community-montessori-school

Kindness Shines All Around!

Tue, 27 Jan 2026 20:44:00 GMT

Kindness Shines All Around

Despite of a late start, the Kindness Week is under way and our students don't shy away from helping and caring for others. We are so grateful for being a part of their education for life and proud of them for carrying kindness in their hearts everyday!

Not only is kindness beneficial to our well - being and helps build relationships, it's also contagious and inspires others to share goodness. Our students are full of goodness and from modeling respect, giving lessons to classmates, caring for their environments to welcoming each other with a smile or conversation, sharing a presentation about something they have learnt or are passionate about, using grace and courtesy at school and at home.

We need positivity in our world and the students are certainly bringing it all around our campus.

Click here to sign up for Spring Enrichments! Registration deadline is February 11th.

Staff Highlights

This year we will be introducing you to a different staff member each week. We look forward to sharing things like why they love CMS, how they were introduced to the Montessori philosophy, and what they enjoy doing when they are not at school.

Krystin Peters

Casita Guide

(at CMS since 2012)

Q) How long have you worked at CMS?

A) I joined CMS in 2012 as a Casita assistant. After a few years, CMS decided to open a Nido (infant program) and I was sent to training to helm that endeavor. For a while I actually acted as both a Nido and Casita guide, but decided to focus just on the toddlers eventually. I still love the Nido and miss being with babies all day, but toddlers are my calling! I can't imagine not having conversations with 2 year olds all day-- it's the most entertaining job in the world!

Q) How did you come to discover Montessori and how has it impacted your life?

A) I had never heard of Montessori until I came to CMS! I'd just returned from teaching English abroad and wanted to continue teaching, but not in a public school setting. Montessori changed my life. As soon as I set foot in the Casita and saw the deep respect being afforded to such young children, I knew it was what I wanted to dedicate my life to. Dr. Montessori said, "If salvation is to come, it will be through the children," and I think that now more than ever this is something we need to take to heart.

Q) What is something you would recommend for parents?

A) Sing to and with your children every day, even if you think you have a terrible voice. Your children don't care if you can't carry a tune. Music is a balm to the soul, supports language development, and instills a sense of community. Also, I was kicked out of choir in middle school because I was never on key, but after singing all day every day for the last decade and a half, people are always telling me that I have a lovely singing voice. If you practice, eventually you'll get better!

Q) What do you do for fun outside of work?

A) I have always really enjoyed drawing, and this year my resolution is to level up that skill even more. I love traveling and trying new cuisine. For the past 4 years I've been absolutely obsessed with the k-pop group Stray Kids. I love high adrenaline concerts and music festivals!

CMS CALENDAR REMINDERS

January 26 - 30 Kindness Week Challenge
February 1 - All Ages Playdate 10 - 12
February 11 - Spring Enrichments registration deadline

Subscribe to our CMS Calendar: CLICK HERE

The mission of Community Montessori School is to provide authentic Montessori education

in a nature-rich environment that cultivates collaboration, curiosity,

love of learning, and respect for oneself, others, and the world.

Heroes from History

Tue, 20 Jan 2026 20:30:40 GMT

Our history is full of heroes who spent their lives educating and modeling justice, peace and equal rights for all. They are our inspiration and bring hope that the children of today will change our world in the near future into a better place.

“Sooner or later all the people of the world will have to discover a way to live together in peace, and thereby transform this pending cosmic elegy into a creative psalm of brotherhood.”
Martin Luther King Jr. was a person who led peaceful protests to stop discrimination based on the skin color. We teach our students about being equal, having the same rights as humans for voting, labor, access to public services like education. Dr. King received a well deserved Nobel Peace Price.

"An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind."
Mahatma Gandhi was another peaceful activist for equal civil rights as well as leader of bringing India to the independence from Britain. He believed that people don't need to be divided because of their religious beliefs, rather there should be a freedom and tolerance toward various religious systems. When we talk to our elementary age students about fundamental human needs, we characterize material and spiritual needs. Religion, vanity and art belong to the spiritual category which is such important part of humans.

"Being of service is not enough. We must walk the talk, live the talk, be the talk."
Cesar Chavez was a civil right and labor leader for farm workers. Because of him establishing a union, the workers had gained safer work conditions, benefits like health insurance and better earnings. Chavez increased awareness among the farmers about being treated with respect, having dignity and standing up for their rights. Our students receive respect, are expected to show respect to others so we can function as a community with freedoms and responsibilities.

"One child, one teacher, one book, and one pen can change the world."
Malala Yousafzai is an activist for woman and children education who received a Nobel Peace Prize at 17 years of age. Malala is an inspiration for us, educators, because we know that our students can achieve whatever they put their minds into and an example for all our youth to stand up for what's important to them.

"We shall walk together on this path of life, for all things are a part of the universe and are connected with each other to form one whole unity."
Maria Montessori believed in educating children about living in a community where everyone practices self - control, respect, empathy, harmony and peaceful conflict resolution. Through the prepared environment, modeling and teaching grace and courtesy, mixed ages, supporting the growth of the moral compass in the elementary age children, care and work in nature, the concept of peace becomes a part of the child.

Our Annual Kindness Week is January 26 - 30. Children and guides are planning for activities with their classmates, other classroom communities, their own families and the larger community outside of CMS. The guides will share more information with you in the Friday email.

Click here to sign up for Spring Enrichments! Registration deadline is February 11th.

The Town Hall with our permanent Executive Director, Nicole Scofield, is on January 21 at 6pm at the Georgetown Library.
We hope to see you there!

Cindy Ma

Children's House Guide

(at CMS since 2003)

Q) How long have you worked at CMS?
A) I joined CMS in 2003, shortly after graduating from the AMI Montessori Training Centre in Vancouver, British Columbia. During my first four years, I worked in the all-day program as a Primary Guide. In 2008, I had the wonderful opportunity to build the Bluebonnet Community from the ground up, and since then I have been working alongside my amazing assistant, Denise. I am also honored to serve as a level coordinator, where I am able to share my experiences and ideas with my level colleagues.

Although many years have passed, our passion for working together remains strong, and we continue to deeply love and care for every child who has been, or is still, part of our community. This work is incredibly rewarding—being able to witness the growth of so many children. I am especially proud to see many of them thriving as they grow older, and it is always a joy when they return to visit us or even come back to work with us during summer camp.

Q) How did you come to discover Montessori and how has it impacted your life?
A) I first became familiar with Montessori pedagogy after graduating from college, when I returned to my hometown and worked as a translator in several Montessori schools in Taipei, as well as an elementary English teacher. In order to translate accurately, the Montessori school owners taught me how to manipulate the materials and explained the purpose behind each work. The more I learned, the more I fell in love with the Montessori system—it is logical, meaningful, and joyful.

I grew up in a traditional private school where the main focus was academic achievement and exam performance. In Asia, exam scores often determine which high school or college a student can attend. I studied very hard to stay in advanced classes, and while I performed well on exams, I never truly enjoyed school. I remember many nights feeling stressed and exhausted, sometimes even crying myself to sleep.

When I was introduced to Montessori materials and philosophy, everything changed. I couldn’t stop wanting to learn more. This led me back to Vancouver, where I enrolled in the AMI Montessori training program. From that point on, I knew I had found my path. I genuinely love coming to work every day for almost 23 years, and seeing children run toward the classroom with big smiles each morning reminds me that I made the right choice.

Today, I am not only a Montessori guide, but also a proud Montessori mom. I am truly honored to call myself a Montessorian.

Q) What is something you would recommend for parents?
A)I would first like to congratulate parents on making the wonderful choice to be a Montessori family. My biggest recommendation is to be patient and trust the process. In Montessori, growth happens gradually. You may not see transformation overnight, but with time, you will observe your child becoming more independent, confident, and self-motivated. Each Montessori level follows a three-year cycle, and every year builds upon the last. When you allow your child the time and space to grow within this cycle, the results are truly meaningful. Thank you for having faith in your child and for trusting us as guides.

At home, parents can support their child by encouraging independence in everyday routines. Simple things like allowing your child to dress themselves, help with meal preparation, tidy up their belongings, and make age-appropriate choices go a long way. Providing a calm, respectful environment, offering consistent routines, and giving children time to try things on their own helps build confidence and responsibility.

Strong partnerships between parents and teachers are essential. When we communicate openly and work together as a team, we create the best possible environment to support each child’s development.

Q) What do you do for fun outside of work?
A) Outside of work, I truly enjoy spending quality time with my family. I love baking, gardening, creating fun art projects, and doing science experiments with my children. These moments of creativity and curiosity are very special to me.

Our family also loves to travel. We have visited around 16 countries across North and Central America, Asia, and Europe. Traveling has strengthened our family bonds and given us so many meaningful memories. It has also opened our minds and hearts to see the beauty of the world and to appreciate and respect differences. Even when we speak different languages or come from different cultures, travel inspires us to connect, learn from one another, and share in each other’s traditions.

CMS CALENDAR REMINDERS

January 21 - Town Hall
January 26 - 30 Kindness Week Challenge
February 1 - All Ages Playdate 10 - 12

Subscribe to our CMS Calendar: CLICK HERE

The mission of Community Montessori School is to provide authentic Montessori education

in a nature-rich environment that cultivates collaboration, curiosity,

love of learning, and respect for oneself, others, and the world.

Kindness

Tue, 13 Jan 2026 20:12:34 GMT

“Children are so responsive that if you treat your child with kindness and consideration he too will be kind. If you let him pursue his own little affairs and interests undisturbed, you will find that he will be less inclined to disturb yours. Try to interfere with him as little as possible, there is no need to worry about him growing up ignorant or ill-mannered. Instead he will be observant and intelligent, independent and persevering, and these qualities lie at the root of personality." - Maria Montessori Speaks to Parents

We can all agree that kindness is an essential value in life. When children practice kindness from an early age, it helps strengthen their emotional intelligence, build self-confidence, and develop problem solving skills. Kindness also supports healthy relationships and helps children become more resilient as they grow. These early experiences lay the foundation for how they connect with others and navigate life’s challenges.

In Montessori education, kindness is nurtured within a mixed-age community where children learn to contribute to their environment, resolve conflicts collaboratively, and support one another. Adults model respectful communication and care for others, including animals and plants, helping to foster a culture of peace and empathy. We teach children to look beyond themselves, beyond the boundaries of our country and culture to respect and value people of all races and religions. Children are guided to use positive language, learning that if they do not have something kind to say, it is best to pause and keep those thoughts to themselves.

Respect is a key component of our Montessori classroom. We regularly discuss respect for adults, classmates, classroom materials, and for oneself. Guides and assistants support children in developing these skills through clear communication, the use of “I” messages, positive modeling, and empathy. Consistent classroom management is essential in a Montessori environment. Children are taught not to shout across the room, but instead to walk over and speak quietly to one another. During work time, respect also means using materials as they have been shown and allowing each child the uninterrupted time they need to focus, concentrate, and complete their chosen work.

Our Annual Kindness Week is January 26 - 30. Children and guides are planning for activities with their classmates, other classroom communities, their own families and larger community outside of CMS. The guides will share more information with you in the Friday email.

The Town Hall with our permanent Executive Director, Nicole Scofield, is on January 21 at 6pm at the Georgetown Library. Nikki's first day at CMS is January 14. We hope to see you there!

Staff Highlights

Alan Aragon Natividad

Upper Elementary Guide

(at CMS since 2023)

Q) How long have you worked at CMS?
A) This is my third year working at CMS; I joined the community in August 2023. My primary role has been as an Upper Elementary Guide, and I also worked for two years teaching Spanish in our secondary program. Throughout this time, I have enjoyed collaborating across different levels while focusing on supporting both the academic and personal growth of students.

Q) How did you come to discover Montessori and how has it impacted your life?
A) I was first introduced to the Montessori method during my academic training as a psychologist, particularly through a course on learning and memory. Later, in my professional life, I had the opportunity to work in a variety of educational settings, such as indigenous boarding schools and upper secondary schools, where my work focused on collaborating with caregivers and educators to create more supportive and meaningful learning environments for children.

My interest in Montessori deepened while I was working as a karate instructor. In that context, two children especially caught my attention. A three-year-old child showed genuine enthusiasm for the activities I presented, repeating them spontaneously and with great joy. An eleven-year-old child constantly asked questions, demonstrating a true desire to understand not only the activity itself but also what was expected of him, positioning himself as someone actively engaged in his own self-development.

When I spoke with the parents of these children, who belonged to different families, I learned that both were attending Montessori schools. This discovery was pivotal for me. As I learned more about Montessori education, I had no doubt that I wanted my own children to be educated within this approach. More than that, I felt called to train as a Montessori guide myself, with the purpose of fostering a love of learning, encouraging children to make decisions from an early age, and supporting their growth within thoughtfully prepared environments.

Q) What is something you would recommend for parents?
A) I would first encourage parents to observe their children with curiosity and without rushing. Rather than seeking extraordinary activities, it is often most meaningful to offer opportunities for independence at home, where children can make small decisions, participate in everyday tasks, and feel capable and valued.

As a resource, I recommend the book “The Child: The Secret of Childhood” by Maria Montessori, as it offers deep insight into child development. I also suggest creating daily moments without screens, dedicated to conversation, shared reading, or simple practical activities that strengthen family connections.

Q) What do you do for fun outside of work?
A) Outside of work, I enjoy activities that connect me with both movement and reflection. I exercise regularly, enjoy reading and writing, and value spending quality time with my children. I also enjoy music and meaningful conversations, which for me are an important source of ongoing learning and personal balance.

CMS CALENDAR REMINDERS

January 19 - School Closed Martin Luther King Jr. Day
January 21 - Town Hall
January 26 - 30 Kindness Week Challenge
February 1 - All Ages Playdate 10 - 12

Subscribe to our CMS Calendar: CLICK HERE

The mission of Community Montessori School is to provide authentic Montessori education

in a nature-rich environment that cultivates collaboration, curiosity,

love of learning, and respect for oneself, others, and the world.

Welcome Back

Tue, 06 Jan 2026 15:45:37 GMT

Welcome back to the Spring Semester and to 2026! We are looking forward to our time with the children and all their families!

Let's talk about obedience. Dr. Montessori studied how children develop self-control and described this process as stages of obedience. Obedience is often thought of as children following rules set by parents or teachers in order to earn rewards or avoid consequences. Self-control, however, comes from within, it is a child’s internal motivation to do the right thing and meet expectations. In Montessori education, children begin by following rules and guidance from adults, and over time this naturally develops into self-control as they grow and mature.

The stages of obedience are closely connected to a child’s age and development. For children under three, their sense of will is just beginning to emerge. At this stage, they are naturally drawn to what interests them in the environment and often act on instinct and impulse. This is why it is essential for adults to set clear and consistent boundaries, gently redirect unwanted behaviors toward appropriate ones, and model the language and actions they want children to learn. In a Montessori classroom, this stage is further supported through a carefully prepared and orderly environment. Children are offered practical life activities that are meaningful and purposeful, helping them develop independence and learn appropriate ways to engage with their surroundings.

The second stage of obedience typically begins after the age of three and can last for several years as a child’s will continues to develop. During this time, children become more engaged with their surroundings and increasingly interested in social interactions. The adult’s role is to provide meaningful interactions, offer plenty of opportunities for practice and repetition of lessons, and support the child in developing deeper concentration and enjoyment in their work. Guidance through Grace and Courtesy lessons helps children learn respectful, kind, and appropriate ways to interact with others.

The final stage is when true self-discipline can be seen. At this level, children act from internal motivation. What they do and how they behave brings them a sense of fulfillment, happiness, and purpose. Children naturally enjoy being helpful, staying engaged, and feeling that they belong. Having specific responsibilities allows them to contribute meaningfully to their family, group, or community. At this stage, adults continue to play an important role by guiding children to make thoughtful choices and helping them understand that self-discipline is a lifelong skill, one that adults also continue to practice and develop.

Today is the 119th anniversary of the first Casa Dei Bambini opened in Italy. Some ways of celebrating for our students was using the stamp game to figure out what year it was when it opened. See the pictures below!

The Town Hall with our permanent Executive Director, Nicole Scofield, is on January 21 at 6pm at the Georgetown Library. Nikki's first day at CMS is January 14. We hope to see you there!

Staff Highlights

Susan Salazar

Children's House
Aftercare Assistant

(at CMS since 2024)

Q) How long have you worked at CMS?
A) I’ve been with CMS for a little over a year already and my role is supporting the Children's House students during nap and aftercare.

Q) How did you come to discover Montessori and how has it impacted your life?
A) I heard of Montessori before I came to CMS, but didn’t experience it till now. It has changed the way I understand the development and and characteristic for learning of young children.

Q) What is something you would recommend for parents?
A) I would recommend for parents something that works for me which is stay active, even if it’s just 15 minutes a day. It makes a great difference, staying healthy means living longer life.

Q) What do you do for fun outside of work?
A) Something I do outside of work is go to the, gym stay active, go for walks, read, shop, I love organizing and of course my family!

CMS CALENDAR REMINDERS

January 19 - School Closed
January 21 - Town Hall
January 26 - 30 Kindness Week Challenge

Subscribe to our CMS Calendar: CLICK HERE

The mission of Community Montessori School is to provide authentic Montessori education

in a nature-rich environment that cultivates collaboration, curiosity,

love of learning, and respect for oneself, others, and the world.

Happy Holidays

Tue, 16 Dec 2025 15:33:53 GMT

"Light a candle for peace, light a candle for love, light a candle that shines all the way around the world. Light a candle for me, light a candle for you, so the wish of world peace will one day come true!"

This is one of the songs that Lower Elementary children presented at the Winter Concert last week. It was a wonderful event coming together once again as a community; many younger children were truly inspired by their older schoolmates.

It's hard to believe that we are at the end of the fall semester! There has been so much learning, growing independence, taking ownership of work and responsibilities, building connections and inspiring one other for the children and the adults at CMS.

This is also a season of giving and sharing. With the money earned at the International Festival, the Cypress students have purchased food for the Animal Shelter and donated it last week. Thank you for your support!

As we approach the end of the year, it’s natural to pause and reflect. This year has brought many changes, and with change comes growth. While we learn from our challenges, we also know that looking back can keep us from moving forward. I am truly grateful for our CMS community; the children who are the future, the families who trust us every day, and the dedicated staff who work so hard to make each day the best it can be. The changes we’re making are for the better, and I believe our strength comes from working together.

CMS will be closed from 12/22/25 - 1/5/26

We wish you Peace, Joy, Love with family and friends this holiday season, as well as health and prosperity in 2026!

Staff Highlights

Michelle Gao

Lower Elementary Guide

(at CMS since 2024)

Q) How long have you worked at CMS?
A) This is my second year at CMS. As a Montessori Elementary guide, I truly enjoy connecting with my students every day.

Q) How did you come to discover Montessori and how has it impacted your life?
A) I grew up with a very academic, high-pressure education in China. Montessori attracted me because it supports the whole child. After more than 20 years of learning and practicing Montessori, it has become one of my life’s missions.

Q) What is something you would recommend for parents?
A) A Montessori principle I love is: “Help me do it by myself.” At home, try offering small choices, asking guiding questions, encouraging responsibility, and giving emotional support—rather than making decisions for them. This builds independence and confidence.
Book: Raising Children Compassionately by Marshall B. Rosenberg.

Q) What do you do for fun outside of work?
A) I’m a lifelong learner—I enjoy reading and watching educational talks like TED. I also love exploring nature with my family.

CMS CALENDAR REMINDERS

December 19 - Last day of fall semester
December 22 - January 5 Winter break, CMS is closed
January 5 - All staff training
January 6 - First Day of Spring Semester

Subscribe to our CMS Calendar: CLICK HERE

The mission of Community Montessori School is to provide authentic Montessori education

in a nature-rich environment that cultivates collaboration, curiosity,

love of learning, and respect for oneself, others, and the world.

Celebrations

Tue, 09 Dec 2025 15:22:59 GMT

"As different as we are from one another, as unique as each one of us is, we are much more the same than we are different. That may be the most essential message of all, as we help our children grow toward being caring, compassionate, and charitable adults." - Mr. Rogers

In our Montessori community, celebrations bring opportunities to practice tolerance, gratitude, and appreciation of diversity. Through stories, music and art, the guides share information about various global festivals and fiestas like Diwali, Day of the Dead, Lunar New Year, Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Kwanza or Eid. Learning about those fosters peace, inclusivity and builds connections among classmates. More commercial in nature celebrations like Halloween or Valentine's are left to be enjoyed outside the school environment.

Birthdays have a very specific way of being shared with the child’s community. Through the “Walk Around the Sun” the child holds a globe and walks in a circle as many time as their age is. This can be emphasized by sharing pictures and milestones or events in the child’s life. Instead of focusing on receiving gifts, the child has an opportunity to give back to their community by donating a book, a plant or some supplies. Older classmates might create cards or write letters to the birthday child.

Grace and courtesy lessons allow for modeling an invitation to join, introducing oneself, polite conversations, usage of cutlery and cloth napkin, offering food and drink or maintaining eye contact. Practical life activities prepare the child to be an independent and contributing community member, one who can prepare decorations for the celebrations and assist in getting food items ready for family and friends.

With the departure of Rachel and Jennifer we have CMS staff Lynn O'Connor and Jennifer McGowan filling in their positions until permanent staff will be placed. If you have questions regarding enrollment please contact: admissions@community-montessori.org For inquiries related to finances please send an email to: business@community-montessori.org Thank you!

Staff Highlights

Jessica Beltran

Casita Guide

(at CMS since 2020)

Q) How long have you worked at CMS?
A) I’ve been at CMS for 5 years! I started as an assistant in the Sunflower Community and I am currently the Guide in the Poppy Community.

Q) How did you come to discover Montessori and how has it impacted your life?
A) When I became a mother, I was sure I would be a gentle parent. When that didn’t work for me, I started researching what I truly valued in my child’s development. Discovering freedom within limits was a game changer for my daughter and I went on from there.
When the pandemic hit, I found myself subbing in a classroom where I had previously worked. I introduced a few Montessori principles that immediately grounded some of the most frustrated children. They felt calm in a world that was very unsettled and took pride in themselves and their classroom. That “ah-ha” moment sparked a hunger for personal growth, and ultimately led me to pursue employment at a Montessori school. I’ve been at CMS ever since!

Q) What is something you would recommend for parents?
A) Board games! You are never too young or too old for board games and such! It is a great way to connect with your family, model grace and courtesy, laugh, and build memories.

Q) What do you do for fun outside of work?
A) I really love my time with my two children. We love to travel. Especially to see family! I’m also always up for a good day trip! Picnics, food trucks, and live music are always a hard yes!

CMS CALENDAR REMINDERS

December 9 - Elementary Winter Concert in the Georgetown Library 5:30 - 6:30
December 19 - Last day of fall semester
December 22 - January 5 Winter break, CMS is closed

Subscribe to our CMS Calendar: CLICK HERE

The mission of Community Montessori School is to provide authentic Montessori education

in a nature-rich environment that cultivates collaboration, curiosity,

love of learning, and respect for oneself, others, and the world.

Human Tendencies

Tue, 02 Dec 2025 20:43:32 GMT

Dr. Montessori observed that people of all ages tend to behave in certain predictable ways. She called these natural patterns “human tendencies.” They guide us throughout life and support our physical survival, emotional well-being, and overall development. Maria Montessori identified many of these tendencies, including: orientation, exploration, order, imagination, activity and movement, self-perfection, communication, association with others, and many more. These tendencies are always present, and Montessori education is designed to nurture them in healthy, meaningful ways.

Orientation is the process of adjusting to a new place or group and learning to feel comfortable and at home in that environment. Emotionally, orientation involves understanding the expectations and routines of the community where everyone feels respected, shares responsibilities, and can grow toward independence.
Exploration is the natural tendency that drives us to learn about the world and seek answers to our questions. We explore through observing, researching experimenting, and discovering. As we broaden our understanding, we construct ourselves as individuals, as well as our societies and cultures. In early childhood exploration happens through the senses while the elementary age children expand their exploration through imagination and “Going Outs” where they learn from real experiences in the community beyond the classroom.
Order is essential from the moment a child is born. Having order in their surroundings helps children develop the internal structure they need to feel secure and function well in any situation. This includes keeping the environment organized, establishing predictable routines, and taking responsibility for personal belongings. These simple habits support the development of intellectual growth. Both physical and mental order play a key role in building strong executive functioning skills which are vital for success in school, work, and everyday life.
Imagination is the ability to create mental images based on real experiences. It includes curiosity, creativity, and the capacity to combine memories and observations to form new ideas. Thanks to imagination, early humans were able to develop clothing, shelter, transportation, and forms of communication. Today, the same human imagination continues to drive innovation and make what once seemed impossible become reality.
Activity and movement involve using both the body and the mind, our hands and our thinking, to engage with the world around us. Through purposeful activity, children develop important skills that help them become productive, independent, and confident. In Montessori, we often refer to this activity as “work,” because it supports a child’s growth and self-construction. Just as the hand cannot work without the mind, the mind cannot fully develop without the work of the hand.
Self-perfection is the tendency that drives us to keep improving in all areas of life. Throughout history, from simple shelters and stone tools to skyscrapers and modern technology, humans have continuously sought to make things better. This desire to refine, improve, and progress is a powerful force that helps us grow as individuals and as a society.
Communication allows us to share ideas, feelings, and opinions, helping us build meaningful connections with others. We communicate in many ways, through gestures, spoken words, writing, music, art, and more. Humans are naturally wired to communicate; even infants express their needs from the very beginning. As children grow, their communication becomes more sophisticated, and they develop a deeper ability to understand others, including reading body language and social cues.
Association with others refers to the connections we form with groups and communities, and the way we learn from their shared knowledge and experiences. Humans depend on one another, and together we create a global community. Feeling a sense of belonging is essential, it helps us thrive, contribute meaningfully, and share responsibilities within the group.

All Ages Playdate

CMS Playground

December 7
10AM - Noon

Staff Highlights

Diana Silakov

Children's House Assistant

(at CMS since 2019)

Q) How long have you worked at CMS?
A) I have been at CMS for six years. With a small break in between. I have worked as a sub, a floater, and an assistant in the Casita and children’s house classrooms.

Q) How did you come to discover Montessori and how has it impacted your life?
A) I discovered Montessori in college through my education courses. Montessori there was just a small blimp of information in a textbook. I truly saw it in action when I was nannying for a family. The children were so self-sufficient. They cooked alongside with me, they mended their clothing, they tended to their own garden. It was amazing and a bit frightening to see such small children handling knives, and sewing needles but they with such precise care. It was that family that really showed the possibility of Montessori working in the real world.

Q) What is something you would recommend for parents?
A) My advice would be to include your children with everyday life prep. Let them help with cooking, laundry, vacuuming, etc. It’s not going to be perfect and it may take a bit longer, but they’ll have those self sufficient basic skills to be proud of.

Q) What do you do for fun outside of work?
A) I love to travel, craft, spend time with my family and do a lot of estate sale shopping.

CMS CALENDAR REMINDERS

December 7 - All Ages Playdate CMS Playground 10-12
December 9 - Elementary Winter Concert in the Georgetown Library, 5:30-6:30PM

Subscribe to our CMS Calendar: CLICK HERE

The mission of Community Montessori School is to provide authentic Montessori education

in a nature-rich environment that cultivates collaboration, curiosity,

love of learning, and respect for oneself, others, and the world.

Gratitude for What Counts

Tue, 18 Nov 2025 21:51:51 GMT

G - GROWTH MINDSET Helps children understand that their abilities can improve with effort, persistence, and practice. In our classrooms, we support this by giving children choices in their learning, encouraging them to learn from mistakes, focusing on the process rather than the final product, and helping them reflect on their progress. Having a growth mindset teaches children to be resilient, solve problems, stay motivated, and believe that hard work leads to success. When a child feels frustrated and says, “I can’t do this,” we gently remind them, “You can’t do it yet,” “You should be proud of your effort,” or “That’s a creative way to solve that problem! ”A growth mindset is not only important for children also adults need it to continue learning, improving, and overcoming life’s challenges.

R - RESPECT We teach respect by modeling the behavior we want children to learn and by giving lessons in grace and courtesy. This helps children learn to respect themselves, others, and their environment. When we honor each child’s individuality and abilities, they begin to develop self-respect which is an essential foundation for confidence and pride. Adults show respect for a child’s concentration by observing quietly without interrupting. When a child makes a mistake, we often give them the opportunity to figure out the solution on their own instead of correcting them right away. Rather than punishing negative behavior, we gently redirect it. For example, if a child hits, the adult might say, “I can’t let you hurt your friend. I’m going to sit here between you,” while calmly setting a clear boundary. Respect begins with simple actions like offering a toddler your hand to guide them and grows as we continue to give children meaningful choices throughout their lives.

