June 2015

NEWS

Graduation Speech 2014-2015 Here I am again, trying to muster up the courage to say good-bye to 17 Kindergarten students who’ve lead us through this school year. I’ve done this ceremony many times now, so you’d think it may get easier for me but it absolutely does not. On one hand this day brings us such joy because of everything you have accomplished, on the other hand it is also terribly sad because we’re saying goodbye. Not only are we saying goodbye to our sweet kindergarteners, but we’re also faced with saying farewell to some families and teachers that have been with us for many, many years! I’m not sure I can imagine St. James without these oh-so familiar faces. Parents, I thank you for allowing your child to stay and lead our school through this Kindergarten year. They have been wonderful mentors and leaders. They got to finish their three year cycle and were able to see the extensions and deeper meaning to the Montessori materials they’ve been working with so diligently. Without them we wouldn’t have had our Chapel Leaders and we all know how the Bible stories and group worship set the tone for us in our school lives. Without these children the younger students would not have had the same learning experience. Thank you Kindergarten parents, for this great gift. Teachers, thank you for guiding these children to this point in their lives.

Kindergarten children, I’ve known several of you even before you were old enough to join us here at St. James because some of you were only babies when I met you at Church or when would come to drop off an older sister or brother with us. I have absolutely loved watching each and every one of you grow and learn. I have fond memories of each of you that I’ll always cherish, like the child who would only speak in whispers standing up before a crowd this year to say the Lord’s Prayer over the microphone as though speaking loudly had never been an issue. Or the child who was so nervous to enter the classroom when he was three who this year became a strong, confident mentor for all the younger children. I’ve seen children learn the best ways to use their awesome sense of humor to brighten our days. I’ve watched as the strong-willed children use that skill to become kind, considerate leaders. I’ve observed children realize they were skilled at problem solving serve as peacemakers for their younger friends. I’ve noticed the children who in the past were frequent visitors to my office discover they had the ability to find peace within and make great choices for themselves. I’ve witnessed each of these children mentoring a younger child. I’ve seen the adventurous children push the limits of their imagination as they used Montessori materials in new, fascinating ways. I’ve observed each child working extremely hard to overcome their particular challenge in order to move forward in their learning and in doing so realize that they each have amazing skills and abilities that are unique to them.

I can’t go without sharing one of my favorite memories of when a Kindergarten child here today was a toddler. This child decided that a potty training seat (much like this one) should be worn like a necklace and proceeded to get that seat stuck around her neck. Believe it or not, I had seen this before, but my tricks didn’t work on this particular potty seat! Ms. Lisa had to call 911. Before I knew it my office was filled with police officers and firemen who “just had to see this for themselves”. This child remained so calm, and in fact, she never cried! The firemen had the seat removed in a jiffy. You know, that child is still just as brave today and hopes to become the first female NFL football player which I think suits her perfectly.

These are just some of the incredible memories that keep us smiling, laughing and crying and will always live in our hearts and minds forever.

This past Wednesday Sophia asked me if I would please open a first grade or maybe even sixth grade. Violet then proposed we make more room in the classrooms so we could even have college here! I would love to win the lottery and do just that, but I sadly realize that “these children need to go and experience the next part of their fascinating lives.” It is so exciting to begin a new adventure. You won’t regret trying something new! You’re always going to have the friends and memories you’ve made here and soon you’ll have even more friends and memories to add to your repertoire! And, guess what? All of us here at St. James Episcopal School will be here waiting for you to visit! We want to hear all about the things you’re learning and see for ourselves how you just keep on growing bigger, older and wiser. That is something we look very forward to and actually makes it possible for us to say good-bye.

As Dr. Seuss so profoundly proclaimed “Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened”. We are so thankful YOU happened and are proud to have been a part of your life. Thank you for your hard work, your worship, and your love. We will treasure you forever and ever.

Mrs. Loree

A HUGE thank you to the special ladies who loved and guided your little ones this year:

Teachers who’ve served one to four years at SJES :

Staff with five to nine years of service of SJES

Mrs. Barrineau and Ms. Carmen have been with us fifteen years!

Ms. Lisa is finishing her seventeenth year as SJES!

Dear Parents: Here we are at the end of another great year in the classroom! The children have learned so many things from living in a community of friends. Our youngest children have learned by watching the older children. I feel as if I watched each and every one of your children begin to unfold the layer of achievements. This class has been a wonderful journey this year for me and my team. We want to thank you for sharing your children. The work they have done and the growth we have seen, as always, is amazing. We hope you agree that the year has been a success.

