Hilltop Montessori School's mission is for students to practice
responsible independence in a caring community of curious,
critical learners and thoughtful citizens.
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Next Week:
All Week Long, 8:15 - 9:15 am and 2:00 - 3:00 pm, stop by the Arts Barn Cafe to make your annual fund pledge and enjoy a coffee drink of your choice!
October 28
October 29
October 30
- Soccer Jamboree K-8! 3:15pm
October 31
- All School Gathering, 8:45am
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November 3
- Racial Justice Parent Workshop, 1-4pm
November 4
- UE Knitting Begins, 3:15pm
November 5
- LE Knitting Begins, 3:15pm
November 7
- All School Gathering, 8:45am
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Let’s celebrate our school! Hilltop’s Annual Fund Week
October 28 - November 1, 2019
Next week, we’ll be celebrating “Annual Fund Week” at Hilltop. You will be receiving a mailing that will include a pledge sheet. If you are new to the school, or want a refresher on what it’s all about, please read on...
“Hold on...Hilltop is asking my family for money? We already pay tuition. They want more?”
Hilltop Montessori School works hard to keep tuition as affordable as possible for as many families as possible. The tuition income that we receive from parents and state programs does not cover the cost of each student. As a matter of fact, there is about a $3,000 gap between the average full tuition amount for all of our programs, and the actual cost of educating a student at Hilltop. Some of the gap is covered with grants and foundation donors. A critical piece is from families, alumni, alumni families, grandparents, alumni grandparents and businesses, who help us close that gap by giving tax-deductible contributions in accordance with their financial ability.
“Why limit the Annual Fund ask to only a week?”
Short & sweet...we do not want to prolong the request beyond the week.
We approach the staff, faculty, Board of Trustees and current parent community first because this is the group that sets the tone for Annual Fund giving for the rest of our Hilltop community and beyond. Shouting from the rooftops that we have the support of our constituents sends a very strong message that we’re worthy of support! We then proceed through the year to contact grandparents, friends, and businesses.
Last year not only did we get 100% participation from our Board of Trustees.... but we also have incredibly dedicated faculty and staff who have participated at 100%! Additionally, our current families had a fantastic 100% participation rate last year! What an outstanding show of support for Hilltop!
“What’s the deal about 100% participation from families?”
The higher the current family participation in the Annual Fund, the more likely we are to appeal to major donors. Here is a lovely quote from a major donor, from the first year we had 100% participation from our families -
“100% participation in an Annual Fund is absolutely unprecedented! Congratulations!! That really shows the commitment your parents have to their children’s wonderful school.”
“O.K, I’m starting to see the point. How much should I give?”
That part is up to you. Last year gifts from current parents ranged from
$10 to $4,000 with an average gift of $185.
Many families who felt strapped but wanted to give a little bit more, opted to pay a smaller amount automatically each month using Paypal or credit card. $10 a month for nine months is an amazing gift! We’re asking families to stretch this year. Could you afford to give, say 10, 20 or even 50% more than you did last year? If you gave $20 last year, could you give $25 this year?
“What if this is not a good time of year for my family to give?”
That’s okay.
You can always make a pledge during Annual Fund week and pay later.
You have until June 30th to make a contribution to the Annual Fund for 2019-20. Also, keep in mind setting up
monthly installments
is always an option that helps contribute while managing family budgets.
“Okay, show me the FUN!”
Oh, there will be fun... During Annual Fund week we are working to create a very special meet & greet to discuss our Core Themes in action at each of the program levels. (much more information to come with this surprise). We will also have daily email blasts with updates on our progress, some great challenges with homemade delicious incentives and other surprises!
Please join in the Annual Fund by coming by the Arts Barn Cafe to make your pledge and get a complimentary coffee of your choice!
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FALL/WINTER AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS
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Our new season of After School Programs is very beginning soon! We will be offering
Basketball for K-MS students and an exciting new offering by Waldorf teacher Victoria Mansuri to teach Elementary students how to
knit toys, cowles, and hats.
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Please click
here for a link to a printable PDF version of the sign up, which is also available on our
website.
