2014
May
NEWS
What a wonderful year we’ve shared at St. James Episcopal School. I thoroughly enjoyed working with the children, staff and parents! We are blessed to have such a sweet, extended community. When I looked at those graduating Kindergarteners yesterday I thought back to moments in their time here… Ava- always quick with a hug and a Danielle-I bonded instantly with you smile. You’re one of the most compasbecause of your gentle nature. You place others before self ! sionate children I’ve known. Allie-my sweet, little mouse with a twinkle in your eye. Don’t let her timidity fool you; she’s a bundle of energy! Leo- I overheard you telling a friend “Do you know my brain turns on when I choose a work?” how perceptive! Eddie- The truth and justice guy. I could always count on you to gently let others know if they were being dis-respectful!
Louis- I first met you when your mom came to interview for a job here. You certainly won my heart! You have the innate ability to make people laugh. You are such a fun friend! Lucca- my kindred spirit who shares my love of nature and fishing. I hope we can go camping again sometime soon! Abigail- you drew of a picture of us together in the garden with flowers and birds that I’ll always treasure.
Colton- you were such a determined worker…you will undoubtedly be a famous artist or a CEO one day.
Henry-I can’t help but think of your amazing dance moves! You are self-assured, fun and talented!
Kaylee- I’ll always think of your operatic performance in the 2012 Christmas program because it so defined you.
Villy-who may be our next Albert Einstein…I will one day brag that I knew you when you were a child.
Santi-I’ll think back to our walks through the garden where I would try to persuade you to go into your classroom, and how you grew into the secure young boy who offered “The Lord’s Prayer” when a friend was hurt.
Greyson- I saw you trip over a younger child’s work that had inched off their rug. You stopped and said “I’m sorry, can I help you get your work back on your rug?” That’s a sign of a leader.
Parker- you were always wise beyond your years and a mother hen to all the younger children.
Mia- I recall how you wouldn’t make eye contact with me for a whole year! Now I can always count on you for the best hugs. I enjoyed watching you gain confidence.
Evellyn- who proved to all that children who may go through a biting phase as a toddler can grow into a magnificent mentor of peace and kindness.
Brooklyn- I met you when you were a baby! You and I will always be gardening buddies.
Jayla-on several occasions took time from your work to make me a cup of tea! You’re a sweet, thoughtful girl.
Charlotte-how blessed we are that you joined us! You are infinitely sweet and have a great sense of humor.
I’ve saved Ethan for last, not because he’s my favorite, I love all the children equally. I saved him for last because of a picture he made for me a few weeks ago as he was preparing to leave us. The picture depicts our school with what I believe is the light of God shining down on us. What a great thought and a memory that I hope all the children who leave here carry with them.
I am so thankful for these last 20 years. I am thankful for all the precious memories I count as treasures and I look forward to the fall when I have the opportunity to see our returning students and get to know our new children. Have a wonderful summer! Mrs. Loree
A lifelong self-directed learner herself, Maya Angelou spoke to 3,500 Montessori educators at Madison Square Garden in 2007 to celebrate 100 years of Montessori education. She spoke of the courage it takes to speak honestly, to work for peace and to rear curious, open-minded children in uncertain times. Maya was an inspirational speaker and person. She told us that Montessori teachers were “rainbows in the clouds�. What a gifted person and mother who chose Montessori education for her own children.
MDO Well, the end of year has come! We were so sad to see everyone off for the summer! Our awesome children have grown so much over this year and we are so proud of all of them with the hard work they did all year. I want to thank each and every family in our school! I have never felt so much love and support in a school. I am truly going to miss everyone and will love seeing updates and hearing from everyone! I know all the children are going to do great things next school year whether they are at St. James or a new school! We hope everyone has a great summer! Stay cool and be safe! Love, Your MDO teachers
Left side: Frannie doing a sticker work.
Top Middle: Elizabeth doing yoga poses
Top Right:Harris is doing cloth washing.
Bottom Right: Noelle enjoying Mr. Willy performing.
