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OMA NEWS
 September 2014 
Dear OMA Community, 

Wow - September is here!  The past three months have been a busy time within OMA as we prepare for this coming year.  This News Bulletin is chock-full, so please take time to scroll all the way through.  I recently had a meeting with Oregon Federation of Independent Schools Executive Director, Mark Siegel, and am posting his message about joining his organization at the end of this News Bulletin. 

There are a lot of wonderful things happening in our local and regional Montessori community and I feel very fortunate to be a part of it!  Please remember to send school news and events to share in the News Bulletins and be posted on the OMA web site over the course of the year.

Wishing you each a peaceful autumn ~

Laura Pilkington
OMA Executive Director
[email protected]
Laura Pilkington


        
~ It's Time to Renew Your OMA Membership! ~

 
Thank you to the schools and individuals who have already renewed.   Your support is appreciated!
The OMA membership cycle runs from August 1st - July 31st. 
Oregon Montessori Assistant Workshops
 
Thank you to Jeanne VanDeRiet, Judi Simmons and Kari Wax (in order below) for presenting and organizing the Assistant Workshops in Corvallis and Portland.  Thank you to Adele Carey of Corvallis Montessori School and Mary Hicks of The Portland Montessori School for opening their schools to OMA to provide wonderful workshop venues.  There were almost 80 attendees combined this year, with 25 schools represented.



Congratulations to Concordia Montessori!
  

Concordia Montessori's primary program is thrilled to begin our 5th school year by announcing our recent 5-star QRIS designation!  We would love to thank our staff and families for helping us earn this recognition and we would also like to share a big THANK YOU with all the OMA members who organized, hosted, and participated in the Montessori QRIS work parties.  We were not able to physically attend due time and commuting restrictions, but the work that you shared with the OMA community were very much appreciated and used in our QRIS submission!  

We would be happy to share the knowledge, portfolio assistance, and feedback we have received during this process with any programs who are in this process or thinking of starting.  Just get in touch!

Amy Gard, M.Ed
Director
OMA Fall Workshop Day:  Featuring Two Morning Workshops and One Afternoon Workshop

Saturday, October 18th, 9am - 4pm, hosted by Harmony Montessori School  

~ Morning Sessions ~ 
 

9 - Noon, "Board Governance 101" with Barbara Gibbs of the Nonprofit Association of Oregon.

    In response to requests from many administrators, OMA sponsored Board training workshops on a couple of occasions in the early 2000's.  They were well attended (40-plus at each) and very well received.  A well-informed Board makes our jobs a lot easier!  It has been many years since the last Board training workshop, and the need is strong again.   We urge you to bring key board members to the workshop, which will be led by Barbara Gibbs of the Oregon Nonprofit Assocation, who has over 30 years experience in nonprofit management and governance. 

 

 Click here for Barbara's bio.  Click here for workshop outline. 
  

 

9 - Noon, "Working with Special Needs" Workshop for Teachers, Assistants, and Parents

 
Deidra Weill will focus on Occupational Therapy Approaches to working with children for 2 hours and Amy Kyler will talk for 1 hour about working with the Deaf and Hearing Challenged. Click on their names for their bios.

~ Afternoon Session ~

1 - 4, "Working with Volunteers in the 21st Century," Jim Laden, National Director of FoodCorps.  Jim has over 20 years of experience working with volunteers and being one himself. 

 

~ Register for the Morning, for the Afternoon, or for the Full Day! ~

 

Click here to register!  
Save the Date for Montessori in the Capitol!
 
Join colleagues and friends in Salem and help advocate for Montessori!  Thank you to Corvallis Montessori School for offering to provide the necessary materials and children for the Glass Classroom exhibit in the Galleria of the Capitol Building.




Click here to download and print your own copy of the Save the Date.  Thank you, Jessica Breed, for creating this beautiful document.  Thank you to the Oregon Montessori Advocacy Partnership's MIC Committee for their dedicated work and thank you to Glenn Goodfellow at Montessori Northwest (MNW) for sharing his knowledge with this group. 

OMA 2014 - 15 Event Calendar

Mark your calendars and save the dates!

 
September 13th - Peace and Justice Fair in Vancouver, WA.  Contact Julie Davis to volunteer and for more information 
 
September 20th - In Home Montessori Group meeting at Casita Montessori School 
 
October 8th - Administrator Group Meeting, 4:30 - 6:30pm.  Topic will be around the certain amount of sick leave required by the City of Portland.  30 minute presentation by Melissa Healy, attorney at Stoel Rives.  School check-ins and other topics attendees want to address will follow the presentation.  Location TBD.

October 22nd
- Open Advocacy Meeting, Child's View Montessori School, 6 - 7:30pm.  All Welcome!

January 16th - 17th - OMA Winter Lecture and Workshop
  • Saturday, January 17th in Portland, Michael Gurian, Morning Keynote, "Boys and Girls Learn Differently," and Betsy Hoke, "Nurture the Nature" Workshop, 9am - 4pm.  Click here for workshop summary.

Save the dates and add the Friday night lecture to your school calendars for parents!  Registration details coming soon!

 

April 18th - Annual Spring Tea and Workshop, 9am - 3pm.  Be thinking of nominees for the annual awards.
  • Morning Workshop, 9am - Noon, Chrystin Dundorff, Ph.D. "The Changing Face of Early Childhood Education and Advocacy in Oregon."
  • Tea, Awards, and Networking, 1 - 3pm
~ OFIS Membership Announcement ~
 
Join the Oregon Federation of Independent Schools (OFIS) by going to www.ofisweb.org today. OFIS is the voice of all of Oregon's private schools, and addresses concerns in dealing with Oregon Dept of Ed, the Board of Ed and the Oregon Legislature.  OFIS works with the Governor to make the first Thursday in February Oregon Private School Appreciation Day.  

If you aren't sure about joining, come to their meeting on September 18 at the Seventh Day Adventist Conference Center (19800 Oakfield Rd, Gladstone) - info at www.ofisweb.org OR call volunteer Executive Director Mark Siegel at 503.843.6987 or [email protected]


The Oregon Montessori Association is a group of schools and individuals who support vibrant Montessori education in Oregon and Southwest Washington...and beyond.  

Visit www.oregonmontessori.org

or call:  503.688.0526