a discover montessori school newsletter · of topics relating to 3 - 5 year olds such as temper...

Volume XXXIV Number 05/6 January/ February 2018

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MONTESSORI MATTERS A Discover Montessori School Newsletter

Principal’s Message

As Discover Montessori Society moves forward with our permanent school location and building in Nanaimo, I have been able to formalize the succession of Discover Montessori School’s administration. Since 2005, Cynthia Dyer and myself have split the position of Principal, allowing both of us to hold teaching positions. We do love those students, and both of us have thrived working in our Montessori classrooms.

In considering the future of our school, we have worked out a three year plan. I, Diana Chalmers, will formally turn the Principal’s role over to Cynthia Dyer on July 1, 2018. This will be a smooth transition because Cynthia and I have been able to share the ‘inner workings’ of our school since 2005.

In order to free up Cynthia’s time, some of her Ministry of Education work gets passed to Karin Barker, who has experience with Ministry expectations. Kathleen Hancock will take on additional responsibilities as the VIHA liaison.

This frees me up to take on the role of Project Manager for the building of our new Farm School. I have a vested interest in making sure the build goes according to budget and plan. Once we have all moved onto, and into, our new premises, I get to, as Karin is fond of saying, do the fun stuff! I will work in the school where, and as, I’m needed. I’m not going far. By the third year, I expect to be invited onto our Board Authority, and can then work in an advisory capacity. At least that’s if, and when, Cynthia wants some advice.

Nothing changes this school year and, as I stated, this is a three year plan. Our Board members, Cynthia, and I have spent the past thirteen years making Discover Montessori Society and School independent and sound. Our Board members, administration, teaching staff, support staff, and families are the epitome of Montessori, and with our future ‘prepared environment’, there is no limit for our children’s AMI Montessori education. Thank you all!

~ Diana Chalmers, Principal

Farm School Update Page 8 - 9


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Upcoming Events Wednesdays, January 31- April 11 Primary Parenting Classes! 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm (sign up)

Thursday, February 1 Elementary 1 - Formal Dinner 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Friday, February 2 Professional Day

NO CLASSES IN SESSION

Wednesday, February 7 DMSPG Parent Group Meeting 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm


Tuesday, February 12 BC Family Day

NO CLASSES IN SESSION


Wednesday, February 21 Parent Education Night 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm

See Hubbli Calendar for more

Notes from The Office

It is registration time again! Registration packages for current school families will be sent home in the coming days with the forms for 2018-2019 programs.

This is also the time to enrol your 3 year old siblings! Please let Karin in the Office know if you need an additional Registration package.

The deadline to return forms, and securing your child’s spot, is Tuesday, February 13th.

Please note: All families with students moving up into Elementary and Middle School must book a parent observation as a requirement for entry into that program.

We’re excited about working with your family again next year. If you have any questions please contact the Office.

ONLY A FEW SPACES LEFT

Wednesday Evenings January 31- April 11, 2018

6:00-7:30pm (no class Feb. 21) (Nanaimo Campus)

Don’t miss this opportunity to meet other parents to discuss all sorts of topics relating to 3 - 5 year olds such as temper tantrums,

independence, Montessori at home, power struggles, and natural & logical consequences .

If you’d like to attend, please sign up in the office .

$50.per person/$80.per couple

PRIMARY PARENTING CLASSES

Valentines Day Guidelines If you child chooses to hand out Valentines cards,

please follow these guidelines and keep it as simple as possible:

1) Please have one for each child in the class. 2) Involve your child. Have them write their name on the cards. 3) Leave the “To:” portion blank. No one gets missed.

https://dmschool.hubbli.com/events/

https://dmschool.hubbli.com/events/


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The Primary Community Notes from Parksville Casa 1

Happy New Year everyone!

We hope you all had a wonderful holiday. Every year we are astonished at how much the children grow while we are on our break, and this year was no exception! We are observing so much progression in the classroom, from new, more complex presentations to longer, more in-depth exploration and abstractions that always surprise us. In true Montessori fashion the children are observing and becoming inspired by each others work. This is true in all areas of the curriculum, but so obviously in Culture; as we are seeing a plethora of maps and flags being produced by our older children.

One of the perks to our job as Directress is preparing our learning environments. A particular favourite thing to do is to simply slip in a treasure of some sort for the children to find and explore. I was lucky to win these gorgeous artifacts brought to us from Madagascar in our ‘secret Santa’ exchange. Imagine my joy when I came upon these two friends who not only found the basket, but were spontaneously classifying them on a large table!

As you will remember, before our break, we were hit with a good dump of snow. We want to express our heartfelt thanks for the help we received clearing our paths. 'Many hands really do make for light work' and it is a pleasure to see this volunteerism in our little community!

Parent Education Evening:

Our Parksville Parent Education Evening will be held on Wednesday, February 21st from 5:00pm-6:30pm. The theme for this evening is: “A Parents Montessori Back Pack.” We will discuss ways to mirror your child’s Montessori experience at home. This will be an evening to gather ideas for your 'parenting back pack,’ such as activities in the home, cultural exposure in the community, and your child’s development. We will also touch on guidance strategies and expectations of your child during this first plane of development.


