Montessori Academy of Upland
March
2015 Newsletter
March 1, 2015
Dear Students, Parents, Staff and
Friends,
We are entering the month of
March which will be busy as we will have Parent Teacher Conferences,
Reenrollment for Summer and Fall Sessions, and Spring Break all happening
during this time. Today you will received your Reenrollment Packet as well as a
form to reserve childcare during Spring Break. The deadline to reserve your
child’s spot for Spring Break is Friday, March 13, 2015. The deadline to reenroll
with guaranteed placement is Tuesday, March 31, 2015. After this time
enrollment will be taken on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Winter
Program DVD’s
After some further delay I will
finally be able to pick up our DVD’s from the Winter Program. We have ordered
extra so if you have not ordered a copy it will be available in the office for
purchase. I do love the quality of the DVD but it has been very disappointing
how long this process took this time. It only took several weeks after the
Spring Sing last year. We have discussed a few ways of expediting the process
next time if we do decide to continue with our current vendor. Thank you for
your patience, I am sorry for the delay.
Payment
Processing
Starting in August 2015 we will
no longer be accepting cash payments. We will be accepting payments via credit
card, check or through an automatic payment processing service. We will have a
demonstration night to show you how to setup your account and schedule your
payments to be automatically debited according to your contract when the time
comes. I want to give you plenty of notice to make this adjustment, but there
are several reasons such as payment security and tracking that have made this
change necessary.
Summer
Themes
This summer each class has picked
a different aspect of curriculum to emphasize during the summer session. The
Infant and Toddler class will be studying all about water animals both fresh
and salt water. Ms. Shivika’s class will be studying Dinosaurs and Reptiles.
Mr. Adam’s class will be learning all about the Desert environment and its
inhabitants. The Elementary class will be studying scientific concepts of force
and motion, floatation and propulsion, and acceleration and exhilaration.
Summer session will begin on June 15, 2015 except the Elementary class that
will begin their summer session on Monday, June 22, 2015. Childcare will be
available the week between the end of school and the beginning of the Summer
Session for Elementary students.
Spirit
Day
Show some school spirit and have
your child come to school in an MAU t-shirt this Friday, March 6, 2015. You may
choose any color MAU shirt you have, but we do have the light blue shirts
available for purchase in the office for $10 each. Elementary can inquire about
an extra t-shirt by contacting the Foothill Office or with Ms. Rachel at the
Alpine Campus. Go MAU!
Parent
Teacher Conferences
Your teacher will be available
for conferences this month during the following specified days. Elementary
parents can meet with your child’s teacher on Monday, March 16, 2015. Mr. Adam
will meet with parents on Tuesday and Wednesday, March 17 and 18, 2015. Ms.
Shivika will be meeting with parents on Thursday and Friday, March 19 and 20,
2015. Infant parents can meet with their child’s teacher on Monday and Tuesday,
March 30 and 31, 2015. Please make sure you schedule to meet with your child’s
teacher. Sign-up sheets will be available this week.
Journey
and Discovery
We are glad that so many were
able to make it to our Journey and Discovery. Attendees were able to get an
overview of the Montessori Curriculum and where it can go. We had an extensive
question and answer period where parents asked so many wonderful questions. We
hope you left having a better idea of what your child does on a day to day basis
and what is possible with the Montessori Method of education.
Lost and
Found/Labeling Clothing
It is cold outside and jacket
weather. Sometimes the weather warms during the course of the day and in turn
your child will not need to wear it when they leave. For this reason we have
seen jackets “hang” around in the classroom for quite some time. Please make
sure you are checking for your child’s belongings every day. It would also be
very helpful if they were labeled so that we may help your child remember their
belongings. Jackets that have been in the classroom for some time have been
collected and will be available for you to claim in the office this week.
Elementary
Expansion
We are excited to offer 4th
grade classes starting in the 2015-2016 school year. Each year we will be
expanding a grade level until we have reached at least 6th grade. As
part of the Montessori Approach we strive for 3 year age groupings. However,
until we have a good number of children grades 4th through 6th
we will be combining the programs in the same classroom. This is a common approach in many Montessori
schools to combine until they have grown to offer the full range of ages. This will ensure that the children have
plenty of peers in the environment and that the environment is both socially and
academically stimulating.
Events in
March
Friday, March 6 – School Spirit
Day
Friday, March 13 – Spring Break
Childcare Reservation Deadline
Monday, March 16 thru Friday, March 20 & Monday, March 30 thru
Tuesday, March 31– Parent Teacher Conferences
Wednesday, March 18 – Parent Teacher Committee Meeting (Minutes from
the February 18, 2015 meeting to be sent out this week)
Monday, March 23 – Friday, March 27 – Spring Break (Childcare
Available)
Have a wonderful month!
Adam
Thewes
Administrator
