Schoolhouse News Weekly Spotlight
Fall was in full swing with our Trick or Trunk and Fall Fun Day traditions! A special thank you to all of our dedicated volunteers for helping to create two very special experiences our students will treasure forever! A MESSAGE FROM MRS. MAROTTA Wow! Friday’s Fall Fun Day was a blast. Students experienced so many joyful moments with their buddies. Parents did an amazing job preparing such a special day for all to enjoy. Thanks for all the fall fun!
We are about to embark on the month of November, and it’s important to note and celebrate the route we’ve all traveled upon to arrive at this point in the year. For our youngest students, they are building stamina for their full days of school and are showing great strides in learning their school routine and expectations, and above all are finding joy each day in their learning. For the older Lower School students, we’re thrilled with their mature and conscientious demeanors as they tackle a new school year and the challenges that help them grow as learners. Teachers definitely know their students inside and out at this point, and they know when and how to push, raise the bar, gently support, and give many moments of praise for each student throughout the day.
Something Lower School is practicing this year as we build strong character in our students is our “language of acceptance.” Acceptance is defined as the act of receiving something offered with favorable reception. During these Lower School years, students are learning about the power of words. We definitely want our words to be received favorably! Each grade focuses on different aspects of character and communication with the goal of having our Lower School students learn and consistently practice these skills before heading off into Middle School. For all grades, we also teach and practice common courtesy. I read an article recently that stated boldly as a country, “We have lost common courtesy.” We are not going to let that happen at Montgomery School. I’m sure I don’t have to tell our wonderful parents that our students model our behavior. If you are doing things that your kids might not witness as strong character moments, tell them about it! Things like, “I received an email from your teacher today, and I wrote them back to tell them how much I appreciated their communication!”
Another thing we practice in each grade is empathy. We start with students understanding feelings - identifying how they feel grows into how others might be feeling and voicing that, for example, “I saw you fall, and I thought you might be hurting. Are you ok?” One thing for sure, if we can teach our youngest students to be empathetic, this will only grow stronger each year!
In future postings, I’ll happily share some grade level specific components of our language of acceptance. Until then, make sure your child is practicing identifying their feelings and common courtesy each day!
Enjoy the fall season - may the fun continue! UPDATES AND REMINDERS Staff Updates As Mr. McManus shared in last Friday's chapel, Mr. Hamilton, our long-time Director of Technology is moving on to new opportunities. Mr. Hamilton has been an important part of our Monty family since 2001, supporting tech, arts, 8th grade Chapel talks, and so much more. He will be missed on campus and remembered fondly by generations of graduates, some of whom have become leaders in the technology field in their own right thanks to his guidance. We celebrate and salute Jared for all he has given to Monty over the years and look forward to him staying in the family and keeping in touch as he embraces new avenues.
In Mr. Hamilton's absence, we will be working with a lead educator from a local firm that specializes in independent school technology to support our technology functions for the rest of the school year. Our new on-campus Technology leader is Bill Weinstein who served for many years as the Technology Director for the Philadelphia Museum of Art. We look forward welcoming Bill the the community!
Pool Testing Montgomery will commence "pool testing" on Monday, November 1st. Pool Testing is another way to add a level of assurance that the virus is not active in our campus community. For more details about pool testing, please refer to Mr. McManus' email from earlier this week. To submit consent for your child to join pool testing:
First, click here Then, enter this access code: [MSTEST] Enter your child’s information, and you’re done!
Montgomery School Directory Please use the online directory on the parent portal for the most up-to-date information. A printed version of the Montgomery School Directory can be accessed by clicking the button below. Please contact Mrs. Oeschger if you have any change in address, email or phone number so we can continue to update the online directory.
Candy for the Troops Fourth grade is collecting candy for our troops for their service learning project. The collection will begin on Monday, November 1st until Monday, November 8th. Candy will be sent overseas through an organization called Operation Gratitude. Additionally, fourth graders will be writing letters to deployed military members. Please bring in any extra Halloween candy in large zip lock bags. Candy can be placed on a table located outside of Mrs. Marotta’s office in Bell Hall starting Monday. We hope this small act of kindness brings a huge smile to the troops! Thank you! THIS WEEK Monday, November 1 Winter Uniform Begins
Holiday Chapels Diwali, Wednesday, November 3 Presented by Mrs. Friz's third grade students. All third grade families are invited to attend.
Veterans Day, Friday, November 5 Presented by Mrs. Schelhorn. Eighth grade families are invited to attend. We'd also like to extend an invitation to the veterans in our community to join us for this Chapel. Please let Janis Oeschger know if you have a special guest that would like to attend so they can be recognized at Chapel.
While we are unable to gather everyone together for these special holiday chapels, all classes will watch the recording on the same day. The recordings will also be sent to families via email.
Sunday, November 7 Open House 1:00 - 2:30 PM If you know of any families who are interested in learning about Montgomery School, please invite them to join us for Open House! Families can register online here. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Drew Cocco, Director of Enrollment Management. COMING UP Week of November 8-12 ALL SCHOOL 3:15 DISMISSAL (NO SPORTS/ARTS) There will be 3:15pm buses for Middle School students. If your child normally goes home on the 4:15 PM bus they will be automatically switched to the 3:15 PM bus. To change their dismissal to car line, please submit an online dismissal change form. MSCA & COMMUNITY NEWS 8th Grade Holiday Plant & Wreath Sale Orders Due by Tuesday, November 23 Pickup Date: Wednesday, December 1
Support the Class of 2022 and spread holiday cheer to local care facilities with beautiful poinsettias and wreaths.
Poinsettias are available in various colors and sizes, as well as Fraser Fir wreaths. For those community members who would like to support the graduating class but cannot have poinsettias in their home (pets, allergies, etc.), we are offering an option to donate a plant to a local care facility. Our 8th graders will deliver all donated plants to area care facilities to spread Montgomery warmth and compassion throughout the community. All plants will come foiled and sleeved. Thank you for your support! RESOURCES Upcoming Events
|