A - ADAPTATION Is a lifelong process in which people learn from and respond to their environment. For children, this includes both the unconscious way they absorb the language, culture, and routines around them, and the conscious skills they develop through independence, work, and social interactions. In our approach, we also adapt the classroom environment and materials to meet each child’s individual needs. Young children have what Dr. Montessori called the absorbent mind , a remarkable ability to naturally take in everything from their surroundings. Because of this, the structure and tone of the classroom matter. Freedom within limits helps children understand expectations and follow community rules so everyone can feel happy, productive, and a true sense of belonging. Adjusting to how things work in a Montessori classroom takes time. Adults guide children patiently, with repetition and gentle boundaries, sometimes limiting freedoms until the child is ready to handle them independently. Instead of saying “Don’t run,” we say, “Walk, please.” Instead of “Don’t drop it!” we say, “I know you can carry the tray like this.” These positive, encouraging statements help children build confidence and take ownership of their actions.

T - TEAM WORK Develops naturally in a Montessori environment. Mixed-age classrooms allow older children to mentor younger ones, and collaborative projects give students opportunities to share responsibilities and work toward common goals. Children also practice teamwork during daily practical life activities, caring for the classroom environment, participating in group games, and learning conflict resolution skills. These experiences help build empathy, cooperation, and a strong sense of community. The adults in the classroom, both the guide and the assistant, model teamwork by staying consistent, communicating clearly, and supporting each other. When a child needs extra support, collaboration becomes even more important. School staff, parents, and outside professionals may all work together to ensure the child’s success. True teamwork involves dividing tasks, communicating effectively, meeting timelines, and using each person’s strengths for the benefit of the group. Children in a Montessori environment practice these skills every day, helping them grow into confident leaders who can work well with others while staying flexible.

I - INCLUSION In an inclusive community, every child, regardless of background, ability, or identity, feels safe, valued, and respected. Inclusion means creating an environment without barriers, honoring each child’s unique strengths and cultural heritage, and adapting learning to meet individual needs. What makes our CMS community truly special is the diversity of children and families who come together in one place. By embracing the many cultures represented in our school and their aspects such as different languages, beliefs, and customs, children build friendships, learn from one another, and gain unforgettable experiences. These daily interactions foster understanding, acceptance, and a deep sense of belonging for everyone.

T - TEACHING ONE ANOTHER In Montessori classrooms, children develop empathy, patience, and respect for others’ work simply by learning together. Because our classrooms include a mix of ages, older children naturally become mentors, helping guide younger classmates. Younger children learn by watching and imitating older peers, while older children strengthen their own understanding by teaching what they know. This dynamic creates a warm, supportive community where everyone grows together. Even in the toddler environment you can hear phrases: “Help me, please” between the classmates while in Children House: “Do you need help?” becomes a frequent offer among the peers. In the elementary environments teaching one another inspires the children to explore their interests further and creates common goals which might begin a business project or support the needs of larger community outside the classroom and solve problems in innovative ways.

U - UNIVERSE Dr. Montessori believed that Cosmic Education was the ideal way to introduce children to the wonders of the universe and help them understand how everything is connected. She recognized that elementary aged children are naturally curious, imaginative, and eager to explore big ideas thus making this stage of development perfect for discovering these relationships and seeing their place in the world. In her book, “To Educate the Human Potential”, Dr. Montessori says, ". . . let us give [the child] a vision of the whole universe. The universe is an imposing reality, and an answer to all questions . . . all things are part of the universe, and are connected to each other to form one whole unity."

D - DIVERSITY We promote diversity by offering a curriculum that includes multicultural materials, activities, and lessons focused on peace, respect, and empathy for people around the world. This approach helps children develop a strong sense of community both within the classroom and in the larger global community. A diverse learning environment exposes children to different cultures, perspectives, and experiences. This enriches their critical thinking, encourages them to see the world through multiple viewpoints, and helps them develop an understanding of fairness, equity, and social responsibility.

E - EMPATHY Children who develop empathy are better at making friends, working with others, and resolving conflicts peacefully. Learning to “put themselves in someone else’s shoes” helps them understand how others might feel and respond thoughtfully. Imagine a child noticing a friend is sad and offering a kind word or sharing a toy, that’s empathy in action which we encourage in daily interactions . Building emotional intelligence, the ability to understand and manage both their own emotions and the emotions of others, equips children with a key skill for navigating life successfully. Handling challenges, building strong relationships, and growing into thoughtful, caring adults begins early a through the guidance of loving adults.

Staff Highlights

Denise Mazula

Children's House Assistant

(at CMS since 2007)

Q) How long have you worked at CMS?
A) I’ve worked at CMS for 18 years. When I first started I worked in the nap room and after care and I loved it and for the past 17 years I’ve worked as a Children’s House assistant with Cindy Ma and I love it so very much. The children I really enjoy.

Q) How did you come to discover Montessori and how has it impacted your life?
A) I used to work at daycare centers and applied to work at the Montessori school and had no idea how Montessori was. I was really surprised about the Montessori method of learning. I believe so much in Montessori and it has impacted my life. As a parent I was amazed with the Montessori method.

Q) What is something you would recommend for parents?
A) For parents I would really like to stress about how important it is to let your child do things for themselves. I had no idea that a toddler was so capable of doing so much and they really need to be independent. Jut like Dr. Maria Montessori advocated for the children, “Let me do it by myself”. For example putting on their shoes, dressing themselves, helping in the house, sweeping, cleaning, etc. Children are so smart and capable and love to help.

Q) What do you do for fun outside of work?
A) Outside of work I am busy helping my mom and taking her to appointments, spending time with my grand baby, seeing my friends, going places with my husband and getting to see my own children every week. Then if I have time I enjoy getting my nails done.

CMS CALENDAR REMINDERS

November 24-28 - Closed for Thanksgiving Break
December 7 - All Ages Playdate CMS Playground 10-12

Subscribe to our CMS Calendar: CLICK HERE

The mission of Community Montessori School is to provide authentic Montessori education

in a nature-rich environment that cultivates collaboration, curiosity,

love of learning, and respect for oneself, others, and the world.

CMS - An International Community

Tue, 11 Nov 2025 21:55:17 GMT

The International Festival that takes place at CMS every fall, is a gathering of families from all around the world to learn about other people and places that each classroom has been preparing to share. It’s such a fun and enriching experience, and this year we have travelled from Venezuela, India, Egypt, Japan and China through Spain, Ukraine, Italy, France and Canada. It was wonderful seeing everyone and if you missed it, mark your calendars for next year!

Diversity in a Montessori Classroom
At Montessori schools, diversity is more than a value and it’s a daily practice. We celebrate differences in culture, language, family background, and ability to help every child feel welcome and valued. By learning about the world and the people in it, children develop empathy, respect, and an understanding that we are all connected.

How We Foster Diversity at CMS Through a culturally rich curriculum:
Children are introduced to stories, songs, and activities from many cultures and traditions. This helps them appreciate both what makes people unique and what we share in common.

With an inclusive environment:
Our classrooms are designed to make every child feel seen and respected. The materials, books, and visuals we use reflect the diversity of the world around us.

Using diverse learning materials:
Montessori materials are thoughtfully chosen to represent a variety of people, family structures, and communities so that all children can see themselves in their learning.

Practicing peace and communication skills:
Through practical lessons in kindness, problem solving, and cooperation, children learn how to navigate differences and build strong, caring relationships.

Vast representation in staff:
Many Montessori schools also work to hire and support educators from diverse backgrounds, giving children a broader range of role models.

Hi CMS Families!
You are invited to a casual, open meeting at the Georgetown Library on November 19th, 11:30 am to 1 pm. This gathering isn't affiliated with the school or the school board (though they're supportive of it happening), it's simply a chance for families to come together in a safe neutral space to talk, listen, and share thoughts about the changes and evolution of our school community.
No agenda, no spin, just honest conversation, and connection.
Hope to see you there! If you don’t have childcare, please bring your kiddos!

Staff Highlights

Andres Araiza

Upper Elementary Guide

(at CMS since 2022)

Q) How long have you worked at CMS?
A) I joined CMS in February 2022 as a Casita assistant in the Rosemary community. I then moved up to Upper Elementary, where I worked as an assistant for three school years, serving the Cypress and Redbud communities. I now have the honor of being the Lead Guide for Cypress. I've also worked a few summers supporting the Elementary and Children's House Summer Camps. I am so grateful for each of these experiences. They have helped me deepen my understanding of Montessori and form meaningful connections with children, staff, and parents throughout CMS.

Q) How did you come to discover Montessori and how has it impacted your life?
A) I first came across Montessori through a book, and I was struck by how it honored the whole child. I didn't realize at the time the impact that Montessori would have on my future. When I moved to Texas in 2022, that initial curiosity began to take shape, and it was CMS that gave me the opportunity to start my journey in Montessori. Since joining CMS, I've gotten married, started a family, earned a bachelor's degree, completed AMI 6-12 training, and stepped into the role of a Montessori guide. On top of that, my daughter is now in Casita, bringing things full circle for me. Montessori and specifically CMS have given so much to me. My only hope is to keep serving this wonderful school for as long as possible.

Q) What is something you would recommend for parents?
A) We are fortunate that Dr. Montessori was a prolific writer. While there are insightful books on Montessori written more recently, there is great value in going directly to the source. A few titles I recommend are To Educate the Human Potential, The Formation of Man, and Education and Peace. At home, I would recommend creating opportunities for children to take the lead, whether it's through cooking, planning a grocery store outing, or tackling small projects around the house. Of course, initial guidance is important, but the trust they feel in these moments is so fruitful to their growing independence and confidence.

Q) What do you do for fun outside of work?
A) Outside of work, I enjoy attending comedy shows and music festivals. I’ve also always been fascinated by ancient civilizations, and I love visiting archaeological sites whenever I can. I’ve had the privilege of exploring places like Teotihuacan, Tikal, Lamanai, Xunantunich, Caracol, and Angkor Wat, and I hope to one day visit Egypt and Peru! More than anything, what brings me the greatest joy these days is spending time with my wife and daughter. Whether we’re at home or out exploring together, finding ways to make them smile and laugh is what fills my cup the most.

CMS CALENDAR REMINDERS

- November 24-28 - Closed for Thanksgiving Break

Subscribe to our CMS Calendar: CLICK HERE

The mission of Community Montessori School is to provide authentic Montessori education

in a nature-rich environment that cultivates collaboration, curiosity,

love of learning, and respect for oneself, others, and the world.

Nurturing Future Leaders Through Montessori Education

Tue, 04 Nov 2025 17:01:59 GMT

Educating children is one of the most meaningful and rewarding journeys we can embark on and also one of the most demanding. The Montessori approach offers a unique way of teaching that nurtures critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity, skills that are essential for success and leadership in the 21st century.

At the heart of Montessori education is a belief that learning should be a lifelong passion. We aim to inspire children with a love of discovery that continues well beyond the classroom. From their earliest experiences, Montessori students are encouraged to be curious, flexible, and adaptable. They learn to work in diverse environments, develop self-confidence, and continually seek personal growth. These qualities prepare them not only to participate in the world but to lead and innovate within it.

Throughout the day, children of all ages have many opportunities to communicate and collaborate. Whether they’re working together on a project, planning an activity, solving a disagreement, or helping a classmate, they’re constantly learning how to express themselves respectfully and listen to others. Using “I” statements, sharing ideas, and finding solutions together helps them develop empathy which is a key quality of strong, compassionate leaders.

Critical thinking and creativity naturally grow in the Montessori classroom. The hands-on materials encourage children to explore, experiment, and self-correct. From fitting puzzle pieces together to discovering why a process didn’t work as expected, children learn through doing and reflecting. Their curiosity drives them to ask “why” and “how,” to explore new perspectives, and to understand complex concepts at a deeper level.

This process of exploration and reflection helps Montessori students become confident problem solvers and innovators who approach challenges with clarity, curiosity, and care. By fostering independence, empathy, and a genuine love of learning, Montessori education equips children with the tools they need to shape a better future.

International Festival is This Saturday!

The International Festival is one of our favorite events of the school year. Each classroom sets up a booth representing a different country and children are invited to pick up a passport and collect stamps from each booth. You don't want to miss it! Please consider volunteering to work a shift at your child's classroom table. We need volunteers to make this event happen. See you there!

Staff Highlights

Harmoni Anderson

Afterschool Coordinator

(at CMS since 2020)

Q) How long have you worked at CMS?
A) This is my 5th year at CMS. I started out as elementary aftercare provider and then was promoted to Afterschool Care Coordinator. I also served as the librarian at the same time for a couple years in the middle.

Q) How did you come to discover Montessori and how has it impacted your life?
A) I have a background in special education and child development and Montessori education would show up in my schooling and training. This is my second Montessori school to work at and my favorite! Montessori has impacted my life positively. Working at CMS has enabled me to work on my leadership skills while learning just how independent even the youngest child could be.

Q) What is something you would recommend for parents?
A ) While not necessarily Montessori, a visual schedule is incredibly helpful for children of all ages and abilities. This could be the steps for washing hands, getting dressed, doing chores around the house, etc. Put in a easily seen spot. Having both the words and the pictures helps to build vocabulary while helping children understand sequencing. It will cut down on frustration for families when having to go through a specific process.

Q) What do you do for fun outside of work?
A) My hobbies and interests include singing and music, fashion and makeup, reviewing movies and tv shows for a pod cast, and and enjoying Kpop and dramas.

CMS CALENDAR REMINDERS

- November 8 - International Festival

- November 24-28 - Closed for Thanksgiving Break

Subscribe to our CMS Calendar: CLICK HERE

The mission of Community Montessori School is to provide authentic Montessori education

in a nature-rich environment that cultivates collaboration, curiosity,

love of learning, and respect for oneself, others, and the world.

Montessori Model UN

Tue, 28 Oct 2025 13:43:40 GMT

Experts believe that 65% of children starting primary school now will work in jobs that don’t exist today. Tomorrow’s workforce will need to be more adaptable than ever before and work-life balance will only become more important. By encouraging critical thinking and confidence, Montessori education prepares children not only for the modern workplace, but for life. We believe that education is about optimizing human capacity, not simply acquiring knowledge and taking exams. ( Louise Livingstone, "The Magic of Montessori – 5 Things That Make Montessori Special" )

The Montessori Model United Nations (MMUN) program is one way we are preparing students for future success. This remarkable program is for students ages 9 to 15, and offers them the chance to participate, either online or in person, in thoughtful debates about current global issues and to propose real world solutions. Dr. Maria Montessori observed that children at this age are deeply sensitive to fairness and justice. MMUN builds on this natural empathy by guiding students through a year long learning journey.

With the support of their teachers, students research their assigned country, study global topics, and prepare speeches and resolutions. At the end of the program, children come together with Montessori peers from around the world to engage in formal debates, representing their countries and presenting their solutions to international challenges. This unique experience helps these young people develop essential life skills such as critical thinking, academic writing, public speaking, collaboration, negotiation, and leadership. At the same time this opportunity aids in nurturing a sense of global citizenship and social responsibility.

The United Nations (UN) was created after World War II to advocate for peace, defend human rights, and support global cooperation. The UN headquarters is located in New York City, and MMUN participants have the unforgettable opportunity to gather and debate in the actual General Assembly Hall, where world leaders meet to shape the future. MMUN conferences are well regarded for their academic rigor and high standards and can help students strengthen their college and job applications. This fall, our 5th and 6th graders, assisted by Lynn O'Connor and Piya Dasgupta, are hard at work preparing for the 2026 MMUN conference. We are cheering them on and are looking forward to their finale!

International Festival

Staff Highlights

Lynn O'Connor

Learning Support Coordinator

(at CMS since 2025)

Q) How long have you worked at CMS?
A) This is my first year at CMS and I've joined the team as the Learning Support Coordinator.

Q) How did you come to discover Montessori and how has it impacted your life?
A) After working in marketing and event planning for the music and non-profit industries I stumbled into a Montessori classroom and was in absolute awe of seeing what children were capable of. I assisted in classrooms at different age levels before finding my home in elementary, where I spent the last 10 beautiful years as a guide in Boerne. As a Montessorian the philosophy ingrains itself into who you are at the core - it is a constant learning and unlearning, slowing down, and being present to witness the gift that is the work of the child. My experiences with students and their families are ones that I hold dear to my heart and give me hope for what the future holds.

Q) What is something you would recommend for parents?
A) A book: "Outdoor Kids in an Inside World" by Steven Rinella

Q) What do you do for fun outside of work?
A) I'm a big fan of going to live shows for both music and comedy. I believe novel experiences help to rewire our brains and give us new perspectives, so I love trying new foods, new exercise/wellness trends, and visiting new places. I also enjoy settling in with a good book and I'm always up for recommendations!

CMS CALENDAR REMINDERS

- October 22-31 - Parent-Teacher Conferences

- November 8 - International Festival

- November 24-28 - Closed for Thanksgiving Break

Subscribe to our CMS Calendar: CLICK HERE

The mission of Community Montessori School is to provide authentic Montessori education

in a nature-rich environment that cultivates collaboration, curiosity,

love of learning, and respect for oneself, others, and the world.

Seasons Bring Out Gifts From Nature

Tue, 21 Oct 2025 13:40:21 GMT

While Texas weather doesn’t always showcase the full range of the four seasons, this time of year still brings a gentle taste of autumn. We begin to notice small but meaningful signs: the leaves shifting in color, cooler mornings touched with dew and fog, acorns scattered on the ground, and of course pumpkins making their annual appearance. Exploring these objects offers a wonderful opportunity to naturally introduce lessons in language, math/geometry, biology, art, and music.

These seasonal changes, even when subtle, offer rich opportunities for children to connect with nature. Time spent outdoors helps children develop a deep sense of wonder, curiosity, and peace. It nurtures respect for all living things and teaches patience as they observe the slow, intentional rhythms of the natural world.

In our elementary classrooms, children explore these ideas through lessons like the “Timeline of Life,” where they learn that every living being has a purpose and that purpose is often to serve and support others. Even our youngest learners in Casita are drawn to observing insects at work, plants growing, and the way each part of our ecosystem depends on another.

Through these experiences, children not only grow in knowledge, but in empathy and a sense of belonging within the larger world around them. Caring for the natural environment allows us to make meaningful contributions today while ensuring that future generations can continue to enjoy the beauty of our planet including the wonder of seasonal changes.

“There is no description, no image in any book that is capable of replacing the sight of real trees, and all the life to be found around them, in a real forest... The wood reveals that it is not only the trees that exist, but a whole, interrelated collection of lives.” Montessori, From Childhood to Adolescence

Garden and Building Volunteers

We’re excited to invite gardening and building volunteers to help us create our upcoming orchard! If you have a green thumb or simply want to lend a hand and contribute to our beautiful campus, we would love for you to get involved. Parents and family members are welcome to join our volunteer list. For more information, please email Vrodriguez@community-montessori.org .

Fall Conferences are this and next week . We are looking forward to seeing you!

Staff Highlights

Katie Elder

Lower Elementary Assistant

(at CMS since 2023)

Q) How long have you worked at CMS?
A) This is my second year at CMS as the assistant in Juniper, one of the Lower Elementary classrooms.

Q) How did you come to discover Montessori and how has it impacted your life?
A) Before coming to CMS I got to be a bilingual first grade and kindergarten teacher for 10 years at a public school in Round Rock. I enjoy learning about different pedagogies and after having my daughter I pursued an assistant position at CMS to learn more about Montessori.My daughter turned 1 year and 4 months old when I started working here last year, and I’m thankful for the timing. Learning about the core Montessori principles has aligned so well with me and my husband’s vision for raising her.

Q) What is something you would recommend for parents?
A) I recommend practicing pausing. When our lives get busy we can forget to slow down and process, for ourselves and with our children. Pause to make eye contact with your child when picking them up from school. Let yourself pause when you’re thinking of how to respond to your child in a certain situation–you don’t have to have all the answers immediately, and maybe ever. When your child has a conflict or is starting to get frustrated with a task, pause and observe before trying to fix it. Teach them how to ask for help when they’ve already tried finding solutions for themself and step in only when they ask for help. I think that modeling how to slow down and take time to think before responding is a powerful skill for our kids to see modeled to them.

Q) What do you do for fun outside of work?
A) I love getting cozy at home with a candle and tea while reading or playing video games and board games. Stardew Valley, Wingspan and Catan are some of my favorites. Just about anything is an adventure with my 2 ½ year old! We love reading books, going on walks in the neighborhood and visiting family in Boerne and Houston on the weekends. I also enjoy yoga, hiking, camping, and playing pickleball.

CMS CALENDAR REMINDERS

October 22-31st - Parent-Teacher Conferences
November 8th - International Festival

Subscribe to our CMS Calendar: CLICK HERE

The mission of Community Montessori School is to provide authentic Montessori education

in a nature-rich environment that cultivates collaboration, curiosity,

love of learning, and respect for oneself, others, and the world.

Care of Self and the Environment

Tue, 14 Oct 2025 13:24:45 GMT

In Montessori education, care of self and care of the environment are key components that help children build independence, responsibility, and respect for themselves and others.

From a very young age, children are encouraged to do things for themselves like feeding, dressing, brushing teeth, toileting, and preparing simple snacks. These tasks may seem small, but they help children develop important life skills such as coordination, concentration, and confidence. As they grow, children take on more responsibility, like packing their own lunch, choosing their clothes, or helping a sibling.

Alongside self-care, children also learn to care for their environment. Even toddlers participate by setting the table, sweeping, watering plants, and tidying up. These activities teach children that their actions impact the shared spaces around them. For example, forgetting to water the plants can cause them to wilt, or not putting away materials can make it harder for others to work.

Montessori classrooms are carefully prepared to support these activities. Children learn that keeping things clean, organized, and beautiful benefits everyone. They experience a deep sense of belonging and pride in contributing to their community, skills that carry into life at home and beyond.

By encouraging care of self and the environment, Montessori education fosters capable, respectful, and thoughtful individuals who are empowered to make a positive impact in their world.

Garden and Building Volunteers

Fall Conferences are coming up. Please sign up using the link in your guide's Friday email.

Parent Support Group
for Diverse Learners

Parents of diverse learners will be gathering at the Georgetown Library on October 20th for an informal support group to connect, share resources, and build community. All are welcome!

Staff Highlights

Veronica Rodriguez

Academic Program Specialist

(at CMS since 2020)

Q) How long have you worked at CMS?
A) I have worked at CMS for 5 years. During this time, I have served in several roles including Lower Elementary Guide, Level Coordinator, Mixed Media in Art Enrichments and Creative Writer’s Workshop, Elementary Coach, and currently, Academic Program Specialist. Each position has given me opportunities to support students, collaborate with colleagues, and contribute to academic program development within the school.

Q) How did you come to discover Montessori and how has it impacted your life?
A) I discovered Montessori education while searching for a holistic, whole-child approach for my then 18-month-old daughter, Lourdes. What I found was a visionary philosophy rooted in the rich intersections of natural sciences, philosophy, and historical thought leaders. Maria Montessori’s methodology has evolved and expanded into a comprehensive framework of human development, emphasizing collaboration, innovation, and discovery—through the eyes and hands of the child.

Experiencing Montessori from both the parental and educator sides has also supported a profoundly clear message: that our task still remains what it was for Dr. Montessori- to realize ourselves and to help the world to realize the powerful force for humanity’s salvation that lies in the child.

Q) What is something you would recommend for parents?
A) Head out and create alongside your child! Creativity isn’t limited to artistic talent or manual skills—it’s about nurturing the ability to imagine, solve everyday challenges in new ways, take risks, and express love and curiosity. Gather everyday materials, such as cardboard and objects from nature, and offer simple construction tools. Invite your child to collaborate and explore their creative ideas with you. Don’t be afraid of making mistakes; instead, ask your child for help, and work together to find solutions. You’ll likely find your child guiding you beyond your usual boundaries and into a vibrant world full of endless possibilities!

Q) What do you do for fun outside of work?
A) Outside of work, I enjoy a wide mix of hobbies that keep me inspired—such as occasionally performing improv stand-up comedy, baking while perfecting my grandmother’s family recipes, cross-stitching, and creating entomology bell jars. Growing up as a self-proclaimed theatre kid and classically trained ballet folklórico dancer, I love to dance, sing, and perform. I’m also an avid fan of true crime shows! Above all is the time spent with my 19 year old daughter, Lourdes (now in medical school!), my mini dachshund, Hazel Rose Anna-Maria, and 3 male cats: Louie Cilantro, Charlie Bean, and Canelo Panelo.

CMS CALENDAR REMINDERS

October 20th - Parent Support Group for Diverse Learners (Georgetown Library), 8:30-9:30am
October 22-31st - Parent-Teacher Conferences
November 8th - International Festival

Subscribe to our CMS Calendar: CLICK HERE

The mission of Community Montessori School is to provide authentic Montessori education

in a nature-rich environment that cultivates collaboration, curiosity,

love of learning, and respect for oneself, others, and the world.

A Community of Respect and Understanding

Tue, 07 Oct 2025 13:39:04 GMT

From an early age, children absorb societal expectations about behavior, appearance, and belonging. When they don’t fit typical norms, they can sometimes be teased or misunderstood.

In Montessori classrooms, children grow within a carefully prepared environment, a “mini-society” that values respect, empathy, and community. Guides model grace and courtesy, helping children learn how to communicate and resolve conflicts peacefully. When safety isn’t a concern, adults observe from a distance, allowing children to practice problem solving and self-regulation.

Through daily work and play, children are encouraged to consider others’ perspectives and reflect on how their words and actions affect those around them. The diversity of ages, backgrounds, skills, and personalities makes our classrooms vibrant and inclusive spaces for learning.

Montessori classrooms have clear anti-bullying policies, emphasizing kindness, safety, and mutual respect. Guides intervene only when necessary to prevent harm, using redirection or calming strategies, and families are partners in supporting these values at home. Every report of unkind behavior is taken seriously to ensure that each child feels secure, valued, and part of a caring community.

When children are surrounded by compassion and guided with respect, they learn to extend that same care to others. Together, we’re helping raise a generation of confident, empathetic young people who understand that kindness truly matters.

Montessori Adolescent Program

Exciting things are happening! Preparations for the reopening of our Adolescent Program in August 2026 are in full swing. Stay tuned for more updates soon!

Parent Support Group
for Diverse Learners

Parents of diverse learners will be gathering at the Georgetown Library on October 20th for an informal support group to connect, share resources, and build community. All are welcome!

Staff Highlights

Sara Rosas-Sanchez

Children's House Assistant

(at CMS since 2022)

Q) How long have you worked at CMS?
A) This is my fourth year working at CMS. The whole time as an assistant in the Lilac Children's House Community.

Q) How did you come to discover Montessori and how has it impacted your life?
A) I discovered Montessori when we enrolled my oldest child in a Montessori school when he was a toddler. I was hired as an assistant guide for the Nido classroom at that same school. I observed how children from a few weeks old were benefiting from this approach in education. It was amazing to see infants sitting in chairs independently, drinking from open cups, cleaning after themselves, and engaging in lessons. I was offered the opportunity to train as a Guide for the 0-3 age group, and went for it! After a couple of years as a toddler lead guide, I came to work at CMS and now enjoy working with 3-6 year olds. My oldest is now in Lower Elementary, and my youngest is in Casita. I love seeing them grow in their communities!

Q) What is something you would recommend for parents?
A) One thing I recommend to parents is to let go of some of their own expectations about what they think their children need to be. Our children are constantly changing, and growing into their own, fascinating selves. Give them a chance to show you who they are! And always assume they can do things before jumping in to assist. It will help them see how capable they are. I also recommend the book Good Inside, by Dr. Becky Kennedy. Lots of relatable and helpful information for parents in all stages.

Q) What do you do for fun outside of work?
A) I love music (piano and singing). I used to sing in a choir before moving to Texas. That was my favorite thing to do, but have yet to find a choir close to me. I also recently started doing martial arts. It was something I enjoyed as a teenager, and have been pleasantly surprised to find out I still love it! On weekends I enjoy finding new activities and places to visit with my children. Trying new foods too!

CMS CALENDAR REMINDERS

October 13th - No School
October 20th - Parent Support Group for Diverse Learners (Georgetown Library), 8:30-9:30am
October 22-31st - Parent-Teacher Conferences
November 8th - International Festival

Subscribe to our CMS Calendar: CLICK HERE

The mission of Community Montessori School is to provide authentic Montessori education

in a nature-rich environment that cultivates collaboration, curiosity,

love of learning, and respect for oneself, others, and the world.

The Montessori Environment

Tue, 30 Sep 2025 14:57:56 GMT

Two week ago we explored the work of the adult in our Montessori classroom, and last week we reviewed the work of the child. This week we want to present the third part of the learning triangle: The Montessori Environment.

These three key elements, The Child, The Adult, and The Environment, work in harmony. In the Montessori classroom, the child is always at the center. The teacher’s role is to carefully observe, plan, and guide each child’s learning journey, while the environment itself is thoughtfully prepared to foster independence, exploration, and discovery.

Montessori classrooms are designed to feel inviting, enticing, and beautiful. Materials are arranged in an orderly way, scaled to the child’s size and level of independence, and crafted from natural, realistic elements such as wood, glass, and ceramic. Each material is scientifically designed to support development, beginning as early as the Casita level. Through practical life and sensorial work, children build the foundation for math, language, and science. Because the materials are self-correcting, children learn by experiencing and adjusting to mistakes naturally, without being graded, compared, or corrected.

