= Events Calendar + What’s Happening:
Last call for Chili Chefs!
You know you want to do it! This could be your year! Chefs can earn three V-hours (four V-hours if you include toppings). The winning chef gets a prize, and all chefs receive our endless gratitude!
Bring on the Potluck!
A couple of extra food options are always welcome.!
Extended family and alums welcome! We’re going cash-free this year.
V-Hour Opportunities are still available!
We couldn’t do these special events without parent volunteers like you. It can be as big and meaningful as everyone makes it. Please check out V-hour opportunities on Track It Forward.
Don’t forget to bring your water bottle!
We will have loads of ramekins, plates, silverware, and napkins – but please bring and keep track of your drinking vessel!
Safety reminders!
The immense fun at the Chili Cook-Off can be very exciting for little ones. There will be space for running and playing on the playground. Parents must monitor their child’s whereabouts and activities during the event. Central staff members in attendance will be “off duty.” and will defer to parents.
Though it may be tempting during such a fun event and a possible sugar rush, students (or anyone) should refrain from climbing trees or pulling leaves from plants and gardens on campus.
See you on October 26th!
___________________________________________________________________________
Calendar of Events
October 2024: PAC: Chili Cook-Off!
Conferences: Primary A, Primary B, Primary C, Lower El
PIN: Infant & Toddler, PrePrimary
Month of Giving to Free Little Library and Food Pantry: Middle School
22 Primary B: Parent/Teacher Conferences (cont) Sign-Up & Zoom Link
23-24 Primary C: Parent/Teacher Conferences: Sign-Up & Zoom Link
25 Last Friday: 4:00 Closing: 3:00-4:00 Dismissal- No Additional Montessori Hour
25 Friday Night Set Up for the BIG EVENT (Chili Cookoff) V-Hours 🌶️
26 PAC: Chili Cook-Off: 4:00 Main Campus 🌶️ Info!
Track it Forward for V Hours: event & classroom-hosted activities! 🌶️
Chili Chef & Potluck Signup 🌶️
28 Tentative: Upper El & Middle School Science Fair: Watch for Info
29-30 Lower El: Parent/Teacher Conferences: Sign-Up & Zoom Link
31 Lower El: Scary Animal Day: Watch for Info
November 2024: Fill the Van Food Drive & GrandDays! Central’s Anniversary
Conferences: Lower El, Upper El, Middle School
Month of Giving to Free Little Library and Food Pantry: Everyone Gives!
2 Outdoor Classroom WorkDay! 10-11:30 Coffee & Bagels! Watch for Info & V Hour
5 Central Closed for Election Day: Earn 1 V hour! Go Vote!
6 Upper El Parent/Teacher Conferences: Sign-Up & Zoom Link
7 Lower El Parent/Teacher Conferences (cont)
8 Upper El Parent/Teacher Conferences (cont)
11 Main Campus Carpool: Fill the Van for the FeedMore Food Drive
12 Central’s Anniversary! SCHOOL PRIDE DAY!
12 Infant and Toddler Campus Carpools: Fill the Van for FeedMore Food Drive
13 Adolescent Program Campus Carpools: Fill the Van for FeedMore Food Drive
14 Middle School Parent/Teacher Conferences: Watch for Link
20-26 GRANDDAYS! Watch for Info & V Link (This is a change)
I/T RSVP, Preprimary RSVP, Primary A RSVP, Primary B RSVP
Primary C RSVP, Lower El RSVP, Upper El RSVP, Middle School RSVP
27-29 Autumn Break: School is Closed to All: Watch for V hour for Facility Work
December 2024: Cookie Drive, Winter Celebrations, Winter Package
Conferences: PrePrimary
Month of Giving to Free Little Library and Food Pantry: Everyone Gives!
2 Elementary & Middle School: Central Annual Cookie Drive 1: Watch for Info
2 Elementary & Middle School: Cookies and Songs Parade 1 to Fire House Number 1!
Thanks, First Responders: Watch for Info
3 Preprimary & Primary: Central Annual Cookie Drive 2: Watch for Info
3 Kindergarten: Cookies and Songs Parade 2: FireHouse Number 1! Thanks, First
Responders!
4 Whole School Cookie Drive for Winter Celebrations! (Potluck applies)
6 Elementary & Middle School: Winter Celebration 1: 5:30-6:30 or 4:00-5:00 Watch
for Info
9 Upper El & Mid. School: Winter Market Day
10-11 Preprimary Parent/Teacher Conferences: Watch for Link
13 Primary: Winter Celebration 2: 4:00-5:00: Watch for Info & V Link
18-20 Open to Winter Package Families Only: Closed to All Other Families
23-27 Winter Break: School Closed to All
30 Open to Winter Package Families Only: Closed to All Other Families
31 Winter Break (cont) School Closed to All
What’s Happening?
