​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. 

“We adults must see the real humanity in children, the humanity which will take our place one day, if we are to have social progress. Social progress means that the next generation is better than the one before.”
  Maria Montessori 
 
Dr. Montessori felt that one of the most significant contributions and actions an individual can make toward a better humanity is to serve children as they move through their developmental phases with respect for their humanity so that they, may in turn, do the same when our generation is gone. 
 
Central and our parents support the child's ongoing work in further developing autonomy, agency, and contributions to social progress in adulthood. These skills are cultivated through service learning, opportunities to work in a mixed-age setting, self-regulation, critical inquiry, and respect for others to benefit the individual and, hopefully, humanity well beyond their years at Central. This is our essential work and action.  
 
One of our alumnus parents, Angela Patton, is the founder of Camp Diva Leadership Academy, CEO of Girls for a Change, and co-director of the documentary Daughters, which is currently showing on Netflix. We invite Central parents to watch Daughters. It is very powerful. The film contains some sensitive and complex content and has a maturity rating of PG-13. It is best suited for adult viewers. There are ways to get involved in supporting the ongoing work featured in the documentary. Anyone can register to host a watch party and invite a group of attendees. The watch party tool kit provides excellent information about starting a discussion, developing action plans, and including people who can offer valuable perspectives on policy, legislation, lived experiences, research, and nonprofit initiatives. Central is also in the early stages of planning and information gathering to host a community impact screening for the larger community. We hope to make this happen. Please reach out if you’d be interested in helping with this project. Thanks. 
 
-Kelly 
 
Calendar of Events 
 
September 2024:  SCHOOL SPIRIT MONTH: GO BUZZ BEES! GOOD! 
Conferences: Infant &Toddler, Preprimary
PIN:  Primary, Lower El, Upper El & Middle School

Month of Giving to Free Little Library and Food Pantry: Middle School’s Month to Donate
13       Lower El PIN (Parent Information Night) = Meet & Greet + Open House + Topic Discussion 
           with Questions & Answers: Watch for V Link
15       National Hispanic Heritage Month Begins: Bien! 
17-18   School Portraits by Stephanie Garr: Watch for Info 
19-20   Infant & Toddler: Parent/Teacher Conferences:
20       International Day of Peace Sing a Long & Recitation of Quotes for Peace 
20       Little Kicks Fall Soccer Session Begins! 
20       Primary PIN (Parent Information Night) 6:30 to 8:00  Meet & Greet + Open House + Topic 
           Discussion with Questions & Answers, Watch for V Link
24       School Portraits by Stephanie Garr: Watch for Info 
24       Preprimary: Parent/Teacher Conferences  
25       Upper El & Middle School:  First Day of Tennis (6 week session)  
26       CVS  & Central’s Annual Flu Shot Clinic 4:00-6:00 main campus Register here 
27       Last Friday 4:00 Closing (all campuses: carpool 3:00-4:00) 
28       Outdoor Work Day: Autumn Prep of Gardens and Campuses: V hour opportunities!      
30       Fall Market Day: Upper El & Middle School Students 5 years & older can buy. 
     
 
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 
4          Infant & Toddler and PrePrimary PIN (Parent Information Night) 6:30 to 8:00  
            Meet & Greet + Open House + Topic Discussion with Questions & Answers
            Watch for V Link
5          Pop Up Central Yard Sale!  Watch for Info. 
10        The Big Apple Crunch:  Watch for Info
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:  Watch for Link 
17        Primary B: Parent/Teacher Conferences:  Watch for Link
22        Primary B: Parent/Teacher Conferences (cont): Watch for Link
23-24   Primary C: Parent/Teacher Conferences:  Watch for Link
25        Last Friday: 4:00 Closing: 3:00-4:00 Carpool
26        PAC: Chili Cook-Off: Watch for Info! 🌶️
28       Tentative: Upper El & Middle School Science Fair: Watch for Link
29-30   Lower El: Parent/Teacher Conferences:  Watch for Link
31        Lower El:  Scary Animal Day:  Watch for Info
 
What’s Happening? 
Primary B
An older child stands at a handwashing station next to a new three year old child. The older child first shows the younger one how to go to the sink to fill a pitcher of water, then return to the table and pour the water carefully into the bowl. The younger child smiles as their friend picks up the soap to wash their hands and begins to sing a little song. The two children finish the lesson by pouring the water back into the sink and drying the table with a towel for the next person. 

Lower Elementary
The students gather at the group time rug and hear a story called Grandfather Rock, about the creation of storytelling. Later in the day, a student reads a book titled The Girl Who Helped Thunder, which contains many Native American stories. The student is surprised to find a story similar to the story of Grandfather Rock! Excited by the news, the student creates a Venn diagram, reads the story to the class, and invites the children to list the similarities and differences they found in both stories. 