Freedom and responsibility in the classroom complement one another with clear, respectful limits: only one of each material is available, children learn to care for and handle the materials responsibly, and readiness is respected before introducing new work. Children respect their environment by speaking softly indoors, walking carefully around others’ work, waiting for an invitation before touching another’s activity, and always returning materials to their proper place. This balance of freedom, responsibility, and respect is what allows the Montessori environment to nurture both independence and community.

All Ages Playdate

Join us for our first All-Ages Playdate of the school year! The CMS playground will be open on Sunday, October 5th, from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. This is a wonderful opportunity to meet families from other classes. The event is hosted by parent volunteers, and the office will be open for bathroom access.

Parent Support Group
for Diverse Learners

Parents of diverse learners will be gathering at the Georgetown Library on October 20th for an informal support group to connect, share resources, and build community. All are welcome!

Staff Highlights

Jessica Clark

Lower Elementary Guide

(at CMS since 2023)

Q) How long have you worked at CMS?
A) This is my second year at CMS as the Guide in the Magnolia Lower Elementary Community, but I have worked in education for 17 years. I first trained at the Houston Montessori Center to become an AMS certified Montessori teacher. I was a Montessori elementary guide at School of the Woods in Houston for 9 years, and Waco Montessori for 3 years. When I joined CMS, I went back to school again and completed the AMI elementary training through the Montessori Northwest training center in Portland, OR. I have always worked with the 6-9 year olds, they are my favorite. =)

Q) How did you discover Montessori and how has it impacted your life?
A) My mother is an educator and worked in public school and then transitioned to become a Montessori teacher. She worked with Children's House aged children. She is the reason I fell in love with education and Montessori. And I truly love working in a Montessori environment; it is challenging and rewarding. My three beautiful boys attend CMS and are receiving a Montessori education. And so, Montessori has been and continues to be a huge part of my life.

Q) What is something you would recommend for parents?
A) My biggest recommendation for parents is to read to your children. Expose your children to a variety of books and enjoy the conversations that come with them. It is a wonderful bonding experience and it is so beneficial for your child's reading and writing abilities. One of my favorite authors is Kate DiCamillo, I would recommend any of her books for elementary children.

Q) What do you do for fun outside of work?
A) Outside of work I enjoy embroidery and reading. I also love building with Lego bricks, playing superheroes, card games, and watching baseball practices and games with my boys.

CMS CALENDAR REMINDERS

October 5th - All Ages Playdate (CMS Playground), 10am-noon
October 13th - No School
October 20th - Parent Support Group for Diverse Learners (Georgetown Library), 8:30-9:30am
October 22-31st - Parent-Teacher Conferences
November 8th - International Festival

Subscribe to our CMS Calendar: CLICK HERE

The mission of Community Montessori School is to provide authentic Montessori education

in a nature-rich environment that cultivates collaboration, curiosity,

love of learning, and respect for oneself, others, and the world.

The Work of the Child

Tue, 23 Sep 2025 15:32:09 GMT

The work of the child in Montessori education is purposeful and self-driven, guided by exploration and focused on process rather than product. From birth to age six, children concentrate on self-construction; between six and twelve, they develop intelligence and morality; adolescents, ages twelve to eighteen, seek identity and peer connection; and young adults, eighteen to twenty-four, work toward economic independence and finding their place in the world.

At every stage, Montessori supports the development of the whole child, fostering independence as well as physical, social-emotional, and cognitive growth. From refining motor skills and engaging the senses, to preparing for advanced learning in math, science, and language, to exploring culture, art, and music, Montessori education weaves together all areas of learning in an interconnected web.

Last Call for Enrichments!

Twice each year, CMS offers after-school enrichment opportunities for students in Children’s House and Elementary. These programs are led by outside organizations and take place on our campus. Registration for Fall Enrichments ends September 24th.

Parent Educational Opportunity

Join us for The Montessori Journey, a cherished fall tradition at CMS. This special parent event offers an in-depth look at the full span of Montessori education. Our guides will welcome you into their classrooms, demonstrate lessons, and answer your questions about Montessori philosophy and practice.

Upper Elementary Campers!

Last week our Upper Elementary students (ages 9-12) spent three days and two nights at The Outdoor School in Marble Falls! Their adventure included opportunities for hands-on learning, community-building, and plenty of outdoor fun. They returned full of stories and memories that will last them a lifetime.

Staff Highlights

Zoe Garcia

Children's House

 Nap and After Care Assistant

(at CMS since 2023)

Q) How long have you worked at CMS?
A) This is my third year working in nap and aftercare for Children’s House. I assist some kids to sleep, supervise outside time, then come in and supervise indoor work.

Q) How did you discover Montessori and how has it impacted your life?
A) I actually did research about Montessori schools in middle school for a project. I was really moved by it and even begged my mom to put me in a Montessori school. It didn't happen, but I did love learning more about it in high school and college. I really love how Montessori encourages kids to discover for themselves what they're capable of. It's inspiring to see 3 year olds put their own shoes on, go to the bathroom by themselves, sweep up messes, and so much more. It's taught me to sit back and watch, and give them the space to figure things out on their own.

Q) What is something you would recommend for parents?
A) I really recommend cooking/baking with your kids. Does it take more time? Yes. Does it make a HUGE mess? Also yes. But in the end, those will become core memories for you and your kids. It definitely was for me and my mom. It teaches us to allow the messes to happen because from the mess comes delicious beauty and fun! It will also help them to build a healthy relationship with food, which is something our society tends to struggle with.

Q) What do you do for fun outside of work?
A) My true passion is teaching private swim lessons, which I do full time during the summer. Other than that, I love swimming, lifting, reading, and baking. I also have a collection of adult legos including some cars, bugs, birds, and most of the botanical sets.

CMS CALENDAR REMINDERS

September 24th - Fall Enrichment Registration Closes
September 27th - The Montessori Journey, 9-11:30am
September 29th - Fall Enrichments Begin
October 5th - All Ages Playdate (CMS Playground), 10am-noon
October 13th - No School

Subscribe to our CMS Calendar: CLICK HERE

The mission of Community Montessori School is to provide authentic Montessori education

in a nature-rich environment that cultivates collaboration, curiosity,

love of learning, and respect for oneself, others, and the world.

The Role of the Adult

Tue, 16 Sep 2025 18:40:52 GMT

In Montessori classrooms, the role of the adult is to prepare, model, and guide.

Preparation takes place on three levels: 1) Physical, which can be seen in the environment and through self-care. 2) Intellectual, engaging in continued education and pursuing personal interests that can inspire students to explore new ideas. 3) Spiritual by fostering patience and humility in oneself through observation of the children and self-reflection.

Modeling is essential. When adults consistently demonstrate compassion, kindness, helpfulness, and care in both words and actions, children naturally absorb and reflect these qualities in their own behavior.

Guiding is different from teaching. In Montessori, the materials are the teachers. The adult’s role is to connect the child with the work, offer choices, and ensure ample opportunities for practice, allowing the child to experience accomplishment and growth from within.

Fall Enrichment Programs

Twice each year, CMS offers after-school enrichment opportunities for students in Children’s House and Elementary. These programs are led by outside organizations and take place on our campus. Space is limited, and classes fill quickly. Registration opens today!

Please join us for The Montessori Journey, a cherished fall tradition at CMS. This special parent event offers an in-depth look at the full span of Montessori education. Our guides will welcome you into their classrooms, demonstrate lessons, and answer your questions about Montessori philosophy and practice.

Staff Highlights

Cory Ferrell

Facilities and Land Manager

(at CMS since 2023)

Q) How long have you worked at CMS?
A) I started off three years ago just volunteering and pitching in wherever I was needed. Over time, that turned into a more consistent role, and now I’m the Facilities and Land Manager. I take care of the property, help manage any improvements or projects, and try to keep the teachers happy!

Q) How did you discover Montessori and how has it impacted your life?
A) I first came to discover Montessori when my oldest daughter started in the Nido program back in 2021. My mother-in-law, Jody, is a guide at CMS, and my wife actually attended CMS when she was younger, so there’s a strong family connection. Seeing the Montessori method in action has been really eye-opening. I had no idea young children were capable of so much! It’s been amazing to watch my girls grow into confident, independent little people.

Q) What is something you would recommend for parents?
A) I'd say the biggest thing is just being present when you’re home with your kids. It doesn’t have to be anything elaborate, just put away distractions and be intentional with your time. These moments matter, and we’re not just raising kids, we’re shaping the next generation.

Q) What do you do for fun outside of work?
A) When I’m not working, I love spending time outdoors - fishing is a big hobby of mine. I also really enjoy cooking out, going on road trips, and just making memories with my family. Whether it’s a quick adventure or a chill day at home, that time together means a lot.

CMS CALENDAR REMINDERS

September 17-19th - Upper Elementary Fall Trip
September 27th - The Montessori Journey, 9-11:30am
September 29th - Fall Enrichments Begin
October 5th - All Ages Playdate (CMS Playground), 10am-noon
October 13th - No School

Subscribe to our CMS Calendar: CLICK HERE

The mission of Community Montessori School is to provide authentic Montessori education

in a nature-rich environment that cultivates collaboration, curiosity,

love of learning, and respect for oneself, others, and the world.

CMS Town Hall is Tonight!

Tue, 09 Sep 2025 18:34:13 GMT

Physical Education

In today’s world, where children are increasingly leading sedentary lifestyles, the integration of movement and sports is more important than ever. While movement is naturally embedded in Montessori education there is a growing need for a structured and comprehensive approach to physical activity.

Krystalyn Perry is our Redbud Community Assistant and P.E. coach at CMS! Krystalyn has completed the Montessori Sports Fundamentals Course, an AMI-accredited training program designed to deepen understanding of how sports and movement align with Montessori education.

A key part of P.E. is learning and practicing good sportsmanship. It teaches students to respect one another and to work together, recognizing that everyone has an important role in the group. Just as important is developing emotional control in situations that call for empathy, reasoning, and collaboration. Sportsmanship builds character, strengthens relationships across all skill levels, and fosters resilience that extends beyond the sports field into academics, work, and life. It also teaches fairness, integrity, and how to handle both wins and losses with grace, encouraging a healthy outlook on competition and challenges.

P.E. for CMS elementary students kicked off last week with team building activities and Krystalyn has plans for soccer, kickball, fitness circuits, basketball, volleyball, archery, and more this school year!

Staff Highlights

Krystalyn Perry

Elementary Assistant
and P.E. Coach

(at CMS since 2024)

Q) How long have you worked at CMS and what has your role been during that time frame?
A) This January will make two years that I’ve been at CMS. During that time, I’ve had the privilege of serving in several roles: starting in After Care, then assisting in Lower Elementary, and now serving as an Upper Elementary Assistant and P.E. Coach.

Q) How did you discover Montessori and how has it impacted your life?
A) The Montessori philosophy immediately resonated with me, especially the way it values independence, respect, and hands-on learning. Montessori has changed the way I see education: not just as academics, but as a whole approach to guiding children to become thoughtful, capable individuals.

Q) What is something you would recommend for parents?
A) Spend intentional time outdoors as a family! Whether it’s going for a nature walk, playing a sport, or simply exploring the backyard, outdoor time supports children’s physical health, sparks curiosity, and creates space for meaningful connection.

Q) What do you do for fun outside of work?
A) Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with my family, traveling, and exploring new places. I also love planning events, staying active, and trying new experiences that keep me learning and growing.

CMS CALENDAR REMINDERS

September 9th - Town Hall at Georgetown Library, 6-6:45pm
September 16th - Fall Enrichment Sign-Up Opens
September 17-19th - Upper Elementary Fall Trip
September 27th - The Montessori Journey, 9-11:30am
September 29th - Fall Enrichments Begin

Subscribe to our CMS Calendar: CLICK HERE

The mission of Community Montessori School is to provide authentic Montessori education

in a nature-rich environment that cultivates collaboration, curiosity,

love of learning, and respect for oneself, others, and the world.

Peace Garden Coming to CMS

Tue, 02 Sep 2025 19:11:29 GMT

The Rotary Club of Georgetown is a service organization of professionals and leaders dedicated to humanitarian work, high ethical standards, and promoting goodwill and peace. One of their current initiatives is creating Peace Gardens in local schools. These beautiful spaces invite children to reflect and resolve conflicts peacefully.

We are excited to share that CMS is on the list to receive a Peace Garden this school year! This is a wonderful opportunity to live out Maria Montessori’s vision of Education for Peace on our campus. Our elementary students have been invited to help design the garden, and once it is built, we will celebrate its dedication with our entire school community. Stay tuned for updates!

The CMS Board of Directors would like to invite all families and staff members to our first Town Hall of the 2025-2026 school year! Click Here for the agenda .

Tuesday, September 9th
6:00-6:45 p.m.
at the Georgetown Public Library

Staff Highlights

Janna Anderson

Casita Guide

(at CMS since 2023)

Q) How long have you worked at CMS?
A) I have worked at CMS since September 2023 and have helped as an assistant in all three Casita classrooms. I am so excited to be the Guide in the Rosemary Community this year! :)

Q) How did you discover Montessori and how has it impacted your life?
A) I was introduced to Montessori as a child. I was in the Children's House level before continuing my education in public school. During college my mom recommended that I look into working at a Montessori school for some part-time work and that is when I fell in love with the Montessori philosophy. Since then I have continued working with infants and toddlers in Montessori schools and as a nanny.

Q) What advice do you have for parents?
A) I would recommend The Happiness Lab podcast with Dr. Laurie Santos. She is a Yale professor that studies the science of happiness. It is such a great podcast to listen to for tools on how to build a happier life!

Q) What do you do for fun outside of work?
A) In my free time I like to stay active by lifting and running, I love reading books, and hanging out with my three dogs: Nugget the Pug, Maya the Golden Retriever, and Ellie the Dachshund.

CMS CALENDAR REMINDERS

September 9th - Town Hall at Georgetown Library, 6-6:45pm
September 16th - Fall Enrichment Sign-Up Opens
September 17-19th - Upper Elementary Fall Trip
September 27th - The Montessori Journey, 9-11:30am
September 29th - Fall Enrichments Begin

Subscribe to our CMS Calendar: CLICK HERE

The mission of Community Montessori School is to provide authentic Montessori education

in a nature-rich environment that cultivates collaboration, curiosity,

love of learning, and respect for oneself, others, and the world.

Gardens at CMS

Tue, 26 Aug 2025 17:24:31 GMT

Getting Our Hands Dirty

A Montessori environment isn’t complete without a beautiful garden! Across our campus, learning extends beyond the classroom as children dig in the soil, care for plants, and experience the joy of seeing their work blossom.

This week, many classrooms have been busy cleaning and pruning garden beds, refreshing the soil, and planting for the fall and winter seasons. Guides are preparing lessons that deepen children’s connection with nature, and classrooms are sharing sign-up sheets seeking volunteers. Maintaining our beautiful 18-acre campus is truly a labor of love, but we can’t do it alone! If you have a green thumb, or simply enjoy spending time outdoors, we’d love your help. Please consider sharing your time, knowledge, or resources to support your child’s class garden.

Stay tuned for exciting updates later this year as we continue to enhance our outdoor spaces!

The CMS Board of Directors would like to invite all families and staff members to our first Town Hall of the 2025-2026 school year! Click Here for the agenda .

Tuesday, September 9th
6:00-6:45 p.m.
at the Georgetown Public Library

Chicken Volunteers Needed

We are looking for a few more families to care for our CMS Chickens on weekends and school holidays. Tasks include filling food and water, gathering eggs (which volunteers get to keep!), and yes, scooping poop from the inside of the coop. If you're interested, please contact Rachel at admissions@community-montessori.org .

Staff Highlights

Jody French

Children's House Guide

(at CMS since 2006)

Q) How long have you worked at CMS?
A) This is my 19th year at CMS and my 11th year as a guide in the Lantana Community with my rockstar assistant, Rossy.

Q) How did you discover Montessori and how has it impacted your life?
A) I went to a Montessori preschool! Then after high school I took my Montessori training and taught in Houston before moving here in 1999. Both of my children attended Montessori schools through fourth grade. My daughter, Genessee, went to school at CMS, worked at CMS, and now her two daughters (my grandchildren) attend CMS. I have a passion for sharing nature and animals with the children. I love Montessori's vision of peace through education and having the outdoors as an extension of the classroom.

Q) What advice do you have for families?
A) SLOW DOWN! I know this is easier said than done but childhood only comes once. Put away your phone and take time to sit and explore with your child. Take walks, hike trails, watch bugs, plant gardens, wade in streams, walk in the rain. Your child will appreciate your complete, uninterrupted presence.

Q) What do you do for fun outside of work?
A) I enjoy hiking, swimming, gardening, yoga and music. I am a certified yoga instructor, reiki practitioner and paqo in training. I love animals and recently started a nonprofit senior dog rescue called Ant’s Happy Endings in honor of my son, Anthony, who was senselessly killed by a drunk driver five years ago. My son was a compassionate soul who loved to help the 'underdog'. It is my goal to eventually open a healing center to serve at-risk youth and underserved communities, sharing our dogs' unconditional love. I currently have ten dogs at home and two in foster homes. We have several upcoming events and invite you to join us!

September 7th, Community Walk and Trash Pick Up, San Gabriel Park (meet at 9:15, walk at 9:30)
October 18th, First Annual Underdog Fest fundraiser at the Hole in the Wall, Austin 3pm-close.

CMS CALENDAR REMINDERS

August 14th - 1st day of school
August 15-29th - Staggered starts for new students
September 1st - School Closed
September 9th - Town Hall at Georgetown Library, 6-6:45pm
September 27th - The Montessori Journey, 9-11:30am

Subscribe to our CMS Calendar: CLICK HERE

The mission of Community Montessori School is to provide authentic Montessori education

in a nature-rich environment that cultivates collaboration, curiosity,

love of learning, and respect for oneself, others, and the world.

CMS Comes to Life!

Tue, 19 Aug 2025 13:34:54 GMT

CMS comes to life when children arrive!

Our campus is buzzing with children of all ages. We've seen endless smiles and a few short-lived tears, but all are eager to reunite with their peers and teachers. We’ve loved welcoming new friends and look forward to meeting those who will be joining us in the coming weeks! Returning to school and settling back into daily routines is a process, and everyone’s timeline looks a little different. We value the individuality and unique personalities that make our school so special.

Parent Corner

Involving children in daily decisions and preparations helps teach responsibility, build routines, and foster independence! Invite your child to choose their clothes for the next morning after you check the weather forecast together. Bring them along to the grocery store so they can select fresh fruits and veggies for their lunchbox. Younger children can help by refilling their water bottle, washing produce, or adding layers to a sandwich for the next day’s lunch. Older children can take on bigger tasks like writing a grocery list, estimating food costs, or dividing food into individual portions. These simple practices not only build life skills but also extend learning beyond the classroom.

The CMS Board of Directors would like to invite all families and staff members to our first Town Hall of the 2025-2026 school year!

Tuesday, September 9th
6:00-6:45 p.m.
at the Georgetown Public Library

The Board has adopted a town hall policy that outlines procedures and requires them to host two every school year (Fall and Spring). At these town halls, the Executive Director and/or Board will share updates related to the school's current and future states. After the presentation, there will be time allotted for questions. Everyone is invited to attend, parents and staff. We hope to see you there!

Staff Highlights

Marta Wagner

Interim Executive Director

(at CMS since 2017)

Marta began her CMS journey as a Lower Elementary Assistant. After completing her AMI Elementary Training, she served as the Guide in our Magnolia Lower El classroom for four years, and then as a Guide in our Upper El classroom for one year. Marta recognized that her true passion was supporting children who needed extra help, so she completed Dyslexia training through the Shelton School in Dallas. This led to the launch of our Learning Support Program here at CMS!

This school year, Marta has also taken on the role of Interim Executive Director while CMS conducts a search for our new permanent ED. While she is excited to “wear two hats” for now, she looks forward to returning to Learning Support full-time, with hopes to grow the program in the future to include additional subject areas.

In her free time, Marta loves being out in nature. She enjoys traveling, often heading to the mountains or the ocean in the summer to recharge her batteries. She values experiences more than material things, carrying those memories with her wherever she goes. On her travels, she enjoys hiking and biking, always on the lookout for treasures in nature that she can bring back to share with her students. She also loves reading and listening to music.

Fun Facts: Marta used to be a flight attendant! She also speaks Polish and German.

Thank you, Marta, for letting us get to know you better!

CMS CALENDAR REMINDERS

August 14th - 1st day of school
August 15-29th - Staggered starts for new students
September 1st - School Closed
September 9th - Town Hall at Georgetown Library, 6-6:45pm
September 27th - The Montessori Journey, 9-11:30am

Subscribe to our CMS Calendar: CLICK HERE

The mission of Community Montessori School is to provide authentic Montessori education

in a nature-rich environment that cultivates collaboration, curiosity,

love of learning, and respect for oneself, others, and the world.

Welcome Back to School!

Tue, 12 Aug 2025 20:10:25 GMT

Welcome Back CMS Community!

I hope that you all had a relaxing and fun-filled summer break. It sure went by fast, as it always does. We are super excited to have the children back later this week!

It was lovely to see all who were able to attend the CMS101 and Parents Orientations last night. A special thanks to our office staff who worked tirelessly to assure that all the documents, information, and schedules were ready for you, and our academic staff also worked with a great effort the get the classroom environments ready. I hope you could feel the energy and excitement in the air.

Parent Orientations

We had a great turnout last night for Parent Orientations. It was great to reconnect with returning families and meet many of our new families! For those who missed it, these meetings were recorded and posted to the class Facebook Groups. Here are a few highlights:

Professional Development Week

Ever wonder what teachers do during their Staff Development Days? Well, in the midst of some pretty heavy training sessions, we still found time for some fun and team building! We thought you would enjoy seeing some photos of our staff bonding (and competing!) in some back-to-school games.

CMS CALENDAR REMINDERS

August 14th - 1st day of school
August 15-29th - Staggered starts for new students
September 1st - School Closed
September 27th - The Montessori Journey, 9-11:30am

Subscribe to our CMS Calendar: CLICK HERE

SPIRIT WEAR

Fridays are Spirit days at CMS! We encourage our staff and students to wear their CMS tees every Friday to show their love for our school.

Of course, everyday is a good day to show our love for CMS :) We have lots of great options on our spirit wear page so join us and put on a tee on this and all the Fridays!

The mission of Community Montessori School is to provide authentic Montessori education

in a nature-rich environment that cultivates collaboration, curiosity,

love of learning, and respect for oneself, others, and the world.

Thanks for an Amazing Year!

Tue, 20 May 2025 13:38:37 GMT

As we wrap up another incredible year, we just want to say—thank you! From the first-day jitters to the end-of-year celebrations, it’s been a journey full of growth, joy, and memorable moments. To our students, families, and staff: you’ve brought kindness, positive energy, and enthusiasm to everything we’ve done. We couldn’t have done it without you! Now it’s time to close the books and soak up some sunshine. Have a fun, safe, and well-deserved summer break. We can’t wait to see you next year for more adventures!

FAREWELL AND BEST WISHES

As our school year comes to an end this week, we will be saying farewell and best wishes to some of our students and staff. The Adolescent community has 10 amazing 8th graders moving on to high school next year. It has been a joy and a privilege to be part of their educational journey. We are all very proud of what they have acomplished and the amazing teenagers they have become. Check out their page in the CMS Yearbook! Best wishes to all of you as you embark on the next phase of your journey.

We also say farewell to Adolescent Guide Charlie Applegate. Charlie has been with CMS since 2019 when the Adolescent program first began. He's a dedicated teacher who has touched the lives of many students. We are grateful for all Charlie has contributed during his time at CMS and wish him the best in future endeavors

We're pleased to say that the rest of our staff will be returning next year and we look forward to continuing our Montessori journey with you. We'd also like to send best wishes to Janna O'Grady, who is starting 0-3 training this summer! She'll spend a few weeks with us at the start of camp but will then head to Dallas to start the training. We'd also like to send best wishes to Andres Araiza, who is currently in Arizona completing the final requirements for his Elementary training, and Jessica Clark, who will travel to Portland next month to wrap up her Elementary training.

ELEMENTARY FIELD DAY

Elementary students enjoyed some creative and wacky field day games today. From rubber chicken pick-up-sticks to to a pizza box relay, a fun time was had by all! Refreshing ice pops cooled everyone down after. Adolescent students were on hand to help, along with our elementary guides, assistants, and level coordinator.

NOVA EOY SALE & FIELD DAY EVENTS
Today was the final micro-economy sale of the year for the Nova Adolescent class. Hope you got to stop by afterschool! Students also had field day bonus items available today including face painting and rocket launching. If your student enjoyed those activities and you'd like to make a micro-economy donation, let us know.

CMS Calendar

May 20 - Nova EOY Sale, 2:45pm in Upper Circle
May 23 - Last day of School
May 26-28 - CMS Closed
May 29 & 30 - Camp training and set up
June 2 - 1st day of Summer Camp

CMS Spirit Wear

Hot weather Spirit Wear includes a bottle that keeps your water cold! Click HERE to order and see more items.

The mission of Community Montessori School is to provide authentic Montessori education

in a nature-rich environment that cultivates collaboration, curiosity,

love of learning, and respect for oneself, others, and the world.

Nature Studies at CMS

Tue, 13 May 2025 20:38:06 GMT

Nature Studies

Students in the Juniper Lower Elementary classroom are enjoying some special visitors to their classroom! They have silkworms in class to study this May. Students have been exploring the life cycle of these fascinating creatures and observing them in their "prepared environment"! Visiting Children's House full cycle students also got to see them on a visit to the classroom.

Children's House Visits

Students in their final year of the Children's House level (known in Montessori-speak as full cycles), got to visit Lower Elementary classrooms to get a glimpse of what the next level will bring. Michelle and Jessica enjoyed meeting all of them and were delighted when students recognized some familiar items. Students were intrigued to learn that there are new ways of working with some familiar materials in the elementary level.

CMS Calendar

May 16 - Last day for PE & Music
May 20 - Elementary Field Day
May 20 - Nova EOY Sale, 2:45pm
May 23 - Last day of School
May 26-28 - CMS Closed
May 29 & 30 - Camp training and set up
June 2 - 1st day of Summer Camp

CMS Spirit Wear

Hot weather Spirit Wear includes a bottle that keeps your water cold! Click HERE to order and see more items.

The mission of Community Montessori School is to provide authentic Montessori education

in a nature-rich environment that cultivates collaboration, curiosity,

love of learning, and respect for oneself, others, and the world.

Thank you Teachers!

Tue, 06 May 2025 15:14:28 GMT

TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK

It's Teacher Appreciation Week at CMS and our Class Ambassadors have organized so many special treats for our staff. What a lovely way to show our staff how much we appreciate and value their work at school!

The Guide in Montessori education is a unique position and we are so fortunate to have MANY talented individuals in this role at CMS. Add to that all the amazing individuals on campus who are supporting and assisting in their work with students. It truly does take a village and we are grateful everyday for our CMS village!

REDBUD CAMPING TRIP

Redbud students had a successful and memorable trip this past week, despite the crazy weather we have been experiencing lately! Students enjoyed time at McKinney Falls State Park in South Austin. These camping trips are such amazing growth opportunties for students, as they navigate challenges and have fun together. What a beautiful place!

CMS Calendar

May 5-9 - Teacher Appreciation week
May 20 - Elementary Field Day
May 20 - Nova End-Of-Year Sale, 2:45pm
May 23 - Last day of School

CMS Spirit Wear

Show your school support with CMS Spirit Wear! Click HERE to see options

The mission of Community Montessori School is to provide authentic Montessori education

in a nature-rich environment that cultivates collaboration, curiosity,

love of learning, and respect for oneself, others, and the world.

Join us at Good Earth this Friday!

Tue, 29 Apr 2025 14:45:54 GMT

Yes, we've seen the rain chance in the forecast but this is our last chance to host this annual celebration and we don't want to miss it. If showers seem likely, we have pop-up tents on hand and we plan to utilize our covered walkways as much as possible.

Fry's Family Farm will have a variety of small animals to interact with and hopefully tractor rides in the field. We'll have some music from Marshal and also from students in Upper Elementary, as well as fun sale items from the adolescent class. Hope to see you Friday at 3:15 in the CMS Courtyard!

UNDERSTANDING HUMAN DEVELOPMENT

Students in Upper Elementary have had a fun and interesting week studying human development. As part of this work, they've spent time with children in our Casita level and seen first hand how language develops (among other things). It's been so cool to see them truly "studying" the toddlers and also to see the love and joy they share during the hands-on interactive parts of their week. The toddlers have also really enjoyed spending time with these new friends!

CONSOLIDATION

Dr. Montessori included among the many aspects of her educational approach a technique known as the 3-Period Lesson. In short, its how most of us learn most things! 1st - we are introduced to the skill or subject, 2nd - we have interactions with said skill or subject (repetition). The 3rd and final period is consolidation or achieving an understanding or skill. It is a time when things comes together and confidence soars.

