March 2014 Newsletter (PDF)

MARCH


M ON T E S S O R I

E D U C AT I ON

C E N T E R

O F

H A W A I I


2014

NEWSLETTER

WE CELEBRATED VALENTINES DAY
PASSING OUT VALENTINES AND
SHARING A SPECIAL SNACK-THANKS TO
PARENTS WHO HELPED WITH OUR
DELICIOUS PARTY TREATS!!

MAHALO NUI LOA!
It’s hard to believe that we are
already in our sixth month of
school & that our enrollment
has increased to 18! Our
success is largely due to you &
your willingness to be
enthusiastically involved with
your child’s school.
We would like to thank you for
your incredible support during
our recent move from our Hawi
campus to Waimea. We could
not have done it without your
help!! Kau’i’s Grandpa, Ken,

ADDISON

brought a trailer and 2 strong
friends (Kaleo Kaae & Steve
Brenner), to carry all our heavy
furniture to Waimea. They
loaded everything else into
Jasmine Schuester, Amy
Kitendaugh & MJ Allison’s
vehicles to bring to Waimea &
then carried what we weren’t
bringing to the storeroom. Eric
Olsen & Ryan Kitendaugh
carried the refrigerator, file
cabinets & rugs, loaded up with
playground equipment & the
rest of the stuff & took it to
Waimea.

ZOEY

On the Waimea side, Summer &
Robyn assisted with unloading
all the cars, trucks & trailers. On
Saturday, Estri Doe cleaned the
Hawi campus, while Haunanai
Tamashiro, Rebekah & Henry
Evergreen helped clean & prep
the classrooms for all the new
materials.
We are happy that four of our
students from Kohala have
joined us in Waimea. Andrew,
Kingston, Nithera, & Taj all
started school this month!!

KINGSTON & ANDREW

O U R N E W TO D D L E R R O O M

WE ARE VERY EXCITED ABOUT OUR NEW
TODDLER CLASSROOM IN THE BACK
BUILDING. OUR YOUNGEST STUDENTS HAVE
BENEFITTED FROM THEIR VERY OWN SPACE
& A SCHEDULE MORE CONDUCIVE TO THEIR
SPECIFIC NEEDS. THE CHILDREN ARE
WORKING ON CLASSROOM ETIQUETTE;
USING WALKING FEET INSIDE THE
CLASSROOM, LEARNING HOW TO EAT LUNCH
TOGETHER, & WHEN TO SAY PLEASE &
THANK YOU.

$$$$

PRESCHOOL FUNDING

PRESCHOOL OPEN DOORS
(POD) is offering to pay for

Families: Supportive strategies
to help families transition into
new programs.
preschool for children born
st
~Tuesday, April 1st
between August 1 2009
Introduction to Infant/Toddler
through July 31st 2010. POD
Care: A look at quality care in
provides monthly preschool
infant toddler programs.
tuition subsidies to qualified
families for up to one year.
~Thursday, April 3rd ~
Together In Care: Creating
Please help us spread the
close caregiver/child
word in the community by
relationships within a group.
telling family, friends, and
~Tuesday, April 8th ~ Ages
neighbors that this funding is
Of Infancy: Understanding the
available. This is the last
rapid growth & changing
chance for these children to
needs of infants & toddlers.
attend pre-school.
~Tuesday, April 29th
We have applications available Discoveries Of Infancy I: Early
learning development.
in the office and Summer can
offer assistance filing them out.
~Thursday, May 1st
The application period runs
Discoveries Of Infancy II:
from March 1, 2014 to April 30,
Supporting early learning
2014. Applications must be
development. Should be taken
RECEIVED at the Oahu POD
after Discoveries of Infancy I.
office no later than April 30th,
~Tuesday, May 6th ~
2014 to qualify. THEY WILL
Emotional Development: The
MAKE NO EXCEPTIONS!
development of emotional
stages in infants & toddlers.
Applications can also be
downloaded from the website:
~Thursday, May 8th
www.patchhawaii.org or
Language Development:
picked up from our office.
Understanding & supporting
However, if you have any
language development.
questions, please call Summer
~Tuesday, May 13th ~ Health,
immediately.
Safety & Nutrition: Health &
safety issues surrounding infant
PARENT/TEACHER TRAINING & toddler care.
People Attentive to Children
~Thursday, May 15th ~ It’s
(P.A.T.C.H.) continues to offer
Not Just Routine: A look at
free classes at our school for
feeding, diapering & toileting
parents, grandparents &
routines.
teachers who work with young
~Tuesday, May 20th ~ Social
children.
Guidance: Helping infants &
th
~Monday, March 24 ~ The
toddlers develop positive peer
prepared Infant & Toddler
interactions.
Environment: How to
We hope you will mark your
strategically create a
calendars & take advantage of
responsive environment for
this free educational
infants & toddlers.
opportunity being offered so
~Monday, March 31st ~ First
close to home. All classes are
Moves: Welcoming New
scheduled from 5:30 - 8:30 PM.