Pre-Primary
Two friends are sitting outside together on a warm, sunny morning. One is using both hands to hold a large bucket steady as the other scoops mulch and dirt to dump into the bucket. The child holding the bucket politely says, “Thank you.” for each load of dirt, even after many repetitions. “Thanks for helping!”

Middle School
The students gather for a group lesson about science lab safety. They look at a cartoon image of students in a science lab to determine what safe practices are being followed and which are not. The students laugh as they identify all of the silly unsafe practices they see in the image. A student observes that many of the problems in the image are not present at Central because “We always work together to keep a safe and clean classroom environment!”  

Primary A
During group time, an older student noticed that the baskets that contain the rugs are disorganized. "Let's fix them!" they say as they take the initiative. Students take turns, and they start rolling them. They proudly show their friends how the rugs and mats are perfectly rolled and placed in the basket. Once they are done, the students take a quick look and comment, “The rugs are organized, and the classroom looks pretty now. It looks great! We need to keep them like that". 

Primary C
A group of students receives a beautiful lesson on the water cycle. One friend excitedly says, “It all gets recycled!” Now the children gather in a group and practice ‘making silence'. They seem to remember that silence is a way to find peace and calm our bodies. The friends have been challenging themselves to have a peaceful body for 30 seconds (the amount of time on the sand timer). They decide to challenge themselves to sit silently and calmly for one whole minute, and they did it! They exchanged excited smiles as the bell rings, signaling the end of the Making Silence Game.  

Upper Elementary
After each student created their own rendition of the first Great Lesson: The Coming of the Universe, a  child asked if they can create a their own timeline of their own life. Paper is laid out and the child measures out 3 inches for each year of their life. Soon many observers follow suit and by the afternoon, children are writing and using mixed media to illustrate their creation stories, interests, and the monumental moments on their life on their personal timelines. They begin to prepare for sharing their timeline stories this Friday. 

Infant and Toddler
An infant lays curled up on their nap mat cuddled in a blanket, bottom in the air.  Quiet classical music fills the darkened room as the child, and their friends, rest.  The child begins to stir, turning over to lay on their back instead of their tummy.  After a moment, the child fully awakens and sits up.  Looking around, a huge smile spreads across their face.  A guide approaches and the child lifts their arms to be held.  The guide obliges, and the two have a good snuggle before the child is ready to be put down.  Heading over towards the fridge, the child uses one hand to touch the fridge and the other to sign for “eat”.  Time for lunch!

UE/MS Cultural Enrichment
The gardens are beginning to produce a small harvest of peas while some flowers start to go to seed. Students are excited to eat the peas (yum!) while others decide to save the peas/seeds for our next plantings. Other students are surprised to learn that we eat so many different kinds of seeds as spices, grains, and more with one student exclaiming, “Rice is a seed?!” Students consider the reasons for seed-saving, the importance of leaving seeds for wildlife, how terms like annual/perennial and native/invasive are antonyms, and what information to include for their seed-saving packet. 

Events Calendar 

• Please find Central's website calendar for tentative school closings for 2024-2025  for tentative school closings for 2024-2025 
• Montessori Moments will be paused for the months of June & July 
• Event Calendars will be sent out each month
• All school calendars are tentative.

June 2024: Year Books & End of the Year Picnic!  
No Conferences this month! 
Month of Giving to Free Little Library and Food Pantry: Primary B 
27       End of Year Picnic 5:00-6:00 pm: No Montessori Hour All Campuses Watch for Info
27       Last Day of School!
28       Staff Work Day for Summer Session: Closed to Students

July 2024:  Save the Dates:  School Closing:  Watch for Events Information 
1-5      School is Closed to All:  Staff Vacation and Facility Work Week 
8         Central’s Summer Session begins 
12       Little Kicks Summer Soccer Sessions begin
15       Summer of Gardens Labs begin for PIII and older
17       Summer Swimming Sessions begin (check emails for information) 
22       Solar Picnic for elementary and older 
 
August 2024:  Save the Dates: School Closings: Watch for Events Information 
16   Last day of Summer of Soccer
22   Last day of Summer Swimming
26-30   School Closed to All:  Staff Work Week 
 
What’s Happening? 

Infant & Toddler
An infant stands, using the shelf for balance.  Digging through the small basket of shakers and handheld instruments, tongue out in concentration, the child looks around until they find the two shakers they’ve been looking for.  The child carefully lowers themself to the ground, one shaker in each of their hands.  Crawling across the classroom to make it over to their friend, the shakers rattle with each arm's movement.  The rattle of each shaker sounds throughout the classroom for just a moment, and then the child pulls themself up to a sitting position, having made it over to their friends.  Shaking the shakers as hard as they can, the child grins a huge grin, moving their little body to the music they’re making until their friend joins in!

Upper Elementary
A basket of fresh-cut lavender is harvested and brought into the classroom. A group of students create dried bouquets, while another group takes the broken buds and begins to harvest seeds. They manage to fill three jars and set them alongside the mint that was propagated and beginning to root in the water! Students anticipate more harvesting from future garden projects. Later in the afternoon, students read about the historical relevance of Juneteenth. 

