Vancouver Montessori School

March 2…………………Children’s House Closed………………NAMTA Conference

April 2-6………………………Children’s House Closed…………………Spring Break

 

Thank You!

Alia, Nadia and Kano for the gorgeous flowers.

Lillian for the Hawaiian treats for staff.

Claire for the tea cups for the Lavender classroom.

Wyatt and Savannah’s mom, Christina, for the bagels for staff.

 

Wish List

We are looking for any not-being-used, suit cases or duffel bags on wheels to use for our emergency exit supplies.  In the instance that evacuation from the school became necessary, it would be much easier to pull something along than carry it.

                                                                         

Welcome!

Samantha Borus is joining the Sunflower classroom.  She comes via the Honeysuckle Toddler Community, where she’s attended for the last year and a half.  Congratulations Sam!

Welcome back, Krishna, to the Lavender classroom.  We know you had an excellent trip!

 

Classroom Footwear

All children keep rain boots at school for wearing outside during wet weather.  As with all clothing worn to school, these are to be free of media or cartoon characters.  These boots should not be worn in the classroom.  They can be slippery and squeaky on the classroom floors.  Please send your child to school in comfortable, practical shoes to wear inside, reserving the rubber boots for outdoor wear, when necessary.

 

Parent/Teacher Conferences

Spring conferences begin next week.  Spaces are still available in all classrooms.  If you’ve not yet signed up, please do.  Observing your child, in their classroom, prior to the conference time, can be beneficial and offer a unique perspective.  If you’d like to do so, just check with Leslie or Kendra for an available morning.  If you’ll need your child to be here during a conference time that is outside of their normally scheduled hours, a sign-up sheet is available for that also.  Note:  childcare is only available UP TO 6:00pm.

 

How is your morning going? By Amy Parent

I know how mine go —rush, rush, rush, some exasperation, warm tea, ahh, and “what did I forget?”

Every now and then I need a reminder of how my morning should go.  In my busy life I read a lot of things that affect me and then I move on to whatever else I’m doing and I usually think about them at 4:00am when I’m trying not to think of anything at all.  One study I ran across was that how the first hour of waking sets the tone for the next SIX hours of the day.  So if you’ve argued with your child, trying to take the knots out of her hair, or reminding him, for the umpteenth time to brush his teeth, that grumpy exasperation may last for the BOTH of you ALL day.  Arriving late to school often affects their day too.  If they have missed out on the initial greeting time, they may have a hard time getting into the rhythm of the day. Continue reading →

May 28………………………..School Closed…………..………………..Memorial Day

June 1……………………………………………………………………All School Picnic

June 13……………………………..Last Day of School Year/Graduation Ceremony

 

Thank You!

Alia for the butter for baking.

Waden for the fabric for sewing projects and the new CD player for the Sunflower class.

Kano for the eggshells and origami papers.

Nadia for the fabric for sewing projects.

Isabella for the yummy cookies for staff.

Oliver for the spare clothing.

Nadia’s “mom-mom” for re-upholstering the chair in the Sunflower hallway—beautiful!

 

Wish List

Bags of playground sand for our sandbox– Toys R Us carries 50lb bags for $7.

Bags of potting soil

 

VMS All School Picnic

Please plan on joining the entire VMS community (weather permitting) for a picnic in the Children’s Park on Friday, June 1st.  Please bring a main dish and a side to share potluck style.  VMS will provide the place settings, beverages and treats, some tables and chairs.  Families are encouraged, though, to bring chairs or a blanket for their personal use.  Please arrive any time after 6:00pm.  We plan to begin eating at 6:30 and socializing until clean up at dusk.  The entire family is invited—grandparents too!

 

Last Day of 2011-12 School Year

The last day of school, for the Children’s House students, is Wednesday, June 13^th, 2012.  All non-graduating children, from the Wisteria, Sunflower and Lavender classrooms, will be dismissed between 11:15 and 11:45am from the Children’s Park.  During this time, all staff will join the children in the park to say their goodbyes for the summer.

 

Those children who are graduating (finishing their kindergarten year) will remain at school to enjoy a special lunchtime with their teacher and assistant before the 2:00pm graduation ceremony.

 

The Children’s House will be closed on Thursday and Friday in preparation for Summer School.  The Honeysuckle Toddler Community schedule remains the same as usual.

 

Play is the work of the child—By Arlene Schroeder

Each morning as our day begins, the children come in, greet each other and soon conversations about what they want to do take place.  For the middle children they often discuss what they are going to play when they go outside before they choose work.  It is important for them to know who they are going to play with and what they are going to play.  The youngest children tend to be more spontaneous with their play and the oldest children don’t have the same needs to discuss what they will play.  The middle children are emerging into conscious beings and their friendships are evolving.  Play is essential for healthy development for children.  This process influences the development of fine and gross motor skills, language, socialization, personal awareness, emotional well-being, creativity, problem solving and learning ability.  Dr. Montessori saw the importance of play in the child’s development that she called it “the work of the child”. Continue reading →

 

 

May 7…………………………School Closed…………………………..Staff Workday

May 8………………………….4:00-6:00pm………………………Parent & Child Visit

May 28………………………..School Closed…………..………………..Memorial Day

June 13……………………………..Last Day of School Year/Graduation Ceremony

 

Thank You!

