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N E W S L E T T E R NO. 146 August 18, 2016
Dear Parents,
Welcome back! Hope you had a good summer. Here is some information about the
upcoming school year.
GENERAL INFORMATION
1. FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL
All returning Casa students who attended classes in June 2016, and all
elementary and adolescent students start school on Tuesday, September 6,
2016.
2. FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL FOR NEW PRIMARY (CASA) CHILDREN
The new Primary (Casa) children will begin classes in small groups
between Monday, Sept. 12, 2016 through Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2016. To
find out the starting date for your child, please call the office after
September 1st , or you may receive this information on Sept. 8, 2016
during our Parents Orientation Night.
3. PARENTS ORIENTATION NIGHT – WINE & CHEESE
All Parents are kindly invited to an Orientation Night on Thursday,
September 8, 2016 at 7:00 p.m. Please come directly to your child’s
classroom. There will be an introduction to the daily routine, work in each
particular level, and a question and answer period, etc. Afterwards, all parents
are welcome to attend the wine and cheese reception in the gym.
4. URGENT INFORMATION NEEDED
Please read and correct if necessary the Student Information Form
enclosed and return it to the office by Thursday, Sept. 8th. The
Pink Immunization Form is to be completed for all new Casa students only.
The Student Medical Information Form and a small photo are needed if your child
has a medical condition (allergies, food sensitivities, asthma etc.). Forms will
be available at the office.
6. TEACHERS UPDATE
- Ann Marie Murphy will be moving to Elementary A
- Elisa Song will be moving to Casa A
- Kim Smith will be starting Elementary F
- Alison Grinton will be on maternity leave during the 2016-2017 school year
7. PARENTS’ ASSOCIATION GENERAL MEETING
The first meeting of the Parents' Association is scheduled for Tuesday,
September 13, 2016 at 7:00 p.m. Please check for more information about
the Parents Association in the yellow pages of this newsletter. Please let the
office know if the Parents’ Association cannot use your e-mail address,
which will be used solely for the Parents’ Association purpose. Please join us
for a cup of coffee before the meeting at 6:30 pm.
8. SCHOOL CALENDAR
Attached is the calendar for the upcoming school year. This calendar lists
the dates that the school is open plus all workshops and conferences.
9. MONTHLY TUITION FEE
The monthly tuition fee is due on the first of each month. Please bring your
postdated cheques covering the period from September 2016 to June 2017 on the
first day of attendance. For parents who have submitted the September 2016
fee earlier, please remember to pay the remaining extra September fees – i.e.
lunch program, after school program, or busing. Please consult attached
fee schedules.
10. FRONT DOOR ENTRY CODE
The main entrance door in the school is equipped with a numeric combination
lock. You will need to know the new combination code in order to
open the door. You may obtain the code from any staff member. Please remember
that this code should not be shared with your child.
11. CHILDREN DROP-OFF AND PICK-UP
Please remember not to park your car in front of the school or across
from the school.
PLEASE CONSULT ECO-FRIENDLY ALTERNATIVES ATTACHMENT.
All Casa children begin their work in their
classes at 8:45 a.m.
All Elementary and Adolescent students begin
their work in their classes at 8:30 a.m.
If you have any message for school staff, please have them already written
down and leave them in the main office. We will pass on your written message to
the right person.
Please make sure that you are not late as it disturbs the other children in
the class and may make your own child uncomfortable.
Please allow your child at least 15 minutes to get changed, greet his/her
friends, and get ready for work at 8:45 a.m. (Casa) and 8:30 a.m. (Elem. &
Adolescent). If you are late, please make sure that you reduce your farewell to
a minimum.
- Please allow your child the opportunity to enter the classroom
independently
- Dear Parents, please do not enter the classroom
- Please do not carry children upstairs and do not help them to change
their clothes.
To foster independence, all ‘goodbyes’ for elementary students should
happen at the bottom of the stairways on the ground level.
The ideal time to arrive for Casa children in the morning is between 8:30 and
8:45 a.m. Full-day children can be brought into the school for before-school
supervision as early as 7:30 a.m., to be supervised by the French Speaking
Assistants in the before-school area (second floor) between 7:30 a.m. & 8:00
a.m.
