April 14 2014 Villa Voice.pub

Villa Voice
April 14, 2014
The Villa Auction Needs Your Help!
Letter from
Head of School
Dear Parents,
Parents really enjoyed the parent education series recently presented by the elementary teachers. Four presentations were held: Language
and Literacy at the Elementary I Level, Language
and Literacy at the Elementary II Level, the Elementary I Math Curriculum and the Elementary
II Math Curriculum. Parents made comments
indicating how much they appreciated hearing
more about what their children are learning in
the classroom. Many of them also expressed
how impressed they were with the Montessori
materials used. The teachers had positive things
to say as well! They were thrilled to see the
number of parents that came and appreciated
the level of interest and enthusiasm they
showed.
Because a Montessori school experience is so
different from the traditional school experience
most of us have had, we would like to do more
to help educate parents about Montessori philosophy and practices. As Angeline Stoll Lillard
writes in Montessori: The Science Behind the
Genius, “To help the children, schools must help
the parents to understand the system, and parents must find time to become educated about
it.” Our gratitude goes out to those who were
able to attend.
We would love to do more parent presentations
next year and welcome your suggestions on desired topics. Just email Barbi
([email protected]) with your ideas.
Margo O’Neill
Head of School
The deadline for auction items has
been extended from the Tuesday April
15th to Friday April 18th. With this
extra time, we all have a great opportunity to ask for donations from our
favorite restaurants and businesses
we love and support. Every penny of
these monies support the teacher assistant salaries. The Auction Committee is asking for all of our help to
bring in more items and get those
reservations in by April 18th please.
Thank you for your support!!
Lego Camp Returns to Villa
Pre-Engineering and Engineering
FUNdamentals with Lego Camp will be at
Villa on Saturday, April 19th. The event
is open to Girls & Boys, 1st - 6th Grades.
Camp time is 1:00 - 4:00 PM; Fee is $28.
We hope
to see
you there!
We are in need of recycled items for
use in our Book Feast Summer Program.
Please save your re-usable, clean recyclables and drop them off at the Admin
Office for Kaitlyn Shaw.
As they say, one man’s
trash is another man’s
treasure!
Villa Montessori School 1
APRIL 26th - “LOST IN THE FIFTIES TONIGHT” AUCTION DINNER
WE HAVE EXTENDED OUR DONATION DEADLINE TO NOON ON APRIL 18TH!
WE NEED MORE ITEMS — PLEASE!
This year’s event will be held again at Chaparral Suites in Scottsdale. Join the
fun and meet other Villa parents by attending this fun, social event. We have
plenty of room for everyone! We have sent home auction donation forms with
each child in the school. We need all kinds of items and services. There will be
extra donation forms and general ask letters on letterhead in all school offices.
You can also download the donation form and general ask letter from the Villa
website and on your teacher’s TeacherWeb site.
We have many expenses in all price ranges that need to be underwritten. Please read the
underwriting page, and call me on my cell at (602) 363-5006 if you are interested in underwriting any portion of the auction. Remember, you can receive one-hour volunteer time per auction item or one hour volunteer time for each $100 in value of items or money donations. All items may
be turned into any of the offices listed above. This is a great way to fulfill your required 10 hours volunteer time. Work the night of the auction and get double volunteer hours. Call Sue Watson if you have
any questions or are interested in helping with this event (602) 363-5006.
LIVE AUCTION ITEMS:
TWO VIP TICKETS TO DANIEL TOSH-COMEDY CENTRAL, IN L.A.
ONE WEEK IN A BEAUTIFUL TELLURIDE CONDO— 4 Bedroom, 4 Bath
CHAMPAGNE/HONEY FEMALE LAB PUPPY
LAS VEGAS TRIP—COSMOPOLITAN, AIRFARE, DINNER & SHOW
SWAT TEAM MEMBER WILL TAKE YOU ON AN OUTING-FOR-A-DAY
WORLD-CLASS WINE COLLECTION—26 BOTTLES, EACH OVER $30 IN VALUE
SOME SILENT AUCTION ITEMS (KEEP ‘EM COMING!):
LUCKY STRIKE PARTY FOR 8
PALOMAR HOTEL
CHILD OUTING-FOR-A-DAY WITH A MAYOR GREG STANTON
BIRTHDAY PARTY WITH REPTILE MAN
10 GUEST PASSES TO CHILDEN’S MUSEUM
GOLF & LUNCH PACKAGE FOR TWO AT THE PHOENICIAN
ONE YEAR FAMILY MEMBERSHIP TO SCOTSDALE RAILROAD PARK
VIP SEATING AT A DANIEL TOSH SHOW IN BURBANK
… AND MANY MORE ITEMS AVAILABLE AND NEEDED!
