The Good Shepherd Catholic Montessori is dedicated to providing an outstanding education to children ages three to fourteen in a Catholic atmosphere faithful to the Magesterium of the Church. Using the philosophy and techniques of the Montessori approach, including religious education through the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, our goal is to enable each child to develop as a well-integrated human being: spiritually, intellectually, socially, physically, and emotionally
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Upcoming Dates
Oct. 15-19 Book Fair this week
Thurs., Oct. 18 GSCM Student Government/IPM Pasta Collection
Fri., Oct. 19 Grandparents/Special Friends Day (uniform day)
Wed., Oct. 24 Mass of Intention for First Communicants, 5:30 p.m.
Fri., Oct. 26 Favorite Animal/Favorite Color Out of Uniform Day
(see below)
Thurs., Nov 1 All Saints' Day Mass and Eucharistic Procession 8:15 a.m.
Sat., Nov. 3 Fall Jamboree, 6:00 - 8:30 p.m.
Tues., Nov. 6 1:00 p.m. Early Dismissal, Staff In-Service
Thurs., Nov. 8 Parent-Child Evening (Pre-Primary and
Elementary) 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Fri., Nov. 9 End of First Trimester
Mon., Nov. 12 NO SCHOOL, Teacher Records Day
Nov. 12-16 Parent-Teacher Conference Week
Fri., Nov. 16 NO SCHOOL, Parent-Teacher Conferences
Sat., Nov 17 PTO Holiday Boutique, 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Grandparents/Special Friends Day: Friday, October 19
(Please note: To receive our special guests, all K-8 students should wear their regular school uniform on Grandparents' Day.)
All students are welcome to invite their grandparents or special friends to join us for this special day. The children love to share their school one-on-one with their special guests. A short presentation, atrium open house and book fair will also take place.
Our schedule:
8:50-9:00 arrival
9:00-10:30 classroom visits with children
10:45-11:30 student presentations in church
Please help us plan by sending in your RSVP. Click here to register
Book Fair at GSCM Week of October 15 - October 19
The Book Fair begins October 15 and runs through October 19, Grandparents' Day. Look for GREAT deals on gift-quality classic and Newbery & Caldecott Award books. Plan to do your birthday and Christmas shopping. A beautiful book is a gift to be cherished for a lifetime. This Independent book sale and the Usborne books will be in the lower hallway. Come visit anytime during school hours and support Good Shepherd Catholic Montessori School!
See the Book Fair flyer here
All Saints' Day Mass and Eucharistic Procession:
Thursday, Nov. 1, 8:15 a.m.
Please join us for Mass on All Saints Day, followed by a Eucharistic Procession led by Fr. Ruffino Ezama. Weather permitting, after Mass we will make a Eucharistic Procession, processing behind the Blessed Sacrament around the school, representing the members of Church Triumphant who are continually praising God in heaven. We will have a litany of saints at the lower entrance, and conclude with benediction in the church.
Please note: There will be no school Mass on Tuesday, October 30.
Fall Jamboree: Sat., November 3, 6:00-8:30 p.m.
Come to the Fall Jamboree!
It has become tradition at GSCM to kick off our school's annual campaign with the Fall Jamboree. This is a fun, festive, fall-themed event for the whole family. The children enjoy the crafts and snacks. Adults get time to socialize. Everyone likes to listen to the music of Russ Childers and the Rabbit Hash String Band. Look for an emailed invitation coming your way in a few days. Mark your calendar and pick out your square dance attire. We look forward to seeing you at the Fall Jamboree Click here for details and to RSVP Welcome Principals for the Week, Mary and Heidi Gruber! Mary and Heidi Gruber will be our guest 'Principals of the Week' next week (week of 10/22). Mary and Heidi have planned a special out-of-uniform day for Friday, October 26. Students are invited to wear their "favorite animal" or "favorite color" shirt. Mary and Heidi have also helped plan a special all-school recess on Wed., October 24. Finally, they will be greeting all of the children each morning with a special treat. Parent-Child Evening: Thurs., Nov. 8, 6:00-8:00 p.m. Pre-primary and elementary parents are invited to spend an evening in the classroom with their child during our upcoming Parent-Child Evenings. One of the most relaxing and enjoyable parent education opportunities, this is an evening for listening to your child and exploring the fascinating Montessori environment together. Please come and experience the interest and joy of your child's learning in the Montessori classroom. Although our teachers will be on hand, the focus is on parent-child interactions and the evening is not intended as a time to conference with teachers. Back to top
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Mission Alive!
