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Pleasant Valley Montessori School
Volume 5, Number 5; January 4, 2010

Important Dates to Remember

January 18, 2010

No School

Martin Luther King Day

February 15, 2010

No School

President’s Day

January Birthdays

Nate Smith – 1/20

Noah Smith – 1/20

Miss Skylynn – 1/15

Miss Julie – 1/26

Miss Peggy – 1/31

Remember, on your child’s birthday you may bring treats for the classroom. Homemade treats are fine, however we ask that you do not bring cupcakes or cookies with heavy frosting. We enjoy celebrating each child’s birthday and would love for you to bring in pictures of your child on their birthday. Please include a photo from their birth and one for each birthday they have had. Also, we ask that you do not leave invitations or thank you cards in cubbies or sign in book. Exceptions will be made if all students are invited. If you need an address list, please ask a staff member.

Classroom News

This month we will begin our continent unit in both classrooms. The children will be learning about the geography, cultures and customs of the world. They will also be making maps and flags from each continent.

We will continue with the “Sound of the week” sharing in both classrooms as well. Sharing is on Wednesday and this first week the sound is “s”. Your child may bring something to share that begins or ends with the sound.

As we get into our continent unit the children may also bring in sharing that relates to a continent.

Also, this month in Practical Life we will be squeezing oranges to make fresh orange juice. Please have your child bring in one orange this month.

Welcome Back Students!

We hope that you all had an enjoyable Winter break and we are glad to welcome you all back to school.

We would especially like to welcome some new students who are starting at PVMS this month: Asher Lee and Kellen Collins will be joining Miss Cheryl’s class and Kaemon Eki will be joining Miss Slylynn’s class. We are very excited to have them with us and expect that they will feel right at home in no time.

The school year will be half over this month and we still have so much to look forward to this year. Please continue to watch the bulletin board in the hallway for upcoming activities. We will be making Valentine “mailboxes” and each child will need to bring in a shoebox to decorate. You may bring any size shoebox to school this month, we would like everyone to have one by February 1st.

Reminders

-Please dress your child for the weather! If it is not raining after lunch we will take the children outside for some fresh air and exercise. Please make sure your child has a heavy coat, hat, mittens and boots everyday. Also, check your child’s supply of extra clothes and make sure they are appropriate for the weather and that they still fit!

-Be sure to pack two napkins and appropriate eating utensils in your child’s lunch every day. Lunch is an important part of the Montessori Grace and Courtesy lessons and the children will be more successful if they have the right tools every day.

-Please keep your child home if they are showing any signs of communicable illness and notify a staff member so that we can alert the other families to watch for symptoms. Oregon state law requires anyone with a fever, vomiting or diarrhea must be symptom free for 24 hours before returning to school. If your child becomes ill at school we will call you immediately so you can arrange to pick your child up. It is very important that we have current contact information in our files so please alert a staff member if your information has changed.

School Closures Due To Weather

If weather conditions are hazardous due to snow or ice the school will be closed.

We follow the GRESHAM-BARLOW school district for closures. Watch the news or listen to the radio to see if any schools in our area are closed. If it is a 2 hour late start then we will open at 10:30a.m. If you are not sure if the school is open, please call the school number at 503-658-6966. We will update the voice mail to notify you of school closures. If school is cancelled during the day due to weather, we will notify you by telephone to come and pick up your child.

Please be aware that the parking lot can be very slippery when it is icy so use extreme caution when driving in and walking up to the building!

Tumbling!

We are excited to announce that Carol Cohen will be giving the children tumbling lessons on Tuesday mornings beginning January 12. Carol is a PVMS parent – her daughter Sidra is in Miss Skylynn’s class. Thank you Carol! We are really looking forward to adding this element to our curriculum and know that the children will really benefit from the gross motor and balance activities. The tumbling class will take place in the gym and we will be using mats. Please make sure your children dress appropriately on Tuesday mornings.

Thank you Parents and Volunteers!