Do you want to bring this
adorable puppy home? She
is a female lab puppy, with a
champagne/honey colored
coat. This sweet girl can’t
wait to meet her new family!
WE WELCOME CASH DONATIONS TO COVER THE EXPENSES OF THE
AUCTION – PLEASE HELP IF YOU CAN! EVERY DOLLAR COUNTS!
Villa Montessori School 2
Villa Makes the News!
This month, Shannon Smith’s Elementary II
class had a very special guest. Fox 10’s Ron
Hoon visited and read Paul Revere’s Ride by
Henry Wadsworth-Longfellow to the class as
a supplement to their history curriculum.
Hoon has a passion for literacy and history;
he enjoys visiting schools and asked to come
and read to our children.
Hoon opened with a history lesson to set up
the story and posed questions to the students
afterward. He awarded a 1700’s coin to one
child that guessed the age of Paul Revere at
the time of his ride: forty years old. He also
handed out autographed photos to every
child, and encouraged them to follow their
dreams and keep learning. Later, he shared
his Villa experience on the news and his fellow newscasters chimed in about what a
great school we have. He spoke about the
“smart kids” and the sense of strong community at our school. It was a special day, and
once again, our children shined.
Christy Cantu,
Elementary Level Director
Mary Orlando explains how
to be a Bucket-Filler
There is a new buzz word on the Early Childhood
Campus these days, and as parents, I think it is
important to know it and tap into its power!
The word is BUCKET-FILLER… and the question that is posed on a daily basis is: HAVE YOU
FILLED A BUCKET TODAY?
This new lingo sprang up from Carol McCloud’s
book: Have you Filled a Bucket Today? In her
book, she explains that everyone in the whole
world walks around carrying an invisible bucket.
Each person’s bucket has only one purpose. Its
purpose is to hold YOUR GOOD THOUGHTS AND
FEELINGS ABOUT YOURSELF. We all feel very
happy and good when our bucket is full. We all
feel very sad and lonely when our bucket is
empty.
So, what is the secret to having a full bucket?
Well, Carol explains, other people fill your bucket
AND people need you to fill theirs.
SO, HOW DO YOU FILL A BUCKET?
You fill a bucket when you show love to someone, when you say or do something kind, or
even when you give someone a smile… THAT’S
BEING A BUCKET-FILLER. A bucket-filler is a
loving, caring person who says or does nice
things that make others feel special.
To read more about this concept, please click
here, or visit or Website for the full article.
Fox 10’s Ron Hoon came to Shannon Smith’s EII
classroom to read Paul Revere’s Ride by Henry
Wadsworth-Longfellow to supplement their
history curriculum.
Villa Montessori School 3
Dates to Remember
Q & A with
Elementary I Teacher
Lura Amparan
April 14 - AIMS Testing Week
18
April 18
Donated auction items are
due to the Administration
Office or to Sue Watson
April 18
Middle School End of Year
Dance - Weldon Campus
April 19
Lego Camp 1-4 PM
April 2125
Oak 7th Grade Adventure
Trip & Oak 8th Grade Internships
April 25
Last Pre-Primary T-ball
game
April 26
Villa’s Annual Auction
Dinner— this year’s theme
is: “Lost in the 50’s
Tonight”
April 28May 1
Oak 8th Grade Adventure
Trip & Oak 7th Grade
Internships
May 2 &
May 5
Parent Teacher Conferences:
All School will be released
at 11:30 AM. Only Infants
and All Day contracts will
be permitted to stay after
11:30 AM
May 12
Middle School Shadow Day
May 19
Elementary 1 & 2 Shadow
Day
May 26
Memorial Day– ALL
SCHOOL CLOSED
May 27
Last Day of School! ALL
SCHOOL CLOSED AT
11:30 AM
What I do at Villa:
Elementary I Lead Teacher
How I came to Villa:
We moved to Phoenix when my husband received
orders through the Air Force. I had been a Montessori Pre Primary assistant/ Art Teacher at Hermosa Montessori in Tucson, and my two girls had
attended Montessori school there since they were
three. They were both accepted into Villa, so I took
a job as Patty’s assistant so I wouldn’t have to
drive back and forth to bring them each day.
The most valuable thing I offer:
Patience, tolerance, and acceptance.
What I do when not at work:
Hang out with my daughters and watch their
dance and tumbling shows, spend time with my
husband, practice yoga, read, and attend sporting
events.