You can also stop by for a hard copy at the
front desk.
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Parenting for Racial Justice Workshop!
Learning how to talk to your children about racial justice
Register now for 11/3 or 12/15
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On a crisp fall day last Sunday, we held the first ever Trustee Reunion Brunch! We were thrilled to have an opportunity to share the recent happenings at Hilltop with former trustees who had not been involved in the school for many years.
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We began the event with a tour of the buildings, as many of the attendees had not seen the “new” campus developed in 2008 and the Arts Barn built in 2013/14. We ended the tour in the Middle School, which Roselle had transformed into a formal setting and the current Board members had filled with a spread of goodies to share.
“Back in the day,” helping on the board also meant cleaning the school, painting shelves, figuring out how to give the teachers a raise, and researching the next location for the growing programs. Attendees shared their memories with the current board members and reflected on what Hilltop meant to their family. Several noted how critical the wisdom of the teachers was in their development as a parent. They also shared how the multi-age programs had supported their students and how, through their involvement with the various school activities, they had the fortune of witnessing the transformation of their children into responsibly independent humans and global citizens.
We then shared with the former trustees some recent happenings including:
- the recent AMS Accreditation!
- last year’s donation that paid off the $1.3M mortgage
- the growth of the Endowment toward the $5M goal (currently at $3.6M)
We specifically noted how we’ve worked to support more diversity through:
- transforming the “financial aid” program into “Indexed Tuition”
- growing our funding available for supporting families, faculty, and the facility
- adding Learning Specialists
- furthering our equity and anti-bias work
Together we brainstormed about how to continue to reach diverse families and how to grow our financial ability to support more economic diversity. Board members of the past and present clearly share a passion for the “mission” of making it possible for more students to benefit from what Hilltop Montessori School has to offer.
We look forward to other opportunities to gather this group and to have generations of Hilltop supporters work together to further sustain and strengthen Hilltop’s ability to serve the community. The 50th Anniversary year is right around the corner: 1972-2022!
If you have any questions or ideas about these topics, please contact
Tamara
(Head of School),
Asher
(Board Co-Chair),
Alix
(Board Co-Chair), or
Vanessa
(Board Secretary).
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Toddler Program and Children's House
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Teachers enjoyed seeing you all at conferences, tune in next week for more information and photos from these programs!
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Here are a few snippets of our active and engaging Lower El classroom - more to come next week!
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The Upper El Painting Elective has been very busy these last five weeks exploring techniques and working on independent projects. On a beautiful sunny Thursday, the class learned about Impressionist painters like Mary Cassatt and Claude Monet, who loved to paint light and color in the outdoors. We also looked at local artist Wolf Kahn's colorful forest paintings and took this inspiration outside! Upper El painters had fun exploring Impressionist-style brush strokes while looking at the bright foliage around the school.
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Simple Meal News
At this point we are well stocked with dry black beans for several months out. THANK YOU. Rice stocks are fast dwindling and would be gladly accepted! (White rice of any kind.)
Typing club login reminders
We will not be using school time for students to do the online practice drills. Home practice is encouraged (fourths) and expected (fifths and sixths). Ensuring the students are using the correct fingers on the correct keys can be helpful. The URL for the program is
hilltopmontessori.typingclub.com
. Each student’s username is their first name. The password is either their first name again, or their own chosen password which they should know. Mace can reset passwords if necessary. Please let Mace [msebby@hilltopmontessori.org] know if you have any questions or concerns. Ensuring the students are using the correct fingers on the correct keys can be helpful.
Have a great weekend.
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Goodbye to our Upland Plots
Stories I could write for you
The beech leaves dripping into
honey down on my face
The sizz of sunlight in my
eyes through the lace of hemlock
Burbling laughter, squealing
mud in my shoe
Wind brushing through the
coarse hair of bog trees
Ferns wilting apologies into
the mud
Autumn slithering into my nostrils
like a wooly bear
The warmth being curled at the
feet of some great queen
Whose name means laughter in a language
of needles and bark
Red at the heart of a leaf that
makes them all catch on fire
A tender stalk whose mood
is soured by the lack of
Warmth from the unseeable
lungs in the sky that breathe
Dark, light, dark, light, dark, light.
