NGFS
C onnections December 3, 2010
The Play’s the Thing ...
A Comedy of Errors Upper Elementary actors and actresses (and a few third-graders) presented this year’s Shakespearian production, A Comedy of Errors. on Wednesday night at The Glenridge Performing Arts Center. This is the 16th year of Shakespeare at the NewGate-Field School. Ms. Debbie has organized and directed this program since it began. This year, Ms. Ally assisted with the production. The show went off without a hitch and was enjoyed by everyone. Congratulations to everyone on stage and behind the scenes! More pictures on page 2.
We are collecting food cans for donating to All Faiths Food Bank. There is a box in the office where you can leave the food cans and we will take the cans every Friday to the food bank. There is a real need. Please take a minute to see what you didn’t use for Thanksgiving, or just add an extra can when you go shopping. Every little bit helps.
Thank You! Hemang (7S) & Sanhita (7N)
Inside
Model School of The Montessori Foundation 11011 Clark Road (SR 72) Sarasota, FL 34241
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It’s Hanukkah! May the glow from each candle light your home and your heart.
2 A Comedy of Errors 3 Spinniing Wheel 3 Winter Adventure Camp 3 Calendar 4 SCRIP Holiday Gifts 4 Book Fair 5 Friends of Montessori 6 Board of Trusees 7 Fun Stuff 8 $150,000 Challenge 8 Parent/Infant Classes 1
A Note from Debbie Vale A Comedy of Errors The NewGate-Field School Players did an outstanding job with their production of Shakespeare’s A Comedy of Errors. This has been the sixteenth year of Shakespeare productions. I fell in love with the language of Shakespeare when I was 12 and saw Romeo and Juliet. I feel strongly that the way to learn to enjoy Shakespeare is to see a performance. Shakespeare was written to be performed and seen from an audience perspective, not to be read as text. It was painful for me to read and study Hamlet in high school. Seeing it would have made a better impresson.
More photos from A Comedy of Errors.
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Many of the students who have taken part in the Shakespeare program have gone on to study “The Bard” in college. Our students are not professional actors, but I think you would agree that they are enthusiastic, confident and know how to put on an wonderful show.
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Not the usual Montessori material you see in a classroom!
The students in 5 South were treated to a spinning wheel demonstration by Ms. Debbie’s neighbor, Rosemary Miller.
Mrs. Miller is a retired teacher and she is passionate about knitting, weaving, and spinning her own yarn. She spoke with the students about the colonial children and how everyone worked to help the family.
Winter Break
Back in the old days, spinning yarn was one way children were able to help. They even used a drop spindle as they walked to school! Our students got to try using a drop spindle and agreed it is not as easy as it looks! Mrs. Miller brought wool from a sheep and showed everyone how it looks after it has been carded and dyed. Then she spun it into yarn before our very eyes!
Adventure Camp Coach Dave’s Adventure Camp for Winter Break is back!
It was an interesting demonstration and a glimpse into the lives of the Pilgrims during Thanksgiving week.
Time’s runing out to register.
Mark Your Calendars December 2 - 5
Barnes & Noble Book Fair
December 9
Race to Nowhere 7pm Glenridge Center
December 16
Class/Community Meetings
December 20 - 31
Winter Break
December 20 -23 December 27 -30
Adventure Camp Watch for more details
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Winter break is just around the corner, so if you're looking for fun come join us for Adventure Camp! We board the bus at 9:00 am and return at 3:30 pm with a full day of adventurous activities. Get ready to hang out with your friends and Coach Dave for lots of good times. Call the office and reserve your spot now: 922-4949
Dates: December 20th-23rd & December 27th-30th .
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Scrip Gift Cards Since its launch over two years ago, NGFS’s Scrip program has raised over $7500! This money will be used towards science, technology, and teachers’ classroom wish lists. With everyone’s participation, we can do even better! Looking Ahead – Ways to Stretch Your Scrip Dollars: ■
When planning your holiday meals, use Scrip giftcards to buy your groceries (Sam’s Club, Honeybaked Ham , Winn Dixie)
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Book some extra savings. The Barnes & Noble Book Fair is coming up! By buying Barnes & Noble gift cards through Scrip and redeeming them during the Book Fair, the school benefits twice – first, from the purchase of the giftcard and second, from your Book Fair purchases!
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Give a little extra this holiday. Why waste your valuable time and gas driving around looking for gifts when the Scrip program can deliver giftcards directly to you?
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Stay on budget. Treat yourself (Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts, Bath and Bodyworks) without breaking the bank! By using giftcards , it’s controlled spending!
Last order deadline before the holidays is December 6th
shopwithscrip.com
— Neena Sheth, Gina Ponce, & Sam Schunk NGFS Scrip Committee
Susan and Jim Cavanaugh wish to thank everyone for their good thoughts and support following their recent car accident. They also want to remind everyone to remember to buckle-up and make sure their children are also secured in their carseats or seatbelts. The Cavanaughs are living proof that seatbelts save lives!
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Voucher # 10270569
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Get your FREE Friends of Montessori Card and Support NGFS and Our School Community’s Businesses We have created an online directory for businesses and services run by parents and friends of the school!
Saturday morning soccer scrimmages are fun for everyone.
There is no cost of be included, and any of the businesses, restaurants, and organizations that you know are welcome to be included. In addition to listing your name and contact information, we suggest that each listing include a special offer for Friends of the School. We will be giving each NGFS family and staff member a Friends of Montessori card with the school's logo. The idea is that when you present the card at a participating business, you will receive a specific benefit. Later, once we have enough restaurants, coffee houses, museums, stores, movie theaters, services, and other participating businesses, we will offer the cards for sale to friends of the school, much like the traditional dining guide books.