Little known fact about me:
I lived and studied in Italy and spent a semester as
an intern at the Smithsonian American History
Museum.
Little known personal fact:
I have been friends with my husband since we
were eleven years old. Our fathers played little
league together when they were boys.
My Favorite quote:
“I realized that their flaws and faults are minor.
These are not really so important. Love is.”
~ Weiss
Villa Montessori School 4
Villa Chess Scores Again
Middle School Heroic Journey —
Testimonial from Elders Council
Congratulations to the Villa chess team!
Five more students qualified for the Governors Cup State Championships! The K-3
team took home the 5th-place team trophy
out of 47 teams, and the K-6 team took
home the 4th-place team trophy out of 35
teams!
Near the culmination of the Heroic Journey program, each student presents him or herself to a
Council of Elders to demonstrate the levels of
challenge and proficiency that she or he has accomplished. The Council of Elders, consisting of
respected community members, interview six
students individually throughout the course of a
morning. The interview consists of specific questions asked of each student and the student’s
presentation of completed work. Following is a
luncheon for initiates and Council Members,
hosted by the students.
In the K-3 team, Bennett Appell took second place with an amazing 5 out of 5 wins;
Brayden Johnson and Nanak Khalsa, returning after long absence, both qualified, and
Samuel Weisberg improved his personal
best from last week. Harrison Appell played
up a level and won 4 out of 5 games
against older opponents. But, top honors
go to Trent Johnson playing in the toughest
section. (Some of the players can beat the
coach). He kept his cool and qualified for
the State championships.
We would like to share one testimonial, to highlight the dramatic effect this journey has on not
only the student, but the community as well:
“The experience and privilege I had sitting on the
council of elders was incredibly humbling, eye
opening and one of the greatest experiences of
my adult life.
Then, a week later, the K-6 Villa chess team
participated in the "Magic Spell" Chess
Tournament on April 5, 2014. The tournament was led by Jack Guzman with a solid
3pts. Newcomer Alfonso Moreno earned
2.5pts and qualified for State Championships with good sportsmanship and lots in
reserve. Kaiden McDaniel, returning to the
tournament scene after a long absence,
helped the team with 2pts. And, in a surprise showing, Joey Sousa (2nd grader),
normally in the k-3 section, joined the older
team and in an epic “David and Goliath”
struggle, stood his ground against a 6th
grader to earn 2pts.
The students I met were articulate, organized
and most of all, saw the importance of helping
others and giving back. They looked forward to
their future with open minds, open hearts and
boundless enthusiasm.
Kudos to your school and the educators who
work with these young adults every day and
have helped shape and develop them into the
people they are and will become.
I remember meeting my guidance counselor in
my junior year to discuss my own path. I told
him I wanted to be a teacher; I loved tutoring
students and thought it was a noble and necessary profession. His response was. “don’t teach,
it doesn't pay enough.” I wish I ignored him. I
am thrilled to see how much more positive and
uplifting Villa is than the experience I had.”
So, for the State Championships we have
almost two full teams qualified with 2 qualifying rounds left—April 12th and April 19th.
-- Vince Lentini
Excellent teamwork! These were two tournaments to remember.
Chess Coach, Adrian Black
~Vince lived in New York City for forty-one years
prior to moving to Arizona in 1995. He is a Lifelong Democrat and Yankees fan. Vince even had
hard tryouts with the Mets and Orioles. He loves
Italian food and a phrase that resonates with him
is “helping others gives success true meaning”.
Villa Montessori School 5
T-Ball is a Hit for Pre-Primary
Last Friday was the first game for the Spring
Pre-Primary T-Ball season. The field was full of
children playing and enjoying the game of
baseball as well as a sideline full of enthusiastic
parents and family members who came to support the players.
Coaches Brian and Rhett are thankful for all
the help from volunteer coaches and volunteer
team parents who provide snacks and refreshments to the teams. Without the support of our
community, the sports program would not be
as huge of a success as it is today—thank you!
Box Top Update
Box Tops will be
accepted
Through the
month of April!
Teacher
Total
Dollars Earned
($0.10 Per Box
Top)
Practice is from 3:30-4:15 for the 4-year olds,
4:15-5:00 for 5 year-olds, and 5:00-5:45 for 6
year-olds. Games are at 4:00 and 5:00 PM on
Fridays, lasting 45 minutes. As a reminder,
please do not park at the Early Childhood campus or on the side streets.
E1-Laura Altmaier
E1-June Kraynik
MS-Oak Campus
E1-Megan McGovern
MS-Weldon Campus
PP-Alana Craft
Not Specified
940
625
521
450
388
350
320
$94.00
$62.50
$52.10
$45.00
$38.80
$35.00
$32.00
We look forward to a fun and educational
spring semester of T-ball!
