Vancouver Montessori School Newsletter
April 6, 2009
April 10………..……………...Re-commitment Deadline
April 16…6:30-8:00pm…C.H. Parent & Teacher Work Party
April 23………………………..Plant Delivery Day
Welcome!
Rayna, of the Wisteria classroom, and her parents, Randy and Hannah, have welcomed a new family member. Romy Jane was born on March 21, weighing 8lbs, 9ozs. Congratulations!
Lauren, of the Lavender classroom is also a big sister! Congratulations to Lauren and her parents, Peili and Dan on the birth of baby Andrew Chee who was born on March 16. He weighed 7lbs, 8ozs.
The Lavender classroom welcomes a new child, Jack, along with his parents, Kirsten and Shane. Please join us in making them feel at home.
Thank You!
Colby and Caden’s grandma, Suzanne, for the variety of silverware.
Emma and Jacob’s mom, J.J., for the kitchen sponges and towels.
Graham for the seeds for planting.
Belen for the watercolor paper and paint, colored tissue paper, and flour and yeast for baking.
A.J.’s mom, Devon, for taking the time to sew the Sunflower classroom new aprons.
Phoebe’s mom, Allie, for kitchen sponges.
Wish List
Potting soil
Re-commitment for 2009-2010 School Year
To secure your child’s place for the 2009-2010 school year please return the green Registration and Fee Payment Agreement along with the $200.00 (per child) re-commitment fee no later than Friday, April 10, 2009. The re-commitment fee is then applicable to your first tuition payment for the upcoming school year. Your child’s place cannot be guaranteed and the commitment fee is not applicable if not paid by the April 10 deadline. No exceptions will be made.
Plant Delivery
The pre-ordered plants will arrive from New Leaf Greenhouse at 9:00am on Thursday, April 23. Leslie and Joshua welcome any helping hands for unloading the truck, sorting and labeling plants, and picking and checking the orders. Just drop us a note if you are interested in joining in. It is a lot of fun especially if the sun is shining (We can hope)! Plants will be ready for pick up by the 11:45am dismissal time and, due to a lack of storage space, need to be picked up that day.
Volunteers Needed
The library, laundry, and snack volunteer sheets are posted again in the hallway on the main bulletin board. From now until the end of the school year, there are quite a few empty spaces. If you can and would like to volunteer to help with any of these constant needs, please sign up on any of the empty spaces. We appreciate so much all the willing assistance received from families all year long—it is a tremendous help!
Please Join Your Child’s Teacher
Children’s House parents are invited to join their child’s teacher, along with other parents, for a fun evening of preparing, repairing, sewing, painting, cutting and pasting materials used by the children every day. This is a great way to gain some insight into what goes into preparing the environment, ask questions about the materials, and visit with other adults. This work party will be held on Thursday, April 16 between 6:30-8:00pm. We look forward to seeing you there.
Understanding the Value of Mistakes---By Arlene Schroeder
One day I was watching a child carefully walk across the room carrying the stamp game. She heard a sound, turned to listen and somehow the stamp game slipped out of her hands. She stared at it with amazement and then I heard her say, “How did that happen?” Before she could bend down to pick it up, three friends were there offering to help her pick up all the pieces. She was delighted to have the help and quickly all the pieces were put back and she was on her way to her table to continue gathering the rest of the things she needed.
Mistakes in the classroom offer frequent opportunities for growth. Dr. Montessori writes, “The fact that we all make mistakes stirs a deep feeling of affection in the child’s heart.” It is another way that helps create a bond between one another.
The child who was carrying the stamp game did not intend to drop it. Everyday in the classroom the children make mistakes. It is important to cultivate an atmosphere that is friendly with all our errors. It is then that we can learn from them. If we focus less on the mess that was created and more on helping the child feel acceptance then it will reaffirm her belief in her own capability.
When your child makes a mistake at home remember that children rarely intend to do so. If your child is disappointed with something they did, a compassionate offer to help will build confidence. Children should not be rewarded when they succeed or punished for their mistakes. Your consistent acceptance of their mistakes will help your child to learn from them and strengthen their skills.
