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May 23, 2014
In This Edition

News from the PA Planning Committee                             SMART Tuition Registration for 2014-15 
Yearbook Orders Due NOW                                               Alumni Highlight: Francis & Elena Wong
Family Involvement Opportunities                                      Congrats to Perrin Ketchum
SMART Tuition Registration for 2014-15                            Summer Camp Availability Limited

Plus LOTS OF Photos of the Week & Upcoming Events


News from the Parents Association Planning Committee

  

    

 

Earlier in the school year we shared our excitement about reviving a Parents Association (PA) at GMS.  This initiative came out of the school Self-Study that was completed and the feedback that was received during the process of our accreditation by the Southern Association of Independent Schools and the American Montessori Society. As we near the end of the school year we want to update you on the progress to date and where we are headed from here.

 

While Parents Associations can take on many roles, because we wanted a PA at GMS to represent the unique needs of our school, we attempted to be thoughtful about the process and to engage as much of our community as possible. We opted to collect information on the desired roles of a PA through the use of two surveys.  One survey was sent to GMS families and one to GMS teachers (The surveys were similar, with questions modified where appropriate to fit the differing roles of families and teachers). Once again we offer sincere thanks to all who participated in the surveys! Respondents were honest, forthcoming, and generous with their time.  As a committee we feel the surveys yielded a wealth of valuable information and were a great success.

 

From the survey results, THREE distinct, recurring, ideas emerged.  These themes were consistent both within surveys (ie. consistent within either the family survey or the teacher survey) AND between surveys (there was agreement in results from the family survey and the teacher survey).  These themes were:

 

1.  Building and supporting community was the predominant (overwhelmingly!) desired role for a PA.
          Specifically, building community through creating opportunities for engaging and connecting 

          through social gatherings (in particular, school-wide and across divisions)

 

 

2. A PA should NOT have any role in classroom functions or any functions pertaining to school operations.

 

3. In various and multiple contexts, desire was expressed for improved, open, regular communication
. 

 

Upcoming next week will be the second of two collaborative sessions that includes representatives from all sectors of the GMS community, including teachers, administration, and families. The results of the surveys completed by GMS families and teachers have served as the jumping off point for these meetings. The aim of these sessions is to construct the Mission Statement for a Parents Association at GMS. GMS Parent and Board member, Ellen Lloyd, is leading the group in this fun and creative brainstorming process.  The procedure is an adaptation of the method known as Continuous Improvement in which Ellen is trained, and which has been used at GMS to craft various other official school statements. This process works to create a shared vision from many voices. Once a Mission Statement for a PA is completed it will be shared with the community. Based on the Mission Statement, the next step will be to establish the structure of the PA. We expect to continue this work over the summer.

 

Updates will follow as progress continues!  At any time, please do not hesitate to contact 

Andi Bogan with any questions or comments. 

 

Opportunities for Family Involvement and Fun!!!
Fun Ways for GMS Families to Finish Out the Year
 

Calling all GMS Parents and Families!!!  

We hope you will be able to take part in one or all of the following events.

 

Please RSVP

 

1) Spring Scholastic Bookfair - Buy One, Get One Free - Volunteers Needed - Fri, 5/23 - Fri, 5/30

 

2) Family and Children's Farewell Party for Frank on Fri, 6/6 from 12:00-2:00pm. 

     You are invited to pick your child up from school and then join us in the gym for free lunch of        pizza, lemonade and cupcakes. We'll send Frank off with lots of hugs and a dance party. The school will also draw names for a three item raffle. More details to follow. Please RSVP by Mon, 6/2 

 

3) Last but not least,  the Moving Up Ceremony (9:30am) & Graduation (7:00pm) on Thurs, 6/5  

One of our annual traditions that signifies the true spirit of what makes GMS so special. We promise you that you've never seen a graduation ceremony like this before. 

No RSVPs necessary for this event. 

SMART Tuition Registration for 2014-15
Payments for 2014-15 Begin in June
 

Greensboro Montessori School is excited to announce that we have partnered with SMART Tuition to process our families' tuition payments for the 14/15 school year.  We've been investigating ways to make paying tuition easier and we feel that SMART Tuition is the best solution to meet the needs of our families.  We are discontinuing our use of FACTS Tuition Management at the end of May.

 

 SMART Tuition provides the following benefits:

 

  • MORE VERSATILE:  Automatic payments can be automatically made using a credit card, savings account, or checking account.  Payments can also be made online, over the phone, by your bank's online bill pay, by mail, or by SMART Tuition app via a smart phone.
  • MORE TIMES:  Payments can be made 24 hours per day / 7 days per week / 365 days per year.
  • MORE SERVICE:  You will be able to reach a customer service specialist 24 hours per day / 7 days per week to discuss your account.
  • MORE INFORMATION: All tuition can be viewed and managed online in real-time - all the time.
  • HELP REMEMBERING: You may have tuition automatically drafted (ACH) from your credit card, checking, or savings account each month with reminder of these drafts 7-10 days prior to the draft date.  For those electing to receive an invoice, SMART provides a follow-up service to contact you in the event you miss a payment.
  • MORE FLEXIBLE DUE DATES:  Payment due on the 5th or the 20th of each month. However, the Finance Office can help set up bank drafts on virtually any day of the month. 

