Cowles Montessori Crier
Week of October 12th
Cowles Montessori Vision
“Human flourishing, as Maria Montessori put it, means becoming a person of one’s time and place with the means and wherewithal not only to function within but to shape society (NCMPS, 2019).”
“All humans (CHILDREN and ADULTS) flourish in society (ENVIRONMENT).” - Cowles Montessori Vision
Important Dates To Remember
- During the week of October 12th: Cohort A will attend Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday
- During the week of October 12th: Cohort B will attend Thursday and Friday (Cohort B will attend the following Wednesday)
Lower, Upper, and Middle School Teacher Transition Support Days
To support our teachers, DMPS allows us to provide designated days when teachers will be preparing for in-person learning and will not be available for live or recorded meetings. Students will continue to learn these days virtually but will not have access to their teacher to prepare for the transition. Here are the dates:
Friday, October 16th for Lower (1st, 2nd, 3rd Grade) and Upper (4th, 5th, 6th Grade), Middle School (7th and 8th Grade), Related Arts, and Counseling
Other Start Dates for In-Person (Hybrid) and Virtual Instruction
- Cohort A PrePrimary, Lower Level (1st, 2nd, 3rd Grades) and Upper Level (4th, 5th, and 6th Grades) will attend on Monday and Tuesday
- Cohort B PrePrimary, Lower, and Upper will attend on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday
- Middle School (7th and 8th Grades) Cohort A start date October 26th.
- Monday, October 12th at 6:00 p.m.
Join the Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/5016626370
Meeting ID 501 662 6370
- For PrePrimary virtual students and all other new-to-Cowles parents, CMPG will host a virtual New-to-Cowles Parent Coffee Chat on Thursday, October 15th, from 10:00-11:00 a.m. Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/5016626370 Meeting ID: 501 662 6370
- Friday, October 30th through Tuesday, November 3rd
- No School for students
- Cohort B and Virtual students return on Wednesday, November 4th
- Wednesday, November 25th through Sunday, November 29th
- No School for students
- Cohort A students and Virtual students return on Monday, November 30th
- Wednesday, December 23rd through Sunday, January 3rd
- No School for students
- Cohort A and Virtual students Return on Monday, January 4th
In-Person (Hybrid) Information
On Monday, October 12th, we welcome our in-person (hybrid) PrePrimary (Preschool and Kindergarten) students to the school building. It will be the first time in nearly seven months students will attend school in-person at Cowles. The week of October 19th, we welcome back in-person (hybrid) Lower Level (1st, 2nd, and 3rd Grade) and Upper Level (4th, 5th, and 6th Grade) students. The week of October 26th, in-person (hybrid) Middle School (7th and 8th Grade) will join us.
- The week of October 12th: PrePrimary Cohort A in-person (hybrid) students will attend on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday this week (Cohort A will attend Monday and Tuesday the following week)
- The week of October 12th: PrePrimary Cohort B in-person (hybrid) students will attend on Thursday and Friday this week (Cohort B will attend Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday the following week)
- Drop off or park and walk children to Cowles (See the car line photo and notes below)
- The week of October 12th: PrePrimary Teachers will be out in the front of the building by 8:15 a.m. to meet your students and bring them into the building
- School doors open at 8:15 a.m. for teachers and students (no parents or family members are allowed in the building at this time)
- School starts for in-person (hybrid) students at 8:30 a.m.
- Students must wear a mask (a shield can be worn in addition to a mask)
- No gaiters or bandanas are allowed (no around-the-neck scarf-like masks)
- All students need to bring a water bottle labeled with their name on it (these will be sent home each Friday)
- 1/2 day Preschool families will pick up their children at 11:30 a.m. Students will be waiting at the pick-up area in the parking lot (see the attached photo and car line info below)
- Full-day Preschool and all other families will pick up their children at 3:25 p.m. You will receive a sign with your child's and teacher's name to put in your car window. This helps us keep our traffic flow going quickly during pick-up. (see car line photo and notes below)
- All students will receive to-go meals that will be sent home each day with enough meals for the week and weekend (if you wish to opt-out, please email Marian Riggs and your teacher)
Heart Of The Matter: A Message From Nurse Ann
Welcome to Nurse Ann’s Health Office, and I hope you enjoy my first newsletter, The Heart of the Matter.
