Cultural Connections!

What a wonderful event on Friday for all students!

The day was a lovely success, thanks to all the many community members coming together to celebrate the different cultures that make up Montgomery School. Coming together as buddies is always a fun time for our students, and this day definitely gave the students an opportunity to bond!

Many thanks especially to:
Sam R. and Sasha R. for a very special Russian display in Bell Hall.

Fifth grade students Sara S. and Emily L. for speaking to us in Chinese and Korean as a kick off to the day!

Mrs. Pumphrey transformed our library into a fabulous Parisian cafe! Thanks to all the parent volunteers who helped us in this busy area: Beth Brake, Leelee Conklin, Pamela Locke and Christine Roussey!

Mrs. Mulzet and Ms. Kolesar taught our students how to write haikus, a form of Japenese poetry.

Ms. Vinueza and Mrs. Schmidt staged a wonderful Venezuelan art project for students to complete with models wearing beautiful Venezuelan costumes. Thank you to current parent Jane Blake for arranging our use of the ethnic attire. Thanks also to the other parent volunteers who helped in this area - Erin Downes and Traci Mellinger.

Writing names in Hindi was also a fun experience thanks to Jim Karustis and Suman Devas. Thanks to Mrs. Dattilo, Jennifer Volatille and Deeawn Roundtree who helped with this particular session.

Looking at Africa on our SMART boards and making origami African tree frogs was a big hit thanks to Mrs. London and Mr. Hamilton. Thanks also to Mrs. Kelly and Mrs. Brown and well as parent Patty Dahm who helped make this session run smoothly.

Mr. Bireley and Mrs. Blair had a busy day in the gym teaching our students how to play games from other cultures!

Students also enjoyed a special lunch from Sweden –the Swedish meatballs were delicious! Thank you to Caroline Gustaffson for providing a lovely Swedish display and a special thank you to Gloria Satriale for our wonderful dessert from Italy! The Cafe Montgomery Italiano was full of yummy treats - gelato, pizzelles, tortoni and cannolis. Graze Mrs. Satriale!

The end of the festival was full of information, beautiful attire and smiling faces as Montgomery students and faculty members hit the fashion runway. Thank you to Mrs. Walton and Mrs. Baumeister for the hard work that went behind making our International Fashion Show a huge success! What a treat to view other cultures and hear the beautiful music representing each country (thanks to Mrs. Lim)! What a perfect way to end a delightful day.

Gold Awards for January 8-14

A Big Week for Fifth Grade!!
Congratulations to all of the following students.

Kindergarten:
Samuel L. - Mrs. Oakes

Third Grade:
Katie C. - Mrs. Wetzel

Fifth Grade:
Sara S. - Mrs. Batson
Makenzie D. - Mrs. Batson
Cat C. - Mrs. Barker
Katie O. - Mrs. Barker
Olivia K. - Mrs. Batson - 2 this week!
Courtney C. - Mrs. Batson
Sam C. - Mrs. Barker

Cultural Connections Festival

Friday, January 16 is the big day for our first Cultural Connections Festival! The day will kick off Cultural Arts Week, taking place January 20 -23.

The day begins with Chapel in Bell Hall honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., followed by a day full of fun with grade buddies (Half day PreK students are invited to attend school for the full day to participate in all of the fun.):
• Experience the sights and sounds of Paris in the Library (admission: 1 canned good, which will be collected and distributed to The Lords Pantry of Downingtown)
• Write Haiku, a form of Japanese poetry
• Art Center focusing on an activity representing another culture
• Play games from around the globe
• Sample foods from Sweden and Italy on Friday and from India, Greece, Korea, and Germany throughout Cultural Arts week, January 20th - 23rd.
• Write your name in Hindi

At 2:00 PM we will gather in the gymnasium for an international fashion show to celebrate our individual cultures and heritage.

At 2:30, the day concludes with a special pep rally to excite our Montgomery basketball teams as they prepare for their "Friday Night Ligts" game against Benchmark School.

The day will be full of learning and excitement.

Cold Weather Reminder

As temperatures are getting colder and colder, please remember to send students to school with a warm coat, hat and gloves. Please make sure these items are labeled with your child's name. Girls wearing the kilt or jumper may bring boots and/or sweatpants to school to change into for recess for added warmth.

Ugg boots are a Middle School privilege. The boots may be worn during recess but school shoes need to be worn during the school day. Thank you in advance for your cooperation!

Gold Awards for January 5-7

First Grade
Bryce E. - Mrs. Vaughan

Second Grade
Ryan P. - Mrs. Clay

Third Grade
Katie C. - Mrs. Wetzel