October 22, 2013

In This Issue

Walkathon 2013

Attention Kroger Shoppers! It's time to re-enroll so that you can raise money for GSCM
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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

"You have to look at people with two eyes.

One eye sees what the person is now.

The other sees what the person can become.

You have to keep both eyes open all the time."

Miles Horton

Upcoming Dates
Wed., Oct. 23 First Communion Mass of Intention, 5:30 p.m.

Oct. 21-25 GSCM Book Fair

Thurs., Oct 24 Picture Make-up/Re-Take Day

Fri., Oct. 25 Grandparents/Special Friends Day

Fri., Oct. 25 Poinsettia Orders Due

Fri, Nov. 1 All Saints' Day Mass and Eucharistic Procession,

8:15 - 9:45 a.m.

Fri, Nov. 1 Mom's Scripture Group, 10:00 a.m.

Tues., Nov. 5 First Tuesday "Montessori Language", 10:30-11:30 a.m.

Thurs., Nov. 7 Parent-Child Evening, 6:00-8:00 p.m.

Fri. Nov. 8 Oratory Festival Finale, 1:30 p.m.

Fri. Nov. 8 End of First Trimester

Grandparents/Special Friends Day: Friday, October 25

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. Guests are welcome to attend our school mass at 8:15 a.m.

Our schedule:

8:15 Come early for mass

8:50-9:00 Arrival

9:00-10:30 Classroom visits with children

10:45-11:30 Student presentations in church

Preschool children do not participate in the student presentations. Guests of preschool students are invited to attend the presentations. Classroom visits conclude for all children at 10:45 a.m.

To register Grandparents/Special Friends for the event Click here

Help Needed:

We need one or two dads who will be on site to assist with setting up and tearing down our portable stage on Friday morning.
Help wanted with check-in and clean-up
Click here to sign up as a helper for 2013 Grandparents' Day, or contact Amie Bressert (amierae@gmail.com) or Mary Beth Escamilla (mbviv@hotmail.com)

GSCM Book Fair: October 21-25

The GSCM Book Fair began yesterday and runs through October 25, 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!

All Saints' Day Mass and Eucharistic Procession:

Friday, 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, where the pre-primary children will join us. Then, we will all process back to the church for final Benediction with the Blessed Sacrament.

This is a lovely way to celebrate the Solemnity of All Saints! Please join us!

"First Tuesday" Montessori 101: Montessori Language

November 5, 2013, 10:30-11:30 a.m. in the atrium

How does the Montessori classroom build a rich language experience for my child? How do children learn to read and write? What will my child be working on at age 3? age 4? age 5? How can I support my child's developing language skills at home?

Carrie Bucksath will walk you through the Montessori Language curriculum, beginning with early language activities (matching, sequencing, syllable work, I Spy and rhyming) and then examining the sandpaper letters and the movable alphabet sequence. If time allows, we will also look at how our Montessori children explode into reading!

Child care is available for this event. Please RSVP to Nancy Toon, ntoon@gscmontessori.org.

Parent-Child Evening (For Pre-Primary and Elementary Children and Parents)

Thurs., Nov. 7, 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.

Program News

The Benefits of Recess

GSCM is pleased to offer our students 30 minutes of recess each day. The American Occupational Therapy Association notes:

Recess defined: active, free play with peers.

Recess is an important part of each school day and an opportune time for OTs to implement innovative programs to address a variety of issues related to school performance. Although many areas of function can be addressed during recess, play and social participation are the

most natural areas for OTs to target. Recess is an important time for students to develop important performance skills in the areas of emotional regulation and communication and social skills.

The problem: School districts are cutting the amount of time devoted to recess in order to increase the amount of instruction time. A study by the Center on Education Policy found that 20% of districts recently reduced recess by 50 minutes per week in order to dedicate

more time to academics (Ramstetter, Murray, & Garner, 2010).

Benefits of recess

* Increased opportunity for engagement in social participation, improved physical and emotional health, development of leisure and play to counteract the imbalance between sedentary and physical activity, and preparation of the body and mind for attentiveness and engagement in the classroom. Recess is a time to "recharge [students'] bodies and minds" (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, 2010, p. 4).

