child picks up words at a prodigious rate. At two, the child learns 200 words; at six, the child knows 10,000-15,000 words! The child also picks up style, tone, inflection, and syntax of his or her native language. We have a responsibility to choose works of literature that will support this capability for language.
The child's brain is more than just a receptor of sounds, it is also the receptor of images. As the child takes in all this sensory stimulation, the brain stores it as images in memory. Why should we choose stories that are presented in beautiful formats with beautiful illustrations? Montessori taught us that the child absorbs their environment. We have the opportunity to expand the child's life experiences through well chosen books.
Please join us next week as we continue to show our support for beautiful children's books.
Many thanks,
Peggy Higgins
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Annual Giving
Thank you to everyone who gave to the Annual Fund. We are currently half way to our goal and its not to late to pledge. Remember, its not how much you give, its that everyone participates!
All funds received will go to this years classrooms, teachers, and programs.
Thank you,
The Board of Directors
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Message Board
12/8 &12/9 - Barnes & Noble Book Fair (5:30-7:30pm)
12/14 - Auction Meeting (After morning carpool at Your Way Cafe)
12/14 - Board Meeting (6:30pm)
12/17 - Holiday Celebration (Early Dismissal 11:45am)
12/18-1/3 - Winter Holiday (School Closed)
1/3 - Teacher Work Day (No School for Students)
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Mardi Gras Masquerade 2011 Auction Night
The first two meetings were great, but we still need volunteers. This is our biggest fundraser of the year and it takes a lot to make it wonderful. If you what to have fun while volunteering, please come to the next meeting on December 14th and see what you're missing!
Thank you,
The Auction Committee
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Barnes & Noble Book Fair December 8th & 9th 5:30pm - 8:30pm
"MCS Storytime" Barnes & Noble Bookfair
Wednesday, December 8th
5:30 pm "The Polar Express" by Chris Van Allsburg Read with: Ms. Peggy Higgins
6:00 pm "The Snowy Day" by Ezra Jack Keats Read with: Mr. Shane Terzaken aka Mr. "T"
6:30 pm "Knuffle Bunny" by Mo Willems
Read with: Ms. Katie Beasley
7:00 pm "The Runaway Tractor" by Stephen Cartwright Read with: Ms. Alice Hampton
Thursday, December 9th
5:30 pm "The Gift of the Maji" by O. Henry aka William Sydney Porter Read with: Ms. Peggy Higgins
6:00 pm "The Lorax" by Dr. Seuss Read with: Mr. Jason Addams
6:30 pm "The Grinch that Stole Christmas" by Dr. Seuss Read with: Ms. Mona Livingston
Check out the link below to order books for the Holidays! Anyone can order, so pass this link along to friends and family.
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The Grace and Courtesy Corner
Marilyn Rolls Rugs!
The older children like to help their younger friends acclimate to the Montessori environment. When older children give lessons, they build their self-esteem. They are also reinforcing knowledge they've already acquired.
Marilyn, a five-year-old, took pride in helping the younger children. She offered to lend a hand whenever needed and she did so in a kind and loving way. A true Montessori child, she was never boastful. She always offered a polite "May I help you?"
Marilyn loved keeping the rugs tidy. If a younger child was having difficulty, she politely asked, "May I show you how to roll the rug?" She demonstrated it with care and precision (the "pat the ends of the rug" step was her favorite part).
Acting as a role model, Marilyn walked around the classroom ever so carefully. The younger children noticed how she walked around the rugs the children were using. They imitated her, as they slowly maneuvered around the rugs, as well as around the children who sat beside them on the floor. Marilyn's posture, that of a ballerina, was inspiring to all (teachers included!).
- Pam Personette, M.Ed.
Montessori Educational Consultant
Montessori Services
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