Thank you Traci Zeller and Grower’s Outlet for providing fresh fruit for snack each month!

Thank you to everyone who brought in snacks for our Christmas party last month.

Be sure to check out our website at pleasantvalleymontessorischool.com

Look for the current online survey – we value your input.

Sincerely,
PVMS Staff

23225 SE Borges Rd.
Damascus, OR 97089
503-658-6966

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PVMS December Newsletter (via postie)

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Pleasant Valley Montessori School
Volume 5, Number 4, December 5, 2009

Important Dates to Remember

December 21 – January 1, 2010

No School

Winter Break

January 19, 2010

No School

Martin Luther King Day

December Birthdays

Maya Valean – 12/1
Cohen Schleich – 12/14
Kohana Eki – 12/21
Sidra Cohen-Mallon – 12/29
Tristan Kopperman – 12/30
Brandon Riehl – 12/30

Classroom News

Sharing…
Sharing will begin December 9th: Both classrooms will have sharing on Wednesdays. This year we would like sharing to incorporate what we are doing in the classroom. We will start with the “Sound of the Week” Ask your child what the sound of the week is and they may bring in something that begins with that sound.
December 9th will be the sound “c” as in cat, car, Christmas, etc. December 16th will be “m”.

Since we are not having a Christmas Show this month, we have decided to have a Christmas Party on Wednesday, December 16th. Please watch the bulletin board for snack sign up. We will just have a fun morning of singing songs, drinking hot cocoa, decorating cookies and watching the DVD from last year’s Christmas Show. The party will be in the morning so if your child does not usually come on Wednesday morning, please arrange to have them come that day if possible. You can trade a day, or pay the day care charges for an extra day. Afternoon students should plan to come in the morning as well. It should be a very merry time for all!

BRRRR……

As we head into December the weather is getting colder! Please dress your child WARM for the freezing outside temperatures. We do go outside for fresh air even when it is very cold. Do not take the weather for granted. Even if it is raining when you bring your child to school, it can clear up and allow us to go outside for a short time. The gymnasium can also be chilly, so a sweater or sweatshirt will help keep your child warm. We want to keep your children warm and healthy so please have the following items at school for your child every day:

****-thick, warm coat (no thin windbreakers)
****-light sweater, vest or sweatshirt for layering
****-boots and thick warm socks
****-hood or warm hat
****-warm gloves or mittens
****-extra clothes in cubby appropriate for the weather
.

Illnesses…

Just a reminder that any child who is showing symptoms of a communicable illness such as an elevated fever, vomiting, or diarrhea is required by Oregon law to be free of symptoms for 24 hours before returning to school.

Please do not send your child to school with a fever that is suppressed by medication. They are still contagious and will expose the other children to illness. We are doing all that we can to keep illness out of the school by following CDC guidelines and need your help to keep illness from spreading.

Also, this is the time of year when head lice becomes more prevalent. Please watch for symptoms and check your child’s head regularly. Make sure you notify the staff of any communicable disease your child has.

School Closures Due To Weather

If weather conditions are hazardous due to snow or ice the school will be closed.

We follow the GRESHAM-BARLOW school district for closures. Watch the news or listen to the radio to see if any schools in our area are closed. If it is a 2 hour late start then we will open at 10:30a.m. If you are not sure if the school is open, please call the school number at 503-658-6966. We will update the voice mail to notify you of school closures. If school is cancelled during the day due to weather, we will notify you by telephone to come and pick up your child.

Please be aware that the parking lot can be very slippery when it is icy so use extreme caution when driving in and walking up to the building!

Thank you Parents and Volunteers!

We want to express our gratitude to all of you for attending the Thanksgiving show, for bringing goodies to the potluck dessert and for helping with the set up and clean up. The show was a huge success but we could not have done it without your support.

