Parent Resources
Welcome to your comprehensive information hub! This page serves as your go-to source for important details and essential resources. We are continuously updating this page with valuable information, so be sure to check back regularly for the latest updates and additions!
Upcoming Events
Spring Fling & Fun Run
Monday, April 14th – 10:30am-12:30pm EST
Spring Fling and 40th Birthday Fun Run
Harris Lake County Park
2112 County Park Drive
New Hill, NC 27562
Help us celebrate our school’s 40th Birthday with a Fun Run and Spring Fling Picnic!
Join us for a fun morning filled with family activities, a gardening craft, delicious food trucks, funky music and more! Sign Up will go out in another email. Thank you!
- 10:45am – Family Yoga led by Ms. Linda (Bring your yoga mats!)
- 11:15am – Yong-In Martial Arts (Interactive Demo)
- 11:45am – Fun Run (ALL AGES)
- 12:00pm – Birthday Cake!
Earth Day Event
Saturday, April 20th – 2:30pm-5:30pm EST
Event: Earth Day Gardening Kick Off
Location: The New School Montessori Center Main Patio
Help the CEC kick off International Earth Day by planting native perennial plants in front of the school! Parents and children are welcome to join in on this relaxing and FUN activity that will surely get us all in the spirit for upcoming Earth Day celebrations! Please bring your preferred gardening supplies to the event and let us know if you’d like to donate a plant from your personal garden!
We encourage student participation for this event but do want to remind parents that they should be supervised at all times.
Thank you!
Science Night
Date: Friday, May 3th
Times: 6:00pm to 10:00pm
Location: New School
Join us for our annual Science Night organized by our Science (STEAM) Committee. Stay tuned for more information coming soon!
Notices and Announcements
Last updated: April 7, 2024
Recording Volunteer Hours
Please remember to log into Track it Forward to update your volunteer hours. Keeping your hours current will help prevent any charges for shortfalls of time at the end of the year!
Child Pilot
Child Pilot is now live and running smoothly! Please take a moment to check your profile to ensure that all of the data is accurate. Note that anyone picking up a child must have the Child Pilot app downloaded to be able to utilize the attendance system.
Also, as a new safety protocol, please upload photographs of all children and adults in your profile. Please let us know if you have any questions or need assistance with the app!
Carpool Door Intercom
Reminder: All families and visitors arriving at any time of day will now head straight to the carpool door rather than to the office. To contact the office, please use the silver button in the upper right corner of the panel, and someone will respond as soon as possible.
Weekly Email Archives
We understand the challenge of tracking and locating information in crowded email inboxes! For your convenience, you can now access archived weekly email announcements by clicking on the boxes below.
Dec 2023
December Updates
December 10th
WINTER CLUBS
Winter clubs start this week (except for CH Mad Science and elementary Spanish). Please visit our after-school club page for more information on our winter clubs. After School Clubs
If you are interested in enrolling in Mad Science club for CH, please click on the link below! CH Mad Science Registration
TEACHER FAVORITE LISTS
We have received requests to access our “Staff Favorites” lists from families who want to surprise our teachers and support staff with a little something for the holiday season. We are very touched and grateful for your support! Your classroom reps may have already sent out these lists, but if you are unable to locate that email, I have included the se lists below:
NIDO
Support Staff, Specialty Teachers, & Admin
EFFORTLESS GIVING
We hope you kindly support our classrooms and school initiatives by using our affiliate links when engaging in your regular and holiday shopping. By shopping via the links listed on our Support Page, you can easily provide essential funds for our school at no additional cost to you! Please be sure that the Amazon link is still active upon checkout if closing your browser while shopping. Many thanks for your support!
Jan 2024
January Updates
January 2nd
Winter After-school Clubs
All after-school clubs will begin this week. Please make sure you have received confirmation of your enrollment prior to attending.
Parent Survey
As mentioned in yesterday’s update email, we have crafted surveys to gather your feedback and suggestions. Please complete the administrative survey once and a classroom survey for each of your children. Thank you for your participation, and we look forward to your input and feedback!
Pizza Wednesdays & Spirit Night
Starting the new year off without skipping a beat, our next semester of Pizza Wednesdays is set to begin tomorrow!
Additionally, for those who had marked their calendars for our scheduled spirit night this week, unfortunately it has been canceled. We will keep you posted if a replacement event is arranged.
Carpool Door Intercom
We are delighted to announce that our carpool door is now equipped with a camera-enabled intercom!
Last semester, we began the process of diverting as much foot traffic as possible away from our LE1 and UE outdoor classroom spaces. We sincerely appreciate your patience and understanding during this transition. This adjustment has not only created a more secure space for our students but has also significantly enhanced our security protocols.
Moving forward, if arriving outside of regular arrival or dismissal times, all families will automatically proceed to the carpool door. To connect to the office, please click the silver button (not the green phone icon), and someone will respond as soon as possible.
We are hopeful that this new system will streamline the process for late arrivals and early dismissals throughout the day. However, as with any new system, there may be a few adjustment needed, so we appreciate your continued patience as we settle into this new routine!
January 7th
Blaze Pizza Spirit Night
Please join us at Blaze Pizza on Thursday, January 18th, 5-8 pm for our first spirit night of 2024! Organized by the Campus Improvement Committee, proceeds from this event will be used to update our elementary playground. We hope to see you there!
Parent Survey
Thank you to everyone who has already participated in our parent surveys so far. We truly appreciate your feedback!
If you have not had an opportunity to complete the surveys, it’s not too late! The survey links will remain active until January 14th.
Birthday Celebrations
As a quick reminder, if you plan to send a special treat to celebrate your child’s birthday, please inform the teachers of your requested date (and details about the treat) at least one week in advance.
This advance notice is required as it provides teachers with sufficient time to share the information with the other parents in the classroom. If a child has dietary preferences or allergies, having this information provides parents enough time to send in alternative treats.
Thank you for your understanding and cooperation with this policy, as it helps ensure that all children feel included and can enjoy birthday celebrations with their friends!
Campus Improvement Update
Last week, as we journeyed to the end of the 1,100-feet cleared pathway created for the sewer pipeline, we were pleasantly surprised to discover a secluded, natural clearing that also provides convenient access points to shallow parts of our creek.
As we continue to explore the new 11 acre terrain, it is clear that there are so many opportunities!
Click below for additional photographs that briefly highlight the current vision for our nature education program.
Lear More: https://www.montessoricenter.org/campus-improvement/
January 14th
School Closed on Monday
The school will be closed on Monday, January 15th, in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Enjoy your long weekend!
Intruder Drill
As a reminder of last week’s announcement from our safety officer, Mr. Thomas, our bi-annual lockdown drill is scheduled for Tuesday.
Intruder drills can understandably conjure up unpleasant images and concerns. However, please rest assured, our teachers do a fantastic job of efficiently running these drills without causing alarm.
Please feel free to send any concerns or questions to thomas@montessoricenter.org.
Spirit Night
Please join us this Thursday night between 5:00pm and 8:00pm at Blaze Pizza in Holly Springs for our monthly Spirit Night! This event will benefit our campus improvement committee.
