Charles Ellis Montessori Academy December 2014

BOBCAT GAZETTE

From the Principal’s Desk: Creating Co-Curricular Opportunities Tanya Melville, Charles Ellis Principal

As part of our Montessori identity, we would like to expand students’ learning experiences beyond the classroom. This could include cultural activities, community service, recreational and leisure activities, and practical life. These experiences will allow students to expand their skills within a real-life context and plants the seeds of lifelong interests. When I was a young student, we spent time on Fridays engaged in different hobbies, such as gardening and knitting. Looking back, I feel that these experiences were like looking through a kaleidoscope: with each experience I encountered something new and beautiful, and with one turn of the kaleidoscope, I got to focus on something that I might want to do for the rest of my life. Children get directed onto certain paths so early in their lives; it is important to offer them opportunities to explore without competition or the pressure to be an expert.

The School Council has created a vehicle with which to explore ideas for co-curricular programs and determine how to make them happen at Charles Ellis. If you are interested in putting forward a proposal, please download the “Submissions for Co-Curricular Activities” on the Charles Ellis website (http://ellis.sccpss.com) in Announcements. January 8 is the deadline for proposals for activities that could happen in the next 9-week period.

These experiences can offer children a more holistic view of the world and the opportunity for intergenerational interactions, such as the experience students have when learning chess with Jerry Haggerty. While we might not be able to move forward with every proposal right away, over time these opportunities can become part of the Ellis community. We look forward to receiving your proposals!

Upcoming Events

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Monday December 8 – Friday December 12 Book Fair

Thursday, December 11, 6:30pm Festival of Lights Friday, December 12

Bobcat Dads read holiday stories Friday, December 19, 1:00pm

Sing-a-long in playground

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Friday, December 19 Dress Down Day (free)

Monday, December 22-Monday, January 5 Winter Break

Tuesday, January 6 Students return to school

Friday, January 9 Breakfast with Dad

Charles Ellis Montessori Academy

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December 2014

In October the middle school students were challenged with researching themes of food justice that had them investigate food security, food access and food systems. The assignment was to create lessons, activities and informational presentations that addressed issues of how food is produced, distributed and accessed. Their work was to be shared across the grade levels at Charles Ellis, and with the community at the Farms to School Conference and the Forsyth Farmers Market.

The students researched issues that ranged from the Ogeechee River pollution incident to GMO’s. A lesson on whole foods was developed to deliver to every classroom in the school on Food Day, October 24th. This lesson tracked the nutritional value of foods as they went through processing, and was given by three teams of eighth grade students. Simultaneously, a team of seventh grade students delivered organic apples to every classroom that were purchased from the Savannah Food Co-op by the PTA using credit acquired through the farm box program at Ellis. There was a six foot tall green bean that acted as spokesperson

for the Erdkinder and PTA as the apples were delivered. He asked all the students to make healthy food choices.

On October 23rd I presented some of the students’ projects at the second annual Farms to Schools conference held at the Broad Street YMCA. On October 24th Ms. Della arranged for farmers from the Coastal Georgia Small Farmers Cooperative, Inc. to come in and discuss the importance of locally sourcing foods for the school lunch program for the third year in a row. They grow the collard greens and pink-eyed peas that are plated in Savannah’s public schools lunch program. This year all 4th – 8th grade

students attended the presentation.

Some of the students came out early on Saturday, October 25th to the Forsyth Farmers Market. These students set up a tent and their plywood veggie cut-outs and proceeded to spend over four hours presenting their posters and lessons to shoppers, tourists and anyone who would listen as they strolled through Forsyth Park. (The veggie cut-out even made it to Savannah’s Food Day Celebration held on November 2nd.)

That Saturday was also the culmination of a paper goods drive the Erdkinder had been doing for the Emmaus House. Students brought in over three

moving boxes full of paper plates, cups and napkins for one of our local organizations that feeds breakfast and lunch to over 150 people daily who may be experiencing homelessness. This Erdkinder community service project continues throughout the year. Students even attached a canned good drive to their Fall Dance that was held on Friday, November 21, 2014.

At the end of this school year, we will have several vacancies on our PTA board. Unfortunately, I must step down from the position of president. Our Vice President only committed to one year, and our treasurer and secretary have completed their two-year term. We will be looking for nominations for: President/Co-Presidents, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer. Please consider volunteering for one of these positions. If you are elected, there is a training conference at the state-level, this summer that will help you to become familiar with the duties. We will also post the duties and responsibilities on our website and on our Facebook page. Please come to St. Claire Mars or me with any questions you may have regarding a position of interest to you.

Erdkinder on the Move Christopher Schell, Middle School Science Teacher

Lead the PTA! Michele Beall, PTA President

December 2014 Charles Ellis Montessori Academy

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Bobcat Dads Jason Rigsbee, Bobcat Dads, Coordinator Email: jasonrigsbee@yahoo.com

Our last event “Spooky Stories with Dad” was a hit with the kids. The dads that came out had fun disguising themselves as characters and being silly with the kids. I think it’s safe to say we all had a “spooktacular” time! Our next Bobcat Dad Reading Day will be held on Friday, December 12th, with Holiday Stories. We will be reading to the first floor classrooms and sharing some of our favorite holiday stories. We are always looking for male role models interested in coming in and volunteering about a half hour to read to the children. You are welcome to share a traditional story, cultural tale or be a bit creative and bring along a guitar to strum along with your reading (this was a big hit with the kids last year!). If you are interested in reading, please contact Jason Rigsbee at jasonrigsbee@yahoo.com.

