Fall 2017, Issue 3

CotteReflections Making the most of parent-teacher conferences.

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A good conference is like a good conversation. Both teachers and parents give and receive information, learn more about who the other is, offer insight on observations of “their” child, and share expectations.

This initial conference is to touch base and lay the foundation for the two subsequent reports in January and May. The conference times have been set on the school calendar. We ask that you do not make plans to miss these days. When too many parents are unable to attend and then must reschedule their conferences, teachers are frequently playing “catch up” on

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these meetings well into the approach of the next parent-teacher event.

Prior to your conference, try to:

• Observe in the classroom. • Read the fun tidbits and

articles, which will be posted on the website.

• Think of the goals you have for your child. Be prepared to share those.

• Save works that come home & develop questions based on them.

No work coming home yet? That’s normal! BUT ask why!

Tardies have increased since last month. It is crucial that students arrive to school on time.

School starts promptly at 8:15 for Upper School and 8:30 for Lower School.

SPMA TODAY Our mission is to provide

each child with the best

foundation for character

development and

academic discovery while

promoting leadership and

confidence.

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The conference sheet sign-ups will be placed in the lobby next week. They will be open to families with siblings first. Children should not attend the conferences. Be prepared to leave them at home or partner with a friend whose conference time is close to yours. They can then watch them during your 20-30 minute visit with the teacher. If you have additional Montessori questions, please meet with me, too!

Mrs. Cotter, Head of School

“Communication leads to community, that is, to understanding, intimacy and mutual valuing.” ~Rollo May

Lorem Ipsum

October 2017 School Events

Friday, October 13

Cultural Fiesta- this new event is still in the works. The final day & time are TBD. We hope to keep this date.

Tuesday, October 17 &

Wednesday, October 18

Picture Day

Thursday, October 19

½ day for all students

Dismissal at 11:30am and noon

Parent Teacher Conferences

Friday, October 20

School Closed

Parent Teacher Conferences

Tuesday, October 24 8:30 am

Parent Ed Café: Why Montessori IS the best Method

Please note that this is a limited list. For all school information, refer to

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Preprimary Department provides a foundation to students.

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The Preprimary program is designed to begin laying a foundation for independence, self-confidence, and curiosity that will inspire a joyful love of learning in any child. The secret to a successful peaceful preprimary environment is the consistent daily routine. Through consistent daily schedules and routines, the children learn to trust the environment and understand expectations. Some daily routines in our program are: caring for one's belongings, independent work, group time, setting up lunch and toilet learning. Repetition of daily routines and lessons creates a sense of success for children. Subsequently, this increased confidence, help children develop an ability to meet new challenges and persist at new tasks even when they appear difficult. In the Preprimary program we track each child’s development through a combination of observations and progress with lessons given.

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Our goal is to find the light in each child that inspires his/her desire to seek greater knowledge and then foster that light by providing work that meets each child’s interests. Having parents take part in observations, conferences and parent education nights during the year provides us the opportunity to demonstrate to our families how to create consistency between the home and classroom environment. We strive to work closely with our families as we learn to understand each child’s unique personality and how they approach learning. This year we polled our families and are offering the following Parent Ed nights:

“Help Me Do It Myself” October 12

“Temperament and

Personality” January18

“Parent Interactive Night”

March 15

Nap & Day Room

spaces are nearly full!

Sign-up soon!

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Please consider a donation to this year’s Annual Fund!

Our goal is 100% participation from all families. If we average

$250 per family (that’s only $25 per month throughout the school year),

we will easily meet this goal. Donations will help with: Hurricane

Matthew classroom material replacements, staff development,

school security, and athletics.

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$20,000

Donations to the Annual Fund help us reduce costs for our annual musical and

other fun events!

A scene from 2017’s Aladdin

Thank you to our September donors for keeping our

campaign moving up:

The Risher Family The Hardin Family

Daryl & Erika Morgan The Sandoval Family Two Brothers Roofing

The Baird Family The Hinely Family The Beller Family The Reed Family

We are only $1,800 away from our hallway mark! That's an

average of just 7 families!

A complete list of the 2017-2018 donors can be found on our

website:

www.seapinesmontessori.com/get-involved

Lorem Ipsum Spring 2016, Issue 4

Are you practicing parking lot safety?

We are still seeing some unsafe areas.

Please:

• Keep students buckled at all times in line. • Avoid pulling out of line unless you are at an available

space. • Stay in your car during carpool. We promise to ask for

help if needed! • Pull forward if your children are not ready or you need

additional time. • Use the ramp when walking up during dismissal. • Do not pick-up without the appropriate car seat.

SPMA PTO Upcoming Events:

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