Dear Parents,
Here is an overview of the week:
Please note that childcare will be available during conferences for currently enrolled children.
Thank you!
Please join us for our second FAMILY FUNdraiser of the year, at California Pizza Kitchen
LA JOLLA VILLAGE SQUARE
3363 Nobel Drive
La Jolla, CA 92037
Phone : 858-457-4222
What is it?
• California Pizza Kitchen is a favorite family restaurant in La Jolla Village Square. We have reserved Tuesday afternoon for MISD Families to meet and socialize and enjoy the fine cuisine.
When is it?
• Tuesday, May 23rd from 3:30-6:00 pm.
Here’s How!
• This is a super fun and easy way to support our school.
• Get together and socialize with MISD Families and Staff!
• MISD will receive 20% of sales so please be sure to spread the word and print and share the flyers!
Looking forward to seeing everyone there!
Dear MISD Families,
We would like to inform you that Beatriz Fuentetaja is leaving this week for Spain. She will be joining her family and taking care of some health issues.
Bea loves to teach and she loves children. In her role as Bilingual “Floater” Guide in the Children’s House, she has helped lead the playground and been a great help to the classroom Guides—substituting whenever and wherever she is needed and, because she knows the children and the materials, allowing for continuity even when a Guide was absent.
Her presence in the Children’s House made the teachers’ jobs easier and our school a better place.
Ms. Bea also used her creative talents to put together MISD slideshows, videos, brochures, and even this year’s yearbook!
So thank you, Bea. We wish you the best and we will miss you at MISD!
Children preparing Mother’s Day Brunch salads yesterday (from their own Garden!) with Ms Liliana
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Dear Parents,
This week you will be receiving an invite through “SignUpGenius” to sign-up for Parent-Teacher Conferences. Conferences will be held on Thursday, May 25th and Friday, May 26th. Please note that May 25th is an All-School Half Day and May 26th there is no school. Open Minds will not be available these days. Childcare will be available for currently enrolled siblings during your conference time. If you are planning on using childcare during your conference, please email Ms. Sara to make a reservation.
Elementary parents- some of you will be invited for a conference time outside the designated schedule. You will still be invited through “SignUpGenius“.
Lastly, parents with siblings will have 24 hours to sign-up for back-to-back slots. After the 24 hours, all parents will be invited to sign-up.
Thank you!
Dear Mom’s,
Friday, May 12th is the Toddler/Primary Mother’s Day Brunch! We invite you to come share a picnic style brunch with your child on the Primary playground at 11:15am. Please bring your own picnic blanket for you and your child to sit on. The brunch will be one hour followed by an All-School Half-Day dismissal.
Please arrive by 11:15am, sign your child out in the office and we will bring your child to you so you can walk together to the playground. Once you sign your child out, he/she is under your supervision. Parents of Toddler children, please be mindful that the Primary playground is not designed for Toddlers so it is important to always keep an eye on your child.
2015-2016 Mother’s Day Brunch!
Parking is available on La Jolla Scenic or in the lower Beth El parking lot.
If you are unable to attend the Mother’s Day Brunch, we ask that you still pick your child up by 11:15am as there will be no one in the classroom after this point.
We look forward to celebrating all our wonderful mothers!
Dear Parents,
As a reminder, please email Ms. Sara if you would like to purchase the 2016-2017 school yearbook! The yearbook is $50. We will be placing the order in a few short weeks so be sure to sign-up now to look back at an amazing year of learning, hard work, and unforgettable memories.
If you haven’t done so already, be sure to purchase your child’s canvas bag for only $30! Each child painted on one side of their bag and the designs are beautiful!
Lastly, by now you all should have received an email through SignUpGenius to schedule observation times. If for some reason you did not receive the email, please email Ms. Sara.
Thank you!
Dear Parents,
Parent Observation Week is the week of May 1- May 5. Unlike regular drop-in observation, these observations are scheduled 30 minute periods during which you are invited to observe inside the classroom. Two c
hairs will be set up in the classroom to accommodate both parents— however, both parents are not required to attend. Parent Observation Week is not a mandatory event, but we strongly encourage you to take advantage of this unique opportunity to observe your child in their classroom environment.
Please note that the Toddler classroom does not participate in Parent Observation Week as it would be too overwhelming for the children to have visitors coming in and out of the classroom all week.
