Our school is being intentional about looking at the ways and avenues we use to communicate with our school community.  While “perfect communication” is an unachievable goal,  the desire to continue to get better at communicating is a challenge we embrace.  In this endeavor, we are excited to announce three new ways of informational exchange between our offices and classrooms and you, our parents.   First, you are probably noticing that our “Connections” newsletter has a different look and feel to it.  The new objective of this newsletter is to provide you with Administration-specific information as it relates to the life of our school.  In it you will find helpful writings from each area of the school Administration from the Front Desk area to the Head of School. 

 We are also eager to introduce each classroom’s page on the school’s website.  While this is currently a work in progress, we anticipate this option to be up and functioning before the beginning of the calendar year.  On this page you will find updates about the events in your child’s classroom along with important information you will need to plan for your family and your child’s school day.

 And lastly, the information from The Bulletin will also be on the web site under the “Newsletter” option of the menu.  For the immediate future, the information will be provided to you in “bullet” format so you are able to print off information with ease and little waste of paper.

 This is all unfolding as we move forward so we anticipate shifts and stumbles along the way until we can tweak the product to optimum satisfaction.  If you are particularly interested in lending your skills on layout or design as part of your parent co-op hours, please feel free to speak to me at any time!  We thank you for  your support and patience while we whittle through another learning curve.                        

Ginger Eklund

Newsletter Editor

 · Parent – teacher conferences are schedule for Thursday, November 1^st and Friday, November 2^nd. There will be no classes in session.   The  conferences are a means of emphasizing the mutual responsibility of the parents (home) and teachers (school) in the guidance of the child. The conferences are really a reciprocal report, in which the teacher gains insight into the child’s home environment and interactions with family members that may affect his experiences in school. The teachers will provide a snapshot of the student’s social interactions and academic progress. It is required for both parents to attend the conference.  On the Elementary level, the students will be conducting student-led conferences. If you have not had a chance to observe in your child’s classroom we recommend that you schedule your observation soon!

· The school is pleased to introduce Natalie Williams as the interim Business Officer at the Christian Montessori School.  Natalie’s office hours will be Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays from 8:00am—4:30pm.  During her time here she will be able to assist you with any questions you may have about your tuition payments.  She has enjoyed meeting several of the parents during the two weeks she has been here and looks forward to meeting more of the parents at Christian Montessori School.  Please feel free to stop by and introduce yourself to Natalie. 

· The state of North Carolina will transition to a new rating scale for all organizations offering child care to 5 or more students.  This change in rating structure will not  impact the Christian Montessori School in any way.  We anticipate retaining our current “3 Star” rating which will allow us to provide an authentic Montessori experience to our students.  If you have any questions regarding the new rating scales, please feel free to speak to Sonya Curry or me during normal school hours.

· Accreditation surveys have been slowly trickling in to the drop box at the front desk area.  Please consider taking time to complete these very important forms.  The results of the survey are a major component in our school accreditation Self-study.

· Cold and flu season is just around the corner.  Please remember the state’s health/sick policy of children remaining at home for   24 hours after their last symptom.  Also in an effort to curb outbreaks of illness in our school, we are reminding anyone who enters a classroom to immediately wash their hands in the classroom bathroom sink.  This is a state requirement for all licensed preschools.

· The season of great eating is upon us.  Please be mindful of the many students in our school with food allergies when providing food and/or snacks for the classroom.  Check with your classroom teachers for a list of specific items to which children are allergic.

· All around us God displays His amazing gifts of creation as fall hits its high season in North Carolina.  Leaves are changing color and falling to prepare for new growth in the spring.  Our God is amazing!  If you find yourself a lover of nurturing nature, your assistance is strongly needed on one of our Grounds Beautification Teams.  Please feel free to speak to Andrea Johnson’s office or call her at 704-875-1801, extension 101 to let her know your level of interest.

· Don't forget to stop by the front desk in the main building to check out volunteer opportunities in the school.  We are past midpoint of the Fall Semester and now is a great time to begin accumulating service hours.  Just a reminder, a total of 10 hours of service is required before the school year is over.   You may obtain volunteer credit forms for completed service outside of every classroom or at the front desk in the main building (Elementary parents, please see your classroom teacher for forms).  Completed credit forms may be dropped in the box labeled Parent Co-op at the front desk. Please contact Jill Gazzaway at 704-895-1818 or Gina Duckworth at  704-895-8076 with any questions.

 Important Dates to Remember

for November

1st—Parent/Teacher Conferences for Half Day, Full Day and Elementary Students—No school.

2nd—Parent/Teacher Conference for All Students—No School

6th & 20th—Open House for Perspective Families 9:00am—10:30am

21st-23rd—Thanksgiving Break—No School