SWMA Newsletter May 15, 2009 - Volume 1, Issue 5

Posted May 16, 2009 - 6:12am by Beth Brock
Summer Camp at SWMA! Only 1 week remains to sign up!
Ms. Cynthia, Ms. Jessica, and Ms. Beth are pleased to offer three exciting summer workshops. Kids will learn to respect the environment at Green Week, to respect themselves at Wellness Week, and to respect each other at Culture Week. Camp is open to ALL children ages 3 to 12 and cost is only $150 per week. Classes take place on campus at SWMA.  The weeks are June 15-19, July 6-10, and July 20-24.  Students will bring a bag lunch, and a healthy snack will be provided. Space is limited and filling up! Contact Beth ASAP to reserve your spot! A percentage of the profits will be designated to professional development for teachers at SWMA. 
Happenings in the Toddler Cottage from Ms. Jessica and Ms. Debbie:
Wow, can you believe that we are moving into our final week of school?!  I will miss all of your children greatly and have very much appreciated caring for and being a small part of their growth. 
 
Thanks to all who attended/assisted with the strawberry picking and Beach Day field trips.  Both were a great success and I believe enjoyed by all. 
 
Please send swimsuits and towels for next week as we will be having water play (sprinklers and messy work) all next week.  Have a great Summer.  Also I would like to let you all know that I am always still available for any questions/concerns you may have during the Summer and beyond.  I will do my best to provide advice or just a listening ear!
 
Jessica 

Happenings in the Primary Class from Ms. Natalie and Ms. Cynthia:
The Primary class has had a great last couple of months. They went on two field trips and had a blast. The children learned about the endangered beach mouse and North Florida ecology. All of the kids became ‘rangers’ with their very own badges. At Field Day the children splashed, raced, jumped and twirled and they ended their day playing in the Gulf. The Kindergarteners are moving through the curriculum and practicing their last works that will prepare them for 1st grade. The second year students are beginning to read and write and our youngest friends are learning concentration, coordination, order and independence. Ms. Natalie and Ms. Cynthia will miss the children when school ends, but are looking forward to having the entire summer to rearrange furniture, work on curriculum, create new works, order Montessori Materials, learn more songs and sign language and prepare and entire year’s worth of special interest activities. Ms. Natalie and Ms. Cynthia want to thank all of you for your patience and support this year as they worked on their first year as Montessori teachers. Ms. Natalie’s training is going very well and she’s making straight A’s. Ms. Cynthia is reading all of Maria Montessori’s literature and considering taking some training this summer. This year will always be special in their hearts, and all of your children are so very important to them. Hooray for an incredible year!
 
Happenings in Lower Elementary from Ms. Catherine:
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle! This week, we attended a field trip to the Freeport Recycling Center. We watched our aluminum cans get crushed and blown (at ninety miles an hour) into the back of a truck, beginning the process of recycling aluminum. We also learned about other metals that can be recycled and the difference between these metals. We also had the opportunity to experiment with the giant truck scale used in figuring out the weight of recyclable metals. We even weighed our class. We weighed about 1,860 pounds as a class!
 
We are almost finished with our great study of Fundamental Needs. Any lower elementary student can tell you our nine basic needs and how several different civilizations met their basic needs. We have studied Prehistoric People, Egyptians, Ancient Greeks, Middle Ages, and the Renaissance.
 
We have also began working with the layers of the Earth and volcanoes. Very soon, we will be experimenting with “magma” which is both a solid and a liquid depending on its surroundings. Very cool stuff!
 
It has been such a great year with a great class and I hope everyone has a great Summer Break!
 
Happy Friday!
 
Happenings in Upper Elementary with Mr. David:
Upper El is ending the year with lots of exciting work. Yesterday we had a re-enactment of the Boston Tea Party.   We chanted “No taxation without representation” as we marched down to the Eden Garden dock in our tri-corn hats (that we made ourselves). We then, at the very last moment, put our “Indian” costumes on and made a break for the dock and dumped all the tea(leaves) into the Boston Harbor. Those English dogs will think twice before they burden us unfairly with taxes again!!!   We’ve had a great year and we look to a future full of many more fun and inspiring lessons. Everyone have a wonderful summer break. I’m already excited about next year!
 