Please note that the French Speaking Assistants have been instructed to
only speak French in the presence of the children.
At 8:00 a.m., all Casa children who are coming for before-school supervision
will be moved to their own classes. They will be able to start working with the
materials earlier in a regular fashion.
Around 8:00 a.m., all Elementary children who are coming for before-school
supervision will return to their appropriate environments. Elementary children
arriving between 8:00 and 8:30 a.m. will go directly to their own classes.
Half-day children should arrive at school anytime between 8:00 a.m. and 8:45
a.m. Please note that half-day classes end at 11:45 a.m. Parents
who are collecting their children at 11:45 a.m., should wait in the main lobby
(ground floor). We will bring all half-day children there.
Full-day Casa children who are not enrolled in the after-school
program should be collected from the second floor lobby at 3:30 p.m.
CHILDREN NOT ATTENDING THE AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM SHOULD BE COLLECTED BY 4:00 P.M.
Elementary children who are not enrolled in the after-school
program will group together in the front lobby for pick-up at 3:30 p.m.
CHILDREN NOT ATTENDING THE AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM SHOULD BE COLLECTED BY 4:00 P.M.
Please remember that this 30-minute time period is not an extension of
school hours.
12. SCHOOL BUS ZONE AND PARKING AREA
Please do not park your car in the school bus zone. Please consult the
Eco-Friendly Alternatives attachment. If you use our parking area, please
back your car into the parking spot, and park for 10 min. or less.
13. SCHOOL BUS HOME PICK-UP AND DELIVERY SERVICE
We would like to begin home school bus delivery service as of Tuesday,
September 6, 2016. The regular home pick-up will begin on Wednesday, September
7, 2016. Please call the school ASAP if you are interested in this program. The
program is available for a monthly fee. However, if space and time permit,
single trips will be available at a cost of $10.00 per trip. Please pay this
single fee in advance.
14. AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAM
All children who will be staying at school after 4:00 p.m. must be enrolled
in the after-school program on a monthly basis. Please call us ASAP if you are
interested in this program. For parents who need to use the After School Program
on an occasional basis or who are unable to collect their child before 4:00pm,
the after-school program, is available at a daily rate of $15 per child. Please
pay this fee on the same day your child is using the program.
15. CLASS LIST
Your child’s class list with parents’ names and home telephone numbers will
be available soon to all parents. Please submit to us ASAP, the attached
Student Information Form 2016-2017. If you do not wish to have your home
telephone number published, please let the office know. The class list is used
for quick passage of information or reminders of important events at the school.
It may also come in handy around birthday times!
16. TELEPHONE SYSTEM
The school is equipped with a telephone system including Star Talk. You will
be able to leave a voice message for your child’s teacher. Please ask your
child’s teacher for her/his telephone extension number.
PRIMARY (CASA) CLASSES
1. WHAT TO BRING ON THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL
Please bring a complete change of clothes to school for your child, including
a pair of indoor shoes. The child’s indoor shoes should be kept at school.
Slippers are not suitable for school. Please mark your child’s name on all
of his/her clothing and belongings.
2. PARENT DOs AND DON’Ts
1. In keeping with our goals of nurturing the child's growth and
independence, we kindly ask that parents drop their children off in the corridor
(or the front foyer) and say their goodbyes outside the children's class
environment. This will allow the children to enter the classroom on their own,
taking responsibility for themselves and their belongings.
If they require assistance, someone within the environment will offer help.
This simple act will encourage grace and courtesy among the children for each
other and will also raise your child's self-esteem and self-reliance.
2. As we strive to preserve the quality of the daily work periods, we would
appreciate if you could ensure that your child is in his/her classroom no later
than 8:45 a.m. (Casa) and 8:30 a.m. (Elementary). In the event that your child
will be absent or will need to arrive late (i.e. doctor's appointment, etc.)
please leave a message with the main office. In this way, we can be prepared to
greet your child properly upon his/her arrival and also minimize the disruption
of work to other children. Likewise, if you need to collect your child earlier
than his/her regular dismissal time, please notify the main office so that we
can make arrangements to say goodbye and have your child ready to be picked up
by you. We would kindly ask that you refrain from opening the classroom door and
calling out to your child or the teacher, as this causes a tremendous disruption
to the peace and concentration in the class, thus disturbing the work of the
children and the teacher.
