"We must help the child to act for himself,

will for himself, think for himself;

this is the art of those who aspire to serve the spirit."   - Maria Montessori Education for a New World

Upcoming Dates

Tue., Sept. 9          First Communion Parent Meeting, 7:00-8:00 p.m.

Thurs., Sept.18       Pre-Primary Parent Education Evening 7:00 p.m.

Sept.15-18             Middle School Odyssey Trip to Hico, West Virginia

Sept. 17-19            Upper Elementary Trip to Camp Kern

Fri., Sept 19           Cub Scout Meeting, 3:15 p.m. in the Atrium

Tue., Sept. 23         Picture Day:  Pre-primary and Upper El

                             (out of uniform)

Wed., Sept. 24       Picture Day:  Lower El and Middle School

                             (out of uniform)

Pre-Primary Parent Education Evening

Thurs., September 18, 7:00 p.m.

Practical Life and Your Child's Development:  How Does Scrubbing Promote Spatial Awareness, Sequential Thinking ,and Problem-Solving?

Spend an evening with the pre-primary teachers and learn about this unique area of the Montessori pre-primary classroom.

• Why does my child  pour beans and wash dishes at school?
• What does table scrubbing have to do with reading and math?
• How do polishing and sewing enhance physical and cognitive growth?

These and a host of other practical life activities prepare your child for future learning by promoting sequencing, problem solving, and critical thinking. The practical life exercises are indispensible for helping the child develop independence, concentration, and a sense of order.  They are fun for the children and urgently needed for their development.

For more about the importance of practical life exercises In the Montessori classroom, see

http://www.montessoriworld.org/praclife/pintroim.html

For more on the integration of practical life exercises and family life, see http://www.michaelolaf.net/newsaugust2012.html

School Pictures:  Sept. 23 and 24

Weather permitting, Debra Shepard Photography will be taking school pictures on these dates:

Tue., Sept. 23      Pre-Primary and Upper Elementary classes

Wed., Sept. 24    Lower Elementary and Middle School classes

Students may be out-of-uniform on the day they are photographed..  An order form for pictures will be coming home soon by backpack mail. 

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Mission Alive

How Do We Bless Our Children?

By: Amy Scuglik, 6-9 Our Lady of Fatima

This is a question that we have as parents.  At GSCM, it is wonderful to know that our staff is constantly asking this question as well. It is our mission to constantly ask ourselves this question because collectively we embedded it into our school philosophy.  Speaking for our entire staff, I can safely say this question is what consumes us in the teacher's lounge, during staff meetings, and often as we lay in bed at night. How do we bless these children?

At church, I heard someone speak on this topic.  As the speaker began giving specific ways to bless children, I couldn't help but think of the many ways how our "gem of a school" carries this out so beautifully.  Not only does our staff try to model the ways to bless children, we directly teach the children the way to bless others.

The first is way is through meaningful touch.  At GSCM, the children are greeted each morning with a firm handshake each morning by Mr. Teller and their teachers.  Direct eye contact is expected as part of this sincere greeting.  Many parents have continued these expectations outside of school and have informed us that coaches and adult friends of the family have commented on their child's use of this simple, sometimes forgotten, gesture.

We also encourage use of "The Touch Rule" at GSCM.  The students are permitted to hug, hold hands, high five, shake hands, and tag.  These are ways we can show others we care.  Rather than scold them for kicking, being too rough, and always telling them what they CAN'T do, we remind them of the touch rule and the appropriate ways that they CAN treat one another.  We encourage meaningful touch.

Probably the most important way we use meaningful touch, a way that is unique to the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd and our school, is by directly teaching gestures.  We teach that we can "do" prayer with our bodies.  We have materials, songs, and special celebrations to "do" prayer.  One simple example is how we teach the sign of the cross. It is an entire lesson by itself, as important as any other lesson given.  The child is directly shown how to press in the sign of the cross onto their bodies, because it is a seal and a shield.  We teach that it was pressed on their forehead at baptism and that it can be used at anytime, anywhere to remind us of Jesus.

Next, we can bless our children through spoken words of encouragement.  You may have been taught, "Stick and stones may break your bones but words will never hurt you."  AT GSCM, we teach our students that words DO hurt.  We teach grace and courtesy lessons that directly teach the students what to say in certain situations.  More than just "yes please" and "no thank you", teachers intervene when appropriate and teach when students are having difficult social interactions.  We teach that using a kind tone of voice effects how others will respond to you.

