Green Tip from Quinn
After you go to the grocery store and you have all those plastic bags (if you use them ) don't throw them away. Save them you might find a good use for them. If you really need to get rid of them, take them to your local grocery story for recycling.
Montessori Quote
"To know, to love and to serve is the trinomial of all religions, but the child is the true maker of our spirituality. He teaches us the plan of nature for giving form to our conduct and character, a plan fully traced out in all its details of age and work, with its need for freedom and intense activity in accordance with the laws of life. What matters is not physics, or botany, or work of the hand, but the will, and the components of the human spirit which construct themselves by work."
Submitted by Michelle Woods
Fundraising News
The Chili Cook-off and Silent Auction is fast approaching! The event will be held on Saturday, April 17, 2010 from 6:00 – 10:00 PM at The Urban Café located at Market and 13th Streets.
We have a full contingent of amateur chefs and believe we have enough professional chefs as well, so cook-off slots are now closed. We’re expecting 15 chilis, so, if you’re a fan, this will be a terrific night for you.
Recent exciting silent auction donations include a gallon of fresh Vermont maple syrup, a sail on the Kalmar Nykel and a wine selection from Moore Brothers Wine. We are still in need of “cheer” for our wheelbarrow of cheer. Please raid your larder for that gift bottle you know you will never use!
Get your tickets in the office now: $35/person or $60/couple.
Assembly Line
Our pre-Spring Break Assembly was a fun one: Police Commissioner, Mike Szerba brought two K-9 detectives and their partners to school. Detective Holmes’ partner, “Boris,” even showed us some of the things he does with Detective Holmes.
Noticias de Español
The students have been very receptive to Spanish lessons. They look forward to them, and delight in many of the activities. After singing a song once or twice through, the students are able to join in with as many words as they can mimic, and after a few classes, they've got them down. Language acquisition is an amazing thing, however; children in the younger years will enthusiastically recognize and repeat words when they hear them as they internalize new vocabulary. As for the older children, I'm often floored to hear what these kids can recall, who remembered what, or what struck their fancy about that word. All of the children have impressed me with their capacity for repeating the words and phrases with such fluency - now the name of the game is enjoyment, so future experience with foreign language will have good connotations for them.
A major focus has been politeness words and vocabulary that stems from books, songs or cultural lessons. Recently, this has included animals. This week we are beginning to review family words more thoroughly. If you'd like to talk about them at home, we will be reviewing Madre, Padre, Tia, Tio, Hermana, Hermano, Abuela and Abuelo and various other family relationships words.
-Michelle Woods
Parents’ Meeting
The EWMS board is sponsoring a State of the School address and meeting at 7:00 PM on Monday, April 19, 2010 and invites all EWMS families to attend.
Images from: Clipart.com, Amy Dwyer
Zoo Trip
Lions and tigers and bears, oh my! We will be heading to the Philadelphia Zoo on Thursday, April 15. The buses will leave the front of the school at 9:00 AM and will leave the zoo at about 1:00 PM. If you have any flexibility in your schedule, you may want to pick your children up at 3:00 on the Zoo Trip Day as younger children, especially, tend to be quite exhausted in the afternoon.
Because this trip is taking place on Thursday, our traditional lunch pizza day, we will be ordering pizza for the day before, Wednesday, April 14th. Most families have already ordered pizza for that week. If you are unsure of your status, please confirm with Sandra Han.
T.V. Turn-Off Week Festivities
Each year, EWMS participates in the National T.V. Turn-off Week. This is in an effort for all of us to become more cognizant of the time we are not spending playing, creating, day-dreaming, socializing, exercising, reading, and thinking because we are watching T.V. or movies, playing video games, or are noodling on the computer.
We kick the week off with a pot luck dinner on the playground (there will be entertainment!) and the week culminates for the kids with a celebratory ice cream social. We will also have “spirit week” at school for the kids (watch this space for details) to give them something to think about when they’re not watching T.V.
While reading is not the only thing to do when one is attempting to eschew the screen, we will be sponsoring a second book fair in case you need to shore up your book collection for that week or in general.
From April 19th through 23rd, we will be holding a “buy one, get one free” Scholastic Book Fair in EWMS’s lobby and conference room. Book sales will start at 3:15 daily and end at 5:30 PM on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. On Wednesday (04/21), the night of the potluck dinner, the book fair will be open until 7:00 PM. The fair will close up at 4:00 PM on Friday, April 23.
If you are interested in earning hours, we welcome volunteers to help set up (April 16th and 17th), manage sales in the afternoons, and/or take the fair down (April 23rd and 24th). Please contact Dianne Soccio-Knapp for more information or to volunteer.
Green Garden Club
The Garden Club enjoyed a rare, sunny Thursday afternoon on March 18th by going to
the nearby park. It looks like they are in for another good day tomorrow! Remember to pick your children up at 4:00 PM if they are in the Green Garden Club.
Calendar
Thursday, 04/01
EC Library Trip
Friday, 04/02
No School
Thursday, 04/15
All School Trip
Saturday, 04/17
Maintenance Day, 8:00 AM – Noon
Chili Cook-off Fundraiser, 6:00 – 10:00 PM
Monday, 04/19
Parents’ Meeting, 7:00 PM
Monday, 04/19 – Friday, 04/23
Book Fair – ends at 4:00 PM on Friday, 04/23
Wednesday, 04/21
Pot luck dinner to kick off TV Turn-off Week, 5:00 – 7:00 PM
Wednesday, 04/28
Ice-cream Social to mark the end of TV Turn-off Week
Calendar