Welcome Messages
I am delighted to announce the return of Susan Alasandro to the school, now as the Lower Elementary music teacher and private piano instructor for our elementary students! Susan brings a wealth of experience, having taught at our school many years ago before leaving to establish her own successful studio, where she currently offers piano instruction. If you are interested in scheduling private piano lessons at the school (ages 6 and older), please contact us at info@montessoricenter.org.
We also want to welcome Jess Hernandez, PhD candidate in School Psychology, as a part time intern in our Student Support Program for the remainder of the school year. We’re also delighted to welcome Anastasia Trisano and Khadrick Graham to our New School team as after-school staff. We will send the new staff bios soon!
January 21st
Health Update
Earlier today, I sent an email indicating that there had been multiple positive Covid-19 cases reported. In the hours since then, several more cases have been confirmed, affecting Nido, EY, LE1, CH1, CH2, and LE2. Thanks to families proactively testing, four more cases were reported this evening, and more are testing due to symptoms or exposure.
In fitting with the typical ambiguity of Covid-19 symptoms, reports range from mild runny noses to high fevers, chronic coughing, and breathing difficulties. If you have any doubt at all about a runny nose or an exposure at home, please remain at home for now until we are able to break the cycle of exposure in the classrooms.
If communicable illnesses such as Covid, flu, RSV, etc., are reported in multiple classrooms, indicating a noticeable pattern or spread, our goal is to keep you informed while also taking extra precautions to minimize the impact on our students and classrooms. We are also increasing our sanitization protocols during this time.
Understanding the importance of this information, particularly for those who are immunocompromised or have other health considerations, we encourage you to reach out to us at info@montessoricenter.org if you have any questions or concerns. We will continue to send periodic updates and will also post current information on the Parent Resources Page.
If the event that staffing is affected, as it will be this week, we will update you on any staffing changes as soon as possible.
Based on current DCDEE licensing regulations, please note if your child tests positive, they should remain home for 5 days from the onset of symptoms or positive test result (whichever comes first). Upon returning after being completely symptom-free for 24 hours they are required to be able to proficiently and consistently wear a mask for a further 5 days.
With your support, I’m hopeful this will be a short-lived spike and that we can avoid the spread of illness, impact to our staffing, and classroom disruptions. Thank you to those who have been in touch with us and wishing all those who are ill a speedy recovery!
Parent Open House
We warmly invite you to attend our Curriculum Open House on February 8, between 5pm and 6:30pm.
During this event, families will have the opportunity to explore the classrooms and gain deeper insights into the Montessori curriculum. Teachers will be available to answer questions about the materials and discuss the goals of our programs. This informative session will cover our curriculum from Children’s House to our Adolescent Program.
FACTS SIS System
Please be on the lookout for information about our new FACTS Student Information System later this week. We will be slowly introducing platform as we approach re-enrollment.
January 29th
STEAM Art Gallery Event
The STEAM Committee is excited to present an opportunity for students to showcase their creativity! From February 22 to March 1, we will be transforming the hallway into an exhibition space for student art submissions.
Each classroom will be provided with a scheduled day and time to engage on a gallery walk and admire the works of art on display.
All artwork should be completed at home and submitted by February 20th. Students can use any medium they prefer, including photography, pencil, paint, or any other 2D art medium. The work of art should be no larger than 8.5 x 11″ and should include a title and name of artist. This will provide us time to produce placards for each artworks and artist for the display.
Please forward any questions or feedback to steam@montessoricenter.org and info@montessoricenter.org.
Re-enrollment
Please be on the lookout later this week for updates on our re-enrollment process.
Feb 2024
February Updates
February 5th
Re-enrollment
Our re-enrollment period begins this week. Please check your email for additional information tomorrow!
Spirit Night
Join us this Wednesday from 5:00pm to 8:00pm for a Spirit Night hosted by the Student Council at Red Robin in Cary (2260 Walnut St).
All proceeds from our community sales will contribute to the council’s spring fundraiser—an initiative to send a much-needed care package to a staff member’s family in Liberia. Thank you for your support!
Family Open House
Please join us this Thursday from 5:00pm to 6:30pm for our Family Open House. Parents are invited to freely explore our school, visit classrooms, and meet with teachers to gain insights into classroom materials and the Montessori philosophy.
This event is an excellent opportunity to learn more about various features of our programs such as uninterrupted morning work cycle, mastery learning, etc.
Plus, parents can count this informative event as part of their annual volunteer hours! If you have any questions or need further details, please reach out to Ms. Kristen at kristen@montessoricenter.org.
Spring Fling Update
Due to an unforeseen conflict with our initially planned Spring Fling location, the Community Engagement Committee has made arrangements for this event to be moved to Harris Lake on Sunday, April 14th. More details will be sent at a later time, but we wanted to announce the date change as soon as possible.
Campus Improvement Day
Our next teacher workday on February 19th provides us with a wonderful opportunity to spruce up some of our outdoor classroom environments. Sadly, our last two events were thwarted by weather. Hopefully, we will have better luck with this date!
We want to take this opportunity to invite parents to help with sprucing up their child’s outdoor areas between 8:30am and 12:00pm, or later if you have time! We are seeking your assistance to help with various projects we have been unable to tackle during the school year.
Teachers and staff will be involved in a safety training for the first part of the morning. However, there are many projects that can be accomplished during this time. Following our training, we will be engaged in clearing trails beginning at 11am. Feel free to stay as long as you like to help with this initiative.
As a token of our appreciation, volunteers will be provided with coffee, donuts, and snacks galore! Also, those in attendance will have an opportunity to engage on an explorative trail walk with teachers and administrators. This is a chance for you to gain insight on our future expansion plans and to provide input on our nature education initiative. Details on this adventure will be posted soon!
STEAM Art Gallery
We are thrilled to announce the upcoming Student Art Gallery hosted by the STEAM Committee. Please note participation is entirely optional.
Interested students should create their artworks at home if they wish to participate. Submissions can utilize any medium – paint, colored pencil, charcoal, watercolor, photography, etc. – and should be no larger than 8.5×11.
Artwork should be submitted no later than February 20th. These works of art will be on display in our “art gallery” from February 23rd through March 1st. Please include the artist’s name and class with their submission. Please email steam@montessoricenter.org with questions!
Art submissions will also be featured on our website, and selected art will appear in some school-wide emails.
We so excited to see the talent exhibited by our young artists!
February 12th
Re-enrollment and Summer Camp
Re-enrollment is underway! Please visit our Re-enrollment webpage to access the re-enrollment contracts and view the re-enrollment overview. Please note that re-enrollment forms and deposits are due by February 27th to lock in the early bird tuition rates.
Also, please keep an eye out for our Summer Camp application forms for all programs, which will be available starting tomorrow.
Spring Pictures
Spring pictures are scheduled for week of February 27th to March 1st. In the spring, we schedule individual and class pictures.
As an extra treat, there may be adorable bunnies involved in the picture options. This will hopefully help encourage a host of smiles! More information on spring pictures and schedules will be sent home soon.
