N E W S L E T T E R NO. 117 MAY 21, 2008
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END-OF-THE-YEAR CELEBRATION & GRADUATION, Thursday, June 19, 2008 at 1:30 p.m.
All parents and family members of graduating students are cordially invited to attend the end-of-the-year celebration and graduation on Thursday, June 19, 2007 at 1:30 p.m. in the gym.
It has been a tradition in our school that we end each year with a little celebration. Every year all children graduating from the Primary and Lower Elementary Level receive a gift. In the Upper Elementary class this year, we have a group of 11 students completing the 9-12 level. The farewell of this special group after nine years experience in Montessori always brings back special memories to all of us.
We are aiming to end this part of the celebration around 3:30 p.m. There will also be an opportunity for children and parents to say goodbye to staff members. After graduation, students will move to their classrooms for a farewell with their teachers.
Please collect your child from his/her classroom after the farewell.
Parents who are not planning to attend the formal celebration in the gym should arrive at 3:30 p.m. as there will be no after-school supervision of children beyond 4:00 p.m. Please collect your child directly from the class.
Please use the neighbourhood parking lots during the graduation ceremony as our parking lot will not be able to accommodate all cars.
Thank you to all the parents for selecting Humberside Montessori School as a destination in your child’s life. Only through parents’ commitment can this school fulfill its purpose. Thank you! We would like to thank the Parents’ Association for another great year and for embellishing the school through its activities. To families not returning to us in September, we would like to thank you for your interest in Montessori and for your trust and confidence in leaving your child with us. Please stay in touch.
Have a great and safe summer! See you in September! Molly & Felix
TEACHERS’ UPDATE
CASA “E”
Deirdre Finnegan, the current directress in Casa “E”, decided to relocate to another school and will not be returning in September. Thank you Deirdre for all your hard work and dedication and for that personal touch you brought to all your undertakings in Casa “E”. We will miss you!
Sue Pattni, will begin with us in September as a new Casa “E” directress. Sue received her AMI Primary Diploma at the Foundation for Montessori Education this year and has been familiar with our school as she did her practice teaching in Casa “A”. Her Montessori experience however go much further as her two sons have been attending Montessori school, one is currently completing his 6-9 level and another the Casa program. Sue is very eager to apply her knowledge and passion for working with children in her new position. She will be spending one week in Casa “E” beginning Monday, June 2, 2008 to get to know children and parents. Sue holds a BSc from Acadia University in Halifax and MSc from University of Guelph. We wish you a happy journey Sue!
ELEMENTARY “B”
Nicki Pollock decided to take a break from teaching and devote her time to a family and pursue adoption of her new child. We would like to express our deepest thanks to Nicki for coming to us mid year and for bringing much excitement into the class. We are not saying goodbye to Nicki as she will continue with Humberside Montessori on the projects related to environment and green living.
Deirdre O’Brien will be joining us as a new directress in Elementary “B”. Deidre received her AMI Casa and Elementary Training at Sion Hill AMI Montessori Institute in Dublin, Ireland in 1988. She is bringing to us twenty years of experience divided in half between the Lower and Upper Elementary. Her daughter has completed all three levels of Montessori education and her son will be joining our 9-12 level. Deirdre is passionately committed to Montessori pedagogy, dedicated to its implementation at a philosophical and practical level in the classroom. Deirdre will be visiting our school on Thursday, June 5, 2008 in afternoon to get to know the children and will be available to meet interested parents after school that day. Welcome to Humberside Montessori Deirdre!
NEW 6-9 LOWER ELEMENTARY CLASS
It is with great excitement that I would like to inform you that we will be opening a new 6-9 class. Dara Hager will be a new teacher in Lower Elementary “E”. She is currently completing her AMI Elementary training at the International Centre for Montessori Studies’ Foundation in Bergamo, Italy. Dara is originally from Kansas, USA. She holds a BSc from University of Kansas. Upon graduation from University she worked for one year as a 6-9 assistant at a Montessori school. She then moved to Mozambique where she worked for over two years with orphaned and vulnerable children organizing and developing programs in day centres. Her commitment to well being of children took her early to orphanage to Russia and Cheyenne River Reservation. Discovery of Montessori and completion of her elementary training is a natural step in Dara’s quest in working with children. Welcome to Toronto!