3. Here are a few helpful suggestions for parents of Primary children to help
make your child's growth and experience more wholesome and consistent.
* Allow your children to walk on their own when taking them places
(particularly into and out of the school!). Maria Montessori stated that
children under two can walk a mile -- we need only to walk beside them at their
pace. This will allow your child to cultivate self-esteem and a healthy physical
development. (Hugs and kisses can be shared at this level!)
* Encourage them to give up items and habits that encourage dependence rather
than independence (i.e. pacifiers, baby bottles, diapers, stuffed toys,
blankets, thumb sucking, etc.). Children who are able to soothe themselves and
can function as independent individuals are on the right path to living a life
of self-sufficiency, pride and confidence.
* Attend as many lectures and workshops as possible, and continue to read Dr.
Montessori's works regarding child development and the Montessori philosophy.
This will aid in presenting a harmonious approach to raising your child as well
as help you to understand the goals and objectives of the Montessori Method of
Education as an "Aid to Life".
* The children are welcome to bring in interesting and unusual items from
time to time (e.g. shells, souvenirs or ornaments from a vacation, foreign
objects that illustrate different customs or traditions, etc.) to contribute to
the children's cultural awareness of the world in which they live. Toys,
stickers, body tattoos, jewelry and cosmetics are not appropriate articles for
school as they are highly distracting to the children and are often the cause of
arguments.
4. Please remember that if you have any questions, concerns or suggestions
related to your child's daily activities or well-being, please address them
directly to your child's teacher. Assistants and other supporting staff are not
pedagogically responsible for answering inquiries of this nature.
5. Ensure that your child has a seasonal change of clean clothes available in
his/her cubby at all times while at school.
Most importantly, please dress your children in clothes that they are
functionally able to manage on their own. Overalls, belts, suspenders and pants
that are difficult to fasten and unfasten only serve to slow down your children
in their efforts to toilet themselves successfully, as well as cause unnecessary
frustration and discouragement when having to depend upon others for constant
assistance.
6. Help your children to help themselves by allowing them to do as much as
they can without offering unnecessary assistance. Dr. Montessori writes,
"...listening does not make a man...only practical work and experience lead the
young to maturity..." and, "the most favourable time for a child to learn is
when she wants to do it herself."
7. In an effort to keep all the children in our care safe, happy and healthy,
we need to advise parents about the importance of allowing children who are
suffering from an illness to remain at home until such time as they have fully
recovered. Children who are not well enough to play outdoors are not well
enough to be in attendance at the school. Please understand that we cannot
detain a needed staff member for one sick child. If your child becomes ill
while at school, you will be contacted to make arrangements to collect your
child as soon as possible.
Your promptness will ease your child's discomfort and enable your child to
receive the care he/she needs ASAP, as well as prevent the illness from
spreading to the other children and adults in the close environment.
8. Your children's journey through life begins with you, the parent, and must
continue to be guided by you throughout their early years, as the road to
adulthood is a challenging and lengthy one. While you have chosen to have your
children's wholesome growth and development supported by a Montessori Education,
this task cannot be assumed without the parents involvement in the children's
learning experience. It is imperative that parents "get on board" and support
the Montessori philosophy by continuing to educate themselves regarding the way
that Montessori is offering your child education as an “Aid to Life”.
Parents are strongly encouraged to read the works of Dr. Maria Montessori, which
are available in our school's Parent Library, as well as to attend and
participate in all meetings, lectures and workshops scheduled throughout the
school year as part of our commitment to Parent Education.
The task of educating a child is a momentous one and therefore has little
chance of being successful if the principles of the philosophy of the parents
and their chosen method of education are not in harmony.
