News from The Good Shepherd Catholic Montessori

April 9, 2013

In This Issue

Upcoming Dates

Year of Faith

"Ask Our Father" Campaign

Middle School News

Kudos to GSCM Staff

Office & General News

GSCM Sports News

Attention Kroger Shoppers! It's time to re-enroll so that you can raise money for GSCM
Go to http://www.kroger.com/Community/Pages/community_rewards.aspx

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

"The splendor of Christ risen from the dead

has shone on the people redeemed by His blood. Alleluia!"

Easter Antiphon, Morning Prayer

Upcoming Dates
Here is a list of spring events. Please see this and future newsletters for more information.

Wednesday, April 10 Liturgy of Light Celebrations (join us!)

Thursday, April 11 Vision Screening

Friday, April 12 Fine Arts Fair, 6:00-7:30 p.m. at GSCM

April 15-18 Middle School Civil Rights Trip

Friday, April 19 GSCM Moms' Retreat, 8-3 at GSCM Wednesday, April 24 Parent Presentation: Summer Facility Plans,

6:30 - 7:00 p.m..

Wednesday, April 24 Parent Forum: "Facebook, Social Media, and

Our Children", 7:00 p.m.

Thursday, April 25 "Ask Our Father" Campaign Kick-Off, 2:30 p.m.

Friday, April 26 Eucharistic Adoration, 11:00 a.m. -2:30 p.m.

Sunday, April 28 Come worship together at Old St. Mary's

church, 9:15 a.m.

Monday, April 29 3-6 Parent Night: Encouraging Your Young

Child's Literacy Skills, 7:00 - 8:30 p.m.

Wednesday, May 1 "Cinderella" Dress Rehearsal, 1:30 p.m.

Thursday, May 2 First Communion Parent Meeting, 5:15-6:15

p.m.

Thursday, May 2 "Cinderella" (Upper El/Middle School Drama),

6:30 p.m.

Friday, May 3 "Cinderella" (Upper El/Middle School Drama),

6:30 p.m.

Tuesday, May 7 3-6 Parent Event: Raising Inquisitive,

Independent Children, 10:30 - 11:30 a.m.

Wednesday, May 8 May Crowning

8:30 (elementary/middle school)

10:00 (pre-primary)

May 15-18 First Communion Retreat

Saturday, May 18 First Holy Communion, 10:00 a.m. at GSCM

Wednesday, May 22 Fine Arts Center Benefit Concert, 7:00 p.m.

Monday, May 27 Memorial Day, No School

Friday, May 31 Field Day, Last Day of School

Saturday, June 8 Summer Work Day, 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Liturgy of the Light: Wednesday, April 10

Parents and Grandparents Invited!

The Liturgy of the Light is a beautiful celebration of the Resurrection that is designed especially for children. The celebration includes readings by the children, plenty of singing, and powerful signs from the Church's Easter Vigil: the paschal candle leading us with its one light through the darkness, the spreading of this light to each of us, and the brightening of the dark room as the light of Jesus spreads.

The Liturgy of the Light is one of the most memorable atrium experiences for the children. Celebrations will be held during the school day. Parents and grandparents who wish to join us for this solemn, joyful celebration are invited to attend as well. Celebration times are:

8:30 3-6St. Gabriel and 9-12C

9:30 3-6St. Michael and 9-12G

10:30 3-6St. Raphael and 6-9Fatima

11:30 6-9Lourdes and Queen of Angels

Middle School students will participate in the celebrations as lectors, cantors, and other leadership roles.

Children are invited to wear attractive, out-of-uniform clothing

in honor of our Easter celebration. No jeans, t-shirts, or light-up shoes.

Girls should wear pants, not long dresses.

"The children live the proclamation of the death and resurrection especially in the Liturgy of Light, which, through the contrast between darkness and light, involves us dramatically in the fundamental event in the Good Shepherd's life."

Sofia Cavalletti, The Religious Potential of the Child

GSCM Fine Arts Fair: Friday, April 12, 6:00-7:30 p.m. at GSCM

Come to see our 4th - 8th grade students' art exhibits and hear the 9-12 classes and choir sing. Middle school students will be displaying work they have created throughout the year using various media and the Upper elementary will be displaying their clay sculptures which were created when studying Cathedrals. The upper elementary classes and the choir will perform some of their favorite tunes. This all takes place here at GSCM this Friday in the church.

GSCM Moms' Retreat: Friday, April 19

All Moms of GSCM, a (much-needed) day of Christian renewal will be held for you at our church at GSCM on Friday, April 19th. The retreat has been conveniently scheduled during school hours from 8:00 a.m.to 3:00 p.m. This day of reflection will help you discover what's missing in your life and answer questions like, "Where is the joy or peace?"

Fr Benedict O'Cinnsealaigh, an *amazing* and world-renowned speaker, will lead our day of reflection. We will also enjoy a testimony from a local Catholic mom who has seen the hand of God in her vocation,

The retreat is being generously sponsored by the GSCM PTO, so it is FREE for all mothers of the school. Delicious coffee and yummy snacks will be included. A catered lunch will be provided for $5.00 or you may bring your own lunch.

