2015 Newsletter - Green River Montessori School

Green River Montessori School
Newsletter
Dear GRMS Families,
WOW! Just a month and half before the end of this school year! How does
time pass so quickly? I want to take time to just say “Thank You” to all of our
awesome parents that have attended our school, helped with so many
functions, and given us continued school support. We appreciate all of you!
Our Auction and our All-School Play will be performed on Saturday, May
16th at the Auburn Avenue Theatre! Ms. Johnson, the teachers, and the parent
committee have been very busy pulling things together. If you wish to help, I
am sure we could use it!
The live auction will take place immediately after the performance--please
support us by staying since we will also draw the raffle ticket. All classroom
creative projects will be auctioned off to the highest bidder online. The
classroom baskets will be set up in the office foyer to be viewed, but the
bidding will be conducted online. Watch for specific instructions to come out
in your child’s go home files. Tickets for the play are now available in the
office. Don’t miss your chance to participate in your child’s production and to
participate in our Spring Auction.
We are sending home 20 raffle tickets for each family to sell to friends and
family. Each ticket is $1.00 each. Families can sell the tickets or buy them
themselves! Please be aware that if we draw your ticket (or one of the tickets
that you sold), you will be eligible to receive a full week of child care for one
child. Our goal is to make the winning basket worth more than $1,500 by
time we are done stuffing it. It’s not too late if you want to contribute
something to this basket, such as a free hair cut (if you are a hairdresser) or a
free week in your Maui condo (if you have one!). If you frequent a particular
business (Starbucks, Paolo’s, etc.), you can always ask for a merchandise/gift
certificate donation. Please be aware, we’re not non-profit but their donation
can still be a tax deduction, listed as an advertising expense since we will
publicize their donation in our program and on the web.
On May 27th, we will hold an Open House/Barbecue from 5:30-7pm. Please
see more information in this newsletter.
The last day of the 2014-2015 school-term is June 12th. Child care will be
available by sign-up for those who need it and the Summer Program officially
begins on June 22nd! Looking forward to the fun days ahead,
Tina, Diana & the GRMS Staff
Volume 40, Issue 9
May 2015
Important
Dates
To Remember
School Play/Spring
Auction
Saturday, May 16th at
1:00pm at Auburn
Avenue Theatre
School Closed
Monday, May 25th –
Memorial Day
Open House
Barbecue
Wednesday, May 27th 5:30-7:00pm
Graduation Picnic
Thursday, June 11th
6:00pm
Game Farm Park
SUMMER ENROLLMENT
Public School
Please sign-up if your public school child will attend
on May 11th -- public school will not be in session.
It is also possible that public school will be closed
on May 26th and 27th as additional closures since they
didn’t have any snow closures this year. Care will be
provided at the “Brick Schoolhouse.”
Summer is coming up fast. May is Summer
Enrollment Month. Please sign-up if your child
plans to be here any portion of time between June
22-August 28th. Special summer events and activities
will take place during this entire time.
May/June Billing
Your May 25th billing date will include a charge of
$200.00 per child for your annual fundraising
obligation. Please use the coupon on the last page
of this newsletter and turn it in when you pay your
tuition. Also (for half day preschool, kindergarten,
and private elementary school) you will be billed this
month for your advance tuition for September. If
you have a reserve payment on the books from last
September, it will be applied to this billing.
SCHOOL ANNUALS
Please submit your pre-order and any dedications
you would like to make for your child or from your
child to your teachers!
The deadline for
submitting dedications is May 15th. The annual
this year is $15.00 to have your child’s memories in
bound color for a life time. Get your orders in
now!!!
Dedication: The cost is $2.00 per line (30
characters)--or $5.00 for 90 characters. Forms will
be in the office and in your child’s classroom. If you
would like to place your dedication to have printed
in the annual for your child or a special teacher,
please submit your request by the deadline.
Teacher Appreciation Day
May 5th is Teacher Appreciation Day and I believe
our teachers deserve big kudos. I think I can say for
all of us that we definitely appreciate every teacher
that works here at Green River Montessori. Thank
You Staff!
Fund Raising/Donations
There is still time to tack on some hours towards
your $200.00 fund raising/donation obligation for
this school year. There are last minute details for the
play & auction duties, candy & drinks for the
concession at the play, and also school annual and
our Graduation Picnic. Feel free to contact Ms.