9. A Montessori environment is a "prepared environment". Its main function is
to offer the children everything they need to aid in their task of
self-creation. The adults in the environment have a unique role in that we act
as the child’s “guide on the side". Children are their own master teachers and
in an effort to support their personal and individual growth to the maximum,
while creating a special place that encourages independence and self-confidence,
the adults must maintain a marginal position in the learning experience with the
child. The only way to accomplish this is to preserve a professional
relationship among the children, their parents and their teachers (teachers and
assistants) at all times.
ABC PARENT GUIDE
1. The children need to walk (not be carried) into school by themselves and
come upstairs to put their own things away. This may take a few extra minutes of
your time but we assure you it's time well spent. They must learn the importance
of walking up/down the stairs properly. The child's movement is a paramount
element of his/her development. The children must have "liberty of movement" in
order to "exercise themselves to learn to coordinate their movements".
2. Please do not change the clothing of your children or hang their clothes
up for them. Although this saves you time, your child is left not knowing where
his/her belongings have been placed. Encourage the right habits and
independence. You may not hear it, but this is what your child is saying to you:
"Please help me to do it myself!"
3. We refer to everything that the child does at school as "work", rather
than "play". It is only we, the adults, who do not give a positive connotation
to the word "work". Although this may seem trivial, this distinction should be
respected and carried on at home.
4. Any questions regarding your child's progress at school should be directed
to her/his teacher. Assistants have been instructed not to give out this type of
information.
5. Throughout the year we will be holding Parent Education Evenings, where we
will introduce you to the Montessori materials. It is important that all
parents attend these sessions as they will help you to understand how your
child is learning and how you can help to foster learning experiences outside
the school environment.
6. Once the class has begun, the teachers will not be available to speak to
any parents in the hall. Please relay your messages to the assistants or leave a
message at the office.
7. Please call and leave a message with the main office if your child is not
coming to school.
8. Please dress your child in comfortable and practical clothing. Remember
that your child has to use the washroom independently.
9. Please dress your child for the outdoors according to the weather
conditions. On the colder/winter days, children who do not have hats, gloves,
and warm coats will be kept inside. Label all of your child's belongings --
especially the winter clothes.
10. PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT CHILDREN DO NOT BRING TOYS TO SCHOOL. They cause
endless confusion and unhappiness, especially when some beloved toy is broken or
disappears.
HEALTH POLICY
For the health protection of your child and your family, please follow this
health policy when your child is ill. Your child should not be at school if
suffering from any of the following:
- Vomiting - Fever
- Persistent cough
- Severe rash
- Diarrhea
- Contagious diseases
- Pink Eye (conjunctivitis)
- A cold that indicates infection
If your child is off sick with anything contagious, please consult with your
doctor as to when your child can return to school. We would like to thank you in
advance for your co-operation in helping us to stop the spread of unnecessary
ailments and to keep your family healthy!! For a detailed list of communicable
diseases, please check the parents' board in the lobby.
A copy of your child’s immunization record must be submitted to the
office not later than September 30, 2016.
ELEMENTARY CLASSES
1. WHAT TO BRING ON THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL
- gym shoes
- separate pair of indoor shoes
- water bottle
- small pencil case that will hold a pencil, eraser, coloured pencils,
sharpener
2. WHAT NOT TO BRING TO SCHOOL
3. AFTERNOON DISMISSAL
The Elementary children who are not enrolled in the after school program will
group together in the front lobby for pick-up at 3:30 p.m. The children will be
dismissed by the adult on duty.
4. LUNCH ROUTINE
All Elementary children will begin eating their lunches at 11:30 a.m. The
children who have finished eating will go outside until 12:45 p.m. We encourage
the children to make or help to make their own lunches. Include nutritious items
such as fruit, vegetables, sandwiches, milk or fruit juice. Avoid sugary foods.
Please do not send any products to school that contain any nuts, as some
children have allergies to nuts. Also, please pack the lunch in reusable
containers. Any leftover lunch should be taken home. Please help us to encourage
the children to recycle as much as possible.
5. PHYSICAL EDUCATION - MUSIC - ART – FRENCH – SPECIAL EDUCATION
The children will continue participating in French language, physical
education, music and art as part of the daily work cycle. Jane Lautens, AMI
trained Montessori teacher will continue working as a Special Education Teacher.
