Cowles Montessori
April 11th
Cowles 8th Grade Year End Party
Party Details:
- May 27th, 2022
- 4:00pm – 8:00pm
- Franklin Jr High School
- 4801 Franklin Ave, Des Moines, IA 50310
All Cowles 8th grade students are invited to a celebration honoring their school journey and this 8th grade graduation milestone!
- Planning is just getting started.
- Gym space and silent disco headphones have been reserved.
- Several parents are working on a commemorative art-related activity for the kids to take away.
- Food will be provided.
Principal Johnson has approved this event, and the event will be chaperoned by Cowles parents/guardians.
- More details will come soon, and a Sign-up Genius will be created to gather food donations, games, and other supplies at the event.
Sarah Steward (sstewarddsm@gmail.com)
or
Betsy Mitchell (betsyc.mitchell@gmail.com)
Welcome Miss Amy Cain!
Cowles Montessori Families,
My name is Amy Cain. I’m looking forward to serving as your Associate Principal!
I have a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication Studies from the University of Iowa, a Master of Science in Teaching, and a Master of Science in Educational Leadership, both from Drake University. I have spent the last 18 years at Perkins Elementary as a 2nd grade teacher, Instructional Coach, and Interventionist. I live in Beaverdale with my son Ollie, completing 8th grade at Merrill. In my free time, I enjoy reading, hiking, and traveling. I studied in France and continued my language skills with a local French group. I also serve as a volunteer for CASA, advocating for children in foster care. However, working with children is my greatest passion.
I look forward to getting to know you and your families!
Here’s to a bright future,
Amy Cain
Refugee Service Project
Mrs. Andlauer's classroom is initiating a service project to collect needed items for Afghan refugees in our area. These families have been living in one-room extended stay hotel rooms with little support for several months while they wait for backlogged paperwork. Some have no transportation, and some children are not yet enrolled in school. Right now, many of the refugees are celebrating Ramadan, and we would like to present the gifts for Eid, which marks the end of Ramadan (May 12th). We are working through the organization Refugee Alliance of Central Iowa. We would love for you and your students to participate!
Below is a list of suggested items to donate! Items may be brought to your class or directly to Ms. Andlauer's classroom between now and May 1st. Children may also wish to write some cards welcoming families to Iowa. We are excited to learn more about Afghan culture and welcome these newcomers!
ITEMS TO DONATE
Preschool/Kindergarten:
- Crayons, coloring books, packaged snack items, hair ornaments for girls, toothpaste and toothbrushes, no-tears shampoo
Elementary up to age 9
- Crayons, marker, coloring books, sketch pads, hair ornaments for girls, small cars for boys, bubble soap, toothpaste and toothbrushes
Tweens and and teens < age 10
- Sketch pads, colored pencils/sharpeners, feminine hygiene pads, deodorant, toothbrushes and toothpaste, combs, soap
Adults
- Band Aids, shampoo, deodorant, body lotion, laundry soap, dish soap, disposable razors
- Walmart Gift cards are also welcome.
- Gift bags, especially red, white and blue.
Welcome notes are a plus!
Garden Committee News
The weather may not show it, but SPRING is coming! We are working hard to get the greenhouse ready for planting and the garden boxes ready for our crops. Teachers will begin planting seeds in the next two weeks in the greenhouse, where classes will water and tend them until it warms up. Once they are sprouting and ready, we will transplant them into our boxes on the playground. Classes will then maintain until the end of the school year.
We will be looking for families to help us with watering, weeding, and picking our produce this summer. If you think this is something your family would like to help with, watch your email inbox. We will be sending out a sign-up genius as we get closer to June. We are also looking at scheduling a garden/outside clean-up in May so that families can help us get our grounds cleaned and help us complete several outside projects.
We are still working on making metal signs which will designate each area outside the lower classroom windows. We find it hard with so many different levels and staff to keep the directions/rules consistent. We have asked CMPG for funding to get these done this spring so that as we are spending more time outside, they will be in place.
We are so excited to get our first instruments installed in the ground. These instruments will go in the grass area near the Gaga ball pit. We have begun to measure where they will be placed and what materials we need to get this done once it warms up.
We need stumps for our stump maze; please let us know if anyone has any connections for tree stumps. We could also use garden gloves in all sizes and hand tools for planting. If you have any questions, please let us know.
We can always use more painted rocks out in front of our rock garden; as you are spending more time outside this spring, you might collect a few and paint them and drop them off anytime.
