"The whole of the Christian life is like a great pilgrimage to the house of the Father, whose unconditional love for every human creature ... we discover anew each day. This pilgrimage takes place in the heart of each person, extends to the believing community, and then reaches to the whole of humanity."

Pope John Paul II, Tertio Millennio Adveniente

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.   

1:00 P.M. Dismissal: Tues., Nov. 6

Please note our early dismissal next Tuesday. Our teaching staff will be using this opportunity for continued professional development in LETRS (Language Essentials for Teaching Reading and Spelling) with Dr. Richard Sparks, professor in the Reading Science Program at Mt. St. Joseph College. This session, we will focus on "Speech Sounds of English: Phonetics, Phonology, and Phoneme Awareness."

There will NOT be afternoon bus service for Milford and Maderia students. Forest Hills will provide afternoon bus service at the 1:00 p.m. dismissal..   

Extended Care and Aftercare are both open their normal hours.

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.

Parent Evening: Catechesis of the Good Shepherd

This event, originally scheduled for Wednesday, November 14, will be rescheduled for early December. Please look for revised date/time and other information in next week's newsletter.  

Mission Alive!    

 Cosmic Education and the Search for Self

By Nicole M. Filer, Lower Elementary Teacher

I stare up into the night sky. The terrifying vastness of the deep, inky abyss is quietly subdued by the gentle sparkle of a million twinkling stars. In this stillness something calls out to me, drawing me out of myself, transporting me into something much greater. Who am I?... Where did I come from?... Where am I going?

Questions gather in my mind. My being seems to sense the profound; an encounter of immense magnitude, of deep calling out to deep. What is it of this vastness that provokes these questions, causing something within to cry out and drive me forward to not only discover the answers, but live out what is discovered?

This is a search fundamental to human existence. From the first years of life something inside seems to sense that we are not simply solitary islands; there is something greater, larger we are a part of. I am a piece of a puzzle, small... but unique and necessary. The quest to discover which piece I am, and where I fit is one of self-discovery. Seeking the answer to this question of "Who am I" is not an end unto itself, but opens a doorway to the rest of the universe, giving rise to questions previously not even in the scope of our intellects. Seeking out who we are gives us a path whereby all other knowledge may be discovered. Maria Montessori understood this, and made these questions central to her curriculum, laying them at the root of something she called Cosmic Education.

As you may have heard from your children, the 6-9 community has been embarking on a journey through these Great Stories, expanding their scope of vision and depth of thought as the pieces of the puzzle begin to shift into place. Entering into the elementary years, the child moves from a passive absorption of the surrounding world to a desire for understanding. In this new plane of development the child seeks a wider scope of his world, moving into more abstract thought process and the contemplation of deeper intellectual and moral issues. As Dr. Montessori explained, these stories "Give all subjects a cohesive thread by which all knowledge may be connected, given its place within the universe". The wonder is inspired, the imagination has been struck, and these stories then introduce abstract concepts such as math and language in a concrete fashion so they may be placed in relation to this universal perspective. This is done in two ways. First, these concepts are introduced in such a way that, "Language and math are the tools children use to explore their cultural heritage". Equally important, these abstract concepts and educational lessons are placed in relation to humans which gives them a personal and emotional connection.

Maria Montessori explained, "Since it has been seen to be necessary to give so much to the child, let us give him a vision of the whole universe. The universe is an imposing reality and an answer to all questions. We shall walk together on this path of life, for all things are part of the universe, and are connected with each other to form one whole unity. This idea helps the mind of the child to become fixed, to stop wandering in an aimless quest for knowledge. He is satisfied, having found the universal centre of himself with all things." In this curriculum and through these Great Lessons one of the all-important elements of the Montessori curriculum can be clearly seen; the birth of a natural desire in the child simultaneously met with what will fulfill. What a gift we provide to our children: to lay before them a path to their own self-fulfillment; a path that they will walk down fueled by their own interests, set in motion by their own desires and inner longings that will lead to the betterment of not only themselves, but all of humanity and the universe at large. In the Montessori environment the child grows in knowledge and wisdom as well as moral goodness rooted in an understanding of the great gift he has been given to participate in the amazing mystery of life.

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Year of Faith

A Meditation on Faith

Blessed Teresa of Calcutta

If we pray, then we will believe.

if we believe, then we will love - because the fruit of Faith is love,

and the fruit of love is service.

Similarly, if we want to deepen our Faith,

we must deepen our oneness with Christ.

Without seeing him we pray to him,

we turn to him, we cling to him,

we love him without seeing him.

Faith

is the most beautiful gift God can give to a human being -

you believe that he is, and that Christ is ...

God from God

Love from Love,

true God from true God,

begotten ,not made;

one in substance with the Father,

by whom all things were made.

And yet he became so small,

he became a human being like us,

to make it possible for us to believe.

to increase our Faith

He made himself the Bread of Life -

even a child can break that Bread,

even a child can eat that Bread.

this is humility in the action of Faith,

And Faith in the action of humility ...

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Office and General News  

PTO News 

Save the Date: Sat. Nov 17, Community Boutique

Plan now to attend the GSCM Community Boutique on Saturday, November 17 from 10:00 am - 2:00 pm. held here at the school. Shop for Christmas gifts among offerings of jewelry, religious articles, kitchen items, and more - many from small businesses owned by families from our school. Invite your friends and enjoy a day of shopping brought to you by the GSCM PTO.

We're looking for student entrepreneurs so if you make jewelry, candles, hair barrettes or other items, consider hosting a booth. Student booths are $5. (forms available in the office).

Are you interested in being a vendor? Pick up a form in the office with details. For more information or questions, please contact Rhonda Hamall at 238-4459 or Rhonda@hamall.us

Box Tops for Education

Thank you for all the box tops submitted so far this year. Each box top you send in helps raise money for our school! Please check the expiration date on your box tops and then send them on the collection sheet, in an envelope or in a Ziploc bag with your child's name, teacher and the total number of box tops. There is a collection bin just inside the office. Thanksgiving collection sheets will be available for November submissions. The student who collects the most box tops in the month of November will win an out of uniform pass. If you have any questions please feel free to contact Lisa Schmitz.