Consolidation is something we see all across campus at this time of year, as students arrive at some of the places they have been heading towards all year. It's an exciting and amazing time of year!

CMS Calendar

April 30 - May 2 - Upper El class camping trip
May 2 - Good Earth Celebration, 3:15-5:15pm
May 5-9 - Teacher Appreciation Week
May 20 - Elementary Field Day
May 23 - Last day of School

CMS Spirit Wear

Show your school support with CMS Spirit Wear! Click HERE to see options

The mission of Community Montessori School is to provide authentic Montessori education

in a nature-rich environment that cultivates collaboration, curiosity,

love of learning, and respect for oneself, others, and the world.

Last Call for Yearbooks & Prints

Tue, 22 Apr 2025 13:01:28 GMT

Last Call for Yearbooks & Prints
Today is the last day to order prints from The Latest Photo! Look for the blue button below. Yearbook orders are due by Friday, April 25th.

YEARBOOKS ARE PRE-ORDER ONLY!

Don't miss out on this wonderful keepsake. The CMS Yearbook is available by pre-order only and will be delivered to your child's classroom before the end of the school year. Yearbooks include professional student photos, class photos, candid shots, and more! Order deadline is April 25th!

INDIVIDUAL PHOTO ORDERS

The Latest Photo took the adorable individual and class photos for us and prints can be ordered directly from them, to be delivered to CMS soon. Questions about ordering or delivery can be directed to Tirzah in the front office. Click on the button below and use the password XXXXXX to place your order.

SPRING TRIPS

As you know, nine of our Nova Adolescent students traveled with Nova Guide Ashlie Mazulo and myself to the Netherlands last week for the Sustainable Development Games . We had a fantastic time! Other Nova students had their own great trip to the Galveston area. The calendar this time of year seems to be chock full of trips and you might be wondering why we are so committed to doing these with our students.

Well, there are a few reasons of course! Off campus trips offer amazing opportunities for students to extend learning beyond the classroom, a "classroom without walls" if you will. Overcoming challenges and obstacles together supports growth in resilience, problem solving, and collaboration. Most importantly, these overnight trips are an important milestone in the child's path towards independence, building their confidence and ensuring they see themselves as the capable people they truly are!

This Thursday and Friday, full cycle students in Lower Elementary (students who are moving to Upper Elementary next school year) will have a fun albeit more local adventure at the YMCA Twin Lakes camp. We can't wait to hear their stories when they return Friday afternoon! The following week, April 30th thru May 2nd, the Upper Elementary class will enjoy camping at McKinney Falls state park.

CMS Calendar

April 24-25 - Lower El full cycle camping trip
April 30 - May 2 - Upper El class camping trip
May 2 - Good Earth Celebration, 3:15-5:15pm
May 20 - Elementary Field Day
May 22 - 8th grade graduation @Georgetown public library
May 23 - Final day of the school year

CMS Spirit Wear

Show your school support with CMS Spirit Wear! Click HERE to see options

The mission of Community Montessori School is to provide authentic Montessori education

in a nature-rich environment that cultivates collaboration, curiosity,

love of learning, and respect for oneself, others, and the world.

Reminder: No School 4/18 & 4/21

Tue, 15 Apr 2025 14:24:26 GMT

CALENDAR REMINDER
CMS is closed on Friday, April 18th and Monday, April 21st

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GAMES

Nine CMS Adolescent students are in the Netherlands this week participating in the Sustainable Development Games ! Students have enjoyed getting to know their Dutch host families in Nijmegan and us coaches have enjoyed getting to know fellow Montessorians from across the globe! A "cultural market" was presented on our opening day, along with talks from local officials. We're looking forward to a fun schedule of activities this week!

ORDER YOUR CMS YEARBOOK NOW!

The Community Montessori Yearbook is a wonderful keepsake for children and parents. This full color book is available by pre-order only and will be delivered to your child's classroom before the end of the school year. Yearbooks include professional student photos, class photos, candid shots, and more! Order deadline is April 25th!

ORDERING INDIVIDUAL PRINTS

The Latest Photo did a great job capturing the personalities of individual students for our yearbook pages. Parents are invited to order their own individual prints directly from them by clicking on the button below and using the password XXXXXX . Ordering is available until April 22nd . Prints will be delivered to CMS and distributed from here.

CMS Calendar

April 14-18 - SD Games & Nova Spring trip
April 18 & 21 - No School
April 24-25 - Lower El full cycle camping trip
April 30 - May 2 - Upper El class camping trip
May 2 - Good Earth Celebration, 3:15-5:15pm

CMS Spirit Wear

Show your school support with CMS Spirit Wear! Click HERE to see options

The mission of Community Montessori School is to provide authentic Montessori education

in a nature-rich environment that cultivates collaboration, curiosity,

love of learning, and respect for oneself, others, and the world.

Order your CMS Yearbook Now

Tue, 08 Apr 2025 16:20:45 GMT

Many of the candid shots featured in the yearbook were taken by Tirzah Johnson, our Operations Manager, and Rachel Chamberlain, our Enrollment Director, as well by guides and classroom staff. A big THANK YOU to Tirzah for putting together the book!

Also a shout out to the wonderful Jen at The Latest Photo. She is responsible for the amazing class and individual student photos in the yearbook. Families can view photos and place digital orders with them directly by following this link and using the password XXXXXXX . Any questions contact Tirzah in our CMS Office!

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GAMES

Next week (April 14-18th), Nova Guide Ashlie Mazulo and myself will accompany 9 CMS Adolescent students to the Netherlands to participate in the Sustainable Development Games ! This program supplements the Montessori Model UN, with the aim of bringing students together to address pressing global challenges through collaboration, cultural exchange, and community action. They aim to inspire and empower young people to become proactive agents of positive change in their communities and beyond. The SD goal for this event is #13 Climate Action .

Nova students have been preparing for this trip - learning about the Netherlands and the UN Sustainable Development goals. Each has prepared a position paper which has been reviewed by a panel of CMS parent volunteers. They've also practiced their cycling as that is a common means of transportation in the Netherlands! Students were asked to make a short video about their school and class activities - take a look at what they put together!

CMS students and coaches will join with Montessori schools from 10 countries including China, Scotland, Germany, Bolivia, Morocco, India, Bulgaria, Puerto Rico and of course, the Netherlands (our hosts). We're really excited for this amazing opportunity!

PLEASE NOTE THE DATE AND TIME CHANGE!

CMS Calendar

April 13 - All Ages Play, 10am - 12noon
April 14-18 - SD Games & Nova Spring trip
April 18 & 21 - No School
April 24-25 - Lower El full cycle camping trip
April 30 - May 2 - Upper El class camping trip
May 2 - Good Earth Celebration, 3:15-5:15pm

CMS Spirit Wear

Show your school support with CMS Spirit Wear! Click HERE to see options

The mission of Community Montessori School is to provide authentic Montessori education

in a nature-rich environment that cultivates collaboration, curiosity,

love of learning, and respect for oneself, others, and the world.

It's Conference Time!

Tue, 01 Apr 2025 16:21:43 GMT

It's Conference Time!

This week, CMS is closed on Friday for Conference Day. We set aside this valuable time so guides and parents can come together on behalf of the child. If you haven't signed up to meet with your child's guide - do it today!

I recall from my own experiences as a guide for many years that most of the time parents wanted to know if their child was progressing and if they were connecting socially with others. While every child, family, and school year is different, I would venture to guess that still holds true. Conferences are a great time to press pause, reflect on where the child has come from, and also look forward to where they are heading. There's tremendous value in connecting as a team with the common purpose of preparing the child for life.

REMINDER: CMS is closed Friday, April 4th for Spring Conference Day!

Social Feelings and Community
Additional thoughts on the benefits of Montessori Multi-Age groupings

"Through practical exercises...the children develop a true “social feeling,” for they are working in the environment of the community in which they live, without concerning themselves as to whether it is for their own, or for the common good.." Dr. Maria Montessori

The social community in our Montessori classrooms is founded on shared experiences, feelings of belonging, and the innate interest children have in what other kids are doing. When they work together to care for their environment, for example, each child has the shared experience of working towards a common goal and the positive feelings that come from doing something that helps others. The sweet spot is when work they enjoy is also work that helps their community!

CMS Calendar

April 4 - Conference Day, No School
April 13 - All Ages Play, 9-11am @the Playground
April 14-18 - SD Games & Nova Spring trip
April 18 & 21 - No School
April 24-25 - Lower El full cycle camping trip
April 30 - May 2 - Upper El class camping trip
May 2 - Good Earth Celebration, 3:15-5:15pm

CMS Spirit Wear

Show your school support with CMS Spirit Wear! Click HERE to see options

The mission of Community Montessori School is to provide authentic Montessori education

in a nature-rich environment that cultivates collaboration, curiosity,

love of learning, and respect for oneself, others, and the world.

Good Earth Celebration Re-scheduled

Tue, 25 Mar 2025 14:10:19 GMT

GOOD EARTH CELEBRATION RE-SCHEDULED!

With rain in the forecast for Thursday and Friday, we are re-scheduling the Good Earth Celebration. Please mark your calendar for Friday, May 2nd and plan to attend! Fry's Farm will be here with their amazing adorable animals! We'll also have tractor rides, a Nova community sale, and drumming with Marshal. See you then!

Age Diversity
Some thoughts on the benefits of Montessori Multi-Age groupings

"There is a great sense of community within the Montessori classroom, where children of differing ages work together in an atmosphere of cooperation rather than competitiveness. There is respect for the environment and for the individuals within it, which comes through experience of freedom within the community." Dr. Maria Montessori

Multi-age grouping in the Montessori classroom sets the stage for success at every stage of development. The first year is the year of introduction (the foundation); the second year is the year of practice; the third year is the year of synthesis. Providing children with an enriched environment where children of mixed ages work together is a beautiful thing!

The Montessori learning environment promotes the understanding that children not only learn ‘with’ each other but ‘from’ each other. This sense of community allows the children to become confident in their environment and themselves, using the knowledge and skills they acquire to express their own ideas and creativity. It's wonderful to see our CMS students emerging as leaders sharing their ideas with others!

Did You Know...?

Here is some Montessori History for those of you who enjoy this stuff! The global AMI organization was established in 1929 by Dr. Maria Montessori, as she led more than 1800 attendees through an introductory training course on Montessori education (AMI stands for the Association Montessori Internationale). Here's an interesting pic from the event! Dr. Montessori is sitting front and center, the 2nd person left of the man in the white suit, who is her son Mario Montessori also an influential figure in developing Montessori education.

While Dr. Montessori visited the USA in 1915, her primary work up until WW2 took place in Europe. She & Mario spent most of the war years in India, establishing a truly world-wide educational approach. In the 1970s, a "resurrgence" of interest in Montessori education began in the US and a branch of AMI known as AMI-USA was formed.

CMS is a recognized "member school" of AMI-USA. We meet all the standards for AMI Montessori Schools, which is how we get to have the "member" graphic on our website!

CMS Calendar

April 4 - Conference Day, No School
April 12 - All Ages Play, 9-11am @the Playground
April 14-18 - SD Games & Nova Spring trip
April 18 & 21 - No School
April 24-25 - Lower El full cycle camping trip
April 30 - May 2 - Upper El class camping trip
May 2 - Good Earth Celebration, 3:15-5:15pm

CMS Spirit Wear

Show your school support with CMS Spirit Wear! Click HERE to see options

The mission of Community Montessori School is to provide authentic Montessori education

in a nature-rich environment that cultivates collaboration, curiosity,

love of learning, and respect for oneself, others, and the world.

Get Outdoors & Enjoy Spring!

Tue, 11 Mar 2025 22:25:32 GMT

Spring Break is right around the corner and the weather has been amazing! I hope you are all planning some outdoor adventures next week. Whether large or small, any time you take it outside you are providing that necessary "VItamin N" of nature. The health benefits are well known but let's not forget there are emotional benefits too in bringing us calm and restoring our sense of joy and wonder. The feel of sand and dirt, the warmth of the sun, the brightness of the blue sky - simply expressing and admiring these things with your child can bring connection as well. Look at those lovely clouds overhead as the Lower El students are enjoying PE! Can you name them? hint at the bottom of this page!

The Self-Driven Child - Book Club on Thursday

“As has often been said, people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel. Think of how you want to make your child feel. Loved. Trusted. Supported. Capable. And above all else, let that be your guide.”
The Self-Driven Child: The Science and Sense of Giving Your Kids More Control Over Their Lives (p. 321)

Join us Thursday after drop off (8:20) in the Clubhouse to discuss the second half of the book The Self-Driven Child. Please RSVP so we know how many chairs to put out. Hope to see you there!

REMINDER: SPRING BREAK CLOSURE

CMS is closed the week of March 17th thru 21st for Spring Break. Classes resume on Monday, March 24th.

CMS Calendar

March 13 - Parent Book Club, 8:30-9:30 (Part 2)
March 17-21 - Spring Break, No School
March 28 - Good Earth Celebration, 3:15-5:15pm
April 4 - Conference Day, No School
April 14-18 - SD Games/Nova trip
April 18 & 21 - No School

CMS Spirit Wear

It's a good time for a cute CMS tee! Click HERE to see options

The mission of Community Montessori School is to provide authentic Montessori education

in a nature-rich environment that cultivates collaboration, curiosity,

love of learning, and respect for oneself, others, and the world.

What's a Self Driven Child? Find out at our Book Club Thursday!

Tue, 04 Mar 2025 16:52:10 GMT

The Self Driven Child

“We really can’t control our kids—and doing so shouldn’t be our goal. Our role is to teach them to think and act independently, so that they will have the judgment to succeed in school and, most important, in life. Rather than pushing them to do things they resist, we should seek to help them find things they love and develop their inner motivation. Our aim is to move away from a model that depends on parental pressure to one that nurtures a child’s own drive. That is what we mean by the self-driven child.”

- William Stixrud, The Self-Driven Child: The Science and Sense of Giving Your Kids More Control Over Their Lives

Our next CMS Parent Book Club meets this Thursday after drop off at 8:20 . Join us in the Clubhouse for a lively discussion of this amazing book. I'll be joined by both Cindy Ma, Children's House Level Coordinator & Guide, and Veronica Rodriguez, Elementary Level Coordinator & Coach. Bring your coffee and settle in for a great chat. A nice way to start the day! *Note that Part 1 covers the first half of the book and next week (March 13th) we'll discuss the second half of the book. RSVP so we know how many chairs to put out. If you haven't had a chance to get the book yet - still come! The conversation will still be meaningful for you!

Save the date for Spring Conferences

Conference Day is officially April 4th. We close the school on that day so Guides can spend the day talking with parents about their child's progress this year. Guides will send links for the Sign-up this week so be on the lookout! Some classrooms have scheduled overflow days, starting as early as April 1st. As you know, its important to have a good flow of communication for everyone on your child's team. It takes a village and attending your Spring Conference is a foundational piece.

The CMS chickens have been busy laying and we have eggs for sale! The chickens are managed by the Nova Adolescent students as part of their Microeconomy studies. Microeconomy refers to a small business run by students that involves production, distribution, and exchange. It's a way for students to learn about economics and contribute to their community. Proceeds from their egg sales go back into their business to cover the cost of chicken feed and supplies. Click Here to place your egg order.

Thank you for supporting the Nova Adolescent Students' small business!

CMS Calendar

March 6- Parent Book Club, 8:30-9:30am in Clubhouse (Part 1)
March 13 - Parent Book Club, 8:30-9:30 (Part 2)
March 17-21 - Spring Break week
March 28 - Good Earth Celebration, 3:15-5:15pm
April 4 - Conference Day, No School

Photos are looking good!

How could they not with all these adorable kids! Families will have the opportunity to order prints. A link will be sent sometime after Spring Break.

The mission of Community Montessori School is to provide authentic Montessori education

in a nature-rich environment that cultivates collaboration, curiosity,

love of learning, and respect for oneself, others, and the world.

Start Reading! Parent Book Club is coming soon

Tue, 25 Feb 2025 14:32:50 GMT

Our Parent Book Club is back with a new recommended read! The Self-Driven Child by William Stixrud and Ned Johnson. This book comes highly recommended by Kathy Minardi, a longtime leader in the AMI Montessori community, who has personally worked with the authors who are psychologists in the D.C. area.

As we did for the Anxious Generation, we will talk about the book in 2 parts:

March 6th - Part One covers Chapters 1 to 7
March 13th - Part Two will cover Chapters 8 to 14

We will meet right after morning drop off this time. Please RSVP and plan to join us in the Clubhouse from 8:30 to 9:30am. If you can only make one of the times, still come! And if you prefer podcasts, here's a LINK to the author's page for that. Looking forward to seeing you all there!

Sunny Days are Here Again!

The bitter cold last week is a distant memory now...the sun has returned and it is starting to feel like Spring. Guides are starting to think about Spring gardens, our new PE sessions are underway, and Spring Enrichments have brought much excitement to our students!

The next All Ages Play is this Saturday, March 1st, from 2 to 4pm. The February date was cancelled due to above mentioned weather. Happily this Saturday looks to be sunny and warm! Thanks to Carmen, Gina, and Etsuko for hosting this event.

CMS Calendar

February 28 - MMUN Decision deadline (Nova)
March 1 - All Ages Play, 2-4pm on the playground
March 6 - Parent Book Club, 8:30-9:30am (Part 1)
March 13 - Parent Book Club, 8:30-9:30 (Part 2)
March 17-21 - Spring Break week

Save the Date!

Our photographer will be here next week to take individual and group photos for our annual yearbook. More info will be sent to families next week.

The mission of Community Montessori School is to provide authentic Montessori education

in a nature-rich environment that cultivates collaboration, curiosity,

love of learning, and respect for oneself, others, and the world.

Stay Warm! Cold weather is on the way

Tue, 18 Feb 2025 18:04:58 GMT

COLD WEATHER ALERT!

There is a Cold Weather Advisory for our Georgetown area starting tonight and going thru Thursday. The lows the next couple of nights will be well below freezing - which means the morning will be very cold too. Please be sure you send adequate cold weather gear for your child!

I have not heard any information about ice or precipitation being part of this weather alert - just very very cold temperatures so school will be on as usual. If anything changes, of course you'll receive a text message & email from us.
Stay warm!

The Spirit of Giving Continues!

Students in the Redbud Upper Elementary Community have been collecting and organizing donations to Helping Hands of Georgetown. They amassed quite a haul to deliver. We are so proud of their efforts to give back to their community. Good jobs kids!

March 6th - Part One covers Chapters 1 to 7
March 13th - Part Two will cover Chapters 8 to 14

CMS Calendar

Feb. 18 - Start of Spring Enrichments
Feb. 22 - All Ages Play, 9-11am @the playground
March 6t- Parent Book Club, 8:30-9:30am (Part 1)
March 13 - Parent Book Club, 8:30-9:30 (Part 2)
March 17-21 - Spring Break week

Camp has filled up fast! We have spots remaining in Casita and a few Lower El and Upper El/Adolescent camps. Email Rachel to be added to the waiting list if your class is already full.

The mission of Community Montessori School is to provide authentic Montessori education

in a nature-rich environment that cultivates collaboration, curiosity,

love of learning, and respect for oneself, others, and the world.

Last Call for Spring Enrichments

Tue, 11 Feb 2025 14:35:19 GMT

Registration for Spring Enrichment classes ends tomorrow! Be sure to register your child now. Classes get underway the week of February 18th.

Kid Power!

If there's any doubters out there that kids can make a difference, share with them what our amazing CMS students do to give back to others! If they can accomplish this much at a young age, just imagine what might be possible in their future!

Our Kindness Week Challenge this year was collecting coins to donate to California Wildfire Relief. Across campus, students brought in coins - and had fun counting!

TOTAL COLLECTED: $1,009.03

In addition to this amazing effort, Upper El students have also been collecting donations for Helping Hands, a local non-profit group that assisits those experiencing homelessness. Thanks to all who have supported this effort. Stay tuned next week to hear more about that effort.

March 6th - Part One covers Chapters 1 to 7
March 13th - Part Two will cover Chapters 8 to 14

CMS Calendar

Feb. 14 & 17 - No school

Feb. 18 - Start of Spring Enrichments

Feb. 22 - All Ages Play, 9-11am @the playground

March 6- Parent Book Club, 8:30-9:30am (Part 1)

March 13 - Parent Book Club, 8:30-9:30 (Part 2)

March 17-21 - Spring Break week

Camp has filled up fast! We have spots remaining in Casita and a few Lower El and Upper El/Adolescent camps. Email Rachel to be added to the waiting list if your class is already full.

The mission of Community Montessori School is to provide authentic Montessori education

in a nature-rich environment that cultivates collaboration, curiosity,

love of learning, and respect for oneself, others, and the world.

We're busy counting!

Tue, 04 Feb 2025 14:33:44 GMT

Thanks so much to everyone who sent in some change last week. Our Kindness Challenge school -wide was to collect for California Wildfire Relief. Students are busy counting and will have a going out to the bank next week. We'll keep you posted on our final total. If you missed it, no worries! Send a donation in on your own.

Our Beautiful Math Materials

All that counting has sparked interest in math! What a boon to our Kindness Challenge week. It's a joy to see students spending time with the beautiful math materials our Montessori environments have to offer. Clear proportions, bright colors, and built in organization makes mathematical concepts come to life for our students.

Registration for Spring Enrichment classes is underway Click here to see what spots are left. Registration closes on February 11th and classes get underway the week of February 18th.

CMS Calendar

Feb. 7th - Adolescent Info Session, 2-3pm
Feb. 7th - Parents Night Out, 5:30pm in Nova
Feb. 14th & 17th - No school
Feb. 18th - Start of Spring Enrichments
Feb. 22nd - All Ages Play, 9-11am @the playground

Camp has filled up fast! A few spots are still available in some levels. Email Rachel to be added to the waiting list if your class is already full.

The mission of Community Montessori School is to provide authentic Montessori education

in a nature-rich environment that cultivates collaboration, curiosity,

love of learning, and respect for oneself, others, and the world.

Kindness week is here! Bring in your coins for Wildfire Relief

Tue, 28 Jan 2025 17:27:27 GMT

Send us your coins! For our Kindness Challenge this year we are collecting coins to help children and families impacted by the California Wildfires. Students can bring coins to their classroom at morning drop off or families can bring them to the office anytime!

All week students are taking part in Kindness Challenges both big and small in class and out. Here some Nova students brought a book called Kindness Grows to read with some Children's House friends. Ask your child how they are being kind today!

Registration for Spring Enrichment classes starts today! Click here or on the graphic above to see what is on offer. Enrichments are optional after school opportunities for Children's House and Elementary students. If you have questions about Enrichments, call or email our office.

Lower Elementary summer camps are now full. To get on the waiting list for spots, please email Rachel at admissions@community-montessori.org . Other levels still have a few openings. Registration is open through March 1st. Get more info about camp dates, rates, and themes by selecting your child's age group on the form .

CMS Calendar

Jan. 29th - 8:20-9am Upper El Q&A in the Clubhouse
Feb. 4th - Lower El Info Session, 12-1pm
Feb. 7th - Adolescent Info Session, 2-3pm
Feb 7th - Nova Parent's Night Out, 5:30-9:30pm
Feb. 14th & 17th - No school
Feb. 22nd - All Ages Play, 9-11am @the playground

Chilly temps are a great time for cozy Spirit Wear!

CLICK HERE .

The mission of Community Montessori School is to provide authentic Montessori education

in a nature-rich environment that cultivates collaboration, curiosity,

love of learning, and respect for oneself, others, and the world.

We're gearing up for Kindness Challenge Week!

Wed, 22 Jan 2025 14:31:45 GMT

Every year CMS students take part in the Great Kindness Challenge put on by Kids for Peace. Schools all over the world join together for a special week filled with activities geared to instilling kindness and creating a more peaceful world.

Last year, CMS students collected coins to sponsor students at the Kids for Peace school in Kenya. We had such a great result we were able to help 35 children! This year, inspired by students in our Redbud classroom, we will be collecting coins to help children and families impacted by the California Wildfires. Take some time this weekend to start collecting! Students can begin bringing coins to class on Monday!

"Meaningful Work" has a social component

A final consideration in thinking about meaningful work and what that looks like for students, is to consider the social aspects of work. Often students in our Montessori classrooms are working with others, collaboraing for a common goal. From the collective math exercises in the Children's House to team games in Elementary PE students have opportunities to find shared meaning in their work.

Sometimes the meaningful part of work comes from the value we feel in helping others or doing something that benefits others or the community. This could be setting out napkins for lunch, collecting recycling for the community, or helping a friend manage a heavy load! Next week, our whole school will be embracing the Great Kindness Challenge, which presents many opportunities for students to tap into meaningful work that benefits others.

Summer camp sign-up is live! CMS will have our annual Summer Camp for Casita and Children's House students from June 2nd through July 25th this year. We are offering currently enrolled students early bird sign-up starting today and continuing until March 1st. Elementary & Adolescent students will have some new opportunities this summer! Instead of the YMCA camp, our amazing Guides will be taking turns to offer a variety of experiences to students this summer. See the options here . For now, we are enrolling current students only. If spaces are still available, we will open registration to siblings and alumni March 1st.

CMS Calendar

Jan 27th to 31st - Kindness Challenge week
Feb. 4th - Lower El Info Session, 12-1pm
Feb. 7th - Adolescent Info Session, 2-3pm
Feb. 14th & 17th - No school
Feb. 22nd - All Ages Play, 9-11am @the playground

Chilly temps are a great time for cozy Spirit Wear!

CLICK HERE .

The mission of Community Montessori School is to provide authentic Montessori education

in a nature-rich environment that cultivates collaboration, curiosity,

love of learning, and respect for oneself, others, and the world.

"Meaningful Work" looks different at different ages

Tue, 14 Jan 2025 20:51:43 GMT

"Meaningful Work" looks different at different ages

Last week we talked about the power of providing opportunities for children to engage in "meaningful work." Full engagement in such work is what brings out a focus or concentration that is similar to what Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi called FLOW. There's so much to say on that subject that he wrote an entire book about it!

For our Montessori classrooms, we know that all those words describe a positive mental state experienced by a person who is completely absorbed in an activity. Time passes without being noticed and you emerge feeling refreshed, happy, and energized.

The Montessori method follows the child's natural development and adapts as they grow. This means that the types of activities that provide meaningful work for the child will be different as they age and move through the stages of development. One thing you may notice in older age levels is their growing abilities in abstraction, which results in ideas written on paper more than manipulating materials.

Summer Camp Registration is LIVE!

CMS will have our annual Summer Camp for Casita and Children's House students from June 2nd through July 25th this year. We are offering currently enrolled students early bird sign-up starting today and continuing until March 1st so be sure to reserve your child's spot now!

Elementary & Adolescent students will have some new opportunities this summer! Instead of contracting with the YMCA for a weekly camp, our amazing Guides will be taking turns to offer a variety of experiences to students this summer. From theatre to Capoeira to math magic, browse the list and register your child here . For now, we are enrolling current students only. If spaces are still available, we will open registration to siblings and alumni March 1st.

REMINDER: CMS is closed January 20th, for the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday. We encourage students to take part in a service opportunity that day.

WELCOME NEW STAFF!

Please give a warm CMS welcome to Bridgette Holak who is joining our staff as a sub/floater this year. Bridgette recently earned a B.A. in Elementary Education at Texas State University in San Marcos. She is eager to learn more about the Montessori method. We are so pleased to have her join us!

CMS Calendar

Jan 20th - MLK day, No School
Jan. 21-24th - Acadience mid-year check ins
Jan 27th to 31st - Kindness Challenge week
Feb. 4th - Lower El Info Session, 12-1pm
Feb. 7th - Adolescent Info Session, 2-3pm

Chilly temps are a great time for cozy Spirit Wear!

CLICK HERE .

The mission of Community Montessori School is to provide authentic Montessori education

in a nature-rich environment that cultivates collaboration, curiosity,

love of learning, and respect for oneself, others, and the world.

We're back and ready to work!

Tue, 07 Jan 2025 14:46:50 GMT

I hope you all had an excellent winter break - filled with relaxation and joyful times with family and friends. Yesterday the CMS staff returned to work with a full day of training and classroom preparations. We spent time reviewing social-emotional development across the ages and diving into effective tools to help children learn to navigate social conflict when it arises. It was a great way to refresh and prepare for the return of students today!

WINTER WEATHER REMINDERS

At CMS, we love to go outside all year round in all sorts of weather! On cold days, please be sure to send your child with warm items to wear outside and please LABEL everything!

The small possibility of snow that was out there yesterday has been replaced with just rain....maybe next time! Just FYI - all CMS parents are included in our emergency text service. If there's ever a closure due to weather, you will receive a text message from our service. Thanks!