Thank you to everyone for your continued work and support of our outdoor space.
- The Garden Committee
Important Events and Happenings
CMPG Monthly Meeting
ISASPs (Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress)
- Statewide assessments for 3rd through 8th Grade
- April 13th-15th: Upper Elementary (4th, 5th, 6th)
- April 18th-20th: Lower Elementary (3rd Grade Only)
- April 19th-21st: Middle School (7th and 8th Grade)
New-to-Cowles Parent/Student Information Session and Tour
- Thursday, April 14th, from 4:30-5:30 p.m. at Cowles
- This is reserved for parents of incoming new-to-Cowles students for the 2022-2023 school year
- An email will be sent out directly to parents/students invited
Roosevelt Basketball Camp
- 3rd through 5th Grade male students
- POSTPONED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE
- The Roosevelt Basketball Coaches will share updates
No School April Dates
- Friday, April 22nd (no school for students and staff)
- Monday, April 25th (no school for students, staff in Professional Development)
- Students return on Tuesday, April 26th
Spring Fling Dance
- Spring Fling: Friday, April 29th, from 6:00-7:30 p.m., at Cowles
- More details to come from CMPG
Orchestra Concert
- Thursday, May 12th, at 6:00 p.m., at Cowles
Field Day
- Friday, May 13th (rain date Friday, May 20th)
- More details to come from Mr. White
Band Concert
- Wednesday, May 25th, at 6:30 p.m., at Cowles
- 5th through 8th Grade
Cowles 8th Grade Year End Party
- May 27th, 2022
- 4:00pm – 8:00pm
- Franklin Jr High School
- 4801 Franklin Ave, Des Moines, IA 50310
Moving Up Ceremony
- Friday, June 3rd
- Details and time - TBD
Metro Kids Care Survey for 2022-2023
- Interested in Metro Kids Care next year? We are planning ahead, please fill out this survey (this is NOT the official registration for Metro Kids Care): https://forms.gle/XxXgwq6JRiuRXMRM8
- Check out the Metro Facebook Page for updates https://www.facebook.com/metrokidscare
- Stay tuned for information regarding the official registration from Metro Kids
Orbeez and SplatRBall Guns
It has come to our attention that there is a recent nation-wide social media challenge encouraging students to shoot "Orbeez" which are marble sized water projectiles at each other. SplatRBall guns, a full-auto and semi-automatic electric toy gun that shoots water and ball bead ammo are not appropriate for school. Many of these toy guns look like real firearms and can be mistaken as such. No toy gun is permitted on school grounds. Students could face numerous consequences for possessing and/or using them at school (including on the way to and from school). Possession on school grounds is a violation of the district code of conduct. Consequences may include parent/guardian meetings, out of school suspension and even police involvement.
We are asking for your assistance in keeping all of our students and staff safe. The guidance and direction you provide as a parent/guardian is absolutely critical as we work together to provide a safe and healthy learning environment.
P.E. Roller Skating Unit
Beginning April 11th, students in grades 1-8 will be participating in a roller skating unit during their P.E time. This unit will last 2 full weeks. While every precaution will be taken to make sure students skate in a safe environment, there is always a risk of injury.
I am talking to all students about bringing safety equipment from home to school during this week’s P.E. classes. I am also asking all parents to send any sort of safety equipment they may have to help with the safety precautions with their child. If you have a helmet, elbow pads, knee pads, and/or wristguards, please send them with your child this week so they can put them in their lockers. If you have any old safety equipment that you would like to DONATE, I would love to take anything you may have for students who do not have this equipment at home.
I am looking forward to Cowles’ first roller skating unit, and the kiddos are as well!
It should be a fun unit!
- Mr. White
Windsor Heights Stream Cleanup
Come join us for our annual stream cleanup event!
This year’s event will be held on April 23rd from 9 – 11 AM in Colby Park. We encourage people of all abilities to join – we’ll take all the help we can get! We request that volunteers wear long pants and closed toed shoes. Please bring your own gloves. All volunteers under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult.
In the event of inclement weather, the event will be cancelled and rescheduled for the same time and place on Saturday, April 30th. Notice of cancellation will be posted on the City’s Facebook the morning of the event.
Dalton Jacobus
Public Works Director
City of Windsor Heights
1145 66th St Suite 1 Windsor Heights, IA 50324
p: 515.645.6825
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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