Campus Improvement Volunteer Day
On Monday February 19th (the teacher workday) the Campus Improvement Committee will be holding a school beautification events where parents are invited to lend a helping hand. To sign up, please visit the sign-up genius below:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/508084BAAAE2FAA8-campus#/
February 19th
Teacher Workday & Campus Improvement Volunteering
As a reminder, the school will be closed for a teacher workday on Monday, February 19.
We invite parents to help with sprucing up their child’s outdoor areas between 8:30am and 12:00pm, or later if you have time! We are seeking your assistance to help with various projects we have been unable to tackle during the school year.
Please click below to help us with our outdoor spring cleaning!
Student Information System: Child Pilot
Since we’ve decided to move away from FACTS Management, we have been actively exploring alternative options and have discovered one that we’re quite excited about – Child Pilot. We’re currently seeking parent volunteers to test out this new system and provide us with feedback and suggestions.
If you’re interested in trying out Child Pilot and contributing to its evaluation, please email us at info@montessoricenter.org. Your participation will also count towards parent volunteer hours!
February 26th
Picture Week
This week is picture week. For our spring session, we offer individual and classroom group photos.
Schedule
Tuesday (2/27): Nido, EY, CH1 & MAP
Wednesday (2/28): CH2, CH3, & CH4
Thursday (2/29): LE1, LE2, & UE
Friday (3/1): All class group photos
For a little fun, the photographers are bringing live baby bunnies as an option for the photography sessions. These cuddly characters should help place a smile on many faces. However, if you want to skip the bunny option, no problem, just let us know via the form below!
As you can imagine, combing hair, fixing disheveled outfits, removing snack crumbs from faces, and navigating children to the photographer is quite a feat. Unsurprisingly, we are in need of volunteer help to make this happen.
If you have any time available in the mornings this week, we would greatly appreciate your help. Please click the button below to volunteer!
Traffic Study
We need your help with an important prerequisite to our ongoing rezoning efforts. On Tuesday through Thursday of this week, the Town of Holly Springs and the DOT will be conducting a traffic study. You may see various crews in the parking lot during this process.
To help facilitate this study, the important goal is to minimize any queuing on Sunset Lake Road during carpool times. We will do our best to extend carpool hours to facilitate this. We may also open the playground field for additional parking during carpool.
If you are able to volunteer at any of our carpool times by arriving early to assist children in and out of their cars, please email us at info@montessoricenter.org.
Many thanks for any suggestions or support you can offer to alleviate carpool traffic!
Re-enrollment and Summer Camps
Apologies for the glitch in our online re-enrollment forms. The PDF confirmation copies are not automatically forwarding to all signers for reasons we are not able to determine.
Please don’t worry if you do not receive a copy of your contract as these will be uploaded to the document section of our new Student Information System, Child Pilot (CP). Re-enrolling families should receive an invite to establish a CP profile no later than Friday.
Additionally, to provide another layer of assurance, we will directly contact all current families who are missing re-enrollment forms by Wednesday. If you don’t receive this communication, please rest assured that your re-enrollment has been processed.
All re-enrolling families should receive a link to establish a CP profile no later than Friday. If you do not receive this invite, please contact info@montessoricenter.org.
Despite note that many of our summer camps have filled up quickly. The Nature Camp (week 3) for elementary students is already at capacity and is closed. Others are also close to capacity. Please also check your CP profile to make sure your summer contract has been processed. If you have any concerns or questions about your summer enrollment, please don’t hesitate to contact us at info@montessoricenter.org!
March 2024
March Updates
March 4th
Carpool Door Intercom
As a quick reminder our carpool door is now equipped with an intercom system, making communication and remote door access more convenient for everyone!
If you are arriving for an early or late arrival or departure, please utilize the intercom at the carpool door instead of heading to the front office. When using the intercom, simply press the silver button to communicate with the office.
We hope this new feature will help reduce inconvenient wait times for everyone. If you have any feedback or suggestions on how we can further improve our arrival and departure processes, please don’t hesitate to let us know!
International Day & Early Release
We’re excited to announce that International Day is just around the corner! Stay tuned for live pictures on our Facebook page from the festivities this Friday as we celebrate a rich diversity of cultures from the following countries:
Liberia (Nido & EY), Spain (CH1), Italy (CH2), Albania (CH3), Ireland (CH4), Scotland (LE1), Uruguay (LE2), Madagascar (UE), and Syria (MAP).
Each classroom has been hard at work preparing artwork, projects, and more to showcase the beauty and uniqueness of different cultures from around the world.
Friday is also an early release day. Dismissal times are as follows:
Nido & EY: 11:45am – 12:00pm from classroom door
CH1 & CH2: 11:30am – 11:45am from classroom door
CH3 & CH4: 11:30am – 11:45am from playground
Elem & MAP: 12:15pm – 12:30pm from carpool
MAP Bake Sale
Prepare yourself for our MAP student’s Spring Bake Sale featuring delicious spring treat boxes! Each box includes lemon bars, banana bread, dandelion cookies, and raspberry-filled twists, all for just $15.
Pre-orders will be accepted from March 1st through the 17th. Then, pick up your boxes during carpool on March 21st and 22nd.
Place your order now at: https://www.students.montessoricenter.org/
Spring Fling!
Organized by our Community Engagement Committee, we’re excited to invite you to our annual Spring Fling event at Harris Lake County Park on Sunday, April 14th.
Join us for a morning of fun activities and community bonding and as a precursor to celebrating our 40th year anniversary! It will be a great opportunity to connect with fellow families from our school.
As an added bonus, participating in this event will count towards one hour of your volunteer requirement!
STEAM Art Gallery
Thank you to everyone who helped to facilitate our STEAM Committee’s first art gallery!
There were a variety of styles from abstract art, photography, sculpture, cross stitch and many more.
We are so proud of all of our talented artists!
March 11th
Promoting Peace through Service
The TNS Student Council (TNSSC) is requesting donations to be sent to Liberia, where one of our staff members has family and community members who remain in desperate need of certain items.
Requested donations include toothbrushes, toothpaste, canned foods, bar soap, sanitary pads, spices, lotion, shampoo, notebooks, dry goods, and more. A donation box is available in the front office. For a more detailed list of items, please reach out to our TNSSC committee leads, Ms. Alli, Mr. Art, and Ms. Torey, via info@montessoricenter.org.
Spring After-school Clubs
Spring clubs begin the week of March 18. Please visit the After-school Page on our website for the lineup for spring clubs.
Child Pilot
A big thank you to the parents who volunteered to engage in our beta testing of Child Pilot! Due to the positive feedback we received and the ongoing issues with ProCare, we are going to proceed with transitioning from ProCare to Child Pilot beginning April 1st.
Please keep an eye out for an invitation and registration information later this week, along with further instructions.
The Child Pilot app will provide you with a more streamlined check-in and check-out process, along with other convenient features. All family data for the current school year has already been migrated, and documents such as summer and re-enrollment forms will be uploaded over the next few weeks.
Once you access your portal, you will be able to verify and update your personal information, including emergency contact and alternate pick-up individuals, directly.