The Power of "Meaningful Work"

Dr. Montessori was a pioneer in highlighting the need for children to participate in meaningful work. That means activity that is freely chosen and which brings the child a feeling of completion when it is done. We adults have to take care and remind ourselves that Dr. Montessori is talking about work that is meaningful to the child, not necessarily the adult. For example, making a welcome back sign to put on the door could be a very meaningful activity for the child, but seem quite optional for the adult.

"A child who has become master of his acts through long and repeated exercises, and who has been encouraged by the pleasant and interesting activities in which he has been engaged, is a child filled with health and joy and remarkable for his calmness and discipline." Maria Montessori, The Discovery of the Child

CMS Calendar

Jan 7th - Classes resume
Jan 20th - MLK day, No School
Jan 27th to 31st - Kindness Challenge week
Feb. 4th - Lower El Info Session, 12-1pm
Feb. 7th - Adolescent Info Session, 2-3pm

Chilly temps are a great time for cozy Spirit Wear!

CLICK HERE .

The mission of Community Montessori School is to provide authentic Montessori education

in a nature-rich environment that cultivates collaboration, curiosity,

love of learning, and respect for oneself, others, and the world.

Happy Holidays from CMS!

Tue, 17 Dec 2024 16:30:42 GMT

Final Day for Food Donations is Tomorrow!

Our Season of Giving wraps up this week, as we head into our winter break. Class Ambassadors are collecting for Helping Hands of Georgetown for one more day. Please be sure to bring your donation by the end of the day tomorrow. Students can bring items to their classroom in the morning or families can drop off at the office any time up until 4pm.

The most needed items are listed here but any non-perishable donation is welcome. Helping Hands runs a mobile food pantry that distributes food to those who need it Monday thru Thursday at 3pm, from the parking lot in front of the public library.

Thank you for your donations!

Stop By the Nova Classroom

for a Holiday Pop Up Sale!

Nova students will have holiday items for sale tomorrow from 2:30 to 3:30pm inside the Nova classroom. Please be sure to stop by before or after departure!

This sale is cash-less so bring your card. Note - this is a high-traffic time so please be mindful of safety in the Upper Circle drive and keep your kids with you inside as you shop. Thanks!

NOVA OCCUPATIONS VISITS

A big THANK YOU to all the CMS parents and alumni who volunteered during the Nova Occupations unit. Middle School students heard about an amazing variety of occupations. The 8th grade students were able to visit workplaces including Southwestern, Cell Link, Rivery Coffee, Snickersdoodles, the Wilco Sun, Apple, Enovis, McIntires Garden Center, and Southwest Aerospace Technologies.

As if that wasn't enough - Nova also had visitors in class to talk about occupations like engineer, teacher, entrepreneur, pilot, surgeon, and periodontist. We have some very talented and interesting parents here at CMS - just saying!

REMINDER: CMS CLOSED FOR WINTER BREAK

Friday is our last day before winter break. CMS is closed until January 6th, when staff return for a training day. Students return and classes resume on Tuesday, January 7th, 2025. Happy Winter Break everyone and see you in 2025!

CMS Calendar

Dec. 18th - Holiday Sale in Nova Classroom, 2:30-3:30pm
Dec. 20th - Final day of fall semester
Dec. 21-Jan 6th - Winter Break, No School
Jan. 6th - Staff Workday
Jan 7th - Classes resume

Chilly temps are a great time for cozy Spirit Wear!

CLICK HERE .

The mission of Community Montessori School is to provide authentic Montessori education

in a nature-rich environment that cultivates collaboration, curiosity,

love of learning, and respect for oneself, others, and the world.

The Season of Giving Continues!

Tue, 10 Dec 2024 16:23:27 GMT

There are many "gifts" we can give this season, this year, and throughout our school day that are meaningful and bring joy to others. Here's a few of ours:

Elementary students at CMS are giving the gift of song tonight at the Elementary Winter Concert. Join us at the Georgetown Library at 5:30pm .
CMS Class Ambassadors have organized a school-wide food drive, through Wednesday, December 18th . Info can be found on our website or Facebook page.
Last but definitely not least - the gift of time, friendship, attention, support, and sharing! Here are some examples:

THE CHICKENS ARE BACK!

We have a lovely flock of 20 hens settling into their renovated space this week!

We need volunteers to feed them on weekends and breaks. If you would like to volunteer, please email Rachel at admissions@community-montessori.org

SAVE THE DATE

If you missed it in November, here's another chance to connect with your fellow CMS families!

Weather permitting, the next All Ages Play will be on December 14th from 9 to 11am. The playground will be open for all to enjoy and parent volunteers are on hand to help out. Come have some fun!

REMINDER: CMS CLOSED FOR WINTER BREAK

December 20th is our last day of school for 2024. It's been a great year! We are closed for Winter Break until January 6th. Students return and classes resume on Tuesday, January 7th, 2025

CMS Calendar

Dec. 10th - Elementary Winter Concert, 5:30 @ Georgetown Library
Dec. 20th - Final day of fall semester
Dec. 21-Jan 5th - Winter Break, No School
Jan. 6th - Staff Workday
Jan 7th - Classes resume

Chilly temps are a great time for cozy Spirit Wear!

CLICK HERE .

The mission of Community Montessori School is to provide authentic Montessori education

in a nature-rich environment that cultivates collaboration, curiosity,

love of learning, and respect for oneself, others, and the world.

The Season of Giving

Tue, 03 Dec 2024 21:01:31 GMT

Season of Giving

The holiday season is a time of giving, and Community Montessori School is excited to partner with Helping Hands of Georgetown for a school-wide food drive. This is a wonderful way to support those in need. Here are the details:

Kickoff Date : Wednesday, December 4th
Final Collection Date : Wednesday, December 18th
Drop-off Locations : Collection boxes will be in every classroom & the school office.

Students can bring items to class during morning drop-off or parents can drop off anytime to the CMS office. Here is a list of the pantry's most needed items. Let’s make this season brighter for everyone in our local community. Together, we can show the true spirit of giving & make a meaningful impact! Thank you for your generosity and support.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

The chickens are coming home! We are excited to welcome a flock of 20 chickens back to CMS this Friday. Nova Adolescent students will have eggs for sale again soon.

We are currently seeking volunteers to feed the chickens on weekends. If you would like more information about becoming a chicken volunteer, please email Rachel at admissions@community-montessori.org

SAVE THE DATE

For Small Hands Fundraiser

It's nearly the end of October and likely some of you are already thinking about the winter holidays. As you are considering gifts for your child this year, please take a look at the For Small Hands catalogue!

This is offered by Montessori Services, a company CMS has used for years to supplement Montessori materials in our classrooms. They have great toys & items for families wanting to continue with Montessori style at home. Give our school number when you order & CMS receives credit we can use for classroom supplies. It's a win-win! Here's our school number:

104018

CMS Calendar

Dec. 10th - Elementary Winter Concert, 5:30 @ Georgetown Library
Dec. 20th - Final day of fall semester
Dec. 21-Jan 5th - Winter Break, No School
Jan. 6th - Staff Workday
Jan 7th - Classes resume

Chilly temps are a great time for cozy Spirit Wear!

CLICK HERE .

The mission of Community Montessori School is to provide authentic Montessori education

in a nature-rich environment that cultivates collaboration, curiosity,

love of learning, and respect for oneself, others, and the world.

We are Thankful for You

Tue, 19 Nov 2024 15:45:35 GMT

As we look ahead to Thanksgiving break, we want to take a minute and say thank you for the joy, support, and collaboration we experience on a daily basis at CMS with our staff, families, and of course with our students. We are grateful to be part of this wonderful community. Wishing you all a fun-filled break and a Happy Thanksgiving!

REMINDER:
There is no school the week of November 25th to 29th.

CMS is closed for Thanksgiving break. Classes resume on Monday, December 2nd.

Visual Learning

One of the interesting things that Dr. Montessori understood about how humans learn best is summed up in the mantra "Show Instead of Tell". The beautiful materials that children use every day in the Montessori classroom epitomize this idea, by showing clear visual representations of concepts. But guides and staff use visual cues and systems to support learning in many different ways, from color coded activities to visual organizers. Here's some examples:

SAVE THE DATE!

The All Ages play this last Saturday morning had great weather and a great turnout. What a nice opportunity to get to know your fellow CMS parents and students! If you couldn't make it, don't worry. Volunteers have agreed to host one in December (weather permitting).

Mark your calendar for Saturday, December 14th 9-11am.

For Small Hands Fundraiser

104018

CMS Calendar

Nov. 22nd - End of Fall Enrichments
Nov. 22nd - Nova field trip to see Southwestern play
Nov. 25-29th - No School (Thanksgiving week)
Dec. 10th - Elementary Winter Concert, 5:30 @ Georgetown Library

Fall is coming! Get your cool weather Spirit Wear HERE .

The mission of Community Montessori School is to provide authentic Montessori education

in a nature-rich environment that cultivates collaboration, curiosity,

love of learning, and respect for oneself, others, and the world.

Creativity at Work

Tue, 12 Nov 2024 14:32:22 GMT

Sometimes Montessori is criticized for not allowing children to be creative and sometimes for allowing too much creative freedom. Perhaps that contradiction comes from how we think of creativity. What exactly is it and what does it look like when children are creative in our CMS classrooms?

The loose definition that comes up in a google search is "the use of the imagination or original ideas, especially in the production of an artistic work". Dr. Montessori differentiated between imagination and imitation. Imitation is very visible in the first plane of development, as young children try out things they are seeing around them. Imagination truly kicks in during the second plane when the child becomes capable of imagining things that aren't around them or don't actually exist in the current time. This is reflected in the big work of the elementary level.

What is most apparent in our Montessori classrooms every day is the second part of the definition - original ideas. When children have the freedom to explore and try things out, they often find a path less traveled which is quite wonderful to see!

TEAM TEXAS

Last Friday, Veronica and I headed to Dallas to attend the first ever TEAM conference. TEAM is short for Texas Education and Advocacy for Montessori. This new organization seeks to bring together Montessori educators from across our state and to advocate for Montessori. Much of their current efforts are increasing representation with governmental agencies like TEA and childcare licensing. TEAM is also looking to bring together several large constituents within the Montessori community, namely AMI, AMS, and Montessori in the Public Sector, under a common umbrella with Montessori education at the forefront. CMS is excited to support this work as an organizational member of the TEAM!

Join Your CMS Friends for a Saturday All-Ages playdate. November 16th from 9am to 11am. CMS Parents Gina, Etsuko, and Marti will host the event on the CMS Playground. We will have restrooms availalbe so mark your calendars and plan to attend! (Note the corrected time)

LAST CALL FOR NOVA MENTORS

Nova Middle Schoolers are looking for parent volunteers for their "Occupations" study in December. We would love to find parent volunteers to host a Nova student at their place of work (within a reasonable radius of the school) for a day or several days in the weeks of Dec. 9th thru 20th. Alternatively, we'd also love to find parents willing to come and speak about their work to the Nova class during the week of Dec. 2nd. If you're interested or would like to learn more, please email Stephanie at ssayre@community-montessori.org or Ashlie at amazulo@community-montessori.org .

For Small Hands Fundraiser

104018

CMS Calendar

Nov. 16th - ALL AGES PLAY, 9 am to 11 am
Nov. 25-29th - No School (Thanksgiving week)
Dec. 10th - Elementary Winter Concert, 5:30 @ Georgetown Library

Fall is coming! Get your cool weather Spirit Wear HERE .

The mission of Community Montessori School is to provide authentic Montessori education

in a nature-rich environment that cultivates collaboration, curiosity,

love of learning, and respect for oneself, others, and the world.

Cute Kid Alert!

Tue, 05 Nov 2024 14:46:17 GMT

Reflecting & Taking Stock

Last Friday was Conference day - an important event on our school calendar. I'm happy to report that we met our goal of 100% participation ! That is a strong statement from our parent community regarding the high value you have all placed on education. We are truly grateful to have such a committed and supportive parent body at CMS.

Conferences are a good time to pause and reflect on things your child has done and also to look ahead at what is next to come. In the business of our day-to-day activities, we don't always take the time to marvel at the amazing capacity kids have to learn and to take stock of what they've accomplished and the progress they've made and continue to make. We're glad to collectively take a moment for this!

CUTE KID ALERT!

Social-Emotional Learning

At the start of the school year I mentioned the SEL/Antibullying curriculum that we are utilizing this year at CMS. Guides and I have worked to adapt the lessons for a Montessori environment and we look specifically for games and activities that supplement what the Montessori curriculum is already doing. Here's a blurb from the SecondStep.org info:

The Second Step program teaches children important skills for getting along with others and doing well in school. It also helps our school be a safe, respectful place where everyone can learn. Here is a Home Link worksheet with some specific language that we are using at school. We are sharing this with parents as a resource for continuing these conversations at home.

NOVA MENTOR'S NEEDED

Nova Middle Schoolers are looking for some parent volunteers for a NEW mentor/internship program we are launching this year! As part of a study unit on occupations, we are looking for parent volunteers who work within a reasonable radius of the school, to host a Nova student for a morning, a week, or more, to see what their work and workplace involves. Dates for this unit are Dec. 9th thru 20th. Ideally, students would come for a few days and help with projects or needs at your workplace so its more than just a tour. If you're interested or would like to hear more, please email Stephanie at ssayre@community-montessori.org .

For Small Hands Fundraiser

104018

CMS Calendar

Nov. Nova Parent's Night Out
Nov. 16th - ALL AGES PLAY, 9 am to 11 am
Nov. 25-29th - No School (Thanksgiving week)
Dec. 10th - Elementary Winter Concert, 5:30 @ Georgetown Library

Fall is coming! Get your cool weather Spirit Wear HERE .

The mission of Community Montessori School is to provide authentic Montessori education

in a nature-rich environment that cultivates collaboration, curiosity,

love of learning, and respect for oneself, others, and the world.

All the News from CMS!

Tue, 29 Oct 2024 16:49:48 GMT

What a Great Festival!

While the temp stayed a bit on the warm side, we had a great time at last Saturday's International Festival. Thanks to everyone who helped to make this event outstanding!

It's wonderful to have our whole community come together for a fun celebration. One of the most important things, I think, is the way this event highlights student work. From the amazing table displays and reports to the creative items made by Nova students, it was a great example of what Montessori students spend their days doing!

BOOK CLUB UPDATES & A SAVE THE DATE

As you know, we had a great book club get together earlier this month discussing The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt. We are planning a second book club after the new year so stay tuned! Part of the conversation around The Anxious Generation was how to move back towards a play-based childhood, where kids get more opportunities for social experiences and free play with their peers.

To that end, we are doing a trial run of an All Ages Play event at the school. Saturday November 16th, from 10am to 12noon, the CMS playground will be open to ALL AGES for play! We have 3 parent volunteers who are hosting the event so please save the date and plan to spend your Saturday morning having fun at CMS.

NOVA SPECIAL REQUEST - MENTOR'S NEEDED

Nova Middle Schoolers are looking for some parent volunteers for a NEW mentor/internship program we are launching this year! As part of a study unit on occupations, we are looking for parent volunteers who work within a reasonable radius of the school, to host a Nova student for a morning, a week, or more, to see what their work and workplace involves. Dates for this unit are the 3 weeks of December before the break - Dec. 2nd thru 20th. Ideally, students would come for a few days and help with projects or needs at your workplace so its more than just a tour. Students are especially interested in engineering, small business ownership, film making, aviation, medical fields, and chemistry. Quite a list! But we are open to anyone who would like to participate.

If you're interested or would like to hear more, please email Stephanie at ssayre@community-montessori.org .
Thanks!

For Small Hands Fundraiser

104018

CMS Calendar

Nov. 1st - No School (Conference Day)
Nov. 8th - Nova Parent's Night Out
Nov. 16th - ALL AGES PLAY, 10am to 12 noon
Nov. 25-29th - No School (Thanksgiving week)

Fall is coming! Get your cool weather Spirit Wear HERE .

The mission of Community Montessori School is to provide authentic Montessori education

in a nature-rich environment that cultivates collaboration, curiosity,

love of learning, and respect for oneself, others, and the world.

See you Saturday at the CMS International Festival

Tue, 22 Oct 2024 13:36:50 GMT

See you Saturday!

Looking forward to seeing you all on Saturday morning for our annual International Festival. We'll gather in the Courtyard starting at 10am to see the cultural displays, shop at the Nova Microeconomy sale, and enjoy some music with Marshal.

Every child attending gets a passport and collects stickers as they visit each classroom's table. We have a prize for them after they get their stickers! CMS Board members will be joining us at the passport table so please stop by and say hello to them. Friendly reminder that dogs need to stay home Saturday - just humans please! Bathrooms will be available in the new Library in the yellow building.

Students are getting ready! There's been some fun projects going in classrooms the past few weeks as students learn about their country and help create display items. Come and enjoy a look at some of their beautiful work on Saturday!

For Small Hands Fundraiser

104018

CMS Calendar

Oct. 26th - International Festival, 10am to 12noon
Nov. 1st - No School (Conference Day)
Nov. 22nd - End of Fall Enrichments
Nov. 25-29th - No School (Thanksgiving week)

Fall is coming! Get your cool weather Spirit Wear HERE .

The mission of Community Montessori School is to provide authentic Montessori education

in a nature-rich environment that cultivates collaboration, curiosity,

love of learning, and respect for oneself, others, and the world.

Antifragile Kids in Discover Mode!

Tue, 15 Oct 2024 13:27:58 GMT

"All children are by nature antifragile. Just as the immune system must be exposed to germs, and trees must be exposed to wind, children require exposure to setbacks, failures, shocks, and stumbles in order to develop strength and self-reliance." Jonathan Haidt, The Anxious Generation , p. 93

Discover mode encourages kids to explore, take some risks, and learn about themselves. Children gain confidence and resilience by facing challenges, problem solving, and perhaps even overcoming.

In last week's parent discussion of The Anxious Generation, it was pointed out that "discover mode" also applies to intellectual and social-emotional learning. Conflict and learning to resolve it, a science experiment failure, getting the wrong answer for a math equation and trying it again - all of these are learning and growth experiences!

SHOUT OUT TO OUR AMAZING SUPPORT STAFF!

Staff Updates:
Congrats to Andy Ramirez, Children's House Afterschool Assistant, whose son Nicholas was born October 2nd. Harmoni Anderson, our Afterschool Coordinator, is filing in while Andy is on family leave until January.

Welcome to Leslie Brady, who has joined our Elementary team as Level Assistant. Leslie previously taught at Taylor ISD and also worked at TEA for a time before becoming a CMS parent and now staff member.

CMS Calendar

Oct. 16th - Anxious Generation Part 2, 12-1
Oct. 18th - Nova Parents Night Out
Oct. 26th - International Festival, 10am to 12noon
Nov. 1st - Conference Day (No School)

Fall is coming! Get your cool weather Spirit Wear HERE .

The mission of Community Montessori School is to provide authentic Montessori education

in a nature-rich environment that cultivates collaboration, curiosity,

love of learning, and respect for oneself, others, and the world.

How & When do Montessori schools use Digital Technology?

Tue, 08 Oct 2024 13:44:13 GMT

"The children of today will make all the discoveries of tomorrow. All the discoveries of mankind will be known to them and they will improve what has been done and make fresh discoveries...The future generation must not only know how to do what we can teach them, they must be able to go a step further." The 1946 London Lectures, p. 137

Maria Montessori passed away in 1952, well before the advent of anything "digital" in the world. However, she did speak quite eloquently to preparing the child for the future. Here are a few key points in the Montessori approach to consider:

Montessori is development based and focused on giving children what is appropriate for their developmental stage.
The child's work is purposeful and the Montessori materials give the clearest visual representation possible for the concept, without alot of extraneous stuff.
Real world hands-on experiences are still the best foundation for learning.
To be creative thinkers and innovators, children need freedom to explore, experiment, and make connections.

When we consider the above factors we can see about where in the child's educational development it is appropriate for them to begin to use digital tools. At CMS, as with most AMI Montessori schools, this is around the upper elementary age - but with scaffolded access and guidance. We continue to ask...Is this the best tool for this purpose? Are there other resources available that could provide a better experience? Is use of digital technology supporting their development in a positive way?

I hope you will consider reading or listening to Jonathan Haidt's book The Anxious Generation (and joining our discussion group tomorrow!). This is an important topic that all educators and parents should be considering.

SAVE THE DATE!
THE INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL IS COMING SOON...

Nova Parent Night Outs

The Nova Adolescent Community is hosting their first Parent's Night Out for the school year on Friday October 18th. CMS students ages 5 and up can sign up for a fun night in Nova while their parents have a fun night out. Click here for more info and to sign up. There are additional dates on the sign up, including Nov. 8th, Feb. 7th, and May 2nd. These Night Out events help the adolescent students fund their class trips!

REMINDER: CMS IS CLOSED ON OCTOBER 14TH

CMS Calendar

Oct. 9th - The Anxious Generation Brown Bag Book Club, 12-1 in Clubhouse
Oct. 14th - No School
Oct. 16th - Anxious Generation Part II, 12-1
Oct. 18th - Nova Parents Night Out
Oct. 26th - International Festival, 10am to 12noon

Fall is coming! Get your cool weather Spirit Wear HERE .

The mission of Community Montessori School is to provide authentic Montessori education

in a nature-rich environment that cultivates collaboration, curiosity,

love of learning, and respect for oneself, others, and the world.

Important Arrival Reminders

Tue, 01 Oct 2024 13:23:51 GMT

Arrival is at 8am. To get the most out of the school day, its important that your child arrive on time. Greeting friends and walking to class together starts their day with a smile and helps children feel like a valued part of the community. Arriving late, conversely, feels like walking into a party that is already underway. Especially for our younger students, whose whole day can be disrupted by arriving late.

On a more practical note, the car line ends at or before 8:20. Since Guides are on their own in class while Assistants help with the car line, it is important that they return to their classroom as soon as possible. If you arrive at 8:20 or later, expect to wait in your car in front of the office until administrative staff is able to receive your child.

If you have a scheduled appointment and know you will arrive late, please email the office at attendance@community-montessori.org and let us know when you expect to arrive. Thanks!

SHOUT OUT TO OUR AMAZING ASSISTANTS
We are so grateful for all you do for our CMS community!

Nova Parent Night Outs

Students and Guides in the Nova Adolescent classroom are hosting a number of Parent Night Outs this school year. Not only are these evenings really fun, they are an opportunity for our Adolescent students to gain some leadership and real life organizational skills. Students are involved in all aspects of planning, organizing, and leading these events!

The first Parent Night Out is coming up soon on October 18th. Students from 5 to 12 years old are invited to attend. Click on the banner below for more information.

CMS Calendar

Oct. 9th - The Anxious Generation Brown Bag Book Club, 12-1 in Clubhouse
Oct. 14th - No School
Oct. 16th - Anxious Generation Part II, 12-1
Oct. 18th - Nova Parents Night Out
Oct. 26th - International Festival, 10am to 12noon

Fall is coming! Get your cool weather Spirit Wear HERE .

The mission of Community Montessori School is to provide authentic Montessori education

in a nature-rich environment that cultivates collaboration, curiosity,

love of learning, and respect for oneself, others, and the world.

Enrichment Registration Ends Tomorrow

Tue, 24 Sep 2024 19:40:48 GMT

LAST CALL FOR ENRICHMENTS

Sign Up for Fall Enrichment classes closes tomorrow Sept. 25th so be sure to register now! Classes begin next week.

We have a great selection for students in Children's House and Elementary levels, including science, chess, sports, and art. Sign up HERE and call us in the office if you have any questions.

Chicken Updates

As most of you know, our chickens went to stay at Simple Sparrow farm over the summer. Part of the reason for this was predators getting into our chicken yard and sadly we lost some of our flock. Nova students have turned this challenge into a learning opportunity and have been working with our Facilities Manager to rebuild the chicken yard and create a safer space for our CMS flock. This is exactly the hands-on learning CMS gets behind!

Students have spent time cleaning up the existing space, crafting a plan, measuring and calculating material needs. Next step is requesting donated materials from building supply stores. Once materials are on hand, construction can commence and the chickens can safely return. Thanks to the Nova students and Guides and all the CMS staff who have contributed to this project. We miss the chickens!

A Successful Montessori Journey

Thanks to our CMS Staff for leading our group on a successful Montessori Journey this past Saturday. It's fun to be a kid for a day and to experience hands-on what our students are doing and working on during the school day. Special thanks to the McElhaney family for supplying us with delicious coffee!

Why Class Trips Matter

Two weeks ago our Nova students went on their fall Class Trip to Nature's Classroom, which has a beautiful facility about 2 hours away from Georgetown. Tommorrow the Upper Elementary class get their turn. Students have fun of course, and the path to life long learning has to include fun! But what are the pedagogical reasons for these class trips.....why do they matter?

In a nutshell, hands-on real world experiences that build resilience and independence. On trips outside the classroom and especially overnight trips away from home, students are challenged to learn by doing and to work with their classmates to solve problems and meet the needs of everyone in the group. As they succeed in these challenges, their confidence soars. Dr. Montessori refers to this as "valorization," which technically means to find value in something, but for our students it means finding value in themselves.

CMS Calendar

Sept. 25-27th - Redbud community fall trip
Sept. 30th - Start of Fall Enrichment classes
Oct. 1st - Parent Info Session on Casita Transitions,

12-1pm

Oct. 14th - No School
Oct. 18th - Nova Parents Night Out

Fall is coming! Get your cool weather Spirit Wear HERE .

The mission of Community Montessori School is to provide authentic Montessori education

in a nature-rich environment that cultivates collaboration, curiosity,

love of learning, and respect for oneself, others, and the world.

Fall Enrichment Sign Up is Here!

Tue, 17 Sep 2024 13:30:12 GMT

FALL ENRICHMENT SIGN UP IS HERE !

Children's House and Elementary students can sign up now for After School Enrichment classes. We have a great selection this fall. From science to art to lego robotics, there's something for everyone! Registration is open now through September 25th. Classes start the week of September 30th. The registration form has more details for each of the specific classes offered so please read and sign up today. Call the office if you have any questions.

Learning Support Program Updates

This year we are happy to have Marta Wagner working full time as our Learning Support Coordinator. Currently the focus is on reading, specifically early intervention and literacy support for students who are encountering some challenges on the pathway to reading. The former Library space has been transformed into a new Learning Supports center where Marta can offer individual and small group tutoring.

Over the next few weeks, Marta (and I as her helper) will be sitting with students in Lower Elementary and also the third year (kindergarten) students in Children's House to informally assess where they are on the pathway to reading. This "benchmark" gives us an idea of those who may need extra support. The process is repeated again in January so the fall benchmark also helps us see the child's progress as they work through the Montessori language materials. Marta meets with guides to discuss results for children in their community and parents will hear from their guide if their child has any need for additional support beyond the Montessori materials.

Other exciting news for Learning Support is that CMS received a $3,000 Literacy Opportunity grant from ProLiteracy . This has enabled us to get training and supplies for Marta's work, including Sequential English Education (SEE) manuals for students as well as decodable readers and other materials that support students on the path to reading!

Why is PE important? We all know that physical activity is part of good health for all humans but for children there are additional benefits in the development of cognitive functions. A report from Active Living Research reviews a growing body of research that indicates that regular participation in physical activity has been linked to improved academic performance and specifically executive functions, like working memory, switching attention between tasks, and improved recall. And if that wasn't enough of a reason to promote PE, there's also the social benefits of belonging to a team and working collaboratively with others towards a common end.

Join us this Saturday for the Montessori Journey It's not too late to sign up! We'll have guides and CMS staff here to take parents on a journey from toddlerhood to adolescence, via our Montessori classrooms. It's a fun way to get a hands-on experience of CMS and understand a little more about your child's day in their Montessori classroom. Sign up here and join us for a fun morning.

A SHOUT OUT TO OUR CMS GUIDES!
Thank you for all you do for our students every day

The Anxious Generation has been on the NYTimes bestseller list for 21 weeks because it is so relevant for children and families today. Join us in October for a lively lunch-time discussion of the major points covered in this book! Sign up now and get reading (or listening - the sign up also has a podcast link)

CMS Calendar

Sept. 21st - Montessori Journey, 9 to 11:30am
Sept. 25-27th - Redbud community fall trip
Sept. 30th - Start of Fall Enrichment classes
Oct. 1st - Parent Info Session on Casita Transitions,

12-1pm

Oct. 14th - No School

Fridays are Spirit Days at CMS. Shop for tees HERE .

The mission of Community Montessori School is to provide authentic Montessori education

in a nature-rich environment that cultivates collaboration, curiosity,

love of learning, and respect for oneself, others, and the world.

Last Call for Placemats

Tue, 10 Sep 2024 13:57:29 GMT

Last Call Everyone!

Placemat orders close this Friday at 4pm so order yours now! Our Community Placemats are a great way to kickstart dinner conversations about your child's day at school! Order a placemat (or two!) and see all the children that make up your child's Community at CMS. Our placemats are custom made and personalized, with a photo and first name of every classmate. It's a great way to help your child learn everyone's names and get to know them yourself too.

PE STARTS THIS WEEK!