Johnson, our Private School teacher, Ms. Andrea,
Lori, Cheryl, or Tina to see where you may help. I
hope you have been tracking your time and your
fundraising efforts. If you need a new Donation
Point list please stop by the office.
D-1 Infant & Toddlers
Ms. Mary, Ms. Hyunsook & Ms. Jasmine
Spring brings many changes in our classroom
environment. We will soon be working on our
outdoor environment as well and have ordered
some outdoor equipment for it.
Our infant group is growing with two girls, Delicia
and Anna, joining us. It is always exciting when we
have someone new come into the room.
Our young toddlers are getting more and more
articulate every day. They are thrilled when they
realize we understand them (although not every
little bump is really an owie, we can tell by their
expression what they mean). It is so much fun
talking with them.
The weather is getting much warmer and we will be
putting out new sunscreen forms for those who
haven't done a new one yet.
Our caterpillars will get here soon and we will be
able to watch them grow and change into
butterflies. It is so exciting to watch them fly
away. We have a lot to look forward to and enjoy
sharing it with you.
D-2 Downstairs
Young Preschoolers
Dear Families,
As we are finish up our week on rain, and watch
our flowers begin to sprout, we are able to see that
April showers really do bring May flowers!
Our month of May will start off with learning
about tulips; where they come from, the parts, and
hopefully even a tulip dissection! Since we are
learning about pollen and nectar in flowers, it will
be a great transition into a week of lessons on
butterflies. We will continue our lessons on insects
by then studying ladybugs! We will have art, songs,
books, and cooking projects for both types of
insects. For our final week of May, we will have a
theme of "Meal Times". This will include the
children making their own pizzas, an Asian tea
time, and a teddy bear picnic!
For the teddy bear picnic, we invite your child to
bring his or her favorite teddy bear or stuffed
animal. We do not have a set date for it, but it will
be between Tuesday, May 26 and Friday, May 29.
This is dependent on the weather.
Thank you to the families that have donated to our
basket for the spring auction! We will be taking
donations until Wednesday, May 13.
Our classroom “team” recently attended an ECE
Diversity Conference at Green River College. It
was inspiring and we were able to pick up some
new ideas for working with our wonderful children.
We also were allocated money to buy some new
materials for our classroom. It was a fun and
valuable experience for us all!
We look forward to beautiful weather, and fun
times,
The D2 Team
Ms. Lana, Ms. Jennifer & Ms. Jacque
U-1 Classroom
Ms. Trudy & Ms. Elisa
My how time flies, it is already May. We have a new mail
box in the classroom and the children are really enjoying
mailing letters to each other. This month we will continue
to work on writing letters and sending a “Thank You” post
card. With the new mail box our right-handed helper has
new job as the post person and is responsible for delivering
the mail to the cubbies.
Last month we talked about the life cycle of a butterfly.
We raised five caterpillars and just this week they formed
their chrysalis and in about 10 days we will have butterflies!
This was very exciting to watch them form.
Curriculum:
This month we will take a closer look at North America.
We will talk about animals flags, landmarks and countries.
On our science shelf we will explorer parts of the flower
and parts of the bird. As always we will also continue
working with our math, language, sensorial and practical
life activities.
Share: Share this month will be completed during class
time. Students will be able to write a story or draw a
picture and mail it to me for share. The day I receive it, we
will open their letter during circle time and they will have
an opportunity to talk about what they made.
Cooking
We will have two cooking days each month where we will
explore foods from the country that we are talking about.
This month we will cook foods from North America.
This is a good opportunity for parents to help out in the
classroom or if you just have some great recipes that you
would like to share that would be helpful as well.
April Core Value: Self-Confidence
Self-confidence is an essential ingredient for all aspects of
your child’s healthy development and a key ingredient for
school success. Confidence is a belief in your ability to
master your body, behavior, and the challenges you
encounter in the larger world. Children who are confident
are eager to learn new skills and face new challenges. They
also expect adults to be helpful and supportive of their
efforts. Self-confidence is also crucial for getting along
with others and working out the many social challenges—
such as sharing, competition, and making friends—that
children face in school settings. Self-confident children see
that other people like them and expect relationships to be
satisfying and fun.
