Your monthly MMS newsletter is here!  
MMS Monthly E-Newsletter |  January 2016
 
From the Co-Directors:
We have enjoyed talking with many of you as you have visited the school to observe your child's classroom.  We also appreciate your written comments, which we are able to share with the guides and assistants.  These are some of the things you've listed as 'most interesting' during your observations:
  • "If a child is enjoying a work, they are allowed to continue with it for as long as they like.  I love the opportunity for intense focus."
  • "Children are completely self-directed"
  • "One child told another child, 'My feelings are hurting'."
  • "...how calm the room is with so many kids"
  • "I like how the children help each other."
  • "Children exhibited independence and patience.  Even with them working individually on different tasks, there was a sense of discipline in class!"
  • "I observed an atmosphere of respect and cooperation."
  • "...kids helping clean up messes voluntarily that they didn't make'
  • "Children were excited about information, they presented well, and handled questions and differing points of view with grace."
  • "I felt like I was in a college library.  Teachers guided well, but all the students seemed very independent."
If you haven't yet scheduled an observation, please call Beth soon.  We also encourage parents whose children will be 'moving up' to the next level (primary to lower elementary, lower to upper and upper to middle school) to observe at the next level as well. 
UPCOMING EVENTS
Parent's Night Out | January 29, 2016  |   5:30-8:30 pm
Please email Beth at [email protected] to register.
Mid-Year Progress Reports 
Progress Reports for all students will be mailed by Tuesday, February 2.
Parent Education Night | Tuesday, February 9, 2016   |   5:30-6:30 pm
Please join us for a special all-school parent education night on February 9.  Childcare will be provided free of charge.  Watch for more information coming soon!
Middle School Farm Stand | February 5, 12, 19, 2016  |   2:30-5:30 pm
Middle school students will be selling their products and services at our main campus location. Come see what they have been working on in their micro-economy classes!
Winter Break  | February 15-19, 2016
Classes resume on Monday, February 22, 2016.
Board Meeting | Monday , February 22, 2016 |  6:00 pm
Everyone is welcome to attend.  We meet in the art room.
Letter of Intent and Enrollment Agreement Due | Thursday , February 25, 2016
Please be sure to include all siblings who will attend MMS during our 2016-2017 school year.  Open Enrollment begins after this date.
Parent's Night Out | February 26, 2016  |   5:30-8:30 pm
Please email Beth at [email protected] to register.
MMS Masquerade | Saturday , April 9, 2016 | 7:00 pm
Mark your calendars for this special event to benefit our school.  More details to come!
OFFICE NOTES AND SCHOOL NEEDS

  • Please be sure to call Beth at 304.342.7870 if your Primary or Elementary child will be absent from school, arriving late, or leaving early.  She will let your child's classroom guide know so they can plan accordingly.
  • Parents of Middle School students should contact Bridgett at 253.228.4616 if a student will be absent, arriving late, or leaving early. 
  • Please remember that children will be outside daily for playground time and/or lunch except in the case of extreme weather such as severe ice or snow, heavy rain or thunderstorms.  All students (Primary through Middle School) need to 'dress for the weather'.  Please let us know if you have any questions about our school's stance on the importance of outside time for children.
CLASS NOTES
Primary 
Our Primary classrooms have been buzzing with activity since our return from New Year's break. The children returned invigorated and excited to take on the second semester of the school year. Extended day friends are planning and setting goals to make our classroom a peaceful, friendly, clean, and safe environment.  Some of their plans are "to help young friends when they ask or show that they need something" , "to clean up after ourselves" , and "to take care of our plants so that our classroom looks beautiful". As a group there has been a rising interest in the passage of time and talk about seasons, months, and days of the week.  The children have also been working with lessons in food preparation. Through this work, the children build fine motor skills and develop independence, and also get to eat their work or share it with their friends!
Lower Elementary 
Our Lower Elementary students have been engaged in a variety of science lessons.  Lower Elementary I has continued their zoology work with Karen, finishing their vertebrate study and moving on to the invertebrates.  They recently enjoyed a rousing game of 'Name that Microbe!'. 
Lower Elementary II students are studying the art of observation, beginning with a descriptive writing exercise and moving on to the use of a microscope.  Children have collected a variety of both living and non-living specimens to observe using the microscope.
Upper Elementary 
Along with continuing lessons in the math, cultural, and language curriculum areas, the Upper Elementary classroom has continued its focus on developing independence and leadership among the students.  With this in mind, Novel Study responsibilities have been handed over to the sixth year class.  Our sixth year students have been working diligently in to develop and assigning homework for their fellow classmates, using  four child-selected novels:  Because of Mr. Terupt  by Rob Buyea,  Wee Free Men  by Terry Pratchett,  Gathering Blue  by Lois Lowry, and  Wonder  by Raquel J. Palacio.

