2022-11 November/December Newsletter

“There is in the child a special kind of sensitivity which leads him to absorb everything about him and it is this work of observing and absorbing that alone enables him to adapt himself to life. He does it in virtue of an unconscious power that exists in childhood… The first period of the child’s life is one of adaptation.”

Maria Montessori

Calendar of Events

2022 November

Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun
1
2
3
4
5
6
  • Daylight Saving Time ends
7
8
9
10
  • Remembrance Day
11
  • No School, Remembrance Day, MMEC
12
13
14
15
16
17
  • FULL 6:45 - 8 pm Parent Information Session, in person
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
  • Program Transition Event
25
26
27
28
29
30

2022 December

Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun
1
  • MMEC Usborne Book Fair
  • P/G Conferences
2
  • MMEC Usborne Book Fair
  • No School - P/G Conferences
3
4
5
  • Mayor's Food Drive at MMEC
6
  • Mayor's Food Drive at MMEC
7
  • Mayor's Food Drive at MMEC
8
  • Mayor's Food Drive at MMEC
9
  • Mayor's Food Drive at MMEC
10
  • Mayor's Food Drive at MMEC
11
  • Mayor's Food Drive at MMEC
12
  • Mayor's Food Drive at MMEC
13
  • Mayor's Food Drive at MMEC
14
  • Mayor's Food Drive at MMEC
15
  • Mayor's Food Drive at MMEC
  • FULL Parent Information Session, Virtual
16
  • Mayor's Food Drive at MMEC
17
  • Mayor's Food Drive at MMEC
18
19
  • Caroling
  • Lost and Found on Display
20
  • Caroling
  • Lost and Found on Display
21
  • Caroling
  • Lost and Found on Display
22
  • Caroling
  • Lost and Found on Display
  • SLT Bake Sale
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31

The above information is from a “Google Calendar” and can be added to any Google Account by clicking here.

Importance of the Third/Kindergarten Year

A foundation of the Montessori Method of education is the Four Planes of Development (0-6, 6-12, 12-18, and 18-24 years of age). The planes are then broken down further into sub-planes, representing the age groupings for each classroom (0-3, 3-6, 6-12, 12-18). The understanding is that at each plane or subplane, children exhibit certain tendencies and characteristics which inform their educational, social, emotional and physical journey during the three-year classroom cycle. Each year of the three-year cycle facilitates a unique experience for the child, including the introduction of materials and lessons and roles and responsibilities within the classroom community, leading to leadership roles and solidifying concepts in the third year. Please enjoy the article on page 10 about the importance of the third Casa year.

https://indd.adobe.com/view/df497c76-f60c-47a2-861c-0880500d9e17

(Update!) Remembrance Day – Indoor Service (Main Campus)

On Thursday, November 10th, from 11-11:15 am, families and St. Andrew’s Heights neighbours are invited to join us for our outdoor Remembrance Day ceremony this year.

Update! The Remembrance Day gathering at MMEC is moving indoors! Due to cold weather, we will mark the day with two indoor gatherings for students and a LIVESTREAM for parents. 

10 am – Primary Students
11 am – Elementary and Erdkinder Students

The LIVESTREAM  for parents will occur at 11 am on November 10th. Details and link will be emailed out to parents.

We look forward to welcoming Master Corporal Miller who will speak to us about Veteran’s Week. The MMEC choir and UE classes will also perform for us. All classes prepare wreaths or other decorations to mark this solemn occasion.

Mayor’s Food Drive

As is our MMEC tradition, we will support the Calgary Food Bank in December. More information will follow in a few weeks. We appreciate your generosity to Calgarians in need.

Program Transition Event (Main Campus)

Please join us for the MMEC Transition Event! Come in and check out the MMEC classrooms and meet all of our Guides. While this event is particularly insightful to families in their final year of a program and preparing to transition to a new class, ALL families are welcome.

Read More…

The MMEC Program Transition Event will provide a preview of the next program, work samples, lessons, information on the next stage of development, and a chance to speak with the Guides.

Do you have time for a journey of Montessori discovery? You may enjoy visiting all programs from casa to Erdkinder! Families are welcome to spend as much time as they like and to visit as many environments as they wish to.

Classroom Observations

Parents are invited to observe their child’s class from November 15 to December 16, 2022, and January 16 to February 15, 2023. This 30 minute observation will familiarize you with your child’s classroom experience, and we encourage all parents to book (parents only). Please email your respective guide and schedule your visit between 9 and 11 am. 

Read More…

Observation Guidelines:

  • Please sit quietly in a special chair and observe the class in action. 
  • Some children may behave unusually when an adult comes to observe (avoiding tasks or becoming distracted). This is normal!
  • Children may engage you in conversation. Please thank them and remind them that you are there to observe.
  • Guides and assistants will not be available for conversation or questions. If you have questions or concerns, please email your Guide afterwards.
  • Please do not criticize your child for their efforts.
  • Please respect the children’s and classroom staff’s privacy and refrain from discussing individuals or behaviours with other parents.

