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NEWSLETTER ∙ Volume 4, Issue 4 Friday, October 28th, 2011
A Message from Ms Allison
"'How was school today?' is a frustrating question for both parents and
kids,” notes Michael Thompson, Ph.D., author of The Pressured Child.
“Parents never get the answer they want and often don't understand
how difficult this question really is. Without meaning to, parents are
asking for a summary but kids don't summarize the way adults do. So
most kids just say „fine' or try to avoid the question entirely."
Source: www.pbs.org/parents/goingtoschool/talk_child.html
At our last coffee and conversation, parents were
sharing suggestions about how to talk with their child
about what he/she did in school. This is a common
question as you can see from the quote above. Please
check out the site above for a great article that
summarizes much of what we talked about. We
recognize that in a Montessori environment, which is
individualized and hands-on, it can be very difficult to
know what your child is working on each day. Children
have difficulty answering general questions about their
day. Using specific questions such as, “What song did
you sing today?” or “Who did you eat lunch with?” or
“What lesson did you work on today?” can be helpful.
Children treasure the autonomy of school being “their
place” and they often do not want to discuss it as soon
as they come home.
Coming in for parent-teacher conferences and doing a
classroom observation are important ways of learning
more about your child's school experience. It is our
expectation that 100% of parents will have a conference
with their child‟s teacher and we hope that most families
can come in to do an observation as well. If you were
unable to attend conferences, please contact your child‟s
teacher to set up a time to meet. You are your child‟s
first teacher and we have a lot that we can learn from
you. Developing a strong home-school partnership is
crucial to the success of our mission and your child‟s
school experience. Please feel free to contact me if you
have any questions. Thank you for your ongoing
support.
--Ms Allison, [email protected]
In this Issue…
News from the classrooms....................................... 2-9
Revised early dismissal policy and lots of other
important announcements from the office ......... 10
Updates from the Peace and Problem Solving
Corner, including news about the high school
application process................................................... 11
Fall Festival wrap-up,
including a special interview with Monté ........ 13-14
News from our neighbors
in Greenmount West ................................................. 16
Information about a new line of green
products used in the classrooms ............................ 17
Our Mission is to build a diverse and respectful
community of joyfully engaged learners
by providing a holistic Montessori environment
that supports individual fulfillment, compassion,
self-discipline, life-long learning and a
deep awareness of our responsibility
to contribute meaningfully to our world.
1600 Guilford Avenue
Baltimore, Maryland 21202
Tel: 410-528-5393 Fax: 410-528-8126
http://www.baltimoremontessoricharter.org
From the Classrooms
In Skipjack news this week:
For writers
workshop this
week we wrote
about a room in
this school from
two different
perspectives here
we have two excerpts from two different writings:
“Ronga's cage”, by Tabitha You: “It’s so comfortable
and cozy. My coconut shades me in the hot light...”
“It's so claustrophobic and uncomfortable; my coconut is
so bad I can see the light through it and it keeps me up
all night!”
“Popcorn in the Microwave”, by Arriana Carter: “I love
it when you put me in the microwave, it feels so nice and
warm – I’m popping with delight! It’s so hard to believe
that I'm growing up so fast.”
“I hate it when you put me in the microwave for too long
and I get burnt and taste like burnt firewood! How could
you treat me so cruelly?”
We would like to thank all the people who
contributed to our peace day celebration. The food was
delicious!
Our class has grown a love for embroidery. We
encourage you to donate embroidery materials.
(Embroidery hoops must be under 7 inches.) Thank
you.
Students are beginning to start going on going out
trips. One group is working on the Edgar Allen Poe
museum and gravesite. We read The Tell Tale Heart in
class last week, and it was a big hit! For music, we will
be learning his poem, “Annabel Lee” set to music.
Another group is planning a trip to The
National Aquarium for a going out trip. The plan is to
research dolphins and Cnidarians....what???? What is a
Cnidarian? They’re otherwise known as a “jellyfish.”
Talk to your child about a trip nearby that might be of
interest to them. They may go with 4-5 friends, and
plan a research project as follow-up work.
