December 

 

 

Preschool & Kindergarten Happenings

In the month of December, the preschool and extended day classes will be discussing movement of air, holidays around the world at this time of year, hibernation, and the art of giving and receiving.

 

 

 

Art

Kindergarten:  The kindergarten children will be studying the element of color and review the elements of line and shape.

The elementary students are studying the following in art:

1^st years:  In art history:  finishing Mesopotamian art, creating a cylinder seal, & intro to Ancient Egyptian art. 

In creating art:  finishing crayon resist watercolor fish and working with elements of shape, form, & color.
2^nd years:  In art history:  finishing Early Jewish, Christian, & Byzantine art, creating paper mosaic, & intro to Islamic art. 

3^rd years:  In art history:  continuing Northern Renaissance art & artists, creating a painting based on a Northern Renaissance artist. 

In creating art:  finishing textural animal sculpture & intro to art elements of space & shape in a city or landscape painted fabric piece. 

4^th & 5^th years:  In art history:  continuing Baroque & Rocco art & artists, creating a painting based on a Baroque or Rocco artist.  In creating art:  finishing landscapes with animals, colored pencil drawings, & using elements of space, shape, & form to create a still life.

 

Elementary Needs

* colored card stock

* coffee filters

* hand coffee grinder

* decaffeinated tea bags

 

North Preschool Needs

* cinnamon sticks

* 2-hole buttons

 

South Preschool & Toddler Needs

* whole wheat bread

 

 

Elementary Baking

During the first two weeks of December, the elementary class will be baking items to sell at the Christmas program.   If you would like to volunteer to help, please call Kimberly Thompson at (602) 616-8096.  The elementary would also like to ask if anyone has a special baked item or craft they would like to donate to the sale, please talk to Heather at the elementary campus.

 

 

 

Live Nativity

On Friday evening, December 7^th at 6 PM, there will be a live nativity at Circle of Peace Church, the location of our north campus.  There will be animals, shepherds, Joseph, Mary, and the baby Jesus.  It’s outside, so dress warmly!

 

 

Elementary Subway Lunch

Elementary Subway lunch is Friday, December 14^th.  If your child is participating in Subway Fridays, they do NOT need to bring a lunch to school on that day.  The Subway lunch includes a sandwich, fruit roll-up, and juice. 

 

 

Elementary Project Presentations

The 3^rd, 4^th, and 5^th year students will be making presentations on their special projects on December 17^th and 19^th. 

 

 

Westside Food Bank

Please have your toddler, preschool, kindergarten, and elementary student continue to send in non-perishable food items by December 17^th.  As part of community service for the elementary, on Tuesday, December 18^th, the class will deliver the food to the Westside Food Bank.  The lesson of giving is a valuable one for all children. 

 

 

Elementary Pizza Lunch

Elementary pizza lunch is Thursday, December 20^th.  If your child is participating in Pizza lunches, they do NOT need to bring a lunch to school on that day.  Pizza and juice will be served. 

 

 

Holiday Bake Sale

On Thursday night, December 20^th, the elementary students will be selling baked goods at the Christmas program.  They are raising funds for their classroom.

 

 

Christmas Caroling

For the last 22 years we have taken the children to a retirement home to share their Christmas songs and spirit.  This year we have arranged to again sing at the Baptist Village on 55^th Avenue and Thunderbird on Friday, December 21^st.  The exact address is 13617 N. 55^th Avenue and their phone number is (602) 938-5500.  All preschool, extended day, and elementary children will gather in the lobby by 8:50 AM and we will sing at 9:00 AM.  And the best thing about coming to Christmas carol will be that you will get an hour of credit toward the PSG giveaway!  It will bring joy to many grandmas and grandpas!  There will be no transportation from the school.  After the singing is over, you may go home.  If your child needs a ride, you may be able to arrange a ride for your child with another parent.  If you and/or your child are planning to attend, please mark the response form at the end of this newsletter so we know how many children to expect.