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Notes from Nanaimo Casa 1

“Rain, rain, go away, come again another day” Our playground is swamped and sadly the digging pit is temporarily closed. Thank goodness we have the large surrounding field to run and play. The field seems to get better drainage. When things dry up a bit and the pink ribbons are rolled back to welcome the children back to their space, they are so happy. They love their natural playground.

Playgrounds built out of rocks, logs, dirt, hills, sand, water and greenery make up a natural playground. Our natural playground connects the child with nature which is an important part of healthy child development. A child also responds and grows with the playground as they develop physically. We have observed that even very young children use their instincts and caution navigating the logs or rocks in the yard. The collaborative social play in the natural playground is what amazes me. Even in the pouring rain the children find a way to make the best of it and have a good time.

We may be looking for a few parent volunteers this summer to add a new feature to the yard or to tackle the drainage issue. Please let me know if this is something you may be interested in.

Valentine’s Day happend in February. There is a tradition of handing out Valentine’s cards. We keep it as simple as possible. Typically about half of the children bring cards to hand out, but it is not a requirement. If your child would like to participate may I recommend a few guidelines:

1) Please have one for each child, 20 in our class. 2) Involve your child. Let them write their name on the cards even if its barely legible. Don’t start the

night before ;) 3) Leave the “To:” portion blank. Its easier to hand them out.

Notes from Nanaimo Casa 2

We hope that you’ve had a restorative winter break, and are enjoying the return to routine.

Many changes have taken place since last year. For starters, we have three new students. Please welcome Arthur, Rayes, and Lael. Another new addition is our classroom fish. Thank you Victoria (Abigail’s Mom) for making this happen! We’re taking our time selecting a name for the fish, so we are open to your suggestions! Yes, the weather has been challenging for outdoor play, but we still continue to go outside. In fact, before the break, the Master class began a collaborative project on the field of

creating and using an obstacle course. They had a blast! When we get a spot of sunshine, or dry weather again, they’ll have more opportunities to play and work on the field. Academically, and for their independent work, the children are consciously guided to make constructive choices. We have been singing “Skinnamarinky Dinky Dink” a bit more these days, which is appropriate with Valentine’s around the corner! Love and gratitude to you all…


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The Elementary Community Notes from Elementary One

Happy New Year everyone.

We have the Formal Dinner coming up on February 1, as well as the Spring Presentation; both of which are stimulating much planning and preparation amongst the students.

The Montessori curriculum continues to provide a foundation for creative and exploratory work. The students continue to grow and build on this foundation. Year 4-6 students have been exploring how different ancient civilizations procured their food. We are patiently awaiting spring to begin planting out the school gardens.

Our forest stewardship work in Beaufort Park Forest is on hold as many of our tools were stolen from the Primary playground shed. After a major success planting out 50+ fruit and nut trees in the Beaufort Park Food Forest, the City is preparing for more hands-on learning projects for our students. If you have any ideas for projects for the food forest or native forest, please email me at [email protected], or catch me while at school. The City Parks workers are so enthusiastic about this food forest and are willing to entertain many of our ideas.

Notes from Elementary Two

We welcome to our class Daniel and Harry from China who will be staying with us until February 16th, 3 weeks. The students ahave made sure they feel welcome and comfortable. It is a great opportunity for the children to have that bit of cross-cultural experience in the classroom. It's a joy to see how respectful and accommodating the children are. Some of them are even interested in learning some Chinese characters and a few Chinese words.

When approaching the Elementary 2 classroom, you might hear some click-clacking and tapping sounds. Our class has been enjoying the Bamboo dance. There is a lot of collaboration amongst the students. Their coordination is improving, as are listening skills. They keep the rhythm in their head to match

their steps which are becoming more acute.


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Notes from Elementary Three (These notes apply to all Elementary - Diana)

Following the winter holiday, most students seem refreshed, relaxed and ready to learn. As the winter weather is often rainy and dull, many of us seem to spend more time in front of electronic devices on evenings and weekends. Please keep in mind that our elementary children need time to sketch, write stories, build castles, play with bubbles, complete puzzles, paint pictures, create with play dough, bake, read, play board games,...be bored - and find their own ways to become ‘unbored.’

The students have recently had some unique opportunities to attend performances - either the Headliners production of The Lion King, or a Vancouver Island Symphony performance at the Port Theatre. These Going Out experiences provide the students with real world opportunities to practice appropriate audience behaviour in theatrical settings

Written evaluations will be heading home towards the beginning of February. Some of you may notice a spike in Late’s in the attendance section of the evaluations. This is because we take attendance on the field during our morning exercise time, rather than waiting until we are back in the classroom. This is a gentle reminder that school begins at 8:20.

