We wish everyone a Blessed Easter break.  We truly are blessed to have such generous families at our school!

Gratefully yours,

Christine Love
Joanne DeCola

The education of even a very small child…. does not aim at preparing him for  school, but for life. - Dr. Maria Montessori

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PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING:

• April Free Days (No School):  Wednesday, April 4 – Tuesday, April 10 – Easter Break.  Children will return to school on Wednesday, April 11.
• Thank you to Katy Wayne, a morning parent, who arranged to have a segment of Channel 10 Story Time taped at our school.
• Parent-Child Day on Tuesday, April 17.  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 provided. If you cannot attend, please don’t send your child to school that day.  Please plan on staying for only part of the session.  Morning session is 8:30 AM – 11:00 AM, and afternoon session is 12:30 PM – 3:00 PM.
• Registration for children returning to Butler Montessori School will be during Parent-Child Day on Tuesday, April 17.  The first tuition payment of $700 is due at this time.  Please see Mrs. Schaeffer, Deanna, or the teachers to register.
• Money for the Sheetz Coupon Books is due on Friday, April 20.  Books are still available to sell.
• Tuesday, April 24 is the Spring Spectacular from 6:30 – 8:00 PM in the Assembly Room.  Bring your friends and family to shop and benefit the school.  Information from the vendors will be coming home soon.  Many thanks to Linda Martsolf for organizing this event!
• April 30 – May 4 will be the “Adjustment Program” for children who will be attending first grade in the fall.  It will be held during class time.
• The morning session is looking for a family to host the end-of-the year picnic.  Please see Mrs. Schaeffer or the teachers.
• May Free Days (No School): May 28 – Memorial Day
• On Friday, May 25, students in Mrs. DeCola’s classes will present their school play.  More details will follow next month.
• Friday, May 25, is the last day of school.  The end of the year conferences will be held on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, May 29, 30, 31. Sign up at the April 24 PTG meeting.
• Sign ups will also be available for end-of-the-year school cleaning during the April 24 PTG meeting.  The days will be posted at the meeting.  The more people that help, the faster the cleaning goes!  
• Chuck E. Cheese night raised $88 for the school.  Thank you to everyone who participated!
• Please note:  New Address for two families. Please contact the office for information.

Thank you for the generous donations of food and money during National Montessori Week for people in need.  The children were made aware of how their contributions helped others.

Gratefully yours,

Christine J. Love
Joanne DeCola

To let the child do as he likes when he has not yet developed any powers of control is to betray the idea of freedom. -  Dr. Maria Montessori

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PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING:

• March Free Days (No School):  None.
• April Free Days (No School): April 4-10 – Easter Vacation.  Students will return on Wednesday, April 1.
• Thank you to those who participated in the Chuck E Cheese FUNdraiser.
• Registration for new students will be on Wednesday, March 28 and Thursday, March 29, from 6:00 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.
• Tuition for the 2012-2013 school year will be $2000.00, payable as follows:
-$700 due at March Registration
-$650 due at August Orientation
-$650 due in November
• You have already received the Sheetz Coupon Booklets.   Please return your money no later than April 20th.  Extra books are available to sell.  Please see the teachers or Melody Scardina.
• Parent-Child Day will be held on Tuesday, April 17. 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.
• Our final PTG meeting will be on Tuesday, April 24 at 6:00 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.
• The children in Mrs. DeCola’s classes will present an end of the year program on Friday, May 25.  Only parents in Mrs. DeCola’s classes may attend.  More details to follow in the coming month.
• 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 Dr. Derek O’Donnell who gave an interesting presentation in March to the children about the eyes.
• Many thanks to the families who have volunteered to host the end-of- the-year picnics to be held in May.  More information will follow.

April 24th, 2012 from 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM
Located at 230 East Jefferson Street, Butler PA 16001

This evening of fun and shopping will feature vendors and refreshments. Proceeds will benefit Butler Montessori School.

More details and a list of vendor types coming soon! Check back for details.

Montessori families with home-based businesses: We still have a few spaces available for vendor tables. Call the school office for details. 724-283-1846

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.