 

 

 

Winter Clothes

Before Christmas break, we will be sending home your child's change of clothes so you can send in warmer winter clothes (if you have not already done so).  Please make sure to label all clothing.  We have already had several mix-ups with jackets and sweaters that have not been labeled. 

 

 

 General Mills Box Tops

We are continuing to collect General Mills box tops for the school.  Save the box tops and send them in to the school.  There is no minimum – we get cash no matter how many we send in!

 

 

Recycle Cartridges

‘Tis the season of giving.  One easy way to give to the PSG and help raise funds is by donating empty inkjet, laser, fax, and copier cartridges, cell phones, palm pilots, and/or iPods.  The PSG gets cash for all of the above.  Here is all you need to do:

·         bring in empty cartridges to school

·         ask your employer to sponsor the school by saving their empty cartridges

Thanks for recycling!

 

 

Parent Study

In consideration of the holidays and how busy we all are, there will be no parent study for the month of December.  The next parent study will be in January.

 

 

Cares and Concerns

Please keep the Palermo/George family in your prayers.  Crystal’s father, and Cella’s, Daniel’s, and Kyla’s grandfather, recently passed away.

 

 

~ Merry Christmas ~

 

Great News for Arizona Taxpayers

The Arizona state tax credit law allows you to allocate up to $1000 as a married couple and $500 as a single person to the Arizona Scholarship Fund and receive a dollar-for-dollar tax credit off your Arizona state income tax. 

Important facts to know:

• Your check must be made payable to the Arizona Scholarship Fund, a separate 501C (3) entity set up to receive tax credit funds.
• Your allocation must be received by December 31, 2007, in order to qualify for a 2007 Arizona income tax credit.
• All monies need not be made in one lump sum, but can be made throughout the tax year for 2008.

We have several students attending our kindergarten and elementary whose parents have gotten friends and relatives to use this tax credit to help pay their child’s tuition.

For more information, please contact the Arizona Scholarship Fund at P.O. Box 2576 Mesa, AZ  85214-2576 or at 480.497.4564 or on the web at www.AZscholarships.org

 

 

To all the drivers for the field trips – without you these trips would not be possible!

To Pam Silliman, Greta Heinemann, and Laura Bresar for organizing the awesome fall picnic.  Everyone had such a wonderful time!

To Angie Casey and Cheryl Butterworth for organizing and coordinating the wonderful Thanksgiving tea celebrations.  We got to see lots of our friends and their families.

To Dean Bradford for talking to the north preschool & kindergarten about fire safety

To Jena Clark for listening to the kindergarten children at the north campus read and for helping with north campus cooking day.

To Edith Delgado Gutierrez volunteering in the elementary class

To the Gutierrez Family for a stopwatch, tissue paper, leaves, pine cones, acorns, & yarn

To Tanya Lindsay for making new napping mat covers for the north campus

To James Preszler for new balls and for working on the elementary computers

To the Ranno Family for 3 boxes of paper

To the Richert Family for felt and a log for hammering

To the Shelton Family for paper

To Kimberly Thompson for helping with the elementary scrapbooking

To Kimberly Thompson and Joanne Knox for helping with the elementary baking

To the Walsh Family for buttons, books and cds for the preschool/kindergarten

To the Wright Family for yarn

To all the volunteers helping in the elementary class:  Monica Brown, Lisa Fortini, Joanne Knox, Tracie Prall, James Preszler, and Rosalia Vallelonga

To all the parents at the north campus who donated fall items to the classroom:  Bennett, Bradford, Bresar, Clayton, Goh, Wilson, & Zavos

Montessori: Teaching Peace

“If we are to have real peace in this world, then we shall have to begin with the children.”

                                                --Mahatma Gandhi

 

All over the world, Montessori students are taught that “peace begins with me.”  From the preschool level through high school, Montessori schools teach children human relations and conflict resolution skills, nonviolence, leadership training, the ability to work together in cooperative teams, and the ability to communicate clearly.  Peace education is as vital an element of our curriculum as math and reading.

