Hello Faith North Community!

The middle schoolers had a splendid time on their land lab trip. Word has it that it that the weather was damp and cold and that the showers were the same, so no one took showers! What a relief to finally get home, warm and clean! Land labs are an independent time away from home enjoying the rugged, beautiful Arizona scenery, building community, working on Heroic Journey projects as well as academics. Thanks to all of the parents that transported our adolescents for this opportunity and to our amazing middle school teacher who goes above and beyond so that our students may experience this time.

The lower elementary children are enjoying a day at the recycling plant that is north of Phoenix. They will learn about all of the aspects of recycling and become a bit more educated on being green at school and at home.

Thursday, some of the elementary classes enjoyed a brief performance of Sleeping Beauty (children’s performance) at the Symphony Hall. Faith North has two children dancing!

Please join us this evening for the Daddy/Daughter Dance to be held in the multi-use room at Faith North from 6-8. The cost is $10.00 per family and includes refreshments. We look forward to seeing you there.

Please remember, our parent education evening, The Montessori Reading Continuum, Thursday, February 25th at FN in the multi-use room

Have a wonderful and restful weekend!

Calendar of Events for week of
February 15-19

Monday, February 15
No School in celebration of President’s Day!

Tuesday, February 16
AIMS WEB Testing for our 3rd-6th graders at FNM@Shaw

Wednesday, February 17
Early release
1:10 at FNM@Shaw
1:20 at FN
AIMS WEB Testing for our 3rd-6th graders at FNM

Thursday,February 18
Parent Literacy Night at FNM in the Multi-use room
Sammihan goes to the Regional Spelling Bee! Go Sami!!

Friday, February 19

Montessori Vocabulary made clear:
Absorbent Mind:
Dr. Montessori used the term absorbent mind to express a concept of education being a "natural process which develops spontaneously in the human being." The absorbent mind is a "special psychic force at work, helping the little child to develop." This natural power that children possess helps them to absorb and learn from the world around them.
Apparatus (didactic materials, Montessori materials):
Montessori materials are a variety of hands-on lessons that are either manufactured or teacher made. These materials were designed and incorporated into the work with the children by Dr. Montessori, her son Mario, and the original Montessori adherents. Dr. Montessori used materials made by Itard and Seguin, notably the Moveable Alphabet and Command Cards from Itard and the Teen Board and Tens Board from Seguin. Other materials are designed to reveal certain concepts to the child through hands-on, uninterrupted exploration after an introductory lesson from the Montessori teacher..
Cosmic Education:
Dr. Montessori saw the use of the imagination as the key to learning for children ages six to twelve years of age. Montessori urged us to give the child "a vision of the universe" because within this view there would be something that would fire each individual child’s imagination and something that would draw the child’s interest. As the child pursues areas of interest, all subjects of learning are touched upon due to the interconnectedness of the cosmos.
Four Planes of Development:
Dr. Montessori saw the human being going through four planes, or stages, of development with each plane having unique characteristics and opportunities for learning. First plane: from birth to six years Second plane: from six to twelve years Third plane: from twelve to eighteen years, and Fourth plane: from eighteen to twenty four years
Freedom & Responsibility:
The idea that freedom follows responsible behavior is an important concept in Montessori philosophy. We give opportunities to "respond with ability" and corresponding freedoms are given. For example, if you remember to bring your coat, then you will be given the freedom to go outside when it is cold.
Going Out:
The idea of going out is very different than the typical field trip that traditional elementary students take. Students in a Montessori elementary classroom will go out in small groups of two to perhaps six students into the community to gather information or experiences in an area of interest. For example, some schools are able to let students walk a few blocks to the city library. Other schools allow students to take public transportation to go to museums or college campuses to visit with experts in their field of study. Others have a system of parent volunteers who drive and chaperone students going out. A going out program is possible due to the child developing freedom and responsibility over a period of many years. Students must earn the right to go out.
Normalization:
The natural or normal state for a human being is characterized by four attributes: 1. A love of work or activity 2. Concentration on an activity 3. Self-discipline 4. Sociability or joyful work The understanding of normalization doesn’t require a leap of faith when you consider those moments you feel most alive and more "you" than any other time. When we do what we love and love doing it because we have the skill and self-discipline to do the activity well, those are the blissful moments of being human... In a Montessori school we are trying to help the child attain a natural or normal developmental process, which is referred to as normalization...
Point of Interest:
As the child is learning new skills, the Montessori teacher will repeat a lesson to emphasize a movement or sensorial experience that will help in acquiring that skill. For example, for the child who forgets to dry his or her hands with a towel, the Montessori teacher may present the hand washing lesson again with a point of interest on the movements and sensation of drying the hands with a towel.
Practical Life:
The prepared environment of the primary classroom contains activities that help the child learn dozens of practical self-care skills such as hand washing, dusting, sweeping, clothes washing, and more. The child around the age of three years is extremely interested in these activities. Doing the work with the practical life materials, the child learns to work independently in the classroom and develops concentration. Practical life activities form the foundation for later work with reading and math materials for the four- and five-year-olds.
Prepared Environment:
We live in a world of prepared environments. Stores, theaters, and restaurants are examples of places that have been prepared to meet the specific needs of the user... The prepared environments in a Montessori school are created to meet the developmental needs of children based on observable behaviors; in many ways it is like a restaurant that is prepared to serve its customers...each Montessori environment is prepared by Montessori-trained people who understand the developmental needs of that age group.
Sensitive Periods:
Before the age of six, human beings are in a unique period of learning and development. At this time in our lives, we absorb certain information without conscious effort. Young children learn to walk, talk, and do hundreds of things without formal instruction or being aware of learning. Montessori described these stages as sensitive periods of development, using a term from biologists... There are five basic sensitive periods of development from birth to age six: language, order, refinement of the senses, movement, and social relations. In the older child, these unique learning periods are called psychological characteristics.
Work:
Purposeful activity is called work. Montessori observed that children learn by engaging in purposeful activity of their own choosing. When children can choose what they do, they do not differentiate between work and play.
Work Cycle:
A basic work cycle begins with choosing an activity, doing that activity, returning the activity to order, and then experiencing a sense of satisfaction. That defines one unit or cycle of work. This sense of satisfaction, which may last a few seconds to a few minutes, helps motivate the child (and adult) to choose the next activity, thus creating another cycle of work...the development of a work cycle is an important component in the idea of normalization for the child.

