We’re off to a great start in Lower School! The students are settling into new routines, classrooms, teachers and classmates. After our first full week last week, I saw some tired faces during Friday’s dismissal—mine included! I was excited today to see rejuvenated faces ready for another week. As you’re busy establishing routines for the new school year, getting children to bed at a consistent time each night is so important. Check out this article for incentive to follow a schedule with your child’s bedtime routine! http://www.dailyspark.com/blog.asp?post=getting_enough_sleep_could_make_kids_smarter
Fifth graders are already demonstrating wonderful leadership qualities. On September 11, Maddie M. and Bryan Y. did a wonderful job with raising and lowering the American flag as the School gathered around our flagpole for a moment of remembrance. I was very proud of the two students, especially since the raising and lowering of the flag is always a new experience for fifth graders in September. Fifth graders are also selected to serve as table heads each month. Four students have the opportunity to serve as a table head to their peers, third and fourth grade students. Many fifth graders have come forward and expressed interest in this fun leadership responsibility. While it is fun, it is an important job in that the table head needs to ensure all students are eating a healthy lunch, appropriate table conversation is being held at that table and that concerns are reported to a teacher. That can be a tough job when your best friend is sitting at your table! Soon, we will have fifth grade safeties assigned, which will be very helpful during dismissal.
Reminders:
It is important to view your child’s teacher’s web page regularly. On the page, you’ll find reminders, special classroom notices and often photos and sometimes, videos of your child or your child’s classmates. If you need assistance logging onto, or even finding the parent section of our web site, please feel free to call me and I would be happy to walk you through the process.
Join us for Lower School Parents’ Night at 7 PM on Thursday, September 30. Parents will gather in Bell Hall for introductions to our many Lower School special subject area teachers. Following the time in Bell Hall, parents will travel to the classrooms for a presentation by your child’s classroom teacher. The evening concludes at approximately 8:30 PM.
Don’t forget to check out the wonderful Afternoon enrichment courses on our web site (you can link to this area from the Afternoons Enrichment article in Schoolhouse News). The options are fantastic and offer our students many fun ways to spend their time after school.
As always, please feel free to contact me at smarotta@montgomeryschool.org or by phone at 610-827-7222, ext. 220 if ever I can be of assistance! It’s my honor and pleasure to share many happy moments with you and your child during this school year.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Monday, September 6, 2010
Start of a New School Year!!
Wow! Here we are again at what I like to refer to as "Back to School Eve." Tomorrow is the first day of school, and I think I am just as excited as the children! I always think back to what it felt like on this night when I was a child. Oh the anticipation!! Would my teacher like me? Would I see my friends? Who would I sit with at lunch? Who would I play with at recess? Would I have homework on the first day? Would I be able to do the work of this higher grade?
As educators, I think it's critical that we remember our fears as children so that we can try to alleviate the anxiety our students may be feeling. I love at Montgomery that we take away some of these fears right away by things like our assigned lunch tables, which instill the feeling instantly that all of the children are part of a close, caring community; teachers serving as recess monitors to ensure that the children are safe and that all the students are involved in some sort of recess play; all of the students will see their friends in their own classroom and other friends will be waiting to see them in the classroom next door; and there’s no doubt that each child will feel success! We are all part of something remarkable at Montgomery School.
Recently, I came across an article about New School Year's resolutions, which proposed instead of waiting until January to make resolutions about school, students can start a new school year by establishing goals for their school experience. A simple concept, but one I have never thought of that I will talk more about during my upcoming Chapel. Take a look at this article, and perhaps have some fun setting resolutions with your own child!
http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/08/19/1784146/students-parents-make-resolutions.html
As educators, I think it's critical that we remember our fears as children so that we can try to alleviate the anxiety our students may be feeling. I love at Montgomery that we take away some of these fears right away by things like our assigned lunch tables, which instill the feeling instantly that all of the children are part of a close, caring community; teachers serving as recess monitors to ensure that the children are safe and that all the students are involved in some sort of recess play; all of the students will see their friends in their own classroom and other friends will be waiting to see them in the classroom next door; and there’s no doubt that each child will feel success! We are all part of something remarkable at Montgomery School.
Recently, I came across an article about New School Year's resolutions, which proposed instead of waiting until January to make resolutions about school, students can start a new school year by establishing goals for their school experience. A simple concept, but one I have never thought of that I will talk more about during my upcoming Chapel. Take a look at this article, and perhaps have some fun setting resolutions with your own child!
http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/08/19/1784146/students-parents-make-resolutions.html
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