Key to the Maryland State
Symbols at Baltimore Montessori
Our elementary classrooms are identified by a
symbol from the state of Maryland. Discover each
classroom’s state symbol below, and learn more
about the Maryland symbols here.
Children’s House (pre-K3 – K5)
BLACK-EYED SUSANS – Ms. Karen, Ms. Whitney, and
Ms. Lucy
DIAMONDBACK TERRAPINS – Ms. Leanne and Ms.
Babbs
ORIOLES – Ms. Kate and Ms. May
Lower Elementary (grades 1 – 3)
BLUE CRABS – Ms. Brenna, Ms. Pam, and Ms. Ruby
CHESAPEAKE BAY RETRIEVERS – Ms. Jennifer, Mr.
Jonathan, and Ms. Amy
ECPHORAS – Ms. Betsy and Ms. Rebekah
PATUXENT RIVERSTONES – Ms. Carrie and Mr. Will
Upper Elementary (grades 4 – 6)
CHECKERSPOTS – Ms. Debika and Ms. Lataya
ROCKFISH – Ms. Kelly and Mr. Jarrett
SKIPJACKS – Ms. Meg and Mr. Dan
WHITE OAKS – Mr. David and Ms. Cortney
Adolescent Program (grade 7)
B-MORE STARS, MARYLAND TERPS,
and CHARM CITY – Ms. Christina, Ms. Gail, Mr. Joe
Need to contact one of our guides? Use the first
name of the person you wish to reach followed by
@bmpcs.org, or call the main office: 410-528-5393.
Ja'Bria from the White Oaks writes:
On Wednesday, our class went on a field
trip to the Aquarium. It was a fantastic
trip. We rode the Circulator and walked
the rest of the way. It was very fun. We
saw sharks, rainbow fish, and birds. We
also had pizza.
2
From the Classrooms (continued)
From the Riverstones:
Ms. Carrie’s class had a great trip to the zoo on
Wednesday. We have been studying the different
families of vertebrates. While at the zoo, we studied
their habitats, what they ate and how they act. Some
of our favorite animals include the elephants, warthogs,
the dik dik and the Okapi. Of course, the tree slide and
petting zoo were also a lot of fun.
In the classroom the class has begun writing book
reports talking about the main ideas, setting,
characters and conflicts. The third grade class is in the
process of writing letters to friends and family. The
first graders have enjoyed talking about nouns, verbs,
adjectives and articles while the second graders have
spent time learning about sentence analysis. It has
been a full first few weeks of fall!
Classroom Parent Liaisons
Classroom Parent Liaisons help connect families with the
classroom guides, by providing a vital link between the
classroom and the home. Thank you to all our volunteer
Classroom Parent Liaisons!
Children’s House (pre-K3 – K5)
BLACK-EYED SUSANS (Ms. Karen): Giselle Bynum
([email protected]) and Bernadette
Thompson ([email protected])
DIAMONDBACK TERRAPINS (Ms. Leanne): Kathleen
McCullough ([email protected]) and Kate Simms
ORIOLES (Ms. Kate): Klari Budavari ([email protected])
and Stephannie Weikert ([email protected])
Lower Elementary (grades 1 – 3)
BLUE CRABS (Ms. Brenna): Julie Marx
([email protected]) and Jessica Williams
CHESAPEAKE BAY RETRIEVERS (Ms. Jennifer): Kathleen
Cahill ([email protected]) and Chris Sabin-Scharff
ECPHORAS (Ms. Betsy): Heidi Oumarou
([email protected]) and Roxanne Walton
PATUXENT RIVERSTONES (Ms. Carrie): Kate Simms
([email protected]) and Beth Taylor
Upper Elementary (grades 4 – 6)
CHECKERSPOTS (Ms. Debika): Rolla Chng
([email protected]) and Ann Kehinde
ROCKFISH (Ms. Kelly): Deb Baer ([email protected])
SKIPJACKS (Ms. Meg): Chris Myers ([email protected])
and Eyde Sanford ([email protected])
WHITE OAKS (Mr. David): Lisa Kane ([email protected]) and
Anja Cheatham ([email protected])
Adolescent Program (grade 7)
B-MORE STARS, MARYLAND TERPS AND CHARM CITY (Ms.