Children who are in need of extra enrichment and remedial work will be joining
this program on a regular basis. The Special Education Program will be available
to all elementary students in need and will begin in mid-September.
6. OBSERVATIONS & WORKSHOPS
We believe that parent education is very important. In order to facilitate
this, we offer parents the opportunity to observe the Elementary classes. This
will take place two times a year. The times for these observations will be
posted in November and May. We strongly encourage parents to attend the
Elementary workshops. Please see the attached School Calendar.
7. INTERVIEWS
Parental interviews will be held twice a year in December and May. If you
participate in observations, class visits, workshops and interviews, you will
have a better understanding of the Montessori Elementary program. Progress
reports are issued towards the end of the year, reflecting the development of
your child.
ADOLESCENT PROGRAM
1. IMPORTANT NEWS
Parents, on the first day of school, Tuesday, September 6th please feel free
to come in when you drop off your son or daughter to say hello and see the
classroom. We look forward to having you join us on Thursday, September 8th at
7:00 pm for the Parent Orientation Night.
2. WHAT TO BRING ON THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL
- A combination lock
- Pencils, erasers
- Pens – blue, black and red are a must; other colours are fine too
- Coloured pencils – a standard 10-12 colour set is just fine, however there
are many options to choose from
- Highlighters – at least two colours
- Pencil case
- Ruler
- Math kit
- Binders
• 1” red
• 1” green
• 1” black
• 1” blue
• 1” other colour
• 3” any colour
- A journal with lined pages – approximate size 6” x 8”. This item will
become very close to you so please choose a journal that you really like.
- Gym clothes and shoes
- Water bottle
- Indoor shoes
3. WHAT NOT TO BRING TO SCHOOL
- Cellular phones, iPods, mp3 players, etc. We will discuss the Adolescent
Program policies on these items during the first week of school.
- Gum, candy, pop/energy drinks
- In general, any other distracting material
4. AFTERNOON DISMISSAL
The students in the Adolescent Program will be dismissed from their classroom
at 3:30 p.m. After that, the students are free to proceed with whatever routines
they have arranged with their parents: i.e. walk/bike home, subway or pickup.
5. LUNCH ROUTINE
The Adolescent students will eat their lunch together in the classroom at
12:00 p.m. each day. In general, they will need a bag lunch three days a week
and we will be cooking two days a week. Please bring a bag lunch on the first
day of school. We encourage the Adolescent students to make their own lunches
and to include healthy items such as fruit, vegetables, milk and fruit juice.
Please do not pack any items that contain nuts, as some children in the school
have allergies to nuts. It is not abnormal for an adolescent to not feel like
eating first thing in the morning but rest assured they will be very hungry
around 9:30 or 10:00. Please encourage your son or daughter to pack a healthy
mid-morning snack if they find this to be the case.
We encourage all students to pack their lunches in an environmentally
responsible way. Try to avoid individually packaged items and to use reusable
containers.
6. PHYSICAL EDUCATION/ MUSIC/ ART/FRENCH/SPECIAL EDUCATION
The adolescents will continue participating in French language, physical
education, music and art as part of the daily work cycle. Jane Lautens, AMI
trained Montessori teacher will continue working as a Special Education Teacher.
Students who are in need of extra enrichment and remedial work will be joining
this program on a regular basis. The Special Education Program will be available
to all Adolescent Program students in need and will begin mid-September.
7. OBSERVATIONS & WORKSHOPS
We believe that parent education is very important. In order to facilitate
this, we will be holding regular events for parents throughout the year. These
will be student organized and run, and will give parents the opportunity to see
examples of work their sons and daughters have been doing, as well as to offer
parents the opportunity to observe the Adolescent class. We also encourage
parents to attend the Adolescent workshops. Please see the attached School
Calendar.
8. INTERVIEWS
Parental interviews will be held twice a year, in December and in May. If you
participate in observations, class visits, workshops and interviews, you will
have a better understanding of the Montessori Adolescent Program. Progress
Reports are issued towards the end of the year, reflecting the development of
your son or daughter.
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