Happy Holidays

Parents:

I hope everyone had the chance to hear the children sing at the holiday concert. It was fun to hear them sing about candy canes and snowmen and Rudolph, or, as he's known in my house, Woo-doff.

May you all have a joyous holiday. May you be filled with the spirit of the season, and may none of your relatives give your children loud electronic toys with a jillion tiny pieces.

See you all in January.

-Brooke

Santa Comes To Sunflower

Yesterday, Santa Claus made a surprise stop at Sunflower and brought along a present for each student.

Amazingly, Each kid held on to his/her present and didn't even try to open it until everyone had been given a gift and Santa counted out, "One, two, THREE!"

Also amazing: Not a single person cried, which made the morning more pleasant than every trip to see Santa at the mall, ever.

Ms. Correy took photos of everyone in Santa's lap, which should be available at the holiday concert this Friday at 10am.

The Good Food Store Scrip Program - So THAT'S How That Works!

Parents:

When you filled out your child's paperwork for the new school year, you may have noticed a page in the packet that mentioned a scrip program for The Good Food Store. If you're like me, you signed, it, forgot about it, and now if someone offered you a hundred bucks and a case of beer to explain what it is, you couldn't do it. If you're NOT like me, and you know exactly what's going on, good for you! Now bring your organized self over to my house, 'cause these presents aren't going to wrap themselves.

But for those who ARE like me, we're in luck! Melodie has taken the time to explain it all for us:

Wouldn't it be nice if you could set a grocery budget and stick to it, but have a teensy bit of wiggle room in case that extra huge head of broccoli puts you over by $2.19 when you get to the cashier?  

Wouldn't it be nice if you had a reason to shop at the Good Food Store more regularly? 

Wouldn't it be nice if you knew that some of the money you spent on groceries was being passed on to a wonderful educational program here in town... and your kid was in that educational program? 

Voila!  It is wonderful!  Set up a Good Food Store Scrip account.  It's easy.

1.  Go to the customer service desk at the GFS.  Smile a lot, because the people there are smiley.  Say these words:"I would like to set up a scrip account to support Sunflower Montessori School. 

"The extra credit version:"I would like to set up a scrip account to support Sunflower Montessori School.  Their account number is 223." 

The scattered person version:"I would like to set up a scrip account to support SMS.  However, I may have already done it.  Here is the account number: 223- and the last four digits of my phone number: ####.  Can you check to see if I have an account?" 

2.  Once your account is set up, hand over a check, cash, or card and say:"Great!  Are you available to put $X.00 on my account right now?"They will probably say yes.  If they don't, they'll ask you to have the cashier do it as you purchase your groceries.  Either way, mention your scrip account before they total you out.  If you max out your account while purchasing your groceries, you can put the rest of the charge on some other form of payment.  You can also add money to your account before they begin to ring up your groceries. 

3.  Remember to add money periodically.  Perhaps the first trip to the GFS of each month, mention it to the cashier that you'd like to check your balance, and if it is lower than you'd like, add more.  
Easy peasy!

Thanks for clearing it up, Melodie. Bonus points for making a "peas" joke at the end of a post about groceries.

FYI, here's what's on sale this week. 

-Brooke

Shopping For Sunflower

In case you haven't finished all of your holiday shopping, here's a great idea:

Check out the online store For Small Hands. They offer great Montessori materials, "I Can Do It Myself" kid-sized supplies, and fun games for the whole family.

AND, if you enter the code #327849 at check-out, they'll reward Sunflower Montessori with credit for free materials. Something for you, something for your favorite school.

But HURRY - The promotion only runs through the end of this month! Remember to enter the Sunflower code.

(If you're like me, you've sworn up and down you're not going to buy another thing before Christmas. But then I saw the kid-sized kitchen equipment and lost my mind). 

-Brooke

Holiday Happenings At Sunflower

Happy Holidays, everyone! 

In honor of this special season, Sunflower is planning a few festive events.

