Gratefully yours,

Christine J. Love
Joanne DeCola

“The hands are the instruments of Man’s intelligence.” - Dr. Maria Montessori

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PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING:
The second PTG meeting will be on Tuesday, February 7 at 7:00 P.M. Important information about the school budget will be presented and sign ups for conferences will be offered. Robin Hasenpflug, a morning parent, will be our guest speaker about the importance of music and children. Please plan on attending. Babysitting will be provided.

February Free Days (No School):
February 15, 16, and 17 – Parent/Teacher Conferences

March Free Days (No School):
No free days

April Free Days (No School):
April 4 – 10 – Easter Vacation (Subject to change if we have snow days)

Please return the registration inquiry form by Thursday, February 23. The form needs to be returned regardless if your child is returning next year or not. They are used to determine the number of new students we accept for Fall 2012.

National Montessori Week will be February 26 – March 3. Daily events are planned for the children. We will be collecting food and money beginning this week. The food will be given to the Food Cupboard at Covenant Presbyterian during Montessori Week and the money collected will be given to St. Vincent DePaul Society.

Butler Montessori School will host an Open House to kick off National Montessori
Week on Sunday, February 26 from 2 -4 PM. This is an excellent opportunity to showcase our school to prospective students. A participation form will go home soon requesting volunteers as greeters, cookie bakers, decorators, and other helpers. Please volunteer your time for this event!

Chuck E. Cheese night will be March 19, from 3 PM until 8 PM. This is a fundraiser for the school, but participation is optional. It is a great time for the children to get together in a play setting. More details to follow.

Registration for the 2012-2013 school year will be on Wednesday, March 28 and Thursday, March 29, from 6:30 P.M. – 8:00 P.M. A deposit (to be determined) will be due at that time.

Mark your calendar for Parent-Child Day on Tuesday, April 17. It is the children’s
favorite day of the year. Please plan to attend with your child. A reminder: This is not a regular school day.

Our final PTG meeting will be on Tuesday, April 24, at 7:00 P.M. In lieu of a speaker, we will host a Spring Spectacular with various vendors selling their products. Please contact Linda Martsolf, an AM parent, if you would like to participate.

Please let Mrs. Love or Mrs. DeCola know if you would like to host the end of the year picnic to be held in May. We need one family from the morning session and one family from the afternoon session.

The last day of school is scheduled for Friday, May 25. This date is subject to change depending on snow make-up days. Conferences are tentatively scheduled for May 29, 30, 31.

Become a part of your child’s school. The Montessori Parent Board is looking for new members for the 2012-2013 school year. There are 4 meetings a year. Please let one of the teachers or a current board member know if you are interested.

Suggestion: Please persuade your daughters to wear non-glitter-shedding shoes.

Best wishes and blessings to everyone for the new year of 2012. Many thanks for all of your kindnesses, donations, and gifts during the holiday season.

Gratefully yours,

Christine J. Love
Joanne DeCola

“From birth to six, children imitate, they literally absorb the life around them. We can never be too kind, too respectful, too wise, to be their role model.” - Dr. Maria Montessori

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PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING:

A heartfelt thank you for your generous donations to the school. We wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year.

Gratefully yours,

Christine J. Love
Joanne DeCola

The hands are the instruments of Man’s intelligence. -Dr. Maria Montessori

PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING:

A sincere thank you to Adam Mohney for portraying St. Nicholas the past few years. This year is his last year. The children have enjoyed St. Nicholas’ visits.

Tuesday, December 20, the children will present a songfest and enjoy a special Christmas snack.  Only parents of the children in Mrs. DeCola’s classes may attend. The morning program will be at 10:00 AM and the afternoon program will be at 2:00 PM. Dismissal will be at the regular time.

December Free Days (No School): December 22 to December 30 – Christmas Vacation (Children will return to school on Monday, January 2, 2012.)