As part of the Montessori philosophy, we also use positive reinforcement to encourage our students.  However, our philosophy differs from other descriptions of positive reinforcement.  In fact, we don't tell our students, "good job".  Rather, when students approach the adult to show them their good work, we pay close attention to a specific detail and compliment it.  Or we might respond, "It looks like you feel proud of that.  You worked hard on that didn't you?  We are careful not to steal away the intrinsic motivation and satisfaction that the child is feeling.  Rather than completing the work for teacher approval, they begin to complete the work for themselves.  Their work is no longer is a burdensome task that has been asked of them, rather a joyful challenge where they are celebrated for their unique ideas and attitude towards their work.

It is our hope that you can see and feel "The Goodness of the Lord" and the many blessings He gives us the moment you enter the building and the classroom.  One observation would allow you the opportunity to see many examples of how meaningful touch and spoken words of encouragement are blessings to all members of our GSCM family.  We encourage you to call Nancy Toon in the office as soon as possible to schedule a time to observe in your child's classroom.

Program News

Middle School Vegetable Sale

Check Schoology

Your child's teacher is posting important information and will continue to post exciting news and photos about the great learning happening in the classroom.  Be sure to check your Schoology account so you are up-to-date!

Lost and Found

The school lost and found is located at the end of the upper floor hallway.  Please label all of your children's belongings so we can return misplaced articles to the right person.

Occasionally children leave backpacks, lunchboxes, and outer garments outside after school.  Our after-care staff will do their best to retrieve these items and secure them in the St. Joseph House, where you can look for them the following day.

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Family Income Form

You should have received a blue family income form by backpack mail with your "youngest or only" child at GSCM.  This form was also emailed to you.  If you haven't already turned it in, please do so by September 12th.  This information is important to ensure our continued participation in the Federal programs.  These programs provide a variety of materials and services for the children, teachers and our school.  It is one of the few benefits our children receive from your tax dollars and we do not want to lose it.

Congratulations Lipp Family!

John and Cathy Lipps had an 8lb 10oz baby girl, Eva Louise, on Friday, September 5. All are doing well.   Eva Louise's sisters, Vivian and Jenavieve, are in Mrs. Shade's/St. Gabriel classroom. 

Family Directory: 

Also on the GSCM Portal is a draft of this year's Family Directory (go to "Download School Forms").  If you haven't already done so, please take a moment to check your information and email any corrections to Mary Beth Escamilla at mbviv@hotmail.com by Wednesday, September 10th.

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Volunteer News

2014-15 Family Volunteer Update

The volunteer coordinator positions for 2014-15 are posted on the GSCM website parent page and accessible through this link https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1UDXtM4yLN__EVReo6sGSYUfmGqdbPVYoQwOASRERMUM/edit?usp=sharing

You should be hearing from a PTO or GSCM staff member about your responsibilities.

There is also a VolunteerSpot link to sign up for events http://vols.pt/1PdNF8  More shifts will be added as event needs arise.  We ask families to sign up for at least 3 "shifts" over the school year.

If your family has not signed up for a volunteer coordinator position, please view the openings.  Nicolay Walz, PTO Volunteer coordinator, would be happy to discuss positions and help you find something that is a good fit for you!  You can email her at nicolay.walz@gmail.com

Thanks for sharing your time and talents with the GSCM community,

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Send Your GSCM Candids to the Yearbook Team!  

We know that parents, students, teachers, family members, and staff are taking great candids of our GSCM community in action all the time.  We need as many photos as possible to create a terrific book everyone will want to have.  Anyone can serve in this role.  Get out your phone or camera and take some photos!  And then send them to us.                 

Here is how you can submit photos online:
   * Go to: https://images.schoolannualonline.com/login
   * If it does not automatically log you into the site, enter username: 401853790
   * Browse to select the photo(s) you wish to upload.
   * Enter information about the photo and provide contact information in case the staff needs additional information.
   * Click "Save Details".

It's that easy! Submit your photos today! You can also email photos to Nicolay Walz at nicolay.walz@gmail.com to be uploaded for you.