Thoughts on Virtue ...

"Virtues are not mere thoughts but habits we develop by performing virtuous actions."

Aristotle

"Children develop character by what they see, what they hear, and what they are repeatedly led to do.  Directed practice is the most important part."

James Stenson, Compass:  A Handbook of Parent Leadership

Coach Phil Caruso to his championship collegiate baseball team:  "What I'm most proud of was that we sent the entire season without a thrown bat, a thrown helmet, or a profanity outside the dugout."  On his approach:  "That didn't happen because I said once at the start of the season, 'No thrown bats, no thrown helmets ...' I said it before every game.  I congratulated them at the end of every game.  If you want something to be important to kids, you need to repeat it over and over.

Upcoming Dates

May 7-10          First Communion Retreat

Sat., May 10     First Holy Communion, 10:00 a.m.

Tue., May 13     May Crowning (wear blue clothing, bring flowers)

                                    8:30      Elementary/Middle School

                                    10:30    Pre-Primary

Tue., May 13     PTO Coffee Social 9:30 - 10:30

Fri., May 16       GSCM Mom's Retreat, 8:00-3:00 at GSCM (see below)

May 19-23         GSCM Fine Arts Fair Exhibit

Tue., May 20     Montessori 101:  "Moving Up", 10:30-11:30 a.m.

Tue., May 20     Lower El Drama Dress Rehearsal, 1:30 p.m.

Wed., May 21    Staff-Middle School Whiffle Ball Game, 1:00

Thurs., May 22  Lower El Drama Performance, 6:30 p.m.

Mon., May 26    Memorial Day, NO SCHOOL

Fri., May 30       Final School Mass, Candle Ceremony for 7^th/8^th Grade

Fri., May 30       PlayScape Design Open House, 2:30-4:00 p.m.

Mon., June 2     Sixth Grade Retreat

Tue., June 3      Last Day of School/Field Day/Progress Reports

Fri., June 6        8^th Grade Graduation, 5:00 p.m.

Summer Work Days

Sat., June 14     Summer Work Day 1 (chapel renovation)

                        GSCM Summer Garage Sale (8:00 a.m. - noon)

Sat., July 12      Summer Work Day 2 (landscaping, chapel painting)

May Crowning:  Tuesday, May 13

8:30      Elementary and Middle School

10:30    Preschool and Kindergarten

Parents are welcome to join us for our annual May Crowning next Tuesday, May 13.  The elementary and middle school students will begin with a living rosary (outside near the modular) at 8:30 a.m.  Then, we will make a procession and crown the Blessed Mother. 

The pre-primary children will have their own May Crowning in the church beginning at 10:30 a.m.

All children are encouraged to bring flowers to honor

Our Lady, Queen of Angels, during our May Crowning!

All children are encouraged to wear blue in honor of the Blessed Mother.

Parents are welcome to join us!

 Back to top

Montessori 101: 

Preparation for "Moving Up" to Kindergarten and First Grade

Tuesday, May 20, 10:30-11:30 a.m.

Pre-Primary teacher Julia Damico and Lower Elementary teacher Amy Scuglik will answer questions regarding skills that children need as they move into kindergarten and first grade.  What kind of work can your child do over the summer to help them hit the ground running for the next school year?  How important is their academic base? How can you foster their concentration and order at home? How much is too much? Every parent struggles over the summer with providing a good balance between work and play. Yet, studies still show that children lose on average one month of grade level equivalency over the summer months. Come and find out how to bridge that gap.

GSCM Moms' Retreat:  Friday, May 16

All moms of GSCM, a (much-needed) day of Christian Renewal will be held for you at our church at GSCM on Friday, May 16 (please note new  date)!  We have an amazing and world-renowned speaker, Fr. Benedict O'Cinnsealaigh, leading our day of reflection and prayer again this year.

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 along with a catered lunch for $8/person or fell free to bring your own bagged lunch.     