 

If you choose a Plan B (Quarterly) or Plan C (Monthly) payment plan, please set up your account today by going to https://enroll.smarttuition.com . Our school code for SMART Tuition is 12677. 

 

All Plan B and Plan C families need to have a SMART account established by May 31 to ensure on-time June payments.  

 

Please call the Finance Office or email Amy Wagoner at [email protected] if you have any additional questions or need assistance establishing an account.

 

YEARBOOK PRE-ORDERS
2013-14 Yearbook Orders Due NOW
 

Buy the official GMS yearbook for $15 each! The book includes articles about all aspects of our

school, student pictures, and detailed descriptions about the exciting activities in which students

participate. Please send the Order Form to the front office and attach payment.

 

Thanks - The GMS Yearbook Staff

GMS Alumni Highlight: Francis & Elena Wong
Francis and Elena Wong
GMS Alums, Francis Wong '06 and Elena Wong '07

Francis and Elena Wong are siblings who graduated from GMS one year after another. Francis went on to attend the Early College at Guilford and Elena later enrolled at Grimsley High School. Though their paths diverged in high school, they reunited when they were both accepted at UNC Chapel Hill. This Fall Elena will start her senior year at UNC studying Psychology with a minor in Spanish for the Professions, and Francis, who just graduated with a degree in Economics, will begin a PhD program in Economics with a concentration on Public Finance at University of California at Berkeley.
 
About his time at GMS, Francis remembers being in a "math class of one" when he was in Middle School; a unique example of how he was supported to learn and excel at his own pace and was never restricted to stay within the confines of a specific textbook or prescribed curriculum just because of his age or grade. Francis says "it was such a strong primer for learning math on the college level." That experience parallels a math course experience that he had at UNC where the professor challenged him to approach math with the perspective that there is never just one right answer!
 
Francis also fondly recalls the overnight field trips that he took as a student at GMS and remarks that those trips are just one way that Montessori education helps students "look outwards" and move their learning to world beyond the classroom. For Francis, that philosophy of looking outward is the most compelling aspect of his experience at GMS.  In fact, as a recipient of the prestigious Morehead-Cain Scholarship at UNC Chapel Hill, Francis has spent a lot of time looking out into the world. Throughout the last four years, the Morehead-Cain program has sponsored him in educational opportunities including grassroots public service in Argentina, research with Oxfam in Zambia, reconnaissance work in Ethiopia with an "off the grid" solar power company, and an independent project with the Federal Reserve Bank in Atlanta. The last opportunity solidified his desire to pursue a career in academia and launch straight into PhD level work and research. He looks forward to moving to the San Francisco Bay area in mid-July.
 
When asked about her fondest memories at GMS, Elena shares that her relationships with her teachers are what stand out the most. Whether it was through the Middle School advisory program or the overarching culture of support and respect shared between the students and faculty, Elena values the depth and closeness of the friendships that she formed. "At GMS there was always a level of comfort and trust between us. Even after GMS, I never felt intimidated to approach my teachers or my professors with questions," Elena says. Today that translates to her experience at UNC where one of her professors is her running partner. Elena also keeps close ties with her GMS Middle School English teacher, Kathy Pitney, whose family lives in the RDU area. They have dinner together on a regular basis and Kathy invites Elena to come over and do laundry at her home. Elena says, "she always sends me back to school with several home cooked meals."
 
This summer Elena will complete the second of two internships she has had with the Center for Creative Leadership in Greensboro, where she also participated in a Leadership Essentials program. She looks forward to returning to UNC in the Fall to finish her degree and continue as an RA for the Connor Community. She'll also be competing on two of the university's Ultimate Frisbee Teams. Sources say that she's one of the MVPs on the women's and co-ed teams. 
 
Photos of the Week
GMS Alum, Hannah Kausche '09, volunteers in Upper El helping students with math practice and technology skills. She is pictured here with 5th level student, Simon Smith.

Thanks to Melissa and Jordan Martin for donating several new heavy duty "earth movers" and dump trucks to the Primary sandbox. 



Middle School mom, Shelley Ireland, helps set up for the Scholastic Bookfair that runs May 23 - May 30 in the GMS library. 

Diane Cabbell, mom of Ava in Lower El and Samantha in 8th grade, has coordinated the GMS Bookfair for several years. Thanks so much, Diane!





Jonathan McLean and Justin Gilleland ladle out homemade vegetable soup made over an open flame for folks who attended the Community Dinner at the Land.
        
Liam and Tina find a comfortable rock to share at the Land.
 
