April 2016
Have you noticed that the flowers are blooming? The students are enjoying the changes in our
surroundings that tell us Spring is here. Everything looks so nice and bright! Please help us keep
our landscaping beautiful by walking on our sidewalks.
Fundraiser – Our fundraiser was a wonderful success! Thanks for all your hard work gathering
orders from friends and family! We are so fortunate to have such generous families. Top sellers
were Justin Amakwe, Aliza Poskey, and Adwe Mwaka.
Group & Individual Pictures – Picture packets should arrive in about 3 weeks. Choose the
photos you would like to purchase and include payment with the pictures to be returned. You can
also pay online with a credit card. Fill in the payment code on the payment envelope and return to
the office.
Easter Egg Hunt(s) – Thank you to all the parents who either provided transportation or
escorted their child to an Easter Egg Hunt. A wonderful time was had by all!
Summer and Fall Enrollment Forms are due Thursday, April 29th. We are fortunate
to be growing and have full classrooms. Our returning parents will get the first opportunity to
enroll their child. After April 29th, enrollment will be open to the public. Be sure to reserve your
space for the Summer and/or Fall program. Enrollment fees are not due at this time. If you
have any questions or need a form, please call or drop by the office.
Parent/Teacher Conferences – Parent/Teacher conferences will be conducted April 11th
through 22nd. This is a time for the teacher(s) to share with both parents (if possible) their
student’s progress and make goals for the future. Signup sheets are located in the main office
with times available.
Field Day - On Thursday, April 28th K – 9th grade classes will be having a Field Day. The event
will take place at the Lions Stadium (behind Cedar Grove Elementary). Students will have the
opportunity to participate in a variety of competitions. They will compete against children in their
age group. A schedule of events will be posted. We will need a lot of volunteers to make this
event fun for the students. Please mark on your student’s permission slip if you are able to help.
Livingston Montessori School
Montessori For the Kindergarten Year?
Many parents are trying to decide whether they should keep their sons and daughters in Montessori for kindergarten or send them off to the local schools. Here are a few answers to the questions parents often ask, as taken from an on-line article Why Montessori for the Kindergarten Year? by Tim Seldin with Dr. Elizabeth Coe. The entire article is available or in the office.
What would be the advantage of keeping my child in Montessori for the Kindergarten year?
Several decades of research show that the Montessori approach optimizes the child’s cognitive and emotional development. The Montessori approach has been acclaimed as the most developmentally appropriate model currently available by some of America’s top experts on early childhood and elementary education.
Since some children will eventually have to go to the public schools, wouldn’t it be better to make the transition in kindergarten rather than first grade?
One father wrote, “We considered the school years ahead. We realize a child usually does his best if he has good learning habits, a sound basis in numbers and math, and the ability to read. We realized that he has an excellent two-year start in Montessori school. If he were to transfer now to public kindergarten, he would probably go no farther than he is now, whereas if he stays in Montessori, he will reap the benefits of his past work under the enthusiastic guidance of teachers who will share his joy in learning”.
If I keep my child in Montessori for kindergarten, won’t he/she be bored in a traditional first grade program?
Many families are aware that by the end of the kindergarten year, Montessori students will often have developed academic skills that may be beyond those of children enrolled in most traditional kindergarten programs. However, parents should remember that academic progress is not our only goal. Our real hope is that the children will have an incredible sense of self-confidence and an enthusiasm for learning that should aid them throughout their educational journey. We promote much more than competency in the basic skills; we want them to develop a life long love of learning and empower them with confidence in themselves as students.
***If you choose to allow your child the opportunity to continue this acclaimed edcuational system, our school offers a Montessori program for students through the 12th grade.