U-2 Preschool
Ms. Cheryl, Ms. Kim, Ms. Luda & Ms. Ronnie
Dear Families,
Our school play is coming up in two weeks on May
16, and then last day of school and graduation picnic
just four weeks later. I am so proud of all of the
children and how much they have grown this year.
We will continue to review two sounds each week
until the end of the school year. This month Ms Kim
will introduce us to the continent of Australia. For
children's individual lessons they will be working on
mastering work that they have been introduced to
and working on through the year.
Spring fever has really hit the classroom and you can
help your children by getting them to school by 9am
so that they can participate in our morning circle
when the main group lesson for the day takes place.
Our classroom has been busy completing ASQ
assessments which are a requirement of the ECEAP
program. Through the program we have also
received several exciting pieces of equipment for our
classroom.
Ms. Cheryl Knight [email protected]
A Note from Ms. Kim…
My name is Ms. Kim, and I have had the opportunity
to at least speak to most of you in person throughout
the school year. I am currently pursuing my
Associates Degree in Early Childhood Education at
Green River Community College. This quarter, I am
taking several classes that involve me passing on
lessons to the children that I work with, your
children. I am very excited to announce that we will
be exploring the continent of Australia within the
month of May. I have different activities and lessons
planned that fall in line with our Montessori
philosophy. The subjects we will be talking about
include: Zoology, Botany, Geography, History, Math,
Language, Art, Music, and Cooking.
Ms. Kim [email protected].
U-3 Classroom
Hello Parents,
My name is Ms. Brittni and I am currently working
in the U3 classroom as an assistant teacher
alongside Mrs. Fietz, Miss Lupe and Miss Brianna.
I am in the classroom every day from 8:30am1:30pm. Since I am fairly new here I thought I
would take this opportunity to share a little about
myself in this month’s newsletter.
I am 20 years old and I have an identical twin sister
named Brandi. We moved up to the area from
Vancouver Washington about three years ago to
earn our Associates Degree in Early Childhood
Education from Green River College. I am now
finishing up my final class at Green River College
and then will graduate in June. In addition, I am
working towards receiving my Montessori
certificate. I am looking forward to continuing
working in your child’s classroom and can’t wait to
see what the future holds for me here at Green
River Montessori School.
As you probably have already noticed, we have
started our spring unit! We will continue with our
studies about the needs of plants in botany with
emphasis on the tulip and daffodil; in zoology
bugs, butterflies and frogs. Our butterfly habitat
will be arriving any day now! In practical Life I will
be introducing flower arranging and extending the
flowers into our writing area with the Frobel pin
tulip. This activity helps build those small muscles
in their fingers and pincer grasp as well
as strengthen their concentration. I plan to
continue with the spring theme throughout the
month of May and will add more materials to the
classroom.
As a new teacher I am extremely excited to create
new materials and present them to the children. It
is so exciting to see their faces light up when a new
activity is available to them! I want to thank you
for allowing me to work with your child and I look
forward to a very rewarding remainder of the
year!
cont.
A few important reminders: Our class would like
to continue taking donations for our spring auction
basket. Our theme is “Parent Pampering.” Items
mentioned last month consist of dinner gift cards,
candles, bubble bath, car care, massage gift card,
wine, Starbuck card, movie tickets, etc.--anything that
you think would be a wonderful way to pamper
yourself. Keep in mind that all profits made go
towards our new playground!
I would also like to take this opportunity to remind
you about our school play that is coming up soon.
Our class has been practicing hard on memorizing
the songs. Our class has a solo that we have been
practicing as well as how to transition off the
stage. As far as the costume goes we are asking for
something simple. They will have two separate
costumes. The first one is shopkeeper/merchants.
The girls can wear some sort of a dress, hat, bonnet,
scarves and dark clothing with maybe an apron. The
boys can have a top hat, tie, slacks, blazer etc.
Almost any kind of outfit that makes the children
look like grown-ups will do. The second costume is a
black cloak or robe. It can be as simple as a piece of
black fabric that wraps around them. We also ask for
a basket full of dark colored objects that your child
will pretend to sell at the market or you may have
pretend fruit or even flowers. A detailed newsletter
went out last week explaining these items. If you
have misplaced this letter there is a copy on our
Parent Board outside of our
classroom.
If you have any questions or concerns please feel free
to contact Mrs. Fietz or the office. I look forward to
sharing new experiences with you and your
child! Happy Spring!
