A MESSAGE FROM THE SCHOOL DIRECTOR 

Our year is off to an amazing start! After more than 35 years in the Montessori 'business,' the first weeks of school still thrill me - the busyness and focus, the friendships renewed and stories told, the new challenges taken on, and the welcoming of new students and families. We truly have an extraordinary community, even by Montessori standards!

Staff spent the week before school organizing classrooms and plans. We all completed our First Aid, CPR , Anaphylaxis and Epipen training including training for our defibrillator.   

On Thursday evening and Friday morning Board members joined all the staff for an amazing experience called a Montessori Journey of Discovery, or Montessori Journey, for short. We'll be offering this to parents, by invitation, in November; and then perhaps later in the year as well, as we found it so powerful.

The office was busy the first days of school receiving all the necessary paperwork but the rest of the school had a quiet hum of focused activity. We welcomed several families as transfers from other Montessori schools, including a family from Nairobi. Everyone settled in quickly and worked with the passion of those who have been missing something beloved for several months. This week our new first years begin. This always brings a few tears for both children and their parents, but these soon fade.

We are hoping you enjoyed the parent evening last night. It was great to connect at a parent level, and reconnect with the Board and PCA Executive. The teachers enjoyed sharing their vision of Montessori with you.

There are many opportunities for parents to learn more about Montessori and/or to support OMS - from articles in Times magazine, to speakers; from opportunities to sit on committees, to volunteering as a chaperone for a field trip. Montessori seems to be at the forefront of educational thought.  Links and opportunities for information and involvement follow. Please join us!

MONTESSORI IN THE NEWS 

A parent's perspective of the core contrasts between Montessori and conventional schools

Trevor Eissler, Author of Montessori Madness  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GcgN0lEh5IA 

Montessori Builds Innovators

Andrew McAfee, Harvard Business Review

http://blogs.hbr.org/hbr/mcafee/2011/07/montessori-builds-innovators.html?cm_sp=most_widget-_-blog_posts-_-Montessori+Builds+Innovators    

The American Academy of Pediatrics

by Angeline Stoll Lillard and Jennifer Peterson

* Angeline Stoll Lillard is the Author of Montessori - The Science Behind the Genius

Please feel free to borrow this book from our office library 

Sponge Bob may impair 4-year-olds' brains

CBC.ca

http://www.cbc.ca/m/rich/offbeat/story/2011/09/12/tv-cartoon-children-brain-spongebob.html  

JUNIOR HIGH STUDENTS BACK FROM ODYSSEY TRIP

YOUR CONTRIBUTION TO THE UNITED WAY

OUR 2011 - 2012 BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Patricia J.-V., President  

Welcome to another exciting OMS year!  I have learnt so much about OMS through the 2010-2011 Board meetings and it is with great pleasure that I approach this year as Chair of the OMS Board of Directors.   Every year, and with every new meeting or workshop I attend, my passion for this school grows.  I am a proud parent of two OMS children (both in the francophone program; one in CASA, one in lower elementary) with my third child starting in the Toddler community this fall.  I have also recently started a nutritional consulting practice and am looking forward to a year of growth.  Not only professionally, but personally as I take on this new role at OMS. 

Carol F., Vice-President

Both my daughters attended OMS and my husband, Don Friedlander, was president of the OMS Board of Directors in the past.  I am looking forward to continuing our involvement in the school.

Tracy G., Corporate Secretary

I am an AMI Casa and Elementary trained teacher and have enjoyed working in various schools during my 28 years in Montessori. I recently completed my Master of Education.  I have had the experience of being President of the Canadian Association of Montessori Teachers and now enjoy working with CCMA as a consultant for accreditations. I have been a Montessori teacher-trainer for two well recognized training institutes, at both the Casa and Elementary levels. After seven years in Administration, I am once again enjoying being an Elementary classroom Directress. This is my second year as an OMS external Board member and I am enjoying being  part of the growth and development of OMS.

Eric F.

