Head of School's Message
“To assist a child we must provide him with an environment which will enable him to develop freely.” -Maria Montessori
Dear Parents,
When I first began this journey as Head of School, one of the things that was most counter-intuitive was the insistence by the directresses and guides that parents not enter the classroom areas except as a scheduled observer. As a long-time parent, and wanting to reinforce the concept of ‘partnering with families,’ I honestly struggled with it. Then they explained it to me.
It stems from what Montessori states in the quote above, and the idea of the “prepared environment.” The school, and the school day, is that special place and time, prepared especially for the child to be in their environment, and to grow in their ownership of that place and that time. It takes a long time and great care to form and develop, and the routine and structure help protect and promote it. Unscheduled and unstructured visits, can take it off course pretty easily, and bring distractions that can create an entirely different feel in the environment.
You've all heard me say that “when you enroll your child(ren) at RMS, you are enrolling your family,” and it is very true. This is a journey we are on together, hand in hand. By limiting distractions and interruptions, by going to the trouble to schedule visits and abide by structures and protocols, you are contributing to the creation and protection of that “prepared environment,” where all the children feel comfortable and confident, one that is truly theirs. It can seem silly, especially amongst friends, to be checking in at the office before a visit, dropping a note off at the office if you need to remind the teacher of something, allowing the staff to escort the children to their classrooms instead of running them back there yourself. But it is incredibly important, and we appreciate you helping us in this endeavor.
The office staff and I are here to help, and to be that “transition space” between home and school, so PLEASE don't hesitate to reach out should you need assistance during school hours.
New Procedure for All Visitors
In order to support the success of all our environments, as well as ensure the safety of visitors in the case of a drill or actual emergency, we are asking all visitors to check in at the office when they first enter the building.
- Sign the visitors log so we have a count of visitors in the building.
- Receive a Visitor's Badge from the office staff.
- Check back in at the office when you leave to return the badge and sign out.
For large events or gatherings such as a Parent Guild meeting, a sign in sheet and badges will be provided to the meeting organizer for easy check-in.
Thanks so much for your patience as we begin this new process.
Christmas Parade - Come March with Us!
We are excited to be invited to participate in the Nokesville Community Christmas Parade! Details are below:
- The RMS Van will pull a trailer for Toddlers and Primary and their parent to ride in.
- Elementary children will be able to walk behind our "float" and throw candy to onlookers.
- The Erdkinder children will be singing carols.
- We have not been given an arrival time yet but expect it to be around 2:30 PM.
- Elementary children should wear their dress uniforms and we'd love everyone else to try to wear maroon & black if possible.
- Please go to the Sign Up Genius and RSVP so we can plan accordingly - www.SignUpGenius.com/go/508094EA8AE2CA13-nokesville
2nd Annual Family Dance
Back by popular demand! Please join us Thursday, December 7th from 6:30 – 8:30 for dessert and dancing in the RMS gym. The Elementary and Erdkinder children will receive a lesson in the afternoon and we hold that families will join in the fun for the evening.
Earn some volunteer hours by helping with refreshments or clean up for the evening. Please sign up at https://www.renaissancemontessorischool.org/volunteering/
Upcoming Events
- 12/7/17 - Family Dance 6:30 - 8:30
- 12/8/17 - No School - Immaculate Conception
- 12/9/17 - Nokesville Christmas Parade
Reminders
From the Nurse
Dear Parents,
Happy Thanksgiving break to all of you. Safe travels for those of you heading out of town.
Now that the weather has turned chilly, I wanted to send out some preventive information. All of us seek comfort and warmth this time of year, especially God's smallest creatures.
I unfortunately had to set a mouse trap in my kitchen this past week!
Let us also be aware of other annoying small creatures. See the attached information on lice and bed bugs. I know, as I write this to you I'm itching my head . . . yuck. Just the thought of them is uncomfortable. However, they are a reality and we want to be preventive and not alarmists.
Bed bugs
https://wellnessmama.com/128305/bed-bugs/
Lice
- This article is not very positive about home remedies. However, I have read Tea Tree essential oil is very good and a saline wash product found at Amazon is very good for removing lice. (Licefree Spray)
If you have any concerns. Please contact me.
Many blessings,
Mary Pat Blanchette, RN Renaissance Montessori 703-368-4442 mpblanchette@rmsmail.org
Share Shutterfly With Friends and Relatives
Did you know that anyone can use our schools' Shutterfly and Tiny Prints storefront? Have a friend in Peoria or a cousin in Petaluma, they both can use our schools' renaissancemontessori.shutterflystorefront.com website to order gifts and cards! Please consider sharing our link on Facebook, with family and friends. The more people who use our link, the more money that is earned for the school. Happy sharing!
Confirmation Dates Announced
The dates for 2018 confirmation have been announced and RMS has been scheduled for May 21. Parents of confirmandi receiving with RMS, please mark your calendars now!
Please pray for all our confirmandi as they prepare for the Sacrament.
Special Toddler Discount
$500 OFF Toddler Community Tuition - plus we'll refund your application fee
As part of the Renaissance Community of Families and Friends, you are eligible to enroll your child in the January - May semester of our Toddler Community for the discounted price of $1375. That's less than $8 an hour to give your child a Montessori head start.
Don't have a toddler? Refer a friend to give them your discount and get a referral rebate when they enroll.