Ms. Brittni, Mrs. Fietz, Ms. Brianna, and Mrs. Lupe
PARENT MEETING
Please check your email from Julie Friend for
notification of our next Parent/Staff Guild meeting.
It will also be posted on our white board.
Art Studio
As April ended we finished our Earth Day sculptures, began learning about Leonardo da Vinci and
explored the use of texture in art. The children made sculptures from bottle caps (thank you for all the
donations), pen caps, popsicle sticks, yarn and buttons. Some are on display in the studio and will be sent
home soon.
We had a visit from Mariola Kulawiec (our scientist mom also mother to Konrad) and she taught the
children how to make bubble wands from pipe cleaners, straws and beads. We tested them on the
playground and enjoyed making large bubbles. She plans on returning this month to help us with a da
Vinci kite making project
The U1 class has lunch in the studio and with the addition of more children to the group we also
welcomed Ms. Ronnie to the class to help during that time. After lunch she has been sharing stories and
songs with the children and brought her drum to show them and teach them a song about the eagle. We
have all enjoyed her singing and storytelling.
Ms. Adrienne
Your Fundraising $$$$
This year’s proceeds from the School Play will pay for the venue (Auburn Ave Theatre) with its associated
fees, plus new sound microphones. The cost of the microphones was $1,020.00. The cost of the play is
estimated at approximately $1,000. The sale of the tickets and the concession should help us to break
even.
Proceeds from the auction, raffle, and classroom baskets will be used for a new piece of playground
equipment. Below is a photo of what we want. The cost is $3,100 plus tax and shipping.
The Brick School House
Submitted by Mrs. Johnson
The elementary and middle school children are
now learning the broad strokes of history - from
the fall of the Green and Roman civilizations to
the Middle Ages to the Renaissance to the Age of
Exploration to the Re-discovery of the Americas
to the Thirteen Colonies to the Revolutionary War
to the Formation of the United States of America
to the Industrial Revolution and to the
Establishment of the American Government, with
its federal system and power distributed among the
executive, legislative, and judicial branches. Aptly
our field trip this month was to our state’s seat of
government in Olympia.
Our field trip to Olympia was fascinating. We
toured the legislative building, stared at the fifth
largest freestanding dome in the world, admired
the Tiffany chandelier that cost more than the
entire building, sat in the gallery and saw for
ourselves the great chamber of our lawmakers
where they introduce bills and debate their merits.
The children took pictures with their disposable
cameras and smartphones, asked questions about
the origins of the marble of which most of the
building’s interior walls are made of, sat on the
biggest running carpet in the world in the State
Reception Room, and figured out the basic
functions of the legislature and how it affects our
daily life as ordinary people in a state blessed with
an abundance of natural resources and tech savvy
entrepreneurs.
For the month of May, besides continuous lessons
in history and government, the children will
continue their core curriculum lessons and
activities in math, vocabulary and spelling,
penmanship, reading, literature, grammar, and
writing. These are all pursuant to a cornerstone
philosophy of Montessori education involving
genuine self-paced learning within a structured
environment that the teacher designs and
maintains in accordance with the skills, interests,
and talents of all the children as a whole group.
Cont.
The teacher provides an abundance of diverse
learning materials and an eclectic mix of
instructional activities, all intended to bring about
effective opportunities for intellectual growth,
emotional development, and healthy socialization.
This includes, for the month of May, the
intensified rehearsals for the school play on May
16, Saturday, to be staged at the Auburn Avenue
Theater. The experience of theater is a tradition in
Green River Montessori School, and while it is a
lot of work, the benefits to the children are
immeasurable. They learn to persevere, to
cooperate, to improvise, and to express themselves
in ways that will prove helpful through their years
of growing up, overcoming challenges, and making
their own decisions inside and outside the
classroom. It is hoped that parents of all the
children, regardless of age, will encourage their
children to participate in the school play, which for
this year, is an adaptation of J.K. Rowling’s first
Harry Potter book/film.
Our last day of school will be Friday, June 12th,
taking us beyond our 180 day school calendar.
Those staying on after this date will have the
option of signing up for the summer program.