Addison for the salt for classroom baking.

Alex for the butter and flour for classroom baking.

Kaya and Sanaa for the tea cookies for staff.

Lily for the peanut butter fudge for staff.

Nadia for the nature magazines, horse figurine and flowers.

Haylee for the spare blankets.

Karenna for the frog eggs and pond slime.

Wyatt and Savannah for the yummy bread.

Rowan for the homemade applesauce.

Oliver for the sewing fabric and boxes.

Isabella for the tulips.

Spencer M. for the tulips.

Samantha for the dried fruit for granola making and watercolor paints.

Waden for the butter, dried fruit and coffee.

 

A huge “Thank You” to the family of Oliver Lance for not only donating, but helping Arlene transport, many, many bolts of beautiful, upholstery-grade fabric and vinyl.  All of the teachers are so excited to think of the many uses it will be put to!

 

Welcome!

Sanaa Isham, sister of Kaya in the Wisteria classroom, has joined the Honeysuckle Toddler Community.  We are so happy to welcome her!

 

Parent & Child Visit

Here it is!  This is the final opportunity, this school year, to join your child, as their guest, in their classroom.  Children love to talk about and demonstrate the work they enjoy doing.  They may show you a little or a lot.  You may even receive a lesson from your child!  The classrooms will be open between 4:00pm and 6:00pm for you to come by.  Please remember to silence any messaging devices and supervise your child(ren) at all times.  See you there!

 

VMS All School Picnic

Please plan on joining the entire VMS community (weather permitting) for a picnic in the Children’s Park on Friday, June 1st.  Please bring a main dish and a side to share potluck style.  VMS will provide the place settings, beverages and treats, some tables and chairs.  Families are encouraged, though, to bring chairs or a blanket for their personal use.  Please arrive any time after 6:00pm.  We plan to begin eating at 6:30 and socializing until clean up at dusk.  The entire family is invited—grandparents too!

 

Last Day of 2011-12 School Year

The last day of school, for the Children’s House students, is Wednesday, June 13^th, 2012.  All non-graduating children, from the Wisteria, Sunflower and Lavender classrooms, will be dismissed between 11:15 and 11:45am from the Children’s Park.  During this time, all staff will join the children in the park to say their goodbyes for the summer.  Those children who are graduating (finishing their kindergarten year) will remain at school to enjoy a special lunchtime with their teacher and assistant before the 2:00pm graduation ceremony.

The Children’s House will be closed on Thursday and Friday in preparation for Summer School.  The Honeysuckle Toddler Community schedule remains the same as usual.

 

 

A Glimpse Back— by Melody Altstadt

As the weather is now changing from cold and rainy to sunny and warm I cannot help but think of all the changes the Wisteria classroom has gone through this year.

Like the changes in the weather, our classroom is in a constant state of changing and growing.  It has been wonderful to see the great strides all the children have made this year. Continue reading →

 

 

 

 

April 2-6………………………Children’s House Closed…………………Spring Break

(Honeysuckle Toddler Community only closed on Friday, the 6th)

 

April 13………………………………………………2012/2013 Re-enrollment Deadline

April 26………………………………………………………………..Plant Delivery Day

 

A Happy Spring Break Wish to All!

 

“The word education must not be understood in the sense of teaching but of assisting the psychological development of the child.”—Dr. Maria Montessori

                                                                         

Re-enrollment Deadline—April 13, 2012

Please turn in the re-registration form, along with the $150.00 annual deposit, to hold your child’s space in their current classroom by April 13^th.  After that, we will open up spaces for general enrollment and cannot guarantee their space in their current classroom.

 

Thank You!

Lily G. and family, for the lovely wooden lock box and magazines.

Wyatt & Savannah’s mom for the spare socks and undies.

Tallulah for the yummy apple pie for staff.

To the MANY families and friends who supported our school by ordering plants! 

 

Goodbye & Welcome!

Please join us in wishing all the best to Whitney Spears, former Sunflower classroom assistant.  She is moving on to other ventures.  We and the children will miss her.  Never fear, though!  Please join us in welcoming Meagan Dolan.  Meagan will be joining the Sunflower classroom, as Arlene’s assistant, on April 9^th.  Meagan’s employment and volunteer activities alike display a deep care and advocacy for the needs of children.

 

Volunteers Needed

Many spaces are available, in several classrooms, for laundry and library volunteers through the remainder of the school year.  Please take a look at the newly posted sign-up sheets following Spring Break.  Names were carried forward of those families who had already signed up.  Thank you for your constant help!

 

Also requested, are a few more volunteers to help on plant delivery day, April 26^th.  The delivery truck arrives close to 9:00am. Unloading, sorting & checking (often, double-checking) orders generally takes about two hours or so.  It’s a lot of fun!

 

 The following letter is a re-print of one written by the owner (former administrator and teacher) of VMS, Margie Stangeland, in 1988.  The information is just as appropriate and helpful for parents and children now because children’s natural development has not changed in all these years.  Only the teachers’ names have been changed to remain current. Continue reading →

Enrollment for Summer School 2012 will be opened up to prospective enrollees of the 2012-2013 school year on March 30, 2012.  Please call Leslie or Kendra with any questions regarding Summer School or to schedule a classroom observation.