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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"There are many things a teacher cannot convey to a child of six, but a child of nine can do it with the utmost ease. There is between them a natural mental "osmosis." Again a child of six will take interest in what the nine year old is doing, since it is not far removed from his own powers. All the older ones become heroes and teachers, and the tinies are their admirers. These look to the former for inspiration, then go on with their work."
Maria Montessori The Absorbent Mind
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Upcoming Dates
Wed., Jan. 16 Staff Development Day Early Dismissal, 1 p.m.
Mon., Jan. 21 Martin Luther King, Jr. Day - NO SCHOOL
Tues., Jan. 22 Lower Elementary Information Night, 7:00 p.m.
Wed., Jan. 23 Upper Elementary Information Night, 7:00 p.m.
Thurs., Jan. 24 Middle School Information Night, 7:00 p.m.
Fri., Jan. 25 Lower Elementary Drama, 6:30 p.m.
Sun., Jan. 27 GSCM Open House, 1:00-4:00 p.m.
Jan. 28 - Feb. 1 Catholic Schools Week
Thurs., Jan. 31 First Communion Parent Meeting, 6:00 p.m.
Thurs., Jan. 31 3rd Annual GSCM Talent Show, 7:00 p.m.
Jan. 22-Feb. 8 Priority Registration Period for 2013-14
March 4 Financial Aid Application Deadline
Early Dismissal Tomorrow
We will dismiss at 1:00 p.m. tomorrow for Staff Development Day. All students, except those who are in Aftercare (3:00 - 6:00) on a regular basis, need to be picked up at 1:00 p.m. this includes students in Extended Care (11:30 - 3:00).
Lower Elementary Drama
"You Can Be What You Want to Be: The Life of Maria Montessori"
Friday, January 25, 6:30 p.m.
Mark your calendars for Friday, January 25, 6:30 p.m. when the Lower Elementary Drama Club presents "You Can Be What You Want to Be," a play about the life of Maria Montessori. The production will be in the church. P resale for tickets will begin after school on Thurs. Jan 16. Ticket price: $3.00
During the production, there will be child care in the St. Joseph House for all children 3 and under. The cost for child care is $3.00 per child. Please make your reservations for childcare.
We are also in need of a box truck to move our stage to the church on Tuesday 1/22 for set up after Mass and to return on Sat. 1/26 in the morning. If you can loan us your vehicle please contact Rhonda Hamall 513-238-4459 or email rhonda@hamall.us
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2013-14 Registration Information
Priority Registration Period for 2013-14: January 22-February 8
The priority registration period for the 2013-14 school year will run from January 22 through February 8. During this time, current GSCM students may re-register and their siblings may apply for acceptance for 2013-14. We reserve enrollment for all current students and give priority consideration for all sibling applications through February 8. After that date, openings are no longer reserved but are offered to new applicants. Re-enrollment forms and tuition information will be sent home on Tuesday, January 22 via backpack mail and will also be available on line at www.gscmontessori.org.
Financial Aid Application Process for 2013-14 School Year
The Good Shepherd Catholic Montessori offers a financial aid program for current and incoming students. To apply for financial aid for the 2013-14 school year, parents must submit a financial aid application to Private School Aid Service by Friday, March 4. By mid-April, GSCM will notify parents of the amount of aid (if any) they will receive from the school. Financial aid applications are available from Lynette Rosati Shim in the school office and can be downloaded from our website, www.gscmontessori.org. Go to "Admissions/Financial Aid." If you have any questions, please contact Lynette Rosati Shim in the school office.
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Information Nights for Parents
RSVP by Friday, January 18
to Nancy Toon (ntoon@gscmontessori.org) if you plan to attend one of these events. Events will be cancelled if there is not enough interest.
Lower Elementary Information Night: Tues., Jan. 22, 7:00-8:30 p.m.
- Imagine a school: Montessori for elementary children
- Moving from concrete to abstract: teachers present Montessori materials
- Classroom work expectations and assessments
- Structure and choice in the Montessori 6-9 classroom
- Montessori elementary multi-age philosophy
- The lower elementary atrium experience
Upper Elementary Information Session: Wed., Jan. 23, 7:00-8:30 p.m.