Thank you for supporting our book fair last month. We were able to raise over $500 to purhcase audio equipment and books on cd for the classrooms.
We would like to especially thank the following parents who gave their time to set up and run the book fair:
Tai Quirke, Amy Rocha, Christine Hanson,
Kathy Todd, Sara Jones, and Rachelle Sanchez…

THANK YOU SO MUCH!

Be sure to check out our website at pleasantvalleymontessorischool.com

Look for the current online survey – we value your input.

Sincerely,
PVMS Staff

23225 SE Borges Rd.
Damascus, OR 97089
503-658-6966

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PVMS November Newsletter (via postie)

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Pleasant Valley Montessori School
Volume 5, Number 2, November 5, 2009

Important Dates to Remember

November 11, 2009

No School
Veterans Day

November 19, 2009

Thanksgiving Show

November 23 – 24, 2009
No School
Parent/Teach Conferences

November 25 – 27, 2009

No School
Thanksgiving Break

December 21 – January 1, 2010

No School

Winter Break

November Birthdays

Cody Swank – Nov. 3
Isabella Sanchez – Nov. 3
Mairin Kelly – Nov. 17

Parent/Teacher Conferences

There is a sign-up sheet on each classroom door with available conference times with each teacher. Please sign up early to get a time that works best for you.

This is a great opportunity to meet your child’s teacher and discuss any concerns you may have. In order to make the most of your conference time it may be helpful to write down questions you may have or anything you want to discuss.

Each conference is limited to 20 minutes so please help us to be respectful of those who are waiting by not going over time. If you have any concerns that may require more time, please schedule a separate conference with your child’s teacher. If your child is in the afternoon class, you may schedule your conference with Miss Cheryl or Miss Skylynn who share teaching responsibilities in the afternoon.

A Busy Time of Year!

November is upon us and we are feeling a whirlwind of activity here at PVMS.

We are having our annual Holiday show around Thanksgiving rather than Christmas this year. The children have been practicing for the upcoming Thanksgiving Show. We hope that you all plan to attend and encourage you to sign up to bring a dessert for the event. Please see the information and sign up sheet on the bulletin board.

The Scholastic Bookfair will be here this month. This is a great opportunity to support the school financially as well as obtain some great reading material for your children. This year our goal is to purchase an audio reading system for each classroom. Please see the bulletin board for more information.

Don’t forget to sign up for parent-teacher conferences.

There is a sign-up on each classroom door.

Remember there is no school for the entire week of Thanksgiving due to the holiday and conferences.

Thanksgiving Show and Potluck

Thursday, November 19, 2009
Show begins at 1:00pm

Dessert will follow the show
Poems, Songs and a Play will be performed by your children. Everyone has a part in the show so plan to attend and make sure your child is there on the day of the show.

The Morning Class should arrive at 8:30am as usual with a lunch on the day of the show. The Afternoon Class may arrive at 8:30am with a lunch or come at 12:00pm (child should eat lunch before coming to school). There will be no Day Care charges on the day of the show if this is not your child’s normal day. There is no afternoon class on the day of the show so plan on taking your child home after the dessert.

Please see the sign up sheet on the bulletin board and let us know what you will be bringing for the potluck.
Also, we have re-hired the professional videographer to record the show. You can purchase a DVD of the show, see the bulletin board for details.

Scholastic Book Fair

You are invited to attend a special reading event at this school – the Scholastic Bookfair!

Visiting the book fair will be like visiting a book store just for children. You and your child will find the newest and best books available in children’s literature. As you are aware, books inspire young minds and help your child discover the rich rewards of reading, imagination and creativity.

All purchases will benefit our school by generating funds for the audio equipment we would like to purchase for each classroom. The book fair will be open during regular school hours, please feel free to browse and buy at any time. The book fair will be set up during the entire week of November 16-20 in the classroom next to Miss Cheryl’s.

Thank you for you support!

BRRRR……

The weather is starting to get colder and we want to keep your children healthy and warm. Please make sure to have a warm coat, hats and mittens for your child. As long it is not raining we will continue to go outside. Also, please make sure that your child’s cubby has seasonally appropriate extra cloths.

