Published On: May 16, 2018

In-school Book Fair Fundraiser

Our in-school Books & Books fair fundraising event continues through May 25th and titles from teacher summer reading lists will be available for purchase.  We have a lot of quality books – be sure to check out our fair in the morning (8-8:30) or after school (3:30-5:00).

India Hicks Fundraiser Wraps Up

The India Hicks online Get Together Event wraps up this week –  our school will receive 30% of all sales generated from this link: https://www.indiahicks.com/event/may-sands-montessori-school/shopping This event will close on Saturday, 5/19.  Andrea Psaras will have a display/sale table at school this Thursday afternoon and Friday morning!

Traveling Off Campus

Friendly reminder: all music classes (K-gr. 6) will be walking to City Hall this week and next week to rehearse for graduation/bridging ceremony. Please remember that students must wear closed-toed shoes and have a reusable water bottle when traveling off campus. Thank you!

Club Information

The last ukulele club meeting will take place this Wednesday, May 16. Thank you so much to Daryl Brooke (parent Sea Star Class) for facilitating this club! Students should return their ukuleles Wednesday (5/16).

Theater Club Performance Sunday!

Support your classmates as we take you on an interactive journey through Video Game Land! The Theater Club will present Press Start! at Blue Heaven Restaurant this Sunday, May 20th at 3:00 PM, rain or shine. Admission is free, but donations will be gratefully accepted.  All donations will help support the continuation of theater club at May Sands Montessori School.

Ms. Rachel is seeking the following items to borrow for the play:

Paper towel and toilet paper rolls

Gold spray paint

Green Spray Paint

Fishing pole with fishing line

Empty, clean extra-large ketchup bottles

Copies of Dr. Seuss’s The Cat in the Hat (6 copies)

Adult walker or cane

Tap shoes, size

Matching sacks (6) similar to backpack size

Parent Meeting – Upper Elementary

Our Upper Elementary Guides will host a very important meeting, specifically for incoming 4th year families, to answer any questions in regard to the program level transition that our Lower Elementary students are about to make.  During this meeting, families will receive the summer homework packet and have an introduction to Upper Elementary program.

Where:  The Sea Star Classroom (Ms. Katie’s room)

When: May 23, 2018

Time: 3:45PM (right after dismissal ends)

Why: Because we want this transition to be a breeze for you and your family 🙂

Please RSVP to [email protected] whether or not you are able to attend.  Parents experiencing a schedule conflict should also let our guides know so we can make alternate plans to meet.

All-School Meeting & Elections

Our last meeting of the school year takes place @ school @ 6:00 next Wednesday, May 23.  As a reminder, families must attend two of the three All-School meetings in a school year to maintain compliance with the Contract of Commitment; families who have attended only one meeting are required to attend this meeting. Those families who attend all three meetings will earn an extra service hour point! J

We have two parent seats that will expire this month; Briana Castillo (2011-2018) and Nancy Brundage (2015-2018) will finish their board service in May – thank you, ladies, for your volunteerism!  May Sands Montessori School families are invited to complete and return an application (attached) to our school office by tomorrow, 16 May 2018.  Voting will occur by ballot at our meeting on 23 May @ 6:00.

IV. VOTING BY CORPORATE MEMBERS

  1. In any vote for the election of a Director(s), a Member may vote in person or by written proxy. The Board shall draft an official proxy form to be used by Members in such elections.
  2. Each Member (the entire Member’s family, that is, both parents/legal guardians of one or more students constitute for voting purposes one Member; similarly, separated or divorced parents of one or more students also constitute for voting purposes one Member) is entitled to only one vote in any election for a Director(s) or on any single matter or issue at any membership or special meeting. Proxies shall be filed with the Board Secretary before being voted at the election of the Directors. A proxy purporting to be executed by or on behalf of a Member shall be deemed valid unless challenged at or prior to its exercise and the burden of proving invalidity shall rest on the challenger.
  3. The presence, in person or by proxy, of thirty percent (30%) of the Members entitled to vote in the election of Directors shall constitute a quorum, For all other meetings, a quorum shall consist of the presence of ten percent (10%) of the Members entitled to vote.

Voting for Directors shall be by written ballot, not requiring the name of the voter. Voting on other matters and issues may be conducted in such a manner as determined by the Board in its discretion.

(May Sands Montessori Bylaws, p.2)

Annual Fund Match

Help us double our Annual Fund campaign efforts within the next week!   We have a generous donor who will match donations made to the school’s Annual Fund campaign up to $10,000! Families can pay by check, cash, or follow this link for credit card processing:  https://www.flipcause.com/secure/cause_pdetails/MjI0MDk=

The Annual Fund supports free, public Montessori education for students in Key West & the Lower Keys. Our public charter school relies, in part, on donations to cover the gap in funding that is required to provide authentic Montessori programming.  Monetary contributions made by families and Charter friends who support Montessori as an alternative education model ensures that our program will continue, regardless of State and local budget shortfalls. Donations made to the Annual Fund are tax deductible.

Field Day

All students are invited to participate in our annual field day experience that takes place from 9-12 on Wednesday, May 30th at Bayview Park. We will have a morning of games and fun @ the park, and then enjoy a community school lunch together on campus immediately following the games.  There will be opportunities for families to offer their support – stay tuned for a link to the electronic signup list to follow next week!

Students will need the following items:

  • sneakers
  • reusable water bottle
  • sun protection

Graduation & Moving Up

Our Moving up & Graduation Ceremony will take place @ 10:00 at City Hall on Friday, June 1st. This is a special event for our Kindergarten, Third Year, Sixth Year, and Eighth Year students, as they will be transitioning to a new program level; all students will attend the event, however. All staff and students will walk to the event. Parents of students being honored are invited to attend and should plan to meet us at the event. Lead Guides will share special arrangements and plans for honored students – please keep an eye out for their messages.  At the present time we do not anticipate having extended school day, beyond 3:45 on the last day of school – I will provide an update at our All-School meeting next week.

Community News

Many thanks to our families & friends for sharing information from our community! There are quite a few important events to share:

EcoDiscovery Saturday: Sea Turtles!

This Saturday, May 19th from 10-11am: The Florida Keys Eco-Discover Center, operated by Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, hosts Discovery Saturday for children in grades K-5.  Guests from Marathon’s Turtle Hospital will be talking about the sea creatures often seen in the waters of the Florida Keys.  The Center is located at 35 E. Quay Road.

1st Annual Bike Safety Rodeo

Also taking place this Saturday, May 19th from 10am-2pm: Key West’s first annual Bike Safety Rodeo takes @ H.O.B. School, at the rear parking lot. The event will feature free helmet fittings, bike tune-ups, an obstacle course, and a chance to win a kid’s bike!  This event is sponsored by the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, First State Bank, Curry & Sons Printing, and WeCycle.  Please share this event with your network – we’ve posted it to our school’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/events/212691702661683/

Summer Camps & Activities

The Keys Weekly newspaper has a comprehensive list of summer camps and activities – follow this link for more information: http://keysweekly.com/42/whats-your-kid-doing-this-summer/

Foster Parent Training

Our community has a critical need for foster parents and potential adoptive families, and the Wesley House is offering training classes for people who are interested in becoming foster parents. The 3rd  Pride Training for Foster/Adoptive Families is in Key Largo (99451 Overseas Hwy. suite 200) beginning June 20th at 6pm.

Contact Megan Burgess for more information: 305.809.5020, [email protected].