This week Elementary students start PE classes one afternoon per class. CMS has partnered with the YMCA to offer PE. Skilled Coaches from the Y plan activities that emphasize sportsmanship, effort, engagement, and most of all fun. Last year, students enjoyed archery, kickball, flag football and more. CMS has a blossoming reputation as a kickball crazy community! Stay tuned for a fun Parent PE Event later this fall. Until then, ask your student about their PE class with the YMCA.

IT'S BEEN A GREAT WEEK!

Join us for the Montessori Journey on Saturday, September 21st, from 9:00-11:30am. It's a fun way to get a hands-on experience of your child's day in Montessori. Sign up here and save the date.

CMS Calendar

Sept. 10th - Start of PE (elementary only)
Sept. 11-13th - Nova community fall trip
Sept. 21st - Montessori Journey, 9 to 11:30am
Sept. 25-27th - Redbud community fall trip
Sept. 30th - Start of Fall Enrichment classes

Fridays are Spirit Days at CMS. Shop for tees HERE .

The mission of Community Montessori School is to provide authentic Montessori education

in a nature-rich environment that cultivates collaboration, curiosity,

love of learning, and respect for oneself, others, and the world.

Establishing Community

Tue, 03 Sep 2024 14:14:35 GMT

September is here and students are beginning to settle in. Having consistent rules and predictable routines helps children feel secure and enables them to make independent choices throughout their day. Equally important is establishing the bonds of community within our classrooms and across the school as a whole. To help with this, we are offering our first ever Community Placemats!

Community Placemats are a great way to kickstart dinner conversations about your child's day at school! Order a placemat (or two!) and see all the children that make up your child's Community at CMS. Our placemats are custom made and personalized, with a photo and first name of every classmate. It's a great way to help your child learn everyone's names and get to know them yourself too.

At CMS we bring together children of different ages, interests, and abilities to form a rich tapestry that is our class community. These guys work together, enjoy stories and songs, share the lunch meal, and have fun playing together outside as well. Back to School Class Socials are happening now. Plan to attend and start getting to know the amazing little people your child spends their day with at school!

Join us for the Montessori Journey on Saturday, September 21st, from 9:00-11:30am. It's a fun way to get a hands-on experience of your child's day in Montessori. Sign up here and save the date.

CMS Calendar

Sept. 10th - Start of PE (elementary only)
Sept. 11-13th - Nova community fall trip
Sept. 21st - Montessori Journey, 9 to 11:30am
Sept. 25-27th - Redbud community fall trip
Sept. 30th - Start of Fall Enrichment classes

Fridays are Spirit Days at CMS. Shop for tees HERE .

The mission of Community Montessori School is to provide authentic Montessori education

in a nature-rich environment that cultivates collaboration, curiosity,

love of learning, and respect for oneself, others, and the world.

Happy Birthday to Maria Montessori

Tue, 27 Aug 2024 12:57:28 GMT

Maria Montessori was born on August 31st, 1870 in a small town in Italy. It's thanks to her work that we have Montessori schools today. Students this week have been hearing about her life story. It's a fun math challenge to subtract 1870 from 2024 and discover how long ago she lived. Cheers to Maria!

The Montessori method is unique in being developmentally based and encompassing the entirety of childhood. Dr. Montessori identified distinct stages of development that all humans experience, which she called the Planes of Development. Each of these stages has its own unique characteristics and the activities and materials in our classrooms are designed to meet the needs and interests of that developmental stage.

The Montessori Journey is a wonderful CMS event that gives parents the chance to step into classrooms and be a kid again. It's a fun way to spend a Saturday morning but also to see first hand how these developmental stages are manifest in our daily activities at school. Save the Date (September 21st) and come get your hands on some work!

Let's Connect!

August and the first weeks of school are an important time for establishing school routines and learning the rules. It's also crucial for getting connected with others who share our classroom, school, and day! Students have been having fun getting to know classmates, CMS staff, and all the students we have at our school. Parents - no need to feel left out! Connect with your community on Facebook. Plan to attend the social for your child's class and sign up for the Journey and other parent events at CMS. We're looking forward to getting to know all of you as well!

A primary focus for us in the first weeks of school is creating community . Guides have a variety of activities and routines to facilitate this, depending on the age of the students in their class. Playing games to learn the names of classmates and find common interests is not only fun, it sets the stage for collaborative learning throughout the school year. *Spoiler alert - we're going to offer a way for parents to help their child learn their classmates names, stay tuned for more on this in the next few weeks.

CMS Calendar

Sept. 2nd - School Closed
Sept. 10th - PE starts (elementary only)
Sept. 11-13th - Nova community fall trip
Sept. 21st - Montessori Journey, 9 to 11:30am
Sept. 25-27th - Redbud community fall trip

Fridays are Spirit Days at CMS. Shop for tees HERE .

The mission of Community Montessori School is to provide authentic Montessori education

in a nature-rich environment that cultivates collaboration, curiosity,

love of learning, and respect for oneself, others, and the world.

We're off to a Great start

Tue, 20 Aug 2024 19:10:57 GMT

We're off to a great start!

Students came back ready to go and we've jumped right in to lessons and Montessori work. For most, its a mixture of new presentations alongside past favorities with perhaps a little refreshing and reminding also in the mix.

Last but definitely not least - it's important to establish school and classroom rules in the first days of school. At CMS we expect students to be safe and respectful . We find that those two words cover just about everything!

This year, we are using Second Step's bullying prevention materials to inform our Montessori practices and ensure that all students have a positive school experience. Parents can use this At Home sheet to discuss safe and respectful rules, both at home and at school, with their child.

The Anxious Generation Parent Event

We are excited to invite you to join in on this important conversation! The Anxious Generation is a new book topping the charts because it is so relevant for children and families today. Psychologist Jonathan Haidt looks at societal factors contributing to a mental health crisis among adolescents and suggests how families and schools can foster resilience and well-being in children.

Join CMS Executive Director Stephanie Sayre and Guides Jody French and Charlie Applegate for a lively lunch-time discussion! Sign up now and get reading (or listening - the sign up also has a podcast link)

CMS Calendar

Sept. 2nd - School Closed
Sept. 10th - PE starts (elementary only)
Sept. 11-13th - Nova community fall trip
Sept. 21st - Montessori Journey, 9 to 11:30am
Sept. 25-27th - Redbud community fall trip

Fridays are Spirit Days at CMS. Shop for tees HERE .

The mission of Community Montessori School is to provide authentic Montessori education

in a nature-rich environment that cultivates collaboration, curiosity,

love of learning, and respect for oneself, others, and the world.

Welcome Back!

Tue, 13 Aug 2024 18:53:27 GMT

Welcome back CMS families!

We have been busy preparing for the start of the school year and are super excited to have students back on campus. We had a great turnout last night for CMS 101 and the Casita and Children's House Orientations. Tonight, elementary and adolescent families have their turn. As you know, we have returning and upper level students starting Thursday. New students in lower levels have staggered starts over the next two weeks.

Some fast facts about CMS for all our quantitative types....

We are starting the year with 229 enrolled students
Our students range in age from 1 year up to 15 years
We have 11 Montessori classrooms and 3 rooms for extended hours programs on our 18 acre campus
We have 41 school-year employees + 4 dedicated substitutes
This is our 43rd year providing authentic Montessori education in Georgetown!

STAFF DEVELOPMENT WEEK

CMS staff members enjoyed three full days of professional development this past week. We were especially fortunate to have the Director of Training of the Shelton School here to present information on Montessori applied to children at risk of a learning difference. Not only does this training provide our staff with a great foundation for working with all students at CMS, it is a great kick-off for our new Learning Support Program!

CHICKEN UPDATE

The CMS chickens have been enjoying summer at Simple Sparrow farm. For new families, this is a farm east of CMS where our Adolescent students volunteer during the school year. We are sprucing up the chicken yard and hope to have them back on campus soon!

CMS Calendar

August 15th - 1st day of school
August 16-30th - Staggered starts for new students
September 2nd - School Closed
September 21st - The Montessori Journey, 9 to 11:30am

SPIRIT WEAR

The mission of Community Montessori School is to provide authentic Montessori education

in a nature-rich environment that cultivates collaboration, curiosity,

love of learning, and respect for oneself, others, and the world.

Summer's a Wrap! Looking forward to the new school year.

Fri, 26 Jul 2024 18:29:41 GMT

SUMMER CAMP IS A WRAP!

Today is our final day of Summer Camp. It's been a fun time with many memorable moments. A big THANK YOU to all our summer staff. You guys have been awesome! It's always fun to have Montessori alumni students bring their energy and enthusiasm to camp. Our Camp Coordinators did an amazing job thinking up creative and fun activities for the kids to enjoy. That's a wrap!

WE'RE ALMOST READY...

Summer for our Facilities Manager and Administrative staff is probably our busiest time of year. Over the past two months, we've upgraded flooring in three buildings, completed remodeling in both the orange building and Magnolia, painted and renovated the library, created the new Learning Support Center, and prepared for the reopening of the Poppy classroom. Whew! Another big THANK YOU is due to everyone who helped accomplish these feats. We are gearing up now for staff to return next week and get ready for the 2024-25 school year. See you soon!

CHICKEN UPDATE

The CMS chickens have been enjoying summer break at Simple Sparrow farm. For new families, Simple Sparrow is a therapy farm east of Georgetown that our Adolescent students do volunteer work with during the school year. We are planning updates and renovations to the coop and hope to have the chickens back shortly after school starts this fall.

CMS Calendar

July 26th - Last Day of Summer Camp
July 29-31 - School Closed
August 1 - 14 - Staff Development days
August 15th - 1st day of school (returning students)
August 16-30th - Staggered starts (new students)

Get ready for school with some super cute CMS Spirit Wear - show your support!

The mission of Community Montessori School is to provide authentic Montessori education

in a nature-rich environment that cultivates collaboration, curiosity,

love of learning, and respect for oneself, others, and the world.

Thanks for a wonderful year!

Tue, 21 May 2024 14:33:06 GMT

THANKS FOR A WONDERFUL YEAR!

We are wrapping up the school year this week with a flurry of activity, community, and fun! From the Nova trip to elementary field day to moving up gatherings in Children's House, students at CMS have been making the most of our last month of school.

Can you believe Thursday is our last day? It's been a great year and we are so grateful for getting to spend this time with the amazing students we have in our school community.

MOVING UP

It's an exciting time in May when we celebrate student accomplishments and recognize the growth we've seen over the course of the year. The CMS Yearbook is a great visual documentation of that.

I've been reminded the past few weeks, of the myriad ways that kids change and develop. Part of our year end celebration is sharing with children the joy and pride of seeing just how far they've come this year and wondering where they'll go next!

Students in their final year of the Children's House are not only "moving up" to 1st grade they are also moving up to the 2nd plane of development. To commemorate this milestone, students worked in class for several weeks creating their own personal timeline to illustrate their growth. Children presented their timelines to peers in class last week. Congrats and good job to our Children's House full cycles!

We also have a cohort of students completing their elementary years & "moving up" to the adolescent classroom (and the 3rd plane of development). These students have been working on term papers which they presented in class last week. The variety of interests represented in these projects was amazing! Congratulations on a job well done to our rising 7th graders. We look forward to your continued development in Nova next year.

NOVA ADOLESCENT CLASS TRIP & GRADUATION

Students in the Nova Adolescent classroom celebrated the end of a successful school year with a class trip last week. Students enjoyed cooking for one another as well some interesting and fun sights in the Dallas area.

8th grade is the end of our programs at CMS so students in Nova who are wrapping up their 8th grade year are graduating from Community Montessori School! We are super proud of these students and honored to be part of their growth this year. Graduates will be heading to a variety of area high schools, including Gateway, Headwaters, the Griffin School, Cedar Park and Westwood.

FIELD DAY FUN

Today CMS elementary students enjoyed a special Field Day with the YMCA. They spent the morning outside taking part in a variety of activities that were loads of fun and also challenged their physical abilities and team work. Ask your student about the dragon tail game or rock, paper, scissors with hula hoops! The YMCA brought out some special equipment like pedal cars and disc golf targets. It was a really fun morning!

CMS Calendar

May 23 - Last Day of School
May 24 - Staff Development Day/Summer Camp training
June 3 - 1st day of Summer Camp

Warm weather Spirit Wear is here!

The mission of Community Montessori School is to provide authentic Montessori education

in a nature-rich environment that cultivates collaboration, curiosity,

love of learning, and respect for oneself, others, and the world.

The Benefits of Community

Tue, 14 May 2024 13:29:49 GMT

THE BENEFITS OF COMMUNITY

The Montessori approach considers the whole child and at CMS we look for student engagement cognitively, physically, and socially. The circles of connection, which start of course at home with the family, extend to individual students, the class group, and throughout the whole school. There's many ways every day that students at CMS benefit from the supportive community we work hard to establish at school.

A basic foundation of respect is required for students to collaborate and cohabitate peacefully with others. Going further, we build empathy and understanding and go further still to incite interest in how and why others do things, think, and come to believe certain things. From the adults, this process takes vast amounts of patience as children observe, experience, and process their community interactions every day.

ELEMENTARY SPRING TRIPS

Last week you heard about the adolescent students who ventured to the Montessori Model UN conference in Rome. Closer to home, our CMS Upper El students enjoyed an adventurous camp-out at Inks Lake while the full cycle Lower El students had an overnight camping trip to Twin Lakes. In considering the benefits of community - these types of trips have such an impact on our students! Embarking on new and often physical challenges is much more comfortable when your supportive community of peers and guides are at hand!

CMS Calendar

May 13-17 - Nova class trip
May 21 - Elementary field day
May 23 - Last Day of School
May 24 - Staff Development Day/Summer Camp training
June 3 - 1st day of Summer Camp

Warm weather Spirit Wear - you need it!

The mission of Community Montessori School is to provide authentic Montessori education

in a nature-rich environment that cultivates collaboration, curiosity,

love of learning, and respect for oneself, others, and the world.

We Appreciate Our Teachers!

Tue, 07 May 2024 15:13:33 GMT

This is Teacher Appreciation week at CMS and we are so happy to celebrate the hard work and dedication of the amazing people who work with students on our campus every day! A big thank you to the Class Ambassadors group for organizing a week-long celebration for our staff, with daily treats, breakfasts, and lunch. An even bigger THANK YOU to our incredible CMS staff!

CONGRATS TO OUR MODEL UN DELEGATES

Last week 11 CMS adolescent students attended the Montessori Model United Nations (MMUN) conference in Rome Italy! We had an amazing trip. Meeting Montessori students and guides from all around the world was a great affirmation of the universality of the Montessori approach.

CMS students represented the nations of China, Switzerland, and the Bahamas with topics ranging from the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine to digital piracy and addressing natural disasters. Students worked all year to prepare for the conference and arrived in Rome ready to debate and discuss with other delegates and craft resolutions on their topics. All of our group did a great job and we're really proud of them!

NOVA SUMMER CAMPS

Spaces are still available in our Nova Summer Camps, which are open to all CMS students, siblings, and alumni in grades 4 to 8. These weeks are a lot of fun! Click here to sign up and learn more about the camps.

June 10 - 19 - Theatre Camp with Ashlie
June 17 - 21 - Epoxy Camp with Ashlie
July 8 - 12 - Quidditch Camp with Charlie
July 15 - 19 - Game Development Camp with Charlie

CMS Calendar

May 13-17 - Nova class trip
May 21 - Elementary field day
May 23 - Last Day of School
May 24 - Staff Development Day/Summer Camp training
June 3 - 1st day of Summer Camp

Warm weather Spirit Wear - you need it!

The mission of Community Montessori School is to provide authentic Montessori education

in a nature-rich environment that cultivates collaboration, curiosity,

love of learning, and respect for oneself, others, and the world.

Planes of Development & Moving Up

Tue, 30 Apr 2024 14:52:39 GMT

MONTESSORI'S PLANES OF DEVELOPMENT

If you've been at CMS awhile you've definitely heard us talk about the planes of development. I know - but they are so important! They are top of mind right now, as we head into our last month of the school year. Some of our CMS students will be "moving up" - which is our way of saying they're transitioning from their current plane of development into the next one. Let's review!

The basis for the Montessori approach is based on Dr. Montessori's work identifying these different stages and then crafting an educational system that works in harmony with them. Each plane has distinct characteristics which guide our work with students. The transition from one plane to the next may vary a bit for individual children. Some seem to change overnight while others have a more gradual passage. Parents and teachers can better support children when we understand the needs and characteristics of these stages. For a good read on the characteristics of these planes and how they are utilized in the Montessori approach, check out this short article by Paula Lillard Preschlack.

SUMMER PROJECTS AND POD STORAGE

For the past few years, we've been replacing flooring and bathroom tile in our 20 year old buidlings, making our way around the Courtyard and lower campus. This summer it is the Orange building's turn! We are really excited to see those spaces transformed. Families can expect to see some large storage pods arriving on campus in the next few days as we begin preparations to move furniture out of those buildings.

PHOTO ORDERS

Click HERE to view CMS class and individual photos for this year and order copies from Tanjabul. May 7th is the final day for ordering.

2024 SUMMER CAMP

Casita & Children's House sign up here for CMS camp
Elementary students sign up here for the YMCA camp (in Clubhouse)
Adolescent & Upper El students sign up here for Nova camps

CMS Calendar

April 29-May 3 - Montessori MMUN Conference in Rome
May 7 - Lower El Parent Info Session, 12noon
May 13-17 - Nova class trip
May 21 - Elementary field day
May 23 - Last Day of School
May 24 - Staff Development Day
June 3 - 1st day of Summer Camp

The mission of Community Montessori School is to provide authentic Montessori education

in a nature-rich environment that cultivates collaboration, curiosity,

love of learning, and respect for oneself, others, and the world.

Photo Orders Available Now thru May 7th

Tue, 23 Apr 2024 13:42:08 GMT

Individual and class photos are available now! We were fortunate to have the wonderful photographers from TANJABUL out this Spring to capture our amazing students and staff! Order your favorites by clicking on the link sent to you via email! The Gallery closes on May 7th.

SOME FUN PHOTOS FROM THE GOOD EARTH CELEBRATION

It was nice to see so many of you Friday for our annual Good Earth celebration! We couldn't have had a nicer day for it. As usual, Fry's Farm brought a good time with their playful barrel rides and adorable animals; the Nova sale was filled with interesting items; and it was fun to see kids running around and having fun with their family and friends.

LAST CALL FOR YEARBOOK ORDERS

Click HERE to order the 2023-24 CMS Yearbook for your child. Yearbooks are printed to order and we will not have extras on hand. If you'd like a yearbook, be sure to order it now. April 23rd is the hard deadline for orders so do it today!

2024 SUMMER CAMP

Casita & Children's House sign up here for CMS camp
Elementary students sign up here for the YMCA camp (in Clubhouse)
Adolescent & Upper El students sign up here for Nova camps

CMS Calendar

April 23 - Last Day to order a CMS Yearbook
April 24-26 - Upper Elementary Spring Trip
April 25-26 - Lower Elementary Full Cycles Overnight Trip
April 29-May 3 - Montessori MMUN Conference in Rome

The mission of Community Montessori School is to provide authentic Montessori education

in a nature-rich environment that cultivates collaboration, curiosity,

love of learning, and respect for oneself, others, and the world.

All Kinds of Going Outs

Tue, 16 Apr 2024 15:40:09 GMT

ALL KINDS OF GOING OUTS

An important skill for children to develop is the ability to apply things they've learned to new situations. These "transferable skills" are key for critical thinking, problem solving, and so many of the soft skills that are valuable in our lives. In Montessori, one of the ways that students develop these skills is in "Going Outs" and those can happen in many different ways.

Throughout the school year, students in Upper Elementary and Adolescent classes, venture off campus to extend their learning in exciting ways, such as visiting Southwestern University to learn about Chinese language. Other times, the Going Outs are for community service, such as when Nova students help out at Simple Sparrow farm.

For younger students, Going Out means exploring our campus and having learning experiences outside of their familiar classroom. While they don't venture off campus, they still have opportunities to apply things they are learning about in class in another setting. They also get ideas and inspiration to take back to class with them!

This April & May, elementary and adolescent students will be Going Out on overnight trips with their guides and classmates. While generally a lot of fun happens, these camping trips also challenge children in some big new ways.

Last but not least, some of the Nova Adolescent students will head out for a super big Going Out the last week of April. They will be going to Rome for the Montessori Model United Nations conference. As you can imagine, the MMUN experience has challenged those students to bring all of what they know as well as some new things they've learned along the way. We are so proud of these students and the determination, poise, and creative thinking they have shown as they prepare for this conference.

Please come out on Thursday, April 18th to see their Presentation Night. We'll be at the Georgetown Rec Admin center at 1101 N College St, starting at 5:30pm. See you there! (photo from the 2023 MMUN Presentation NIght)

ANOTHER GREAT EVENT THIS WEEK

Please join us Friday after school for the Great Earth Celebration! Starting at 3:15, we'll have petting zoo animals from Fry's Farm along with a super fun tractor ride. Visit with friends in the Courtyard and help us release some ladybugs.

Please pick up your child in the car line as usual then park and walk down to the Courtyard and Shady Grove. Parking is available along the drive, in the upper circle lot, and in the lower circle parking area. We look forward to seeing you there.

YEARBOOK ORDERS

Click HERE to order the 2023-24 CMS Yearbook for your child. We've have a great year and are looking forward to sharing all the highlights with you.

April 23rd is the hard deadline for orders so be sure to get yours in now.

2024 SUMMER CAMP

Casita & Children's House sign up here for CMS camp
Elementary students sign up here for the YMCA camp (in Clubhouse)
Adolescent & Upper El students sign up here for Nova camps

CMS Calendar

April 18 - Montessori Model UN Presentation NIght, 5:30pm @ Georgetown Rec Center
April 19 - Good Earth Celebration, 3-5pm
April 24-26 - Upper Elementary Spring Trip
April 25-26 - Lower Elementary Full Cycles Overnight Trip
April 29-May 3 - Montessori MMUN Conference in Rome

The mission of Community Montessori School is to provide authentic Montessori education

in a nature-rich environment that cultivates collaboration, curiosity,

love of learning, and respect for oneself, others, and the world.

The Power of Nature

Tue, 09 Apr 2024 13:04:25 GMT

THE POWER OF NATURE

I hope all of you got to experience the total solar eclipse in some way yesterday! Despite the clouds, it was a pretty amazing event. A great reminder of how we are connected to nature and the world around us, even when we don't feel like it sometimes. Today may be an "inside day" at school with the rain and mud preventing outside play. Tomorrow, however, is another day!

I hope you all have saved the date and are planning to attend the Good Earth Celebration on Friday, April 19th after school from 3:15 to 5:15. We'll have the ever popular petting zoo, tractor rides and will again be releasing ladybugs in the Courtyard. It's a great event for connecting with nature on our beautiful campus this Spring.

THIS WAS A TRULY KIND YEAR!

As you know, this year our Great Kindness Week challenge was supporting the Kids for Peace school in Kenya by collecting coins. Those efforts raised enough to fund these 35 children. Students in the Redbud community recently wrapped up an additional collection effort and have added another $255.00 to that total, which means that CMS can support another 5 children. Way to go CMS!

YEARBOOK ORDERS

Click HERE to order the 2023-24 CMS Yearbook for your child. We've have a great year and are looking forward to sharing all the highlights. Orders close on April 23rd so do it today!

Thanks to Tirzah for her hard work in putting this wonderful keepsake together!

2024 SUMMER CAMP

Casita & Children's House sign up here for CMS camp
Elementary students sign up here for the YMCA camp (in Clubhouse)
Adolescent & Upper El students sign up here for Nova camps

CMS Calendar

April 18 - Montessori Model UN Presentation NIght, 5:30 - 7:00 @ Georgetown Rec Center
April 19 - Good Earth Celebration, 3-5pm
April 24-26 - Upper Elementary Spring Trip
April 25-26 - Lower Elementary Full Cycles Overnight Trip
April 29-May 3 - Montessori MMUN Conference in Rome

The mission of Community Montessori School is to provide authentic Montessori education

in a nature-rich environment that cultivates collaboration, curiosity,

love of learning, and respect for oneself, others, and the world.

No School Monday so check out that total eclipse!

Tue, 02 Apr 2024 14:20:01 GMT

NO SCHOOL MONDAY SO WATCH THE SOLAR ECLIPSE!

No doubt you've heard that central Texas is prime viewing for the total solar eclipse on Monday! CMS is actually closed on Monday for Conference Day but, given concerns about travel during the eclipse, Guides are offering alternate times for conferences so everyone can be home that afternoon. Please be sure and check with your Guide so you don't miss out on this important check-in for your child's progress this year.

In Georgetown, the eclipse will begin at 12:18pm, with the time of totality from 1:36 to 1:39pm. The partial eclipse will continue until 2:58pm. f you are planning to view the eclipse with your child, please do so safely and make sure your child (and yourself) are wearing appropriate glasses! Join Southwestern to see the event through telescopes. If your child wants to learn more the NASA website has lots of info, including:

The Solar Eclipse happens when the moon passes between the sun and earth. An eclipse can only happen at New Moon
The eclipse comes during NASA's Heliophysics Big Year. Check out other sun-related activities on their website
There won't be another eclipse until 2044 so figure out how old you will be then!

A BEAUTIFUL SPRING AT CMS

We've had lovely Spring weather the past few weeks which has made it very easy for our CMS students to enjoy the patches of beautiful flowers that have popped up on campus. I'm sure you know that bluebonnets are the state flower of Texas but did you know they are considered annuals in the world of plants?

As the weather gets warmer, the bluebonnet flowers dry up but that's when the seed pods begin to form! When the seed pods dry out, they open up and reseed the soil so the flowers come back the following year. It's important not to mow over the plants during this time so the seed pods can do their thing! We can also do our part by not picking the bluebonnets and thus ensuring that they make seeds for next year. Look for other wildflowers blooming on campus this Spring!

JOIN US APRIL 19TH

Celebrate Spring with your friends at CMS! Our annual Good Earth Celebration will be after school on Friday April 19th, from 3:15 to 5:15pm.

This is a free event and all families are invited to attend! We'll have the ever popular Fry's Farm back with a variety of animals to hold and pet. Save the date - you won't want to miss it!

SUMMER CAMP SIGN UP IS LIVE!

Summer Camp at CMS starts June 3rd and ends July 26th. Casita & Children's House students can enroll for one month or all summer. The YMCA camp enrolls weekly. We also have some special weekly camps for Upper El and Adolescent students. Click on the links below and browse around for more info.

Casita & Children's House students sign up here with CMS for camp
Elementary students sign up here with the YMCA for camp ***NOTE: The YMCA sign up for CMS begins on week 2 of their summer program. They have other locations offering camp the week of May 27th. Please go by the dates listed to ensure you are signing up for the weeks you want.
Adolescent & Upper El students students can sign up here for 4 weekly camps from our Nova Guides. Each week has a different theme!

CMS Calendar

April 8 - School Closure, Conference Day
April 18 - Montessori Model UN Presentation Night, 5:30 - 7 @ Georgetown Rec Center
April 19 - Good Earth Celebration, 3-5pm
April 24-26 - Upper Elementary Spring Trip
April 25-26 - Lower Elementary Full Cycles Overnight Trip
April 29-May 3 - Montessori MMUN Conference in Rome

SAVE THE DATE!

Plan to shop at Kendra Scott on April 30th! CMS receives 20% of all purchases during this fundraiser!

The mission of Community Montessori School is to provide authentic Montessori education

in a nature-rich environment that cultivates collaboration, curiosity,

love of learning, and respect for oneself, others, and the world.

How do we Measure Progress?

Tue, 26 Mar 2024 18:23:44 GMT

How do we measure progress?

What does mastery actually look like? With Spring Conferences just around the corner, we are collectively taking a moment to consider these questions. For Guides in every classroom level, the job of assessing and tracking a child's progress and growth is deeply intertwined with their daily work of guiding children through the Montessori curriculum.

In training programs for Montessori teaching certification, we learn to incorporate daily observation and the importance of record keeping. The Montessori materials are brilliantly designed so that they reveal the child's understanding and skill in their use and practice with materials in the classroom. Elementary and Adolescent students also add in student journaling and regular conferences with the guide as a way of assessing progress.

Peer learning is another great tool we use in the Montessori classroom to assess a student's understanding and skill. Albert Einstein famously said "If you can't explain it to a six year old, you don't understand it yourself." Having opportunities to present their work to peers or to show and explain a work to another student are wonderful ways to measure mastery and come with the added bonus of self-discovery!

TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE IS HEADING OUR WAY!

As you are probably aware, Texas is a prime viewing location for this amazing event on April 8th. By lucky coincidence, CMS is closed that day for Guide-Parent Conferences.

Some have expressed concerns about traffic and travel on the 8th so Guides will be offering alterate times for their conferences. Please check with your Guide (if you haven't already) and be sure you sign up for this important check in regarding your student's progress this year.

If you are planning to view the eclipse with your child, please do so safely! Our friends at Southwestern are hosting an event to help with this (and they have telescopes).