January Free Days (No School): January 16 – Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday

A special thank you to Erich Gumto for talking to the children in November about tulip bulbs and helping the children plant them.

Reminder: If your child is sneezing, has a runny nose, or constant cough, please be considerate of the classmates and teachers and keep your child at home.

Thank you!

230 East Jefferson Street
Butler, Pennsylvania 16001
Telephone 724-283-1846 

Dear Parents,

We wish a Happy Thanksgiving to you and your families. Thank you for your attendance at the Parent-Teacher Conferences and for the many supplies which you have donated to the school.

Gratefully yours,

Christine J. Love
Joanne DeCola

…education is a natural process carried out by the human individual, and is acquired not by listening to words, but by experiences in the environment. – Dr. Maria Montessori

PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING:

*November Free Days (No School):

• November 11 – Veterans’ Day
• November 23, 24, 25, 28 – Thanksgiving Vacation

*The final tuition payment of $600.00 is due on Friday, November 18, 2011.

*The children will present a songfest and have a special snack on Tuesday, November 22. Only parents of the children in Mrs. DeCola’s classes may attend. The morning class program is at 10:00 AM and the afternoon class is at 2:00 PM.

*PARENTS: Please change your child’s clothes in his/her shoebox. It is time for warmer clothes.

*REMINDERS:

• Have children leave their jewelry at home.
• Do not have the girls wear glitter shoes that are not clear-sealed.
• If your child has a constant runny nose, is sneezing, or coughing, please keep him/her at home.

*St. Nicholas Day will be celebrated on Tuesday, December 6.  An afternoon parent, will be St. Nick and will speak to both sessions on the “Art of Giving.” The children will receive a small gift bag.

*A special thank you to Nick Ban, the Fire Chief of Butler and an alumni parent, who came to speak to both classes about fire safety.

*December Free Days (No School): December 22 to December 30 - Christmas Vacation (Children will return to school on Monday, January 2, 2012.)

*Butler Montessori School is collecting Capri Sun pouches for upcycling into new products. We receive 2 cents for each pouch. Brittany Harrell, an afternoon parent, has agreed to coordinate this fundraiser.

*Montessori parents and friends will have the opportunity to purchase a fresh turkey for Thanksgiving and a portion of the sale will go to the school. A flier will be sent home soon with more information.

Please see Mrs. Love or Mrs. DeCola if you would like your child’s picture retaken. The original pictures must be returned.

*SNOW POLICY – PLEASE SAVE: Please listen to your local Butler radio stations. We will follow the Butler Area Public School delays and cancellations.

1) If Butler has a one-hour delay due to inclement weather, the morning children will come to school between 9:30 AM and 9:45 A M. Afternoon children will come at the regularly scheduled time.

2) If Butler has a two-hour delay due to inclement weather, the morning children will follow the one-hour delay schedule by arriving between 9:30 AM and 9:45 AM.  Afternoon children will come at the regularly scheduled time.

3) If Butler Area Schools are cancelled for the day, we are also cancelled.

A sincere thank you for your donation of supplies and materials for the school. Your kindness and generosity is greatly appreciated.

Gratefully yours,
Christine J. Love
Joanne DeCola

Freedom and self-discipline work well together. – Dr. Maria Montessori

PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING:

October Free Days (No School):  October 12, 13, 14 – Parent/Teacher Conferences

November Free Days (No School):
November 11 – Veterans’ Day
November 23, 24, 25, 28 – Thanksgiving Break

Thank you to all who donated a basket and/or volunteered their time at the booth for the Butler Fall Festival. It was a beautiful day and our fundraiser was a success.

Thank you for your participation with the Kid’s Stuff Coupon books. Ordered books will be sent home soon.

Congratulations to the new parents who received certificates by attending the Parent Workshops. Thank you for sharing your time with us to learn more about Montessori. We were grateful to Sr. Giuseppe for being a guest instructor for one night!