Middle School Project: River Ecology
By John Bennett, Middle School Science/Math Teacher
"To begin, it is necessary to choose an element that is large, even quantitatively, because if an element is present in large quantities its function must be important. Thus, water is one of the most imposing elements of the earth." - Maria Montessori
"Certainly one would like to be able to penetrate the mysteries and the majesty inherent in water." - Maria Montessori
We use the Ohio River every day. Our electricity comes from coal that is transported along the Ohio River. Our drinking water is treated river water. We are a river town and have been since our earliest beginnings.
This fall, BALANCE is the trimester theme that we apply across the curriculum to our Middle School studies For our science studies, students are studying the balance found in water. We look at the balance between industry, human needs, and the environment as well as the chemical balances found in water such as pH, dissolved oxygen, and nitrate levels. Below, Montessori describes the important balance of salinity found in the seas:
"If the water of the seas is analyzed, it is found always to be composed in the same manner. The composition may be determined exactly, mathematically. And for how long has the water been in this composition? Always. Why? If it should ever change, even to the minutest degree, all the living beings in there would die." - Maria Montessori
As with all project work, the Ohio River study includes many experiences outside of the classroom. These include:
New River Rafting - Students learned firsthand the power of water and the role of tributaries. A storm raged the first night of our trip. The day after the storm the river was barely effected. It was not until two days later that the river swelled by several feet producing class 5 rapids and an adventure filled rafting trip.
On-Site Water Testing: On October 17th the students will be testing the water in the two creeks that run through the school property. Some of the tests will include turbidity (clarity of water), fecal coliform, nitrates, phosphates, and identifying macro-invertebrates to determine the creek's overall health.
Ohio River Water Testing: Lastly, on October 30th, the students will be testing water on the Ohio River. This testing will be completed through the Foundation for Ohio River Education which is the educational branch of ORSANCO, the governing body of the Ohio River and its watershed.
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8th Annual Walkathon - One of the Best
If you haven't already heard, we had a wonderful Walkathon last Thursday. The weather was cool and crisp; the sun was shining; the children were energized; and the volunteers were ready. Father Kyle Schnippel, Vocations Director for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, prayed with us and gave the signal for the start of the walk. Thursday was also the first day of the Church's "Year of Faith" and we began the walk with the ringing of a bell and stepped into the "Year of Faith" as a school community.
Many students collected donations for our school from family and friends. Congratulations to Middle Schooler Alex Todd who raised the most money and to 9-12 Our Lady of Guadalupe classes whose combined fundraising was in excess of $3000.
All together, the students walked 3427 laps which equates to over 856 miles. Sixth grader Alec Hamall walked 42 laps equivalent to 10 miles. Students in 6-9 Our Lady of Fatima walked a combined 574 laps or 143.5 miles.
The donations are still coming in and at this point we've raised in excess of $8000. We'll keep you updated on the total.
Thank you to all the volunteers who helped make this event happen, especially Mike Schmitt who got the Walkathon campaign off to a start, Mary Anne Tankersley, last year's walkathon chair whose expertise and diligence filled in the gaps, and Rachel Sabo who coordinated the day.
We owe a special thank you to our Walkathon sponsors: Time Timer, Sign Graphics and Design, Shade Law Group, UBS, Seemless Design, Ruah Woods, Wealthquest, AXA Advisors, and Verbarg's. Thanks also to prize donors Sacred Heart Radio and Kennedy Heights Art Center. Servatti's provided the delicious cookies and Coyotee's printed the t-shirts. We also recognize Buckeye Wood Flooring and owner Keith Bressert for his generosity to the school.