This is my second year with DMPS and Cowles Montessori School. I am so excited to be here again this year to serve the teachers, staff, parents, and students. Cowles is a great place to be, so those of you that are new to Cowles, you will love it here!
My hours this year will be from 8 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, and I can be reached either by email link or by phone at 242-7818 ext. 2757. You may also book an appointment with me by using this link. HERE I am happy to answer your questions about illness, injuries, immunizations, community resources, and COVID-19. If your student does test positive for COVID-19 or is considered a close contact, please let me know. Please remember that students who test positive for COVID-19 will need to isolate, and students identified as a close contact will need to quarantine.
It is very important this year to get your flu shot! Take the whole family and get one today. You can get a flu shot from your doctor, at the Polk County Health Department, or many local pharmacies give flu shots. (HyVee, Target, Walgreens, CVS, Medicap, etc.)
Free meals are available to all DMPS students, ages 1-18, now through May 31st, regardless of income. No ID is required. More information found here.
For our Cowles students that plan to return to school in the hybrid model, things are going to look a little bit different:
1. All students and staff will need to self-monitor for symptoms of illness BEFORE coming to school and STAY HOME if there are any illness symptoms.
2. Face coverings or masks will be required for everyone during the school day. More information about what counts and what does not count as a good face covering can be found here on the CDC website.
3. We will maintain a physical distance of 6 feet from others as much as possible in our classrooms, hallways, etc.
I know school will feel unusual this year, but we will get through it together if we work together. You can find more information on the steps DMPS is taking for our hybrid and virtual students here.
Please reach out if you have any questions. I am always happy to help! Have a great school year!
Be well! Stay safe!
Nurse Ann 😊
Nurse Ann's Office Hours
If parents want to book an appointment time to speak with Nurse Ann, click on the link below:
Car Line
Car Line Reminders
Car Line Traffic Flow: Important Things to Remember
To ensure student safety and the efficiency of our traffic flow system, please note the following:
- If you are new to Cowles or new to parent pick-up, notify the office if you need a sign with your child’s name for your car for parent pick-up
- Drop-off and pick-up locations are marked on the map
- Right-hand turn only when exiting the parking lot
- "NO PARKING" zones are designated by city signs that are posted (also indicated on the map)
- When picking up your child, post their name sign in your window and our teachers will support students crossing and loading into your vehicle
- Watch for signals from teachers supporting students at designated crossings
- Follow the traffic laws that pertain to cell phone use and seat belts while driving
Washington Street Car Line
Washington Street Car Line Reminders
Washington Avenue Car Line
- This is an ideal drop off option for anyone, especially Preschool and Kindergarten before school
- Due to traffic flow, Washington Avenue Car Line is reserved for the following classes of older students and their siblings for pick up after school:
- Mr. Egherman's students and their siblings
- Ms. Lori's students and their siblings
- Middle School students and their siblings
- Students walk in from Washington Street on the designated sidewalk with teaching monitoring
- "NO PARKING" zones are designated by city signs that are posted
- Avoid turning around in residential driveways
- Follow the traffic laws that pertain to cell phone use and seat belts while driving
CMPG Cowles Masks
- Pre-order with the following link: https://forms.gle/J2NxNUQVPTF54GUV6.
- Payment can be made to Venmo @CMPG6401 or Paypal @ CMPGDM@gmail.com.
Contact Cowles Montessori
Email: todd.johnson@dmschools.org
Website: cowles.dmschools.org
Location: 6401 College Avenue, Windsor Heights, IA, USA
Phone: 515-242-7818
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CowlesMontessori/
Twitter: @CowlesDMPS