PICTURE DAYS

Today's picture day is going very well! It's been fun to see our students endeavoring to look extra sharp! Tomorrow will be Children's House and make ups for anyone who didn't make it today.

Info will be out in the next few weeks regarding ordering photos and yearbooks. Please keep an eye on the Tuesday email for that.

SUMMER CAMP SIGN UP IS LIVE!

Casita & Children's House students sign up here with CMS for camp
Elementary students sign up here with the YMCA for camp ***NOTE: The YMCA sign up for CMS begins on week 2 of their summer program. They have other locations offering camp the week of May 27th. Please go by the dates listed to ensure you are signing up for the weeks you want.
Adolescent & Upper El students students can sign up here for 4 weekly camps from our Nova Guides. Each week has a different theme!

SAVE THE DATE!

The Engagement committee is hosting a Fundraiser for the school at Kendra Scott in the Domain. Stop by to shop on April 30th from 6 to 8pm. Discounts will be available for our shoppers and if you can't make it in person there are online shopping options as well.

CMS will receive 20% of all purchases during our fundraiser! Proceeds will go towards the new meeting space currently in development.

CMS Calendar

March 26 & 27 - Picture Days
March 29 & April 1 - School Closure days
April 8 - Conference Day
April 19 - Good Earth Celebration, 3-5pm

Spring Spirit Wear is here!

The mission of Community Montessori School is to provide authentic Montessori education

in a nature-rich environment that cultivates collaboration, curiosity,

love of learning, and respect for oneself, others, and the world.

Early Enrollment ends Friday!

Tue, 19 Mar 2024 15:28:14 GMT

REMINDER - EARLY ENROLLMENT ENDS FRIDAY!

Enrollment for the 2024-2025 school year is now open for current families ONLY. This early enrollment opportunity allows our existing students first dibs on spaces for next year. Parents will need to create an account in School Cues to complete the process. The re-enrollment period ends March 22nd.

TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE IS HEADING OUR WAY!

THE LAST NIGHT OUT!

This Friday the students and staff of the Nova Community will be hosting their final Parent's Night Out for this school year.

Students ages 5 and up are invited to sign up for a really fun evening! Save your spot by clicking here . Nova students will lead games, crafts, and more from 6 pm to 10 pm in the Nova classroom. Light snacks will be provided.

Proceeds from this event will go towards funding our Nova class Spring trip in May. Thank you for supporting our microeconomy work this year!

PICTURE DAYS

Next week, our friends at Tanjabul will be back to take yearbook photographs of our students. Individual photos as well as class group shots will be available for purchase. Look for that info next week.

Your Guide will confirm the day when your student will be photographed. We will do our best to ensure that all individual pictures are taken on the designated day. Yearbook pre-orders will be open in April!

SUMMER CAMP SIGN UP IS LIVE!

Casita & Children's House students sign up here with CMS for camp
Elementary students sign up here with the YMCA for camp ***NOTE: The YMCA sign up for CMS begins on week 2 of their summer program. They have other locations offering camp the week of May 27th. Please go by the dates listed to ensure you are signing up for the weeks you want.
Adolescent & Upper El students students can sign up here for 4 weekly camps from our Nova Guides. Each week has a different theme!

CMS Calendar

March 22 - Nova Parent's Night Out, 6-10pm
March 22 - End of Re-enrollment Period
March 26 & 27 - Picture Days
March 29 & April 1 - School Closure days
April 8 - Conference Day

Spring Spirit Wear is here!

The mission of Community Montessori School is to provide authentic Montessori education

in a nature-rich environment that cultivates collaboration, curiosity,

love of learning, and respect for oneself, others, and the world.

Re-Enrollment is Open!

Tue, 05 Mar 2024 15:36:38 GMT

Enrollment for the 2024-2025 school year is now open for current families. Parents will need to create an account in School Cues to complete the process. The re-enrollment period ends March 22nd.

THE MONTESSORI TOOL BOX - HAVE FUN!

"We observe that a child occupied with matters that awaken his interest seems to blossom, to expand, evincing undreamed of character traits; his abilities give him great satisfaction, and he smiles with a sweet and joyous smile."
Maria Montessori, Citizen of the World

A DENIM & DIAMOND SUCCESS!

A huge thank you to everyone who turned out Friday for the Denim & Diamond Gala. It was a lovely evening - a beautiful location, good food, and great company.

The results are still being finalized but it looks as if we exceeded our fundraising goal, surpassing $50,000 raised. Proceeds will go towards the new performance & meeting hall - which will be named the W.D. Kelly Hall (the winning bid at the live auction). Thanks so much for the amazing show of support!

SUMMER CAMP SIGN UP IS LIVE!

Casita & Children's House students sign up here with CMS for camp
Elementary students sign up here with the YMCA for camp ***NOTE: The YMCA sign up for CMS begins on week 2 of their summer program. They have other locations offering camp the week of May 27th. Please go by the dates listed to ensure you are signing up for the weeks you want.
Adolescent & Upper El students students can sign up here for 4 weekly camps from our Nova Guides. Each week has a different theme!

CMS Calendar

March 11 - 15 - Spring Break
March 22 - Nova Parent's Night Out, 6-10pm
March 29 & April 1 - School Closure days
April 8 - Conference Day

Spring Spirit Wear is here!

The mission of Community Montessori School is to provide authentic Montessori education

in a nature-rich environment that cultivates collaboration, curiosity,

love of learning, and respect for oneself, others, and the world.

Montessori Tools - Scaffolded Learning

Tue, 27 Feb 2024 14:06:44 GMT

MONTESSORI TOOLS - SCAFFOLDED LEARNING

The Montessori approach is very much a sequential learning system. Skills are built over time through a variety of activities and experiences. Everything in the prepared environment has a purpose and in some way contributes towards our larger goals for the child.

In the Children's House, for example, writing preparation begins with activities like painting and polishing that prepare the hand and help the child develop their grip. When they are introduced to writing numbers or letters, the first activity is on a chalboard which has a big open space. Next they work on paper, still open but a smaller space. Later, they will move to writing on lined paper, where the space is smaller and more defined. But when the child tackles that challenge, they are able to focus on touching the lines because the skill of forming the letter has already been developed.

At home, I'm sure you can think of many ways to use this approach with your child. Perhaps you'd like them to help with the responsibility of giving a drink to your family pet. Start first on a bigger canvas, like pouring in the bathtub or flower garden. Gradually increase the difficulty by practicing in different ways until they have the skills they need to successfully give the dog a drink

Find out more at The Montessori Notebook

SUMMER CAMP SIGN UP IS LIVE!

Casita & Children's House students sign up here with CMS for camp
Elementary students sign up here with the YMCA for camp ***NOTE: The YMCA sign up for CMS begins on week 2 of their summer program. They have other locations offering camp the week of May 27th. Please go by the dates listed to ensure you are signing up for the weeks you want.
Adolescent & Upper El students students can sign up here for 4 weekly camps from our Nova Guides. Each week has a different theme!

CMS Calendar

March 1st - CMS Gala, 6-9pm
March 4th - Re-enrollment period begins
March 11 - 15 - Spring Break
March 29 & April 1 - School Closure days
April 8 - Conference Day

Spring Spirit Wear is here!

The mission of Community Montessori School is to provide authentic Montessori education

in a nature-rich environment that cultivates collaboration, curiosity,

love of learning, and respect for oneself, others, and the world.

Next up in the Montessori Tool Box

Tue, 20 Feb 2024 14:08:30 GMT

THE MONTESSORI TOOL BOX - THREE PERIOD LESSON

Last week we looked at the #1 tool in every Guides tool box, which is observation. I hope you took a minute at home to observe your child! Now let's take a peek at another tool Guides use every day in their work in the classroom - the three period lesson.

Dr. Montessori developed this as a universal standard to guide how we present new information to children. The first period or stage is a brief demonstration of the concept. In a language lesson, for example, "this is a triangle". In math work, "this is how we do division". The second period is typically the longest of all. Here the child, with guidance as needed, works with materials to explore and gain understanding of what we introduced. The final or third period is a check of understanding. In the language lesson, we might ask "what is this?" When the child responds "a triangle" then we know they are ready to move on with the next lesson.

In the Montessori classroom, children spend the majority of their time NOT in a lesson. They spend it in the second period, that of active engagement and exploration. This is quite a departure from more traditional education methods but it is a better way for children to learn. Give the idea a try at home! Invite your child to join you in the kitchen and introduce a kitchen tool to them. Say "this is a masher" and demonstrate how to use it. Then invite your child to mash potatoes with it. Setting this up when your child is young will prepare the way for them to learn all the fun things later, like how to use the mower or drive the car. Those days are coming!

THE AMI REFRESHER

This past weekend, 10 of our CMS Guides and I attended the AMI (Association Montessori Internationale) conference in Dallas. It was a great learning experience for our staff and also a time to connect and collaborate with others in Montessori education around the US and beyond. We were happy to share the experience with our friends from Taiwan and wish them safe travels on their return home!

SUMMER CAMP SIGN UP IS LIVE!

Casita & Children's House students sign up here with CMS for camp
Elementary students sign up here with the YMCA for camp ***NOTE: The YMCA sign up for CMS begins on week 2 of their summer program. They have other locations offering camp the week of May 27th. Please go by the dates listed to ensure you are signing up for the weeks you want.
Adolescent & Upper El students students can sign up here for 4 weekly camps from our Nova Guides. Each week has a different theme!

LAST CALL FOR GALA TICKETS

March 1st is the date for the CMS Denim & Diamonds Gala! If you haven't already purchased your ticket, now is the time. The event includes dinner and an auction and will be held at High Pointe Estates in Liberty Hill, from 6-9pm.

Click here for tickets. You don't want to miss this event.

CMS Calendar

Feb. 20th - Start of Spring Enrichments
March 1st - CMS Gala
March 1st - Re-enrollment period begins
March 11 - 15 - Spring Break
March 29 & April 1 - School Closure days

Spring Spirit Wear is here!

The mission of Community Montessori School is to provide authentic Montessori education

in a nature-rich environment that cultivates collaboration, curiosity,

love of learning, and respect for oneself, others, and the world.

What's in the "Montessori Tool Box"?

Tue, 13 Feb 2024 16:18:05 GMT

THE MONTESSORI TOOL BOX - OBSERVATION

One of the most important tools that Montessori Guides have in their tool box is observation. I'm sure all of you have heard how we "follow the child" and perhaps you've wondered exactly how we go about doing that. It's a good question! Observation is the key. In the classroom, Guides are continually observing the children throughout the day, usually informally but on ocasion, they will sit in a chair (as I do) and just watch. There's so much to be learned through this that I would call observation the MVP for Montessori classroom staff.

When we observe children interacting with work, people, and their surroundings, we can learn what they are interested in, how they approach a situation or problem, and what the characteristics of their personality are. In the classroom, observation can help guides determine when a child is approaching mastery or identify a specific area of difficulty for them. All of this information, allows us to tailor lessons and activities. Which in turn allows us to better meet their developmental needs and encourage progress and development. Just as children learn from watching others, so can adults. Give it a try at home and see what new insights you might glean about your child!

SUMMER CAMP SIGN UP IS LIVE!

Casita & Children's House students sign up here with CMS for camp
Elementary students sign up here with the YMCA for camp ***NOTE: The YMCA sign up for CMS begins on week 2 of their summer program. They have other locations offering camp the week of May 27th. Please go by the dates listed to ensure you are signing up for the weeks you want.
Adolescent & Upper El students students can sign up here for 4 weekly camps from our Nova Guides. Each week has a different theme!

NOVA "Make Their Day" Event

Nova students are offering families an opportunity to Make Their Day for staff members at CMS. Click here to see the menu and select a special treat for your CMS guides and staff members.

CMS Calendar

Feb. 9th - Last day to sign up for Spring Enrichment classes
Feb. 16th & 19th - No School (AMI Refresher)
Feb. 20th - Start of Spring Enrichments
March 1st - CMS Gala

AMI Refresher Course

CMS is closed Friday and Monday for the annual AMI Refresher which is in Dallas this year. I will be traveling to this international Montessori conference along with 10 of our CMS Guides. Super excited to take part in this event!

MARCH 1ST GALA

Only 2 more weeks ‘til the CMS Denim & Diamonds Gala! If you haven't already purchased your ticket, now is the time. Click here for tickets. You don't want to miss this event.

The mission of Community Montessori School is to provide authentic Montessori education

in a nature-rich environment that cultivates collaboration, curiosity,

love of learning, and respect for oneself, others, and the world.

Embracing the Season

Tue, 06 Feb 2024 15:38:00 GMT

WINTER DAYS - EMBRACING THE SEASON

If you've been in Texas while, you are probably used to the variety of weather we can experience in any given month. January had days that were super cold, some that were sunny and nice, and some that were rainy and gray. Movement and fresh air are so important to human health and well being. Whatever the weather, our CMS students find ways to move their bodies and enjoy the season.

It's also important for children to have opportunities to experience the world in a variety of ways. The Casita backyard on a wet chilly day is a different experience from what it's like on a warm and sunny day. When Elementary students have PE inside on a rainy day, they're challenged to use and think about the space (and their body) differently. It's an opportunity to be creative and develop resilience. That being said - we sure are enjoying the sunshine today!

SUMMER CAMP SIGN UP IS LIVE!

Casita & Children's House students sign up here with CMS for camp
Elementary students sign up here with the YMCA for camp ***NOTE: The YMCA sign up for CMS begins on week 2 of their summer program. They have other locations offering camp the week of May 27th. Please go by the dates listed to ensure you are signing up for the weeks you want.
Adolescent & Upper El students students can sign up here for 4 weekly camps from our Nova Guides. Each week has a different theme!

SPRING ENRICHMENT SIGN UPS ARE OPEN!

Registration for Spring enrichment classes is open until February 9th. Classes start February 20th so sign up for your spot here .

NEED A NIGHT OUT?

Spaces are still available for this Friday night! Click HERE to sign up.

Join the CMS Nova students and guides for a fun evening. CMS Students and siblings from 5 to 12 years old can sign up to spend time in our Nova room from 6pm to 10pm. We'll have pizza and snacks, crafts and games and many other fun activities to do.

Proceeds from this event go toward our Spring class trip!

Thanks for having fun with us and helping us reach our fundraising goal.

MARCH 1ST GALA

Check out the beautiful venue the CMS Gala Committee selected for the upcoming event! The HighPointe Estate in Liberty Hill will host the event where we will dine in style in their Gathering Room and mingle among other CMS families outdoors on the porches or in the beautiful gardens. This is an evening for parents, alumni, friends, and CMS supporters to socialize and support this wonderful school we all love so much.

CLICK HERE for a Sneak Peak of the Gala details and auction items.

CMS Calendar

Feb. 9th - Last day to sign up for Spring Enrichment classes
Feb. 16th & 19th - No School (AMI Refresher)
Feb. 20th - Start of Spring Enrichments
March 1st - CMS Gala

Tickets on sale NOW

The mission of Community Montessori School is to provide authentic Montessori education

in a nature-rich environment that cultivates collaboration, curiosity,

love of learning, and respect for oneself, others, and the world.

Summer Camp Signup is Here

Tue, 30 Jan 2024 20:28:42 GMT

As quickly as January has flown by, believe me it won't be long before summer is here! Summer Camp at CMS will run this year from June 3rd to July 26th so sign up now and start making your summer plans!

CMS will host the Casita and Children's House camps. The YMCA will be back to host the Elementary camp - it was so fun last year! Sign up for Elementary camp is thru the YMCA and will be available soon.

In addition, our Adolescent Guides will offer some weekly camps for students in Upper Elementary and Adolescent classes. Check the sign up for more info!

Such a Great Week - Thank You!

Our CMS community really met the Challenge this year. Our school-wide focus for Kindness week was Kind Coins for Kenyan Kids. We had a truly amazing response! The Nova students collecting at departure last Friday had their hands and jars full! We are still counting this week and will have a total for you in next week's email.

Thanks so much to everyone who participated in ALL the Great Kindness Challenge week activities. We are now a "Kindness Certified" school!

SPRING ENRICHMENT SIGN UPS ARE OPEN!

Registration for Spring enrichment classes is open until February 9th. Classes start February 20th so sign up for your spot here .

LAST CALL FOR DENIM DONATIONS

The CMS Gala Committee is seeking denim donations! Any old jean jacket or pair of jeans will do. They will be cutting them up and repurposing them to make centerpieces for the Denim & Diamonds Gala on March 1st! A denim donation box is in the CMS office. Stop by anytime.

The CMS Gala is on March 1st, 2024. This parent-led and parent-organized event is the school's main fundraiser for the year. Hope to see you there!

CMS Calendar

Feb. 9th - Last day to sign up for Spring Enrichment classes
Feb. 16th & 19th - No School (AMI Refresher)
Feb. 20th - Start of Spring Enrichments

Tickets on sale NOW

The mission of Community Montessori School is to provide authentic Montessori education

in a nature-rich environment that cultivates collaboration, curiosity,

love of learning, and respect for oneself, others, and the world.

It's the Great Kindness Challenge Week!

Tue, 23 Jan 2024 17:02:20 GMT

KINDNESS WEEK IS HERE

This week is the Great Kindness Challenge, which is put on by the Kids for Peace organization. CMS students and staff have discussed ideas and all week long we will be focused on kindness - to ourselves, to others, and to our world. How can you help?

Ask your child what their class is doing for kindness week
Read Guide emails about projects the class is doing and participate if you can
Gather your coins! Send them to class with your student, if their room is doing that, and if not bring them in the car line on Friday when Nova students will be collecting

What are those coins for? CMS is participating in the " Kind Coins for Kenyan Kids " campaign. For every $50 we collect, we sponsor a child to attend to the Kids for Peace School in Mikei Kenya. Let's challenge our community to see how many kids we can sponsor!

Kindness is not just for School!

Of course not! In fact, it is sometimes the most difficult of all to be kind to those we are closest with. Take this week to remind yourself and your loved ones of the importance of kindness in our every day lives. Not only does it "grease the wheels" and make our days smoother, it bring joy and connection to us all.

Use this Kind Acts idea sheet to take the message of kindness into your home, out into your neighborhood and the world-wide community too. Click here to download the sheet. It will look great on your fridge!

SPRING ENRICHMENT SIGN UPS ARE OPEN!

We have some great enrichment opportunities this Spring for our Children's House and Elementary students! Try out a new sport or explore 3D art. Enjoy a fun time with Science Popularizer Daniel G. Benes or dive deeper into chess. Sign up here .

GALA DONATIONS PLEASE!

The CMS Gala is on March 1st, 2024. This parent-led and parent-organized event is the school's main fundraiser for the year with proceeds going towards the new multi-purpose building currently in development.

Show your support by donating to the Gala auction! "Family" donations are a great way to show your creativity or highlight a hobby your family enjoys. For more info contact dleschke@community-montessori.org

CMS Calendar

Jan. 22-26th - Great Kindness Challenge Week
Jan. 30th - Summer Camp Sign up is out!
Feb. 16th & 19th - No School (AMI Refresher)

Tickets on sale NOW

The mission of Community Montessori School is to provide authentic Montessori education

in a nature-rich environment that cultivates collaboration, curiosity,

love of learning, and respect for oneself, others, and the world.

Happy to be back!

Tue, 16 Jan 2024 16:15:22 GMT

We are happy to be back and to see the sun today! It was a relief to get through the seriously cold temps we had the past few days without any major mishaps or building issues. I hope all of you fared equally well at home. For those dealing with broken pipes or power outages, please let us know if we can do anything to help! Students were well bundled today and had a brief time outside. Looks like tonight will be another hard freeze but the rest of the week looks to be very pleasant!

KINDNESS WEEK IS COMING

Every year, CMS participates in the Great Kindness Challenge week, which is put on by the Kids for Peace organization. This week we are gearing up!

Kind Coins for Kenyan Kids

This year, CMS is supporting the Kids for Peace "Kind Coins for Kenyan Kids" campaign. We will be collecting coins (and donations) next week and for every $50 we collect, we can sponsor a child to go to the Kids for Peace School in Mikei Kenya. Let's challenge our community to see how many kids we can sponsor! Here's a link to a video describing the project. Look for more info from your child's Guide this week about how their class community will be participating in the Kind Coins campaign, as well as the Great Kindness Challenge and talk to your student about how your family can take part too.New Paragraph

Sign up here for some Winter time fun. Starting January 18th, the Nova class will be doing a craft camp on Thursdays afterschool. Grab your spot now!New Paragraph

GET YOUR TICKETS NOW!

The Gala Committee is also having a Denim Drive this month. We have a box in the office for your denim donations - clean out the drawers and send your old or out grown items onto a new life!

A Warm Welcome!

Please give a warm welcome to two new CMS staff members. Krystalyn Perry and Sky Pulliam are starting with us this week, joining the Elementary Afterschool team. Next week we say farewell to Erin, who will be leaving CMS to pursue an exciting new art opportunity.

CMS Calendar

Jan. 18th - Nova Mini Camp begins (4 wks thru Feb. 8th)
Jan. 22-26th - Great Kindness Challenge Week
Jan. 30th - Summer Camp Sign up is out!
Feb. 16th & 19th - No School (AMI Refresher)

Cold weather wear is in the CMS shop !

The mission of Community Montessori School is to provide authentic Montessori education

in a nature-rich environment that cultivates collaboration, curiosity,

love of learning, and respect for oneself, others, and the world.

The Importance of Movement

Tue, 09 Jan 2024 14:13:54 GMT

For many of us, the start of the new year is a time to set new goals around health and wellness. Losing a few pounds, eating better, exercising more...sound familiar? There's a lot of research on the effects of physical activity, including better sleep, stress reduction, less risk of heart disease and more. For children, physical activity is also linked to improved focus and cognitive performance.

Lucky for us, Dr. Maria Montessori intuited the link between movement and the brain in her earliest observations of children. She wrote "Children develop their brains as well as their bodies through movement, and in the process of concentration, self-discipline, and perseverance with an active interest, the foundations of character are laid." For most adults, physical activity means exercise and we have to schedule it and have the right gear. But for children, physical activity is woven into all aspects of their daily life (although the right gear sometimes helps!)

Sign up here for some Winter time fun. Starting January 18th, the Nova class will be doing a craft camp on Thursdays afterschool. Grab your spot now!New Paragraph

Holiday Shopping? Look Here

For Small Hands is a catalog for parents put out by a long time classroom supplier called Montessori Services. It can be hard to find high quality toys and fun stuff that offers the hands-on engagement that our CMS students love so much! Here's a short cut for you if you're looking for such and - bonus time - its also a fundraiser for CMS. If you use our school number when placing your order, CMS receives a portion in store credit that we can use to get more awesome supplies for our classrooms. 104018 is our school number. Order soon to insure holiday delivery.

GET YOUR TICKETS NOW!

The CMS Gala is on March 1st, 2024. This parent-led and parent-organi zed event is the school's main fundraiser for the year. If you are interested in volunteering to help with the event or have a business or item to donate for auction, please click here .

The Gala Committee is also having a Denim Drive this month. We have a box in the office for your denim donations - clean out the drawers and send your old or out grown items onto a new life!

SUNNY SUMMER THOUGHTS COMING SOON
For all you planners out there (yes I am with you!), CMS summer camp registration will be coming out on January 30th! We will again be working with the YMCA and look forward to a fun-filled time on campus for 8 weeks this summer. Details soon...

CMS Calendar

Jan. 12th - Nova Parents Night Out, 6-10pm
Jan. 15th - School Closure Day
Jan. 18th - Nova Mini Camp begins (4 wks thru Feb. 8th)
Jan. 22-26th - Great Kindness Challenge Week
Feb. 16th & 19th - No School (AMI Refresher)

The mission of Community Montessori School is to provide authentic Montessori education

in a nature-rich environment that cultivates collaboration, curiosity,

love of learning, and respect for oneself, others, and the world.

Happy New Year!

Tue, 02 Jan 2024 16:56:22 GMT

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to you all and welcome back! Hopefully everyone had a relaxing and fun-filled break and are ready to get back to learning. Our CMS staff members had a positive and productive work day today and are eager to see students on campus tomorrow. We're excited to hear all the stories...

CLASSES RESUME TOMORROW, JANUARY 3RD

It's time to ring in the new year and get moving again! To kick things off the Nova adolescent students and guides will be hosting a "Mini-Camp" for elementary students. For four weeks, starting January 18th, students can spend time afterschool in the Nova room embarking on some cool craft projects. For more info and to sign up, click here . Our regular spring enrichments won't get underway until the end of February so this is a great way to have some fun in the meantime.

CMS Calendar

Jan. 2nd - Staff Work Day
Jan. 3rd - Classes resume
Jan. 9th - PE/Music classes resume (elementary)
Jan. 15th - School Closure Day
Jan. 18th - Nova Mini Camp begins
Feb. 16th & 19th - No School

SAVE THE DATE & ORDER TICKETS!
The CMS Gala is on March 1st, 2024. This event is a fundraiser for a future multi-purpose building to be added to our campus! If you are interested in volunteering to help with the event, please click here .

The mission of Community Montessori School is to provide authentic Montessori education

in a nature-rich environment that cultivates collaboration, curiosity,

love of learning, and respect for oneself, others, and the world.

Happy Holidays!

Tue, 12 Dec 2023 14:48:21 GMT

Wishing you all a lovely holiday season! CMS will be closed for Winter Break from December 16th thru January 2nd. Classes resume on Wednesday, January 3rd.

The Joy of Holiday Rituals and Traditions

There is a comfort and security for all of us in annual traditions and rituals. Whether its shaved ice after swimming in the summer or an evening walk to see neighborhood lights in December, these annual traditions bring so much joy! They provide a sense of belonging and emotional connection with our loved ones, offer tangible links to the past, and also give us something to look forward to. What are you and your child looking forward to this Winter Break?

The practical life activities inherent in many holiday traditions are a bridge that brings together multiple generations and are a wonderful way for children to participate in family life. From homemade decorations to tasty food, kids love to create and contribute!

Lat Call for Holiday Shopping

For Small Hands is a catalog for parents put out by a long time classroom supplier called Montessori Services. It can be hard to find high quality toys and fun stuff that offers the hands-on engagement that our CMS students love so much! Here's a short cut for you if you're looking for such and - bonus time - its also a fundraiser for CMS. If you use our school number when placing your order, CMS receives a portion in store credit that we can use to get more awesome supplies for our classrooms.

104018 is our school number. Order soon to insure holiday delivery.

SAVE THE DATE!

The CMS Annual Gala will return in March of 2024. This event is a fundraiser for a future multi-purpose building to be added to our campus! Volunteers will be handing out cards this week so be on the lookout. Hope you save the date and plan to attend!

CMS Calendar

Dec. 15th - Last day of classes in 2023
Dec. 16th thru Jan. 2nd - No School, Winter break
Jan. 3rd - Classes resume

Cold weather Spriit Wear is here !

The mission of Community Montessori School is to provide authentic Montessori education

in a nature-rich environment that cultivates collaboration, curiosity,

love of learning, and respect for oneself, others, and the world.

Happy December

Tue, 05 Dec 2023 14:48:46 GMT

It's hard to believe its the last month of 2023 - time sure flies by! We have been lucky to enjoy some really lovely weather these past few weeks and CMS students have been taking full advantage of the sunny days and pleasant temperatures. It's a joy to see our students taking learning outdoors!

CMS CLOSED FOR WINTER BREAK
Just a reminder - CMS will be closed for Winter Break from December 16th thru January 2nd.

Classes will resume on Wednesday, January 3rd. Thanks!

Holiday Shopping? Look Here

For Small Hands is a catalog for parents put out by a long time classroom supplier called Montessori Services. It can be hard to find high quality toys and fun stuff that offers the hands-on engagement that our CMS students love so much! Here's a short cut for you if you're looking for such and - bonus time - its also a fundraiser for CMS. If you use our school number when placing your order, CMS receives a portion in store credit that we can use to get more awesome supplies for our classrooms.

104018 is our school number. Order soon to insure holiday delivery.

Prefer to Shop In Person?

Sign up your kids for the next Nova Community Parent's Night Out and take some time out for yourself to do some holiday shopping. On Friday, December 8th join Nova Adolescent Community students and guides for a fun filled evening of crafts, games, and more.

Kids ages 5 and up can sign up here . The event is from 6 to 10pm. Only a few spots are left so be sure you sign up now! All proceeds from the event help to fund our spring trip. Thanks!

SAVE THE DATE!

CMS Calendar

Dec. 8th - Nova Parent's Night Out, 6-10pm in Nova
Dec. 15th - Last day of classes in 2023
Dec. 16th thru Jan. 2nd - No School, Winter break
Jan. 3rd - Classes resume

Cold weather Spriit Wear is here !

The mission of Community Montessori School is to provide authentic Montessori education

in a nature-rich environment that cultivates collaboration, curiosity,

love of learning, and respect for oneself, others, and the world.

Back and ready for the bustle...

Tue, 28 Nov 2023 15:30:45 GMT

I hope you all had an enjoyable Thanksgiving break. It was so nice to see all our students on Monday, and they must have eaten well too as many seemed to return much grown! We have just three short weeks before Winter Break begins and there's alot to pack in so buckle up and enjoy the bustle!