Thank you Volunteers!

This year we have been relying on volunteers more than ever to help us stretch our budget and continue to provide quality programs and activities without increasing tuition. We want to thank all of you who have given your time ….

**Deborah Baker for all of the wonderful props she created for the Thanksgiving show;

**Michelle Schleich for getting the e-newsletter out each month;
**Ericka Hartley, Rachelle Sanchez, Trish Kelly and Marianne Basinski for prepping classroom materials at home; and
**To all of the parents who provided treats and goodies for the Harvest Party. The children had a great time and everyone went home with a bag full of goodies!

Sincerely,
PVMS Staff

23225 SE Borges Rd.
Damascus, OR 97089
503-658-6966

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PVMS October Newsletter (via postie)

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Pleasant Valley Montessori School
Volume 4, Number 2, October 1, 2009

Important Dates to Remember

October 9, 2009

No School
Statewide Inservice Day

October 16, 2009

No School
Montessori Inservice Day

October 30, 2009

Harvest Party

November 11

No School

Veterans Day

November 19, 2009

Thanksgiving Show

October Birthdays

Sophie Bier – Oct. 3
Brennan Kelly – Oct. 17
Esa Overturf – Oct. 17

Change is in the air…

Our annual Holiday show and potluck luncheon is always a huge success and the children always enjoy performing for their families. This year we have decided to have our annual Holiday show a little earlier – the theme will be the First Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is a holiday unique to North America and is traditionally celebrated as a feast shared with family and friends. Our hope to is emphasize the cultural tradition that we all have in common as Americans and celebrate with a feast PVMS style! The children will sing songs, recite poems and perform a skit complete with the Mayflower, Pilgrims and Native Americans! Each child will be participating so please plan to attend the show and stay for the potluck luncheon on November 19. Watch the bulletin board for more details and a sign up sheets for potluck dishes. The children will all be learning some new songs for the show and we encourage you to practice with your child at home. We will provide a copy of the lyrics for each child to take home in the next couple of weeks.

Fall Is Here!

The first month of school is officially behind us and we are thrilled with how well the children are settling into the routine here at school. The beginning of Fall brings many exciting things to PVMS. Please be sure to check the bulletin board for news and announcements of upcoming activities.

This month we have two Inservices days, October 9th and 16th. There is no school on those days so be sure to plan accordingly. We are excited this year to be sending some of our staff to California for the annual American Montessori Conference. Miss Diane, Miss Cheryl and Miss Skylynn will be attending the four day conference and bringing back lots of new ideas for the classrooms.

This month we will have a Harvest Party on Friday, October 30th. The children may wear a costume to school that day. Please no scary or violent costumes. There will be a sign up sheet on the bulletin board for volunteers to bring snacks for each class. Bible Story will begin on October 6th at 11:00am.

Bible Stories for Children

Since it has been such a success and enjoyed by the children and appreciated by the parents, the church has graciously offered to conduct “Bible Stories for Childen” again this year. These basic, age appropriate stories are a great spiritual introduction for young children. The stories are based on “Christian Heritage” with inspiring values, morals and lessons. Young children often have questions regarding who God is. Regardless of your faith, these stories can be a great catalyst for openly discussing spiritualism within your family.

The 15 minute Bible stories will be held on Tuesday mornings from 11:00-11:15 and led by church members Suzie Gran (past Kindergarten teacher) or Pastor Dave Tillstrom. Since we do not discuss religion in the classroom, this is an optional story time. If you prefer your child not attend, please notify us with a signed note of non-participation.

Miss Skylynn’s Class

As the month changes, so does the work in the classroom. We go from apples to pumpkins, lady bugs to spiders and bats. Although the same type of work will be in the classroom, the theme of it will change. The children will continue working on letter sounds and recognition of letters and numbers. They will also be learning shapes and colors throughout the month. The children have also begun sewing lessons, the younger children are sewing with a plastic needle on burlap, while the older children are sewing on muslin.

