Cowles Montessori Crier
Week of November 18th
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
Maria Montessori: The Musical
There are nearly 60 student performers who have met with three co-directors after school and on the weekend to practice the performance. These students will perform the musical for open audiences.
- Performances on November 20th and 21st
- Doors open at 6:00 p.m.
- The performance begins at 6:30 p.m.
- Admission is free
- All parents, students, family members, and community members are invited to attend
- Frequently Asked Questions are posted below
Thanksgiving Break
- Wednesday, November 27th through Sunday, December 1st
- No school for students
Book Fair
- Monday, December 2nd through Friday, December 6th
School Picture Retakes
- Tuesday, December 3rd
CMPG Holiday Bonanza
- Friday, December 6th and Saturday, December 7th at Cowles
- Details posted below
Staff Professional Development
- Friday, December 13th
- No school for students
FAQ: Maria Montessori: The Musical
Last spring, several Cowles teachers and Mr. Johnson went to the American Montessori Society (AMS) Conference in Washington, D.C. There we met Mark Woodward, the composer of Maria Montessori: The Musical. In D.C. Mark and several students performed a shortened version of the show. Over the summer, we purchased the license to conduct the musical at Cowles. Mark and his team allowed us to purchase the Beta version, meaning we receive a discounted price if we provide feedback to his team. Here is the link with information about the musical and samples of the songs: https://montessorimusical.com/
Who is performing the musical?
Three co-directors have met with nearly 60 students after school and on the weekend to learn the narrated lines and song lyrics. Only these students will perform the musical for open audiences on the nights of November 20th and 21st.
When will Cowles be performing the musical?
- Wednesday, November 20th and Thursday, November 21st
- Doors open at 6:00 p.m., performances begin at 6:30 p.m.
- Admission is free
- All parents, students, family members, and community members are invited to attend
Who can we thank?
There are are several groups that collaborated to make this happen. The first group includes three Cowles parents, Jami Bassman, Lori Schervish, and Oliva Lehman, who are co-directing the show for Cowles. These three co-directors have given up an incredible amount of time teaching students their lines, choreographing the performance, and helping students with the song lyrics. Our Parent Education Committee is made of teachers who have supported the co-directors with supervision during practices, developing materials, and helping to plan the performances. The teachers are Lynn Andlauer, Deb Schroeder, Jesse Bonnette, and Lori Myers. Our Cowles Montessori Parent Group (CMPG) supported us with approved funding to create props and flyers to share with the community. Adam Egherman is a teacher who helped create and paint props for the musical. Elizabeth Peterson is our music teacher and has spent time teaching every student the lyrics of the first song in the musical, so we can all sing along with the performers during the dress rehearsal. Of course, we want to thank the nearly 60 students who have devoted their time to practice and work together to put on the show.
Holiday Bonanza
CMPG is currently looking for vendors for our annual Holiday Bonanza that will take place on Friday, Dec 6th and Saturday, Dec 7th. This event is a fun shopping event that raises money for our classrooms! If you make something, bake something or sell something you can participate! Students are encouraged to participate also!
Tables are $25-35 for traditional vendors and $5 for student vendors. If you would like more information, want to apply to have a spot at the event or want to pass the information on to someone else who might be interested, please email Jen Speers at mrsspeers@msn.com.
Students can sign up to perform at the Cowles Holiday Bonanza! The Bonanza is a fundraiser craft show that features student vendors and takes place on the evening of Friday, Dec. 6th and the morning of Dec. 7th.
- Students can sing, read poetry, play your instrument, tell jokes – anything that’s family-friendly. It does not need to be holiday-related, though it can be!
- Performances should be no longer than four minutes.
- Duets or trios are welcome (no groups larger than three people, please).
- A microphone and keyboard will be provided.
- You will be assigned a performance time on Saturday, December 7 between 9:10am-12:50pm.
- Performances will be held in the cafeteria in a coffee shop atmosphere. Family and friends are welcome to attend to support you.
The permission slip is posted below.
Boosterthon
Parents!
We’re so excited to host a Fun Run (powered by Boosterthon) to help our school! Boosterthon in a fun, nine-day program that combines world-class character content with a highly-profitable fundraiser.
To increase the excitement and school spirit of this event, we’re hoping to provide each student with a FREE custom COWLES MONTESSORI t-shirt to wear the day of the Fun Run event, at no cost to our students or school.
In order to make this happen, we need your help! We’re hoping to partner with local businesses to help sponsor these shirts. If you know of or are a part of a business that would like to sponsor our t-shirts, please see the attached Sponsorship Form for more information. Their logo or name will be displayed on the back of a shirt worn by every student in the school. Not only will the sponsor’s support be helpful to COWLES MONTESSORI, but it will create awareness for their business.
We need a commitment from all sponsors by 1/7/20 in order to supply all our students with a shirt.
Thank you in advance for supporting our school through the Fun Run! If you have any questions, please contact me at 2NKWILLIAMS@GMAIL.COM.
Thank you,
Nicole Williams
Cowles Fundraising Committee
Cowles Montessori Parent GroupCommunity Events Supported by CMPG
Community Events:
- Nov 20 & 21st: Montessori: The Musical
- Dec 6 & 7th: Holiday Bonanza
- Jan 9th: Cowles Family Skating Night @ Skate North
- February 7th: Sweetheart Dance
- Spring Fundraising Event: TBD
- June 26th-28th: Des Moines Art Festival (sign up to volunteer now!)
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