E2-Amy Reynolds
300
$30.00
E1-Georgene Cunningham
E2-Stefanie Lehmann
E1-Jennifer Colman
280
200
200
$28.00
$20.00
$20.00
E2-Willa Flynn
187
$18.70
PP-Stephenie Whitacre
PP-Katie O'Melia
E2-Kaitlyn Shaw
E2-Leticia Hector
T1-Maria Orlando
T2-Jeni Johnson
PP-Sherra Sieben
PP-Jen Bailey
PP-Brittney Nelson
Inf-Victoria Reza
E2-Shannon Smith
E1-Lura Amparan
115
90
50
50
27
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
$11.50
$9.00
$5.00
$5.00
$2.70
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
5,093
$509.30
On left: Coach
Rhett stands
with Colin
Campbell as he
gets ready to
bat. Colin is a
Kindergartener
in Sherra’s
class.
On right: Nash Dentan
keeps his eyes on the ball
while playing the outfield
during Friday’s first T-ball
game. Nash is a 4 year old
in Brittney’s class.
Total
Villa Montessori School 6
AUCTION ITEMS— UNDERWRITING NEEDED
(*designates totally or partially underwritten):
Appetizers for Dinner
$2,500
*Auctioneer
$500- Paid in full ~ Tim Anton (Alum grandparent) volunteers as our auctioneer!
*Materials for classroom projects
$1,000 – Paid in full ~ Patty & Mike Smith (Villa grandparents) underwrote the cost of the Class Furniture!
Construction cost for classroom projects
$800
*Table Centerpieces
$1,500 – Paid in full ~ Katie Easley (former parent Lux Wedding Florist) will provide the centerpieces!
*Classroom Baskets & Decorations
$300 — Paid in full ~ Sue & Vince Watson
(grandparents) underwrote baskets and basket
decorations!
Postage
$650
*Raffle Tickets
$320 – Paid in full ~ Jeff & Jill Zimmerman (Villa Par-
ents) underwrote the cost of the raffle tickets!
*Auction Catalog
$500 — Paid in Full ~ Neal and Jennifer Bookspan
(Villa Parents) underwrote the cost of the Auction
Catalog!
Invitation, Banner & T-shirt Design
$350
Logo development
$350
*Banners at each campus
$1000 – Paid in full ~ Equity Sign Group owned by par-
ents Rob Frazier & Erin Lieeherr underwrote the beautiful auction banners that will be displayed at each
campus!
Letterhead & Second sheets
$725
Envelopes for Letterhead
$600
Invitations
$1,800
*Bid Sheets (3-part)
$500 — Paid in full ~ Kyle Clark (Villa Parent) under-
wrote the cost of Bid Sheets
*Invoices (3-part)
$300 — Paid in full ~ Margaret & Larry Ostendorf
underwrote the cost of the Auction Invoices!
*Security
$350 — Paid in full ~ Peter & Sherianne Davis (Villa
Parents – Simon Consulting) underwrote the cost of
the Security Team!
There are still plenty of items needing underwriting—
If you have any questions, call Sue Watson (602) 363-5006
IT’S BACK!!!!
The Villa Wall of Wine
Donate a bottle of wine to the auction dinner and earn valuable volunteer hours. The
higher the value of wine donated, the more volunteer hours earned.
Wine Donation Volunteer Hours Chart – One hour = $20 value
$10 wine bottle = ½ volunteer credit hour
$20 wine bottle = 1 volunteer credit hour
$40 wine bottle = 2 volunteer credit hours
$60 wine bottle = 3 volunteer credit hours
$80 wine bottle = 4 volunteer credit hours
$100 wine bottle = 5 volunteer credit hours
$200 wine bottle =10 volunteer credit hours
There will be a wine wall near the entrance of the auction that will display all the wine
donations received. The wine will range from as little as $10 a bottle to over $100.00 a
bottle. All donated wine will be cleverly disguised in unique packaging. For a $20 donation, pick your favorite mystery package and then reveal your wine selection. There are
NO losers! You will likely be the winner of a much higher valued bottle of wine than
your donation. Whether you’re a casual drinker or a wine connoisseur, this is one wine
sampling not to miss.
Please deliver all wine to the Administration Office, Early Childhood Office or either
Middle School Offices. Please bring your receipts if possible and put your name on it so
we know whose family gets the credit for hours.
