NGFS Connections 12-03-2010

NGFSDecember 3, 2010

Connections

2 A Comedy of Errors3 Spinniing Wheel3 Winter Adventure Camp3 Calendar4 SCRIP Holiday Gifts4 Book Fair5 Friends of Montessori6 Board of Trusees7 Fun Stuff8 $150,000 Challenge8 Parent/Infant Classes

Inside

12.3.2010 NGFS Connections 1

Model School of The Montessori Foundation11011 Clark Road (SR 72)

Sarasota, FL 34241

The Play’s the Thing ...

A Comedy of Errors

Upper Elementary actors and actresses (and a few third-graders) presented this year’s Shake-spearian production, A Comedy of Errors. on Wednesday night at The Glenridge PerformingArts Center. This is the 16th year of Shakespeare at the NewGate-Field School. Ms. Debbiehas organized and directed this program since it began. This year, Ms. Ally assisted with theproduction. The show went off without a hitch and was enjoyed by everyone. Congratula-tions to everyone on stage and behind the scenes! More pictures on page 2.

We are collecting food cans fordonating to All Faiths FoodBank. There is a box in the of-fice where you can leave thefood cans and we will take thecans every Friday to the foodbank. There is a real need.Please take a minute to seewhat you didn’t use forThanksgiving, or just add anextra can when you go shop-ping. Every little bit helps.

Thank You!Hemang (7S) &

Sanhita (7N)

It’s Hanukkah! May the glow from eachcandle light your home and your heart.

2 12.3.2010 NGFS Connections

More photos from A Comedy of

Errors.

A Comedy of Errors

The NewGate-Field School Playersdid an outstanding job with theirproduction of Shakespeare’s AComedy of Errors. This has beenthe sixteenth year of Shakespeareproductions.

I fell in love with the language ofShakespeare when I was 12 and sawRomeo and Juliet. I feel stronglythat the way to learn to enjoyShakespeare is to see a perform-ance. Shakespeare was written tobe performed and seen from an au-dience perspective, not to be readas text.

It was painful for me to read andstudy Hamlet in high school. See-ing it would have made a better im-presson.

Many of the students who havetaken part in the Shakespeare pro-gram have gone on to study “TheBard” in college. Our students arenot professional actors, but I thinkyou would agree that they are en-thusiastic, confident and know howto put on an wonderful show.

A Note from Debbie Vale

The students in 5 South weretreated to a spinning wheeldemonstration by Ms. Debbie’sneighbor, Rosemary Miller.

Mrs. Miller is a retired teacher andshe is passionate about knitting,weaving, and spinning her ownyarn. She spoke with the students

about the colonial children and how everyone worked tohelp the family.

Back in the old days, spinning yarn was one way childrenwere able to help. They even used a drop spindle as theywalked to school! Our students got to try using a drop spindleand agreed it is not as easy as it looks! Mrs. Miller broughtwool from a sheep and showed everyone how it looks after ithas been carded and dyed. Then she spun it into yarn beforeour very eyes!

It was an interesting demonstration and a glimpse into thelives of the Pilgrims during Thanksgiving week.

December 2 - 5 Barnes & Noble Book Fair

December 9 Race to Nowhere7pm Glenridge Center

December 16 Class/Community Meetings

December 20 - 31 Winter Break

December 20 -23 Adventure CampDecember 27 -30 Watch for more details

Mark Your Calendars

Not the usualMontessori

material yousee in a

classroom!


Winter BreakAdventure CampCoach Dave’s Adventure Camp

for Winter Break is back!

Time’s runing out to register.

Winter break is just around the corner, so ifyou're looking for fun come join us for Adven-ture Camp! We board the bus at 9:00 am and re-turn at 3:30 pm with a full day of adventurousactivities. Get ready to hang out with your friendsand Coach Dave for lots of good times. Call theoffice and reserve your spot now: 922-4949

Dates: December 20th-23rd &December 27th-30th

.


Since its launch over two years ago, NGFS’s Scrip pro-gram has raised over $7500! This money will be usedtowards science, technology, and teachers’ classroomwish lists. With everyone’s participation, we can doeven better!

