North Fork Community Montessori School -

Contact Information

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Address:

397 Bulldog St.

Hotchkiss, CO 81419

Phone: (970) 872-5910

Fax: (970) 872-5901

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Useful Information for Families

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Who was Maria Montessori?

Maria Montessori became the first woman Doctor of Medicine in Italy. She graduated from the University of Rome in 1896.

In 1908, Montessori started the first "Casa de Bambini" (House of Children) in the slum area of San Lorenzo in Rome. She was innovative and soon word spread around the world of her work and the amazing children in her school.

Montessori wrote 25 books on the various aspects of her theory including her views on education for peace.

What is Montessori Education?

A Montessori classroom is a happy and joyful place for a child to be. Each child develops and learns at his/her own pace. The children are respected and in turn they learn to respect themselves, their peers, and their environment.

Academics are introduced to young children by means of concrete, hands on materials. As the children progress, the materials lead into the abstract.

Though academic achievement is usually very high among Montessori children, the true value lies in the development of self-discipline, self-mastery, and love of learning. Because unique and fascinating academic materials are available, most children begin to read and calculate at an early age.

Music, art, drama, and cultural studies are an integral part in the Montessori curriculum. They are carefully interwoven into the daily activities and projects essential to the ongoing development of the "whole child."

The teachers prepare an environment that is appropriate for each age group. Materials are attractive and well kept. Art prints, animals, and plants, surrounded the child in a place where it becomes a joy to learn.

The Board

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Staff and Administration

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Friday Folder Notes

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Lower Elementary Friday Folder Notes-5/16/08

Important Dates: Mon., May 19th: Bowling @ GJ Scores (in Grand
Junction) – SACK LUNCH - Please join us, if you’d like! $5.00 fee – get to Jessica, please, A.S.A.P. (i.e.: Mon. morning) – quite a few of you have forgotten to pay this fee!

Tues., May 20th: Food Bank field trip to Montrose to give our tomato plants to a school program that will grow them for the Montrose Food Bank – SACK LUNCH, please! Thank you to Mark Waltermire for this “growing” portion of our curriculum

Wed., May 21st: Swim Day – please have your child bring swim gear, sunscreen, & a towel

Thurs., May 22nd: Party for Edgardo @ 1:30 p.m. – please feel free to join us

Fri., May 23rd: “Field Day”; early pick-up (1:00 p.m.)
05/16/08
Dear families,
Yes, we will be squeezing in some academics between all of this. In language: our last “key experience”: the interjection. In math: wrap up of key concepts from the last couple of weeks.
Children should feel free to bring in some of their favorite games to play, esp. later in the week (Wednesday on).
Your children have been awesome this week! Look for them in the Delta County Independent! I can’t express deeply enough what a privilege it has been to share time with them, to help them challenge themselves, and continue their love for learning. Thank you all so much for all the WONDERFUL support!

Primary Friday Folder Notes-5/16/08

May 15, 2008
IMPORTANT DATES:

PLEASE APPLY SUNSCREEN ON YOUR CHILDREN BECAUSE WE WILL BE SPENDING A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF TIME OUTSIDE. We will reapply if you send your own with your name on the bottle.
Parents are welcome to spend time with us this week.
May 19: Art, Art, and more art.
May 20: Mud and Water Day. Please make sure your child has extra clothes at school.
May 21: Swim Day at the pool next door. Bring suit, towel, and please put on sunscreen at home.
May 22: Special P.E. Day. “Fun in the Sun” with Mrs. Moon at 10:00 a.m.
Party for Edgardo @ 1:30.
May 23: Field Day. Water activities are included so please have extra clothes for the water events (shorts and a tank top or t-shirt is great). School lets out at 11:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.

    Thank you Anna Kemp, Don and Daphne Lareau and staff for the fantastic day on the farm. The children planted beans, watched a goat being milked, learned how to make felt with sheep wool, and played a food game with vegetables. They had hot chocolate too!
    We have had many compliments about the dances, the play, and most of all how adorable the children were at Spring fest. We have to agree that they were tops! Thanks for all the help we had in making it successful.
    On Thursday afternoon the children performed their Spanish song and dance for the residents at the Paonia Care Center. Of course they were well received! Our favorite part was the end when your children introduced themselves and Sophia C. was the first to start a series of hugs! Each resident received at least one hug. The children were even crawling under walkers to give the hugs and we know that some lives were touched that day!

POP ART
Andy Warhol has been the artist of the month. We have learned that anything or anyone can become a piece of art. Even tomato soup cans!
Song:
Andy Warhol did some art,
Pop art, pop art, pop!
With a soup can here, a soup can there,
Here a can, there a can, everywhere a can can.
(You can guess the rest)

Only one more week of school! How did that happen?
Warmly,
Jenny and Monica

Friday Folder Notes 5/9/08

Upper Elementary Friday Folder Notes-5/9/08

May 9, 2008

Dear Parent(s),

Thanks to all of you who came to our Spring Fest program last night. It was great to see you there. The children in each class had an amazing performance and the desserts were fantastic. Now that Spring Fest is over and our last research project completed for the year, this will also be the last Friday note of this school year. This is the last week we will have spelling tests as well. A big thank you goes to Susan Lohr for grading, administering individual tests, recording the scores, filing, and copying the tests every week all year long! Also, a big thank you is due to those parent volunteers who showed up to give small group tests. You really made Friday morning test taking easier for all of us.