MAP Bake Sale
Our MAP student’s Spring Bake Sale is underway, featuring delicious spring treat boxes! Each box includes lemon bars, banana bread, dandelion cookies, and raspberry-filled twists, all for just $15.
Pre-orders will be accepted from March 1st through the 17th. Then, pick up your boxes during carpool on March 21st and 22nd. Place your order now at: https://www.students.montessoricenter.org/
Spring Fling!
Organized by our Community Engagement Committee, we’re excited to invite you to our annual Spring Fling event at Harris Lake County Park on Sunday, April 14th.
Join us for a morning of fun activities and community bonding and as a precursor to celebrating our 40th year anniversary! It will be a great opportunity to connect with fellow families from our school.
As an added bonus, participating in this event will count towards one hour of your volunteer requirement!
March 18th
Spring After-school Clubs
After-school clubs for the spring semester kick off this week! Because some clubs are at full capacity, please make sure you receive a confirmation email to verify that your child has been enrolled prior to attending a club.
For a complete lineup of available clubs, please visit our website.
As a reminder, registration for external clubs such as art, soccer, golf, and Mad Science must be completed directly with the respective company via the provided links.
Child Pilot
Last week, you should have received an invitation to download the Child Pilot app. Once you download the app, you will find your child’s information already populated in your profile. Please carefully review this data and make any necessary corrections for accuracy.
For families who wish to grant their authorized drop-off or pick-up individuals access to Child Pilot for attendance tracking, we will send out additional information and instructions by Tuesday on how to provide this access. Unlike ProCare, Child Pilot provides families with the option to elect permissions and determine which features your contacts are able to access.
One of the features that we and our volunteer families who helped test this app appreciated is its ability to allow for a much smoother check-in and check-out process! We are also exploring additional features with this software and will provide updates on them soon.
New Security Feature: Please ensure to upload profile photos for your children and ALL adults in your guardian and pick-up list. This will add an additional layer of security for our after-school staff and substitute teachers who may not be familiar with the individuals authorized to pick up your child. This will also eliminate the need for any new pick-up individuals to present ID if their image and information is in your child’s profile. For anyone without a profile picture, we are happy to take a quick snap on site! Please note that you can upload, edit, and delete your list as needed throughout the year.
Please remember ProCare will be deactivated on April 1st and that we go live with Child Pilot on April 2nd!
Summer Camp
Our elementary summer camps filled much quicker than expected. Consequently, we are not be able to accommodate all applicants for their requested summer camps.
For our elementary camp applicants, please access your Child Pilot messages to confirm the weeks in which you are enrolled. Please note that we will not charge for summer camp weeks that you applied for but that are now full.
Please contact us at billing@montessoricenter.org if you have any questions regarding your summer enrollment.
MAP Bake Sale
Our MAP students are excited to announce the continuation of their bake sale, featuring spring treat boxes! Each box includes delicious items such as lemon bars, banana bread, dandelion cookies, and raspberry-filled twists, all for just $15!
Orders must be submitted by March 17th. Boxes will be distributed during carpool on March 21st – 22nd. Don’t miss out on these delightful treats!
Spring Break
As a reminder, Spring Break begins on March 25th. We look forward to our students returning on April 2nd. Enjoy your break!
Morning Schedule Help Needed!!
Thank you to the Community Engagement Committee and our parent volunteers for your continued support! However, even with this assistance, the frequency of late arrivals is still posing a challenge to our classrooms.
Teachers often have a schedule that includes group lessons and activities early in the morning before the open work cycle. Late arrivals either miss out on lessons or require additional follow-up from the teachers to ensure they are oriented to the day or catch up on missed lessons later in the day.
We kindly ask that you ensure your child arrives before 9am or please notify your child’s teacher if you will be late. Your cooperation will benefit not only your child but also the classroom’s schedule!
Solar Eclipse Viewing Celebration
On April 8th, North Carolina will experience a partial solar eclipse starting in the early afternoon. To celebrate this rare phenomenon, our Science (STEAM) committee is coordinating with each classroom to create a fun viewing event for students, parents, and staff. We have already ordered eclipse viewing glasses for everyone!
We will also host our annual BBQ and bake sale on this day to supplement the festivities. Stay tuned for more information to be emailed this week!
April 2024
April Updates
April 1st
Teacher Workday on Monday
I hope you had a relaxing and enjoyable spring break! As a friendly reminder, April 1st is a teacher workday. We look forward to welcoming everyone back on April 2nd!
Important: Transition from ProCare to Child Pilot
Our transition from ProCare to Child Pilot is scheduled to begin on April 2nd. Please contact us immediately at info@montessoricenter.org if you have not received your Child Pilot invitation email.
Solar Eclipse Viewing Celebration
On April 8th, North Carolina will experience a partial solar eclipse starting in the early afternoon. To celebrate this rare phenomenon, our Science (STEAM) committee is coordinating with each classroom to create a fun viewing event for students, parents, and staff. We have already ordered eclipse viewing glasses for our students.
We will also host our BBQ Fundraiser and Student Council bake sale on this day to supplement the festivities. Click on the link below for more information!
April 8th
Parent Resource Webpage
Navigating the multitude of notifications and updates from the school via emails and app messages can be overwhelming. Who wants to dig through their inbox from days or weeks ago to find that one crucial message?
To tackle this challenge, we have created a virtual bulletin board via our Parent Resource page! This centralized hub aims to gather updates, resources, news, important dates, and more in one convenient location on our website.
Missed an announcement, update on our clubs or events, or lost track of our calendar? No problem! Hopefully, you will find the information you need on our Parent Resource page.
To enhance this resource and provide even more value, we’d love to hear your suggestions for additional content to include on this page!
Child Pilot
Thank you all for your continued support and patience during our transition to Child Pilot. Last week offered us a valuable real-time test of the system. If any attendance irregularities occurred last week, please rest assured that you will not incur any late departure fees based on this attendance data.
One important change to note is that authorized pick-up individuals must now download the Child Pilot app to record your child’s arrival or departure. Additionally, as a security measure, we now require photographs of all individuals in your profile to be uploaded to Child Pilot. For all missing images, we are happy to snap some photos for you! Please let us know if you need any assistance during this transition.
Spring Events
Spring has arrived, and with it comes an array of exciting events organized by our school-led and Community Engagement Committees for our students and families to enjoy!
Please check your email inbox from the past few weeks and visit our Parent Resource page for more details about the following upcoming events:
- Solar eclipse and BBQ
- Original Works Fundraiser
- Earth Day Events
- Spring Fling
- Science Night Campout Event
Have a great week!
April 15th
Parent Community Engagement Garden Event
Please mark your calendar for April 20th (2:30pm – 5:30pm) as the CEC kicks off Earth Day with a gardening event. Volunteer help and donations are welcome. Feel free to bring your children along as long as they are supervised. We will send out additional details this week.
Please click below if interested in helping with this event!