Looking Ahead – Ways to Stretch Your Scrip Dollars:

■ When planning your holiday meals, use Scripgiftcards to buy your groceries (Sam’s Club,Honeybaked Ham , Winn Dixie)

■ Book some extra savings. The Barnes & NobleBook Fair is coming up! By buying Barnes &Noble gift cards through Scrip and redeemingthem during the Book Fair, the school benefitstwice – first, from the purchase of the giftcardand second, from your Book Fair purchases!

■ Give a little extra this holiday. Why waste yourvaluable time and gas driving around looking forgifts when the Scrip program can deliver gift-cards directly to you?

■ Stay on budget. Treatyourself (Starbucks,Dunkin Donuts, Bathand Bodyworks) with-out breaking the bank!By using giftcards , it’scontrolled spending!

— Neena Sheth, GinaPonce, & Sam Schunk

NGFS Scrip Committee

Voucher # 10270569

Last order deadline before the holidays is December 6th

shopwithscrip.com

Scrip Gift Cards

Susan and Jim Cavanaugh wish tothank everyone fortheir good thoughtsand support follow-

ing their recent car accident.They also want to remind everyoneto remember to buckle-up andmake sure their children are alsosecured in their carseats or seat-belts. The Cavanaughs are livingproof that seatbelts save lives!


Get your FREE Friends ofMontessori Card and Sup-port NGFS and Our SchoolCommunity’s Businesses

We have created an online directory forbusinesses and services run by parentsand friends of the school!

There is no cost of be included, and anyof the businesses, restaurants, and or-ganizations that you know are welcometo be included. In addition to listingyour name and contact information, wesuggest that each listing include a spe-cial offer for Friends of the School.

We will be giving each NGFS family andstaff member a Friends of Montessoricard with the school's logo.

The idea is that when you present thecard at a participating business, you willreceive a specific benefit.

Later, once we have enough restau-rants, coffee houses, museums, stores,movie theaters, services, and other par-ticipating businesses, we will offer thecards for sale to friends of the school,much like the traditional dining guidebooks.

The cards will be inexpensive ($20 ayear). Since this is an international program for all Montessori schools, itshould create some interesting savingswhen we travel and when people fromother Montessori schools travel to SRQ.

Please list your business (or a friend'sbusiness). Again, the idea is to bothhave a listing, and to encourage familiesand friends of the school to patronizeyour business. You can sign your busi-ness up and offer a special deal/dis-count to card holders online at:www.friendsofmontessori. com/new-

Saturday morning

soccer scrimmages

are fun for everyone.

Below:

Children from Ms.

Marjory's class

enjoy a beautiful

fall day.

Robert Dodd — Chairman/PresidentPresident and CEO of XL Technologies, LLC.Sarasota, FLParent of two children at NewGate-FieldSchool.

Maren Stark SchmidtWelches, OR Montessori educator, school consultant, au-thor, retired founder and head of WalnutFarms Montessori School

Jeff SchwartzGlobal Co-leader, US Leader, Talent Serv-ices, Human Capital Chief Market OfficerDeloitte Consulting LLPMcLean, VA/Sarasota, FLParent of a NFGS graduate and 10thgrader; husband of NGFS Upper Schoolfaculty member

Tim SeldinHead of School, The NewGate-Field SchoolPresident, The Montessori FoundationChair, The International Montessori CouncilSarasota, FL

Joyce St. GiermaineExecutive DirectorThe Montessori FoundationBradenton, FL

Valaida Wise, Ed.D.Head of SchoolThe Harbor SchoolBethesda, MDMontessori educator and teacher trainer.

Katherine “Kitty” BravoFounder Countryside MontessoriSchool/NewGate-Field SchoolDirector of Education, Center for GuidedMontessori Studies • Old Town, FLMontessori educator and teacher trainer.

