N E W S L E T T E R   NO. 124    February 8, 2010

REGISTRATION FOR THE NEW SCHOOL YEAR STARTING IN SEPTEMBER

Please find attached a LETTER OF INTENT and the new fee schedule for the 2010-2011 school year. Parents who are interested in enrolling their children for the new school year must submit a LETTER OF INTENT along with a $1,000.00 (full day Casa + Elementary) or $1,150.00 (Adolescent) or $640.00 (half-day Casa) deposit by Friday, Feb. 26, 2010. This deposit constitutes the down payment towards the 2010-2011 tuition fee.

If you decide to pay on a monthly basis, you will be deducting this $1,000.00 or $1,150.00 or $640.00 from your September 2010 tuition fee. If you elect the annual tuition fee, you will be deducting $1,000.00 or $1,150.00 or $640.00 from your full payment, which is due on Friday, June 11, 2010.

We will hold a spot for your child until February 26, 2010. After February 26, all remaining spaces will become available to the general public. Please let Felix know if your child will not be returning this September.

Primary (CASA) program registration: Half-day children who will turn 4 in 2010 should advance this coming September to a full-day class. However, half-day children who will turn 3 in 2010 may continue in either the half-day or full-day class. Children who will turn 4 or 5 in 2010, and who are presently attending full-day classes, should continue in a full-day class in the new school year. It is essential that children complete the cycle of work awaiting them in the primary class, and remain in a Casa class until they reach the age of six.

Elementary program registration: Children who are turning 6 this year (2010) will be ready to move to a 6-9 Lower Elementary class. Children who will turn 9 this year (2010), and who completed a three-year cycle in the 6-9 environment, may be registered into the 9-12 class.

Adolescent program registration form: All graduating students from the 9-12 level are invited to join our Adolescent class in September 2010.

Please contact Felix for additional information regarding registration for all levels.

ADOLESCENT PROGRAM – GRADE 7 AND 8 It is with great excitement that I am writing to tell you that Humberside Montessori School will be opening an Adolescent class (grade 7 and grade 8) in September 2010. Matt Smith will be joining us as an adolescent teacher and he will be opening this new class in September. Upon graduation from the University of Western Ontario, Matt joined the Montessori House of Children in London, Ontario where he worked as an adolescent teacher for five years. He completed the North American Montessori Teacher Association’s special training for adolescent teachers and is currently in Bergamo, Italy taking AMI Elementary training. Matt will be visiting our school for two weeks in April. On Thursday, April 15, 2010 at 7:00 p.m. he will be speaking to parents on the subject of “Adolescent Program – Pedagogy of Place”. Please come and learn more about adolescence and the many aspects of this fascinating Montessori Adolescent Program in more detail. Just as the elementary student entered a new plane of development at age 6, the adolescent is beginning a new developmental phase around the age of 12. This new stage requires a new educational setting to meet the needs of adolescent students. This new program will respond to the needs and tendencies of early adolescents and will cover the grade 7 and 8 curriculum and beyond. All Montessori principles and authentic practices will be upheld. We are enclosing an Adolescent Program Overview package with this newsletter for all 9-12 elementary parents. This package is also available at the office to any interested parent.

SPELLING BEE

Humberside Montessori School entered the Canwest Canspell Spelling Bee Contest which took place on January 13, 2010 as a part of our After School Program. We needed to select one person who had to write a further qualifier test to enter the Toronto Regional Finals. Congratulations to Avalon Munro, a student from the 9-12 Elementary class, who will compete against 76 other students selected out of 22,000 students from across the GTA. The Finals will take place at Ryerson Theatre on Sunday, February 21, 2010 at 1:00 p.m. All families are welcome to attend.

VALENTINE’S DAY – at Humberside Montessori on Thursday, Feb. 11, 2010

As Valentine’s Day fast approaches, we would like to inform you of how we will be celebrating the holiday.

Casa information - we are asking that cards not be distributed throughout the school due to the many problems that arise within the classes. Past experience has shown that young children can become very frustrated for several reasons – not receiving valentines, the inability to read what is written and who the card is from, and the difficulty of distributing the cards themselves to name just a few. Please be assured that Valentine’s Day will be discussed and celebrated within the classes in an age and developmentally appropriate way. The celebration will vary depending on the class. Thank you for your cooperation.

Elementary information - the elementary children are older, and therefore are able to celebrate this occasion on a different level. They do really enjoy writing and reading their greetings. Therefore, the exchange of cards in the elementary class will take place inside the classroom. Please make sure that your children make their own valentines or, if they have already purchased store-bought valentines, to write a personal greeting or a poem on the back.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

P.A. DAY – FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2010

There will be no classes on Friday, February 12, 2010 due to our Professional Activity Day.

FAMILY DAY, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 15 2010

There will be no classes on Monday, February 15, 2010 as we will be celebrating Family Day.

CHILDREN’S BOOKS SALE - March 1- 4

The 9-12 graduates are planning a trip to Quebec City in June. Please support their efforts to raise money for the trip by donating children’s books (in good condition please) for the book sale, which will take place from March 1 to 4. Thank you.