DATES TO REMEMBER
SUMMER CAMP INFORMATION AND REGISTARTION FORM
Please find attached a Summer Day Camp Application Form. If you decide to enrol your child in the program, please return your application and cheque back to us ASAP. All spaces will be distributed on a first-come first-serve basis. This program will be provided from our school location. All children will be bringing their own lunches, snacks, juices, etc. However, starting Friday, June 27, 2008, the children will be preparing a lunch for the day. You will be informed of how this will work in practical terms closer to the specified date. This will be a LIVING LIFE CAMP. Children will be involved in sports, music, cooking, swimming program, arts and crafts, care of plants, field trips, and lots of other fun things.
KIDS CARAVAN – Saturday, June 7, 2008
Please come and join us for Kids Caravan being held on Saturday, June 7, 2008 at the school. It is the year-end party with live music, food, bouncing castle, rock climbing wall, fabulous dinner buffet, fun and more fun. Please submit your form for tickets and sign up to volunteer.
CASA “A” REPORT by Sara Priolo
Is it spring already? The year seems to have just flown by and it’s hard to believe that we are on the brink of another summer. Thank you to all the children and parents of Casa A for making another year at Humberside so fantastic. It’s hard to believe that these children are the same ones that walked through the door in September. They have all grown physically, and even more so intellectually. Thank you to all my children for keeping me on my toes and teaching me new things day in and day out. This year that I have shared with you has been very memorable and I will definitely not forget any of you. Thank you to Mirian and Valerie, we made it through another great year and with your help (no credit to me) have made our terrace into a lovely garden for the children. I know that they all appreciate your guidance and I look forward to working with you both next year. To the graduates of 2008; Avery, David, Connor, Katia, Keara, Lucas, Richard, Rory, Sebastian H., Sebastian V. and William, I have been with you for only two of your three years, but during that time you have all been such a pleasure to guide and spend time with. I wish you all the best of luck in the future and know that you will all become and do great things. I hope that everyone has a joyful and fun-filled summer! I will see you all again in September.
NEWS FROM CASA “B” by Marc Vespa
This has been a great year for me and I owe a lot of thanks to many different individuals. I would like to thank my two assistants, Jamila and Elizabeth. What a great team they make! I consider myself very fortunate to work with two such outstanding people. To Felix and Molly, I would like to thank them for providing Casa B with everything and anything necessary for our day-to-day functioning. To all the support staff (Diane, Veronika, Andrea, Bill, George, etc.) who do all those things so crucial for the smooth running of the class I want to give a big thank you. Finally, to all the parents I would like to say, “Thank you!!” Your support, kindness, generosity and understanding were very much appreciated.
There will be 10 children graduating from the class this year. Almost every one of those children has been with me for three years. The graduating ceremony and last day of school can be very difficult for me, emotionally. As I watch these specific children working away during those last few weeks I can’t help but remember their first day of school, their first metal inset, the first time they read the labels from the Phonetic Object Box, and all the other amazing things they accomplished in the class. I wish them all the very best that life has to offer!
I hope everyone has a safe and happy summer holiday! I look forward to seeing all of the returning children in September. I am sure I will be amazed at how much each one of them has grown over the period of two months.
CASA “C” REPORT by Ausra MacLeod
It is hard to believe that my first year in Casa C is coming to an end. It seems that it was just a short while ago that I was welcomed into the classroom by the smiling faces of your children. Only when I think of the children’s progress do I realize that another nine months have passed. It has been a great year for Casa C and I have many people to thank.
First of all I would like to express my deep gratitude to my two wonderful assistants – Kostanca and Jeannette. Their enthusiasm, dedication and hard work have proven invaluable throughout the year. Many thanks to Grace Musial who has been sewing relentlessly for the past few months in order to renew our supply of cloths and tablecloths.
I also want to thank all the parents for your warm and constant support. I really appreciate it! Thank you for sharing your children with me – their kind and open hearts have been my greatest reward! Thank you for bringing the flowers – our environment has been “blooming” all year round. The Parents’ Association has been wonderful in providing us with the opportunity to enrich our library with new books. Thank you and good luck with your future fundraising events. This year Casa C is a very mature group. My best wishes go out to the ten graduating children: Amelia, Bronson, Damian, Danqiu, Emily, Emmyt, Jack, Meghan, Owen and Ridley. I enjoyed my time with you, children, and I wish you and your families all the best in the future.