Reminders:

May 14-17, Crow Canyon /Mesa Verde field trip. Leave school at 8:15 Wednesday, return Saturday
7-7:30 p.m. Please check the packing guidelines in your Crow Canyon packet. If you have any questions about any of the information give us a call.

May 19, Lower Elementary and Upper Elementary field trip to Grand Junction. Bag lunches are available through our hot lunch program. Let Jessica know by May 15th if your child would like one ordered.

May 20, Tie flies, 9:30-?, NFCMS

May 22, Fishing field trip, 8:30-1:30, Sunshine Mesa.

May 23, Field Day activities. Last day of school; early release.

Get plenty of rest this weekend!!
Jill

Lower Elementary Friday Folder-5/9/08

Important Dates: Thurs., May 15th: “Dance @ Paonai Care & Rehab.” Field Trip Bus leaves @ 1:oo p.m. & returns by 2:30 p.m. – feel free to join us!

        Fri., May 16th: “Bike Day” @ Confluence Park, Delta…
                        Please join us, if you’d like!

Mon., May 19th: Bowling @ GJ Scores (in Grand Junction)… Please join us, if you’d like! $5.00 fee – get to Jessica, please

Dear families,
Thank you to all who attended Springfest. Several volunteers sewed & ironed the skirts & neckerchiefs – among them, Diane Perry, Jill Knutson (who also took the time to cut them all out!), Monica Zarley, Trudi Wason (Will & Kenny’s grandma), Susan Lohr, Jenny Eyler, Sheryll Ross, Florence Porter, Kathy Welt, & Tracy Schwartz.

This week, we had some very fun lessons on botany: classification of plants by whether they’re seedless or seed plants, vascular/nonvascular, gymnosperms/ angiosperms, monocotyledons or dicotyledons, etc.
Using some of the techniques Beth Skelton taught in a workshop, we made use of “Teach the Text Backwards” methods. First we did experiments/observations/conclusions.. to ignite the thought process & introduce key vocabulary. Then we did a “Take a Stand” activity, followed by “group share”, then an“inside-outside circle”.
I also incorporated brand new (to me!) activities from the “Brain Education Workshop”, which N.F.C.M.S. hosted this past weekend. This was a wonderful event - attended by about 30 people, include. myself, Jenny, Jill, Monica, & Corinne!

“Teaching the Text Backwards” is, as I’m sure many of you are aware, a big part of what we already do, as part of the Montessori Method. However, it’s always fun to add new techniques. I hope the children can tell you a bit about what we did.

Academics coming up next week:
Math:
- bead frames for dynamic + & - (word problems), more on fractions, static + & - without materials
- - graphing (including “range”), word problems, long multiplication on golden bead frame (or without materials)
- technical drawing, word problems, area of triangles + triangle terminology

Language:
Grammar: Review: conjunctions, sentence analysis, forming your own sentence analyses from just the symbols
Usage: Review: apostrophes for possessives

Writing: Synthesizing sentences based on various arrangements of grammar symbols

Cultural: plant & animal phyla
* Friday letters are now avail. online! Go to our website: nfcms.org

About the School

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Address:

397 Bulldog St.

Hotchkiss, CO 81419

Phone: (970) 872-5910

Fax: (970) 872-5901

Mission Statement:

The North Fork Community Montessori School's mission is to nurture each child's natural desire to learn and passion for discovery. The school stresses innovative problem solving and encourages life long learning.

In a creatively structured environment, inclusive of all cultures, we will promote excellence in academics, art, and life skills, while respecting individual uniqueness. We strive to inspire responsibility and respect for self, community and environment.

Our School Community:

The North Fork Community Montessori School (NFCMS) is a public school, part of the Delta County Joint School District #50. Our academic program meets and exceeds state standards. While K-6 grades are publicly funded, the preschool is tuition based.

Housed in a brand new facility, NFCMS offers primary, lower and upper elementary multi-aged classrooms. The NFCMS community consists of six staff members, children from 3-12 years old, and an active parent body. It is governed by it's own board of directors.

Our Montessori program is enriched by embracing the talents of our greater community and offering classes in art, spanish, music, community service and gardening.

The North Fork Community Montessori School does not discriminate on the basis race, religion, age, sex, national origin or disability.

Welcome to NFCMS.org.

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"Our aim is not merely to make children understand, but so to touch their imaginations as to enthuse them to their innermost core." Maria Montessori

In a creatively-structured environment, inclusive of all cultures, we will promote excellence in academics, art and life skills, while respecting individual uniqueness. We strive to inspire responsibility and respect for self, community and environment.