I have been a part of the OMS community for six years now, with one child in Lower Elementary and one in Upper Elementary.  Through my participation on the Board of Directors and specifically as a member of the GreenPEA and Development committees,  I have gained an appreciation of the unique, positive environment that is the OMS community.  I greatly look forward to my third term as a member of the OMS Board of Directors, working with my fellow Board members to further strengthen our unique community.    

Pat G.

I am a Casa Extended Day Directress and a member of the Facilitator team.  I have been working at the school for 24 years and have been attending Board meetings for almost that long.  I am serving my second term as a Board staff representative and I am the chair of the GreenPEA Committee whose work last year included the development of a plan to create a natural playground at OMS.  I am very pleased to be part of this initiative and I'm looking forward to making its "vision" a reality.  I have just joined the High School Committee and I'm looking forward to contributing to the work of this committee.

Pat G., School Diretcor   

I have been the School Director at OMS since August 2000 and have had the privilege to work as a member of the Board of Directors each year.  I began my Montessori training in 1973 and have never looked back.  I have taught Casa, Elementary, Junior High, and Montessori teachers.  I was a member of the Board of the Canadian Association of Montessori Teachers for many years, and am now on the Board of the Canadian Council of Montessori Administrators (CCMA) as well as being a consultant for CCMA accreditations.  I really enjoy working in partnership with my fellow OMS Board members, and I am looking forward to making our strategic goals a reality.

Gavin M.

My daughter started at OMS in the Toddler community, and is now enthusiastically entering the first year of the Junior High program. As a Director of the Board since 2005, I have contributed to a number of Board committees, such as governance and strategic planning. During this final year of my term on the Board, I will serve as a member of the High School Committee and chair the Development Committee with responsibility over the Annual Giving Campaign. After four years as President since July 2007, I am looking forward to working with our new President, Patricia Jean-Vezina; Vice-President, Carol Friedlander; Secretary, Tracy Grisdale; and all of our returning Directors.

Peter N.

I am a parent of two children, Michaela (1st year Lower Elementary) and Luca (2nd year Casa) at OMS.  I am also a past 'student' of the OMS community starting in the Casa program and continuing through to Upper Elementary.  This is my second year as a Board Member, and I hope to continue to provide my knowledge and experience as a past student, as well as offering my perspective as a parent to further the positive experience I have personally benefited from while being a part of the OMS community.  This is also my second year as member of the Development Committee, where the primary objective was to develop and maintain a successful 'annual giving' campaign at OMS so that both current and future generations of students at OMS can enjoy and benefit from the same opportunities that I have.

I am a father of two OMS children: Colin & Sydney, and have been part of the OMS parent community since 2003.  I joined the Board in 2010 to give something back to a community that is contributing so much to our family life and to the growth and development of our children.  Last year I chaired the school's Development Committee that launched the first Annual Giving Campaign to support the long-term development and strengthen the financial sustainability of the school.  I am a management consultant that takes on leadership coaching and strategic advisory roles with my clients.  I look forward to continuing to work with the OMS community, the teachers and staff at the school and my board colleagues to make our fabulous institution even better this year.

Victoria R.

OUR 2011 - 2012 PARENT COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION EXECUTIVE

Cathryn T. 

Our family has been associated with the Ottawa Montessori School for over 6 years, when our eldest began part-time in the Casa level.  We now have three children attending the school, one in Casa, one in Lower Elementary and the other entering Upper Elementary.  There is no doubt that OMS plays a significant role in our lives.  I have been involved with the Parent Community Association for several years and enjoy the part I play in working with other parents and the School staff to enhance our OMS experience.  The PCA Executive meets regularly on a monthly basis to discuss activities that help to bring parents together as well as to build the sense of community that our families feel.  I look forward to another rewarding school year as we continue to work together to bring us closer together through our common interests. 

Meredith V.  

Our son is starting his second year at OMS in the Casa program. When deciding on a program for him we were looking for a nurturing environment, which would foster his independence and academics. Upon visiting OMS we knew we had found what we were looking for. This will be my second year as a member of the PCA executive. I am looking forward to meeting more families and serving on the PCAE.