Hello Faith North Community!

You have heard me say that a home/school communication link is vital to a healthy and vibrant school community where transparency is practiced and everyone feels welcome and “in the loop.” It is with this in mind that I will be posting a weekly calendar and a bit of news from our school community along with a calendar of events for the following week.

Last evening we had our school Science Fair. What a fun and interactive way to learn about chemical reactions, heart rates, magnetism solar cooking, static electricity and tornadoes. We had fun with goo, learned about scientific hypothesis and research objectives as well as the general presentation of an experiment. We had some proud children and beautiful projects.

During the science fair, Ms Silvers class was busy selling an amazing variety of baked goodies to science fair goers to help fund the 3rd graders 3 day trip to Camp Surf at Imperial Beach. They were able to raise a whopping $300.00! All of the baked goods were donated by the 3rd grade students.

This evening 2/5/10 will find several of our middle school students at the Jackson Pollack event at Kenilworth School. Following the painting exhibition, the paintings will be auctioned in a silent auction. Auction proceeds will benefit the Phoenix Elementary Art Department.

Have a wonderful and restful weekend!

Calendar of Events for week of
February 8-12

Monday, February 8
Middle Schoolers leave for Land Lab

Tuesday, February 9

Wednesday, February 10
Early release
1:10 at FNM@Shaw
1:20 at FN
Middle schoolers return from land lab

Thursday,February 11
District board meeting

Friday, February 12
Daddy Daughter Dance in the Faith North Multi-use room from 6-8

Faith North's Mission and Core Beliefs:
Our mission is to provide a solid academic foundation employing the philosophy of Maria Montessori within a loving, respectful and supportive community.

Through Cosmic Education we give the child a vision of the whole universe

All children experience maximum learning potential or windows of optimum learning at various times
All children are motivated to learn, multiple and divergent intelligences are honored and recognized

The celebration and respect of diversity is critical

The child’s hand is his teacher—experiential learning is essential to internalization

The prepared environment is a student centered, learner-centered environment

Self-discipline is achieved through natural consequences and peace education

Stay informed of classroom and school activities. Make sure the email parent for your child’s classroom has your current electronic address. Please email your children(s) classroom “E-mail parent” to ensure that you are on their classroom list.

Miller: bdgalas@gmail.com
Punchios: wsthrd@msn.com
Silver: durablemom@yahoo.com
Schramm: TONIEU@Hotmail.com
Chacon: Kamap02@cox.net
Siciliano: djdjfig@aol.com
Hughes: nitzsche@iname.com
Mahli: marjenn01@cox.net
Whiting: olmsten@gmail.com
Valverde: brian.d.korn@intel.com
Neiderhauser: LGuiley@ziprealty.com
Roam: Nitzsche@iname.com
Craig: crystal.macias@cplc.org
Church: donna.hinterberg@qwest.com
Euzarraga: gsaxe2@cox.net

December 18, 2009,

Dear Families of Faith North Main Campus 1st-8th graders,

In the interest of reducing traffic congestion in the school parking lot and more importantly, student safety, the City of Phoenix has installed “No Parking” signs to the west of our school along 9th Street. This has been designated a passenger loading and unloading zone.

Afternoon Pick Up for 1st through 8th Grade Students
Beginning January 5th at 3:20, 1st through 8th grade children who are picked up by their families will be ushered through the northern most gate located by our basketball court on 9th St. This is for PM student pick up only.
No AM drop offs will occur along this street at the present time.

We ask that you form a line at the curb on the east side of 9th Street and pull up to the gate to load your student/s. We are imposing a 15 second standing limit. If your child has not reported to the gate, you will be asked to circle around so loading is not held up. Please do not pull along side of other stopped cars or attempt to pick up your student on the western side of the street

Afternoon Pick Up for kindergarten children & their siblings
The school lot may be used to pick up kindergarten children and their siblings ONLY. We ask that you NOT park against the RED curb. Parking in a fire zone is not only against the law; it endangers our students in the event of an emergency. A driver must be in the car at all times when it is next to the red curb. Please park in the lot if you are picking up students from PEER or afterschool classes or visiting with school staff and will need to leave your car unattended.