To the rest of the families, I hope that you have a safe and exciting summer. I look forward to seeing all of you in September.
CASA “D” REPORT by Alison Heineman
“There is in the soul of a child an impenetrable secret that is gradually revealed as it develops.” Maria Montessori
It has been an absolute pleasure this year to enter a class each day being greeted by beautiful smiling children. I have had the privilege of seeing each child reveal a small piece of who they are and a small piece of the secret that each one of them holds. Thank you to the parents who have shared their children with me, giving me this beautiful opportunity. I wish all of you a wonderful summer and look forward to seeing your return in September.
As for the graduates (Amelia, Maia, Sophia, Katrina, Andre and Rowan), I will miss you, but know that you are always welcome back to visit anytime you would like. I know that as you move on to elementary you will begin to reveal yourselves to a new teacher and it is my hope that everything that you take with you from Casa will be a blessing to you in the future.
Thank you to Kisha and Ana for all of your hard work this year, you have helped to make my first year of teaching an incredible one. I know that you are special to each child, thanks again for everything.
It has been an amazing year; I hope that it continues for each of you over the summer! See you in September!
“The most important period of life is not the age of university study, but the first one, the period from birth to six. For that is the time when man’s intelligence itself, his greatest implement, is being formed. But not only his intelligence; the full totality of his psychic powers.” Maria Montessori
NEWS FROM CASA “E” by Deirdre Finnegan
As we move towards the beginning of summer, the plants are beginning to flourish and blossom outside. So are the children. The younger child, who struggled at the beginning of the year to take off and put on his/her shoes independently, now repeats this activity several times a day with ease. Those children who were tracing their sandpaper sounds at the start of the year are now discovering the joy of writing and reading words phonetically. While the oldest children in our room have been wonderful role models for the younger children, they are preparing to transition onto the next level. Congratulations to the graduating students: Amber, Lara, Madelyn, Katherine, Manny and Miriam!
We have been so lucky to have two amazing assistants supporting us all this year in Casa E. Thank you so much Lisa and Lesley for all your hard work! I would also like to thank all our parents who have helped to make our room beautiful every week with flowers. Each week a child arrives carrying a bunch of flowers with pride and joy on their faces. Flower arranging has become a popular Practical Life activity during the year.
I am very thankful to have spent this year with the children of Casa E. It has been a rich and rewarding experience for me. I wish you all a happy and safe summer break.
ELEMENTARY “A” AND “C” REPORT by Niamh Grech and Jim Mallen
It’s difficult to believe that nine months have passed since we first sat down to plan our Albion Hills trip. We have had such an exciting, full year!
As with all programs their success is dependent on the contributions of many people. ‘Going Out’ is such a vital part of the elementary program and we are fortunate enough to have staff and parents who value this aspect of the program. Many people have assisted us in enriching our class by allowing opportunities for the children to experience the larger community of our school. We would especially like to thank Grace, Diane, Kevin, and Pacita who took the children to the park weekly and helped in so many other activities. Our running program would not have happened without the help of Judy Wolever, Chris and David Schellenberg. Also, we would like to thank Tony Harker and Margaret Adam for their inspiring physical education workshop. All your contributions have helped the children foster a healthy attitude toward exercise.
This year we had the privilege of visiting the numerous facilities around our vicinity: Mackenzie House, Author’s Conference and book binding workshop, clay building, McMichael Art Gallery, rock climbing, Horseshoe Valley, Crawford Lake, bird watching in High Park, and the Green Living Show. We have also planned two more trips to end the year. Our graduates have chosen Montreal as their destination. While the third years are away, the remaining students will have the opportunity to visit the Toronto Zoo.
The graduate students continued our tradition and volunteered at Chum FM sorting toys over the Christmas with the help of Chris Schellenberg and Vicki Fielding. Both classes also performed Christmas carols for the senior’s community at Grenadier Retirement Residence.
In addition to learning outside the classroom we had several visitors who came to share their expertise with us. The students from University of Toronto enlightened us about the function of our brains and the need to protect them.
We both feel so fortunate to have worked with all the children and feel privileged to be involved in their development. It is always a sad occasion when we must say goodbye to our graduates but we feel confident that they will be excellent ambassadors for Montessori. We would like to thank Guneet, Kasia, Katie, Kevin, Liam, Melissa, Michaela, Nicole, Robertson, Serguei, and Victoria for the fond memories (and their classmates) they have given us to cherish.