Primary B
The PIII and Early Riser students carefully walk down the stairs, sitting down along the edge of the ‘stage.’ Bright blue fabric representing the ocean lies on the ground. Over it, a wooden “bridge’ has been set out. Walking across the bridge is a visual representation of the children entering a new phase of their school life. The Early Risers practice walking down the bridge in preparation for next year. Then, they quietly observe as their schoolmates take their turn. The PIII students have been waiting a long time for their chance to walk across this bridge. When their name gets called, each child shakes their primary guide’s hands, receives congratulations, walks through the bridge, greets their new guide, and receives their certificate of completion as the bell rings. Everyone claps in celebration of the PIII student’s accomplishments!

Primary A 
Two students are matching word labels to farm animal objects. A kindergarten student reads the names while a younger student matches the objects and places them on the wooden farm. "The horse, el caballo; the rooster, el gallo; the dog, el perro," reads the kindergarten student. Once they are done, the students start talking and sharing their farm experiences.  "I saw a real cow and a sheep at the farm. I saw horses,” they comment. Nearby students begin to share their experiences on a farm, too. 

Pre-Primary:
Several children are on the classroom’s outdoor porch during the afternoon work cycle.  Two friends are focused on watering plants. They scoop water from a large bucket into their tiny watering cans and pour it over every plant they can find. One child remarks, “The plants look so happy now!” Nearby, a younger friend tries to use a whisk to wash an iguana. When the tool doesn't do the job, they try using a scrub brush on the iguana instead. Success! They scrub away with renewed enthusiasm.

Lower Elementary 
The class begins reading “The Wild Robot” by Peter Brown together and is introduced to a new “life” robot named Roz, who is stranded on an island. A few chapters in, they create a Venn Diagram comparing Roz to a newborn human baby. “Roz and babies both make mistakes and learn from them,” one student suggests. “Roz does not get her energy from eating and drinking like babies,” another adds to the conversation. Many similarities and differences are shared. After reading about Roz’s experiences on the island, the students work together to create a problem and solution chart, listing all of the problems Roz has encountered and the following solutions. They decide to keep adding to the chart until the book is finished! Another student calculates that if they read five short chapters a week, they can finish the book before the new movie is released!

Primary C 
The buzz of the official last day of spring fills the classroom as a small group discusses the upcoming longest day of the year. One student says, “What does the longest day of the year mean?” An older friend overhears and says, ”Well, the sun stays out as long as possible!” The younger friend replies, “Will we be at school longer than usual?” The older student replies “No, we are here the same amount of the time; the sun will set later in the evening.” and offers a lesson  “Let’s go get a globe and a flashlight, we will have a quick science lesson.” 

Middle School
As the year winds down, two students are working on finishing all of their math work for the year. One student feels more confident solving systems of equations using the graphing method, and the other says he feels more comfortable solving with the elimination method. They decide to sit together so they can give each other lessons as needed. The two students encourage each other and demonstrate to the other students how to be patient and helpful. 

Cultural Enrichment (UE + MS):
Daily Soup begins with reading a recipe. The student determines how many servings the recipe makes and what seasonal ingredients are needed. The student must calculate how to produce the correct quantity needed for the recipe using a smaller measuring cup. The student expresses concern about changing the recipe and declares, “I think we should just do what the recipe says.” A discussion occurs about how sometimes a modification to a recipe is necessary when the ingredients or tools available differ from a recipe’s directions. 

PAC Corner!  
Student designed T-shirts will be sold during the June 27, 2024 end-of-year picnic.  Credit card and cash payments are accepted.  If we have collected your information for the following order, do not fear--we still have you on the list and are waiting for enough sign-ups to fill the order.  
 
If you are interested in getting involved in PAC, please contact us at any time at [email protected].


Central’s Little Free Library and Pantry
Thanks for helping us give back to our neighbors.  A neighbor who depends on this pantry for food has posted a request on the pantry asking for donations to include food containers that someone without a home, kitchen, or can opener can manage.  We ask that donations contain only foods within the expiration date.  All foods should be as healthy as possible.  We can do this! 
Special V Opportunities 

We All Scream for Ice Cream!
Ice Cream Makers wanted (the machine kind…or maybe the human kind!) for our 2024 Summer Session. If you have an electrical or manual ice cream maker and are ready to place it with folks who might be in need of ice cream, let us know!  V hours for resale value.  
Community Giving 
​
Central’s Little Free Library and Pantry
Thanks for helping us give back to our neighbors.  A neighbor who depends on this pantry for food has posted a request on the pantry asking for donations to include food containers that someone without a home, kitchen, or can opener can manage.  We ask that donations contain only foods within the expiration date.  All foods should be as healthy as possible.  We can do this! 
  Central and Community