BETWEEN NOW AND DECEMBER 14th: PRESENT DROP-OFF 
Applies to all students, all ages: Please purchase a small, inexpensive gift ($5-$10) for your child. Wrap it, be sure it's clearly labeled with your child's name, and covertly drop it off at the school. These are the gifts that will be distributed by Santa when he comes to the school. Speaking of:

TUE, DECEMBER 18th: 10:00am SANTA COMES TO SUNFLOWER
Applies to all students, all ages: Every year, Santa distributes gifts to the children; this year, Santa is a SURPRISE. Parents are welcome to gather at the elementary school no later than 9:55am if they wish to see Santa show up unexpectedly during a concert rehearsal...but please don't breath a word!

FRI, DECEMBER 21st: 10:00am CHRISTMAS CONCERT / SCHOOL CLOSES EARLY
Every child needs a guardian to come to the 10am concert. The Sunflower kids and the elementary kids will be singing, and the Sprouts (2 year olds) will be watching. The performance will last for approximately 30 minutes, and then school will be closed for the day.

DEC 24 - JAN 2: SCHOOL CLOSED FOR THE HOLIDAYS
See you next year!

Questions/Concerns? E-mail Katie

DECEMBER LUNCH MENU

(Also posted daily by Melodie on the Sunflower facebook page)

NOTE SCHOOL CLOSURES

Update From Ms. Lindsay & Ms. Reina's Classroom

Monday Dec 3.

Today we had a special visit from a special service dog name Barnsley.  Barnsley showed us how he helps people perform tasks that they may not be able to do on their own.  Barnsley showed us how he can help take off a jacket, open a door, and retrieve a water bottle!  The children enjoyed watching Barnsley, taking turns petting him, and learning about service dogs.

This is our last week of studying South America.  Thank you to Lio for sharing money from the country of Colombia called "Plata."  We will be moving on to the continent of Europe next.

Today I enjoyed presenting another lesson from Sonnie McFarland's book "Honoring the Light of the Child".  Love light necklaces are now on the peace shelf for the children to wear when their love light is shining bright.  If a love light necklace happens to come home please send it back the next day.

In Botany we are learning the parts of the leaf, and we are studying horses for Zoology.  In addition to these new jobs, we have introduced picture pin-poking, and several new holiday themed jobs.  

It is exciting to see so many children mastering their letter sounds!  We have brought out the moveable alphabet, and several children have had lessons on word building.  I think many children will be reading by the end of the year!

The children are now setting their own place settings for lunch time.  Please reinforce this great skill at home, and have them set the dinner table.  Many children are mastering using polite table manners.  Ask them to name a few table manners that they've learned.

We have a beautiful glass reptile cage ready for use in our Peace/Cultural room.  We are looking for a parent volunteer to set-up our reptile cage and check-in on it weekly.  The children have enjoyed taking care of the fish, and I think we are ready to expand!  Ms. Reina & I have agreed that a snake might be a bit too intimidating for us, but perhaps a lizard or turtle might work out well.  If you have any expertise in this area please contact me at sunflowermontessori@hotmail.com

It is a joy to watch your children grow!  For any questions/comments please feel free to contact me.

Thank you,

Ms. Lindsay Aquilio

The Season of Sneezin'

It's cold and flu season... 

We would like to remind everyone of our illness exclusion policy.  We try to keep kids as healthy as we can when they are in our care, and in order to minimize everyone's exposure to germs, we ask that you follow these guidelines:

If your child is too sick to participate in classroom activities, OR if s/he has a fever (or has had a fever in the last 24 hours), they may not attend school.

If your child gets sent home sick from school...

Kids who are sent home from school may not return the next day.  Health Department policy states that a child must be fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever reducers before they may return to a school setting.  If a child has been given fever reducers for any reason, they may not attend school, as they are considered in the contagious stages of an illness.  Our exclusion policy is based on the State of Montana recommendation.

Thank you for doing your part to keep everyone healthy!

-Katie & Correy

School Closures

This is a friendly Thanksgiving reminder that there will be no school 

this Wednesday - Friday, Nov 21st - 23rd.