The first PTG meeting will be held on Tuesday, October 4 at 7:00 PM. The guest speaker is Dr. Randon Simmons. He will be addressing childhood behavioral issues and learning disabilities.  School business will be discussed as well as sign ups available for Parent/Teacher conferences. Babysitting services will be provided. Every family should be represented at the meeting.

The deadline for the General Mills Fall BoxTop Collection will be Thursday, October 20. BoxTops will continue to be accepted for the spring collection.

The children will have a Halloween Songfest and special snack on Monday, October 31. This is for the children only. No costumes, please!

Erich and Raylene Gumto, alumni parents, planted the beautiful mums in the garden in front of the school. We are grateful for their continued generosity.

The school will be participating in the Sunny D Book Spree. We will be collecting UPCs from Sunny D until November 30. See the attachment for more details.

Giant Eagle Apples for the Students program began October 1. Details are included on the attachment. If you registered last year, please log in to verify your information.

Mrs. DeCola would like to put out a request for a few items:  1). Paper tubes from aluminum foil boxes for a December project.  2). Someone with a fine tooth electric saw to cut a board.  3). Paper to be recycled for children’s drawings (offices that may recycle copy paper with mistakes or outdated manuals, must be blank on one side).  Please see her if you can help!

iReadMo is a Montessori oriented iPhone application available at the Apple App Store for 99 cents.  It is a beginning reading app developed by Montessori Research and Development in California.  Please see Mrs. DeCola for further details.

We welcome everyone to a new school year. A sincere thank you to the volunteers who helped to clean the school in June. Despite the rain, the picnic was a good time. Thank you to everyone who helped set up and clean up.

Gratefully yours,
Christine J. Love
Joanne DeCola

Freedom and self-discipline work well together. – Dr. Maria Montessori

PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING:

September Free Days (No School): September 5 – Labor Day

The Kids’ Stuff Coupon Book fundraiser will be going home on September 9. Each family sells or purchases one book and can take orders for more books. For every 5 books sold, you get one free. Orders are due on Friday, September 23. All money is due by September 30. Thank you for your support.

New parents need to sign up for the Workshops to be held on Monday, September 12 and Monday, September 19 at 7:00 PM until 8:45 PM. The sign up sheet is on the upstairs entrance door.

Reminder: Please return health and dental records by September 16.

The Butler Fall Festival is on September 17. Please bring your baskets to the school by Wednesday, September 14. Be sure to sign the sheet at the top of the staircase for your desired time to volunteer at the booth that day. If you have not selected a time, the Festival Committee will select a time for you when a volunteer is needed most, and they will notify you of that time.

Student pictures will be taken on Thursday, September 29. Order forms will be sent at a later date.

The first P.T.G. meeting will be on Tuesday, October 4 at 7:00 P.M. in the Covenant Presbyterian Church Assembly Room. At least one parent from each family should attend. Learn about your child’s school. Please enter at the alley door.
1) Babysitting services will be provided for your convenience.
2) Sign-ups for Parent-Teacher Conferences will be available.

Parent-Teacher Conferences will be on Wednesday, October 12, Thursday, October  13^, and Friday, October 14. Please sign up at the PTG meeting.

October Free Days (No School): October 12, 13, and 14 – Parent-Teacher Conferences

Erich & Raylene Gumto and their sons planted the beautiful mums in front of the school sign. We thank them very much for their generosity.

Please note there are corrections to the Parent Information Guide. Contact the office for details. 724-283-1846

Thank you for making Parent-Child day a special day for your child.  We wish you and your family a very joyous and blessed Easter.

Gratefully yours,
Paula M. Mack
Director

Good example is the best sermon. -Benjamin Franklin

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PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING:

April Free Days (No School): April 22 – Easter Break.  Children will return to school on Monday, April 25.

Reminder: Registration for children returning to Butler Montessori in September is being held now. The first tuition payment of $750 is due at registration.  Please see Mrs. Shaffer, Deanna, or the teachers.