Toddler Wow, the Toddler 1 school year has come to an end. What a fantastic and fun year. The children have worked so hard all year and it totally shows in the classroom. They have become more independent and full of all new information. Our older children will be ready for primary in the fall and our younger students will be amazing 2nd year leaders of our classroom. I hope everyone has a fun filled summer and comes back relaxed and refreshed for the fall. Hugs and Happy times, Mrs. Anna and Miss. Bea
What can I say, it's been a great year!! We are so proud of our toddlers who are moving on to do great things next year. Spring time we learn about the life cycle of a butterfly; it is the kids favorite lesson. I realized that it is mine as well. I get the privilege in watching the toddlers come in as caterpillars ready to take on the world, yearning to learn and "eat" every piece of information we give them, and then watch them as they grow their wings and are ready to fly. We wish everyone a safe and wonderful summer break. We look forward to seeing our returning toddlers and catching a glimpse of the graduating toddlers in the primary halls. Relax, have fun and we will see you in August! Much love, April, Lilly and Eliane
It's not goodbye, it's see you later! The birds are chirping, the sun is shining, and the pools are open! Summer is here! It has been a great year in the Toddler 3 classroom. The children have grown so much physically and individually this year. Gross motor activities and circle time were a couple highlights from this year; the children really loved to sing and dance! The Metal Inset and introductory to sewing (sewing beads on yarn) were introduced this year for the moving up students! We are excited to see returning students and welcome new students to the classroom next fall. Happy Summer! Love, Ms. Coral, Martha, Jana
“A child’s life is like a piece of paper on which every person leaves a mark.” -Robert Heinlein
Primary
Dear friends of Primary One, Thank you so much for sharing such a wonderful year with us!! We have laughed and cried, celebrated marriage and new babies, built a bond and formed long lasting friendships. It has been a year filled with lots of learning, both for students and teachers. I hope you summer is filled with lazy days and long, uninterrupted family times. Catch fireflies, toast marshmallows and smell the roses. If your kids get bored or need a bit more intellectual stimulation, here are a few ideas of some Montessori, child led activities you can plan for your child. Here are a couple of things to include in a basket: -Play-dough, rolling pin and cookie cutters -a jar of 100 marbles (or other small objects) can be used for counting, adding and subtracting -handwriting tablet for writing stories with a sticker pad for inspiration -water colors and paper -a few early readers (learning express has a good selection) -a jar for collecting leaves for tracing and rubbing -a magnifying glass -sidewalk chalk Implementing a schedule with time set aside for reading is a good idea! Also, I encourage you to choose a few chapter books to read together. Nothing inspires reading like being read to and observing others reading for pleasure. Here is a great link to chapter books for preschool: http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/4942.Chapter_Books_to_Read_Aloud_to_Preschoolers Sending much love, Ms. Charlotte and Ms. Kalindi
Well another school year has come to a close. We have had a good year in Room 2. We have learned, made friends, had disagreements, had fun, had tears, had a lot of laughs and made some wonderful memories. We have truly enjoyed teaching your children. We have learned that if we relax and enjoy them, we can learn so much from the students. When exposed to lessons children learn so much by themselves. They have the ability to absorb information so quickly. Each individual is so unique in what their interests are and what they learn quickly. It has been enjoyable watching each child move forward and mature in the daily works and tasks in the classroom. Thank you for sending your children to St. James to spend time with us everyday. We will miss the students that are leaving this classroom. We wish you the best of luck forever and always. May God Bless you and be with you in all that you do. We look forward to seeing all of the returning students in August.
We will certainly miss Ms. Ana. She has been such a great teacher and helper and she has a wonderful calming presence with the children in the classroom. Good luck in your studies Ms. Ana. We love you. We hope to see you back at St. James some day. As you know, Ms. Marla will be taking Ms. Ana’s place. Ms. Ana has worked with Ms. Marla and Ms. Marla is ready and excited for the 2014-2015 school year. Welcome Ms. Marla. ENJOY LIFE. ENJOY YOUR CHILDREN. ENJOY THE SUMMERTIME. Much love, Mrs. Barrineau, Ms. Ana, Ms.Marla
Families of P3, Our hearts are filled with deeply mixed emotions at the close of the year. We are bursting with joy and pride for our six graduates and yet we can’t shake the twinge of sorrow that we felt as we watched them cross the stage. We want to wish each graduate the very best as they move forward: Louis Hixon, Ava Colmenero, Kaylee Weaver, Lucca Martinelli, Abby Mosteller, and Colton Price. We also wish to say good-bye a few other students who will not be returning: AJ DiVenuti and Hazel Campell-Jones. You will be very missed. It has been an incredible year and each child has grown and changed so much! We know that this growth will continue through the summer. Each fall we are always amazed to see older, taller, and wiser children (with a nice tan!). We love each of our families and we wish you all a wonderful, memory-filled summer. Our very best, Ms. Tamara and Ms. Julia
Top Left: Ava and Lucca laying out the global view Top Right: Ellie labeling the parts of the seeds Bottom Right: Louis and Colton clowning around
Wow! It’s hard to believe that it is already the end of May! Even though the end of another school is upon us, the children have still been getting lots of work done! Lily and Danielle completed the United States map. Eddie, Allie, and Leo have written stories in their journals. Vivian, William, Summer, John, Gabe, and Carson all learned how to make new patterns using the pink tower and broad stairs. Henry, Brooke and Parker had new lessons with the skip counting chains. Claire and Mark worked with the life cycle of a butterfly, ladybug, and frog. Taylor, Pearl, and Holden mastered the short bead stair. Noah and Natalie enjoyed working with phonetic sound cards and object boxes. The children have been very busy!