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/508084BAAAE2FAA8-47992930-earth#/
Science Night Out Camping Adventure
Get ready for Science Night Out 2024 on Friday, May 3rd, 2024! After a thrilling success and night of astronomical fun at SNO 2023, we look forward to making this year’s science-themed camping adventure even better!
Date: 5/3/24-5/4/24
Time: 6:00pm – 8:00am
Pick up times and cost are as follows:
- 6:00pm to 10:00pm if not camping–$40.00 (add $10 per additional child if you have multiple children attending)
- 6:00pm to 8:00am if your child is camping–$60.00 (add $10 per additional child if you have multiple children attending)
Adult chaperones attend free of cost. Siblings who do not attend The New School may attend for an additional cost.
Please sign-up and submit payment no later than Friday, April 19th, 2024. Also, please submit a separate sign-up for each child attending.
Event is weather dependent. Rain makeup date will be Friday, May 10th, 2024.
Please click on the link below to reserve your space for this fun event. We hope to see you there! https://form.jotform.com/240293963109055
Spring Fling
Thank you to our Community Engagement Committee for orchestrating today’s fun-filled Spring Fling event. The turnout was incredible, and the weather could not have been better. This marks the beginning of our year-long celebration for our 40th anniversary, and it certainly started off with a bang!
A heartfelt thank you goes out to our parent committee leaders, Ms. Jassi and Ms. Kim, along with Ms. Kristen, the committee’s administrative representative, for their planning and execution of this event.
We also want to express gratitude to our dedicated teachers, staff, and MAP students who worked behind the scenes to set up and provide support throughout the event. Your contributions were invaluable in making today a success!
Thank you also to everyone who was able to attend. If you missed this event, don’t worry, we have more in store for you for the remainder of this year and for our 2024-2025 school year!
Many thanks to our event highlights:
- Ms. Linda for her invigorating yoga session that kicked off today’s event.
- Kim’s Yong-In Martial Arts for their engaging presentation!
- Ms. Rachel with Dragonfly Nature Programs.
- Usborne books.
- Exceptional professional baked goods courtesy of McCakes by FM by one of our staff’s family members!
- And a shoutout to the mystery staff member who fearlessly participated in the Fun Run in their Monty the TNS T-Rex costume. We are happy that Monty was not trampled too badly!
If you did not have an opportunity to order an event t-shirt, please click on the button to order your shirt! https://form.jotform.com/241014585111040
Have a great week!
April 22nd
Science Night Out Event
Join us for our annual Science Night Out on May 3rd, from 6pm to 10pm! This exciting event promises a range of engaging activities. Click this link to learn more and mark your calendars for an unforgettable evening of science exploration!
Student Council Krispy Kreme Fundraiser
Get ready for our last Student Council fundraiser of the school year! This time, they are bringing you a sweet treat with a Krispy Kreme fundraiser. Keep an eye out early this week as students will be bringing home order sheets.
You can purchase a dozen original glazed donuts for $10.00 or a dozen chocolate iced donuts for $12.00.
All proceeds will be sent to the Ronald McDonald House of Durham, supporting families in need during difficult times. Let’s rally together and make this fundraiser a huge success for a truly worthy cause!
MAP Larping Day
On Monday, June 3rd, the MAP Classroom will be participating in a Live Action Role Play (LARP) activity at Dix Park in Raleigh. They will be wrapping up their study of Medieval Europe, and since the students have shared a strong interest in LARPing, we wanted to give them an opportunity to experience a Medieval battle!
For this, we will need a number of parent volunteers that are willing to role play alongside our students. The requirements would be:
- Dress in period appropriate clothing (Medieval Europe)
- Create and maintain period-appropriate (not realistic) weaponry (think styrofoam)
- Availability on June 3rd and 4th (the rain date) from 10am to about 12:30pm
- Help follow the storyline and stay within the role-play safety guidelines
If you are available and interested in joining our LARP, please sign up here!
Child Pilot and Tuition Invoicing
One of our ongoing goals is to centralize resources for our families by minimizing the number of apps and communication channels they need to monitor. Life is complicated enough without needing to tend to multiple messaging and information systems!
With this in mind, we aim to utilize Child Pilot, which addresses most of our needs at this time. This includes scheduling conferences, accessing our calendar, messaging your child’s teachers or the administration, signing up for events, and monitoring your child’s attendance record.
After careful consideration, we are now optimistic that Child Pilot will also serve as our tuition management system. This means families will have a convenient way to pay for tuition and incidentals such as pizza day, childcare, late fees, field trips, after-school clubs, and more.
Further details will be emailed later this week, so please keep an eye out for additional information.
However, please remember to access the Parent Resources Page on our website for the most updated information and collection of convenient links!
Campus Improvement Update
Despite facing a few delays, we are steadily navigating through a series of bureaucratic challenges. Although we are currently unable to immediately connect to the town’s sewer system as originally planned, this delay is due to some positive news. The engineering work has been approved and is poised for connection once we receive final approval on our plans to link up with the city’s water supply, and this is happening ahead of schedule.
You may have noticed flags and cordoned-off areas on the playing field. Once we receive the green light, the final construction phase will involve digging into our field (possibly in these areas). This construction may also affect a small section of the fenced-in area. At this time, we are unsure of the exact location of these connections. However, rest assured that outdoor recess activities will not be affected by this construction!
We should know more about this timeline in the next few weeks. As always, we will keep you updated.
May 2024
May Updates
June 2024
June Updates
January 2nd
Winter After-school Clubs
All after-school clubs will begin this week. Please make sure you have received confirmation of your enrollment prior to attending.
Parent Survey
As mentioned in yesterday’s update email, we have crafted surveys to gather your feedback and suggestions. Please complete the administrative survey once and a classroom survey for each of your children. Thank you for your participation, and we look forward to your input and feedback!
Pizza Wednesdays & Spirit Night
Starting the new year off without skipping a beat, our next semester of Pizza Wednesdays is set to begin tomorrow!
Additionally, for those who had marked their calendars for our scheduled spirit night this week, unfortunately it has been canceled. We will keep you posted if a replacement event is arranged.
Carpool Door Intercom
We are delighted to announce that our carpool door is now equipped with a camera-enabled intercom!
Last semester, we began the process of diverting as much foot traffic as possible away from our LE1 and UE outdoor classroom spaces. We sincerely appreciate your patience and understanding during this transition. This adjustment has not only created a more secure space for our students but has also significantly enhanced our security protocols.
Moving forward, if arriving outside of regular arrival or dismissal times, all families will automatically proceed to the carpool door. To connect to the office, please click the silver button (not the green phone icon), and someone will respond as soon as possible.
We are hopeful that this new system will streamline the process for late arrivals and early dismissals throughout the day. However, as with any new system, there may be a few adjustment needed, so we appreciate your continued patience as we settle into this new routine!
January 7th
Blaze Pizza Spirit Night
Please join us at Blaze Pizza on Thursday, January 18th, 5-8 pm for our first spirit night of 2024! Organized by the Campus Improvement Committee, proceeds from this event will be used to update our elementary playground. We hope to see you there!
Parent Survey
Thank you to everyone who has already participated in our parent surveys so far. We truly appreciate your feedback!
