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Upcoming Events
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Friday, Jan. 18:
Picture Make-Up Day is CANCELED
Monday, Jan. 21:
No School or Childcare
(Staff Professional Development Day)
6:30AM - 6:00PM
Tuesday, Jan. 29 OR
Thursday, Jan. 31:
VIP Nights
(one of these nights will be assigned to you)
6:30 - 7:30PM
Friday, Jan. 25:
Fancy Friday for
Elementary Students
February:
Conference Month
To be scheduled soon
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Observation
| | "When dealing with children, there is a greater need for observation than of probing."
-Dr. Maria Montessori
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Observing Your Children
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Let us remember to observe our own children. Really take a minute to just watch them. Stop and observe what they will do when presented with a problem rather than jumping in to solve it for them. Observe their interests, qualities, and characteristics. Rather than "probing" your children for information, observe them in the act. You learn quite a bit more from observation than you could with what your child could possibly communicate to you in words.
Remember, you are always welcome to observe them at school as well. VIP Nights and birthday celebrations are your opportunity to get a glimpse into your child's school day. We recommend that you observe on other occasions too, if possible.
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Greetings!
Happy New Year! We hope you all had a wonderful holiday break. We are so glad to be back to school with your children. January brings the snow and many events at school. We will be having a day off for the students (our Staff Development Day) and VIP Nights later in the month. Keep checking Facebook, Twitter, and the app (iPhone or Android) for updates, stories about what's happening in each classroom, and pictures of the children at work. |
 | Snow Days |
 Although we may get a lot of snow, we rarely (if ever) close for the weather because we do not use busses to transport our children. Local schools must close if their busses are unable to safely pick up the children. It is up to you to decide, in inclement weather conditions, whether or not you feel it is safe enough to drive to school. Even if many, or most, of our children are not in attendance, we will still be open to care for the children whose parents must go to work.
In the event of an emergency which causes us to close school and childcare, such as loss of electricity or flooding, you will be notified as soon as possible by way of a phone call from your child's teacher. If we know in advance of a school day's start that we will have to close, you will also find our closing information on WDIV Channel 4 on television.
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| VIP Nights |  We will be hosting two evenings of which your child will be the "Very Important Person" for the night. On Tuesday, January 29, OR Thursday, January 31 from 6:30 - 7:30PM, the children will be bringing their parents to school to watch them work. Some will show their favorite work, while others will show what they learned most recently. One of the nights will be assigned to you in advance.
It is important to remember that this night is for the children, and the parents are to provide their undivided attention to the child they are observing. Please also remember to provide encouragement instead of criticism,  and keep your questions or comments to the teachers to an absolute minimum. Our goal is to let the children know how very important they truly are to the adults in their lives. |
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Holiday Music Program
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The Holiday Music Program was a fabulous show.
 The children performed very well! The solos, group songs, and dances were all done with a professionalism that is rarely seen among children of this very young age. We are so proud of our hard-working classes of elementary, kindergarten, and preschool students. Our music program is known as being among the best! We now look forward to beginning our work on the spring musical. June's performance is sure to knock your socks off! |
| Welcome New Families |  The Montessori Stepping Stones school family has had a recent growth spurt! We would like to send out a special welcome to all of our new families in each one of our programs.
Our school has grown so much that many of our programs are almost filled to capacity, with some already running with a waiting list!
We'd like to thank all of our current families, as well, for your strong support and wonderful word-of-mouth. With your help, we are able to provide more children with this amazing opportunity in education. |
 | Thank You |  We'd like to thank you again for your participation in the annual wreath sale. We had an amazing profit of $5,000! We use this money to continue the high level educational programs that you have come to expect and enjoy. Thank you also for your many gracious cards, generous gifts, and Giving Tree items. The classroom teachers are excited to share new curriculum and supplies with the children! |
| Coming Soon |  Coming soon in February, we will have parent/teacher conferences. We have designated three days off of school for scheduling these meetings; however, teachers may offer some other days and times as needed. Look for sign-up sheets at the end of January. Enrollment packets for the 2013-14 school year will be given to all current families in February. You will have until June 12, 2013 to reserve your spot for the next school year and to lock in your current tuition prices. Look for more information in the February Newsletter. |
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We hope you all had a very relaxing and wonderful holiday break. We are ready to pick up the pace again on Facebook, twitter, and our app. Keep your "likes," comments, and suggestions coming! Again, please forward this newsletter or our information to anyone who may be interested in Montessori Stepping Stones.
Sincerely,
Michelle Daley
Montessori Stepping Stones
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