- Program philosophy and curriculum
- Student work Expectations
- Parent involvement
- Homework
- Assessment
- Atrium for the upper elementary child
Middle School Information Night: Thurs. Jan. 24, 7:00-8:30 p.m.
- Curriculum and Montessori Principles:
- High School Preparation:
- Religious Education in the Middle School
- Questions and Answers
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GSCM Open House: Sunday, Jan. 27, 1:00 - 4:00 p.m.
The Good Shepherd Catholic Montessori Open House is on Sunday January 27, from 1:00-4:00pm. There are three ways to help showcase our special school:
1) Help spread the word. You will be receiving an email invitation this week. Please forward to your contacts, your church, daycare or playgroups. Even if your friends are past the search stage, they may know someone who is looking. Just pass along FYI. This has been our most effective marketing tool
2) Volunteer at Open House on 1/27. It is a lot of fun to welcome prospective families. We need MS student escorts as well as parents for set-up, sign-in and hospitality. We have a planning meeting this Wednesday 1/16 at 8:30.
3) Put up yard signs. If your business is in a high traffic area or if you can showcase our school with a sign in your yard, please let us know. Signs will be available for pickup today after school and Wednesday at drop off.
Please email Susan Fisher if you would like to help out this year, or if you have any ideas for how to better showcase GSCM. scfisher@mac.com
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Catholic Schools Week: Jan.28-Feb.1, 2013 Monday, January 28: Church Appreciation Day
- Grade school students will begin the week in worship before our Lord in Eucharistic Adoration.
- DRESS - UP DAY: Students may wear dressy non-uniform clothes to school.
Tuesday, January 29: Parent Appreciation Day
- Parents are invited to join us for our regular 8:15 a.m. Mass. Following Mass, the staff will prepare an Appreciation Brunch for parents in the atrium. Please join us!
- The students will be sharing special notes of gratitude for their parents.
- Patriotic Dress Day: Students may dress in patriotic colors
Wednesday, January 30 Staff Appreciation Day
- Students will share expressions of appreciation towards their teachers.
- Favorite character dress: Students are invited to dress as their favorite character from a book or movie!
Thursday, January 31: School Spirit Day
Friday, February 1: Student Appreciation Day
- All School Skating Party, 12:15-2:15 p.m.!!!
- Crazy Hair and Hat Day: In addition to out-of-uniform clothing, students can wear their favorite hats and sport a crazy hair-do at school for a day!
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Development News
Annual Fund Update
Thank you to all who have joined this school year's Annual Fund Appeal. So far, we have a participation rate of 24%. Our goal is 100% parent participation. Will you help make that goal a reality?
Check out the Annual Fund Thermometer, designed by pre-primary teacher Julia Damico, at the school entrance. (Thank you, Julia!) Watch the mercury rise and the children celebrate as our participation rate increases.
Our annual fund helps to offset the gap between the actual cost of educating our students and the rate of tuition, and positions us to advance our school. No gift is too small, but please do participate! Help us attain our goal of 100% parent participation. And don't forget to pray for the welfare of our school, its students, families, and staff.
Donate now at www.gscmontessori.org.
Please contact our Development Office at 271-0205 with any questions or to learn more about our Annual Fund. Thank you!
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For Fallen-Away Catholics and Non-Catholics:
Interested in Exploring Catholicism?
Have you been away from the Church? Are you consider ing becoming Catholic? We can help. The Archdiocese of Cincinnatiis currently reaching out to fallen-away Catholics as well as non-Catholics interested in the Catholic Church. The "Coming Home" outreach invites you to contact the Archdiocese at this address. Someone will be back in touch with you:
http://www.catholiccincinnati.org/being-catholic/catholics-come-home/
If you would like to speak personally with someone at our school, feel free to contact
Dan Teller (dteller@gscmontessori.org)
Jana Widmeyer (jwidmeyer@gscmontessori.org )
One of us can speak with you, or we can direct you to another member of our community who can do so.
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Mission Alive!
School-Family Partnership and Children's Formation in Sexual Morality
By Dan Teller, Principal
The school-home partnership is a key component of our mission. Nowhere is this more important than in the moral formation of children. That is why keeping abreast of the upcoming "Theology of the Body for Teens" work with our 8th grade students is such an important opportunity for our middle school parents. Annette Lustenberger, our middle school religion teacher, regularly shares the content of this program with her students' parents.
