Weekly Update 12/7/17

Head of School's Message

“Character formation cannot be taught. It comes from experience and not from explanation.” -    Maria Montessori

Dear Parents,

Welcome to the beautiful season of Advent, when we prepare ourselves for the coming joy of Christmas.  It is said that ‘joy is the conscious possession of a good’ and ‘peace is the tranquility of order’. It is remarkable to think that each of us, by careful and patient work on our selves, by the deliberate practice of gratitude, can increase our joy and our peace, and thereby increase the amount of joy and peace in the world. Astounding!

Here’s praying we all use this Advent season to the fullest, to prepare ourselves for the coming of the Lord.

God bless,

Sean

2nd Annual Family Dance - TONIGHT!

Back by popular demand! Please join us tonight from 6:30 – 8:30 for dessert and dancing in the RMS gym. The more the merrier, even if you didn't RSVP!

Earn some volunteer hours by helping with refreshments or clean up for the evening. We are still in need of desserts! Please sign up at https://www.renaissancemontessorischool.org/volunteering/ 

SCRIP

November SCRIP orders raised $1,013.43 for the school! Thank you to all who ordered. Many of you have gotten into a routine and it is paying dividends! The top family in November is the Marbachs with $159.45 of profit in just one month; that's more than half their goal for the year. Congrats to the Dolan Family, who have already reached their yearly $300 goal!

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.

January Pizza Orders

The January Pizza Form is now available. Orders are due with payment no later than the Wednesday before each Friday. The form is below or always at the top of the Weekly Updates.

January Pizza Form

Local Santa's Workshop

The Brentsville District High School's Parent Teacher Academic Council (PTAC) is sponsoring a second annual Santa's Workshop this Saturday December 9. This event is intended to give families a fun activity prior to the parade and will support the efforts of BDHS PTAC.  The flyer for the event is below.

Santa's Workshop Flyer

Upcoming Events

• 12/7/17 - Family Dance 6:30 - 8:30
• 12/8/17 - No School - Immaculate Conception
• 12/9/17 - Nokesville Christmas Parade - CANCELLED
• 12/20/17 - Last Day of School for 2017

Reminders

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.

1. Sign the visitors log so we have a count of visitors in the building.
2. Receive a Visitor's Badge from the office staff.
3. 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.

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!

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. This is a drop off program with options to come Tues and Wednesday or Thursday and Friday. 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.

Schedule a Visit or Apply Online

Weekly Update 11/30/17

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.

God bless, Sean

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.

1. Sign the visitors log so we have a count of visitors in the building.
2. Receive a Visitor's Badge from the office staff.
3. 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

https://schoolnursenet.nasn.org/HigherLogic/System/DownloadDocumentFile.ashx?DocumentFileKey=73b44031-410d-1262-3cb4-4c117e7ca132&forceDialog=0

• 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.

Schedule a Visit or Apply Online

Weekly Update 11/16/17

Head of School's Message

“Of all things love is the most potent.” -    Maria Montessori

Dear RMS Parents,

It’s hard to believe we’re less than a week away from the beginning of the holiday season, where we bring the year to a close among family and friends, reflect on our blessings and take an inventory of how we can do better in the year to come.

I love the quote above because it is literally true. God, who is Love, is omnipotent. We, in our small way, are most powerful, most efficacious, most persevering when we are motivated by love; when we will the good of the other. There’s no more powerful force on earth.

God bless,

Sean

Parent Night Rescheduled

It was an experiment to schedule Parent Night on the day before Thanksgiving break, but we are already hearing that many of you will not be able to make it due to travel or holiday plans. Because these nights are so crucial, we've decided to reschedule to the following week.

The Parent Night scheduled for November 21 is now November 28! With perfect timing for the beginning of the liturgical year, the topic will be the Atrium. Come and learn more about the spiritual development of the child as a preparation for Advent.

Join Us to March in the Christmas Parade

We are excited to be invited to participate in the Nokesville Community Christmas Parade! March your calendars for Saturday December 9th at 4:00 to come and march with us as we join a Nokesville community tradition. The Parents Guild is planning a float, candy, carols and more. Stay tuned for more details!

School Picture Orders Due

School portraits are ready to be viewed online and deadline to order is fast approaching. All orders will be accepted via online proofing (log in codes were sent home on picture day). If you are missing your codes please feel free to contact Stacie directly at Stacie@artbystacie.com. Orders placed by November 17th deadline will be delivered to school for ease of pick up. All orders placed prior to the deadline will have a 10% earlybird discount automatically taken off at checkout. Any print orders placed after the deadline will be subject to standard print pricing & shipping fees.

Photo Packages and Order Information FAQ

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.

Upcoming Events

• 11/22-24/17 - Thanksgiving Break
• 11/28/17 - Parent Night #2 - New Date
• 12/7/17 - Family Dance 6:30 - 8:30
• 12/9/17 - Nokesville Christmas Parade

Reminders

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!

Boys and Girls Basketball Opportunities

RMS students once again have the opportunity to join the Holy Family Academy basketball teams. The season fee is $150 per family. More information on their season, including game schedules, can be found at http://www.hfaathletics.com/

Middle School Boys

The MS Boys team will be coached by Steve O'Keefe. Practices will be Mondays and Wednesdays in the RMS Gym at 3:45. Games begin December 15th. The game schedule can be found at http://www.hfaathletics.com/JH-Boys-Basketball. For more information, contact Steve at stephen.t.okeefe@gmail.com.

Girls Grades 6-12

RMS girls in grades 6-12 are welcome to join the HFA girls basketball team. For more information, please contact HFA Athletic Director Patrick Storey directly at athleticdirector@holyfamilyacademy.net.

New 3:00 Dismissal Procedures

In an effort to increase the safety of the 3:00 carpool, we are adjusting the way we dismiss the children. All the children, including from the Erdkinder, will now be dismissed from the garden area and will be released to their cars as a family, with older children helping their younger siblings safely to their cars.

To keep the line moving and so that there are not children walking through a moving line of cars, if your child forgets something and you choose to allow them to retrieve it, please exit the parking lot and drive around to park in the lot to the right of the building. When carpool is over, your child can then enter the building with the staff and find their missing items. Of course, allowing the child to feel the consequence and go without the item until the next day is a great choice as well.

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.

Schedule a Visit or Apply Online

From the Nurse

We are well into cold and flu season and many of our families have already suffered. Here is a short video that is kid friendly on colds and flu germs and how to help protect yourself. Let's all work together to help keep our community healthy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uzNnKm41W8&sns=em

Save the Date for a Contra Dance

Back by popular demand, we will once again be hosting a family Contra dance. The date for this event is December 7 from 6:30-8:30. Mark your calendars now and stay tuned for more details.