A beech leaf that could taste
like pumpkin, caramel, or apple cider
A green blanket that has been hanging
for too long and has had the
color sapped out
I wonder where the color goes
Tell me next time.
~Annelise
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So different…
An annual evolution has spread
Shedding your leaves as you fill my mind
with memories
That time under the hemlocks, almost a
dream
A dream of gratitude, of peace, of
being alone with my thoughts
Like I am now.
Subtle chirping through the canopies, a choir
no human can perfect - all so unique
yet so communal
And with the bittersweet scent of the
Hemlocks drifting purposefully into
my nose, I suddenly don’t understand
why we hide ourselves from you, why we
lock ourselves into boxes
Why we say that you are the one that
is dangerous.
Why we try to mimic your beauty
Why we try to control you, why we think you
could be controlled -
Why?
We simply cannot comprehend that which
is beyond us.
Being here in these woods, I haven’t learned to
understand; I have learned to enjoy you
Enjoy the wilderness, the beauty, the adventure
Enjoy the freedom, the scents, the chirping
Enjoy the death, knowing life will return next time.
~James
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Goodbye
Goodbye to red, orange, and yellow leaves.
Floating down from a bright blue sky
to circles of ferns
and gray rocks that slowly turn green from creeping moss.
Goodbye to the rich smell of the earth,
a scent that lingers on the tongue and brightens the mind.
Goodbye to gentle rustling from a mischievous
chipmunk,
the chirping of a conversational bird,
and the inexplicable cracking of a stray twig.
Goodbye to soft, crumbling moss on smooth stone,
a rough branch letting in enough sunlight to warm
the body and comfort the brain,
and a rock just the size and shape to fit a human,
writing down her grateful goodbye.
~Marian
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From Hilltop alum Julia Fedoruk and Hilltop Trustee/parent Alix Fedoruk:
Carry Me Home's annual Greek Supper Benefit will be on November 16, 2019 at Centre Congregational Church from 5-7pm. The supper will be $15 for those 12 and over, $8 ages 6-11, free for those aged 5 and under, and a maximum of $35 for a family. Please save the date on your calendars, and sign up on the forms in the lobby if you are able to donate ingredients, cook dishes ahead of time, or help out on the day of the event. Carry Me Home is in its 5th year collecting gently used clothing for people fleeing zones of conflict, in Europe as well as here in the US. We sort and pack most Fridays, 9:30am-noon at Centre Church, and new volunteers are always welcome. We are currently collecting winter clothing only: for children, tops, bottoms, and jackets for ages 4-7; for men, thin dark socks, jackets, t-shirts, all sizes S-M only; for women, leggings and jeans sizes M-L; for all ages, new/unused underwear, and sturdy winter shoes/boots. Donations may be placed in the box in the entryway. Checks to pay shipping costs (tax deductible) may be made out to Carry Me Home, and left with the front desk, or you may go to
Click Here
to donate via Paypal. For more information, please visit us on Facebook (
CarryMeHomeWithLove
), or contact Alix and Julia at
carrymehomecampaign@gmail.com
.
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We are excited to launch the 2019 Holiday online Hilltop School Store!
There are exciting new items and many gift ideas for your Hilltop student, alum, parent/caregiver or grandparent. What a unique gift idea and a wonderful way to show your support of Hilltop!
Our Holiday “Pop-up Shop” is only live now through November 15th at midnight...Start shopping now!
Hilltop Montessori School themed items hats, sweatshirts, t-shirts, bags and more will be available for purchase.
Please check out the website
here
now.
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Hettie Belle Farm Meat Share
Local Meat and Poultry Share!
Reserve your share now for this fall/winter (November-March) Our beef and lamb is
100% grass-fed
. Our pigs, chickens, turkeys, geese and ducks are
pastured and fed only certified organic grain
. We believe it matters! Monthly distribution in Brattleboro (November-March). Many more details at
www.hettiebellefarm.com
.
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