Monday Memo
December 7, 2015
Get comfortable! This one is a little lengthy!
Dates to Note:
- Upper Basketball Team - Practice 4:15 - 6:00
- Middle School Basketball Team - Game @ St. John's Lutheran 4:15
Tuesday, December 8:
- Basketball Game UE TEAM ONLY @ Central Christian School 5:00
Wednesday, December 9:
- NO Basketball Practice
Thursday, December 10:
- Final Session of Chess Club
- Deadline for Scrip Order (will be ready by December 16)
Friday, December 11:
- 11:45 Early Dismissal - Faculty InService
- Noon - 3:00 Fun with Facaulty!
Sunday, December 13:
- Oak Farm Connects - Remember to RSVP, Please!
Fun to be had THIS FRIDAY!!!!!
Friday's InService Plans
WHEN: Friday, December 11
WHERE: Middle School
WHY?: Why not... a little work, a lot of fun with your coworkers whom we all love!
WHAT TO DO is as easy as 1, 2, 3...
1. Change into an ugly holiday sweater AFTER the children leave (unless it is appropriate for all to see)
2. Each classroom brings a dessert - homemade or storemade... complex or simple... you choose!
3. Be prepared to laugh and giggle and enjoy some holiday cheer!
(A more detailed schedule is later in this issue)
Megan's Minutes
AMS Conference Revised
This year, the American Montessori Society Annual Conference will take place in Chicago from March 10th - 13th, 2016.
http://amshq.org/Events/AMS-Annual-Conference/2016-Annual-Conference
Due to a generous gift, we will be able to send 10 faculty to the conference (registration and hotel costs).
Requests will be honored on a first come, first serve basis. Please make your request to Sarah Shanton-Cox before 1/8/15.
Please note:
- Faculty will pay your own food and travel costs.
- Hotel rooms will be shared by two people.
- Hotels are booked for Wednesday night through Sunday morning.
- If you have attended a training or workshop more than 50 miles away or will do so before next August, please refrain from registering.
One teacher per classroom may attend.
Specialists/other staff are eligible to attend.
Lifting it up with Lori Z.!
Cross Level Observation Rotation
The Toddler staff is working hard to make cross level observations work for you. We hope you are finding this valuable to work on both professional development and building community. With a 50 acre plus campus, it is hard to know what goes on across campus. Hopefully, this helps give some more insight to how we are all working toward our mission together. PLEASE take time to fill out the cross level observation rotation chart that is on the Google drive. This helps Cathy know who she will be filling in for and informs the classroom being observed. If it is not filled out, we will assume your classroom is NOT going to do observations. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask Lori Z.!
You ONLY have ONE week!!
Mix and Mingle with fellow Oak Farm parents and faculty!
When: Sunday, December 13, @ 4:00 pm
Where: Kevin and Nicole Lowe's Home, 703 E. Mitchel St., Kendallville, IN 46755
Who: Adults only
Please RSVP as soon as possible to allow the Lowe's to prepare. You can call the school directly or through evite.
FUN TO BE HAD BY ALL!
A Second with Sarah.......
In celebration of our new Sick/Personal Time Sharing Policy and in the spririt of this season of giving, we are now holding an open donation period. From today through December 18th, please consider donating to our leave bank to help fellow faculty in need and to support them through challenging times. Please see Sarah S-C for a donation form.
― Ben Carson
AMS MEMBER BENEFITS - DID YOU KNOW?
As an AMS Accredited Member School, ALL Oak Farm employees are eligible for the AMS Member Insurance Program. What is the AMS Member Insurance Program? It means that you are eligible for coverages at a discounted rate such as:
-Term Life and AD&D
- Educators Dental Plan
- Geico Auto, Motorcycle, Boat, Homeowners, Rental and Condo Insurance
- Other benefits: IDShield and LegalShield, Pet Health Insurance and Travel Insurance.