We have really enjoyed the time spent with your children throughout the year. We are very proud of everyone! Congratulations to our graduating Kindergarteners, Danielle Chaump, Allie Platt, Leo Wanjura, and Eddie Weis. We love you and will miss you! We wish all of you a wonderful, relaxing summer! Ms. Elizabeth and Ms. Ashley
May in the Children’s Garden In the heart of a seed, Buried deep so deep, A tiny plant Lay fast asleep. "Wake," said the sunshine, "And creep to the light." "Wake," said the voice Of the raindrops bright. The little plant heard And it rose to see, What the wonderful, Outside world might be. I’ve loved gardening with all of you this year! Have a wonderful summer. Love always, Mrs. Loree
Art
with Ms. Judi
I can’t believe the time has come to say goodbye to all these blooming artists! The end of the year was filled with colorful fun. The kindergarteners got to take home their photo-inspired drawings which we used a grid to draw and then colored and painted. They also got to take home their decorative medallions which they made earlier in the Spring with the air dry clay and shrinky dink! The children couldn’t believe their pictures shrunk! If you want to explore more with shrinky dink, you can find some at Michaels and Hobby lobby. The younger children were able to have fun in the garden and work on a fun art scavenger hunt! They were on the hunt to find and drawa flower, leaf, tree, and a bug. Since we had the butterflies in the hallway we stopped by to sketch! It’s always so much fun to explore the world around you! Happy Summer everyone and make lots of art!
Technology with Ms. Judi
I
n Technology, the kindergarteners were hard at work finishing up their powerpoint presentations for the showcase. They all did a beautiful job and I loved how I could learn about their favorite works. I feel like I learned so much about the Montessori method just by spending time with them in their classrooms. Thank you to all the teachers for their help with it! Just a reminder, each kindergartner received an 8GB USB thumb drive. On that drive it includes all the technology projects we did throughout the year such as their drawings of the life cycle (each class did a different life cycle), their photography from around the school, and their powerpoint presentations (both the show and .ppt). It was a great year and hope you all have a great summer!
I can’t believe another school year is over. I have watched your children blossom and grow this year. I see toddlers that were in tears at the start of the school year, arrive in ASC, put away their belongings and sit at the snack time with independence and confidence. My primary students have grown as well this year. We have worked on conflict resolution, care of their environment and how to be a good friend. I am always proud to see them resolve conflicts and love to see all the helpers that I have when it is time to clean up at the end of the day. Most of all I love how they take care of each other and care genuinely for their friends and their feelings. It has been a wonderful year and I thank you for allowing me to watch your children “after hours”. I have loved getting to know them and share in their day. Have a safe and wonderful summer and can’t wait to see all of you in the fall! Lisa Wilson and the ASC Staff
Summer is here and I’ve been reflecting on all that we have learned in Chapel! There have been so many stories, concepts and heart changes we have experienced this year in Chapel lessons. We have covered everything from Jonah and the big fish to the story of Jesus’ great rescue! As we remember all the stories and songs that come to mind we see one theme. To love God and to love people. In every piece of scripture we see people striving to learn and act out this command. The greatest command is love God and love each other. As we come to a close this school year I get to instruct the children on one last lesson! In my opinion it’s the most important lesson they will ever learn. It’s a lesson that has been said time and time again throughout the school year. God loves you soooooooooooooooo much. Simple. If they don’t remember anything else from Chapel this year I pray that this lesson sticks! God loves them so much! Praying for a wonderful and peaceful summer for all!
Blessings, Ashley Woodruff Christian Education Director
May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord look upon you with favor and give you peace. -Numbers 6:24-26
Good Bye See you later, Alligator! After while, Crocodile! In an hour, Sunflower! Maybe two, Kangaroo! Gotta go, Buffalo! Adois, Hippos! Chow chow, Brown Cow! See ya soon, Baboon! Adieu, Cockatoo! Better swish, Jellyfish! Chop chop, Lollipop! Gotta run, Skeleton! Bye-bye, Butterfly! Better shake, Rattlesnake! Our school days now end, so goodbye dear friends! Love, the St. James Staff