* Play in any form is a stress reliever from the world of more and more academic instruction and benchmark testing (Miller & Almon, 2009).

* Better classroom behaviors are found in classrooms receiving at least one 15-minute recess break each day (Barros, Silver, & Stein, 2009).

* Attention to classroom tasks is improved after recess time (Holmes, Pellegrini, & Schmidt, 2006).

Parking and Traffic

Please do not leave cars unattended and idling on school property.

Please keep in mind these speed limits:

The speed limit on our campus is 10 mph at all times.
The speed limit on Roe St. and other neighborhood streets is 25 mph.

Announcing "First Tuesdays: Montessori 101"

Parent Education Opportunities

Our school is blessed with a treasure trove of ideas and practices arising from Montessori education and Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS) - ideas and practices that we want to share with you through a series of parent education events called "First Tuesdays: Montessori 101." These one-hour sessions will not only enrich your appreciation of your child's school experience, but also enhance your experience as a parent.

We have planned series of six events for the duration of this school year. The topics, dates and times are described below. A more detailed description of our first event is in the dates section of our newsletter (above). We are looking forward to exploring the wonderful world of Montessori education with you!

Montessori Language: November 5, 2013, 10:30-11:30 a.m.
"Help Me Come Closer to God by Myself", December 3, 2013, 7:00-8:00 p.m.
Montessori Practical Life, February 4, 2014, Time TBA
The Sensorial Materials, March 4, 2014, Time TBA
At Home with Montessori: For Parents of 3-6 Year Olds, April 1, 2014, Time TBA
Preparation for "Moving Up", Tuesday, May 6, Time TBA

Office News

School Pictures

Pictures will be coming home by backpack mail today or tomorrow. Make-up/re-take picture day is this Thursday. Only students that were absent or their proof received has significant imperfections will be photographed. Please contact the school office to request a re-take. If you request a re-take, your child's proof order form and envelope must be turned in prior to the re-take.

All picture orders need to be turned back in to your child's teacher by next Tuesday, October 29^th. Orders received after this date will not be processed.

Congratulations, Alec!

Congratulations to GSCM 7th grader Alec Hamall, who placed second in the City Cross Country Championship on Monday. Alec's two-mile time was 11.53. (Alec was also our top Walkathon lap runner, completing 48 laps in under two hours!)

"I Do Believe" Concert

Tatiana (Tajci), LinMarie Cameron's (9-12 GSCM teacher) sister-in-law, is a singer from Croatia. Her story of success in her native land, and the circumstances that brought her to the United States are highly compelling. Her beautiful voice is matched by the strength of her faith, her personal charisma, and the delightful on-stage interaction with her talented family. Their concerts provide not only great entertainment, but also a spiritual experience for the whole family.

The concert is this Saturday, October 26^th from 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. (doors open at 5:30) at the College of Mt. St. Joseph. Cost is $20/person. If you are interested in attending this event, you can purchase tickets through Ms. Cameron. A portion of the ticket price will be donated to GSCM, so you'll be helping our school while enjoying a unique family experience.

Reporting Absences

Parents, please make sure when your child is going to be absent that you call the OFFICE to report it. Please try to call by 8:30. You should call each day that your child is going to be out, unless you indicated the number of days he/she would be out initially. Telling the teacher is not sufficient.

Please Label Outerwear

Now that it is becoming cooler and students will be wearing sweatshirts, jackets, hats, etc. please take a minute to put your child's name in them so that our Lost and Found doesn't become overflowing!

PTO News

Poinsettia Sale
Poinsettia orders are due this Friday, October 25^th. The GSCM PTO is sponsoring a poinsettia sale. Help support GSCM by buying a poinsettia and by asking your friends or family to do the same.

Ordering information came home by backpack mail. Poinsettia orders are due this Friday, October 25^th and poinsettias will be delivered sometime during the first two weeks of December. The cost is $13 for a standard poinsettia and $17 for painted colors. Questions, contact Kim Gates (513) 315-5475 or kmgates1@gmail.com.

The Walkathon's success also is dependent on the generosity of our sponsors, many of whom are from our school families. Thank you to Monica Blackburn for spearheading the drive for corporate sponsorships. We are pleased to list our sponsors:

PREMIERE SPONSOR