We wish a heartfelt farewell to those of our students who will not be returning next year, and we wish them all the best at their new schools. We wish all of our students and parents a wonderful and refreshing summer break. We look forward to seeing you return for the 2015-2016 school year. We thank all of our wonderful parent volunteers for their participation in the 2014-2015 school year. Thank you to the parents who have helped organize events and who came to support events. We know in a volunteer organization it is sometimes hard to juggle all the commitments you have, but the leadership this year has been amazing! Have a safe and wonderful summer! Mrs. Eva, Ms. Mary and Mrs. Bianca

MDO

What an amazing school year in the Toddler 1 classroom! Ms. Annabel and I had such a won-derful and memorable school year, and will miss our students this summer - especially our gradu-ating toddlers moving on up to primary. Looking back through the photo albums on Montessori Compass, the children start out looking like such tiny toddlers, and by the end of the year, they are looking and acting so much more mature and independent.

The last few months of school are a whirlwind of activities and emotions, and lots of socializing going on in the classroom. Summer is here and the next stages of development are kicking in. Vocabulary is in full swing and the classroom is loud, but children are working, and the side-by-side play has turned in to pretend play and group play. The children are sponges taking in the whole world around them and imitating with friends.

Thank you so much for sharing your children with us, and enjoy your summer.

Mrs. Anna and Ms. Annabel

Toddler 1

I can’t believe the 2014-2015 school year has come to an end. The month of May started out with a visit from David Chicken, and the kids had a lot of fun dancing and singing with him.

Thank you to Ms. Sara from Kindermusik for coming to the toddler classrooms on the last day of school for a class. The kids had fun pretending they were going to the zoo.

We wish all our second year toddlers a successful journey into primary next year. We will miss them so much and we hope to see them in the hallways.

Have a safe and beautiful summer!Toddler 2

Toddler 2

Dear Toddler 3 Parents, It’s been a fantastic year! I cannot believe it has already come to end! We started this school year off with shy faces and unsure characters, and have ended it with exuberant personalities and independent Montessori students!

Sincerely,Ms. Coral, Ms. Amy, Ms. Jaymie, and Ms. Hanna

Toddler 3

By the way, Ms. Hanna gave birth to Graham (three weeks early) around 10:00 p.m. Friday after school! Mom and baby are doing well. What a way to end the school year!

All of the Toddler 3 Teachers want to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for trusting us with your beautiful children. It has been a joy watching your children grow and making everlasting memories with them. I have no doubt that our older students will transition into Primary with ease in the fall. We are so proud of all of our students! We hope you all enjoy your summer, and we look forward to seeing you in the fall.

Primary 1

Primary 3Graduating Class of 2015

Maya Anderson

Freddie Gaona

Sophia Haas

Hayes Harvanek

Violet Rainey-Ellis

Riley Sutton

Ellie Bodwell

MJ Smith

Emory Mooney

Primary 2

Primary 4Graduating Class of 2015

Maxim Ali

Hailey Tillery

Sabrina Garza

Jonah Tinker

Max Martinelli

Brooke Callagy Claire Laskaris Henry Schulze

Primary 1

Families of Primary 1:

It’s hard to believe that another year has come and gone. We have enjoyed our time spent working with your children and witnessing the progress and growth of each and every one. The ending of the school year is always a little bittersweet. For some of you will be returning in the fall, but for others we’ve had to extend our goodbyes for a little while longer. The best of luck to our soon-to-be first graders and their families! We are confident that all of our young friends will make great leaps and bounds in this next chapter of their lives. Thank you for all of your support and dedication to help make this year a really good one. We appreciate all that you have done for us and all that you do for your children. We hope that everyone has a safe and fun summer, and we’ll be seeing you in the fall!

All our love,Ms. Amaris & Ms. Kim

Well another school year has come to a close. We have learned, made friends, had disagreements, had fun, had a few tears, had a lot of laughs, and made a lot of memories. We have truly enjoyed teaching your children. We have learned that if we relax and enjoy them, we can learn so much from the students. When exposed to lessons, children learn so much by themselves. They have the ability to absorb information so quickly. It has been enjoyable watching each child move forward and mature in the daily works and tasks in the classroom. We will miss the students that are leaving this classroom. We wish you the best of luck forever and always. May God Bless you and be with you in all that you do. We look forward to seeing all of the returning students in August.

Enjoy life. Enjoy your children. Enjoy the summertime. Much love,Mrs. Barrineau and Ms. Marla

Primary 2

Primary 3 And so we find ourselves at a crossroads: the 2014 2015 school year has come to an end and summer has begun!

First of all, we would like to say thank you to each family of primary 3 for an incredible year! It has been a joy to teach your children and to watch them learn and grow. As you may have read, we will have some changes in staffing next year: Ms. Yoko Wong (our teacher intern) is returning to China with her family and plans to open a Montessori school there. Ms. Monica Richter is preparing to move to Germany with her husband and will be working as a substitute teacher until the move is finalized. Ms. Julia Contreras will continue to care for her young daughter and growing family at home. Ms. Jaymie Esquivel, who has been working in Primary 3 on Fridays, will be the full time classroom assistant next year. Ms. Jaymie has years of Montessori experience and already has a strong bond with the children.

