See Shaw Shine
Shaw Montessori Newsletter / Week of March 5th, 2023
- Message From Principal Engdall
- PEER Spring Break
- Spring State Testing
- Garden Update
- Tasty Tuesday (on a Monday)
- Message From Shaw PTA
- Shaw Calendar
- Meal Menu
- District Information
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Message From Principal Engdall
Greetings Shaw Montessori!
How about those Shaw Scientists? Wow, I know we all went away with new learning! Thank you to the students that never cease to amaze me, to the parent cooks and cleaners and to those of you supporting your child and so many others. I was struck by how a lot of “kitchen science” was presented in so many creative ways.
On Wednesday, we will celebrate our musicians at an Honor Band Concert to be held in the Herrera PAC center 5:30pm to 6:30pm. If your child has been selected to participate, you have been notified. We are looking forward to enjoying the beautiful music they will make!
Next week is our last week before spring break. We have three early release days to finish up parent teacher conferences. Please plan to attend your scheduled conference. If you must reschedule, please contact your child’s teacher immediately.
On Thursday, we came to school to find that “Lake Shaw” had returned after a nice night of rain. Because the field is flooded and the percolation is slow, we decided to postpone our Spring Carnival until Friday, April 21st. We do hope that if you volunteered to help, you can change the date and join us. Big thanks to Jessica Parker, Heather Vittori and PTA president Leigh Anne Dolan for making the change. All the dunk tank staff very much appreciates the wait for warmer, dryer weather.
Wishing you the very best,
Principal Engdall
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Every Spring, our 3rd to 8th grade students are required to take the state assessments. AzSCI (Science) assessment is administered to 5th and 8th grade students and AASA (Writing, Reading, and Math) for all 3rd to 8th grade students. These standardized tests provide a snapshot of how students place on grade level standards.
Please have your child practice with the sample tests so they can become familiar with the test features, tools, and different item types on the online tests. Sample tests for each assessment can be accessed at https://home.testnav.com/ using the instructions below. Login information is not required.
The testing calendar has been provided in this issue of SSS. Your child's teacher will also be reaching out to you prior to testing. To prepare for testing, we recommend students get a good night's rest, have a healthy breakfast, as well as bring headphones, snacks, and water. Please reach out to shaily.currie@phxschools.org or your child's teacher with any questions you may have.
Important note: Students must submit the test on the same day they start the test. Please do not plan doctor's appointments or early pick-ups on the day of your child's scheduled test.
Accessing AASA and AzSci Sample Tests
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Greetings!
The rains brought life to our garden this week. Unfortunately, our spring carnival was postponed, but new seedlings emerged in the furrows. We planted lots of dill right before the storm. My advice to you home gardeners is to seed the day before a rain (though few and far between in Arizona). Your seeds have twice the chance of germinating with a good rain.
We continued our block on seed germination this week. We dissected Anasazi beans and identified the internal anatomy. “Anasazi” is Navajo for “ancient”. The Anasazi were an ancient Puebloan society that inhabited the high desert. They mysteriously vanished from this region about a thousand years ago. Archaeologists have been searching for clues as to why they vanished. During one of their digs, they unearthed a terracotta pot. Inside this pot was a bean seed that the Anasazi used to cultivate-the Anasazi bean. The beans were dated over 700 years old! In the right cool and dry environment, bean seeds can last centuries. They brought the bean back into cultivation and now it is widely available. You can even buy it at your local supermarket.
THE BOTTLE CAP COMPETITION IS OVER! Ms. Chan’s and Ms. Stephanie’s classes collected the most bottle caps. They will be awarded with an ice cream party in the spring. Thank you to all the families that donated caps. The mural group is working on the murals and should have the first one finished by May. PLEASE DON’T BRING US ANYMORE BOTTLE CAPS. We have more than enough.
Here is my email in case you need to reach me: james.obrien-moench@phxschools.org
Home Depot gift cards are always appreciated. Continue bringing your aluminum cans, coffee grounds, and eggshells. You can leave them on the table outside the front office, except for the bottle caps. Have your child drop them in their classroom bottle cap bin.
We will also accept any tool donations for the field garden and/or ODE.
Enjoy your weekend!
Mr. Moench
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Tasty Tuesday (on a Monday!)
For the March 22nd PTA meeting, PESD Superintendent Dr. Ibi Dávila Haghighat will be present to connect with Shaw Montessori community members. Join the meeting to provide our superintendent feedback for what we want the District to know about Shaw and/or Montessori, what questions we have, what concerns we have, and our vision/priorities for the future of Shaw. Your PTA Leaders are working to provide a mechanism for those Shaw Stars who are unable to participate in person. Onsite childcare and pizza will be provided as always!
February PTA Meeting Minutes
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Contact Info:
Shaw Montessori School
