N E W S L E T T E R                       NO. 115                         OCTOBER 22, 2007

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Dear Parents,

Hi! All classes are off to a wonderful new school year. Elementary students are busy with a variety of new programs. All new and existing Casa children are settled nicely in their environments. At this time, we are bringing you some more news:

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT DAY – November 9, 2007

Friday, November 9, 2007 is our Professional Development Day. There will be no classes on this day. Casa and elementary teachers will be attending a National Montessori Conference in Ottawa during this weekend.

‘WHAT IS MONTESSORI’ – LECTURE, NOVEMBER 12, 2007 AT 7:00 PM

Lynne Lawrence, the Acting Executive Director of Association Montessori Internationale and the Director of Training from London, U.K. will be visiting our school on Monday, November 12, 2007 and in the evening, at 7 p.m., she will be  presenting a lecture to parents on ‘What is Montessori’.

PHOTO DAY – WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2007

Please mark in your calendar our annual picture day on Wednesday, Nov. 14/07.

SIMPLE STEPS TO FEEDING A HEALTHY FAMILY – LECTURE, Nov. 22/07.

To accommodate all interested parents we decided to move this lecture to Thursday, November 22, 2007 at 7:00 pm, from the earlier scheduled date  of  October 25^th. We also require that parents reserve their participation by November 14^th as we need to know the number of parents attending due to food sampling at the lecture. Please see attached flyer for more details.

CLASSROOM TELEPHONE DIRECTORY

Classroom Telephone Directory is attached to this newsletter. Please use it wisely, and keep it confidential.

                                      H A L L O W E E N    N E W S

Wednesday, October 31, 2007 is Halloween. It is a traditional celebration time for children. We will continue to celebrate Halloween in a different way.

We would like that the Casa and Elementary children do not come to school in a costume in the morning as this is too disturbing for younger children. Many children in the past had to be attended to, as the costumes inhibited their regular daily routine. We also didn’t want to take away the evening excitement that is waiting for them in their neighbourhoods as they trick-or-treat from house to house.

Therefore, we will celebrate Halloween in a more peaceful and meaningful way without commercially based influences.

EACH CASA AND ELEMENTARY CLASS will continue to celebrate Halloween in its own way. The teachers will select activities depending on children’s ages and interest. The activities will vary from class to class but may involve some in storytelling, pumpkin carving, reading, singing and discussing stories about HALLOWEEN ORIGIN AND TRADITIONS. 

Happy Halloween!

………………………………………………………………………………….PLEASE CUT

CASA AND ELEMENTARY WORKSHOPS – PARENTAL CHOICE SURVEY

We are seeking parental choices for the upcoming Casa and Elementary workshops scheduled during the course of this school year.  Please tick off two areas of interest and return to the office by Monday, October 29^th, 2007.  Alternatively, you may call the office with your selection.  Thank you.

CASA                                                                         ELEMENTARY

1        Practical Life                                      1  Language

1        Sensorial Materials                           1  Math/Geometry

1        Language                                           1  History

1        Math                                                    1  Geography/Science

1        Music and Culture                              1  Biology

1        Other – please specify                      1  Other – please specify

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SIMPLE STEPS TO FEEDING A HEALTHY FAMILY

You’re Invited!

An easy and delicious survival guide to get you through the hectic week

Have you heard the latest news?

• 26% of Canadian children aged 2-17 are now overweight or obese
• Children are facing an early onset of type 2 diabetes, heart attack, stroke and mental health issues.
• Today’s children will be the first generation to have a shorter life expectancy than their parents

So now what?

• Feeling overwhelmed with conflicting nutritional information?
• Trying to put together a healthy dinner and don’t know where to start?
• Finding yourself and your family eating on the run one to many times?
• Sick of making the same old recipes over and over again?

Join Peggy Kotsopoulos, Health Educator and Culinary Consultant, to learn how to properly nourish yourself and your family while getting through a hectic workweek.

WHEN:     November 22 @ 7pm – 8:30pm

WHERE:    Humberside Montessori School

During this informative seminar, you will:

• learn six simple steps to bring proper nourishment to your home - even in the midst of all the weekly madness
• leave feeling confident that you can create easy and simple meals that are healthy AND delicious!
• experience live food demonstrations and have a tasty sample of how easy it can be. 

Don’t leave empty handed… we’ll give you recipes and handouts to support you along the way!

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Sign up required 

Please RSVP by Wednesday, November 14 @ (416)762-8888

to reserve your spot and ensure there are enough food samples to go around