April 25 – April 29 will be the “Adjustment Program” for the children who will be attending first grade for the next school year. It will be held during class time.

Please make plans to attend the last PTG meeting of the year on Tuesday, April 26 at 7:00 P.M. In lieu of a speaker, we will host a Party Night with various vendors selling their products.  Vendor information sheets and catalogs have gone home for you to preview.  The vendors have graciously offered a portion of their profits to Butler Montessori School.  Babysitting services will be provided.

May Free Days (No School): May 30 – Memorial Day

End of the Year Picnics – The Cornish family has volunteered to host the morning session end-of-year Picnic on Tuesday, May 17.  The Sloboda family has volunteered to host the afternoon session end-of-year Picnic on Friday, May 20.  More information and permission slips will be sent home at a later date.

On Friday, May 27, students in Mrs. DeCola’s classes will present their school play. More details will follow.

Tuesday, May 31, is the last day of school. The end of the year conferences will be held on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, June 1, 2, 3 – Sign up at the April 26 PTG meeting.

Sign ups will also be available for end-of-the-year school cleaning during the April 26 PTG meeting.  Cleaning dates will be Monday, June 6, & Tuesday, June 7. Times will be from 10 AM – 12 PM and 6 PM – 8 PM on both dates.  Please mark your calendars and plan on attending.  The more people that help, the faster the cleaning goes!

Thank you for your attendance at Parent/Teacher conferences.  It is important to learn what

your child is accomplishing.  Thank you for your generosity of  food and money during National Montessori Week.  The children were made aware of how their donations helped people in need.

Gratefully yours,
Paula M. Mack
Director

The first essential for the child’s development is concentration.
- Dr. Maria Montessori

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PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING:

March Free Days (No School): None.

April Free Days (No School): April 22 – Easter Vacation
** Please note that Easter vacation has been shortened because of snow make-up days.

Chuck E. Cheese night will be March 21, from 3 PM until 9 PM.  This is a fundraiser for the school, but participation is optional.  It is a great time for the children to get together in a play setting.  More details to follow.

Registration for new students will be on Wednesday, March 23 and Thursday, March 24, from 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM. New students will be contacted by phone for an appointment.  Returning students may register on these days or on Parent-Child Day.

You have already received the PA Lottery raffle tickets that are good for the month of April.  Please return your money and ticket stubs no later than Monday, March 28. Extra books are available to sell.  Please see the teachers or Belinda Sloboda.

Parent-Child Day will be held on Tuesday, April 5. Please mark your calendars.  This is not a regular school day. It is a special time for you to come and work with your child. A special snack is also provided. If you cannot attend, please don’t send your child to school that day. Also, because of lack of space, please stay for only part of the session.  Morning session from 8:30 AM – 11:00 AM, and afternoon session from 12:30 PM – 3:00 PM.

As discussed at the PTG meeting, tuition for the 2011-2012 school year will be $1950, payable as follows:
-$750 due at March Registration
-$600 due at August Orientation
-$600 due in November

Our final PTG meeting will be on Tuesday, April 26, at 7:00 P.M.  In lieu of a speaker, we will host a Party Night with various vendors selling their products.  The vendors have graciously offered a portion of their profits back to Butler Montessori School.  Please make plans to attend this meeting.  Babysitting services will be provided.

We are in need of new board members for the next school year.  Please contact Mrs. Love, Mrs. DeCola, or a current board member if you are interested.

Thank you to the Tooth Fairy (a morning parent) who spoke to the children about dental hygiene.  Thank you, also, to Covenant Presbyterian Church members, Beverly Antis who showed the children how a pipe organ works and to David Blewett who explained about the Food Cupboard process.  We are blessed to be in such a giving community!

Many thanks to the Cornish and Sloboda families for volunteering to host the end-of- the-year picnics to be held in May.  More information will follow.