Don't miss the Middle School Performance! 
Shows on March 7 at 7pm and March 10 at 10am






       
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Mark Your Calendar

Monday, March 10
  • Contra Dance Organizing Committee Meeting: 8:30 am in the kitchen  
  • Spanish (4+ and first grade): 3 - 4 pm 
Tuesday, March 11
  • Fire and Stone: 3 - 4 pm
  • Mindfulness and the Science of the Mind: 3 - 4 pm
  • Peace Curriculum Night (potluck 5:00 - 5:30) 5:30 - 7:30 pm
Wednesday, March 12
  • Lower El workshare 8:30 - 9:00 am
  • Bagel Lunch
  • Girls on the Run: 3 - 4:30 pm 
Thursday, March 13
  • All School Gathering: 8:45 - 9:15 am, Coffee for parents beforehand 
  • Drum Circle: 3 - 4 pm
Friday, March 14
  • Pizza Lunch
  • Junior Bakers: 3 - 4 pm
  • Ukelele: 3 - 4 pm
  • Girls on the Run: 3 - 4 pm
Coming Up...

Monday, March 10: Middle School Performance: 10 am
and Hilltop Night at the Overflow Shelter

Tuesday, March 11 - Curriculum Night 5 - 7:30 pm What is this "Montessori Peace Curriculum" that we hear talked about? For many families, this component of a Montessori education is a mystery. Come hear what the Peace Curriculum is and how it is implemented at each age and stage of our programs. Family pot-luck from 5 - 5:30. We'll provide pizza, you bring a salad or side. See you then!

SAVE THE DATE! Friday, March 28th - Hilltop Family Dinner and Contra Dance at the Dummerston Grange with very special musical hosts and Middle School parents, Keith Murphy and Becky Tracy. Join us celebrate going solar with song and dance.



REMEMBER: To see events further in the future go to the calendar on our website.
 
March 27, 28 Parent Conferences

Conference Sign up Program:  

Every family should have received an email inviting then to use "VolunteerSpot" to sign up for the 

March 27th and 28th conferences. We are using this online service in response to your suggestions and it already seems to be a huge success. If you did not see a message, please check your Junk Mail Folder. It might be there from mail@volunteerspot.com.

 

Please sign up for your conference by using the link in your conference invitation email.  If the time you need isn't available, try the "swap" function.  VolunteerSpot will send an email to that person asking if they are willing to swap times. You can also have them add the time to your online calendar. 

 
Please email Ann or stop by the front desk to give feedback on VolunteerSpot.  
If this works well for our community we may expand its use for events and volunteering opportunities.
 
Childcare: We do offer childcare both conference days and you can sign up at the front desk. Care during your conference is free; otherwise childcare is billed at the usual rate of $7.50 per hour. There is childcare on Friday morning if needed, separate from the BEEC program, and will be billed at the same rate.

 

The BEEC program will be held at the Hilltop campus on Friday morning, March 28th, and children will not be travelling to BEEC. There is a full roster of children signed up, but they can accommodate more if you would like to be added!

 

Notes from Tamara

 

"Establishing lasting peace is the work of education; all politics can do is keep us out of war."
-Maria Montessori

 

You have re-enrolled with us - now come learn more about what you are paying for!
 
The Peace Curriculum permeates everything we do with students at an authentic Montessori school like Hilltop. Maria Montessori developed her philosophy of education during the tumultuous years of WWI and WWII. Those disturbances greatly shaped her life, her world view and became the lens through which she viewed education. The curriculum she developed, which we follow at Hilltop Montessori School, includes:
  • classroom environments and practices that allow each individual to confidently develop their own rhythms and skills
  • geography/cultural lessons that show how all humans share the same "Fundamental Needs"
  • science lessons that illustrate the interconnectedness of all organisms, including humans, in the web of life
  • history lessons that analyze past cultures' contributions to human understanding of the world/human knowledge
  • conflict resolution lessons that teach us all how to be peacemakers and advocates for peace in our communities
On that last point, in particular, we need families to partner with us in fostering children's skills 
in advocating for themselves and being respectful and caring towards others. Please join us Tuesday evening to learn more about our Peace Curriculum and how you can help support it.
 
Barn Update
A milestone has been reached: The barn is almost closed in!!! Next week the roof will be installed. Now the interior work can go into high gear. Phone and communications are already installed in the existing part of the barn, as are the electrics.

Final designs are in for the timber frame connector between the Barn and Children's House.

Much of the digging for the sprinkler system and the connector will happen during the April break, we hope.

Onward!
 
Leland 
New Board Member
The Board of Trustees is excited to welcome Linda Schmidt onto the Board.  Linda's daughter, Silvia, joined the Birch Room this year.  Linda's Midwest sensibility and risk-management skills will fit in nicely on the Board.  Her term begins immediately as she is replacing a Trustee who had to resign. 

Thank you for agreeing to serve, Linda.
Birch Room

Peace

The process of developing peaceful attitudes and behaviors is an ongoing process. Children have great ability to develop the attitudes and values such as empathy, respect, compassion, generosity, gratitude, sharing active listening etc. through skill-building opportunities. Pictures below are of the Peace/Silence work, I Am Grateful activity and the Peace Place area. These are just three of the many ways to practice peace.     

