See Shaw Shine

Shaw Montessori Newsletter - August 11th, 2024

In This Issue

Principal Engdall
2024 Welcome Back Letter
Nurse Rose
Laura Hildwein
Fall After-School Classes
Art
Elementary Garden
Shaw PTA
Shaw Calendar
Meal Menus
District Information
School Hours & Contact Info

Principal Engdall

Greetings Shaw Montessori!

Another incredible settling in week at Shaw has passed! Thank you for your continued patience with us and the before and after school care transition. That was a tremendous systems change but feels like it is finding its groove.

Speaking of systems changes. As our children transition from primary to lower elementary or lower elementary to upper elementary or to middle school the environments, the expectations change a lot to accommodate the “plane of development” better known as the psychological, physical, emotional and spiritual needs of a growing human. Each of our classrooms/levels are carefully prepared to assist in their growth. Some children make these transitions smoothly, others may struggle and need support, but I have never seen a child that did not make it! What a feeling of independence and pride they experience once they are comfortable with their new community, new teacher, new instructional assistant, and new expectations. If your 1st, 4th or 7th grader is experiencing distress, validate their feelings, listen and offer encouragement. There may be tears, they may tell you they do not want to go to school and are scared, these are perfectly normal ways that we all avoid uncomfortable change. It will be alright. If you are alarmed by a story or situation that your student shares with you, your first point of contact should be the classroom teacher. Much angst can be avoided once you have the full picture—your child’s story and the school story.

I look forward to seeing you at our first PTA/Site Council meeting on the 21st. Our Site Council meeting begins at 5:30. I will present school data and unofficial school letter grade and teachers will distribute last spring’s AASA test results to parents with children in 4th-8th grade. Our PTA meeting will begin at 6:00. Pizza and childcare will be provided.

Wishing you the best,

Principal Engdall

2024 Welcome Back Letter

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Nurse Rose

Note from the Nurse:

Parents, please add the School Nurse Office phone number, 602-257-3900, to your contacts. This will help me in case I need to contact you during the school day.

Thanks!

Rose Prasad RN/Shaw Montessori School Nurse.

Laura Hildwein

Hello Shaw Families!

I know it is difficult to think of Christmas when it is well over 100 degrees outside, but that is what I am asking you to do. Each year the Salvation Army’s Christmas Angel program offers donated gifts to children who could use some extra love during the Winter holiday season. This program has helped serve many families and you are invited to take advantage of this opportunity. Eligibility requirements include: children 12 years old or under, the family meets income guidelines, and is on AHCCCS or has a school district letter for participation.

We urge families who are interested in this program to complete the application as soon as possible because the Phoenix Elementary School District code is only active through September 30, 2024. There are a limited number of applications and they will be accepted on a first come, first serve basis.

If you need this service please reach out to me at Laura.Hildwein@phxschools.org so that I can help you complete the application process.

Fall After-School Classes

Augustus H. Shaw Montessori After-School Classes

Classes begin the week of Sept. 16 and end week of Dec. 9, 2024 unless otherwise noted.

Class times are from 3:40-4:40 unless otherwise noted.

Register for Chess, ABSi Spanish, Theater, Soccer Shots, and Taiko Drumming directly with the vendor.

Sign up for Practice Club in the school office.

Monday: Chess Club with the Chess Emporium

Chess Club teaches a fun and exciting introduction to the game of chess. Club begins by teaching students how to play the game, chess openings, tactics, and endgames. Students will practice what they learn each week in games with their friends. Studies by major corporations have shown that chess can help students improve their math and verbal skills, creative abilities, and critical thinking abilities. Chess provides helpful insights into mathematics, visualization, analysis, and writing skills. Grades K-8 welcome. Room 415. Register at: chessemporium.com/clubs See attached flyer.

Free Demo During Lunch/Recess: Wednesday, 9/4/24

Start Date: 9/16/24

End Date: 12/9/24

Off Days: 10/7 (No School), 10/15 (No School), 11/11 (No School), & 11/25 (No School)

Total Weeks: 9

Tuition: $119

Monday: Practice Club

4th-8th grade Band, Strings, and Choir students can sign up for practice club. Students can work on any music they are studying in class, work with other students, prepare for auditions, and receive assistance from Mr. Pozo. Please sign up in the front office. Room 202/200. Club is from 3:50-4:50 and is FREE. Max students 10, waitlist for students registered after 10 enrollment met.

Tuesday: VYT Playmakers Jr.

VYT Playmakers Jr. at Shaw Montessori! Ages: K-2

In this creative class designed for young children, students will learn how to build their

own show from the ground up! Starting with the creative process, students will use

their imaginations to explore their interests and choose a playful theme as the basis

for their story. Based on that theme, students will work together to create their own

characters, explore the world of their story through dramatic play, and collaborate to

create their own original piece. From enchanted forests to space adventures to animal

safaris, our only limit is what we can IMAGINE.

September 17 - December 10, 2024| No class on 10/8 or 11/26

Cost: $220 for 11 Weeks

Register at: https://tinyurl.com/K2-Shaw-24

Tuesday: Soccer Shots

Soccer Shots Premier focuses on individual skill, fitness, and sportsmanship, providing an opportunity for children to be challenged through soccer skills, fun games, and team interaction. The curriculum for this program is created for school-age children. Children will also be introduced to competition in a developmentally appropriate manner.

This class meets on the field.