This month we will be introduced to the food pyramid as we talk about eating healthy and exercising. This month we will start learning some simple Yoga poses. We will continue to practice counting in english and spanish, as well as learning some simple words in sign language. Encourage your children to share what they are learning at school. They are excited to show you what they know!

Miss Cheryl’s Class

September was an excellent month for review and giving lessons for new materials in all areas of the classroom. We talked about apples, sang songs about apples and cooked with apples! This month we will do the same with pumpkins as we introduce the nutrition unit and study the food pyramid. The children will be putting their lunches on the food pyramid this month to see if they have a balanced meal.

We will also learn about the importance of exercise to keep our bodies healthy. We have been doing “the brain dance” several mornings each week which gets our bodies and our brains in sync and ready to learn. If you would like more information about the food pyramid or the brain dance you can check it out on the web at MyPyramid.gov and creativedance.org. Miss Julie is teaching the children Spanish. They are learning to count, name the days of the week and the months of the year in Spanish.

BRRRR……

Be sure to check out our new website at pleasantvalleymontessorischool.com
Look for the current online survey – we value your input.

“Never help a child with a task at which he feels he can succeed.” Maria Montessori

Sincerely,

PVMS Staff

23225 SE Borges Rd.
Damascus, OR 97089
503-658-6966

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PVMS September Newsletter

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Pleasant Valley Montessori School
Volume 4, Number 1, September 1, 2009

Important Dates to Remember

September 9, 2009 – School begins

October 1, 2009

- Photo Day

October 9, 2009 -

No School:

Statewide In-service Day

October 16, 2009 –

No School: Montessori In-service Day

September Birthdays

Cole Gallant*9/7
Gabby Hill**9/10
Annie Koenig*9/23

On your child’s birthday you may bring treats for the classroom. Homemade treats are fine however, we ask that you do not bring cupcakes or cookies with heavy frosting. We enjoy celebrating each child’s birthday and would love for you to bring in pictures of your child on their birthday. Please include a photo from their birth and one for each birthday they have had. Also, we ask that you do not leave invitations or thank you cards in cubbies or sign in book. Exceptions will be made if all students are invited. If you need an address list, please ask a staff member.

Staff News

Welcome back to returning staff Miss Diane, Miss Skylynn, Miss Cheryl, Miss Julie, and Miss Peggy.
Congratulations to Miss Cheryl who successfully completed her Montessori training this year and is now a certified AMS Teacher.
We would like to welcome new staff member Miss Rachel.
Rachel Jordan has worked in the dental field on and off for over 10 years. She has been married to Chedric since 2001 and they have 2 daughters, Nikkia and Kaiya. Rachel became a “Stay-at-home-mom” when Nikkia was born in 2004. Nikkia is starting her 3rd year at PVMS and Kaiya is starting her 1st year at PVMS. She has over 2 years experience volunteering with her church’s youth group and children’s church programs. Rachel is very excited to start her year with PVMS.

Welcome Back to School!

Welcome to the 2009-2010 school year! Welcome to our new students and Welcome Back to our returning students. We hope that everyone had a wonderful Summer. We are glad you have chosen PVMS for your child’s early education and we look forward to another successful academic year. Throughout the year there will be many opportunities taking place for the students. Please check the bulletin board daily for any new information. Also, be sure to read the newsletter available at the beginning of each month. The newsletter is a very useful tool for keeping you informed of what is taking place at PVMS. The newsletter is available via email and there will also be hard copies available at the school.
If you have not already done so, make sure we have your current email address in order to receive the E-newsletter. Each issue will feature a teacher’s corner, to let you know what the children will be doing in each classroom, and a “Dates to Remember” section, to highlight specific important dates for school closures and activities.