To find out more about this program, please visit: www.ftj.com/AMS
Please notify Sarah S-C if you have had a change of address during the 2015 calendar year. This will ensure residence information may be updated for tax purposes. Also, if you would like to make any other payroll changes, such as number of exemptions, to begin in January now is the time to do so. Please see Sarah S-C.
For the Love of Food!
Opportunity....
Need any last minute Holiday gifts?
Oak Farm Apparel will be a hit!
Yearbooks for sale!
http://yearbookforever.com/#
If you need a "gift card" once you place your order, contact Macy and she will e-mail you something to print off and wrap!
Raffle Tickets are on sale at the Victorian Farmhouse
A Jingle with Janet......
Upcycle your Christmas Cards
Some of the Green Team students will be embarking on a mission to upcycle unwanted holiday cards. Please feel free to clear some space at your house by dropping your old cards in Janet's mailbox this week and next. Thanks!
Moments with Macy.......
Another round of clubs starting the week of Feb. 1 and running for 6 weeks. Please contact Macy ASAP if you or someone outside our community is interested in hosting one!
Summer Camp
The deadline is approaching for letting Macy know if you are interested in leading or assisting with a summer camp. The deadline is December 16! There is compensation for both after school clubs and summer camps, so let the summer get here!!!
Please continue to share your classroom pictures on the school's photo drive so we can use them for the yearbook, social media and other projects. Miss Macy can even show you how to set them up on the Google drive. Just e-mail Macy!
The Gala is fast approaching!
Gala Video
Macy will be working with Aaron Dohring, Meghan's husband, to create this year's video that will be played at the Gala. We have a script but now need the players... we need students, parents, faculty and alumni who are comfortable speaking in front of a camera. We need students as young as 3 years old.
If you have some students who you think would be good for this project, please email Macy ASAP. They will be scheduling a time to shoot this video next week (hopefully!) This shouldn't be too much of a distraction to your classes, Macy will come and escort the children from the classroom to the taping location.
As a faculty member, if you are interested in being a part of this video, please let Macy know too. She will be volunteering some folks if she does not hear from anyone! Thank you!!!
Your Favorite Things
A parent volunteer, Gala Planner, and all-star substitute, Anna Outten, has been thinking of ways she can collect information for the Teacher Appreceation week that is in May. She (or Macy) will be sending out a link to fill out a Google Doc Form... that is all about YOUR FAVORITE things. The process of filling this out is painless - Please take a few minutes to fill this out when you see it in your in-box. The purpose of the form is to allow parent volunteers know what you like - so you don't get a vanilla scented candle when you are allergic to artifical scents!
None of the informaiton will be shared, it will only be available when asked for it. Anna, Macy and Nan will be the keepers of the informaiton once it is all compiled. Thank you!
Need a little more detail about Friday (our funday!)?
Here is a little more detail about our Friday schedule:
11:45 dismissal for whole school
Once students are gone, please change into your uglest Holiday Sweater or outfit... I wonder who will go home with the traveling trophy this year?!
12:00-1:00 Whole faculty meeting at Middle School
1:00 Lunch at the Middle School - catered by Casa's
Desserts are on us - each classroom & Admin Team please bring a dessert to share - homemade or storemade... cookies, pie, sweet trail mix, bag of m&m's, glass of water :)
2:00-3:00 Make some memories with a few games & prizes for all to enjoy! These will be a group effort - no one will have to do anything they don't want to do... other than encourage your pals, laugh a lot and help make some memories!
Happy Birthday to You, Happy Birthday to You.......
December Birthdays:
12/10: Bonnie Fortune
12/11: Elizabeth Green
12/18: Megan O'Sullivan
12/25: Abby Minich
12/28: Suzy Ulmer
12/30: Tracy Reincke
January Birthdays:
1/2: Ines Oldenburg
1/5: Diana McCreery & Janet Canino
1/13: Nancy Bradtmiller