Head of School's Message
When dealing with children there is greater need for observing than of probing. - Maria Montessori
Dear RMS Parents,
There’s no denying that the school year is in full swing now. We’ve had a great initial response to our invitation to come and observe, so thank you to all of you who have made the time for that. As I said last week, observation is the heart of the entire method, so I’m hopeful that those of you who haven’t had a chance yet to schedule your observation will have a chance soon.
“Ordinary Time” in the Liturgical calendar is the time of growth, and most growth, both in nature and in the human soul, is hidden. As we enter this period of ‘ordinary time’ in the school year, it is important to remember that to observe is not to inspect or ‘probe’ as the quote above says. It is to watch, carefully and attentively, to try and see that hidden growth.
God bless,
Sean Garvey
SCHEDULE A CLASSROOM OBSERVATION
Picture Day
It's that time of year again, Picture Day! This year Picture Day will be on Thursday November, 2nd. We are using the same photographer that we used last year. Please make sure to have your children in on time, we will start at 8:45 am sharp and try to get everyone's pictures in before noon. The picture types are: individual, class, sibling and whole school. We will give you more information on the price and packages once that becomes available to us.
If you have a Toddler that comes on Tues/Wed only and you want them to be a part of the class picture, you are welcome to bring them in at 8:45.
SCRIP Update
September was a great month for our SCRIP fundraising. We had 21 families participate and raised a total of $1005! What a great way to start the year. We also want to give a shout out to Gail Dolan, Kimberly Cook and Debbie Pienta - the SCRIP superstars for this first month of the year. All 3 are have met or almost met 1/3 of their $300 goal in the first month.
TIP: A Sheetz has just opened up down the road from the school. They give the highest percentage back for gas stations (3%) AND they are re-loadable if you have a PrestoPay account. This means you can buy one card and keep re-loading from your phone or home computer for years!
Don't forget to order scrip weekly at www.shopwithscrip.com and drop off your cash or checks by Tuesday. Mr Garvey will collect them curbside or you can put them directly into the SCRIP box in the office. If you haven't set up an account yet, our enrollment code is 8F91287E14129.
Remember that if you want to earn that $300 quickly, it is best to set up a PrestoPay account because you can purchase and use electronic SCRIP immediately from your handheld device or home computer, no more dealing with dropping off checks and waiting a week for your cards to arrive.
Forgot to place an order? No problem, there is a SCRIP binder in the office with an array of cards for purchase. Simply go into the office and Kristina will help you through the purchase process. Any questions or problems please contact Rosanne Garvey at rosanne505@verizon.net or 703-447-9229.
RMS Family Directory
The 2017-2018 version of the RMS Family Directory is now available. You can download the directory HERE or find it anytime on the Parents Page of the website.
Upcoming Events
- 10/9/17 - No School - Columbus Day
- 10/11/17 - Parents Guild Meeting 8:30 AM
- 10/19/17 - Parent Night #1 (Revised Date)
- 10/20/17 - No School - Teacher In-Service
Reminders
Parent Teacher Conferences
Parent-Teacher conferences occur twice a year; once in the fall and once in the spring. The conferences provide parents with one-on-one time with the teacher, to share our joint observations of the child, so we can best acknowledge who they are and what they need next. Conferences can be scheduled during “office hours”, which are unique to the environment and directress.
In order to make these as fruitful as possible, parents need to have observed at least once in the environment before their conference.
Use the links below to schedule a conference. If there is an emergency and you are not able to make your scheduled time, please contact the office to let us know. Then reschedule through the sign up below for an available time. Thank you in advance for your prompt arrival.
Elementary North Star Southern Cross Toddler
Erd Kinder Conferences Times - Contact Dr. Rubin directly to schedule. Monday 10/09 and 10/ 16 3:15 - 3:45 3:45 - 4:15 Wednesday 10/11 and 10/ 18 3:15 - 3:45 3:45 - 4:15
Volunteer Hours and Tracking
This year we are implementing a new tool to help parents easily find opportunities to volunteer and track hours - Track it Forward. If you did not receive an email from Track it Forward to set up your account, please let Kristina know.
In addition to being able to see volunteer needs and track hours on the Track it Forward website, you can also do both in the "Volunteering" drop down of the parents section of the RMS website HERE. There is also a link to this page at the top of each weekly update for easy access. If you attended the Guild meeting yesterday, don't forget to go ahead and log your hours!
As always, we are here to help so let us know if you have any questions at all!
Parent Night Date Change
Due to the many events celebrating the 100 Year Anniversary of Our Lady at Fatima, we have rescheduled Parent Night #1, originally scheduled on October 13th, to October 19th at 6:30 PM.
The new revised calendar can be found in the parent section of the website.
Carpool Safety
Because we have small children entering and leaving the toddler building and children coming from the Erd Kinder building, we want to remind everyone to please stay in the carpool line, even after you receive all your children; do not exit and pull around the line. We know this slows down the movement of the line but it is vital to help keeping everyone safe. Thanks!
October Pizza Order Form
The pizza order form for the month of October is available now. As always, orders are due by Wednesday for pizza lunch on Friday.
Box Tops
RMS is once again collecting Box Tops. As most of you know, these are the pink coupon-looking squares you see on many items that already purchase. Each one is worth 10 cents for the school which can add up fast! Please collect them and turn them into the school office by Thursday, Oct 19th. You can hand them in to any of the staff at drop off or pick up or have your children bring them in. RMS mom, Michelle Clune, is the Box Top coordinator. If you have any questions, please contact her at michelleclune@yahoo.com. Thank you!