Montessori Moments = Events Calendar + What’s Happening:
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We love food! Students and staff crunched into delicious Virginia-grown apples from Saunders Farm in Nelson County for the big Crunch on Thursday. This weekend, our upper and middle school students are shopping for food to cook on their camping trip. Our Annual Chili Cookoff will be here in two weeks and one day! We also have our Free Pantry… and a commitment to caring for our community.
Upper students collect food donations from the main building and stock the pantry at least once but often, many times a week. One of our first-year elementary students filled the Free Pantry on her birthday, and another student hosted a neighborhood food drive to fill the pantry.
Though we all pitch in, it is often empty within an hour. Food is needed in our neighborhood and can be a lifeline for some, but the need outweighs what we provide. This is a tangible act of service for people who need immediate help that we and our children can do in real-time. This month is Middle School’s month to donate items, but anyone can do it anytime.
Today, an upper el student found this note inside the pantry. Please reach out if you have an idea, a connection, or resources that might help us get more food to stock the pantry more often. Thank you.
- Kelly
_____________________
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
14 Indigenous Peoples Day
14-15 Upper El & Middle School: Pocahontas State Park: Camp Out: Watch for Info
15-16 Primary A: Parent/Teacher Conferences:
17 Primary B: Parent/Teacher Conferences:
22 Primary B: Parent/Teacher Conferences (cont)
23-24 Primary C: Parent/Teacher Conferences:
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 🌶️
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: Every One 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 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)
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
“Can I make my name?” a student asks, drafting their idea on paper. After seeing examples of how the art started as a religious expression and how it’s used for modern-day creativity, students learn to make repujado, a Mexican art of metal embossing. Patterns, words, portraits of pets and people…students emboss their ideas and enjoy exploring adding color to their repujado. “Can I make another one?” asks a student and happily shares their idea of abstract lines and shapes. “I can’t wait to try this again!”
Middle School
Four large boxes are delivered to the classroom. A child sees the boxes and excitedly asks, “Are those apples? Is it the Big Crunch? I was just thinking it is time for it.” Other children join in the conversation, inquiring about the event; “Is it today?” “Do we get to go to the main building?” “Where do the apples come from?” The energy is high as the students anticipate participating in the Big Crunch with the younger children. Within hours, the apples are washed, reboxed, and ready to be delivered for the whole school to participate.
Pre-Primary
Two children examine purple flowers growing in the garden. After studying a flower in full bloom, the first child shifts their attention to a new flower bud. “This one isn't here yet,” they observe. The other child is busy counting the flowers, pointing at each of them. “One, two, three, four. Four flowers!”
Primary C
The students are buzzing with excitement for the “big crunch.” While sitting with a snack, students begin reciting an apple poem to themselves. They begin, “Way up high in an apple tree…..” another student joins in the poem's chorus. A small group of students practice saying the word for apple in Spanish. A student says, “Manzana, I cannot wait to eat my manzana during the big crunch!”
Infant/Toddler
It’s a crisp morning on the playground! A few children have already bundled up and headed outside, while a few remain inside, still getting ready. A toddler heads over to their hook and pulls off their jacket. A guide reminds the child how to lay their coat on the floor, with the hood facing them. The child takes a moment to position their outerwear precisely right, then steps up to attempt their first independent Toddler Flip ™. The preparations were precise, though the execution needs a little work. The jacket gets stuck on top of the child’s head! After a tiny bit of assistance from a guide to get the hood over their head, the child proudly shouts, “I did it!”
Primary B
One morning, a three-year-old child enters the classroom holding a bouquet of dahlias and roses. “I brought flowers!” they announce proudly. A group of younger children gather around a teacher as the flowers are placed next to a set of small vases, a funnel, and a water pitcher. They watch as the teacher carefully trims the stem of a flower and pours water into one of the vases. They follow her as she places the vase on a windowsill. “That was flower arranging. You may try it any time you like!” One by one, the children take turns pouring the water with the funnel and carefully walking to set their flower arrangements around the classroom. A sense of peace is felt in the room as these younger students engage in purposeful work.
