Happy New Year and welcome back to school!
We have been updating our Facebook site on a regular basis with thought provoking articles and insights on education in Montessori and beyond, so don’t forget to check in!
Our next PD Day is Friday, January 30: Please note that there has been a revision to upcoming PD Days and Parent Workshops in order to coincide with Professional Development courses offered at the Montessori Training Centre. Kindly visit our private community calendar to view changes.
Workshop Series, Digitizing Ourselves to Death, January 13th: The Richmond Addiction Services Society is hosting a four-week workshop series on problem video gaming. The first night of the series will be January 13, 2015 – shortly after school resumes. Please share this information with parties who might benefit from attending. The four evening of events will be held at the Richmond Public Library Brighouse Branch. Participants are to register directly at www.yourlibrary.ca .
Bake Sale, Monday, January 26th: The Adolescents are organizing a bake sale on January 26th to raise money for the upcoming Montessori Model United Nations trip and other enrichment activities. We would like to invite parents to contribute baked goods to this sale. If you are interested in contributing, please let us know by January 19th. We are respectfully requesting that parents drop off their baking contributions by 8:30am the morning of the bake sale. Other arrangements may be made if necessary. Dried fruits and nuts will also be for available for purchase at this event. Parents – let us know if you’d like to volunteer to help with this!
Primary Parent Workshop, Thursday, January 29 from 4:30pm – 6:00pm: We will be presenting a workshop on the Primary Program with an emphasis on the Extended-Day. This will also be a great opportunity for the Mole Hill parents to tour the North Creek facility and see the classroom set up! Stay tuned for more details.
Wine-and-Cheese Art Auction: Evening of February 13th: This event will showcase Upper Elementary and Adolescent artwork. Come and bid on a masterpiece!
Elementary Workshop for Parents, Evening of March 2nd: Greg MacDonald, Director of Elementary Training at the Montessori Institute of San Diego will be at our school to speak to parents about Montessori education with a focus on the needs of the child at the elementary stage of development.
Hot Lunch Program: The holiday feasting is over, and now it’s time to eat healthy again. If you have never tried the hot lunch program, why not order a few meals to check it out? Food is supplied by #e Food, a local eatery that prides on healthy cuisine with ingredients that are locally sourced and sustainable. Each meal comes with a side salad or soup. 2 sizes – Small $5, Large $7.50. Tax included
Kindly note that orders must be placed at least 24 hours in advance. Just a reminder that hot lunches can be ordered anytime during the month. Please make payments as soon as you have a confirmed order. To order online, please visit https://lionsgate.hotlunch.com/plogin.php. If your child has recently transferred from Mole Hill/North Creek to Anchor Point, please remember to update your profile to ensure that lunch is delivered to the right location. If you have any questions, please let us know.
ANCHOR POINT
Swim and Dance Lessons: Swim and Dance lessons are about to begin! Students at Anchor Point Montessori are invited to participate in swimming lessons starting Wednesday, January 14th. Dance lessons will begin on Monday, January 19th. Permission forms were sent home today. Please fill out the bottom portion of the form and return it on Monday, January 12th. Kindly refer to the permission form for details of the times, dates and locations for your child’s classes.
Warm Thanks to the parents who took the time to join our Talk with Vice-Provost and Professor of Literature, Cindy Weinstein, from California Institute of Technology (CalTech)! Prof. Weinstein’s first remark upon entering Anchor Point was how similar it was to CalTech – both having small, “boutique” environments geared to a niche group. Our students were surprised to learn that CalTech was the home to the Einstein Papers Project and that it manages NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. They were inspired by how such a small university with a student enrollment of just over 2,200 (compared to UBC with about 50,000), can wield so much influence in the field of science and technology. They also learned that science is very much a creative journey not dissimilar from the Arts. Our students came away inspired to learn more about science, space and technology as well as literature!
NORTH CREEK
Happy New Year and welcome back! It’s been an exciting first week! We can already see new friendships being formed, familiar faces reuniting, and a keen interest in new experiences all around.
As you know, some of the kindergarten students from Mole Hill and North Creek are now at Anchor Point. It became evident on the first day back from break that it would be beneficial to have familiar teachers to help with this transition. Ms. Candice, having worked with students from both, North Creek and Mole Hill over the summer, volunteered to be that transition person: She will be there for some of the morning and afternoon classes. Ms. Lili, who works as Mandarin teacher with students at all campuses is also at Anchor Point in the morning to greet the students on the street.
The rest of the Mole Hill staff, Ms. Julia, Ms. Priscilla and Ms. Yukimi have already begun working closely with Ms. Lindsay, Ms. Kelly, and Ms. Mahrukh. We are are consolidating as one community! It is heartwarming to see new friendships being formed with children enjoying getting to know new peers and new teachers.
Please do not hesitate to contact us should you have any further questions about the transition!
Oral Hygiene: For all Extended-Day children, please bring a rinsing cup, a toothbrush, toothpaste, and dental floss to use for brushing after lunch.
Emergency Consent Cards: If your child is a new student at North Creek Montessori, please fill in the Emergency Consent Card that you will receive from a teacher at the door. It is important that you complete it and return to school ASAP.
COMMUNITY NOTICES
Wondering what to do on weekends with your children? Here are some ideas below:
The Forbidden City, Inside the Court of China’s Emperors: Final Weekend! Until January 11th, the Vancouver Art Gallery will be transformed into the court of China’s Emperors for the landmark exhibition. Selected from the vast collections of Beijing’s Palace Museum, the exhibition showcases nearly 200 precious works from the Forbidden City that have rarely been seen outside of China. Organized in nine key sections, the exhibition leads visitors through the realms of the Imperial Palace.
Robson Square Ice Rink Open for Free until February 28th, 2015: The rink will be open all through the Christmas Holidays, including Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. Skating is free with your own skates, otherwise, rentals are available. The rink also features a concession stand with snacks and warm drinks. Click here for more information.
Dine Out Vancouver 2015 – January 16th to February 1st: Canada’s largest food and drink festival dishes up unlimited ways to enjoy the flavours of the city. Choose from a 17-day calendar of culinary events and experiences, hundreds of restaurants throughout the city and dozens of hotel options to create delicious dining experiences. Click here for more details.
Dwellings – From Seabeds to Cityscapes: This exhibition of young people’s art explores where we live and how we inhabit space shapes our experiences, our culture, and even who we are. Investigate how creatures in different habitats interact with the spaces they inhabit, envision the human body as a dwelling space, imagine habitations for people in the future, and delve into many other creative contemplation on where we dwell. The exhibition will take place at 808 Richards Street until March 25th, 2015. For more information visit ArtStarts in Schools.