We've also seen an interest in community service. Please read the following letter from our fourth year students:

Dear Parents,
Some of the fourth graders are helping the Kanawha/­Charleston Humane Society by donating supplies for the animals. KCHS has requested the following items:
  • Dog/Cat shower towels
  • Any kind of Dog/Cat shampoo
  • 39 gallon tall kitchen trash bags
  • PURINA (dog/cat/kitten/puppy) food
Please drop off items (not money) in the BLUE trash bin in the hall. The animals need your help!  Thank you!
Middle School
For the past few months, Mountaineer Montessori Middle School students have been
working on their micro-economy projects. This has been a large part of their curriculum so far, and the students are hoping to put any money they earn toward their class budget, to be used for items such as seeds for the garden, local field trips, Wednesday lunches, and materials for experiments. The micro-economy project is designed to help the students gain financial independence, and they are excited to announce the opening of the Mountaineer Montessori Middle School Farm Stand.

The Mountaineer Montessori Middle School Farm Stand will be open for business at the main campus from 2:30 to 5:30 P.M. on February 5th, February 12th, and February 19th. On these Fridays, our middle school students will be selling their products and advertising events or services.   Please plan to stop by!
Plus Program
Students in the Plus Program have been enjoying a variety of new free-time materials, including Snap Circuits, Air Hockey, and the airport, parking garage and town roadway.  Thank you Karen, Susie and Maria for the Plus Program re-fresh this month! 
THANK YOU!
Thank you to the many parents who have made special contributions to our school this month.  Special thanks to:
  • all the parent volunteers who baked and delivered cookies for our Winter Concert.
  • all the parents and grandparents who have provided transportation to special events.
  • Elsie Carter for being a faithful driver for middle school excursions.
  • Zeina Hadar for donating owl pellets for upper elementary biology work.
  • upper elementary parents who donated food for Hextor.
  • the Islamic Center of West Virginia for hosting our middle school.
  • Marilyn Ureki for providing lunch to guests at the middle school presentations for Western Religions.
  • Mark Hornbaker for leading vocal music classes at the middle school.
  • guest presenters at the middle school:  Imam Sameh Asal, Rabbi Urecki, Monsignor Sadie.
  • Lama Moushmoush for working with the middle school students in the kitchen.
  • the following families for providing sewing and food prep materials for primary:  Stevens, Beal/Spitz family and the Berry-Stablein family.
  • all the primary parents who contributed to our primary (indoor) picnic on the day of the Winter Concert, and to Donald Simmons for picking up the pizzas. 
  • Elizabeth Scharman for helping our chess club.
  • all the families who donated classroom books through our Book and Bake Sale.

Thank you to the following Annual Fund donors:

  • Anonymous
  • Eric and Alisa Abdalla
  • Hazem and Adala Ashhab
  • Ben and Sarah Bailey
  • David Bailey and Hollie Hubbert
  • Rob Bastress and Blaire Malkin
  • Thomas Beal
  • Dawn Bolyard
  • David and Jennifer Carriger
  • Catherine Carter
  • William and Elsie Carter
  • Pierre and Cary Charbonniez
  • Chad Cordell and Danielle Maness
  • Travis and Erica Crouse
  • Andrew Dunlap and Hallie Chillag
  • Anthony and Abigail Fiorelli
  • Michael and Leigh Ann Ford
  • Tara Fought
  • Beth George
  • Cookie Glasser
  • Michael Graney
  • David and Kenley Hanna
  • Matthew and Lindy Hoeft
  • Dina Hornbaker
  • Paul and Rayan Ihle
  • Mary and Greg Jenkins
  • Chris and Diana Johnson
  • John and Patricia Johnston
  • Nancy Johnston
  • Sally Jones
  • Karen Kelly
  • Sky and Maria Kershner
  • Steve and Susie Loew
  • Gloria Lopez
  • Mark and Susan Lopinsky
  • Brian and Shelly Lutz
  • Aric Margolis and Diana Panucci
  • Michael and Katherine McFadden
  • Rebecca Moore
  • Karen Morris
  • Randy and Kari Peyatte
  • Dimitris Mihailidis and Pelagia Tomara
  • Susie Newhouse
  • Craig and Teresa Newton
  • Aaron and Meredith Parry
  • Maimoona Qamar and Mohammad Hassan Pervaiz
  • Leonora Bolos and Andri Purwanto
  • Kathryn Rhoads
  • Jack Rogers and Elizabeth Scharman
  • Suzanne Sanders
  • Ali and Bettina Shams
  • John Slicer
  • Adina Sobieski
  • Darlene Spangler
  • Bridgett Steveson
  • April Taylor
  • Laura and Robert Thaw
  • Jason Wandling
  • Ryan and Katherine White
  • Benjamin and JoEllen Zacks
  • The Bell Law Firm, PLLC 
  • Southern West Virginia Nephrology Associates
Mountaineer Montessori School
308 20th Street, Charleston, WV 25304
304.342.7870 | Email | Website