Prairie News

September 14, 2023

UPCOMING EVENTS

Besides our weekly update, events are also posted on our online Parent Google Calendar.

September 20 - Panera Fundraising Night, 4-8 pm

September 25 - No School, Staff Inservice Day

September 27 - Coffee and Conversation, 8:30 a.m.

September 27-29 - Middle School Soap Sales

October 2 - Culver’s Scoopie Night, 4:00-8:00 pm

(To volunteer for an hour serving food, click here.)

October 11 - Online Scholastic Book orders due

October 13 - For Small Hands Catalog orders due

October 17- Picture Day for Toddlers’ House and Children’s House

October 18 - Picture Day for Elementary and Middle School

October 23 - No School, Staff Inservice Day

Head of School Notes

Ms. Martha Carver

Welcome and thank you all for a wonderful start to the school year! The children and teachers are settling into routines and adjusting our energy levels accordingly. I hope you are doing the same!

Our school is continuing to grow and fill all levels. We are at our highest enrollment in the history of the school at 174 students from 18 months through 8th grade! We are content in our existing footprint, large enough for good social interactions and small enough that we eventually learn every child’s name and family. This is what a good community looks like and it is optimal for connection for students and families. We are grateful.

Outdoor Coffee and Conversation

Please join us for a community coffee gathering on Wednesday September 27, right after drop-off. Make yourself a cup of coffee in our vestibule gathering space and join us outside if good weather - in the library if bad weather. No presentation - just connection and conversation. Please bring your own lawn chair for outdoor seating. We hope you can join us!

On a side note, the Nespresso coffee machine in the lobby is available anytime - not just for community coffees! The larger pods are coffees, and the smaller ones are for espressos. We also have cream and sugars available. Please help yourself and enjoy!

Panera Night Fundraiser

Stop by the Milton Avenue Panera on September 20, between 4 and 8 pm, for dinner and 40% of your meal’s proceeds come back to RPMS! Whether you are eating in or picking up via drive-thru, make sure to let your cashier know your order is part of the Rock Prairie fundraiser. Bon appetit!

No School September 25

As a reminder, there is no school on September 25 as our staff participate in inservice activities.

Before School Drop-Off Line Reminders

In order to keep our drop-off line going smoothly before school and to prevent accidents, please remember to use this lane ONLY for dropping off your students. If you are getting out of your car to walk your child(ren) to their door, please use the parking spaces in the lot.

Saving Shipping Costs on Your Apparel Order!

While orders can be placed 24/7 on our online order site, you can save shipping costs by joining our all-school order! Forms are available in the main hallway, in the office, or by downloading the form here. Forms are due September 22 with payment (if no payment received with form, orders will be invoiced via your Tads account and due 10/1). Please note that payment must be made before orders can be picked up. This is our only all-school order until Spring.

Scarecrow-Making Items Needed

Our Children's House afternoon Montessori Enrichment students will be working on a project and need jeans, flannel shirts, potato sacks, socks, hats, twine and of course, straw, to make their scarecrows. If you are able to donate one or more items, please click on the following link to sign up. Items are needed by Friday, September 29 and can be dropped off in the office. Donations count towards volunteer hours!

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0D4DA8AE2BA2F94-donations

Middle School Soap Sale

Our Growing Roots middle schoolers will have their beautiful display of soaps and balms out for sale near the front entrance (inside if it is cold out!), September 27-29. The sales will take place 8:10-8:30 am and 3:15-3:30 p.m. You can buy their soaps and balms anytime, but this is a great chance to see and smell them up close! Cash, Checks and Credit Cards accepted. Thanks for your support!

Scholastic Book Orders Due October 11

NEW: Flyers are online to save paper!

Scholastic Book orders are going all digital this year! Flyers can be viewed online, where payment can also be made:

Connect to Our School Page “Ms. Badger’s Class” : https://orders.scholastic.com/PZR8T

Order Due Date: 10/11/2023

Class Code: PZR8T

For this month, get a FREE $5-or-less item when you place an order of $25 or more! Use coupon code READS at checkout.

Book orders will be sent home with students when they come in. Thank you to Elisabeth and Shane Becker for organizing our book orders again this year! Happy Reading!

Hispanic Heritage Month

This week begins National Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15-October 15), a tradition over 40 years old, in which we honor the history, culture and influence of past generations who came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America. Our school embraces the Spanish language and culture through lessons with our very own Ms. Ellen Diaz, beginning as young as 3 years old. We encourage families to learn more about the celebration through sites such as https://www.hispanicheritagemonth.gov/.

Family Volunteer Hours

RPMS families are asked to contribute 10 volunteer hours before the end of the school year. Virtual and in-person parent meetings, parent education events, observations and conferences are included in these hours; double attendance means double the hours! Always refer to the Weekly Update for volunteer opportunities; though some opportunities will be emailed out separately. Families can log their volunteer hours online at: https://bit.ly/RPMShours. Any unfulfilled hours will be invoiced at $10/hour in June.

Culvers Scoopie Nights

We have three Scoopie Night fundraisers for the year, with our first taking place on Monday, October 2, from 4 to 8 pm. This is a great opportunity to hang out with other RPMS families and staff while enjoying some delicious food and treats!

We are looking for adult servers for one-hour shifts. Children may help but must be closely supervised.

To Volunteer For Monday, October 2 event: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0D4DA8AE2BA2F94-culvers3

Would you like to sign up for a Culvers Scoopie night, but can’t make it to the October 2 event? The next two are also posted and ready for volunteers to sign up:

For Tuesday, December 5 event:

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0D4DA8AE2BA2F94-culvers4

For Wednesday, March 6 event:

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0D4DA8AE2BA2F94-culvers5

ONGOING FUNDRAISERS

Besides RaiseRight,

we collect the following items to turn in for funds.

Please place in labeled boxes in lobby, drop off in office

or give to office staff at morning drop-off.

Recycled Technology - Inkjet Cartridges

We participate in the Planet Green E-Waste Recycling Program. We receive funds for various inkjet cartridges we recycle. Please note that due to program changes, this program only applies to inkjet cartridges, not laser or toner cartridges. Please bring your cartridges to the office or drop off in the outside Office bin.

Prairie Farms Milk Caps

RPMS receives 5¢ for each milk cap collected. These caps are marked with "Our Caps Your Cause". These can be dropped off in the Office bin outside the front doors.

Coca-Cola Product Caps

Save those Coca-Cola product bottle caps! Bring your caps to the office (or put in the outside Office bin) and we will enter the codes to earn our school money. More information is online at: coke.com/give.

Thank you for reading our bi-weekly update. If you need another email address added to our listserv, please contact Ms. Melissa at mbadger@rockprairiemontessori.com.

Rock Prairie Montessori School

rockprairiemontessori.com