We sincerely appreciate your interest in MMEC and your child’s education!

Distress Tolerance

As a follow-up to our presentation with Nicki Rimke, psychologist. We suggest reading the following article about Distress Tolerance. 

Impenetrable parental shields come with a side effect: kids that grow up not knowing how to deal with disappointment and failure.

https://stenzelclinical.com/childs-distress-tolerance/

Parent Information Sessions

In preparation for 2023/2024 enrollment, MMEC will host information sessions, in-person and virtually, starting November 17 for new, prospective families. Should you know anyone interested in learning more about MMEC, please have them contact us at info@mmec.ca.

Usborne Literacy Fair & Book Sale (Main Campus)

Thursday, Dec 1; Friday, Dec 2, 2022.

After 2 years online, the Usborne Book Fair will be back in person at MMEC this December. Please come out and support your school and see Usborne’s award-winning range of entertaining and educational books for children from toddlers to teens. During Parent-Guide Interview days, there will be lots of sample books on display, including many NEW titles! You will also have a chance to preview approximately 2,000 titles from the catalogue.

Read More…

Your purchases will earn 25% of the retail sales in FREE BOOKS for your classrooms and school library. The Librarian will also have the school’s Wishlist posted in case you would like to donate through our ADOPT-A-BOOK program. Usborne will add a “book donated by…” sticky label to each item purchased.

Usborne also offers a highly regarded range of reading books from very first steps in reading up to titles for confident readers, as well as many titles which complement & enrich the Alberta Curriculum for all Preschool, Elementary and Junior High grades. Shop for home, school, car, travel, gifts, and more! Any purchases will be ordered and delivered to the school approximately 2 weeks later.

There will also be a $100 FREE BOOK DRAW!

If you cannot make it to the Book Fair in person but would like to show your support, a website will be available for online orders December 1 – 2.  Free shipping to the school will be available for these orders if you use the specific Usborne website customized for MMEC.  Further details will be sent out the week of the Book Fair.

Thank you!

For further information, please do not hesitate to contact your Usborne Books Consultant directly:

Carol Cooper
Usborne Books Consultant & Education Specialist
Cell phone (403) 616 3944
Email: carolcooper@shaw.ca

Influenza and COVID-19 Immunization Information for Schools

To stay healthy and prevent the spread of illness, Alberta Health Services (AHS) is urging all Albertans to get immunized against influenza and reduce their risk of being infected. Influenza – commonly referred to as the flu – is a respiratory disease caused by a virus that affects the nose, throat and lungs. Influenza is contagious and is easily transmitted from person to person.

Getting immunized is the best defence against influenza and COVID-19 viruses. In addition, wash your hands often, cover coughs and sneezes, and stay home when sick.

By getting an influenza vaccine, you are protecting your own health, the health of seniors and other vulnerable people around you, and Alberta’s health system so it can provide care to those who most need it, including those with COVID-19.

Read More…

COVID-19 vaccines, including boosters, are being offered to eligible individuals five years of age or older with each influenza vaccine appointment booked.

It is safe to get the influenza vaccine at the same time as your COVID-19 vaccine.

For anyone five years of age and older, the influenza vaccine and the COVID-19 vaccine can be given as two separate shots at the same appointment. A separate COVID-19 vaccine appointment is not required.

Please confirm at the time of your influenza appointment if you can receive both vaccines.

Book your free flu vaccine to protect yourself and loved ones.

Immunization appointment booking: Influenza and COVID-19:
https://www.albertahealthservices.ca/topics/Page17295.aspx

Influenza information:
https://www.albertahealthservices.ca/influenza/influenza.aspx

COVID-19 information:
https://www.albertahealthservices.ca/topics/Page16944.aspx

Language Development

Parents and educators can help to support children’s language abilities by modeling the sounds or word approximations they are making, expanding on children’s comments, and using self talk or parallel talk throughout the day. Try these ideas and watch how your child’s language abilities develop. 

  • Modeling means repeating the child’s comment and adding a few words. For example, if your child says, “ba…ba.” You can model “Ball! Roll the ball!” 
  • Expansion means adding information to a child’s comment. For example, if your child says, “baba!” You can add information to his comment and say, “More bubbles? Here come the bubbles! Pop the bubbles! 
  • Self Talk means to talk about what you are doing as you are doing it. For example, as you are baking a cake, say things like: “Let’s pour the flour in, now let’s pour the sugar in, let’s mix, mix, mix! Let’s pour the milk in…”
  • Parallel Talk means to talk about what the child is doing while involved in an activity. For example, as a child plays with trucks, parallel talk can include comments such as, “You picked the red truck! The truck is going up the slide! Oops, it fell down! Let’s try again! Be sure to get down to the child’s level, talking face to face to allow you to better read facial expressions. And don’t forget to pause and wait for a response! Try counting to five slowly in your head after asking a question.

https://myhealth.alberta.ca/Health/Pages/conditions.aspx?hwid=hw265266

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