Parent Handbook Highlights

Every parent has been given a Parent Handbook. The handbook will answer many of the questions you may have in regards to your child’s education and what is expected at PVMS. Please make sure you read through the handbook carefully and feel free to ask any questions you may have. Some key information we would like to review is listed below:

“Self-discipline” is the objective we work for.
No toys are to be brought to the school.
Educational items are welcome on Sharing Days.
Make sure to sign your child in and out every day.
Have a “Pick up” card filled out if the person picking up your child is not on the authorization form.
Have anyone picking up your child be prepared to show ID. Make sure your child has been greeted or dismissed by a staff member. Make sure your child has extra clothing that fits in their cubby and that all clothing and shoes can be put on or taken off by the child without difficulty. Please label all clothing with your child’s initials. Keep weather appropriate clothing in cubby.
If your child is ill please keep them home, and inform the school of any communicable diseases. Any child who has had a fever, vomiting, or diarrhea is required to be free of symptoms for 24 hours before returning to school.

Visit www.cdc.gov for more information about current public health concerns and guidelines.

Class Room News

The theme for September is apples. As you look through the classrooms you will find that much of the work has to do with apples. We will also be doing apple art projects as well as cooking with apples this month.

Most of the first month of school is spent reviewing what the children already know and then taking off from there. Montessori learning is designed for individual growth and the children may all be at different stages of development at any given time.
The Kindergartners and First Graders will continue working on their reading and writing skills as well as developing their math skills with the more advanced Montessori Math materials.
The Primary and Pre-K children will have many fun new activities in the Practical Life area as well as the traditional Sensorial exercises and materials. Each day begins with “Circle Time” as the children gather together for group discussion. This is a valuable time for the children to learn to sit quietly and take turns talking.
This is an excellent time for verbal language development in both speaking and listening. We will also practice balance and large motor skills through action and songs. The calendar will be completed at this time, learning the days of the week, months and seasons, along with counting the number of days.
The classrooms are split into 5 sections; The Art shelf supplies the materials for the children to practice cutting, gluing, coloring and writing. The Practical Life area is where the care of self and care of environment activities are located. This is where the children will practice fine motor skills such as using a spoon to transfer an object, pouring dry objects or water from one container to another and other practical skills. In the Sensorial section, the children will use the knobbed cylinders and other objects of different shapes, sizes and textures. The materials in this area are designed for refining the senses. The Math area provides a lot of materials for learning to count, add, subtract, multiply and divide. Finally, in the Language section of the classroom provides the “Yellow boxes” which is our phonetic reading program. This area also has the materials for learning the letter sounds and the Movable Alphabet for writing and spelling.
The children will use chalkboards and white boards for practice writing letters and numbers.
Each month the class has a theme that will be seen throughout the classroom and new work is added in every area of the classroom related to the theme. We also spend a lot of time on cultural and science subjects such as geography and animal classification.

Lunch Time

Lunch time is a great opportunity for your child to learn “Grace and Courtesy” and our desire is to make this time easy and enjoyable for the children. This is also a time for your child to become more independent. You can help by making sure that all containers are easy for your child to open and close. It is important to let your child be a part of preparing their lunch each day. Also, please do not send sweets or “Gogurts” in you child’s lunch. See the Parent Handbook for lunch guidelines.
We ask that you provide two cloth napkins and appropriate eating utensils in your child’s lunch box.
We have a variety of cloth napkins available for purchase. Please look for them on display at the school or ask a staff member about them. They are handmade, child-sized and cost $8 for one set of two napkins.

Be sure to check out our new website at pleasantvalleymontessorischool.com
Look for the current online survey – we value your input.

“Any child who is self-sufficient, who can tie his shoes, dress or undress himself, reflects in his joy and sense of achievement the image of human dignity, which is derived from a sense of independence.” Maria Montessori

Sincerely,

PVMS Staff

23225 SE Borges Rd.
Damascus, OR 97089
503-658-6966

This email was sent to post-news123@pvmontessori.com by michelle@caws-pdx.org.

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