The retreat has been conveniently scheduled during school hours from 8:00 am - 3:00 pm.  The subject of the retreat will be prayer and how we can include God in our very busy lives to bring us peace.   

Perhaps 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 have more peace in your life and bolster you 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   

Let's go Screen-Free GSCM!!  May 5th-11th

This week, your child's class will be participating in Screen-Free Week. Screen-Free Week is a nationwide event sponsored by Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood and celebrated by schools, families, and other civic and community groups each year. During Screen-Free Week, millions of children and adults pledge to spend seven days screen-free. Instead of watching TV or playing video games, they tend to read, play, think, create, get physically active, and spend more time with friends and family.

Studies show that children who watch less TV are more likely to read well and to be physically fit. Turning off screens also allows for more family time. Each week, American children spend more time in front of a screen than they do in school! Screen-Free Weeks is a great way to jump-start our kids into more reading, learning, and active play. It's also a lot of fun!

Many parents choose to join their children in forgoing screen-based entertainment all week long and engaging in other fun activities. This kind of support is the best thing you can do to ensure that your child will have a successful and beneficial experience.

Your child will be given a list of ideas and an activity log to track their commitment to a screen free challenge.  Each classroom will offer an age appropriate incentive to make this year's event exciting.  You can also learn more by visiting  www.screenfree.org.

 Back to top

GSCM Fine Arts Fair:  May 19-23

During the entire week of May 19, students' visual artwork will be on display in our Fine Arts Center.  The Center will be open after school each day for students and parents to tour and view the art.  Student docents will be on hand as guides.

Volunteers Needed to Mount/Display Art:  May 15, 16, 19 after school

 Shannon Treier, our art teacher, is seeking volunteers to help display the children's art work.  Shannon needs help mounting and displaying art work at these times:

• Thurs/Fri., May 15/16, 2:45-3:45 (or as long as you can stay)
• Mon., May 19:  2:45-3:45 (or as long as you can stay)

Elementary and middle school children can also assist.  Please contact Shannon Treier at streier@gscmontessori.org.

Lower El Drama Performance

Come join us Down the Rabbit Hole, the first through third levels drama production of Alice in Wonderland, on Thursday, May 22 at 6:30 PM. Tickets are on sale at the door, three dollars for students and five dollars for adults. Don't be late for this very important date!

Natural PlayScape Planning Open House

Friday, May 30, 2:30-4:00

A design team composed of your teachers, parents and your principal has been working with the Landscape Architectural Firm, Rachel Robinson Design, to develop plans for a Natural Playscape.  The PlayScape will introduce varying nature based activities that will extend our Montessori based education to the outdoors.   All GSCM parents are invited to a "PlayScape Design Open House" by our front entrance on Friday, May 30, 2:30-4:00 p.m.  We will share the Preliminary Master Plan and have time for questions and parental input.  No RSVP required.

Congratulations, First Communicants!

Fourteen children from GSCM will begin their Solemn Communion Retreat at the Holy Spirit Center, and twelve of these children will make their First Holy Communion at GSCM this Saturday, May 10 at 10:00 a.m.  Please feel free to join us!.

As Sofia Cavalletti writes, "This is a time to enjoy fully, in the perfect calm, what has been achieved and to focus on the grandeur of the gift which is about to be received."   Please keep these children in your prayers during this wonderful time.  May Our Lord shower them with many graces as they deepen their life in Christ through His sacraments.

Maureen Burns           Madison Metzner                       Isaac Shade     

Ben Charron               John Paul Guilford                    Aiyana Godar

Sam Scuglik              Quinn Galocy                            Joseph Hilbert  

Thomas Heverin          Callahan Huxell                          Liam King

Addison McLaughlin    Mary Patrice Kaufman

Born Again

Congratulations to Aiyana Godar who was baptized on Sunday at St. Vincent Ferrer.  This is a big week for Aiyana as she will celebrate First Reconciliation on Friday and receive her First Holy Communion on Saturday.   Three sacraments in one week - baptism, first reconciliation and first communion!  God bless you, Aiyana.