The events of September 11, 2001 will live in our hearts and minds for generations.  Never in America has the reality of the violence (which has been shown so graphically to entertain us on TV, in the movies, and in children’s video games) been brought so close to home.  Many are calling for revenge, and even those of us who teach peace agree that we must do everything in our power to protect our country from this sort of violence in our skies and in our cities.  But we must also remember that not only the world, but our culture here at home, has become increasingly violent in recent years. 

The senseless violence and killing that has shaken our schools has been shown to have begun with the taunts and bullying behavior that so many seem to think is just part of learning to deal with “real life.”  Take note of the constant stream of information about the growing culture of depression and its other face, violence, towards oneself and others. 

Montessori schools teach children peace.  We hope that you share our concern and commitment to nurturing peace and mental health in your children’s lives. 

As we approach the holiday season, we encourage you not to buy violent toys or games.  Here is a message captured long ago in an anonymous little poem written to parents after the First World War:

 

                When you do your holiday shopping

                And you’re picking out the toys

Please remember that your choices

                Have great influence on both girls and boys.

 

                Tools and science sets and paints

                And books of other lands

Should now replace the things of war

                In all our children’s hands.

 

Give them blocks for building peace;

                Our youth can make it true.

                And toys that make a game of war

                Should never come from you!

 

                War’s too grim a thing for fun

                And much too sad for play.

                So give our youth constructive toys

                As a promise of a better day.

 

                                --Tim Selden, President

                                The Montessori Foundation

Chair, The International Montessori Council

Shopping Safety Rules

It’s easy for parents and children to lose each other while shopping at a busy mall.  Fortunately, a curious child rarely strays far, says child-protection expert Jan Wagner, author of Raising Safe Kids in an Unsafe World (Avon Books, 1997).  Her trick:  “Get down and look for your child’s feet.”  And tell your child to follow these safety rules, just in case:

E         Ask a safe adult, such as another mom
with kids or the closest cashier, for help. 
(It may be too hard for your child to spot
a policeman’s badge several feet above
her head.)

E         Speak up.  Teach your child to say,
“My mom’s lost.  Can you help me find
her?”  A child over 3 should also be able
to memorize her full name, address, and
phone number.  Teach your child your full name, too.  (It’s not Mommy!)

E         Stay in the area.  Emphasize that your
child should never leave the store or mall or go to the parking lot – it will be harder to find her.  Also, teach your child to yell “No!” and take 3 steps back if an unknown person asks her to go with him. 

 

By Daphne Sashin in Parenting Magazine

 

 

 

 

December Response Form

 

_____  Yes, I have left __________________ from the Thanksgiving Tea that may still be at the school.

 

_____  Yes, I have turned in my list, quarters, and gifts for the holiday shopping boutique.

 

_____  Yes, I can help the elementary class with their baking projects.

 

_____  Yes, I have returned my elementary or extended day child's field trip permission forms.

 

_____  Yes, I can make a plain sheet cake for Jesus’ birthday on Wednesday, December 19^th

 

                _____Toddler North                          _____ Toddler South

 

                _____AM Preschool/Kindergarten North     _____AM Preschool/Kindergarten South

 

_____ PM Preschool/Kindergarten North     _____ PM Preschool/Kindergarten South

 

                _____Elementary North      

 

_____  Yes, I can tell (or read) the Christmas story on Wednesday, December 19^th.

 

                _____Toddler North                          _____ Toddler South

 

                _____AM Preschool/Kindergarten North     _____AM Preschool/Kindergarten South

 

_____ PM Preschool/Kindergarten North     _____ PM Preschool/Kindergarten South

 

                _____Elementary North      

 

_____  Yes, my extended day, preschool, or elementary child and I will meet you at the retirement home

        on Friday, December21^st at 8:50 AM.  AND will receive 1 hour credit toward the PSG giveaway.

 

_____  Yes, I have sent extra winter clothes into school.

 

 

Name:  _____________________________________________________Phone________________________