Christina, Ms. Gail, Mr. Joe): Shelly Chainey
From the Classrooms
(continued)
From the Chessie Room:
BMPCS: A Non-Homework School
Why are we a non-homework school? Research shows no
correlation between amount of time spent on homework and
achievement for elementary school students, and only a
moderate correlation in middle school. Interestingly, the
amount of homework assigned to kids ages 6 to 9 almost
tripled between 1981 and 1997. Assigned homework
increased from about 44 minutes a week to more than 2
hours a week. This increase in time spent on homework has
led to a sharp decline in reading for pleasure after age eight
and often leads to tension in the home as parents become
homework enforcers.
Does that mean that I'm off the hook in the evenings? At
non-homework schools, parents have the luxury of not
having to oversee a lot of busy work that the child has
already mastered, or, even worse, work that has not yet been
introduced to the child. However, parents should see this as
an opportunity to work with their children in informal ways.
This work can include cooking, research, and projects. Also,
take note of the school work coming home in Friday Folders.
If you see work that had to be corrected, make sure your
child understands the concepts now. Finally, use parent-
teacher conferences as indicators of skills your child needs
reinforced at home.
For more information on homework, please visit the Race to
Nowhere website at: http://www.endtherace.org/
The Chessies took a field trip to the B&O Railroad Museum. Don’t miss the photos in this newsletter!
Above, Mr. Denzel gives the Chessies
a lesson on the history of musical instruments.
How do these seedlings, above and below, make their way into
student writing in the Ecphora room? Be sure to read the Ecphora
News on the following page to find out!
4
From the Classrooms
(continued)
Ecphora News
by Ann, Ezra, Ruthie, Toalima, and Uma (pictured below, from left to right)
Our class has been very, very busy with lots of fun projects. We planted seeds a couple of weeks ago and now our plants are growing so tall! We keep a plant journal and check on our plants every day. Aaron’s plant book (pictured below) is really cool.
Ann — We listen to music everyday as we are cleaning up. Each week we listen to a different composer. This week we are listening to a piece created by Modesky Mussorgsky. He was very sad that his artist friend died. He created music for his friend as he walked down a gallery that had his friend’s paintings in it. The music is very sad and scary. He created the music for the piano. Another composer, Ravel, heard Mussorgsky’s work and decided to change it and use a whole orchestra to play it. His composition is even scarier, dark, and sad.
Ezra — The third year students have been learning how to do big research. They learned how to take notes, create sentences from their notes, organize their sentences, and create topic sentences. They are researching the Australian biomes. When they are finished their project they will share their work with the class.
All — Speaking of visiting researchers... we loved having students (Zion and Zoe, below) from Ms Meg’s class come and share their research about the history of writing with us. They even made a game that we all played. We love it when other students come to visit us!
White Oaks Tra’ and Rain, pictured here with Ezra, also paid a visit to the Ecphora room.
Uma, Toalima, and Ann — The second year students are busy learning about multiplication. We made arrays and we are now using the pegboard to work out really big multiplication problems. It’s really fun! And it’s easier to solve the problems.
Ruthie — We have a really pretty purple jewel stone in our class. It’s spiky and cool, and real!
5
From the Classrooms
(continued)
Earlier this month, the Chessies took a field trip to the B&O Railroad Museum. Enjoy these photos of the Chessies exploring, discovering, and enjoying this beautiful historic national landmark:
6
From the Classrooms
(continued)
From the Baltimore Checkerspot Butterflies:
We Keep Getting Better!
During our morning community meeting the students reflected on their week and here is what they said:
“Working with a partner has really helped us.” – Nathaniel and Elijah
“I really like to use the landform materials.”
—Devin
“I liked working with a group of focused kids.”
–Nasim
“I like using creative artwork to show
prepositions.”
– Eryka
“This week I feel more accomplished.”
-Paige
“My 6th Grade Project is progressing. The first draft is coming along very nicely.” –Kalaya
7
From the Classrooms
(continued)
More photos and quotes from the joyfully engaged Baltimore Checkerspot Butterflies:
“Learning how to knit after completing my work is very cool.” –Chloe
8
From the Classrooms
(continued)
The Ecphoras examine artifacts, above.