 Back to top

Montessori Moments

AND A LITTLE CHILD WILL LEAD THEM

by Jana Widmeyer, Catechist

The simple, yet profound expression of faith I witness on a regular basis in the atrium continues to amaze me.  A short time ago during the Christmas Season, a 7 year old put together a book of her prayer thoughts. 

"The girl crys for me.  I say hal Maree ful of Grace."

"The path of the Lord is not long, not rocky but the way to guide you."

"I cry and cry but suddenly the way of the Lord appears."

Recently after a reflection on Jesus' teaching that the Kingdom of Heaven is like a Hidden Treasure, a first grade boy wrote a song containing these words:

"A man found a treasure in the field.  What a good sight. 

He sells everything he has.   He gets the field. 

He is so happy.  It's the kingdom right now."

That same day, second graders responded in varying ways to a lesson on the Synthesis of the Mass.

 

While some prepared their First Missal depicting the various parts of the Mass,  

another student struck by the order of the Mass created her own visual.

And just last week, after mediation on the Resurrection, a first grader wrote:

I Really love you

I really love you.

Summer Work Days

There will be two Summer Work Days this summer:

·         Saturday, June 14:  We will focus on improvements to the chapel.  If there are enough volunteers, we will also address classroom-related tasks.  If you have items you need addressed by volunteers, please send these to Dan.

·         Saturday, July 12:  We will plant the new landscaping materials and complete interior painting in the chapel

Please look for a special flyer and email announcement to RSVP for our work days.

Summer Landscaping Work

Beginning on Wednesday, June 4, the blacktop will be removed along the west side of the church and St. Joseph House.  The new hardscape materials (paver plaza, poured concrete sidewalks) should be completed by Friday, June 13

 Back to top

Office News:

Important:  2014-15 School Calendar Revised

The newly revised 2014-15 school calendar is available online.  We changed the date of the Walkathon/Fall Festival (early dismissal) and the staff in-service day (no school for students) in October. 

And the Winner Is....

Thank you and Congratulations to Julie Sell Smith who won 4 tickets to acclaimed Grammy-winning trio Nickel Creek's concert tomorrow night at the Taft.    Julie is our winner through her donation over the weekend to the GSCM Annual Fund!  Enjoy the show, Julie and thanks for your support of our Annual Fund.

GSCM Garage Sale:  Bring in Your Resellable Stuff

Save your good resell-able stuff for our Second School Wide Garage Sale on Saturday, June 14 from 8:00 - Noon.  You  may drop off your tax deductible donations any school day between 7:45 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. after May 16^th, at the two-door garage located near the Middle School behind the Church (there will be a charitable receipt for you to take for tax purposes near the door), or if you need to get your things out of your house before the 16th you can drop them off to Eileen Myers at the St. Joseph house.  . 

If you can help out with organizing / advertising, please contact Eileen Myers emyers@gscmontessori.org or 513-675-2931.  We can also arrange a pick up for larger items if needed.

Yearbook

Order your yearbook by this Friday, May 9^th.  This year there are 2 ways to pay for your yearbook:  you can order online at www.schoolannual.com or you can complete the order form and return cash/check in the attached envelope.  (additional order forms available in the office).

Back to top

PTO News:

BOXTOPS - ONE LAST PUSH!

Do you have a pile of BOXTOPS you'd like to get rid of?  Our last turn in date for the school year is THIS Friday May 9^th.  There is a collection basket in the office.  We have prizes for three lucky students turning in the greatest amount of BOXTOPS.  We also have a prize for the lucky classroom turning in the most!  Please turn them in ASAP and don't forget to check the expiration date, bundle in 50's and make sure your name is on the envelope.  GOOD LUCK!!  We look forward to seeing who can generate the most BOXTOPS for GSCM!! 

Back to top