2001 Cultural Enrichment
Students look at a list of the top 10 styles of Hispanic music and choose a genre to research. Some find the artists who are called the “king” or “queen” of a genre, and we talk about how those terms probably wouldn’t be used today to describe a top artist out of respect for non-binary people. “I have Celia Cruz, and she’s called the Queen of Salsa.” Some music plays, and students begin to hear Cumbia, Merengue, Bomba, and more. Other students use percussion instruments to follow the rhythms of Cha-Cha and Mambo. Some students use the dance chart and work as partners to dance to the beat. Lots of cooperation and smiles!
Middle School
Students go to Jefferson Park to play kickball. A younger student asks the older pitcher if they can try pitching a few times. The older student says, “Of course you can!” and allows them to toss the ball. The younger student struggles to get the ball to the kicker, and the older student offers tips. For the rest of the game, the older student spends time teaching the younger student how to pitch the kickball correctly. They then talked and laughed the entire walk back to the school. Community like this is what Montessori is all about!
Pre-Primary
A child's ball bounces over the playground fence, landing far out of reach. As they begin to cry for the lost ball, a nearby friend notices and decides to scoop a handful of mulch into the crying child’s empty hands. The tears stop, and the helpful friend offers a comforting pat on the shoulder. The first child drops their mulch onto the ground, and their friend hurries to replace it with a new handful. The children share a smile and continue with their latest game, forgetting all about the lost ball.
Primary C
Ten ears of corn are on the table. The students gather and review the parts of the corn as they pull the husks from the ears and carefully remove the silks before roasting the corn for Daily Soup. A student concentrates on corn artwork; they use yarn for corn silks and carefully glue dried kernels on paper one by one. Another student is labeling the part of the corn. Later, older students help with math lessons with a few curious younger students. One gives a lesson on the 50s Board while another student demonstrates the 45 Layout work.
Infant/Toddler
A toddler sits at a table, their favorite work set out before them. The child digs through a small basket on the tray, searching through a pile of tool figures and picking up a small yellow drill. Digging through the pile of corresponding photo cards, the child finds just the one they’re looking for….a blue screwdriver. The child holds the drill to the card and begins “drilling” into the paper. “Bzzzzzzzzz bzzzzzzzz, I’m a drill!”
Primary B
One chilly morning on the playground, a teacher asks a child in Primary B to help find leaves for our art lesson. Soon, younger children join in to look for different kinds of leaves. We found a crab apple leaf that was half yellow and half brown, a spiky oak leaf, and some deep red and light green leaves with spots. At the end of the search, a child exclaims, “I found a giant fig leaf!” Once the basket was full, the children returned inside for a lesson on creating a ‘leaf rubbing’ print on the group time rug.
Lower Elementary
During recess, a few students notice a bird that has reached the end of its life cycle. After the bird is removed, the students form a circle around where the bird passed. One student begins singing "Light a Candle for Peace." The gathering gets larger and larger, and the voices get louder and louder. At one point, every lower elementary student is gathered! After a few different songs, the students take turns saying words to honor the life the bird lived. A few students make art with mulch to represent the bird.
Primary A
Little hands are quickly pulling leaves from the corn. Students are excited to peel the corn using their hands. They are learning the parts of the corn and how Indigenous peoples in the Americas grew and used corn. They discuss how people use corn to make many items, such as flour and beverages, and leaves can be used to prepare food for cooking. After the students peel, they ensure there is no more silk on the grains, cut them in half, and put them in the skillet, adding water, a little salt, and butter. They patiently wait until the corn is cooked. They serve their friends and look happy and satisfied eating the corn.
Upper Elementary
During the camping trip, students hiked to Beaver Lake, exploring the water for aquatic invertebrates and other organisms. As students use a net to collect specimens in a bucket of water, they find a crayfish, baby turtle, water bug, and tiny minnows! They carefully and respectfully restore the living things to their home and continue the remainder of the hike, identifying fungi and plants along the way.
In the evening, a group walks off the delicious dinner of camper’s stew! With headlamps on at dusk, students listen and look out for crepuscular and nocturnal animals. They enjoy the rest of the evening, creating stories by the fire with s’mores for dessert!
Special V Opportunity & Community Support Opportunities
Voting = V!
Central wants to say thank you to our parents who voted this November. Remember to enter one V hour for your Vote. Take your children and celebrate the best of America! Early voting begins soon.
WANTED! Tree Saplings
These are not V-hour eligible, but this kind of gift might work out for you and our students. A sapling for a family and more space in your yard! The Tree Protectors (lower-el students) love trees! If you find a little tree sapling in your yard and want someone to adopt it and give it a good home, please dig it up and bring it to school! Many children would like to take a tiny tree sapling home to their yard!
Our Little Free Sapling Garden is located by our main 323 Carpool Gate.