Times of transition are so bittersweet – we look back on so many wonderful memories and we also look forward with anticipation to the things that are yet to come.

Congratulations to our kindergarten graduates: Ellie Bodwell, Emory Mooney, MJ Smith, and Riley Sutton. To you, our graduates, and to the others who are moving on, we wish the very best! We know you will do great things!

Ms. Tamara and Ms. Monica

Wow! It's hard to believe that it is already June and the school year has come to an end. What a wonderful year it has been! We are very proud of all that the children learned and accomplished throughout the year. Claire and Willaim both completed United States maps. Brooke and Henry wrote creative stories using the moveable alphabet. Vivian, Walker, John, Zane, Evan, and Carson all learned how to make new patterns using the pink tower and broad stairs. Elizabeth, Anna, and Olivia had new lessons on the short vowels blending puzzles. Emily and Mark worked with the life cycle of a butterfly, ladybug, and frog. Taylor, Pearl, and Carson mastered the short skip counting chains. Noah and Natalie enjoyed working with the constructive triangle boxes and geometric solids. The children stayed busy until the very last day of school!

We have really enjoyed the time spent with your children during the year. Our classroom has truly been a community of learning, exploration, friendship, and love!

Congratulations to our graduating kindergarten students of 2015 - Brooke Callagy, Claire Laskaris, and Henry Schulze. We love you!

We wish all if you a wonderful, relaxing summer!

Ms. Elizabeth and Ms. Ashley

Primary 4“The study of the child… may have an infinitely wider influence, extending to all human questions. In the mind of the child we may find the key to progress….”

Maria Montessori

What an amazing year we have had! I cannot believe the school year is already over and summer is here.

In art this month, the second year students had a great time using fruits and vegetables for printmaking. We used veggies such as peppers, celery, lettuce, and cucumbers; and fruits such as apples, pears, lemons, and kiwi. Each fruit and vegetable gave us a new and interesting print each time we stamped it!

Art/Tech

The kindergarten students made clay pots this month! We had a great time kneading the clay, rolling it out, and then coiling it to make a pot. We let the pots air dry, and then we painted them! Each pot is so different and unique - it was a really fun project!

In technology we finished our PowerPoint presentations! I hope everyone enjoyed the Kindergarten Showcase and you enjoy watching and listening to your child’s presentation. They all did such an amazing job, and I am so proud of them.

Congratulations to the graduating kindergarten students! Thank you for a wonderful year and good luck in first grade! I know all of you will continue to do amazing things.

I look forward to seeing the returning students in the fall! Have a wonderful summer! Ms. Hanna

I truly enjoyed gardening with your children this year. Look how beautiful the garden looks! The children have weeded, planted, watered and explored to their heart’s content.

You may notice our darling spoon garden markers that now designate many of the items growing in the garden. This was an Auction item that parents signed up for. The children got to paint their favorite fruit, flower or vegetable with me. While they painted I talked to them about the item they chose and wrote down their comments to add to the backs of the spoon. Dottie Bernstein chose the Fennel and mentioned how it’s “fuzzy, just like my dad’s mustache.” I hope you’ll do a little gardening of your own this summer and share your pictures with me.

Lots of love ,Mrs. Loree

Egg in nest - from our playground!

GardenIn The Children’s

I can’t believe another school year is over. My primary students have grown so much this year. We have worked on conflict resolution, care of their environment and how to be a good friend. I am always proud to see them resolve conflicts. Most of all I love how they take care of each other, and care genuinely for their friends and their feelings. My sweet toddlers have grown and matured this year. They are happy, and warm my heart with their friendly “Hi Ms. Lisa” as they arrive to ASC. It has been a wonderful year, and I thank you for allowing me to watch your children “after hours.” I have loved getting to know them and share in their day. Have a safe and wonderful summer, and I can’t wait to see all of you in the fall! Lisa Wilson and the ASC Staff

ASC

Summer is here, and I’ve been reflecting on all that we have learned in Chapel! There have been so many stories, concepts, and heart changes we have experienced this year in Chapel lessons. We have covered everything from Jonah and the big fish, to the story of Jesus’ great rescue! As we remember all the stories and songs that come to mind, we see one theme. To love God, and to love people. In every piece of scripture, we see people striving to learn and act out this command. The greatest command is love God and love each other.

As we come to a close this school year, I get to instruct the children on one last lesson! In my opinion, it’s the most important lesson they will ever learn. It’s a lesson that has been said time and time again throughout the school year.

God loves you soooooooooooooooo much. Simple. If they don’t remember anything else from Chapel this year, I pray that this lesson sticks! God loves them so much!

Praying for a wonderful and peaceful summer for all!

May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord look upon you with favor and give you peace. — Numbers 6:24-26

Blessings,Ashley WoodruffChristian Education Director

Chapel