Volunteer hours will be assessed based on the average wine price displayed at winesearcher.com. Proof of price with receipt will also be accepted. All wine donations must
be turned in to Villa by Tuesday, April 22nd.
P.S. YOU CANNOT DRINK THE WINE AT THE EVENT! IT MUST STAY CORKED!
Thank you,
The Auction Committee
Villa Montessori School 8
Cosmic Education
ADVERTISEMENTS:
In the spirit of the Parent Education Series,
Elementary II teacher Willa Flynn wrote a
wonderful essay on Cosmic Education and its
role in school for the Elementary level. Because of its length, the entire article is not all
posted here but is shared through our News
and Announcements section on the front page.
Cosmic Education is a tenet of the
Montessori philosophy and, at its core, a gift.
It’s the gift of the whole universe to the child
to examine, explore, and discover. The Impressionistic lessons which exemplify Cosmic Education inspire children “to appreciate their
roots in the universe, to sense their place in its
context, and to embrace the role this defines
for their lives.” Cosmic Education is the lens
through which Montessori elementary students
see the interconnectedness of their lives – to
each other, to people in distant communities, to
the past and its innovations, to the vast interdependency of planetary bodies, and so on.
Because Cosmic Education is such a
Big Picture approach, it is more appropriate for
children at the second plane of development,
aged approximately 6 years to 12 years. At this
age, they are in the sensitive period for appreciating and participating in Cosmic Education
because they are intellectually hungry for vast
amounts of knowledge. Not only are they are
ready to see the Big Picture, they demand it!
What better lessons to give them than Impressionistic ones that “create a picture in the children’s minds and send them off wondering,
questioning, and exploring in order to fill in
the details of that picture.” In addition to desiring so much information, children from age
6-12 are also becoming more socially curious
and conscious. They need to know how people
interact with each other; they want to see how
people’s interdependency affects their world.
… Continued on Web site, click here.
If you are interested in placing an ad, the
cost is $10 a month. To begin, please
contact Barbi Smith at
[email protected].
Disclaimer:
All information contained in any classified
ad is the sole responsibility of the individual
advertiser. Villa Montessori is not responsible for the accuracy or reliability of said information. Villa reserves the right to review
each ad submitted, and to reject or discontinue, revise and/or reclassify any ad at any
time for any reason. Individual advertiser is
responsible for all proofreading and verifying of all information of the ad.
Villa Montessori School 9
ADVERTISEMENTS:
Villa Montessori School 10
Helping Families Save on the Cost of College!
We help families create optimal approaches to paying for their child’s college education.
College planning starts early & requires a balance of:
The Head (academics)
The Heart (school fit)
The Hand (financials)
This issue we explore The Heart. With a Heart focused approach school choice is made in the following manner:
Career then Major then School Selection
•
With the average student taking over 5 years to graduate, that one additional year increases your
college cost by over 25%; with two year, you have over a 50% increase in the total cost of
college!
•
Not only does the career->major->school selection approach save time and significant money,
hopefully it helps guide your child to a post graduate vocation where thy find passion and joy.
Next edition highlights “The Hand”
Learn more by contacting us at:
Simplicit College Funding
602.717.2011
[email protected]
A Division of Simplicit Financial
Villa Montessori School 11
Last spring the Elementary II campus on Cheryl Drive had to pack up and prepare for a move down to the
new campus. Overall, the experience with Two Men and a Truck was incredibly positive with all of our
things landing safely in their new home.
Thank you Two Men and a Truck! ~ Cave Creek and 7th Street Location
Support our Villa Community
In keeping with the community spirit of the “Villa Family,” we would like to help support those Villa
families that own or operate businesses. If you own or operate a business, have a child at Villa, and
would like your business listed, please contact Barbi Smith at [email protected]. We will
list the name of the business and any contact information.
It takes a VILLAge!
Business Name
Business Phone Business Web site
Parent(s) Name
Air Sports Trampoline & Tumbling
602-400-6876
http://airsportstnt.com
Scott & Jean Larson
B & B Printing
602-861-3737
http://bbprintery.com
Lisa Bartholomew
Fit Minded
602.827-2456
http://www.fitminded.com
Dr. Jennifer Huberty
Kristine Woolsey Studio
480.945.3440
www.woolseystudio.com
Kristine Woolsey
Laundryland
480-457-0322
www.laundrylandaz.com
Kristi Lockwood
Phoenix Weight Loss
602-274-3438
www.PhxWeightLoss.com
Brent & Debbie Gear
Rodan + Fields Independent Consultant
602-549-0711
www.mscolville.myrandf.com Melanie S. Colville
Villa Montessori School 12