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Dundas Valley Montessori School
December 2014 Events and Information

Dear ,

This month's requests and reminders:


 

  • Last month, we published our regular reminder to please slow down and be careful in the DVMS parking lot and neighbourhood. Since then, we have had two incidents: one where someone backing out in a hurry almost hit two children, and another where one parent was witnessed hitting another's car, checking the damage, and choosing to leave. On a few occasions, people have also parked at an angle that blocks the handicap parking space, which members of our community do need to use. It is our responsibility to keep your children safe while they are at school, and we need all of your cooperation to ensure that we never have to deal with a child, or anyone else, being hurt by careless driving in the parking lot. Please, DVMS community, please take your time and be careful.
     
  • We would also like to remind parents that, even though we all hate using up our own sick days when it is our children who are sick, there are certain circumstances in which Public Health policy requires children to remain absent from school for specific time periods:
  • Common afflictions such as diarrhea, pinkeye, headlice or nits, and strep throat require, depending on the illness, children to be absent from school for 24 hours without symptoms, or from the beginning of medication.
  • The flu (influenza) requires absence "until 5 days after symptoms began."
  • DVMS also has a policy in place that requests children remain absent until free of symptoms, for 24 hours, of chicken pox, scarlet fever, elevated temperatures, vomiting, and severe rashes. If you have any questions regarding specific illnesses, please see Skye or Jason in the office.
     
  • Finally, the lost and found is bursting at the seams these days. At the end of each term, which is approaching rapidly, we donate any unclaimed and unlabeled items in the lost and found. Please take a look.


 

Thank you.

Dec. 1 - 5, 2014

Monday, December 1, and Tuesday, December 2 -- DVMS Parent Observations Continue: These are the last two days of parent observations. If you haven't yet signed up for an observation, and wish to do so, please contact the office at [email protected] to see if there are any available timeslots.

 

Monday, December 1 -- Lower Elementary at Blackadar: 8 - 10 Lower Elementary students will be walking to the Blackadar Long-Term Care Facility, just around the corner from us, for 45-minute visits with the residents. This is an opportunity for them to work on their going out skills and interacting with the public; they will be doing show and tell and developing their presentation and public speaking skills, on top of bringing some joy and laughter to the residents. We will be visiting Blackadar twice a month throughout the year.


 

Thursday, December 4, and Friday, December 5 -- DVMS Parent-Teacher Interviews: DVMS Parent-Teacher Interviews will take place on the evening of Thursday, December 4, and the morning of Friday, December 5 (there is no school on Dec. 5). Childcare will be available during your interview times.


Dec. 8 - 12, 2014
Nothin' but lernin' goin' on at DVMS this week...
 
Tuesday, December 9 -- Strata: Montessori Adolescent School Parent-Student-Teacher Conferencres: Strata families, if you haven't signed up yet, please do so by clicking here.
Dec. 15 - 19, 2014
Friday, December 15 -- Lower Elementary at Blackadar: 8 - 10 Lower Elementary students will be walking to the Blackadar Long-Term Care Facility, just around the corner from us, for 45-minute visits with the residents. This is an opportunity for them to work on their going out skills and interacting with the public; they will be doing show and tell and developing their presentation and public speaking skills, on top of bringing some joy and laughter to the residents. We will be visiting Blackadar twice a month throughout the year.
 
Friday, December 19 -- DVMS Holiday Concert:

The 2014 Holiday Concert will take place on Friday, December 19. Children are to arrive and go to their classrooms by 9:30.

Parents are welcome visit the Strata: Montessori Adolescent School Super Cafe and Market.


The concert will start at approximately 10:00 and continue until approximately 11:00. Once the concert is over, you are welcome to stay for a Cafe social until 12:00, after which the Holiday Break begins.The first day back to school is Monday, January 5.


All proceeds from the market are going to support Tuleeni Orphan's Home in Tanzania. Upper Elementary students Claire and Seraphina would like you to know that:


 

"There is a craft sale on December 19, all through the morning before, during, and after the concert. We are raising money for the Tuleeni Orphan's Home in Tanzania. We also will be holding a raffle draw; we will be selling tickets after school December 15-18. The prize is a porcelain doll."

December 22 - January 2, 2014-2015
NO SCHOOL! Happy Holidays Everyone. First day back to school is Monday, January 5.

Term 2 Lower Elementary Activities: Both Lower Elementary classes will be participating in skating, at Grightmire Arena on Market St. in Dundas, and swimming, at the Dundas pool, also on Market St. in Dundas, throughout January and February (and a bit of March). We will be walking to and from both activities
  • Lower Elementary North Swimming (Carol and Jodi): will be swimming on Fridays: Jan. 9, Jan. 16, Jan. 23, and Jan. 30, from 2:15-3:15. They will require a bathing suit and towel, in a bag that they can easily carry to and from the pool. If they need to wear goggles, please ensure they are properly fitted before they head to the pool.
  • Lower Elementary South Skating (Noeleen): will be skating on Mondays: Jan. 5, Jan. 12, Jan. 19, and Jan. 26, from 2:00-3:00. They will require skates and a helmet that has a CSA sticker (bike helmets are acceptable, but not preferred). Please ensure that helmets are properly fitted and that skates are laced in a way that allows children to put them on themselves. Parents are welcome to join us for skating, and we love as much help as we can get to tie up skates.
  • Lower Elementary North Skating (Carol and Jodi): will be skating on Mondays: Feb. 2, Feb. 9, Feb. 23, and March 2 (Feb. 16 is the Family Day statutory holiday). They will require skates and a helmet that has a CSA sticker (bike helmets are acceptable, but not preferred). Please ensure that helmets are properly fitted and that skates are laced in a way that allows children to put them on themselves. Parents are welcome to join us for skating, and we love as much help as we can get to tie up skates.
  • Lower Elementary Sourth Swimming (Noeleen): will be swimming on Fridays: Feb. 6, Feb. 20, Feb. 27, and March 6 from 2:15-3:15. They will require a bathing suit and towel, in a bag that they can easily carry to and from the pool. If they need to wear goggles, please ensure they are properly fitted before they head to the pool.

 

 

Term 2 Upper Elementary Activities:


 

  • Beginning on Thursday, January 8, and Friday, January 9, both Upper Elementary classes will be split into mixed groups to take part in a 7-week progressive Winter Outdoor Education program with Luna Adventures, at DVMS and the surrounding area (parks, creeks, trails, etc.).
  • Each week (Jan. 8/9, Jan. 15/16, Jan. 22/23, Jan. 29/30, Feb. 19/20, Feb. 26/27, and March 5/6) students will have the opportunity to explore snowshoeing, quinzee building, animal tracking, traditional crafts, and much more all within the local Dundas area.
  • Please remind your child to bring weather-appropriate outdoor clothing on Thursdays and Fridays.
  • On Monday, February 2, and Monday, February 9, the Outdoor Education will take place at Chicopee Ski Resort. Transportation details and a per child fee for rental costs are still being determined; we will let you know in the new year.

 

If you're looking for Christmas present ideas, skating, skiing, and swimming stuff might be a good idea.

DVMS.ca Calendar
Thank you for taking the time to read the DVMS Event and Information Parent Newsletter. Please add this important information to your calendar. All of the event details can also be found on the DVMS website calendar at the link above. The website calendar is a Google calendar, so you can easily add important dates directly to your own.
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 Dundas Valley Montessori School
14 Kemp Drive
Dundas ON
L9H 2M9
905-627-1073 | dvms.ca


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