Speaking of school closures, and as long as we're all here, 

this is the calendar through the end of the school year:

December 21st - Holiday Concert - SCHOOL CLOSES EARLY
December 24th - January 2nd: Winter Vacation

January 21st: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

January 28th: Professional Development Day

February 18th: Presidents Day

April 1st - April 5th: Spring Break

April 29th: Conference Day

May 24th: Graduation, Carnival and Last Day of School

School reopens for Summer Program on Friday, June 3rd

THIS WEEK IN MS. LINDSAY & MISS REINA'S CLASS

Please welcome guest blogger, Ms. Lindsay!

We have introduced the continent of South America.  We will be working on making maps of South America, learning about the different countries within the continent, and talking about the history and customs of various South American countries.  Many children have been drawn to the "Flags of South America" material this week.  If you have any artifacts, photographs, or stories to share from South America, please send them to school with your child for show-and-tell, or schedule a time to visit our class.

Our new Botany subject is the apple.  The children have enjoyed learning about the parts of an apple (seeds, core, flesh, skin, and stem), and learning new songs about apples. Our grace & courtesy lesson today was saying "Yes, please" or "No, thank you" when offered a slice of apple.

Many children are demonstrating greater independence in dressing themselves for outside play (after lunch.)  This is quite an accomplishment considering they are putting on snow pants, coats, gloves, hats, and boots.  Please continue to send your children in shoes/clothing that will help them dress independently (ex. shoes/boots they can fasten.)  It is very chilly out, so please double check to make sure your child has everything they need to keep them warm.  Outside play is an important part of the day, and we do go outside in all weather conditions.

Ms. Reina & I love to hear stories about what information is being absorbed at school and shared at home.  If you have any fun stories to share please e-mail sunflowerparents@gmail.com so they can be posted to the blog.  I also can be reached at sunflowermontessori@hotmail.com for any questions/comments.

Thank you,

Ms. Lindsay

November Lunch Menu

click to enlarge

Also note school closures next week for the Thanksgiving holiday. 

School Photos!

Parents -

The school photos have been delivered to Sunflower, and each parent who signed up and paid for a photo should be receiving a high-res .jpeg from Katie via e-mail shortly, along with the following letter from the photographer:

Hi, parents! 

Thank you for letting me do the school pictures for your beautiful children. 

Through Katie, you have been provided the .jpg to print as you choose. If you decide to order prints through me, you can be assured of professional-quality prints that will match the color and sharpness of the original photograph. To order, please email me, message me on Facebook, or just give me a call. Price list attached.

I would love to use some of these school photos in my portfolio. If you’re willing to let me post your kiddo’s school photo on my website, please contact me for more information.

Thanks again,Brooke B.
(406) 722-0088barnibbe@gmail.comfacebook.com/barnibbephotography

I'll attach the price list she mentions here:

Let us know if you have any questions, and thanks to all who participated! 50% of each photo's fee went to Sunflower, making this a very successful fundraiser for the school.

-Sunflower Parents Assn.

FYI / PRIVACY NOTICE: We will ALWAYS secure permission from children's parents before posting their photos on our blog or facebook account. 

LUNCH MENU

THIS WEEK'S LUNCH MENU (Nov 5 - Nov 9)

MONDAY - Black Bean Burritos, Tortilla Chips, Salsa
TUESDAY - Pancakes and Eggs, Orange Slices
WEDNESDAY - Chicken Pot Pie, Carrots, Biscuits
THURSDAY - Cheesy Chicken Pasta, Garlic Bread, Green Beans
FRIDAY - NO SCHOOL - Parent/Teacher Conferences

LUNCH MENU

THIS WEEK'S LUNCH MENU (Oct 29-Nov2)

MONDAY - Chicken & Quinoa Soup w/ Biscuits & Peas
TUESDAY - Vegetarian Pizza, Carrots
WEDNESDAY - Chili, Corn & Tortilla Chips
THURSDAY - Spaghetti, Garlic Bread, Salad
FRIDAY - Stuffed Cabbage, Homemade Bread & Peas.