If you have not had an opportunity to complete the surveys, it’s not too late! The survey links will remain active until January 14th.
Birthday Celebrations
As a quick reminder, if you plan to send a special treat to celebrate your child’s birthday, please inform the teachers of your requested date (and details about the treat) at least one week in advance.
This advance notice is required as it provides teachers with sufficient time to share the information with the other parents in the classroom. If a child has dietary preferences or allergies, having this information provides parents enough time to send in alternative treats.
Thank you for your understanding and cooperation with this policy, as it helps ensure that all children feel included and can enjoy birthday celebrations with their friends!
Campus Improvement Update
Last week, as we journeyed to the end of the 1,100-feet cleared pathway created for the sewer pipeline, we were pleasantly surprised to discover a secluded, natural clearing that also provides convenient access points to shallow parts of our creek.
As we continue to explore the new 11 acre terrain, it is clear that there are so many opportunities!
Click below for additional photographs that briefly highlight the current vision for our nature education program.
Lear More: https://www.montessoricenter.org/campus-improvement/
January 14th
School Closed on Monday
The school will be closed on Monday, January 15th, in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Enjoy your long weekend!
Intruder Drill
As a reminder of last week’s announcement from our safety officer, Mr. Thomas, our bi-annual lockdown drill is scheduled for Tuesday.
Intruder drills can understandably conjure up unpleasant images and concerns. However, please rest assured, our teachers do a fantastic job of efficiently running these drills without causing alarm.
Please feel free to send any concerns or questions to thomas@montessoricenter.org.
Spirit Night
Please join us this Thursday night between 5:00pm and 8:00pm at Blaze Pizza in Holly Springs for our monthly Spirit Night! This event will benefit our campus improvement committee.
Welcome Messages
I am delighted to announce the return of Susan Alasandro to the school, now as the Lower Elementary music teacher and private piano instructor for our elementary students! Susan brings a wealth of experience, having taught at our school many years ago before leaving to establish her own successful studio, where she currently offers piano instruction. If you are interested in scheduling private piano lessons at the school (ages 6 and older), please contact us at info@montessoricenter.org.
We also want to welcome Jess Hernandez, PhD candidate in School Psychology, as a part time intern in our Student Support Program for the remainder of the school year. We’re also delighted to welcome Anastasia Trisano and Khadrick Graham to our New School team as after-school staff. We will send the new staff bios soon!
January 21st
Health Update
Earlier today, I sent an email indicating that there had been multiple positive Covid-19 cases reported. In the hours since then, several more cases have been confirmed, affecting Nido, EY, LE1, CH1, CH2, and LE2. Thanks to families proactively testing, four more cases were reported this evening, and more are testing due to symptoms or exposure.
In fitting with the typical ambiguity of Covid-19 symptoms, reports range from mild runny noses to high fevers, chronic coughing, and breathing difficulties. If you have any doubt at all about a runny nose or an exposure at home, please remain at home for now until we are able to break the cycle of exposure in the classrooms.
If communicable illnesses such as Covid, flu, RSV, etc., are reported in multiple classrooms, indicating a noticeable pattern or spread, our goal is to keep you informed while also taking extra precautions to minimize the impact on our students and classrooms. We are also increasing our sanitization protocols during this time.
Understanding the importance of this information, particularly for those who are immunocompromised or have other health considerations, we encourage you to reach out to us at info@montessoricenter.org if you have any questions or concerns. We will continue to send periodic updates and will also post current information on the Parent Resources Page.
If the event that staffing is affected, as it will be this week, we will update you on any staffing changes as soon as possible.
Based on current DCDEE licensing regulations, please note if your child tests positive, they should remain home for 5 days from the onset of symptoms or positive test result (whichever comes first). Upon returning after being completely symptom-free for 24 hours they are required to be able to proficiently and consistently wear a mask for a further 5 days.
With your support, I’m hopeful this will be a short-lived spike and that we can avoid the spread of illness, impact to our staffing, and classroom disruptions. Thank you to those who have been in touch with us and wishing all those who are ill a speedy recovery!
Parent Open House
We warmly invite you to attend our Curriculum Open House on February 8, between 5pm and 6:30pm.
During this event, families will have the opportunity to explore the classrooms and gain deeper insights into the Montessori curriculum. Teachers will be available to answer questions about the materials and discuss the goals of our programs. This informative session will cover our curriculum from Children’s House to our Adolescent Program.
FACTS SIS System
Please be on the lookout for information about our new FACTS Student Information System later this week. We will be slowly introducing platform as we approach re-enrollment.
January 29th
STEAM Art Gallery Event
The STEAM Committee is excited to present an opportunity for students to showcase their creativity! From February 22 to March 1, we will be transforming the hallway into an exhibition space for student art submissions.
Each classroom will be provided with a scheduled day and time to engage on a gallery walk and admire the works of art on display.
All artwork should be completed at home and submitted by February 20th. Students can use any medium they prefer, including photography, pencil, paint, or any other 2D art medium. The work of art should be no larger than 8.5 x 11″ and should include a title and name of artist. This will provide us time to produce placards for each artworks and artist for the display.
Please forward any questions or feedback to steam@montessoricenter.org and info@montessoricenter.org.
Re-enrollment
Please be on the lookout later this week for updates on our re-enrollment process.
July 2024
July Updates
February 5th
Re-enrollment
Our re-enrollment period begins this week. Please check your email for additional information tomorrow!
Spirit Night
Join us this Wednesday from 5:00pm to 8:00pm for a Spirit Night hosted by the Student Council at Red Robin in Cary (2260 Walnut St).
All proceeds from our community sales will contribute to the council’s spring fundraiser—an initiative to send a much-needed care package to a staff member’s family in Liberia. Thank you for your support!
Family Open House
Please join us this Thursday from 5:00pm to 6:30pm for our Family Open House. Parents are invited to freely explore our school, visit classrooms, and meet with teachers to gain insights into classroom materials and the Montessori philosophy.
This event is an excellent opportunity to learn more about various features of our programs such as uninterrupted morning work cycle, mastery learning, etc.
Plus, parents can count this informative event as part of their annual volunteer hours! If you have any questions or need further details, please reach out to Ms. Kristen at kristen@montessoricenter.org.
Spring Fling Update
Due to an unforeseen conflict with our initially planned Spring Fling location, the Community Engagement Committee has made arrangements for this event to be moved to Harris Lake on Sunday, April 14th. More details will be sent at a later time, but we wanted to announce the date change as soon as possible.
Campus Improvement Day
Our next teacher workday on February 19th provides us with a wonderful opportunity to spruce up some of our outdoor classroom environments. Sadly, our last two events were thwarted by weather. Hopefully, we will have better luck with this date!
We want to take this opportunity to invite parents to help with sprucing up their child’s outdoor areas between 8:30am and 12:00pm, or later if you have time! We are seeking your assistance to help with various projects we have been unable to tackle during the school year.
Teachers and staff will be involved in a safety training for the first part of the morning. However, there are many projects that can be accomplished during this time. Following our training, we will be engaged in clearing trails beginning at 11am. Feel free to stay as long as you like to help with this initiative.