Lower Elementary
The students have a big job to do for Crunch Day. One group of students gather gloves and napkins and make a plan to distribute almost four cases of apples amongst a group of over 100 people gathered on the playground. The volunteers offer apples to semi-confused (but appreciative) preprimary students, excited primary students, calm and collected upper el and middle school students, and staff members on the sunny playground. They sit and prepare to take a big crunch! After the cheering, crunching, and tasty apples are finished, another group of lower el volunteers in fresh gloves take the apples and sort them into compost or distribution boxes. They compost the eaten apples and recycle the boxes. The remaining uneaten apples are divided and shared with classrooms for further studies. A fraction lesson is about to start.
Primary A
A student works carefully on coloring a continent map after they trace it. The student exclaims, "I have one more continent to color." Once they are done, they proudly show it to their nearby friends. Three friends are preparing some fresh strawberries on the other side of the classroom. They wash and then cut the strawberries. After they have finished, one shouts, "The strawberries are ready to serve!" Another friend responds, "Yes, during group time."
Upper Elementary
Students begin reading the fall book club book, The Birchbark House, by Louise Erdrich! The story begins by introducing Omakayas and her family and their way of life on an island in Lake Superior. The students take turns reading and learning about the Ojibwe family’s way of life and Omakaya's childhood experiences. As students read, some have difficulty pronouncing Ojibwe terms and learn to use the pronunciation guide. They also learn that apitchi means robin and the story takes place during Neebin, the summer.
Later in the week, students anticipate the camping trip next week, checking lanterns and gathering supplies, such as nature journals and compasses, for the journey!
Special V Opportunity & Community Support Opportunities
Voting = V!
Central wants to say thank you to our parents who vote 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.
Your emails are important to us. If you need to communicate with Central, please generate a new email with a label in the subject line. Central does not monitor this email for responses, so please do not respond to this message.
We love food! Students and staff crunched into delicious Virginia-grown apples from Saunders Farm in Nelson County for the big Crunch on Thursday. This weekend, our upper and middle school students are shopping for food to cook on their camping trip. Our Annual Chili Cookoff will be here in two weeks and one day! We also have our Free Pantry… and a commitment to caring for our community.
Upper students collect food donations from the main building and stock the pantry at least once but often, many times a week. One of our first-year elementary students filled the Free Pantry on her birthday, and another student hosted a neighborhood food drive to fill the pantry.
Though we all pitch in, it is often empty within an hour. Food is needed in our neighborhood and can be a lifeline for some, but the need outweighs what we provide. This is a tangible act of service for people who need immediate help that we and our children can do in real-time. This month is Middle School’s month to donate items, but anyone can do it anytime.
Today, an upper el student found this note inside the pantry. Please reach out if you have an idea, a connection, or resources that might help us get more food to stock the pantry more often. Thank you.
- Kelly
_____________________
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
14 Indigenous Peoples Day
14-15 Upper El & Middle School: Pocahontas State Park: Camp Out: Watch for Info
15-16 Primary A: Parent/Teacher Conferences:
17 Primary B: Parent/Teacher Conferences:
22 Primary B: Parent/Teacher Conferences (cont)
23-24 Primary C: Parent/Teacher Conferences:
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 🌶️
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: Every One 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 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)
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
“Can I make my name?” a student asks, drafting their idea on paper. After seeing examples of how the art started as a religious expression and how it’s used for modern-day creativity, students learn to make repujado, a Mexican art of metal embossing. Patterns, words, portraits of pets and people…students emboss their ideas and enjoy exploring adding color to their repujado. “Can I make another one?” asks a student and happily shares their idea of abstract lines and shapes. “I can’t wait to try this again!”