Seriously consider taking the day off and/or getting a babysitter for your younger children (nursing infants are welcomed). Make it a great Friday that will help lead you to spiritual renewal or bolster your life as a mother.

Please RSVP to Bridget Kaufman by email, phone or text. Bridget_Kaufman@yahoo.com

Local-513-696-9011 or Cell- 317-313-7887.

3-6 Parent Night: Encouraging Your Young Child's Literacy Skills

Monday, April 29, 7:00-8:30 p.m.

What early language skills will help my 3-6 year old prepare for reading and writing?
How are these skills developed at a Montessori school and how can I support these skills at home?
What is phonemic awareness? Why is it the foundational skill for future language skills? How can I help my child develop this language skill?

Please join our pre-primary teachers on April 29 to learn more about your young child's developing literacy skills and how you can encourage them at home. Please RSVP to ntoon@gscmontessori.org

Announcing the GSCM Fine Arts Center Benefit Concert

Wednesday, May 22, 7:00 p.m.

Featuring

David Fishlock, CSO Chief Percussionist
Gabriel Pegis, CSO Principal Violinist
Michael Chertock, CSO keyboardist
Catherine Fishlock, Mezzo Soprano
And other guest youth artists!

The money raised at this concert will help create our Fine Arts Center. Please consider purchasing a ticket as a friend, patron or benefactor of the arts at GSCM! More info to come!

Good Shepherd Catholic Montessori Celebrates the Year of Faith

Year of Faith Logo As a component of our community's faith journey during the Year of Faith called by His Holiness Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, we would like to invite our school families to worship together on Sunday, April 28 at the Novus Ordo Latin Mass (9:15AM) at Old St Mary's Church in Over the Rhine.

As you may be aware, Cincinnati is one of the few places in the world where the Novus Ordo Latin Mass is celebrated (as opposed to the more common Tridentine Latin Mass). There will be plenty of Latin-English Mass guides, so it will be very easy for all to follow along. The GSCM community will have a unique opportunity to broaden our faith experience as we journey along together through the Year of Faith.

Old St. Mary's is on the National Register of Historic Places and is the oldest standing house of worship in the city of Cincinnati. Here in 1841-42, the German Catholics of Cincinnati built St. Mary's Church, reportedly using bricks baked in their own kitchen ovens. The church has been renovated throughout the years, and is now a holy and beautiful environment to spend time with God.

Old St. Mary's Church is located at 123 East 13th Street. Street parking is ample, however there is a large lot next to the church, as well as a smaller lot behind it.

We hope to see many GSCM families there!

"Ask Our Father" Campaign

Wed., April 24 Parent Presentation: Summer Facility Plans,

6:30 - 7:00 p.m.

Thur., April 25 Ask Our Father" Prayer Campaign Kick-Off,

2:30 p.m.

Fri., April 26 Eucharistic Adoration, 11:00 a.m. -2:30 p.m.

St. Augustine once said, "Pray like it all depends on God; work like it all depends on you." In this spirit, we are initiating a school-wide prayer campaign for the success of our summer building plans.

Summer Improvements Parent Presentation: Wed., April 24, 6:30-7:00 p.m.

Karen Guilford will play the beautiful school video that she created and that parents enjoyed at the Spring Gala.

Dan Teller will present an overview and architectural renderings of our summer improvement plans. This information was previously presented at the Gala. If you did not attend the Gala, or would like to get more details on our summer work, please join us in the church for our Summer Improvement Parent Presentation.

"Ask Our Father" Campaign Kick-Off: Thur., April 25, 2:30 p.m.

We will share our school video, present our summer plans to our K-8 students, and introduce a prayer campaign for the success of our work. More information to follow in future newsletters.

Eucharistic Adoration: Fri., April 26, 11:00-2:30

Coming before Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament, we will ask Our Father for blessings on our summer work. Preschool through lower elementary children will participate in Exposition at 11:00 a.m. Upper el and middle school students will participate in Benediction at 2:30 p.m. All parents and students are invited to spend time with Jesus throughout the afternoon.

"Ask Our Father": Spring, 2013

Throughout the spring, we will ask all of our students, staff, and families to pray a daily prayer of petition to Our Father for the success of our summer plans. More information to follow.

Summer Work Day: June 8, 2013, 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Now it will be time for us to work "like it depends on us"! Join us for part or all of our summer work day. We will prepare for summer renovations, paint, clean, do minor repairs, etc. More information to follow.

Middle School News:

Parent Forum: "Facebook, Social Media, and Our Children"

Wed., April 24, 7:00 p.m.

Please join us in the Middle School for an open forum discussion about social media, Facebook in particular, and your children. Ask questions! Share experiences! This is a chance to share our collective wisdom and learn from one another. Some of you have personal experience with this and could pass along your wisdom to others who are just beginning to guide their child through the many twists and turns of the cyberworld. RSVP or questions: please contact Mary Hamiter at mhamiter@gscmontessori.org.