Lorna McGrathAssociate Head of SchoolNewGate-Field SchoolDirector of Education, Center for GuidedMontessori StudiesDirector of Family Services/The MontessoriFoundation • Sarasota, FLMontessori educator and teacher trainer

Alan Darrow - SecretarySt. Petersburg, FL 33701Recently retired Chief Financial Officer ofThe National Air Transportation Associa-

Craig Tiernan - TreasurerWells Fargo AdvisorsSarasota, FL

Eileen Roper AstPresident, ERA CommunicationsNew Canaan, CT 06840Business Administration and nonprofitleadership, former AMI Montessori teachertrainer and National Director of the Ameri-can Montessori Society

Leslie HitesFounder & DirectorThe Renaissance Montessori SchoolOakland, CAMontessori educator. Specialist in multilin-gual Montessori education and programsin art and music education

Kathy LeitchFounder & DirectorThe Renaissance Montessori SchoolFt. Myers, FLMontessori educator, AMS teacher trainer,and school accreditation specialist.

2010 - 2011 NGFS Board of Trustees

Ex-Officio 2010 - 2011 NGFS Board of Trustees


Fable of the Porcupine

It was the coldest winter ever. Manyanimals died because of the cold.

The porcupines, realizing the situa-tion, decided to group together.This way they covered and pro-tected themselves; but the quills ofeach one wounded their closest companions, even thoughthey gave off heat to each other. After awhile, they decidedto distance themselves, one from the other, and they beganto die, alone and frozen.

At the recent Student Demonstration Evening,NGFS student had the chance to show parents andfriends the work that they do in their Montessoriclassrooms.


So they had to make a choice: either accept thequills of their companions or disappear from theEarth. Wisely, they decided to go back to beingtogether. This way they learned to live with thelittle wounds that were caused by the close rela-tionship with their companions, but the mostimportant part of it was the heat that came fromthe others. This way they were able to survive.

Moral of the story:

The best relationship is not the one that bringstogether perfect people, but the best is when each individ-ual learns to live with the imperfections of others and canadmire the other person’s good qualities.

Rockin’ the BoatThe boat-buildingproject is contin-uing to progress.Heads-up to par-ents: Don’t betotally surprised ifyou see powertools on your stu-dent’s wish listthis holiday sea-son!


(for infants 4 - 6 months)

Orientation : Thursday, January 6, 2011(just parents) 7:00 - 8:00 pm

Montessori RoomAshton Road Campus5237 Ashton RoadSarasota, FL 34233

Class: Mondays - Jan. 10 (6 weeks) or(with babies) Wednesdays - Jan. 12 (6 weeks)

11 am - 12 noonCost: $120

Space limited to 8 infants (& their parents). Reserve your spacetoday. Call the office at 941-922-4949.

R.S.V.P.

An Independent, Montessori, College-Preparatory School

18 months - 18 years

Parent/Infant Classes!Starting in January, NewGate-Field School will offer two Par-ent/Infant classes at the Ashton Road campus. These classeswill be open to NewGate-Field School parents as well as tointerested parents from the larger community.

Parents with infants 4-6 months old are invited to join LornaMcGrath to learn about their babies – how to observe, whatto observe, what different cries mean, when to interact, howto best support the baby’s natural development and muchmore. Lorna is not only an experienced Early ChildhoodMontessori teacher and teacher educator but also a certifiedRIE (Resources for Infant Educarers) guide. RIE wasfounded in 1978 by the late educator and infant specialistMagda Gerber and pediatric neurologist Tom Forrest, M.D.

Model School of The Montessori Foundation

GRAND OPENING: SATURDAY,

JAN. 8, 2011

If you have photos or stories to share, please send them to

[email protected]

REMINDER$$$ Annual Fund $$$

$150,000 Matching Gift Challenge

The Annual Campaign is off to a great start, and TheMontessori Foundation has issued a challenge to theNGFS Community: The Foundation will match thecommunity’s contribution dollar for dollar up to$150,000.

Together let’s make this happen!

Please return your pledge cards or donate online usingour secure, online website: http://www.newgate.edu/donate

The NewGate-Field School

NGFS Connections 12-03-2010

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