Below: Children from Ms. Marjory's class enjoy a beautiful fall day.
The cards will be inexpensive ($20 a year). Since this is an international program for all Montessori schools, it should create some interesting savings when we travel and when people from other Montessori schools travel to SRQ. Please list your business (or a friend's business). Again, the idea is to both have a listing, and to encourage families and friends of the school to patronize your business. You can sign your business up and offer a special deal/discount to card holders online at: www.friendsofmontessori. com/new-
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2010 - 2011 NGFS Board of Trustees Robert Dodd — Chairman/President President and CEO of XL Technologies, LLC. Sarasota, FL Parent of two children at NewGate-Field School. Craig Tiernan - Treasurer Wells Fargo Advisors Sarasota, FL
Alan Darrow - Secretary St. Petersburg, FL 33701 Recently retired Chief Financial Officer of The National Air Transportation AssociaEileen Roper Ast President, ERA Communications New Canaan, CT 06840 Business Administration and nonprofit leadership, former AMI Montessori teacher trainer and National Director of the American Montessori Society Leslie Hites Founder & Director The Renaissance Montessori School Oakland, CA Montessori educator. Specialist in multilingual Montessori education and programs in art and music education Kathy Leitch Founder & Director The Renaissance Montessori School Ft. Myers, FL Montessori educator, AMS teacher trainer, and school accreditation specialist. Maren Stark Schmidt Welches, OR Montessori educator, school consultant, author, retired founder and head of Walnut Farms Montessori School 6
Jeff Schwartz Global Co-leader, US Leader, Talent Services, Human Capital Chief Market Officer Deloitte Consulting LLP McLean, VA/Sarasota, FL Parent of a NFGS graduate and 10th grader; husband of NGFS Upper School faculty member Tim Seldin Head of School, The NewGate-Field School President, The Montessori Foundation Chair, The International Montessori Council Sarasota, FL Joyce St. Giermaine Executive Director The Montessori Foundation Bradenton, FL
Valaida Wise, Ed.D. Head of School The Harbor School Bethesda, MD Montessori educator and teacher trainer.
Ex-Officio 2010 - 2011 NGFS Board of Trustees Katherine “Kitty” Bravo Founder Countryside Montessori School/NewGate-Field School Director of Education, Center for Guided Montessori Studies • Old Town, FL Montessori educator and teacher trainer. Lorna McGrath Associate Head of School NewGate-Field School Director of Education, Center for Guided Montessori Studies Director of Family Services/The Montessori Foundation • Sarasota, FL Montessori educator and teacher trainer 12.3.2010 NGFS Connections
At the recent Student Demonstration Evening, NGFS student had the chance to show parents and friends the work that they do in their Montessori classrooms.
Rockin’ the Boat The boat-building project is continuing to progress. Heads-up to parents: Don’t be totally surprised if you see power tools on your student’s wish list this holiday season!
Fable of the Porcupine It was the coldest winter ever. Many
animals died because of the cold. The porcupines, realizing the situation, decided to group together. This way they covered and protected themselves; but the quills of each one wounded their closest companions, even though they gave off heat to each other. After awhile, they decided to distance themselves, one from the other, and they began to die, alone and frozen. 12.3.2010 NGFS Connections
So they had to make a choice: either accept the quills of their companions or disappear from the Earth. Wisely, they decided to go back to being together. This way they learned to live with the little wounds that were caused by the close relationship with their companions, but the most important part of it was the heat that came from the others. This way they were able to survive. Moral of the story: The best relationship is not the one that brings together perfect people, but the best is when each individual learns to live with the imperfections of others and can admire the other person’s good qualities.
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Parent/Infant Classes! (for infants 4 - 6 months)
Starting in January, NewGate-Field School will offer two Parent/Infant classes at the Ashton Road campus. These classes will be open to NewGate-Field School parents as well as to interested parents from the larger community.
GRAND OPENING:
SATURDAY, JAN. 8, 2011
Parents with infants 4-6 months old are invited to join Lorna McGrath to learn about their babies – how to observe, what to observe, what different cries mean, when to interact, how to best support the baby’s natural development and much more. Lorna is not only an experienced Early Childhood Montessori teacher and teacher educator but also a certified RIE (Resources for Infant Educarers) guide. RIE was founded in 1978 by the late educator and infant specialist Magda Gerber and pediatric neurologist Tom Forrest, M.D.
REMINDER $$$ Annual Fund $$$
$150,000 Matching Gift Challenge
Orientation : (just parents)
The Annual Campaign is off to a great start, and The Montessori Foundation has issued a challenge to the NGFS Community: The Foundation will match the community’s contribution dollar for dollar up to $150,000. Together let’s make this happen! Please return your pledge cards or donate online using our secure, online website: http://www.newgate.edu/ donate
Class: (with babies) Cost:
Thursday, January 6, 2011 7:00 - 8:00 pm Montessori Room Ashton Road Campus 5237 Ashton Road Sarasota, FL 34233 Mondays - Jan. 10 (6 weeks) or Wednesdays - Jan. 12 (6 weeks) 11 am - 12 noon $120
R.S.V.P.
Space limited to 8 infants (& their parents). Reserve your space today. Call the office at 941-922-4949.
The NewGate-Field School Model School of The Montessori Foundation An Independent, Montessori, College-Preparatory School 18 months - 18 years
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If you have photos or stories to share, please send them to joycestgiermaine@ montessori.org 12.3.2010 NGFS Connections