Theology of the Body for Teens: Middle School Edition
This program, published by Ascension Press, is based on Blessed Pope John Paul II's Theology of the Body, which offers a very positive message of the gift of sexuality as a good and essential part of love and life. The program includes a rich parental component, including tools and encouragement for parents to confidently discuss these critical issues with their adolescent children. We are only presenting this program to our 8th graders, but we believe it can also be a powerful aid to any parent preparing to educate their child in the truth of love and human sexuality.
Sexual Morality Guidelines
Theology of the Body for Teens is a specific expression of our approach to faith formation, moral formation, and specifically formation in sexual morality for our students. As our school originally developed into the older grades, we carefully considered this aspect of our mission, and created a set of "Sexual Morality Guidelines." We are currently linking these on our website under "Catholic Formation/Middle School Religion."
The introduction of these guidelines state, "In keeping with our mission, we look first to Church teachings for guidance in establishing guidelines for the conveyance of ideas and information regarding sexuality and sexual morality to our students and their families." The guidelines further state:
GSCM will support and encourage parents to fulfill their primary task as educators of children in the area of sexuality. In this regard, GSCM will:
- Establish support mechanisms for parents of all ages
- Sponsor parent nights, including speakers, parents addressing parents, parent forums, etc
- Suggest questions parents may encounter as children get older and provide assistance with possible responses.
2. Provide ongoing parent education, primarily through written material, regarding Church teaching on human sexuality and education for love.
3. Establish a resource center for parents. This center will include books for a parental self-education, and also books and resources that parents can use with their children.
- Publicize resource center through periodic reviews.
Next week ...
We will share a review from a high school senior as to the impact of Theology of the Body on her outlook towards life.
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Gala News
A small group of volunteers has been working toward our upcoming Gala since school began. Now we need more help from the community at large as our event approaches. A pressing need is for a volunteer to coordinate a raffle for which the children can sell tickets and help raise funds for our school. Prior experience running a raffle would be helpful but is not required. Are you able and willing to serve in this way? If so, please contact Alicia Wilhelmy, Gala Coordinator at alicia@seemlessdesign.com or 513-470-4942.
Reminder: IPM Collection Thursday
Just a reminder that we'll be collecting personal care items this Thursday morning for Inter Parish Ministry's pantry. The items needed most seriously are shampoo, tooth paste, tooth brushes, deodorant, and shaving cream.
Thank you in advance for your generosity.
Looking for ride for boys on Tuesdays
Stacy Huxell, parent of Finnegan (9-12C) and Callahan (6-9 O/F) requests the following: "I'm looking for a family that would be willing to transport Finn and Cal from Good Shepherd to Clark Montessori (in Hyde Park) on Tuesdays and would gladly reimburse for time/gas etc." If you would be able to help her out please call 248-8371 or stacyhuxell@gmail.com.
Book Drive:
Do you need to clean out your bookshelves and make room for new interests? Donate your gently used children's books from now through the end of March. A local community center is collecting used children's books to be given away in May at a "Kick-off Summer Reading" event. They will be giving away free books to local kids who do not have easy access to a Cincinnati Public Library. We would like to get books into the hands of kids for the summer season. Books can be dropped off in a book bin set near the library area of GSCM. Thank you!
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PTO News
January Box Tops Contest 
Thank you for all the box tops submitted in December! Now that the holidays are over, we're back to school and ready for a new box tops contest.
The classroom with the most box tops in January will celebrate by having a pizza party!
Work hard collecting box tops for your class and the winners will be announced in the beginning of February. "Hooray For Snow Days" collection sheets will be available in the office for January submissions. Remember to check the expiration date on your box tops and then turn them in 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 to the collection bin just inside the office. If you have any questions please feel free to contact Mary Beth Escamilla at mbviv@hotmail.com. Back to top
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Building Catholic Character: 10 Things Parents Can Do
Dr. Thomas Lickona
Saturday, February 9, 2013
Talks & Q&A: 9:00 am-10:15 am & 10:30 am-Noon
Mass at 12:15 pm
Where: Bartlett Center - Athenaeum
6616 Beechmont Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45230
NO registration required
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Thank You, Family!
We appreciate your taking the time to read our newsletter.
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