Happenings in Art with Ms. Rebecca:
Arts Quest last weekend was amazing and I hope that everyone had a chance to check it out. Our Elementary students' entry was actually set up on a table away from the rest of the paintings, making it front and center. When I walked up I could not have been more proud! These last two classes we will just have fun, making kites, painting flags, and keeping it simple. They have all worked so hard this year and they deserve it. It's hard to believe we are in our last days of the school year. For the last nine months I have spent time with and have gotten to know an amazing group of students, teachers, and parents and I couldn't have asked for a better way to spend my Fridays. Every week our students  amazed and inspired me. I hope that everyone has a beautiful summer, full of fun, relaxation, creativity and a ton of memories. See you in August!
 
Happenings in PE with Ms. Serena:
Elementary Field Day: On May 1, the elementary class participated in their annual field day. This year, we went back to our old stomping grounds in Rosemary at the St. Augustine green. A big thank you goes to Claire LaPlante who not only organized the location, but stayed and played with us all day. We participated in all sorts of water games and relay races. The highlight of the morning was the water balloon fight. Thanks to Mr. David and Tracy Baranowski for filling up 250 water balloons. The shields produced by upper el were finally put to good use. Then, we stopped at a delicious lunch at the Summer Kitchen. Thank you , Miriam and James, for helping us out with lunch. My cheeseburger hit the spot!!! Then off to the beach we went. Lower el splashed in the water and built sandcastles. Upper el hit the waves with Mr. David’s surfboard. Thanks to David, Catherine and Claire for all of your support all day.
 
Primary Field Day: On May 8, the primary class participated in their annual field day. A big thank you goes to Debbie Watson for reserving our fabulous location at the green by the Boathouse in Water Color. We all loved running around, playing relay races and splashing each other with squirt bottles. Cynthia, thanks for all of the water bucket trips!! Then, we topped off the morning in a peaceful boat ride that Debbie had set up for us. Then Debbie set up lunch for us at the new Hot and Cold restaurant in Water Color where we were served delicious pizza. Then, off to the beach for more splashing fun. Thanks to all of the mom’s who helped carpool and some who even stayed and played with us: Tracy Guernsey, Jill Daiberl, Amy Frazier, Debbie Eddelson, Ashley Hardy, and Milla Hopkins.  A big thank you goes to Ms. Natalie, Ms. Cynthia, Ms. Beth and Debbie Watson for your support.
 
Toddler Field Day: On May 15, we are planning a fun filled day for the Toddler’s at Rosemary. A big thank you goes to Ms. Jessica for setting up this location. We are looking forward to another delicious lunch at Summer Kitchen (thx Miriam and James). I’m sure lots of memories will be made on this day, and we all are looking forward to it.
 
Important Notes from the Board:
It is hard to believe that the 2008/2009 school year is drawing to a close.  We have accomplished so much over the last year.  We have settled into our new campus and it feels so very good.  Please join me in thanking our all our teachers and staff for a successful year! They have made this a great year and the children are thriving.  Has Ms. Natalie really just been here a year!  Many, many thanks to her for her hard work and dedication as the newest member of the lead teaching staff at SWMA.
 
We are in search of a new board member.  Rhonda Joodi's term is coming to a close.  We want to extend to her our most heartfelt thanks for her tireless efforts on behalf of our school over the last 3 years.  If you would consider serving on our board, please let Catherine know.  Our annual board retreat, which is for the purpose of establishing long range planning, will occur the latter part of June.  We hope to have the new board member in place so he/she can attend.
 
In case you haven't heard, we are joining US98 Soccer in putting on a soccer tournament the weekend of June 13-14.  Soccer by the Surf will be a great event and is an opportunity to raise additional funds for our school.  We need your help!  We need business sponsors for the event. If your business, or anyone you know, may be interested in being a sponsor, please let us know.  You will receive a flyer on this shortly.  We will also need volunteers during the event to assist with registration, concessions, etc.  And, if your child plays soccer, maybe you want to get a team together and play!  Registration information is available at www.us98soccer.com.  We look forward to your help.
 
Miriam Dillon, Chairman
Board of Trustees
 
Administration Update:
 
Wow – what a great first year in our new environment! It’s hard to believe that we are wrapping up our fifth year and already preparing for year number six.
 
Our Yard Sale final tally was just around $5300! Thanks again to Tara Casas and her crew for doing such an amazing job. Thanks also to Jill Daiberl for helping to organize our Torre Rosa at the Red Bar! We raised $1160 at our annual party.
 
We are busy getting ready for our Inagural Soccer Tournament to be held mid June. Keep an eye out for communication regarding this event. We will need help from everyone in order to make this event a success. I look forward to hearing how each of you will be able to help.
 
As always, I am available via phone, email, or in person during carpool or scheduled appointments. Happy Friday and start getting ready for a great summer break!