Middle School
Four large boxes are delivered to the classroom. A child sees the boxes and excitedly asks, “Are those apples? Is it the Big Crunch? I was just thinking it is time for it.” Other children join in the conversation, inquiring about the event; “Is it today?” “Do we get to go to the main building?” “Where do the apples come from?” The energy is high as the students anticipate participating in the Big Crunch with the younger children. Within hours, the apples are washed, reboxed, and ready to be delivered for the whole school to participate.
Pre-Primary
Two children examine purple flowers growing in the garden. After studying a flower in full bloom, the first child shifts their attention to a new flower bud. “This one isn't here yet,” they observe. The other child is busy counting the flowers, pointing at each of them. “One, two, three, four. Four flowers!”
Primary C
The students are buzzing with excitement for the “big crunch.” While sitting with a snack, students begin reciting an apple poem to themselves. They begin, “Way up high in an apple tree…..” another student joins in the poem's chorus. A small group of students practice saying the word for apple in Spanish. A student says, “Manzana, I cannot wait to eat my manzana during the big crunch!”
Infant/Toddler
It’s a crisp morning on the playground! A few children have already bundled up and headed outside, while a few remain inside, still getting ready. A toddler heads over to their hook and pulls off their jacket. A guide reminds the child how to lay their coat on the floor, with the hood facing them. The child takes a moment to position their outerwear precisely right, then steps up to attempt their first independent Toddler Flip ™. The preparations were precise, though the execution needs a little work. The jacket gets stuck on top of the child’s head! After a tiny bit of assistance from a guide to get the hood over their head, the child proudly shouts, “I did it!”
Primary B
One morning, a three-year-old child enters the classroom holding a bouquet of dahlias and roses. “I brought flowers!” they announce proudly. A group of younger children gather around a teacher as the flowers are placed next to a set of small vases, a funnel, and a water pitcher. They watch as the teacher carefully trims the stem of a flower and pours water into one of the vases. They follow her as she places the vase on a windowsill. “That was flower arranging. You may try it any time you like!” One by one, the children take turns pouring the water with the funnel and carefully walking to set their flower arrangements around the classroom. A sense of peace is felt in the room as these younger students engage in purposeful work.
Lower Elementary
The students have a big job to do for Crunch Day. One group of students gather gloves and napkins and make a plan to distribute almost four cases of apples amongst a group of over 100 people gathered on the playground. The volunteers offer apples to semi-confused (but appreciative) preprimary students, excited primary students, calm and collected upper el and middle school students, and staff members on the sunny playground. They sit and prepare to take a big crunch! After the cheering, crunching, and tasty apples are finished, another group of lower el volunteers in fresh gloves take the apples and sort them into compost or distribution boxes. They compost the eaten apples and recycle the boxes. The remaining uneaten apples are divided and shared with classrooms for further studies. A fraction lesson is about to start.
Primary A
A student works carefully on coloring a continent map after they trace it. The student exclaims, "I have one more continent to color." Once they are done, they proudly show it to their nearby friends. Three friends are preparing some fresh strawberries on the other side of the classroom. They wash and then cut the strawberries. After they have finished, one shouts, "The strawberries are ready to serve!" Another friend responds, "Yes, during group time."
Upper Elementary
Students begin reading the fall book club book, The Birchbark House, by Louise Erdrich! The story begins by introducing Omakayas and her family and their way of life on an island in Lake Superior. The students take turns reading and learning about the Ojibwe family’s way of life and Omakaya's childhood experiences. As students read, some have difficulty pronouncing Ojibwe terms and learn to use the pronunciation guide. They also learn that apitchi means robin and the story takes place during Neebin, the summer.
Later in the week, students anticipate the camping trip next week, checking lanterns and gathering supplies, such as nature journals and compasses, for the journey!
Special V Opportunity & Community Support Opportunities
Voting = V!
Central wants to say thank you to our parents who vote 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.