This week you will be receiving an email through SignUpGenius with the schedule of observation dates and times. Please select one of these observation times as you receive the email. Parents who have siblings will have 24 hours to sign-up for back-to-back slots. At that point, we will invite all other families to reserve a time.
Please be mindful of the time you are signing up for. If your child is half-day, you will want to be sure to sign-up for a morning slot. Parents with children who stay in the afternoon are encouraged to sign up for an afternoon slot.
Our 2017 Spring Celebration Was Lots of Fun!
Mark Your Calendars:
Dear Parents,
Thank you so much to those of you who joined us last night for our 2017 MISD Annual Gala. It was such a beautiful, warm and inspiring evening. We truly thank you for your dedication, commitment and generosity.
For parents who did not attend the Gala, we missed you! Please note that your child’s painted canvas bag is available for purchase as a continuation of our fundraiser. The price per bag is $30. Within the next week we will inform you on other ways in which you can show you support (i.e. signing up for classroom wish lists and donating to our campus security fund).
Here are a few pictures to highlight the night. Again, thank you for “Keeping us Blooming.”
Dear Parents,
We are so excited to celebrate with you at the Gala in 2 days!! This is going to be such a memorable evening and we are really looking forward to spending time together. But, if you cannot make it to the Gala and still want to show you support, there are things you can do!
Thank you!
Thank you to the primary families for attending last night’s primary parent-child night! The children were all very excited to show you what they are working on in their classrooms. We hope you enjoyed seeing a slight glimpse into what a day is like in the life of a primary student.
Here are a few photos to recap the night. More to come to the individual classroom blogs!
Danny (P2) showing his mom the multiplication bead bar layout.
Sienna Mei (P2) showing her parents the knobless cylinders.
Christopher (P1) showing his dad a wood work.
Brevin (P1) showing his mom the addition stamp game.
Eloise (P2) showing her mom the sandpaper letters.
Madeline (P1) showing her parents the cylinder blocks.
Thank you for showing your continued support of MISD! We look forward to enjoying another evening together next week at the Gala! Click Here! to buy your tickets NOW!
In this ⇒ Video Clip two students on the MISD Robotics Team solve the “Serpentine Challenge” in Saturday’s Junior Botball Robotics Tournament in San Diego, organized by Jeff Major: MISD STEM & Outdoor Education Coach and Director of Training and Tournaments at CA Math & Science Championship.
The MISD Robotics Team of Dharma and Martina were the ONLY team to solve all 5 challenges in the tournament! (their code is below the “read more” tag) MISD student Max Fastlicht, arriving near the end of the morning also finished 4 out of 5 challenges before running out of time!
Since the weekend’s tournament the MISD robotics team students have moved on to the second level of Jr Botball: Learning about Sensors, Light Energy & the Electromagnetic Spectrum, Digital vs Analog inputs, and more…!
MISD students study robotics, programming, mathematics, music, foreign languages and more in MISD’s new Learning Acceleration Lab:
MISD Upper Elementary Robotics Team • Learning Acceleration Lab
MISD Learning Acceleration Lab: Music, Mathematics, Languages, Coding, BotBall, & more!
Jr Botball is a program designed to get American kids playing the “game” of Math & Science at an early age. 3rd graders and up learn to program in Objective C to “teach” their robots to solve a series of challenges that require them to understand coding, electronics, sensors, simple machines, and more:
CA Math & Science Championship: Programming • Problem-Solving • Applied Mathematics • sTEm Design
To see the CODE the girls wrote to solve the serpentine challenge…and more photos from the Tournament…
Dear Parents,
On Friday, April 7th from 11-12:30 we will celebrate spring with our annual Spring Celebration! The celebration will be held in the Elementary playground and will include carnival activities and games.
This event is a potluck, so please sign-up for an item you would like to bring! The sign-up sheet will be available during pick-up. Please be sure to write the ingredients of the item you are bringing so that all families will be aware of what they are eating. If you are preparing something on a platter that you need to bring home with you after the event, please remember to put your name on it. Also, please note that because this is a potluck event, you do not need to send your child with a lunchbox the day of the Spring Celebration.
Toddler and Primary parents will pick their children up in the usual manner from the Children’s House by 11am and then walk down to the carnival. Elementary parents will pick their child up from the Elementary classroom by 11am and go to the carnival.