Projects Update

Fellow parents:

I (Brooke) have been on vacation for the past week; sorry for the lapse in posting. Here are a few items of note - 

1) SCHOOL PHOTOS were a big success last week. Brooke Barnett, the photographer, is editing them now and will turn the files over to Katie to forward to parents. If your child was photographed, you can expect your digital file sometime this weekend, Monday latest. 

2) FAMILY DIRECTORY - We're still collecting family info, but have only heard from about 20% of families. If you want to be included, please let us know by sending us as much of the following info as you're comfortable contributing:

CHILD'S NAME & AGE:

CHILD'S BIRTHDAY:

OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS: (Mom, Dad, Siblings)

ADDRESS:

PHONE NUMBER:

E-MAIL:

3) MONTHLY NEWSLETTER - Melodie is still looking for volunteers to write items for the newsletter. If yu're interested, e-mail Melodie.

Halloween Party Info

SUNFLOWER HALLOWEEN PARTY*

Wednesday, Oct 31st, 6:00p - 7:00p

Games! Prizes! Food!

Elementary building: 626 s 6th st W

* Please save your child's costume for the party, vs. dressing him/her in it for the school day; 

a class full of monster/princess/dragon/firemen/rockstars is (reportedly) mayhem. 

Winter Wear

Now that winter's setting in, the staff at Sunflower recommends providing the following cold weather gear for your kid(s):

Warm coat
Waterproof gloves (cotton/knit ones tend to get wet during snow play)
A scarf & hat
Winter boots
Extra socks (in case they get wet)
A pair of slippers to wear indoors
Snow pants (you can leave the same pair at school to be put on over normal pants).

As always, label everything!

Oct 15th Association Meeting - Minutes

Agenda:

*Introduction to Parents' Association Mission and Projects

*Request for specific help/volunteers for Newsletter

*Open Floor for questions, comments

*Minestrone Soup and Baguette!

Minutes

*Introduction to Parents' Association Mission and Projects

Melodie Stenger clarified that the role of the Parents' Association is twofold:

1) To create a sense of community amongst the parents of Sunflower children, and 

2) To support the school as it pursues its mission.

The biggest obstacle to accomplishing both things is a lack of communication between the school and the parents and between the parents themselves.  Therefore, the current tasks of the Parents' Association are completely focused on surmounting this obstacle.

The Parents' Association is working to: 

• make Facebook and up-to-date and consistent source of information: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sunflower-Montessori-School/104267582941472 
• create a reliable monthly newsletter full of news about the school
• compile a directory of all Sunflower families to better encourage parent-to-parent communication  (if you did not get an email about this, please write to sunflowerparents@gmail.com)
• see what it can do to support a more informative Sunflower website 
• maintain a Sunflower Parents blog and e-mail address 

*Request for help with Newsletter

Melodie is asking for parents to sign up to serve as writers for the Newsletter.  A volunteering parent would be responsible for one of the following topics, below, and would write up a 2 to 3 paragraph article on that topic each month according to the schedule which is also below.  As of October 17th, more volunteers are still needed.

The Newsletter would also benefit from having a volunteer serve as the Sunflower Photo Historian.  This person would be responsible for archiving photos of Sunflower's community at a secure location (probably not facebook) that could store them at a high resolution, and then helping to select photos to round out the newsletter each month.  Attention would have to be paid to any children in photos whose families do not want their children's photos used.  This could be done in joint effort with Katie or Correy.

Monthly Schedule:

1st: Topic Assignments go out

15th: Articles due to me

20th: Draft given to Katie for review and printing

1st: Newsletter published in hardcopy and on blog

Meet-A-Teacher: Create a simple "interview questionnaire" to give to a different teacher each month.  Write up the results in article form.  Part of this is to ask that teacher for their favorite Montessori activity for families to do at home.

Meet-A-Family: Similar to the above.

