See Shaw Shine

• Principal Engdall
• i-Ready Diagnostic
• Before & After School
• Laura Hildwein
• Fall After-School Classes
• Elementary Garden
• Shaw PTA
• Shaw Calendar
• Meal Menus
• District Information
• School Hours & Contact Info

Greetings Shaw Montessori,

On Friday evening, 4 of our staff members were honored at the Phoenix Elementary’s Night of Inspiration. Leisla Church, Emily White, Shireen Wahid and Debbie Carwitz were each nominees. They enjoyed a dinner in their honor and the chance to take home a bit of additional cash! Congratulation’s ladies, we are proud of you!

Tomorrow our two-week window iReady Diagnostic opens for students in 1st-8th grades. This diagnostic gives us valuable data on where each of our children are and help us establish a solid learning plan for them. It is a computer-based assessment and will be administered by the classroom teachers during the instructional day.

We look forward to seeing at our first PTA and Site Council meeting this Wednesday evening. Site Council begins at 5:30. Teachers will be distributing students AASA scores from spring of last year to the 4th-8th grade parents. Our PTA Meeting begins at 6:00. Pizza and childcare will be available.

This week our second wave of 3-year-olds begin! If you see a parent lurking in the parking lot crying assure them, they will be alright! The 26th our 4-year-olds join us, and we are complete. This year, our 32 year, our student body will total 494! Thank each of you for being a part of this amazing community. When I count my lucky stars, each of you are there!

Wishing you the best,

Principal Engdall

Dear Families,

At Shaw, we use the i-Ready online program as the reading and mathematics diagnostic assessment tool for Grades K-8. The fall diagnostic window for 1-8th grade opens on August 19th. Please refer to the diagnostic calendar above. Kindergarten will test in September to allow additional time to adjust to school and learn needed skills.

What is i‐Ready?

i‐Ready is an online program that will help us determine your child’s strengths and areas for growth, personalize their learning, and monitor their progress throughout the school year. i‐Ready allows us to meet your child where they are and provides us with data to inform instruction.

The i‐Ready Diagnostic is an adaptive assessment that adjusts its questions based on student responses. Each item a student receives is based on their answer to the previous question. For example, a series of correct answers will result in slightly harder questions, while a series of incorrect answers will yield slightly easier ones. The purpose of this is not to give your child a score or grade but to determine how to best support their learning.

To help prepare your child for the i‐Ready Diagnostic, please encourage them to get a good night's rest, have a healthy breakfast, as well as bring headphones.

Thank you for your continued support and for being a partner in your child’s learning! If you have any questions about i‐Ready, please do not hesitate to contact me at shaily.currie@phxschools.org.

Helping your child have a successful school drop off

One of the most difficult things as a parent is seeing your child upset. When a child does not want to go to school and clings to us it can break our heart.

Here are a few tips to make the transition easier.

1. Make goodbyes prompt and positive. Give a hug or a kiss and a reassurance that you will see them after school. Don’t linger or look back as kids can interpret this as you not having confidence in the school.

2. Allow a staff member to assist with leading your child to the class. Most of the students quickly learn how to get to class or their spot in the cafeteria on their own.

3. Trust your school staff. If you child continues to cry once you are gone, we will reach out to you. Generally, within a few minutes of the transition, your child is fine and engaged in the classroom routine.

4. Establish an evening routine so your child gets enough sleep.

5. Create a morning routine so your child knows what to expect prior to and during drop off.

6. Talk to your student about school in a positive way. If you are anxious, they will pick up on it.

7. At the end of the day ask your child about the best part of their school day.

8. Give it time, there will be ups and downs. Sometimes there is more clinginess after a break or after a child realizes that school is a daily event. Children are resilient and adaptable, and it generally will smooth out fairly quickly.

In the end it is often harder on the parents than it is on the child. They grow up fast but learning independence and how to navigate the world will serve them well. If you have questions or concerns, please reach out to your child’s teacher or the school social worker, Laura Hildwein.

Here are a few titles to read with younger kids about transitions.

The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn

Llama, Llama Misses Mama by Anna Dewdney

The Invisible String by Patrice Karst

Franklin Goes to School by Paulette Bourgeois

Together we can help your children succeed! Laura.Hildwein@phxschools.org

602-523-896

Augustus H. Shaw Montessori After-School Classes

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

Monday: Chess Club with the Chess Emporium

Monday: Practice Club

Tuesday: VYT Playmakers Jr.

Tuesday: Soccer Shots

Wednesday: Taiko Japanese Drumming

Wednesday: Spanish Club with ABSi Spanish, LLC

Thursday: VYT Playmakers

To view class descriptions and flyers, please visit:

https://secure.smore.com/n/5vxhr-shaw

Greetings!

Our third week and we are back in action. Garden lessons began on Monday. We are learning about the wonderful desert succulent, purslane. The Spanish word for purslane is verdolagas. You probably have seen it growing in cracks along your sidewalk or in your yard. It is a hardy plant that prefers salty soils (perfect for our soils). It is also very nutritious. The students made a purslane and cucumber recipe from Chris Bianco’s cookbook. The reviews are mixed. There are a lot of students who do no like onions and many others who prefer something sweet.

The pig story continued this week. Our students garnered 184 signatures in total. This was below the 251 quota that we agreed upon, however, I gave the students clemency and will honor their wishes. It shall be mini pigs until April. Then they will go to a sanctuary or home to live out the rest of their lives, wallowing in the mud pools of joy. Our last hurdle will be the approval by the PTA next Wednesday. See you then.

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

The Shaw PTA exists to nurture a strong, supportive community by bringing together parents, teachers, and staff to enrich our students’ educational experience. Guided by our commitment to simplicity, generosity, and thoughtful stewardship, we’re excited about the meaningful programs and events we can create this year. The funds we raise directly benefit our students and staff, helping us foster a connected and thriving community. Join us for our first PTA meeting on August 21 at 6 pm, where we’ll come together to vote on this year’s budget. If you’d like to be part of this journey, sign up [https://shawmontessoripta.givebacks.com/store/items/1051410] and lend your voice to our shared vision.

If you have questions about the budget or how to get involved, please don't hesitate to reach out. president@shawmontessoripta.com

Clink link to view menus: linqconnect.com

PESD#1:

phxschools.org

phxschools.org/shaw

www.phxschools.org/2024-2025 calendar

phxschools.org/board

phxschools.org/shaw-newsletters

Phone: 602-257-3914

Email:

Principal Susan.Engdall@phxschools.org

Office Manager Claire.Kooyahoema@phxschools.org

Website: phxschools.org/shaw
Location: 123 North 13th Street, Phoenix, AZ
Facebook: ShawMontessoriCommunityGroup