Once you have signed your child out, s/he is under your supervision. Please make sure your child is under your supervision throughout the event, as the Elementary playground is not designed for younger children without supervision. Please keep ALL children from climbing on the hill, so as to avoid any accidents.
Please note that all children, regardless if you are attending the carnival or not, must be picked up by 11am. Additionally, because all children need to be picked up by 11am, we strongly suggest parking on La Jolla Scenic Dr. or in the lower Beth El parking lot first, and then walking up to the school to pick up your child. Please do not park in front of the Children’s House office or the Training center as spaces are limited and reserved for staff and visitors.
We look forward to celebrating with you!
As promised, below is the list of this year’s Teacher Fun Days! Sign up is first come first serve and can only be signed up for at the Gala. Spaces are limited! Here are some of this year’s activities:
Click Here! to buy your tickets NOW!
Dear Parents,
The MISD Important Dates for the 2017-2018 School Year are here! A finalized and comprehensive list of dates and events will be posted to our website later in the year.
NOW ENROLLING for the 2017-18 School Year
Children’s House Toddler & Primary Programs • Arts & Sciences Elementary Programs
The Montessori Institute of San Diego (MISD) Children’s House has been serving and following the child since 2003. The Children’s House is the model school for the Montessori Institute of San Diego’s Teacher Training Center. We offer Toddler (18 mos to 3 years), Primary (3 to 6 years), and the Arts & Sciences Elementary programs (Lower Elementary: ages 6 to 9 • and Upper Elementary: ages 9 to 12).
One of the main goals of the MISD Children’s House is to guide, nurture and support the development of each individual child. The AMI trained staff at MISD is committed to offering an environment that provides for children’s inner, developmental needs while supporting each child to fulfill their highest, unique potential. We provide a holistic approach to education where the needs of the whole child are supported and addressed in addition to the academic needs. By providing a peaceful environment with purposeful work, we encourage children to develop a life-long love of learning fueled by their inner curiosity and self-initiative.
To Schedule a Tour… (more…)
Dear MISD Parents,
Our first priority is to ensure existing MISD families have a chance to re-enroll for 2017-2018 school year before we send acceptance offers to the wait list families. The online enrollment process has been working very well and most families have responded (THANK YOU!), but we still have a few families we have not heard from.
Monday, Feb 6, is the last day for our Re-Enrollment Period—if you haven’t done so already, please complete your online re-enrollment this weekend. We will not give your spot away without a phone call but we will begin contacting waitlist families next week.
You can find the re-enrollment links on your child’s classroom blogs, with detailed instructions.
Please remember to bring in a signed hard copy of your contract to the Children’s House office by Monday (licensing requires paper copies)
It is an honor and a privilege to work with your children daily. Thank you!
Check your classroom blogs to view a slideshow of Tues night’s fun at the
First Annual MISD Mendocino Farms Family FUNdraiser…
Thank you to MISD parent Trinity Vernazza for organizing the evening!
Elementary Guide Ms Analaura and MISD Parent Trinity
Dear Parents,
Tomorrow morning after drop-off, join us for our Gala Kickoff in the trailers! Come mingle, enjoy a cup of coffee and learn about this years Gala at the Lot in La Jolla!
Let’s join together and make this years Gala the best yet! Looking forward to seeing you there.
Dear Parents,
Re-Enrollment for the 2017-2018 school year will begin this week. Please look for another blog post with the link included to enroll for next school year.
In order to secure your child’s space, you must complete the online re-enrollment, pay the non-refundable re-enrollment fee, and return a signed Enrollment Contract to the office by Monday, February 6, 2017. Online Re-Enrollment links are available on your child/ren’s classroom blogs.
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Looking forward to more great work in 2017!
Thank You and Happy New Year! from the teachers and staff at MISD.
Highly recommended books about snow, winter weather, & animals survival strategies.
For Primary • Books About Winter:
For Elementary • Books About Winter:
The Alphabet of Life: “What do you need for life—what do you need to be able to adapt to this world?”
“Montessori was concerned about how to make children happy. She gave the children a place to live. A place where they could live and they could act and they could really feel safe. Where they could acquire certain conditions for character development, which are: self-confidence, self-value, and a wonderful personality.”