From the Art Room:
Secret messages!
The upper elementary students have been working on
drawing in perspective in art class. This past week,
Students were challenged to practice their 3-D
lettering. They have started making signs with
inspirational phrases that they will hang in a discreet
spot around school to inspire the passerby. Come in
next week to hunt down our hidden messages!
Look for these inspirational signs all throughout the school building!
Ms Kitt could also use some paper towel rolls. Please send yours in!
From the Student Culinary Kitchen:
Menu
For the Week of October 24th
Monday
Watermelon Salad
Tuesday
White Bean & Eggplant Dip
with Crudité and School-Made Crackers
Thursday
Black Bean and Sweet Potato Soup
Sammy enjoys the “Guess how many?” games at the Fall Festival.
More pictures from the Fall Fest below!
Q. Speaking of guessing,
guess how many pounds of dried beans the student
culinary kitchen just acquired?
A. ¡suɐǝq ɟo ʇol ɐ s,ʇɐɥʇ -- spunod pǝɹpunɥ ɹnoɟ
9
Office Updates and
Reminders
IMPORTANT Carpool Updates:
NEW: Effective immediately, EARLY
DISMISSAL ENDS AT 2:50 PM. Any families
requiring early dismissal must arrive before
2:50 pm and sign their child out in the office.
After 2:50 pm, families must wait outside for
regular dismissal to begin at 3:10 pm and
provide dismissal staff with their carpool number.
Reminder: During morning drop-off, please DO
NOT park on the east side of Guilford Ave and
walk your child across the street. Morning traffic
is very heavy, and it is not safe to cross over to
the school doors.
During morning and afternoon carpool, our
priority must be the safety of the 300
children entering and exiting the building.
Please help us to maintain a safe environment by
adhering to our arrival and dismissal policies.
NEW: Please do not double park on Federal,
Guilford, or Lanvale. This is a safety hazard and
a nuisance to our neighbors.
NEW: Please be sure to say hello to our new,
well-trained crossing guard at the corner of
Guilford and Lanvale. Please be aware that
you may need to wait for students to cross safely
before going through this intersection. Please
follow the crossing guard’s directions and
do not cross into the other lane to get by.
NEW: In order to support a distraction-free
learning environment, please do not send your
children in costume or with candy on Monday,
October 31st.
NEW: Our Extended Day program is full.
After dismissal at 3:10 pm, all students must exit
the building unless enrolled in this fee-based
program or attending a school-sponsored club or
activity. Students cannot remain in the
building unsupervised after 3:10 pm.
NEW: Please use the rear doors to enter and
exit the building after 4:00 pm.
ADDITIONAL UPDATES AND REMINDERS
FROM THE OFFICE:
Our online calendar is up-to-date:
http://www.baltimorecityschools.org/Page/10277
Did you know that you can use either
@bmpcs.org or @baltimoremontessoricharter.org
to email a staff person? The two are
interchangeable: Use [email protected] or
For everyone’s safety, we need everyone who
is not a student, to sign in and out of the office,
even if you are only running in briefly.
Rain, sleet, snow or traffic... if the main doors
are closed and it’s after 8:30 you must sign your
child in at the office - from where they will take a
red clothespin with them to class showing the
guide that they've signed in. Signing in ensures
that your child will not be marked absent.
Extended Day Notes
Before Care Reminders:
Before Care hours are 7:00am to 8:15am
If school is delayed due to inclement weather
or other emergencies, there is NO before care.
Please enter via the door at the rear of the
building. Use the door in the back of the building
and ring the bell for entry. Parents, please walk
your child to the extended day room.
Regarding Breakfast: Children are welcomed
to eat their breakfast in Extended Day. They
may bring in a healthy breakfast from home or
eat the breakfast provided by the District.
Children must, however, finish their breakfast in
Extended Day before the school day begins at
8:30 am.
10
Gratitude and Announcements
from the Peace and Problem
Solving Corner
Thank you Ann Kehinde, Hillary G. Davis, Christine
Calderon, Elizabeth Bolton, Jenni Bethell, Miriam
Avins, Stephannie Weikert and Juanita Bass for making
Career Day such a great success!
