2015
August
NEWS
Dear MDO Parents: We are very happy to welcome you to the 2015- 2016 school year. We are looking forward to a productive partnership with you to ensure your children will achieve their highest potential. Your children will need support from both home and school. We know a strong partnership with you will make a great difference in your child’s education. We think that parent–teacher relationships are necessary for maximum student success. In the classroom, children have many opportunities to develop important social skills through playtime with classmates. The Montessori toddler curriculum leads children to develop language, math, and problem solving skills. Children in class begin to learn sounds of the alphabet, counting skills, the days of the week, interactive songs and finger play, and storybook reading. The Montessori lessons and daily art activities allow the children to further develop fine motor and creative skills. The MDO team feels privileged to be a part of this school family. We thank you for your support and look forward to meeting you. Sincerely, Ms. Eva, Ms .Mary and Ms. Ashley
Mother’s Day Out
Hello Toddler 1 Parents, I hope everyone has had a restful and productive summer. Miss Annabel and I are so excited to be back and preparing our classrooms. We are also excited that “Buddy,” the classroom guinea pig, is back with us. He had a wonderful a restful summer break as well. We can’t wait to meet you and your little ones and to see our returning students’ growth from over the summer. Mrs. Anna and Miss. Annabel
Toddler 1
Toddler 2
Welcome back to another exciting year here at St. James! We hope everyone had a relaxing summer. We are looking forward to welcoming all our new families into our toddler community, as well as seeing the smiling faces of our returning toddlers. We have had fun working in our classroom to prepare for another school year. We have focused on our reading corner and added a few new cozy touches. Don’t forget to bring a filled water bottle daily, labeled with your child’s name. Any food that needs to be heated up for lunch, please place in foil and mark with the child’s name. Thank you, Mrs. April, Mrs. Lilly & Ms. Eliane
Welcome Friends!
Toddler 3
We are so excited to kick off this year! Toddler 3 teachers have been working hard to get everything prepared and to beautify the classroom for this year. We are looking forward to welcoming back our second year students as well as giving a warm welcome to the new students in our toddler community.
Come read in our :
See you soon, Ms. Coral, Ms. Amy and Ms. Amanda
Dear families of Primary 1, Welcome to the 2015-2016 school year at Saint James Episcopal School! We hope that you have enjoyed the summertime and managed to relax and have fun with your family & friends. We are very excited to return to the classroom and cannot wait to share this next year with you and your child. During the past few weeks we have been busy undergoing staff in-service trainings and preparing our classroom for the start of school. We are dedicated to suiting all aspects of our environment to meet the needs of your child, and we are looking forward to a wonderful year!
We hope that you will join us on Friday, August 21st for orientation, followed by a meet & greet in our classroom. We anticipate visiting with some familiar faces and meeting new ones, too!
The shelves are ready, our space is set, and we will see you soon! Please feel free to contact us with any questions/concerns at your convenience. You can reach us by simply sending an email through Montessori Compass, and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
Thank you, Mrs. Amaris & Ms. Kim
Primary 1
Welcome and welcome back! We have a great school year planned for your children, our students. Here are a few items that will help us get off to a great start. 1. EXTRA CLOTHES: Please send an extra change of clothes for your child to leave in the classroom. They will only be used in case of accidents. (If you have a 3 year old, please leave 3 or 4 pairs of underwear.) 2. CUBBIES: Please allow your child to independently put lunch boxes, sweaters, etc., in their cubbies and also independently retrieve those items at the end of the day. One of the goals of the Montessori classroom is to lead the child to independence. 3. SNACKS: Snack schedules will be put in your child’s cubbie. Please post the schedule with other family reminders. If you cannot bring the snack on your assigned week/weeks please arrange a trade with another family. Any questions, please ask. 4. LUNCH GUIDELINES: We ask that you send your child a healthy lunch. Please no chips of any kind. Please do not include sweets. Please include a protein in your child’s lunch. We are ready and looking forward to a wonderful 2015-2016 school year! All the best, Mrs. Barrineau/Ms. Marla
Primary 2
Another Texas summer has flown by! I hope that each Primary 3 family has enjoyed a balance of rest, work, and play during the summer months. Our classroom has undergone a lot of changes while we have been away. Plumbers, contractors, carpenters, and electricians have been in and out of our room all summer long! Now we have a spacious bathroom within the classroom and an increased amount of work space as well! We have enjoyed spreading the furniture out, creating new works, and adding cozy touches to the environment. Our hearts are full of gratitude for the many people who have made the classroom renovations possible. One area that we are particularly proud of is the new Calming Corner. The concept for this nook is the result of the Positive Discipline training that we received during teacher in-service. The Calming Corner is designed to be a place that a child chooses to go to regulate emotions, to rest, and to recharge. The Corner includes a photo album for family pictures, a stress ball, and a variety of calming visuals to encourage relaxation and rest. Speaking of rest, please enjoy these last few days of summer! We are thrilled to see you at new student orientation, Meet the Teacher, and on the first day of school! Ms. Tamara and Ms. Jaymie
Primary 3
Dear Primary 4 families, Welcome back to the 2015-2016 school year at St. James! Ms. Bianca and I have been very busy during our in-service days setting up and beautifying the environment in preparation for the students’ arrival. The classroom has undergone some BIG changes this year with the addition of an in-class bathroom as well as some extra square footage. It has come together so nicely and we cannot wait to share the changes with all of you! We are looking forward to meeting each P4 family at Orientation on Friday afternoon. This will give us an opportunity to not only spend time with the children, but also answer any questions you might have about the upcoming school year. It is very important to us to work together as a classroom family and come together over what matters the most—the children. Sincerely, Ms. Sarah and Ms. Bianca
Primary 4
The cubbies in the new bathroom!
Art & Technology Welcome back! I hope everyone has had a fun and relaxing summer! I am excited for the new school year and to see all the children’s smiling faces! I have lots of fun art projects planned this year. I cannot wait to see the creative and beautiful pieces the children make! We’re going to have a lot of fun in Technology too! Learning the parts of the computer, how to type, making robots, and working on special projects are a few of the things we’ll do this year! I’m looking forward to seeing everyone soon! Ms. Hanna
I am excited to be heading up the after school care program for my fifth year. I have a wonderful staff to work with this year. Jaymie Esquivel, Sheila Martinez, Annabel Herrera, Amanda Smith, Coral Birkenback, Eliane Khairallah and Bianca Goolsby will work with the toddlers. Laura Kiowski, Anna Bouldin, Marla Olivares, new staff member Carey Wootton along with myself will work with primary. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me. All of the ASC staff has a tremendous amount of energy, patience and love to bring to our ASC rooms, we are all excited for the new school year. Lisa Wilson
After School Care