We see our enrollment in the upswing in the next
years as the elementary and middle school program
continues to serve a rising demand for
comprehensive Montessori education for older
children. The focus on academics aligns with the
more forward looking goals of parents and at the
same time, socialization is considered equally
important. Healthy, happy, intelligent, and
enduring relationships between and among the
children are targeted and factored in the design
and delivery of the academic programs. Resources
are optimized and opportunities are maximized so
that all the children will have a balance between
academics and fun. The ultimate goal is for the
children to develop the compassion, integrity, and
responsibility as well as the creativity, generosity,
and kindness that will promote their enduring
growth and survival in any and all social situations.
IMPORTANT DETAILS
ON THE SCHOOL PLAY
The perfect day for any child! Live
We all hope to see you at the Auburn Avenue
Theater on May 16 for the play.
Elementary and middle school children should
arrive at the theater no later than 11:30am for the
cast meeting.
Open House/Barbecue
Green River Montessori School is hosting an
“Open House/Playground Barbecue” on
Wednesday, May 27th from 5:30-7:00pm. This
event serves as an opportunity for both new and
prospective families to meet our staff and current
GRMS families. Classrooms will be open and
teachers available to meet and greet. Any parents
who want to help should let us know.
U1 children (Ms. Trudy’s students) should arrive
at the theater no later than 11:45am and join the
older children for a quick run-through and sound
check.
U2 and U3 children should arrive at the theater no
later than 12:15pm for prep.
U1, U2, and U3 parent-teacher support groups
should arrive no later than 11:15am for a crew
meeting and be ready to meet their respective
classes and organize and prep them for the play as
soon as the children arrive.
Parents are requested to drop off their children
with their teachers and allow the crew to effectively
and efficiently use the prep time from 11:3012:45pm by leaving the children at the stage area
and then waiting in the lobby area until doors open
at approximately 12:45. The play will start at 1pm.
We hope to see all the children and all the parents
on May 16 at Auburn Avenue Theater!
Kindergarten/Elementary
“Round-up”
Families interested in our private kindergarten
and elementary programs are invited to attend an
informational meeting hosted by Mrs. Trudy
Roberts and Mrs. Sandy Johnson. Please sign-up
in the office and these teachers will be in touch
with you to arrange the date and time.
Rehearsals
We have one more in-school rehearsal—Tuesday,
May 5th 9-11am.
Theater rehearsals are Wednesday, May 13 91130am (preschool included) and May 14 Thursday
12-3pm (kindergarten, elementary/middle school).
For questions or clarifications, please confer with
your children’s teachers or you can email Mrs.
Johnson: [email protected]
Friday, June 19, 2015
School-Age children (grades one and up) will be
participating in Kids Day activities at Les Gove
Park in Auburn. Our younger kids will celebrate
on-site at GRMS with special games and
activities.
FUNDRAISING
EXPECTATION
GRMS families are expected to help raise money to
support the extra school events and enhancements
that are not covered by tuition.
Each GRMS family is expected to earn 500 points
per child (or pay $200.00 per child) during the
school-year to satisfy this effort. Families who
are new to our school within the last three
months are exempt from this requirement.
There are a number of ways to earn points. Here
are some ideas:
 Assist on field trips (20 Points)
 Monthly school cleaning/work party (50
Points)
 Attend school events & parent meetings
(10 points)
Please clip and return with your May 25th
Tuition Payment:
FUND RAISING CREDIT—
2014-2015
ATTACH TO YOUR MAY 25th PAYMENT
Name
________________________________________
Please credit my account in the amount of
_________($200.00 maximum per child) for the
following fundraising activities or school
assistance:
 Pick up grocery items or supplies (10
Points)
 Volunteer one hour per school request (10
Points)
VOID AFTER JUNE 10, 2015
 Make school repairs (Varies)
 Classroom Presentation (20 Points)
 Serve on a committee (100 Points)
Clip this Square!
450 Points – Deduct $180.00
Clip this square to document you have read this
newsletter in its entirety and enter a drawing for a
special prize! Turn the square in to the office. The
drawing will take place at the end of the month.
400 Points – Deduct $160.00
I, ____________________________________
350 Points – Deduct $140.00
have read the May’s newsletter in its entirety!
 Participate in fundraising (20% of sales)
500 Points – Meets $200.00 Requirement
300 Points – Deduct $120.00
250 Points – Deduct $100.00
200 Points – Deduct $80.00
150 Points – Deduct $60
20% of your fundraising sales can be applied to the
$200.00 requirement as cash.
Last month’s winner was Sarah Gilmartin
The prize is a really cool candle!