A representative from City Neighbors High School
will be conducting an informational session on
November 1, 2011 at 4:00 p.m.
High School Preview Day for Baltimore City College
will be on November 30, 2011 from 8:30 a.m. until 11:00
a.m.
The Baltimore City Public School middle and high
school choice fair will be held on November 19, 2011
from 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. The Baltimore City Public
School middle and high choice fair will be located at
Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Information about
transportation and pre-registration requirements will
be emailed to parents in the adolescent program soon.
The dates and times for open houses will be given to
the adolescents in their advisory group. Information
about private, parochial schools and information about
how to construct a portfolio for Baltimore School for
the Arts will be announced in the future. Adolescent
parents, if you are interested in your child attending a
private or parochial school, please email me at
[email protected] so that the
administrative team and I can retrieve information
about the specific private or parochial school of your
choice.
1. Our afternoon program for 3
and 4 year old students in the
Children’s House is looking for
volunteers, and has a limited
number of Internship positions
available. If you or someone you
know is interested, please contact
Ms Sue ([email protected]).
2. Can you support the amazing efforts of our
talented and
dedicated Food
Committee, student
chefs, and kitchen
and garden teams?
Contact Denzel
Mitchell ([email protected]) and Linda
Muhammad ([email protected]) if you can
help with:
1. Market pick-ups
2. Resealing the kitchen floor
3. Donations of electric soup crocks,
canning/food preservation equipment or
expertise
4. Securing donations and support for our
food program
For more ways to support our school
through volunteerism, please contact our
Volunteer Coordinator, Linda
Muhammad: [email protected].
11
After School Activities:
We are delighted to have such a rich
offering of after school activities for our
children, including:
- small group lessons on string instruments with Bridges
(Check our website for Bridges news and an up-to-date
calendar; contact Ms Carol with questions:
- Capoeira Angola, an age-old game which combines
dance, ritual, and martial art, developed by Africans
enslaved in Brazil for mental, physical, and spiritual
inspiration in the struggle for liberation (contact Davalyn
Cunningham: [email protected])
- the Royal Bees Chess Club with Ms Christina
- Mando for Kids, the only children’s mandolin program
in North America (contact Ms Laura:
- Model Montessori United Nations with Ms Kelly
- Sports, with Coaches Ziggy, Jarrett, and Joe (contact
Ziggy: [email protected])
- and a new session of Yoga with Ms Stephannie
([email protected]) begins November 7th
!
Above and at right, students of all ages enjoy themselves at the Fall Festival on October 13
th. Be sure to read the special interview with
Monté (pictured above) on the following pages!
For more pics and the full Fall
Festival recap – including how
much the festival raised for
the school – keep on reading!
12
From the Events and Fundraising
Committee – Fall Fest Wrap-Up:
Interview With Monté
By Star Reporter
Recently, I had a chance to sit down with BMPCS’ newest
member, Monté. He was still recovering from his grand
entrance at the Fall Festival so I was able to ask him
about it while it was fresh in his mind.
Star Reporter: How was your big debut?
Monté: It was fun. I’m not sure many people were able
to hear about me or even see me at the Fall Festival
because everyone seemed to be having too much fun!
SR: It looked to me like families had a chance to talk
with each other and the children really enjoyed the
games. Which activity did you think was the big hit?
M: Now that is tough to answer. On one wing, I’d say
the Cake Walk – if we hadn’t stopped it, the children
would still be walking around in circle hoping to win a
cake today. Who could blame them? Those cakes were
great! We had 25 people take the time to bake and
donate a cake! But on the other wing, it seemed like
parents liked the scarecrow making best. Then again
there was the face painting – did you see some of those
faces? Amazing. Next year, we should take pictures of
those faces, put them in a calendar and sell them. See
there is another way to raise money. I’ve got lots of
good ideas about how to help the school raise money.
SR: Speaking of which, what exactly is your role at
BMPCS?
M: My job here at the school is to help raise money and
have some fun doing it. I got involved this summer after
speaking with some of the school's families. They were
so excited about the school, I just had to check it out.