Last call for Chili Chefs!
You know you want to do it! This could be your year! Chefs can earn three V-hours (four V-hours if you include toppings). The winning chef gets a prize, and all chefs receive our endless gratitude!
Bring on the Potluck!
A couple of extra food options are always welcome.!
Extended family and alums welcome! We’re going cash-free this year.
V-Hour Opportunities are still available!
We couldn’t do these special events without parent volunteers like you. It can be as big and meaningful as everyone makes it. Please check out V-hour opportunities on Track It Forward.
Don’t forget to bring your water bottle!
We will have loads of ramekins, plates, silverware, and napkins – but please bring and keep track of your drinking vessel!
Safety reminders!
The immense fun at the Chili Cook-Off can be very exciting for little ones. There will be space for running and playing on the playground. Parents must monitor their child’s whereabouts and activities during the event. Central staff members in attendance will be “off duty.” and will defer to parents.
Though it may be tempting during such a fun event and a possible sugar rush, students (or anyone) should refrain from climbing trees or pulling leaves from plants and gardens on campus.
See you on October 26th!
___________________________________________________________________________
Calendar of Events
October 2024: PAC: Chili Cook-Off!
Conferences: Primary A, Primary B, Primary C, Lower El
PIN: Infant & Toddler, PrePrimary
Month of Giving to Free Little Library and Food Pantry: Middle School
22 Primary B: Parent/Teacher Conferences (cont) Sign-Up & Zoom Link
23-24 Primary C: Parent/Teacher Conferences: Sign-Up & Zoom Link
25 Last Friday: 4:00 Closing: 3:00-4:00 Dismissal- No Additional Montessori Hour
25 Friday Night Set Up for the BIG EVENT (Chili Cookoff) V-Hours 🌶️
26 PAC: Chili Cook-Off: 4:00 Main Campus 🌶️ Info!
Track it Forward for V Hours: event & classroom-hosted activities! 🌶️
Chili Chef & Potluck Signup 🌶️
28 Tentative: Upper El & Middle School Science Fair: Watch for Info
29-30 Lower El: Parent/Teacher Conferences: Sign-Up & Zoom Link
31 Lower El: Scary Animal Day: Watch for Info
November 2024: Fill the Van Food Drive & GrandDays! Central’s Anniversary
Conferences: Lower El, Upper El, Middle School
Month of Giving to Free Little Library and Food Pantry: Everyone Gives!
2 Outdoor Classroom WorkDay! 10-11:30 Coffee & Bagels! Watch for Info & V Hour
5 Central Closed for Election Day: Earn 1 V hour! Go Vote!
6 Upper El Parent/Teacher Conferences: Sign-Up & Zoom Link
7 Lower El Parent/Teacher Conferences (cont)
8 Upper El Parent/Teacher Conferences (cont)
11 Main Campus Carpool: Fill the Van for the FeedMore Food Drive
12 Central’s Anniversary! SCHOOL PRIDE DAY!
12 Infant and Toddler Campus Carpools: Fill the Van for FeedMore Food Drive
13 Adolescent Program Campus Carpools: Fill the Van for FeedMore Food Drive
14 Middle School Parent/Teacher Conferences: Watch for Link
20-26 GRANDDAYS! Watch for Info & V Link (This is a change)
I/T RSVP, Preprimary RSVP, Primary A RSVP, Primary B RSVP
Primary C RSVP, Lower El RSVP, Upper El RSVP, Middle School RSVP
27-29 Autumn Break: School is Closed to All: Watch for V hour for Facility Work
December 2024: Cookie Drive, Winter Celebrations, Winter Package
Conferences: PrePrimary
Month of Giving to Free Little Library and Food Pantry: Everyone Gives!
2 Elementary & Middle School: Central Annual Cookie Drive 1: Watch for Info
2 Elementary & Middle School: Cookies and Songs Parade 1 to Fire House Number 1!
Thanks, First Responders: Watch for Info
3 Preprimary & Primary: Central Annual Cookie Drive 2: Watch for Info
3 Kindergarten: Cookies and Songs Parade 2: FireHouse Number 1! Thanks, First
Responders!
4 Whole School Cookie Drive for Winter Celebrations! (Potluck applies)
6 Elementary & Middle School: Winter Celebration 1: 5:30-6:30 or 4:00-5:00 Watch
for Info
9 Upper El & Mid. School: Winter Market Day
10-11 Preprimary Parent/Teacher Conferences: Watch for Link
13 Primary: Winter Celebration 2: 4:00-5:00: Watch for Info & V Link
18-20 Open to Winter Package Families Only: Closed to All Other Families
23-27 Winter Break: School Closed to All
30 Open to Winter Package Families Only: Closed to All Other Families
31 Winter Break (cont) School Closed to All
What’s Happening?