As a token of our appreciation, volunteers will be provided with coffee, donuts, and snacks galore! Also, those in attendance will have an opportunity to engage on an explorative trail walk with teachers and administrators. This is a chance for you to gain insight on our future expansion plans and to provide input on our nature education initiative. Details on this adventure will be posted soon!
STEAM Art Gallery
We are thrilled to announce the upcoming Student Art Gallery hosted by the STEAM Committee. Please note participation is entirely optional.
Interested students should create their artworks at home if they wish to participate. Submissions can utilize any medium – paint, colored pencil, charcoal, watercolor, photography, etc. – and should be no larger than 8.5×11.
Artwork should be submitted no later than February 20th. These works of art will be on display in our “art gallery” from February 23rd through March 1st. Please include the artist’s name and class with their submission. Please email steam@montessoricenter.org with questions!
Art submissions will also be featured on our website, and selected art will appear in some school-wide emails.
We so excited to see the talent exhibited by our young artists!
February 12th
Re-enrollment and Summer Camp
Re-enrollment is underway! Please visit our Re-enrollment webpage to access the re-enrollment contracts and view the re-enrollment overview. Please note that re-enrollment forms and deposits are due by February 27th to lock in the early bird tuition rates.
Also, please keep an eye out for our Summer Camp application forms for all programs, which will be available starting tomorrow.
Spring Pictures
Spring pictures are scheduled for week of February 27th to March 1st. In the spring, we schedule individual and class pictures.
As an extra treat, there may be adorable bunnies involved in the picture options. This will hopefully help encourage a host of smiles! More information on spring pictures and schedules will be sent home soon.
Campus Improvement Volunteer Day
On Monday February 19th (the teacher workday) the Campus Improvement Committee will be holding a school beautification events where parents are invited to lend a helping hand. To sign up, please visit the sign-up genius below:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/508084BAAAE2FAA8-campus#/
February 19th
Teacher Workday & Campus Improvement Volunteering
As a reminder, the school will be closed for a teacher workday on Monday, February 19.
We invite parents to help with sprucing up their child’s outdoor areas between 8:30am and 12:00pm, or later if you have time! We are seeking your assistance to help with various projects we have been unable to tackle during the school year.
Please click below to help us with our outdoor spring cleaning!
Student Information System: Child Pilot
Since we’ve decided to move away from FACTS Management, we have been actively exploring alternative options and have discovered one that we’re quite excited about – Child Pilot. We’re currently seeking parent volunteers to test out this new system and provide us with feedback and suggestions.
If you’re interested in trying out Child Pilot and contributing to its evaluation, please email us at info@montessoricenter.org. Your participation will also count towards parent volunteer hours!
February 26th
Picture Week
This week is picture week. For our spring session, we offer individual and classroom group photos.
Schedule
Tuesday (2/27): Nido, EY, CH1 & MAP
Wednesday (2/28): CH2, CH3, & CH4
Thursday (2/29): LE1, LE2, & UE
Friday (3/1): All class group photos
For a little fun, the photographers are bringing live baby bunnies as an option for the photography sessions. These cuddly characters should help place a smile on many faces. However, if you want to skip the bunny option, no problem, just let us know via the form below!
As you can imagine, combing hair, fixing disheveled outfits, removing snack crumbs from faces, and navigating children to the photographer is quite a feat. Unsurprisingly, we are in need of volunteer help to make this happen.
If you have any time available in the mornings this week, we would greatly appreciate your help. Please click the button below to volunteer!
Traffic Study
We need your help with an important prerequisite to our ongoing rezoning efforts. On Tuesday through Thursday of this week, the Town of Holly Springs and the DOT will be conducting a traffic study. You may see various crews in the parking lot during this process.
To help facilitate this study, the important goal is to minimize any queuing on Sunset Lake Road during carpool times. We will do our best to extend carpool hours to facilitate this. We may also open the playground field for additional parking during carpool.
If you are able to volunteer at any of our carpool times by arriving early to assist children in and out of their cars, please email us at info@montessoricenter.org.
Many thanks for any suggestions or support you can offer to alleviate carpool traffic!
Re-enrollment and Summer Camps
Apologies for the glitch in our online re-enrollment forms. The PDF confirmation copies are not automatically forwarding to all signers for reasons we are not able to determine.
Please don’t worry if you do not receive a copy of your contract as these will be uploaded to the document section of our new Student Information System, Child Pilot (CP). Re-enrolling families should receive an invite to establish a CP profile no later than Friday.
Additionally, to provide another layer of assurance, we will directly contact all current families who are missing re-enrollment forms by Wednesday. If you don’t receive this communication, please rest assured that your re-enrollment has been processed.
All re-enrolling families should receive a link to establish a CP profile no later than Friday. If you do not receive this invite, please contact info@montessoricenter.org.
Despite note that many of our summer camps have filled up quickly. The Nature Camp (week 3) for elementary students is already at capacity and is closed. Others are also close to capacity. Please also check your CP profile to make sure your summer contract has been processed. If you have any concerns or questions about your summer enrollment, please don’t hesitate to contact us at info@montessoricenter.org!
Aug 2024
August Updates
March 4th
Carpool Door Intercom
As a quick reminder our carpool door is now equipped with an intercom system, making communication and remote door access more convenient for everyone!
If you are arriving for an early or late arrival or departure, please utilize the intercom at the carpool door instead of heading to the front office. When using the intercom, simply press the silver button to communicate with the office.
We hope this new feature will help reduce inconvenient wait times for everyone. If you have any feedback or suggestions on how we can further improve our arrival and departure processes, please don’t hesitate to let us know!
International Day & Early Release
We’re excited to announce that International Day is just around the corner! Stay tuned for live pictures on our Facebook page from the festivities this Friday as we celebrate a rich diversity of cultures from the following countries:
Liberia (Nido & EY), Spain (CH1), Italy (CH2), Albania (CH3), Ireland (CH4), Scotland (LE1), Uruguay (LE2), Madagascar (UE), and Syria (MAP).
Each classroom has been hard at work preparing artwork, projects, and more to showcase the beauty and uniqueness of different cultures from around the world.
Friday is also an early release day. Dismissal times are as follows:
Nido & EY: 11:45am – 12:00pm from classroom door
CH1 & CH2: 11:30am – 11:45am from classroom door
CH3 & CH4: 11:30am – 11:45am from playground
Elem & MAP: 12:15pm – 12:30pm from carpool
MAP Bake Sale
Prepare yourself for our MAP student’s Spring Bake Sale featuring delicious spring treat boxes! Each box includes lemon bars, banana bread, dandelion cookies, and raspberry-filled twists, all for just $15.
Pre-orders will be accepted from March 1st through the 17th. Then, pick up your boxes during carpool on March 21st and 22nd.
Place your order now at: https://www.students.montessoricenter.org/
Spring Fling!
Organized by our Community Engagement Committee, we’re excited to invite you to our annual Spring Fling event at Harris Lake County Park on Sunday, April 14th.