PRAYER REQUEST FOR UPCOMING CONFIRMATIONS

We would like to ask our school community to pray for the following Middle School students who will be confirmed this month:

Wednesday April 10 - George Messman will be confirmed at St. Bernard Parish in Dayton Kentucky
Thursday April 11 - Anna Grace Stephenson and Armando Cabrera will be confirmed at St. Gertrude Parish in Madeira
Friday April 12 - Eva France will be confirmed at St. Columban Church in Loveland
Sunday April 21 - Sofia Andersson (as well as her brother, Lucas Andersson), and Sydney Olszewski will be confirmed at Good Shepherd Church

Let us pray that their hearts will be ready and open to receive the fullness of the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Penny War

by: Kendra de Graaf and Peter Gruber, Middle School students

The penny war went really well this year. We raised a lot of money for a really good cause. This year we supported Hands Together. It is a great organization run by Father Tom Hagan to help some of the poorest people in Haiti. They run schools for more than 11,000 children in Haiti and they operate 3 room medical clinics for the ones who need it most. The total amount our school raised was $378.71. The money we all raised went specifically to school supplies for the needy children. Mrs. Bucksath's 3-6 class brought in the most pennies. All the classes were involved in the penny war and they all had such a great time and loved participating! The penny war was very thrilling for all the children but also taught them a valuable lesson about caring for others.

Kudos to GSCM Staff!

Our staff recently completed 21 hours of professional in-service with LETRS (Language Essentials in Teaching Reading and Spelling). The presenter, Dr. Richard Sparks, is an internationally-recognized researcher and educational consultant, and has served as a graduate professor of education at the College of Mt. St. Joseph since 1980. With this breadth of experience, the following words about our staff are particularly powerful. Dr. Sparks said,

"I presented three LETRS (Language Essentials for Teaching Reading and Spelling) modules to your teaching corps at Good Shepherd Montessori School [21 hours of in-service]. I have presented dozens of workshops and seminars and taught many, many graduate courses in my career since 1980. I can honestly say that the teachers at your school are the most knowledgeable group about the sound-symbol system and the structure of the English language that I have encountered in one place. All of the teachers were not only interested in the content of the modules but also asked relevant and challenging questions. Each time, they were so intent on the material, no one seemed to notice that time had expired and the session was in "overtime." What a bright and engaging group!"

Office and General News
Attention Kroger Shoppers! Raise Money for GSCM. Re-enrollment Required Now.

The Kroger Community Rewards program allows schools and other non-profit groups to raise money for free. Parents, family members, and friends earn dollars for GSCM every time they use their Kroger Plus card! By enrolling and asking others to enroll, 4% of what Kroger Community Rewards enrollees spend goes back to the organization of their choice as a donation!

Re-enrollment is required every April. Please take the time to re-enroll or enroll for the first time now! Follow the link below and select The Good Shepherd Catholic Montessori (organization number 80140).

http://www.kroger.com/COMMUNITY/Pages/community_rewards.aspx

If you have any questions about enrollment feel free to contact Nicolay Walz at nicolay.walz@cchmc.org, or 513-290-5529.

Vision Screening

Our annual vision screening will take place at school this Thursday, April 11, It is free, and no registration is required. All GSCM students will be screened, unless notified by parents (please email ntoon@gscmontessori.org or call the office 271-4171 if you do not want your child(ren) to be screened).

A clinician from Children's Hospital will be conducting the screening. If your child wears glasses, have them wear them the day of the exam. Afterward, you will only be notified if your child does not fully pass the screening. A letter was sent home via backpack mail last week with the youngest or only child in your family.

Summer Drama Camp

The Backyard Theatre Company director and founder, Rhonda Hamall, invites you to Summer Drama Camp!!

Week 1: July 15 - 19

Week 2: July 22 - Aug. 2 (this is a 2 week camp )

Week 3: Aug. 5-9 for 5th grade thru 8th grade (only)

All camps 9:00 a.m. to 12 noon. Friday performances 11:15 to 12:00 noon

Campers Kindergarten through 8th grade

Come Join The Fun! No experience necessary.

Costume making, set direction, basic theatre terms, plus live theatre experience

GSCM special discount until April 15, 2013 on all camps. $100/ 1 week camps, $200/ 2 week camp

After April 15, all 1 week camps $125, 2 week camp $250

Registration includes camp T-shirt and live performance Friday of each week. Guests welcome at performances. New plays presented each week. Questions or more information contact Rhonda Hamall

513-238-4459 or rhonda@hamall.us

Canned Beans Collection, Thursday, Apr. 18

Our next collection for IPM's food choice pantry will be next Thursday, April 18th. This month we will be collecting beans-not green beans (there is a good supply of those), but types like pinto, red, black, etc., as well as beans combined with other ingredients (baked beans, pork and beans, etc.).

These donations still count for the Feinstein grant challenge. So please keep this in mind the next time you do grocery shopping. Many thanks in advance for your generosity.

GSCM Sports News

GSCM Bowling!

Thursdays 4pm-6pm beginning this Thursday, April 11 and ending May 9 in Blue Ash. $6/week pays for everything! Please let Bridget Kaufman know if your 5th-8th grade children are interested!

Bridget_kaufman@yahoo.com. Click here for more info

Thank You, Family!

We appreciate your taking the time to read our newsletter.
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