When I came to see the school, I wanted to be a part of
it all. So I asked them what I could do. Naturally, they
said, “Hey Monté, you’re a lot of fun, why don’t you
shave all your feathers off and for every $100 we earn
we’ll buy you a new one.” Crazy right? Those parents are
wacky! But, I figured it was no skin off my back to do it,
so, I said, ”Sure,” and here I am. But like I said, I’ve got
lots of good ideas about how I can help raise money; I'm
not just another bald chicken.
13
SR: Wait, $100 a feather? I thought it was $50 for a
feather.
M: You’re right it was $50, but those feathers were too
small. I need fluffier feathers, so we switched it to $100.
SR: How many feathers did you earn at the Fall Festival?
M: 18. We raised $1,809.38 that night!
SR: Wow! That’s not bad for two hours of fun. So, now
that the fall Festival is over, how are you feeling?
M: Cold. I need more feathers! Winter is coming and
I’m getting a little nervous! Hopefully the Square One
Art fundraiser will help out!
SR: Thank you Monte for taking the time to speak with
me.
M: Oh, my pleasure, anytime. But I'd like to add one
more thing. The volunteers. The 300+ people who came
to the Fall Festival are all grateful to you. Thank you for
giving your time and energy!
Annual Fund Reminder
Did you receive your annual appeal letter?
(Additional copies are available in the office.)
The purpose of the Annual Appeal is to raise
funds to help cover the gap between the
amount of money we receive for each student
and the true cost of a public Montessori
education.
An electronic copy of the annual appeal letter will
be sent home next week for easier sharing with
friends, family and colleagues. Donations can also
be made online at any time. For every $100 raised,
Monté will receive an additional feather. Help us to
keep Monte warm this winter and send your
envelope in today!
From the Events and Fundraising
Committee (continued):
Please join us for Grandparents’ and
Special Friends’ Day, Wednesday,
November 16th, at 10:00 am
Grandparents and special friends can enjoy
coffee and pastries in the Community Room,
while Allison and Kathy present an overview of
school and its unique mission, followed by a
tour of our facility and a chance to visit their
grandchild(ren)'s classroom(s). Invitations will
be sent home soon!
UPDATE: Square One Art Fundraiser
In partnership with Ms Kitt and your child’s guide, the
Events and Fundraising Committee has arranged for your
child to complete a piece of art at school that was
shipped to Square One to be replicated and personalized
on clothing and gear (see examples in the display case
outside the main office) then sold to raise funds for the
school.
Packets with order forms will be in the Friday folders
on 11/11/11!! All order forms must be returned by
Friday 11/18/11. Be sure to check out the display case
outside of the office for sample items. Thank you for
your support!
First Mondays at Little Havana!
Join us the first Monday of every month at
Little Havana Restaurant for Montessori
Mondays! Enjoy half-priced sandwiches and
discounted beverages in the company of
fellow Baltimore Montessori parents,
children, and staff. Chat with old friends and
leave with new ones, in a family-friendly
space. All are welcome!
Hope to see you there
this Monday, November 7th!
(The restaurant opens at 4:00 pm.
Come as you can, and as you are!)
Little Havana Restaurant
1325 Key Highway
Baltimore, MD 21230
Questions? Contact Beth Taylor:
Congratulations to John Benam,
father of Noah and Benji (Ecphora room)
and husband to our very own Ms Angela,
on his EMMY AWARD for Outstanding
Cinematography for his work on National
Geographic’s Great Migrations series.
Congrats, Mr John!
15
From Our Neighbors in
Greenmount West:
PAST EVENTS:
1. Greenmount West Vacants to Value
Rehab & Home Tour
On Saturday, October 22nd the New Greenmount West
Community Association (NGWCA), in conjunction with
Baltimore Housing's Vacants to Value (V2V) program,
hosted an amazing tour of Greemount West, its many
assets, and its housing stock to potential homebuyers.
The event, which drew over 50 people interested in
buying in Greenmount West, kicked off at City Arts (440
E. Oliver) and continued throughout the neighborhood.
The tour showcased City-owned vacant properties open
for purchase and beautiful homes - and their gracious
homeowners - that have already undergone the rehab
process. It was an inspiring introduction for people
interested in investing in the community!
Vacants to Value event draws a crowd at the beautiful City Arts
building, right here in Greenmount West.