Dear Mothers,
As a reminder, tomorrow is our Toddler and Primary Mother’s Day Brunch followed by an All School Half-Day. The event is from 11:15-12:15 and is on the Primary playground. Please remember that it is a picnic style brunch so be sure to bring a picnic blanket for you and your child/ren to sit on. When you arrive, you will walk through the gate and sign your child out. We will then have your child meet you by the gate so you can walk to the playground together.
Children do not need to bring a lunch to school tomorrow as they will be eating lunch with you at the brunch.
If you are unable to attend the Mother’s Day Brunch, please be sure to pick up your child by 11:15am as there will be no one in the classrooms past this time.
We look forward to celebrating with you all!
Dear Parents,
This Friday is the last day to sign up for the yearbook! Please email Ms. Sara if you are interested in purchasing the 2016-2017 school yearbook. The yearbook is $50 and highlights each student, classroom photos of them working, along with the various events that have been held this year. It is a wonderful keepsake for the children!
As a reminder, Friday is an All-School Half-Day!
Dear Parents,
As we approach the end of the school year, all of our classroom environments are experiencing an inordinate amount of late arrivals. Please make the extra effort in the morning to ensure that your child is arriving on time to their classroom. Children are very sensitive to the order of the day. They need to have the opportunity to greet their teachers at the appropriate time and to say hello to their friends before becoming engaged in their activities. Children who are arriving late miss this morning ritual which can leave them feeling lost and without a sense of order for how to begin the day. Additionally, late arrivals are also disruptive to the children who have begun their work.
Morning Arrival Times:
Thank you for your understanding!
Dear Parents,
At pick-up you will find a cell phone list next to the sign-out sheet. This list is for the “Remind App”, a program that the MISD office will be using in case of an emergency. If your phone number is correct on the list at pick-up, please put a check mark next to it!
Please let us know if you have any questions!
Dear Parents,
Next week our Parent Observation Week begins for our Primary and Elementary classrooms. Most of you have now signed up for the opportunity to come into the classroom to observe your child. Although being on-time to school is always taken seriously, we do ask that next week your child arrives to their classroom no later than their designated arrival time. Parents will begin their observation promptly at 8:45am and we will want to limit any interruptions.
Maria Montessori based much of her theory on the observation of the child: his needs, interests, and natural development. In order to “follow the child” we must do our best to understand what drives him. Montessori observed that there are universal “tendencies” that all children share. For example, young children have the desire to manipulate objects, and have a strong sense of order. In addition to these tendencies, each child also has unique needs and interests.
Observation is the most fundamental link between the adult and the child, allowing the adult to see both the universal and the unique needs of each child. It is an important guide for our interactions with our children.
When you arrive at school, please leave your purse or any of your belongings in the office. Please note that unlike our other school events, infants are not welcome into the classroom with you as this creates a major distraction and changes the dynamics of the environment. Cell phones or any type of video recording are not allowed during observation time. When you enter the classroom, you will see two adult sized chairs. Please make your way to an observation chair as quietly as possible. The goal when you enter the classroom is to observe as silently as possible, so as not to disrupt the children working. Imagine you are a fly on the wall. The children may or may not acknowledge you. Please do not talk to the children when you come inside or while you are sitting in the observation chair, unless a child initiates a conversation with you. If a child approaches you and has prepared tea or a snack for you, please accept.
A clipboard will be provided for you on your chair, as well as a paper and a pen. Please write down your observations of the children: their interactions, their mannerisms, or anything else you find interesting about them. Observation is meant to be objective, so please keep your observation notes as objective as possible (which can be hard to do sometimes)! You may see children working on a table or a mat. And you may see children who appear to be “wandering around.” Sometimes children need a bit of time when they first enter the classroom to choose their work. Sometimes the child has just finished a big work and now needs to walk around. He or she may even choose an “easier” work to compliment the more difficult one just completed. Or sometimes you may see a child sitting on a chair or stool against a wall: this child is observing his peers working. This is all part of the process.
Attached is an article called “The Art of Observation” published in the AMI/USA Newsletter in 2010. Please take the time to read this article. The chance to simply observe your child, instead of interacting with your child, offers a unique opportunity to understand your child in a deeper way.
© 2017 · The Montessori Institute of San Diego