This year's Premier Sponsor is PPS - Professional Payroll Services. If you are in need of payroll or HR services, contact PPS at www.cincypayroll.com. Thank you, PPS!
Building on the fun and success of this event, we are seeking a Coordinator for next year's Walkathon. If interested, please contact Jana Widmeyer or Dan Teller.
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Office and General News
New Lunch Option for Students in First - Eighth Grades
Yesterday was the first day for our new lunch option, Schoolhouse Fare. For more information Click Here. The order window for the rest of this month is over, however, you may now order lunches for November.
Children may still pack their lunch any day and pizza is still offered on Fridays. Due to the earlier lunch time that the K's and Extended Care children have we are only offering this new option to the First - Eighth Grades at this time.
IPM Collection Thursday, Oct. 18th
Don't forget to bring in a box or package of pasta for the Inter Parish Ministry food collection this Thursday.
Another Easy Way to Earn Money for Our School:
Target® will donate up to 1% of your REDcard® purchases to GSCM. If you are a Target Credit Card holder all you have to do is designate The Good Shepherd Catholic Montessori in the "Take Charge of Education program". Target will donate an amount equal to one percent of your Target purchases and one-half percent of your Target Visa Credit Card purchases made everywhere else. Enrollment is free.
GSCM recently received $480 from this program and that is with only 11 REDcard holders signed up. For more information, Click Here then click on Redcard and then under "Take Charge of Education" click on learn more, or contact our development director, Jana Widmeyer
Send in Your Empty Ink Cartridges
Just a reminder - We are collecting ink cartridges for recycling again this year. There will be a labeled bin for cartridge donations. Through recycling we are able to receive some of our much needed paper and office supplies! Thank you for your help!
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Catholic Identity
Rediscovering the Faith
From the USCCB Website (http://www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/how-we-teach/new-evangelization/rediscovering-the-faith/index.cfm)
Welcome. Have you been away from the Church? Are you thinking about coming back? Do you know someone who wants to come home to the Catholic Church, but is struggling with their faith? Maybe you or someone you know has experienced one of these thoughts:
I grew up Catholic, but for some reason I just sort of stopped going to Church...
I just moved to a new city, I tried going to a couple different parishes, but I never really felt welcomed...
After my marriage ended, I felt uncomfortable around my family, friends and parish...
I just don't understand why the Church teaches what it does! Some teachings seem so outdated...
I tried to contact my parish about getting married but no one got back to me...
If you have experienced one of these situations or thoughts you are not alone. The Church wants you to know that you are a child of God, called by name, precious in his eyes and loved by him (Is. 43:1,4). The Church also wants you to know that you are missed. When one member of the Body of Christ suffers, the entire Body of the Church suffers.
This website contains resources to help you rediscover the faith and answer questions about the Church and Church teachings. We invite you to explore this site and contact your local parish.
Faithful Citizenship
HHS Mandate: The Archdiocese of Cincinnati has released a 6 minute video about the HHS Mandate and religious freedom, "Religious Liberty and the HHS Mandate: What Catholics Need to Know." It answers some important questions, including: What is the mandate about? What is at stake? Isn't this about women's health? What can I do?
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PTO News
Have you heard about Hulafrog???
Here's an easy way for you to subscribe to an online newsletter that will tell you about local events for families AND earn cash for our school at the same time! Each new subscriber will earn $1 for GSCM.
Hulafrog also has weekly deals for kids and parents of 50% off or more. Hulafrog will never share your email and you can unsubscribe at any time.
The Subscribe for Schools contest to see which school can get the most subscribers has begun! That school will earn an additional $100!! The contest ends October 26th so don't delay.
Please help GSCM earn cash by clicking on the following link and let the good times roll!! Click Here
Your PTO thanks you in advance for your help!
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Thank You, Family!
We appreciate your taking the time to read our newsletter.
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