Once we return in the New Year, we will have our most successful annual events, Breakfast with Dad and the Father-Daughter Dance. The breakfast will be held on Friday, January 9th at 7:30am in the multipurpose room and the dance will be held in the multipurpose room on Friday, February 20th. With all of our events, we strive to increase male involvement, so we welcome all male role models to attend, dad, grandpa, uncle, etc.

We would love to have additional volunteers to help with set-up, clean up and during the events. If you are available, please contact Jason Rigsbee at jasonrigsbee@yahoo.com. Hope to see you there!

Festival of Lights St.Claire Mars, PTA Vice-President Email: stclaire.ellispta@gmail.com

Join us for our first Festival of Lights on Thursday, December 11 at 6:30pm! This is a Montessori tradition that celebrates many cultural traditions associated with the winter season. Various displays, performances, and arts will allow you to learn more about these traditions. Ms. Jennifer has been working with many of our classes to put on a wonderful show. You will have a chance to hear our children sing a variety of songs from cultures around the world and their winter celebrations! Along with that, some of our classes have done research that will share the beauty of the season with a diverse perspective.

At the conclusion of the performances, the children can participate in a few holiday crafts, and we cannot forget, our traditional “Cake Walk” for everyone! If you are interested in donating a cake, please contact St.Claire Mars at

stclaire.ellispta@gmail.com. We will also have hot chocolate, coffee and hot cider available to purchase.

As the holidays draw closer, it means the New Year is almost upon us. With that, come our preparations for our annual Read-A-Thon event! We are very excited to work with Ms. Laura again for a truly wonderful fundraising event! Our Read-A-Thon will kick off on Monday,

January 12th and run through January 30th. This will give our kids a chance to set a higher goal and encourage more reading!

This year, our goal will fully support the media center. All proceeds will go towards the purchase of new Montessori materials! Last year’s Read-A-Thon brought in funding to purchase a large amount of eBooks for students and families to check out. We would love to have a 100% participation rate for this fundraiser! Every little bit helps, whether you choose to sponsor your reader by the amount of time he or she reads or donate a flat rate amount, every penny will be put to good use. We truly hope that you will plan to support our students and teachers!

Read-A-Thon Gloria Rigsbee Email: gloria.ellispta@gmail.com

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December 2014

You may have noticed some new faces in the guidance department this fall. Lisa Gordon-Jackson is the new part time counselor here at Ellis. Ms. Lisa comes to us each Tuesday and Thursday from her home school of East Broad. Kim Harrison is the new counselor clerk here at Ellis. Ms. Kim has been helping out in the counseling office as well as assisting Ms. Linda with tours of Ellis. As the only counselor at Ellis for several years, I am so encouraged to have these awesome ladies assist in our counseling endeavors. As counselors at Ellis, Ms. Lisa and I have the opportunity to work with all students in the areas of personal/social, academic, and career awareness. In addition to working with students, we also consult with parents and teachers as we strive to help all of our students stay on a positive track!

The counseling department is currently working on some special projects. We are organizing a uniform drive for students. There will be a display in the front foyer of the school. The display will include a specific code number, age, gender, and size for selected students. We ask that you purchase a uniform for these students, wrap it, and then return it to Ellis with the “specific code number” clearly indicated on the package. In addition, the 100 Black Men of

Savannah, the brothers of Beta Phi Lambda, are going to be offering a mentoring program here at Ellis for middle school males. A letter went home with all middle school males inviting the first 14 to respond to be part of this program. We are excited that Ellis will be able to participate in this very worthwhile program.

Last year was full of new experiences for me. I moved from the comfort of my downstairs home in Kindergarten & 1st grade where I had taught for eight years to a co-teaching 2nd/3rd

Grade classroom upstairs with Ms. Allie. I graduated with my Master’s Degree in Curriculum Integration through the Arts and began my Montessori certification. By the year’s end, I was exhausted, but rejuvenated. That rejuvenation was further propelled several weeks ago when our class on Montessori Pedagogy began. During this class, we were introduced to Maria Montessori’s “Cosmic Education,” a curriculum based on the belief that children have a sensitive period for the acquisition of culture. She believed that children need to understand their relation to all things in the universe and that we have the responsibility of service to each other and to the earth. Teachers use The Great Lessons to spearhead conversations and open the doors for wonderment about a child’s place and purpose in the world. This year, as I began to implement these Great Lessons with my students, I was able to witness, first- hand, the effects they have on children. Questions that I thought beyond the cognition of a young child were brought up in conversations that came from these Great Lessons. As I continue to move forward with my Montessori training, my purpose as a teacher is being transformed. I no longer view my job as a provider of information, but realize that I play a vital role in shaping the child as a whole.

The Scholastic Book Fair will be set up in the media center and open for business beginning Monday, December 8! We will be open, each day, during school hours until Friday, December 12. We have one special “Late Date” – Thursday, December 11 – when we will be open until our special community event, “Festival of Lights” begins at 6:30pm. For those cyber-shoppers – the Online Book Fair runs December 3 through December 14. Those orders will be delivered, to the school, when we return in January! The website can be found at

http://bookfairs.scholastic.com/homepage/ charlesellismontessori

Some of your children’s favorite authors will be represented – Tedd Arnold, Jeff Kinney, Jane Yolen, David Shannon, and Eric Litwin! For our older students – some of their favorite series will be available – The Hunger Games, I Funny, Spirit Animals, Ever After High, and Heroes of Olympus. PLUS – Holiday books and ideas will be a-plenty!

Monies raised help us buy new books for the media center, equipment for the school, and computer accessories! Please come see us – have fun – shop for books – AND help out our school!

The Book Fair is Coming! Laura Filson, Media Specialist

News from the Counselor’s Office Carla Cantrell, School Counselor

A Montessori Journey Beth Whalen, 1st/2nd/3rd Grade Teacher