2001 Cultural Enrichment
Students look at a list of the top 10 styles of Hispanic music and choose a genre to research. Some find the artists who are called the “king” or “queen” of a genre, and we talk about how those terms probably wouldn’t be used today to describe a top artist out of respect for non-binary people. “I have Celia Cruz, and she’s called the Queen of Salsa.” Some music plays, and students begin to hear Cumbia, Merengue, Bomba, and more. Other students use percussion instruments to follow the rhythms of Cha-Cha and Mambo. Some students use the dance chart and work as partners to dance to the beat. Lots of cooperation and smiles!
Middle School
Students go to Jefferson Park to play kickball. A younger student asks the older pitcher if they can try pitching a few times. The older student says, “Of course you can!” and allows them to toss the ball. The younger student struggles to get the ball to the kicker, and the older student offers tips. For the rest of the game, the older student spends time teaching the younger student how to pitch the kickball correctly. They then talked and laughed the entire walk back to the school. Community like this is what Montessori is all about!
Pre-Primary
A child's ball bounces over the playground fence, landing far out of reach. As they begin to cry for the lost ball, a nearby friend notices and decides to scoop a handful of mulch into the crying child’s empty hands. The tears stop, and the helpful friend offers a comforting pat on the shoulder. The first child drops their mulch onto the ground, and their friend hurries to replace it with a new handful. The children share a smile and continue with their latest game, forgetting all about the lost ball.
Primary C
Ten ears of corn are on the table. The students gather and review the parts of the corn as they pull the husks from the ears and carefully remove the silks before roasting the corn for Daily Soup. A student concentrates on corn artwork; they use yarn for corn silks and carefully glue dried kernels on paper one by one. Another student is labeling the part of the corn. Later, older students help with math lessons with a few curious younger students. One gives a lesson on the 50s Board while another student demonstrates the 45 Layout work.
Infant/Toddler
A toddler sits at a table, their favorite work set out before them. The child digs through a small basket on the tray, searching through a pile of tool figures and picking up a small yellow drill. Digging through the pile of corresponding photo cards, the child finds just the one they’re looking for….a blue screwdriver. The child holds the drill to the card and begins “drilling” into the paper. “Bzzzzzzzzz bzzzzzzzz, I’m a drill!”
Primary B
One chilly morning on the playground, a teacher asks a child in Primary B to help find leaves for our art lesson. Soon, younger children join in to look for different kinds of leaves. We found a crab apple leaf that was half yellow and half brown, a spiky oak leaf, and some deep red and light green leaves with spots. At the end of the search, a child exclaims, “I found a giant fig leaf!” Once the basket was full, the children returned inside for a lesson on creating a ‘leaf rubbing’ print on the group time rug.
Lower Elementary
During recess, a few students notice a bird that has reached the end of its life cycle. After the bird is removed, the students form a circle around where the bird passed. One student begins singing "Light a Candle for Peace." The gathering gets larger and larger, and the voices get louder and louder. At one point, every lower elementary student is gathered! After a few different songs, the students take turns saying words to honor the life the bird lived. A few students make art with mulch to represent the bird.
Primary A
Little hands are quickly pulling leaves from the corn. Students are excited to peel the corn using their hands. They are learning the parts of the corn and how Indigenous peoples in the Americas grew and used corn. They discuss how people use corn to make many items, such as flour and beverages, and leaves can be used to prepare food for cooking. After the students peel, they ensure there is no more silk on the grains, cut them in half, and put them in the skillet, adding water, a little salt, and butter. They patiently wait until the corn is cooked. They serve their friends and look happy and satisfied eating the corn.
Upper Elementary
During the camping trip, students hiked to Beaver Lake, exploring the water for aquatic invertebrates and other organisms. As students use a net to collect specimens in a bucket of water, they find a crayfish, baby turtle, water bug, and tiny minnows! They carefully and respectfully restore the living things to their home and continue the remainder of the hike, identifying fungi and plants along the way.
In the evening, a group walks off the delicious dinner of camper’s stew! With headlamps on at dusk, students listen and look out for crepuscular and nocturnal animals. They enjoy the rest of the evening, creating stories by the fire with s’mores for dessert!
Special V Opportunity & Community Support Opportunities
Voting = V!
Central wants to say thank you to our parents who voted this November. Remember to enter one V hour for your Vote. Take your children and celebrate the best of America! Early voting begins soon.
WANTED! Tree Saplings
These are not V-hour eligible, but this kind of gift might work out for you and our students. A sapling for a family and more space in your yard! The Tree Protectors (lower-el students) love trees! If you find a little tree sapling in your yard and want someone to adopt it and give it a good home, please dig it up and bring it to school! Many children would like to take a tiny tree sapling home to their yard!
Our Little Free Sapling Garden is located by our main 323 Carpool Gate.