 
 
 
 

 

SEEKING A CLASSROOM CAMERA: Do you have a slightly older, but still working, camera that Children's House could have?  We are in need of one so we can take pictures for our weekly newsletter.
Willow Room
This week Olders had their first pottery class with Bonnie Stearns.  Pottery classes are a highlight of the Olders' year.  On Thursday it was a warm (relatively!) and sunny afternoon so Melissa and Cheryl walked the children down to Bonnie's home studio on Hillcrest Terrace.  The children made bowls using a pinchpot method and decorated them with animals.  Future pottery dates: 3/13, 3/27, 4/3, and 4/10.

 

We hope you will join us on Thursday, March 11 for our curriculum night.  This year's topic is Peace Education.  Potluck dinner begins at 5PM.  The presentations will be from 5:30 - 7:30.

 

Mark your calendar: on Wednesday, March 19, Children's House will host a parent classroom visit from 8:30 - 9:15.

 

We look forward to meeting with all of you during Parent/Teacher conferences on Thursday, 3/27 and Friday, 3/28.  If you haven't already, please sign up using the link included in Ann Brehm's email sent last week.

 

Enjoy the warm weather this weekend.

Melissa & Ellie

 
   
  

 

Lower El
We are sorry for any confusion about our Wednesday Work Shares.  We welcome you to another one next Wednesday, March 12th.  Bonus: On Tuesday, March 11th, we are hosting Curriculum Night, where we will be engaging in some of our peace activities with parents of children from every program.  We hope to see you there.   The schedule of work shares has been put on our Google calendar, so please consult that if you are wondering about work shares to come.

   
EXTRA CLOTHES AND INSIDE SHOES: We have noticed that many children have empty, or nearly empty, extra clothes boxes.  This has been an issue for some children who have needed to change clothes and found none in their box.  Please send in extra clothes for your child.  Indoor shoes are also necessary; please help your child remember to bring them in.  

Thank you, and have a nice weekend!
Kerstin and Patrick
James, Susannah, and Parker share their pterodactyl report at All School Gathering.
 
Annelise, Marian, and James do a paragraph activity.
Leo spends some time reading in the book nook.
Solomon helps Jamie with an antonym work. 
Jay accompanies Siri, Magda, and Susannah in a recorder performance at ASG. 
Ian shares his sentences on circle.  
 
  
Upper El

 

Wow, it was a relief to finally have a normal, five-day week. After the fourths and fifths began learning about Muhammad and the start Islam, we were very fortunate to have a personal visit from Ali, a Lebanese exchange student living with Alex Lier's family. Ali spoke from a personal perspective on the role of the Muslim faith in his life and culture. The class listened intently and came up with many engaging questions. Our work with human body and botany continues, with experiments started, and microscope work focussing root hairs. Writers workshop is now focussing on descriptive writing, with students bringing in observations they completed around the Brattleboro area.

 

Soon, we will be sending an email looking for drivers on the morning of Thursday, March 20, when the class goes to see the Windham Orchestra at the Latchis. We will be departing at 9:00 a.m. for the 9:30 concert.

 

We look forward to seeing many of you next Tuesday evening, March 11 for Curriculum Night! 

 

Middle School
 

It has happened. Boxed In opened last night to an appreciative and enthusiastic audience and the cast looks forward to their performance this evening. The Performance never ceases to amaze us with its depth, insights, humor, and the fascinating manner in which our middle school students explore their learning. We will have our final performance on Monday morning at 10am. If you were not able to catch a show, please feel free to join us on Monday.

 

We begin the immersion into our next study, The River of Spirit, on Tuesday morning. This exploration of religion, faith, and spirit as a defining part of the human story will lead us to our odyssey in April. Over the next five weeks we will be studying five of the world's religions and hosting participants and clergy in those faiths to help further our understanding.

 

Keith Murphy (Aidan's dad) stopped by this afternoon to teach us some dances that will be part of the big Hilltop community dance on Friday, March 28. Everyone had so much fun and we hope everyone puts that date on his or her calendar.

 

Have a wonderful weekend.

 

Paul, Finn, Nora, and Ilene

 

 

 
 



Community News
 
Got Tweens & Teens? 
Free Parenting Workshop
 
Guiding Good Choices 
For parents/ care givers for 4th through 8th graders.

Guiding Good Choices is a free five session parenting workshop that covers how to set clear guidelines with both positive and negative consequences, how to control and express anger constructively, promote family bonds and prepare kids with "refusal" skills for that time down the road when trouble may tempt them. 

The course begins Tuesday, April 1st from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. and will be held every Tuesday through May 6th. *No class on April 15th due to school vacation.

*Childcare and dinner will be provided.  
*Stipend of $65 will be given to class participants 
that complete all five weeks. 
 
Classes will be held at:
Marlboro College Graduate Center
 28 Vernon St. in Brattleboro

Space is limited. Register by calling BAPC at 802-257-2175 or 
email bapcparented@gmail.com.
 
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