The Development of Writing

Dr. Montessori had much to say about the development of writing and there are many facets that are quite fascinating to think about. For the young child, this development is focused largely on physical components, such as developing the fine motor skills that enable legibility and learning to connect letters and words in such as way as to form words and sentences. First plane students in Casita and Children's House classrooms greatly enjoy activities of Practical Life, such as sewing, painting, and polishing, which prepare their hand for writing. They also work with letter sounds and symbols and enjoy the physical activity of "building words" with the moveable alphabet.

Once these skills are established, then comes the bigger one - having something to say! It's much harder to find photos that illustrate how children develop their own ideas, through critical thinking and self expression. As CMS students grow into adolescence however, it is this element that becomes our primary focus. While all the while continuing to build their physical and mechanical skills that enable students to become excellent communicators.

Holiday Shopping? Look Here

For Small Hands is a catalog for parents put out by a long time classroom supplier called Montessori Services. It can be hard to find high quality toys and fun stuff that offers the hands-on engagement that our CMS students love so much! Here's a short cut for you if you're looking for such and - bonus time - its also a fundraiser for CMS. If you use our school number when placing your order, CMS receives a portion in store credit that we can use to get more awesome supplies for our classrooms.

104018 is our school number. Order soon to insure holiday delivery.

Need a Break from the Bustle?

Sign up your kids for the next Nova Community Parent's Night Out and take a time out for yourself. On Friday, December 8th join Nova Adolescent Community students and guides for a fun filled evening of crafts, games, and more. Kids ages 5 and up can sign up here . The event is from 6 to 10pm. Only a few spots are left so be sure you sign up now! All procceds from the event help to fund our spring trip. Thanks!

CMS Calendar

Dec. 8th - Nova Parent's Night Out, 6-10pm in Nova
Dec. 15th - Last day of classes in 2023
Dec. 16th thru Jan. 2nd - No School, Winter break
Jan. 3rd - Classes resume

Cold weather Spriit Wear is here !

The mission of Community Montessori School is to provide authentic Montessori education

in a nature-rich environment that cultivates collaboration, curiosity,

love of learning, and respect for oneself, others, and the world.

Thanksgiving Break Next Week

Tue, 14 Nov 2023 13:57:26 GMT

CMS is closed next week, November 20 - 24th, for Thanksgiving break!

Thankfulness and Gratitude

With the Thanksgiving break on the horizon next week, we are thinking a lot about thankfulness and gratitude. It's fun when you look up the words in dictionary and see that gratitude is defined as being thankful and thankful is defined as feelings of gratitude. But what is it really! The Harvard education school has a project called Making Caring Common , which has some great stuff on helping kids develop gratitude. Essentially feeling gratitude is appreciating positive things in your life, be they people, activities, our surroundings and so forth. Developing it asks us to think a bit more about "the why" or what it is about those things that makes them positive for us.

I encourage of all you to take a little time next week, however you celebrate the holiday, to acknowledge the things in your life that you are thankful for and why. Then ask your child what they are thankful for. I'm sure they have some big ideas on that topic! Here's a few ideas of ours...grateful for friends who work with us, grateful for the beauty of nature, grateful for our teachers, and grateful for sunny weather!

The Nova class has had so much fun planning and carrying out these events. Kids ages 5 and up can hang out with Nova Adolescent Community students and guides for a fun filled evening, and we raise funds for the Nova class spring trip. Click here for more info and to register your child. So make plans now for some holiday shopping time and sign up for the December 8th Parent's Night Out.

Space is limited so be sure you grab one of the remaining spots! While you're at it, make plans now for some holiday shopping time and sign up for the December 8th PNO.

CMS Calendar

Nov. 17th - Last day for Fall Enrichments
Nov. 17th - Nova portfolio night
Nov. 20 - 24th - No School, Thanksgiving break
Nov. 27th - Classes resume

Cold weather Spriit Wear is here !

The mission of Community Montessori School is to provide authentic Montessori education

in a nature-rich environment that cultivates collaboration, curiosity,

love of learning, and respect for oneself, others, and the world.

Thanks for a Great Festival

Tue, 07 Nov 2023 14:49:55 GMT

Thanks for a great festival this year!

We had so much fun at the International Festival on Saturday! The weather was lovely and it was so nice to see everyone having fun in the Courtyard, kids and adults alike. Thanks so much to all the students, guides, and volunteers who helped with the festival and table displays - really nice job everyone!

A personal favorite of mine is seeing all the pins in the big map showing where our community members come from. It's pretty amazing to see the diversity of our school represented in such a concrete way. It's also a great reminder that the big wide world is full of people just like us!

For children, developing an understanding of other cultures and what is the same and different around the world, builds respect and empathy. Over the past few weeks, our CMS students have expanded their understanding of what life in another country is like. Highlighting and celebrating what's cool about those places, also calls on us to look around our own place and appreciate what is unique and interesting here.

Wouldn't it be fun to have a Night Out this Friday?

The next Nova Parent's Night Out is coming up this Friday. Kids ages 5 and up can hang out with Nova Adolescent Community students and guides for a fun filled evening. Click here for more info and to register your child.

Space is limited so be sure you grab one of the remaining spots! While you're at it, make plans now for some holiday shopping time and sign up for the December 8th PNO.

CMS Calendar

Nov. 10th - Nova Parent Night Out, 6 to 10pm
Nov. 17th - Last day for Fall Enrichments
Nov. 20 - 24th - No School, Thanksgiving break
Nov. 27th - Classes resume

Cold weather Spriit Wear is here !

The mission of Community Montessori School is to provide authentic Montessori education

in a nature-rich environment that cultivates collaboration, curiosity,

love of learning, and respect for oneself, others, and the world.

The International Festival is Saturday

Tue, 31 Oct 2023 13:35:40 GMT

The weather for Saturday looks great - 78 degrees and sunny! It's the perfect day for a festival and I hope to see everyone there. We will set up in the Courtyard, just behind the arrival and departure pavilion. The festival starts at 10am and wraps up around noon.

Children collect a passport when they arrive and, as they are visiting and taking in each classroom's country display, they collect a flag stickers for every country. The Nova community will have a Microeconomy table with hand-crafted wares that are sure to be great holiday gifts. We are Paypal only this year, no cash please. The Book Fair will wrap up on Saturday so those who'd like to browse should stop in from 10 to 11am. Music with Marshal will wrap up the event with some global tunes. Looking forward to it!

Book Fair This Week!

With the holidays right around the corner, books are great gifts! Our annual Book Fair is set up in the office conference room for parents to browse during office hours (8am to 4pm) so please stop in and take a look! Our Paper Pie rep will be here on Saturday, during the International Festival, from 10 to 11am. If you prefer online shopping, they've got that too - just click here ! The Book Fair is a fundraiser for the CMS Library. We are grateful for your support!

AMI Recognition

You've probably heard us mention AMI at some point. It is the international association that Dr. Maria Montessori founded to ensure the continuation of her work. CMS has been a member school for decades, as part of our commitment to authentic Montessori education. To be a recognized school, we meet the accepted standards for Montessori schools and an AMI Consultant comes to our campus to visit classrooms and consult with Guides. Our Children's House level is excited to have such a visitor coming next week! We are looking forward to the support, comradery, and inspiration of that visit.

CMS Calendar

Oct. 30th to Nov. 4th - Paper Pie Book Fair
Nov. 4th - International Festival, 10am to 12noon
Nov. 10th - Nova Parent Night Out, 6 to 10pm RSVP here
Nov. 20 - 24th - No School, Thanksgiving break

Cold weather Spriit Wear is here !

The mission of Community Montessori School is to provide authentic Montessori education

in a nature-rich environment that cultivates collaboration, curiosity,

love of learning, and respect for oneself, others, and the world.

The World of Montessori

Tue, 24 Oct 2023 13:33:45 GMT

The Montessori curriculum includes geography and the study of the world around us from a very early age. Young students in the Children's House adore working with puzzle maps. Initially they become familiar with the globe, continents, and oceans. They learn the names of countries and states and take pride in learning to read and write them. They enjoy working with flags and exploring land and water forms. As they move into their elementary years, students expand their understanding through science lessons related to the earth's rotation, tectonic plates, and biomes. All the while, we relate what we learn about the earth to the different people living there. This includes languages spoken, forms of housing, cultural traditions, and more.

With the International Festival less than two weeks away, CMS students have been diving in to learn about the country their class will be representing. In music time, Marshal has been sharing songs from other lands and we are excited to share all this with you at the festival. One of my favorite parts is the gigantic world map we pull out so all our CMS families can pin their country of origin. It's amazing to see dots all of the world coming together right here at CMS!

CMS INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL

November 4th, 10am to 12 noon

We're just a few weeks away from our annual International Festival. Please save the date and make plans to attend!

Each class chooses a country to represent and creates a display. Children receive a passport and collect stickers for every country they visit. Inflatables globes are given out at the end. In addition to all that fun, we have Music with Marshal, a Nova sale and a Book Fair. You don't want to miss it!

BOOK FAIR COMING SOON!

The CMS annual Book Fair will take place October 30th thru November 4th this year. Paper Pie Book Fair will be set up in the office conference room and available during office hours so plan on stopping by to browse! If you prefer online shopping, you can do that too! Preview books or shop online here !

The Book Fair will also be available in the Library during the International Festival on Nov. 4th, from 10 to 11am.

CMS Calendar

Oct. 30th to Nov. 4th - Paper Pie Book Fair
Nov. 4th - International Festival, 10am to 12noon
Nov. 10th - Nova Parent Night Out, 6 to 10pm RSVP here
Nov. 20 - 24th - No School, Thanksgiving break

Cold weather Spriit Wear is here !

The mission of Community Montessori School is to provide authentic Montessori education

in a nature-rich environment that cultivates collaboration, curiosity,

love of learning, and respect for oneself, others, and the world.

The Skills of tomorrow

Tue, 17 Oct 2023 13:19:25 GMT

In a lecture in 1946, Maria Montessori said "The children of today will make all the discoveries of tomorrow... The future generation must not only know how to do what we can teach them, they must be able to go a step further." Learning skills and information is important but learning how to learn unlocks even more doors!

The World Economic Forum published this list of the top skills needed to succeed in the future economy. Problem solving, self-managment, and working with people are three of the top four skills types. It's interesting to note that these are all things that Montessori education excels at!

Of course, technology skills will also play a large part in the future but even there, with the rapid pace of development and near constant change, the ability to adapt, think critically, and just be curious will be crucial elements in any receipe for future success.

When you sit down for your parent-guide conference next Monday, consider the "future skills" on this list and how your child is doing by this measure. Perhaps we can re-brand the "3 R's" of the past (which aren't really 3 Rs, just sayin...) to the 3 R's for the future - reasoning, resilience, and creativity!

CMS INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL

November 4th, 10am to 12 noon

We're just a few weeks away from our annual International Festival. Please save the date and make plans to attend!

BOOK FAIR COMING SOON!

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

We are looking for a few more families to care for our CMS Chickens on weekends and school holidays.

Tasks include filling food and water, gathering eggs (which volunteers get to keep!), and yes, scooping poop from the inside of the coop. If you're interested in helping our hens out, please contact Rachel at admissions@community-montessori.org for more details.

CMS Calendar

Oct. 23rd - Conference Day, no school for students
Oct. 30th to Nov. 4th - Paper Pie Book Fair
Nov. 4th - International Festival, 10am to 12noon
Nov. 10th - Nova Parent Night Out, 6 to 10pm RSVP here
Nov. 20 - 24th - No School, Thanksgiving break

Cold weather Spriit Wear is here !

The mission of Community Montessori School is to provide authentic Montessori education

in a nature-rich environment that cultivates collaboration, curiosity,

love of learning, and respect for oneself, others, and the world.

Fall Class Trips

Tue, 19 Sep 2023 18:57:55 GMT

The Nova community enjoyed their fall trip earlier this month with 3 days of planned activities at Highland Lakes Camp. Now the Redbud upper elementary group will take their turn. You might be wondering - why are trips part of the Montessori curriculum for these age groups? Well, I'll tell ya!

The Fall trip is a camp experience where activities are planned by camp staff, meals are provided, and facilities are in place and ready. Students experience a safe environment where taking some risks and challenging themselves is supported and encouraged. Individually, they come back with a new sense of confidence in themselves.

But the real value of the trip comes from the group bonding and peer support that all the students experience. Team challenges are a large part of the fun and students return from the trip with a deeper bond and acceptance of their classmates and first hand experience with the "we're better together" motto!

THANK YOU

To everyone who came out Saturday for the Montessori Journey. It was a fun time getting to step into the child's shoes and work with Montessori materials in each of our age levels. Please take part in our short survey , if you attended this year, and let us know about your experience. We appreciate the feedback!

Parent's Night Outs
Hosted by Nova Adolescent Community

Parents! If you'd like some quality time with each other or just a fun event for your kids, click here to sign up for one of our "Parent's Night Outs".

Kids 5 years and up are invited to hang out and have some fun with our Nova students and Guides. These will be held in the Nova classroom from 6 to 10 pm.

These events are part of our Nova MicroEconomy lessons. All proceeds go towards our Spring class trip. We appreciate your support!

CMS Calendar

Sept. 20th - 22nd - Upper El Fall Trip
Sept. 25th - Enrichment classes begin
Sept. 29th - First Parents Night out hosted by Nova
Oct. 9th - School Closure Day
Oct. 23rd - Conference Day, no school for students

Sprit Wear is not just for kids!

The mission of Community Montessori School is to provide authentic Montessori education

in a nature-rich environment that cultivates collaboration, curiosity,

love of learning, and respect for oneself, others, and the world.

The Montessori Cornerstone

Tue, 05 Sep 2023 14:27:50 GMT

We have a great line up for Fall Enrichments this year, with a variety of activities for your student to try out! These after school and optional classes are a great way to discover new hobbies and interests or to dive deeper into existing ones. Classes are open to Children's House and Elementary students. Please note the age requirements for some classes!

Fall offerings include Science with Daniel Benes, Bucketeers drumming group, Amazing Athletes, the Knight School chess group, art, music, and engineering. Click here to read more about the specific classes this fall.

THE MONTESSORI CORNERSTONE

A cornerstone is an essential core element around which everything else takes place. In the Montessori method our cornerstone is respect. This month, we'll shine a spotlight on this foundational core with conversations, stories, and shared experiences in class.

We show respect in how we treat others - using inside voices, being patient when we have to wait, and helping our friends and classmates when they need it.

Our respect for school and the classroom is evident in the care students take throughout the day as they use materials and help to take care of the environment.

And of course CMS students are developing self respect every step of the way. Through being a valued member of the community and by seeing the results of their lessons and work each day they come to know they are talented and capable people!

Mark your calendars and sign up HERE to attend this year's Montessori Journey. Parents and staff will gather on September 16th from 9 to 11 am for a journey through all of our Montessori environments. It's a fun way to learn more about your child's day at school!

Parent's Night Outs
Hosted by Nova Adolescent Community

CMS Calendar

Sept. 5th - PE & Music rotations begin
Sept. 6th - 8th - Nova Fall Trip
Sept. 16th - Montessori Journey, 9 to 11 am
Sept. 20th - 22nd - Upper El Fall Trip
September 25th - Enrichment classes begin

Friday is Sprit Day at CMS.

Be sure you have some cool gear to wear!

The mission of Community Montessori School is to provide authentic Montessori education

in a nature-rich environment that cultivates collaboration, curiosity,

love of learning, and respect for oneself, others, and the world.

Happy Birthday Maria Montessori!

Tue, 29 Aug 2023 13:51:54 GMT

D r. Montessori was born August 31, 1870 in Chiaravalle, Italy. This week we celebrate the woman who developed the Montessori method we embrace!

"Education should no longer be mostly imparting of knowledge, but must take a new path, seeking the release of human potentialities."
Maria Montessori, Education for a New World

HANDS ON WORK

In our Montessori classrooms, hands on is our primary goal! Dr. Montessori observed that the best way for children to learn is through their own activitiy. She developed educational materials that encourage the child's active participation. From Casita language lessons to working with shapes in the Children's House...

to exciting science lessons in Elementary and Adolescent classrooms, CMS students learn by doing, alongside their Guides and peers. It's a wonderful way to spend the day!

We're so excited to invite parents to join us for this year's Montessori Journey on September 16th from 9 to 11 am. This event is PARENTS ONLY and a great opportunity to get your own "hands-on" experience with Montessori materials in our classrooms.

On the Journey, we travel through classrooms designed for every age group that we have here at CMS, from Casita all the way up to the Adolescent community. Sign up HERE to reserve your spot!

Parent's Night Outs
Hosted by Nova Adolescent Community

CMS Calendar

Sept. 4th - School Closed
Sept. 5th - PE & Music rotations begin
Sept. 6th - 8th - Nova Fall Trip
Sept. 16th - Montessori Journey, 9 to 11 am
Sept. 20th - 22nd - Upper El Fall Trip

Get some CMS SPIRIT WEAR !

The mission of Community Montessori School is to provide authentic Montessori education

in a nature-rich environment that cultivates collaboration, curiosity,

love of learning, and respect for oneself, others, and the world.

Fridays are Spirit Days!

Tue, 22 Aug 2023 13:27:33 GMT

Show some pride and love for your school by wearing CMS Spirit wear on Fridays!

If you're looking for some comfortable, cool, and cute t-shirts, check out our store here .

MAKE NEW FRIENDS AND KEEP THE OLD

A classic song! As students get back into the swing of things at school, they are reconnecting with old friends and also making new ones. Of course, friends make the day more fun but in our Montessori environments they are an important part of learning. In fact, peer learning is one of the reasons we have mixed age classrooms!

Here's a great example of peer learning from the Honeysuckle community. The child on the left is new this year. Another student saw that they were interested in the bells and offered to show them how to do it. Last year, this child was new themselves! It's wonderful to see his confidence and joy in helping another. Lessons from guides are an important element in each child's day but, as you can see, peer learning is important too.

Music really brings people together doesn't it!

The Tone Bars are the elementary musical material that progresses from the Bells found in Children's House classrooms.

Coincidentally, we saw some great peer learning happening with tone bars in Lower Elementary this week.

Check out the new Climbing Wall!

A big THANK YOU to our Facilities & Land Manager, Tate Green, for building this fun new addition this summer! The wall is for Elementary and Adolescent students only and quite a challenge to navigate. It's located in the back field near the GaGa pit.

CMS Calendar

Sept. 4th - School Closed
Sept. 5th - PE & Music rotations begin
Sept. 6th - 8th - Nova Fall Trip
Sept. 16th - Montessori Journey, 9 to 11 am
Sept. 20th - 22nd - Upper El Fall Trip

Get some CMS SPIRIT WEAR !

The mission of Community Montessori School is to provide authentic Montessori education

in a nature-rich environment that cultivates collaboration, curiosity, love of learning,

and respect for oneself, others, and the world.

Welcome Back!

Tue, 15 Aug 2023 20:42:45 GMT

It's wonderful to see everyone on campus today. Welcome back! It's always amazing to see how much the students have changed and grown over the summer. Today we welcomed back our Adolescent and Elementary students, as well as our returning students in Children's House and Casita. Over the next two weeks, new students will join us and everyone will settle into the school routine. The first weeks are all about reconnecting with old friends and making new ones, telling stories about our summer adventures, and remembering the Montessori work that we love. We're happy you're here!

HOT DAYS AHEAD

As I'm sure you're aware, the forecast calls for continuing "excessive heat" in the next week or two. Please be sure to send FULL water bottles to school every day. Our staff will make sure your child drinks and refills as needed.

During this very hot weather, students will still go outside for recess but the time will be a bit shorter. Shade and water breaks will be called for by staff. We're all looking forward to a break and maybe some rain soon (hope I didn't jinx it!).

CMS Calendar

Aug. 15th - 1st Day of School
Sept. 4th - School Closed
Sept. 5th - PE & Music rotations begin
Sept. 6th - 8th - Nova Fall Trip

Stay hydrated with CMS SPIRIT WEAR !

The mission of Community Montessori School is to provide authentic Montessori education in a nature-rich environment that cultivates collaboration, curiosity, love of learning, and respect for oneself, others, and the world.

Happy Last Week of School!

Tue, 23 May 2023 04:58:20 GMT

What a great year, so many happy memories. It's been our honor and pleasure to get to know your children this year and the growth we've seen in them has been amazing. Hard to believe that Thursday is our last day of school!

Wishing you all a joyful and relaxing summer and look forward to seeing many of you back for the 2023-24 school year in August.

Happy Summer!

Moving Up Ceremonies & 8th Grade Graduation

Please join us Wednesday evening for our annual "Moving Up" ceremony! This short but special event celebrates Montessori students moving from one stage of development to the next. We are recognizing our Children's House students who are moving up to Elementary and also Upper Elementary students moving to the Adolescent level next year. Both ceremonies are held in the Hewlett room at the Georgetown Public Library.

Children's House Moving Up: 5:45 - 6:15pm
Upper Elementary Moving Up: 6:30 - 6:50pm

The 8th Grade Graduation & Portfolio Presentation will also be held at the Georgetown Library, starting at 7pm in the Friends Room. We have seven amazing Nova students who are graduating from our CMS Middle School program and heading to high school next year. We are excited to celebrate their achievements this year.

A Fun Final Week

The mornings have been pretty nice this week so students have been able to get outside and have some fun. Some of the Lower El students have been working on a play to perform for their Children's House friends. We also had Field Day fun this morning! Some of our pro-movers in the Upper El have helped the Blue and Green classrooms who are clearing out closets in anticipation of new floors being installed this summer.

CMS Calendar

May 23rd - Lower Elementary Field Day
May 24th - Moving Up Ceremonies, Georgetown Public Library
May 25th - Last Day of School!
May 26th - Staff Workday

Summer Camp Dates

CMS is closed May 29 - 31st
Summer Camp staff training and set up is June 1st & 2nd
CMS Summer Camp starts June 5th and ends July 28th
YMCA Elementary Camp June 5th to July 28th
CMS Adolescent Camp is July 10th to 14th

The End of the School Year...

Tue, 16 May 2023 04:45:28 GMT

As crazy as it is, next week is our final week for the school year. We plan to have lots of fun enjoying the amazing students we have at CMS this year!

I hope you will join us on the 24th, at the Georgetown Public Library, as we celebrate the passage up for a number of our CMS friends. The "Moving Up" Ceremony honors our Montessori students moving from one plane of development to the next. Specifically, our Children's House student's who are leaving their early childhood years and moving up to Elementary (at 5:45) and also our Upper Elementary full cycle students (at 6:30) who are heading into their Adolescent years. It's a short, sweet, and special event for those students so please come out and support them! Students who are moving up will be receiving a special invitation later this week with details.

In addition to the Moving Up ceremony we are also hosting the 8th Grade Graduation & Portfolio Presentation at the Library at 7pm. We have 7 amazing Nova students moving on to high school next year and we are excited to celebrate their achievements this year.

Moving Up is a new beginning...

This week full cycle Children's House students who are "Moving Up" got to tour the Lower Elementary classrooms and see what its like to be in an elementary class! In addition, our Casita friends who will be moving up to Children's House next year have enjoyed visitng those classrooms and getting lessons and tours from students and Guides.

And also a farewell...

We will be saying farewell to students next week and also to some of our wonderful CMS staff members. We have a big group retiring this year and we are excited for them as they move into the next chapter of life. They include:

Kirby Tyndall, Redbud Guide
Deirdre O'Regan, Cypress Guide
Rosemary Wickramasinghe, Honeysuckle Assistant
Elsa Haddad, Dandelion After School Teacher
Anna Lee Tully, Daisy After School Teacher

We plan to celebrate with them on our Friday staff workday (after breaking down classrooms for the year). Best wishes to you all!

A Celebration of Music

Last week, Marshal celebrated a year of music with students in Children's House and Elementary levels. It was rainy and gray outside but inside there was brightness and cheer!

CMS Calendar

May 23rd - Lower Elementary Field Day
May 24th - Moving Up Ceremonies, Georgetown Public Library
May 25th - Last Day of School!
May 26th - Staff Workday

CMS Summer Plans

This summer will be a pretty busy one on our campus! The Courtyard walkways will get a make over and renovations in the Blue and Green buildings will bring new flooring, paint and more! Those of you enrolled in Summer Camp will see the action firsthand. We plan for the Orange and Yellow buildings to have their turn next year!

Flower Season

Tue, 09 May 2023 04:28:56 GMT

This year has been an amazingly long Spring season! All the rain has extended flower season and students have been enjoying all the different wildflowers on campus. See how many you and your child can name:

Our Facilities Manager, Tate Green, has mowed some walking trails through the fields so the children can get outside and get up close to our beautiful flowers!

Save the Date

The CMS Moving Up Ceremony is scheduled for Wednesday May 24th at the Georgetown Public Library. Students who are "moving up" will receive an invitation via email with more details. Children's House will be at 5:45, Upper Elementary at 6:30, and the Nova 8th grade graduation and portfolio presentation is at 7:00.

If you're new to CMS, stay tuned for more info on the Moving Up tradition at CMS in next week's email!

Heading Towards Summer

Since we've covered the basics with reading and math, let's do something for others and our community. Summer is a great time to volunteer with your child!

There's a number of organizations around the area that get families involved in volunteering. Check out the monthly calendar at Austin Allies to see what is coming up! Generation Serve is another place where families can find volunteering opportunities to do together.
Do it Yourself Volunteering is also a great experience for your child. Talk about things you see in your own neighborhood, like trash on the ground at the playscape. Make a game plan and go do something about it!

CMS Calendar

May 12th - Last day for Parent Observations
May 23rd - Lower Elementary Field Day fun
May 24th - Moving Up Ceremonies, Georgetown Public Library
May 25th - Last Day of School!
May 26th - Staff Workday

Stay hydrated this summer with CMS SPIRIT WEAR !

Elementary & Adolescent Summer Camp

There's still open spots in the Elementary & Adolescent Summer Camps. Click below for more info and to register your child. Questions? Contact Rachel at admissions@community-montessori.org.

community-montessori-school

Kindness Shines All Around!

Kindness Shines All Around

Staff Highlights

CMS CALENDAR REMINDERS

Heroes from History

CMS CALENDAR REMINDERS

Kindness

Staff Highlights

CMS CALENDAR REMINDERS

Welcome Back

Staff Highlights

CMS CALENDAR REMINDERS

Happy Holidays

Staff Highlights

CMS CALENDAR REMINDERS

Celebrations

Staff Highlights

CMS CALENDAR REMINDERS

Human Tendencies

Staff Highlights

CMS CALENDAR REMINDERS

Gratitude for What Counts

Staff Highlights

CMS CALENDAR REMINDERS

CMS - An International Community

Staff Highlights

CMS CALENDAR REMINDERS

Nurturing Future Leaders Through Montessori Education

International Festival is This Saturday!

Staff Highlights

CMS CALENDAR REMINDERS

Montessori Model UN

International Festival

Staff Highlights

CMS CALENDAR REMINDERS

Seasons Bring Out Gifts From Nature

Garden and Building Volunteers

Fall Conferences are this and next week . We are looking forward to seeing you!

Staff Highlights

CMS CALENDAR REMINDERS

Care of Self and the Environment

Garden and Building Volunteers

Fall Conferences are coming up. Please sign up using the link in your guide's Friday email.

Parent Support Group for Diverse Learners

Staff Highlights

CMS CALENDAR REMINDERS

A Community of Respect and Understanding

Montessori Adolescent Program

Parent Support Group for Diverse Learners

Staff Highlights

CMS CALENDAR REMINDERS

The Montessori Environment

All Ages Playdate

Parent Support Group for Diverse Learners

Staff Highlights

CMS CALENDAR REMINDERS

The Work of the Child

Last Call for Enrichments!

Parent Educational Opportunity

Upper Elementary Campers!

Staff Highlights

CMS CALENDAR REMINDERS

The Role of the Adult

Fall Enrichment Programs

Staff Highlights

CMS CALENDAR REMINDERS

CMS Town Hall is Tonight!

Physical Education

Staff Highlights

CMS CALENDAR REMINDERS

Peace Garden Coming to CMS

Tuesday, September 9th 6:00-6:45 p.m. at the Georgetown Public Library

Staff Highlights

CMS CALENDAR REMINDERS

Gardens at CMS

Getting Our Hands Dirty

Tuesday, September 9th 6:00-6:45 p.m. at the Georgetown Public Library

Chicken Volunteers Needed

Staff Highlights

Parent Support Group
for Diverse Learners

Parent Support Group
for Diverse Learners

Parent Support Group
for Diverse Learners

Tuesday, September 9th
6:00-6:45 p.m.
at the Georgetown Public Library

Tuesday, September 9th
6:00-6:45 p.m.
at the Georgetown Public Library

Social Feelings and Community
Additional thoughts on the benefits of Montessori Multi-Age groupings

Age Diversity
Some thoughts on the benefits of Montessori Multi-Age groupings