We would also like to express our gratitude to our assistants, Carolyn, Michelle, Kevin and Diane, for their daily support in all our endeavours.
To conclude we would like to thank you, our parents and the Parent’s Association, who supported our aims and goals for the children this year. In addition, to all of you who volunteered: Ena Bentzen, Vicki Fielding, John Gillanders, Jim and Andrew Graham, Kaylin Marshall, Jovana Maldonado, a BIG thank you! Your trust and faith in Montessori has bestowed a precious gift to your children which will continue to blossom for many years to come.
We hope you all have a happy and safe summer.
News from Elementary ‘B’ by Nicki Pollock
It was a great and unexpected pleasure to teach Elementary ‘B’. The students adjusted to a new teacher, new rules and a different personality with determination and great attitude. In the class, I have discovered a great deal of potential and strength, and the class has become a very cohesive group. Last year when I decided to take a year off from teaching, I did not expect that I would miss my interactions with the students as much as I did. It was a gift to have been brought back to the classroom and even more so, at Humberside.
It feels as though I’ve been manoeuvring around giant dragonflies, trilobites and t-rex’s! Paleozoic and Mesozoic Eras have sprung to life in this class. The children have also shown deep concern and interest in the environment and our role in making a difference. Isaac gave a very enlightening and illuminating presentation on green power. The class gained insight into many of Canada’s provinces and tasted some fine cuisine thanks to Ethan, Oliver, Ben, Keira, Russell, Avalon and Erica.
In a few weeks the third years, some adventurous parents, and myself will be loading up our canoes and pushing off the northern shores in Massasauga Park. We’re looking forward to paddling away from our comfort zone and experiencing life beyond the classroom. This will be a great send off for the third years. Bon Voyage and good luck on your next adventure!
NEWS FROM ELEMENTARY “D” by Aneta Kopinski
Looking back several months and remembering those first days of September in our environment, with so many new faces and a few undesirable events punctuating our daily work, it feels good to realize that those days are over. But at the very same time another thought prevails over the emotion of relief and brings out a happy smile and a sense of nostalgia. They were fascinating and happy days. Despite the record number of students this year (and yes, I remember the concerned faces of many parents), or maybe rather thanks to the large number of children working together, the environment was so rich and active in so many varieties of projects that only prove Dr. Montessori’s conviction that more is better. This diversity of work also happened thanks to many people involved in the process.
This year was also special because of a new take on our going out program that extended the students’ classroom learning process in fascinating ways. The students were able to visit many parents’ work places in small groups in relation to their own work and interests, and have working sessions that allowed for the enrichment of their learning. A very warm thank you goes most of all to Mary Lynn Fulton, our parent-teacher liaison that arranged it all. Some of the students had an opportunity to visit the artist studio of a professional painter; others were able to operate a professional, fully computerized cash register set-up in a store. Thank you, Tere, for making this possible. All of us were lucky to actively participate in a working session of a professional theatre group. We consider the experience memorable and unique. Thank you, Chris, for the opportunity. Another group of students had a unique chance to observe at the U of T science lab with a top of the line computerized system of microscopes and supportive equipment. Thank you, John, for all your dedication. From now on, however, all of us can share the excitement while using a stereomicroscope, a great science tool that we recently acquired thanks to funds provided by the Parents Association. Thank you so much, we really appreciate it.
This year the students’ work and passion brought us closer in the appreciation of our global environment. Thank you, to all the parents who chaperoned the children on their visit to the Exhibition Place.
Throughout the school year we also participated in a three-session study devoted to our immediate environment, provided by the High Park Nature Centre. The children’s process of adaptation to their own environment in a social context was also enriched through their passionate fundraising that provided others with needs.
Thank you all who helped us help others. We were able to provide children of a small community in Africa with school supplies and several farm animals. Part of the funds was donated to the Toronto Humane Society in support of their services. Some children also donated food to those less fortunate living among us locally. A special thanks to Tony for his devotion in assisting the children in their skating sessions on Fridays afternoons at Rennie Park this year.
Thank you, Karen, for taking great care of and providing the necessary guidance for the children during all the excursions throughout the year.
With love and great expectations for the upcoming school year!