Join us for a morning of fun activities and community bonding and as a precursor to celebrating our 40th year anniversary! It will be a great opportunity to connect with fellow families from our school.
As an added bonus, participating in this event will count towards one hour of your volunteer requirement!
STEAM Art Gallery
Thank you to everyone who helped to facilitate our STEAM Committee’s first art gallery!
There were a variety of styles from abstract art, photography, sculpture, cross stitch and many more.
We are so proud of all of our talented artists!
March 11th
Promoting Peace through Service
The TNS Student Council (TNSSC) is requesting donations to be sent to Liberia, where one of our staff members has family and community members who remain in desperate need of certain items.
Requested donations include toothbrushes, toothpaste, canned foods, bar soap, sanitary pads, spices, lotion, shampoo, notebooks, dry goods, and more. A donation box is available in the front office. For a more detailed list of items, please reach out to our TNSSC committee leads, Ms. Alli, Mr. Art, and Ms. Torey, via info@montessoricenter.org.
Spring After-school Clubs
Spring clubs begin the week of March 18. Please visit the After-school Page on our website for the lineup for spring clubs.
Child Pilot
A big thank you to the parents who volunteered to engage in our beta testing of Child Pilot! Due to the positive feedback we received and the ongoing issues with ProCare, we are going to proceed with transitioning from ProCare to Child Pilot beginning April 1st.
Please keep an eye out for an invitation and registration information later this week, along with further instructions.
The Child Pilot app will provide you with a more streamlined check-in and check-out process, along with other convenient features. All family data for the current school year has already been migrated, and documents such as summer and re-enrollment forms will be uploaded over the next few weeks.
Once you access your portal, you will be able to verify and update your personal information, including emergency contact and alternate pick-up individuals, directly.
MAP Bake Sale
Our MAP student’s Spring Bake Sale is underway, featuring delicious spring treat boxes! Each box includes lemon bars, banana bread, dandelion cookies, and raspberry-filled twists, all for just $15.
Pre-orders will be accepted from March 1st through the 17th. Then, pick up your boxes during carpool on March 21st and 22nd. Place your order now at: https://www.students.montessoricenter.org/
Spring Fling!
Organized by our Community Engagement Committee, we’re excited to invite you to our annual Spring Fling event at Harris Lake County Park on Sunday, April 14th.
Join us for a morning of fun activities and community bonding and as a precursor to celebrating our 40th year anniversary! It will be a great opportunity to connect with fellow families from our school.
As an added bonus, participating in this event will count towards one hour of your volunteer requirement!
March 18th
Spring After-school Clubs
After-school clubs for the spring semester kick off this week! Because some clubs are at full capacity, please make sure you receive a confirmation email to verify that your child has been enrolled prior to attending a club.
For a complete lineup of available clubs, please visit our website.
As a reminder, registration for external clubs such as art, soccer, golf, and Mad Science must be completed directly with the respective company via the provided links.
Child Pilot
Last week, you should have received an invitation to download the Child Pilot app. Once you download the app, you will find your child’s information already populated in your profile. Please carefully review this data and make any necessary corrections for accuracy.
For families who wish to grant their authorized drop-off or pick-up individuals access to Child Pilot for attendance tracking, we will send out additional information and instructions by Tuesday on how to provide this access. Unlike ProCare, Child Pilot provides families with the option to elect permissions and determine which features your contacts are able to access.
One of the features that we and our volunteer families who helped test this app appreciated is its ability to allow for a much smoother check-in and check-out process! We are also exploring additional features with this software and will provide updates on them soon.
New Security Feature: Please ensure to upload profile photos for your children and ALL adults in your guardian and pick-up list. This will add an additional layer of security for our after-school staff and substitute teachers who may not be familiar with the individuals authorized to pick up your child. This will also eliminate the need for any new pick-up individuals to present ID if their image and information is in your child’s profile. For anyone without a profile picture, we are happy to take a quick snap on site! Please note that you can upload, edit, and delete your list as needed throughout the year.
Please remember ProCare will be deactivated on April 1st and that we go live with Child Pilot on April 2nd!
Summer Camp
Our elementary summer camps filled much quicker than expected. Consequently, we are not be able to accommodate all applicants for their requested summer camps.
For our elementary camp applicants, please access your Child Pilot messages to confirm the weeks in which you are enrolled. Please note that we will not charge for summer camp weeks that you applied for but that are now full.
Please contact us at billing@montessoricenter.org if you have any questions regarding your summer enrollment.
MAP Bake Sale
Our MAP students are excited to announce the continuation of their bake sale, featuring spring treat boxes! Each box includes delicious items such as lemon bars, banana bread, dandelion cookies, and raspberry-filled twists, all for just $15!
Orders must be submitted by March 17th. Boxes will be distributed during carpool on March 21st – 22nd. Don’t miss out on these delightful treats!
Spring Break
As a reminder, Spring Break begins on March 25th. We look forward to our students returning on April 2nd. Enjoy your break!
Morning Schedule Help Needed!!
Thank you to the Community Engagement Committee and our parent volunteers for your continued support! However, even with this assistance, the frequency of late arrivals is still posing a challenge to our classrooms.
Teachers often have a schedule that includes group lessons and activities early in the morning before the open work cycle. Late arrivals either miss out on lessons or require additional follow-up from the teachers to ensure they are oriented to the day or catch up on missed lessons later in the day.
We kindly ask that you ensure your child arrives before 9am or please notify your child’s teacher if you will be late. Your cooperation will benefit not only your child but also the classroom’s schedule!
Solar Eclipse Viewing Celebration
On April 8th, North Carolina will experience a partial solar eclipse starting in the early afternoon. To celebrate this rare phenomenon, our Science (STEAM) committee is coordinating with each classroom to create a fun viewing event for students, parents, and staff. We have already ordered eclipse viewing glasses for everyone!
We will also host our annual BBQ and bake sale on this day to supplement the festivities. Stay tuned for more information to be emailed this week!
Sept 2024
September Updates
Coming soon!
School News
Spring Fling Picnic
Julie2024-04-15T19:33:11-04:00April 15th, 2024|0 Comments
Thank you to our Community Engagement Committee for orchestrating our fun-filled Spring Fling event on [...]
Eclipse Viewing Event
Julie2024-04-05T12:56:59-04:00March 31st, 2024|0 Comments
Date: Monday, April 8th, 2024 Time: 2:30 – 3:30 PM Location: Classroom Patios (CH) [...]
TNS Art Gallery
Julie2024-03-04T21:35:23-05:00March 4th, 2024|0 Comments
Thank you to everyone who contributed to the success of our inaugural TNS Art Gallery! [...]
New School Strategic Plan
Information coming soon!
New Families
We strive to provide new parents with a welcoming and comprehensive list of resources to acclimate quickly to the school. Click below for more information.
Celebrating 40 Years & Looking Ahead!
Our Campus Improvement Plan (CIP) is well underway! Stay informed on the updates and learn more about how to become involved by visiting our CIP page.
“The greatest gifts we can give our children are the roots of responsibility and the wings of independence.” ~ Maria Montessori