$$$$

PARENT CONFERENCES
Parent/Teacher conferences
for our primary students will be
scheduled every half hour
between 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM on
Friday, April 18th.
The 20 minute conferences are
an opportunity to ask questions
about your child’s progress at
school. Please let us know if
you would like to schedule an
observation of the classroom
before your conference. You
can schedule your conference
at drop off or pick up time with
teaching staff or call Summer in
the office at 887-9214.

DAD’S NIGHT - APRIL 24TH
Dad’s Night is one of the
children’s favorite school
events. The children enjoy
showing Dads their favorite
work at school, as well as
serving & sharing fruit salad
they will prepare.
Dads are invited to come to
school with their child anytime
between 5:00 & 7:00 PM & stay
as long as they want. Don’t
worry Dad, it is very casual &
relaxed & lots of fun for
everyone. We are asking each
child to bring at least 2 pieces
of fruit to school on
Wednesday, April 23rd to add to
the fruit salad they will be
making for Dad’s Night. We will
have a sign up sheet available
at pick up and drop off for the
Dad’s night fruit you will be
bringing. Thank you so much
for your help. Please make sure
to pick up your child by 4:00 PM
on Thursday so that teachers
can get the classroom ready
for this special evening.

P H OTO S F R O M M A R C H

REMINDERS:
1. SPRING BREAK (Mar. 17-21)
2. PRINCE KUHIO DAY (Mar. 26)
No School

3. CAR SEAT INSPECTION
(Mar. 29)
4. TEACHER INSERVICE (Mar. 31)
No School
5. PARENT CONFERENCES
(April 18) No School
6. DAD’S NIGHT (April 24)
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
7. PATCH CLASSES (Mar. & Apr.)
8. LIKE US ON FACEBOOK!
WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/WAIME

AMONTESSORI

CAR SEAT INSPECTION

SUMMER SCHOOL

Did you know that 3 out of 4 car
seats are installed incorrectly?
Correctly used child safety
seats can reduce the risk of
death by as much as 71%.

We are making summer plans &
need to know how many
students are interested in
attending summer school,
along with your session
preference. The six weeks of
Summer Fun will start in June
and run through July with half
and full day programs
available. Please look for the
survey that will be emailed by
next week.

On Saturday, March 29th from
9:00 AM - Noon there will be a
free car seat inspection at the
Waikoloa Community Church
(68-3625 Paniolo Ave.,
Waikoloa). Visit
www.bigislandmops.com/
events for more information
and to make an appointment.
All appointments will be
entered to win a prize
giveaway! Hurry, appointments
are limited! Drive-ups also
welcomed.

FALL REGISTRATION
Please indicate (on the same
survey as Summer School) if
your child will be returning in
August for the 2014-2015 school
year. Your prompt reply will
help us plan our program to
better serve you & your child.

Help Make Preschool A Reality For All Keiki
An amendment is being
proposed to Article X, Section 1,
of the Hawaii State Constitution
to permit the appropriation of
public funds for private early
childhood education programs.
The amendment on this
November’s ballot is critical to
Gov. Neil Abercrombie’s push for
universal preschool. He has said
that combination of public
preschools, private preschools and
state-funded slots in private schools
is likely needed to serve all of the
state’s 17,200 4-year-olds.
The state Constitution prohibits
public funds from being spent to
support or benefit private
educational institutions. The

INSECTS & SPRING
will be the new unit of
study this month.

amendment, if passed, would allow
the state to contract with private
providers to build capacity.
Join the campaign! Tell at least 3
relatives, friends or colleagues to
ask their legislator to fund
preschool opportunities for all 4year-olds.

LUNCH
R E MI N D E RS

DID YOU KNOW?
- 85% of a child’s brain development
happens before they’re 5 years old?
- Kids who attend preschool are more
likely to graduate from high school &
attend college?
- Investing in young children stimulates
the state’s economy now & in the
future?
- Hawaii is 1 of only 11 states
without state-funded preschool?
- Nearly half of Hawaii’s
kindergarteners didn’t attend any
form of preschool?

- Please remember to
send utensils with your
child if needed.
- Please send fruit for
d e s s e r t in s t e a d o f
cookies or sugary
treats.
- Teachers will let you
know if your child
doesn’t have enough
food OR will send home
uneaten food if there’s
too much.

STORY TIME