Dates: September 10 to December 10 | No Class: 10/8/24, 11/26/24

Time: 3:40PM - 4:15PM | 4:25PM - 5:00PM (for children that stay in afterschool program)

Ages: 5-8 Classic

Price: $180 | 12-week season

Free Fun Day: Tuesday August 27 at 3:40PM - 4:15PM

Enrollment Link (3:40PM - 4:15PM): https://phoenix.soccershots.com/pd/1343/shaw-montessori-school

Enrollment Link (4:25PM - 5:00PM): https://phoenix.soccershots.com/pd/1344/shaw-montessori-school

Wednesday: Taiko Japanese Drumming

Traditionally played in thousands of small communities and villages throughout Japan during festivals, ceremonies, and times of war, today Taiko is played in celebration of the human spirit, the need and desire for cooperation and teamwork, and for the joy of making music. (Min. enrollment 15, max 27)

Taiko provides children and adults of all ages the opportunity to:

· make powerful music within the first class

· learn and demonstrate the importance of cooperation and teamwork to create a finished product

· compare and contrast the cultures of Japan and the United States; their similarities and differences and their relationship with one another throughout history

· learn, produce and use the advanced musical concepts of rhythm, fractions, beat, patterns and synchronization.

· become increasingly aware of the power and abilities of one’s body to produce specific and intricate movements and musical rhythms

· explore the importance and significance of Taiko, and the arts in general and how the arts affect a person’s outlook on life, perception of self and their culture

Dates: September 18 to December 11 | No Class: 10/16/24, 11/13/24

Time: 1:45pm – 2:45pm to be held on the stage

Price: $135 Registration info on flyer or at www.fushichodaiko.com/montessori

Wednesday: Spanish Club with ABSi Spanish, LLC

ABSí is an interactive Spanish program that teaches students basic vocabulary including numbers, colors, animals and more. Students learn common phrases through hands-on activities that involve art, music, and educational games. This eleven-week session will focus on everyday phrases needed for everyday situations (i.e. ¿Cómo se dice___?” “¿Dónde está el baño? “Necesito ayuda” and more). Kindergarten through fifth graders welcome! Rooms 302 and 442. Register at: www.absispanish.com/montessori-augustus-shaw See attached flyer.

Wednesdays after school

September 18 - December 11, 2024| No class on 10/9, 10/16, or 11/27

Time 1:40-2:40

Cost: $175 for 11 Weeks

Thursday: VYT Playmakers

VYT Playmakers at Shaw Montessori!

Ages: 3rd Grade and Up

In this creative class, students will learn how to build a play from the

ground up! Starting with the writing process, students will find out what it

takes to go from brainstorming, to writing, to editing and revising an

original play. As an ensemble, students will then audition, cast, rehearse

and perform in their own piece. Explore the world of theatre through

every angle with this fun-filled class!

Thursdays Afterschool

September 19 - December 12, 2024| No class on 10/10 or 11/28

Cost: $220 for 11 Weeks

Register at: https://tinyurl.com/Shaw3andup

To view flyers, please visit: https://secure.smore.com/n/szpgj-see-shaw-shine

Art

Hello from the art room! Students kicked off the year with a school-wide doodle table project. Each grade, from K-8, had their hand in doodling. They tapped into their creativity, imagination and personalities to draw everything from donuts and dinosaurs to Pac-Man and patterns. A sampling will be on display in the cafeteria.

Also, I’m looking for donations for upcoming art projects. If you have
*Vinyl records (with or without the album cover)
*School-appropriate magazines
Please drop them off in the bin under the sign-in table just to the right of the front office.

Looking forward to a creative year. Thank you!
Ms. Allison

Elementary Garden

Greetings!

Our second week back was great. We worked on the furrows and amended them with some complimentary compost provided by Berridge Nursery. The nursery is giving away free bags of compost to school gardens. Heads up to our fellow district gardeners!

There was some serious pig drama this week. One of our beloved vegan elementary students was dismayed over the possibility of raising pigs for slaughter. He sought to change this by petitioning the student body to “Save the Pigs”. He needs 251 signatures and is almost there. Assuming he collects the necessary number of signatures, we will NOT be raising pigs for slaughter and instead will opt for miniature pigs that can go to a good home or sanctuary in the spring. The lesson here is that you are never too small to make a substantive change. Follow your heart.

We will start transplants next week. If you need any transplants OR seeds, please see me or email me. You can reach me at my faculty email listed below.

We will host a couple parent workdays and a native planting day. The following dates are on the calendar:

· September 14th (native planting day)

· September 28th (parent workday)

· December 3rd & 5th (holiday concert afterparty)

· February 22nd (2nd parent workday)

You can access the volunteer signup site by clicking on this link: https://signup.com/group/1135044326099

We are always seeking coffee grounds, seeds, aluminum cans and MASON JARS. PLEASE, NO MORE EGGSHELLS. If you have anything that might benefit our garden program, please contact me via email. Otherwise, the front table outside of the office is our designated drop-off location for garden essentials.

james.obrien-moench@phxschools.org

Enjoy your weekend!

Mr. Moench

Shaw PTA

Hello Shaw Fam!

If I haven’t had a chance to meet you, I’m your PTA Vice President and fellow Shaw parent, Jessica Parker! My boys started at Shaw as PS1s and are now in 3rd and 1st grade. Where does the time go?!

If you’re new, I’m so glad you’re at Shaw! This is an incredible community to plug into and get involved in as you are able. We have a PTA Facebook Page and private Facebook group where you can ask questions; we also have an Instagram account you can follow for the latest events and announcements.

We would love to invite you into continuing to make Shaw a wonderful place for your child, a supportive environment for our teachers and a space where everyone can thrive. You can get ahold of me by email at vp@shawmontessoripta.com or catch me around campus!

P.S.

As new parents will be dropping their littles off this week to start their PS1 journeys, let’s make an effort to leave the parking lot for them as they make the walk through the gate for the first time! Can we try to leave those spaces open for them? Thanks all!