Luka and his mom, Sophia, visit the Land Campus for the first time. 
The Olson Fine and Bassett families enjoy the beautiful weather and good company at the Land.
 
 
 
    
Middle Schoolers, Lee Dunn and Steven Meeks, tell Land visitors about the new woodcraft workshop that they have been building this year. 
  




Seventh grader, Phoebe Craft, explains how each rising 6th grader will be given a special hand painted rock that they will be able to place in an individually chosen spot on the Land Campus to symbolize their personal connection to the land.

Frank has taught geography classes in
Upper El for many years. The Upper El
students will miss his geography lessons
next year. 



Upper El students celebrate spring birthdays with
a English style tea party. 
Upcoming Events

  • School Closed for Memorial Day - Monday, May 26 (No CASA) 
  •  
  • Spring Scholastic Bookfair - Friday, May 23 thru Friday, May 30- VOLUNTEERS NEEDED - Sign Up Here
  • Bookfair is Buy One Get One Free
  • Stock Up on Summer Reading Material
  •  
  •  Middle School Concert and Art Show - Wednesday, May 28 at 7pm
  •  
  • Upcoming Field Trips
  • 4th level Upper El students travel to the NC Outer Banks  (May 28-30)
  • 5th level Upper El students travel to Colonial Williamsburg and Jamestown  (May 28-31)
  •  
  • Lower Elementary Cultural Fair Open House - Friday, May 30 - 8:30-9:30am
  • stop in to see the Lower El students' end of year projects, displays and presentations featuring the fundamental needs of people living in the diverse cultures of Africa.
  •  
  • Council of Elders interviews for 8th graders - Wednesday, June 4
  •  
  • Moving Up Ceremony (9:30am) and 8th Grade Graduation (7:00pm) - Thursday, June 5 
  •  
  • Last Day of School, Early Dismissal - Friday, June 6
  •  
  • Family and Children's Farewell Party for Frank - Friday, June 6 - 12:00-2:00pm in the Gym, 
  • Lunch provided - RSVP by Mon, 6/2

  • REGISTER FOR SUMMER CAMP NOW - LIMITED SPACES AVAILABLE

    MONTESSORI AL FRESCO SUMMER PROGRAM
     
    TODDLER AL FRESCO CAMP IS FULL!!
    Only a few spaces still available for Primary and Elementary
     
    Register for the 2014 Montessori Al Fresco Summer program (9 weeks, all-inclusive from June 9 through Aug 19; excluding June 30--July 4) by clicking the link below. 
     


     
    WEEKLY SUMMER CAMP PROGRAMS - JUNE 23-27 & JULY 21-25
     
    Weekly summer camps are offering creative, outdoor learning experiences for children ages 3 and older. Camps will be led by GMS teachers and staff.
     
    Primary children ages 3-6 can join us for Arts, Crafts & Gardening
    Primary and Lower El children ages 4-9 will experience A Week in the Woods 
    Rising Upper El and Middle School students can choose from "Dumbledore's Army Boot Camp"and "Can You Dig It?" archaeology camp.  

     



     
    TRAILBLAZERS CAMPS AT GMS - SUMMER 2014

    Back by popular demand - Trailblazers and Trailblazers Extreme led by John Archambault (GMS Upper El teacher) and Morgan Kratovil (former GMS Middle School teacher)

    TRAILBLAZERS   - July 14-18 (Rising Upper El and Middle School students)
    This is a very popular camp for those who love being outdoors and exploring nature. The focus of this camp is to have fun hiking through our state parks and national forests. In addition to the hikes, hikers will swim, practice good hiking etiquette, and learn basic wilderness survival skills. The experience will promote an appreciation of our state's resources and of nature itself. Campers will meet in the office each morning and return by 5:00pm daily. 

    TRAILBLAZERS EXTREME - July 28- Aug 1  (Rising Upper El and Middle School students)
    Similar to the Trailblazers camp with longer, faster-paced hikes. The camp includes some swimming, but greater emphasis will be on hiking and exploring longer trails. Some days may be quite strenuous. Recommended for EXPERIENCED hikers. 


    FUN FACTS & REMINDERS

    Congratulations GMS Alum, Perrin Ketchum, GMS class of '12

    Perrin received the Highest Achievement in Civics and Economics award this year at his high school, Rockingham Early College.  Perrin is the son of GMS Primary teacher, Shelley Reynolds. 

    LOST & FOUND 
    Please check the Lost & Found Collection for missing items. All unclaimed items with be donated to charity after June 6.
     
     
    Admissions News for 2014-15
    Word of mouth has always been our best form of advertisement. Help us spread the word about the amazing educational experience your child is having at GMS!

    As a special thank you to current families, we are continuing to offer a$250 tuition crediteach time you help us enroll a new family for 2014-15. The new family will acknowledge your referral in writing when they register for the new school year.

     
     
    The GMS Student Directory and Community Handbook are accessible through the GMS website. Please register to become an authorized user!
     

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