SAPMS Newsletter

SAPMS 9.1.16

Dates to Remember

School Closed 9/2

Due to the storm SAPMS will be closed.

Pizza Friday!

Since school is cancelled due to weather, we will credit the balance to another week for pizza.

September 9th
Hat Snack Friday

September 12th
Board Meeting 6pm

September 15th

Volunteer Training 3:15-4:15

If you are a new volunteer or new parent to our community, please attend this 1 hour (max) training.

September 15th

Rising Sea; Rising Community at the
St. Augustine Amphitheater

September 21

International Day of Peace

November 5

St. Augustine
Makers Fest

1st and 2nd graders please bring ear buds or ear phones for Discovery Ed testing the next two weeks

Hello SAPMS Families!

I hope this newsletter finds you well and staying dry!

Thank you to those who attended our Community Meeting. The synergy and feedback is wonderful and helps us create an even better Montessori Community for our children. Thank you to those parents and teachers who presented information. From the feedback, we have decided that Miss Charlene's class ONLY will be dropped off AND picked up from Ballard. Drive up Ballard from Magnolia toward San Marco for BOTH arrival AND dismissal. Miss Charlene and Miss Michelle will be there to greet you and your child beginning on Tuesday, Sept 6th. This will reduce our car line out front by 33% and create an easier transition for Miss Charlene's class- especially during rainy days.

Please arrive at school on time. It is very important for your child's integration into the classroom to be here each day in time for morning meeting. Morning meeting sets the tone for the entire day and allows children the opportunity to hear what will be occurring for the day and any expectations placed. We understand circumstances arrive but consistency is the key to success. When you are late, please be respectful of procedures and check into the front office. Miss Sandi will take your child to class with the least amount of interruption.

We are seeing a lot of toys and hats coming into school lately. These items are distracting to the class. Please NO toys, NO Pokemon cards, NO hats- except for during recess and Hat Snack Friday.

You will be hearing from your child's teacher soon on how your student is adjusting to the classroom. This will be a brief communication and opportunity to ask questions, hear observations and get a greater sense of your child's acclimation in the community.

Work Share Wednesday begins NEXT WEEK!

We encourage you to join your child in a student led tour of the classroom any Wednesday at early release pick up. We ask that you park mindfully and allow your child to guide you through their classroom and show you what they work on each day. Teachers will be in their weekly meetings and unavailable at this time. This is the perfect opportunity to learn more!

Our inclement weather policy is to close our school if St John's County Schools close. We will be closed on Friday, 9/2 due to the weather.

Thank you for your continued support and commitment to your children.

Blessings!

Jamie

What is the International Day of Peace?

The International Day of Peace is observed around the world each year on September 21st. Established in 1981 by unanimous United Nations resolution 36/37, the General Assembly has declared this as a day devoted to"commemorating and strengthening the ideals of peace both within and among all nations and peoples." Peace Day provides a globally shared date for all humanity to commit to Peace above all differences and to contribute to building a Culture of Peace. SAPMS will be walking to the Fort from school at 9 am. We will be carrying pinwheels, flowers and banners created for this march. After arriving at the Fort we will enjoy music and a picnic lunch. Lower Elementary will be brought back to school by the Red Trolley after our picnic. All are welcome to join us in this day of peace.

www.internationaldayofpeace.org

2015-2016 Fundraising
Below you will see the final breakdown of numbers for our fundraising efforts from 2015/2016. We hope to raise more funds, awareness and community through our Inspired Giving this year.

Passive Fundraisers

Here are some easy ways to donate money to SAPMS without going outside of your daily activities and money expenditures:

www.iGive.com and search for St. Augustine Public Montessori School, click on our name and complete the registration.

http://mightynest.com gives 15% of sales to SAPMS. Enter our zip code: 32084.

www.smile.amazon.com Saint Augustine Montessori Community Inc is listed as a benefactor. 0.5% of your purchase is donated to SAPMS.

With the Shoparoo app snap pictures of receipts to earn donations for SAPMS.

Box Tops - SAPMS earns 10 cents for each Box Top submitted.

If you know of a passive fundraiser not listed here that would benefit our school please let us know!

What is a Work Plan in the Montessori Classroom?

The work plan fosters individual and independent learning. A work plan is developed by the teacher and includes lessons from the previous week. The work plan is organized to fit the Montessori environment and includes the different areas of the classroom. Depending on the independence level of the child, the work plan may start out completely blank. The child would then fill in the work plan with appropriate work for the day, week or month.

A younger child may use a daily work plan while a child with more independent work habits might use a weekly or monthly plan. A child who is less independent would work with the teacher to fill in the work plan, discussing what work needed to be completed.

With the work plan in hand, the child then has a guide from which to choose their work. A child can also check or cross off work (or the teacher may do this) as work is completed. Crossing off a completed work helps give the child a sense of completion. Students are practicing a lifelong skill that will help them to organize and plan their work.

St Augustine Makers Fest

The St. Augustine Makers Fest is our SAPMS 2016 fundraiser that will be an all-encompassing entertainment event where food, drink and all types of art are celebrated for one festive day - November 5th at SAPMS. Not only will local artisans showcase their talents and skills, but the community, as well as visitors, can enjoy and purchase these unique works of art.

"Makers" are all those who create or produce something of value. Their crafts include anything from baking, jewelry or wood work, mixing essential oils to photography, videography and making music . This is an opportunity for them to make their mark, and for others to appreciate and be inspired by their talents.

This event is open to people of all ages. It will include plenty of hands-on activities and demonstrations as well as live musical acts and culinary delights. Come and take part in the planning of this event. We hope to get the entire community involved and it's a great way to get your service hours out of the way too. There is a lot to do in a short amount of time. So your help is greatly appreciated. There are many ways to volunteer with this event especially the day of.

For those of you who have signed up to help already, you will be contacted shortly to arrange an initial team meeting.

We will be rolling out the sign up sheets for those who are just hearing about this event within the next couple of days. If you can't wait until then or have a question about the event please contact Jacquelyn at [email protected].

SAPMS Website
Have you checked out our new website?! If not, visit staugustinemontessori.com today. Here you'll find our school calendar, how to contact your child's teacher by email, links to our parent only group Facebook page ( SAPMS Parents) and more. We will be adding more information, teacher pages and links throughout the year so please bookmark the site and check back often to stay up to date.