2. Greenmount West FleaBQ
On Saturday, October 22nd NGWCA, Area 405 and City
Arts hosted a flea market on Oliver Street. Community
members came out to sell and buy goods - everything
from shoes to art to electronics - and mingle with their
neighbors! The event also featured delicious BBQ pulled
pork sandwiches, sweet potato soup and cornbread from
the Station North Arts Cafe on Charles St. Stay tuned for
the next GW flea market in the Spring!
FleaBQ on Oliver Street.
Stay tuned for info about the next GW flea market!
UPCOMING EVENTS:
3. Station North Final Friday Friday, October 28th, 5-8pm
W Trenton Street (between Maryland Ave
and Charles St)
Station North is thrilled to announce a new monthly
public event: Final Fridays!
Beginning Friday, October 28th,
and recurring on the last Friday of
each month, spaces in Station
North will be transformed into
spectacular celebratory
environments filled with musicians,
performance artists, art installations, and food.
"Where the Wild Things Are"
October's Final Friday will morph W Trenton Street
between Maryland and Charles (next to Station North
Arts Cafe) into an inviting urban forest. Stop by and kick
off the Halloween weekend with free performances,
enjoy food from Station North Arts Cafe and Souper
Freak Food Truck, and grab a drink at our beer garden!
Pumpkins and Halloween costumes will be for sale to
help get everyone in the holiday spirit.
Visit Station North on the web: http://www.stationnorth.org
For information or to get more involved in our
neighborhood, contact Greenmount West Community
Organizer Priya Bhayana: [email protected]
16
News, Announcements,
Reminders:
Have you noticed the difference yet?
We have simply switched our school’s
cleaning products to give us safer, better products to help keep us all healthy.
We are using a line of wellness products that do not contain bleach, ammonia or formaldehyde. They do not have phosphates, abrasives and are more effective than what we’ve used before. We are committed to keeping our home away from home safer and help us become better stewards of the Earth by using this exclusive, super-concentrated line of products to keep our environment clean and free from unnecessary chemicals. If you are interested in supporting our school along with our staff by switching over to the line of products that we have tested and now use- consider the benefits of saving time and saving money by ordering on-line or by phone.
Please contact the office for more information ([email protected] or 410-528-5393).
Gratitude
Thank you to all the volunteers who shared their
time and talents to make our Fall Festival such a fun
event for our families!
Thank you to Ms Emily and all who joined in our
first parent book discussion group on October 19th.
Thank you to all who took time away from work
to share their experience and perspectives during our
Career Day for students in our Adolescent Program.
Calendar Reminders
Monday, October 31st: Reminder -- Please do not
send children in costume or with candy. Thank you
for helping us to maintain a distraction-free learning
environment.
Tuesday, November 1st: Observation period begins
in the Children’s House classrooms. Contact your
child’s guide to schedule your observation.
Tuesday, November 1st: Presentation from City
Neighbors High School, 4:00 pm
Sunday, November 6th: Sunday Rehearsal for all
Bridges students at Baltimore Montessori from
3:30 – 5:00 pm
Monday, November 7th: Session II of Yoga for Lower
Elementary students begins
Tuesday, November 8th: School is closed for Election
Day. No Extended Day available.
Wednesday, November 16th: Visiting Day for
Grandparents and Special Friends
Saturday, November 19th: Baltimore City Public
School middle and high school choice fair at Oriole
Park at Camden Yards, 9:00 am – 2:00 pm
Wednesday, November 30th: High School Preview
Day for Baltimore City College, 8:30 am – 11:00 am
Links worth a look…
What can children and parents learn from the life of
Steve Jobs? According to Dr. Robyn Silverman, quite a
bit! “The news of his death, while bringing on mourning
of an amazing thinker, prompted those who revered and
respected him to focus on his noteworthy influence on
the current way we live, work, and enjoy
entertainment. It got me thinking. What can our
children learn—and how can our parenting be
influenced—from looking at the contributions and life
path of Steve Jobs?” Read the full text of this thoughtful
article here: http://www.drrobynsilverman.com/parenting-
tips/7-lessons-the-life-of-steve-jobs-can-teach-our-children/
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