The Middle School Adolescent Community The Middle School class has been having some interesting discussions lately based on current events, using news articles selected by the students. We’ve also been working on our humanities unit on Ancient Rome, printing up our Odyssey survival t-shirts, and starting to build a wooden playhouse. We’ve begun to work on our Shakespeare play, Much Ado About Nothing. The Middle School students are continuing to grow physically, socially, and academically.


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Notes from the Parent Group

Save the Dates: Family Bowling Event: March 4 from 1:30-3:30pm at Brechin Lanes. Extended family and friends are welcome – if we have 96 or more, we’ll have the entire bowling alley to ourselves! More info. to come!

The 6th annual Family Ball will be on Saturday April 28 at the VICC, and preparations are in full swing! We hope you are looking forward to attending with your family and friends! This year, we’ll be having Children’s Clothing Swaps at the Nanaimo Campus prior to the Ball. Bring formal wear and dress up clothes and shoes that your children have outgrown, and swap them for something new-to-you! The first Clothing Swap will take place the week of January 29th. Tickets will go on sale that week as well!

Our next PG meeting will be on Wednesday, February 7 from 6 - 7pm at the Nanaimo campus, with

FREE CHILD CARE! Meet other parents and get involved! We would love to hear your ideas for ways to support the school and foster community spirit! The PG will cover the cost of child care provided by middle school students.

Here are some great ways to support DMS by participating in our ongoing PG fundraisers. Proceeds pay for things like equipment/ materials needed by the school, and to support projects at the new farm school!

- Thrifty Food's smile cards – we provide the card, you load it up at the store, and 5% of your grocery purchase goes to the PG! - Cobbs "Dough Raiser" program - when shopping at Cobbs Bread, mention that you support DMS, and 5% goes to the PG! - The Soap Exchange (Country Club Mall) - mention that you support DMS, and 10% goes to the PG! We wish everyone a joyous 2018! ~ DMS Parent Group

Tickets Sales Begin Next Week for the 2018 Family Ball!


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Building Our New School Responses to your questions!

Below are the responses to the ‘sticky-note’ questions we received from parents when we posted the first drawing of the proposed Farm School facility at Nanaimo Campus in October. We are working with the architect still, and should have more information and some new designs to share with you soon.

Parent Group could use a storage space.There is always the need for more storage but there looks to be lots of space in the office for the parent group.

Library? Open plan in hallway/waiting area for visitorsAt this point, the library will either be in one of the offices or share the space with the studio.

Parent resource library sectionThere has been one in the past, and it got very small, very quickly. Books not returned.

Laundry Yes

Quiet spaces. There are many options - extra classrooms, office, hallways and most importantly each classroom has its own garden.

Photocopy/laminator roomPart of the office spaces

Is drop off 2 lanes?The lane and circle are wide enough to allow vehicles to pass. As long as drop off happens in the lane closest to the sidewalk, student safety will be assured.

We need a medical room/sick children removed from classroom until pick-upThis area is located in the office area. Especially with the youngest children, this ensures that they are still supervised without taking a teacher out of the ratio.

Kitchens - please elaborate. 1 in each class? One in middle school? There is a kitchen in each classroom as well as a kitchen across from the office.

Shower area for stinky bikers. There will be a shower in the middle school.

Sheltered bicycle parking. Sheltered bike parking may consist of a farm outbuilding.

Janitor’s room with floor sink.Yes

Staff parkingThe area between the river and the school building will be designated staff parking.

An observatory.Working on it.


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Can there be an upstairs for any particular room or does everything need to be 1 floor only? There can only be one floor. Our agreement with the Agricultural Land Commission was that anything we build must be easily taken away again. A second floor would require larger foundations than the ALC would agree to.

Underground parking?Again, because of the agreement with the ALC, there will not be underground parking. Lots of thought has been given to parking flow-thru and for larger events such as Parent Ed. nights. As you can see, we are limited by what areas we can build on. There is extra parking on the street in the case of school events. We intend to keep the fence back from the street to accommodate this.

Space to accommodate a small farmer’s market area? Our farm does not yet produce enough to warrant a market. Small market could happen in the room across from the office. Possibly a road side stand, then attend an existing farm market.

Indoor workshop space. Indoor workspace will happen in the classrooms or the classroom gardens.

Outdoor covered space.There will be covered space in each classroom garden

Staff room w/adult toilet separateDone. One of the rooms in the office will be used as a staff room. We have asked for an adult only bathroom but it may not be close to the staff room

Premium parking spot for pick-ups/drop-offs (could auction this spot as a fund raiser).This is an EXCELLENT idea.

Darkroom for photography as part of the art room/soundroom.This can be built into the art studio.

Round the corners into parking lot (street side) to ease/slowdown of traffic.This is in the newer plans.

A more organic (less rectangular) grouping of classrooms.Can only work with the space we have.

Wired internetYes

Large space for PE, school performancesHopefully in phase 2

A French Library section and a french lab.The French library can definitely happen. The Studio is for Art, French, Photography…

Have a baaaa-rilliant month everyone!

a discover montessori school newsletter · of topics relating to 3 - 5 year olds such as temper...

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