Please bear with the staff and students as we make this transition.

Thank you,
Susan Engdall
Principal

And we are off.......
Thanks to so many of you for attending our "Back to School Night." It was great to see you. If you were unable to attend, please make sure you see your child's teacher, Jonathan or Theresa to update your student's paperwork. Please also sign our email list so that you can be include in our electronic mailing that will keep you updated on all sorts of school activities.

Recently, our district launched a new website. The address is phxelem.k12.az.us We will do our best to keep our school website updated with school dates and functions. You can find information on our calendar and district wide happenings here. We are thankful to be adding an additional tool for effective home-school communication.

Please join us for our Site Council and PTA meeting on Wednesday, August 12th. Our Site Council meeting begins at 5:00 in the media center and PTA at 6 in the multi-use room. The first meeting will be held on the Faith North/ Washington campus. Free pizza and childcare are provided.

We will have an old fashioned Sock Hop on Friday, August 14th from 5:30-8:00 in the cafeteria on our Shaw campus. Our PTA will be providing hotdogs. Grab your poodle skirt and bowling shirt and join us for some musical fun.

May 29, 2009
Dear Montessori Community,

As we close out this school year and plan for the next one, I would like to share our changes in staffing.
I can announce that we are losing the following teachers and instructional assistants:
· Ms. Janice Miller has retired after many years as our outdoor environment teacher. Ms. Miller touched many children. Her gentle presence and love will be her legacy and our treasure.
· Miss Erin Libby will be relocating to Washington State! We will miss her skill and smile.
· Mr. Codi Rakes-Mountford, Instructional Assistant to Miss Paula Craig will be going on a service mission. We wish him the best.
· Miss Daniela Talamante will be leaving to pursue new interests. We have admired her teaching ability and quick wit.
· Ms. Cathi Bruce, Instructional Assistant to Miss Graham will be leaving to find new business ventures.
· Ms. Liza Wright will be moving on to a private school experience. Her passion and drive have been appreciated in creating our upper elementary classroom at Shaw.
Each of these individuals has brought great value to our children and their colleagues. They will be greatly missed.

Here are the staffing plans for next year:
Faith North and Faith North@Shaw Principal: Susan Engdall
Faith North Primary Teaching Staff: Ms. Marisa Punchois, Ms. Donna Breault, Miss Robin Miller
Faith North Junior Elementary Teaching Staff: Miss Nicolle Franchot, Ms. Wendy Silver and Ms.Rosalinda Siciliano
Faith North Senior Elementary Staff: Ms. Gina Drew and Ms. Brenda Chacon
Faith North Adolescent Program 7/8: Ms.Shayne Sotelo
FNM@Shaw Montessori Primary: Ms. Jennifer Valverde, Miss Krista Whiting, Ms. Heather Neiderhauser and Miss Magdelena Rohling
FNM@Shaw Junior Elementary Staff: Mr. Chris Euzarraga, and Miss Paula Craig
FNM@Shaw Elementary 1st-6th grade: Ms. Leisla Church
Montessori Math and Literacy Coach: Ms. Tonia Downing-Easton
Montessori Reading Specialist: Miss Crystal Graham
Special Education Resource: Miss Kelly Owen
Art: Mr. Saber Hollenthoner
Music: Mr. Robert London
PE: Vacant

We will be creating two 1st-6th grade classrooms. Mrs. Chacon will be leading this class on the North campus and Ms. Leisla Church on the Shaw campus. Miss Graham’s lower elementary classroom will close and her student’s will be reassigned to Miss Craig, Mr. Euzarraga or Ms. Church. The Montessori teachers and staff make a dynamic team as they continue the process of creating a thriving Montessori Program. We are grateful to district administration for their continued support and commitment to our program.

Please join us on Monday, August 3rd at 5:30 if your child is enrolled on the Shaw School campus and Tuesday, August 4th at 5:30 if your child is enrolled on the Faith North campus for our Back to School Parent Night. We will gather in the cafeteria for a brief meeting then dismiss to your child’s classrooms for the 6pm meeting with the teacher. This evening is designed for parent information purposes only. Parents only please, children should not attend.

PEER registration is also held this evening in the school cafeterias from 4:00-5:30. Remember spaces are limited; it is for working parents only; there is a detailed list of what is needed to fully register. If you have questions regarding PEER, please call Miss Jennifer Borunda at 602-523-8619.

2009-2010 preliminary class lists for returning students will be posted on both campuses by May 22nd. These class lists are subject to change due to the creation of the 1-6 classroom(s). Final postings with new students (including siblings) and changes for the 1-6 classrooms will be finalized in June. Please note that generally speaking we are able to accommodate teacher and campus requests. Thank you for your patience in this matter.

Should you have any questions regarding Back-to-School Night, please feel free to contact me at (602) 257-4069.


Thank you,
Susan Engdall
Principal
PESD Montessori Programs