Wish List: Work with Katie and Correy to consolidate a wish list and keep it up to date each month, perhaps including thank-you's to the folks who have provided requested items from the previous month's list.

Feature Topic (changes monthly)

Special Topic (changes monthly)

This Month At School (Curriculum Update): Work with Correy to create an article highlighting the themes and topics in the classrooms that month, complete with sample questions parents might ask their kids upon being picked up.

Hygiene (Correy has requested we focus on a specific practical life hygiene issue each month)

Parents' Association Update: Brief blurb

Reminders: Bulletted List of reminders

Calendar: um, a calendar of special events in the next two months

Montessori Holidays (ways to celebrate the holidays, Montessori style)

The Home Environment (ways to make your home a Montessori home)

Please write to sunflowerparents@gmail.com if you are interested in helping- specify which topics you are most interested in if you wish to write, and whether you would mind doing more than one article each month.

*Open Floor for Comments

Concerns were raised about the following:

• What a scrip account is at the GFS and how to begin using one.  Simply go to the custormer service desk at the GFS and ask to set up an account benefiting Sunflower.  It works much like a debit account.  You put a chunk of money in (any amount) and then use your account number when you go through the check-out.  A portion of the funds you spent on your purchase goes to the school.  When your account runs out, you add more.  It's helpful to the school, and a good way to keep your GFS spending in a set budget!
• Whether the menu could be made more accessible.  There are currently copies of the month's menu at the front door of Sunflower School.  We also hope to keep the weekly schedule on the blog, and the daily menu on Facebook each morning.  We had a parent volunteer to take the monthly schedule and turn it into a PDF so it can be put online. Stay tuned.

The next meeting has not been set yet.

LUNCH MENU

THIS WEEK'S LUNCH MENU (Oct 15-19)

MONDAY - Shepherd's Pie & Corn Bread
TUESDAY - Chicken Enchiladas w/ Chips & Cheese
WEDNESDAY - Chicken Fajita Casserole w/ Quinoa

OCTOBER: Upcoming Events & Important Dates

Oct 15th, 5:30p - Parents' Association Meeting at Sunflower. 

Children are welcome to attend, and a small dinner will be provided. 

Oct 18 & 19 - SCHOOL CLOSED for Teacher Training

Oct 22 - Open House - Come see the new basement!

Oct 23 & 24th, 10:30a - 12:30p  - School Photo Days.

Flyer posted below with further info.

Oct 31, 6:00p - Halloween Party 

Sunflower Family Directory

We attempted to e-mail every parent about our plan to put together a new directory of Sunflower families, but in case you didn't receive it, we'll re-post that e-mail here:

Hello, Sunflower Parents!

The newly-formed Sunflower Parents' Association is excited about the new school year, and looking forward to some fun projects. At our first meeting, we discussed the need for a Student & Family Directory, which could help parents compile birthday invitation lists, schedule play dates, etc. We would love to include every family, and want to assure you that the information you choose to provide will ONLY be used for this directory, which will then be made available ONLY to fellow Sunflower families.

If you'd like your family to be included, please respond to this e-mail with the following information (or as much of it as you feel comfortable sharing), and attach a family photo.

CHILD'S NAME & AGE:

CHILD'S BIRTHDAY:

OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS: (Mom, Dad, Siblings)

ADDRESS:

PHONE NUMBER:

E-MAIL:

If you'd prefer not to participate, feel free to let us know that as well. We'll be sure not to e-mail you further about this project. 

Our goal as an association is to support the school and keep all families informed and involved; please let us know if you have any questions or suggestions. 

Thanks!

-Sunflower Parents' Association-

School Photos!

Welcome!

The school's dry erase board is taking to the internet!

Hello, Sunflower Parents - 

We're hoping this blog will be a great resource for parents, combining the information found on Sunflower's website with the more day-to-day announcements currently posted on the school's facebook page. 

We'll be figuring this out as we go, and we look forward to input from our fellow parents. Feel free to e-mail us!

Here's to a happy and successful school year!

-Sunflower Parents' Association.