May 2020 Volume 26, Issue 10 Montessori School of Lemont Since 1972 Save the Date! May 1 st Tuition Due No Classes, Conferences May 5 th Teacher Appreciation Day May 8 th Last Day of Online Auction Virtual Informational Coffee May 15 th Volunteer Appreciation Online 6 th Grade Parent Meet- ing, 3:00 pm May 25 th No School, Memorial Day May 29 th Last Day, Preschool Students Inside this issue! Director’s Notes 2 Parents’ Association Meeting Notes 2 Adolescent Meeting 3 Spring Performance 3 Student Article 3 Coffee, Anyone? 4 “Montessori School of Lemont grew out of help the Kiwanis gave to an immigrant family.“ By Susan Degrane, Daily Southtown, April 11,2020 A Daily Southtown story about local Kiwanis efforts to attract new mem- bers featured a 1950s photo of Kiwa- nis of Southwest Chicago members, including an unidentified girl, age 11 or so. That girl was Norine Gibbons, now Norine Colby, 76, the mother of Therese Colby and the founder of Montessori of Lemont. Norine said her path to success is due in part to support she and her family received early on from Kiwanis...While still a college student, she read a Chi- cago Tribune article about Virginia Fleege, founder of the Midwest Mon- tessori Teacher Training Center in Evanston. Fleege’s “Early Childhood Geography & History Manual” pro- vided the basis for lessons in Mon- tessori classrooms. “I decided then and there if I ever had children, I would want them to be taught with the Montessori approach. That was my first exposure to Montessori,” Norine said. “What appealed to me most was that with a conventional school the teacher is the center but with Mon- tessori the student is the center. The teacher is there to help the student polish their skills, to provide support on his or her learning journey and to help cultivate a lifelong love of learn- ing.” Norine stayed with Maria Montesso- ri Elementary through several name changes and relocations. When parents decided to disband the Auction 2020 school in 1979, she took the reins as executive director. The school moved to Blue Island, then to a community center in Lemont, then to a church. With a donation of 7.5 acres from Joe Bonfitto, the parent of student Nick Bonfitto, the school moved in 2001 to its permanent location. In 1991, Therese, then 23, joined the staff as one of the youngest Montesso- ri administrators. In 2013, she as- sumed Norine’s responsibilities as executive director. Norine still teaches Latin to seventh and eighth graders... Just as the other teachers, Norine is having to adapt her Latin lessons for distance learning. Will she ever retire? “And do what?” she asks. “I’m contin- uing to learn and to help my students learn. This is my life.” Excerpted from chicagotribune.com The creativity of our staff and students is on full display for our annual auction this year! Classroom projects that were in progress have been completed virtually, via mail and socially distant deliveries and bidding will take place online between May 1 - May 8 Orange Room’s, “Winter Campus Scene,” a watercolor filtered image captured during recess this year. Adolescents thought provoking piece using collage application techniques of hand prints to express the values they hold. “All-School Love Collage” “What We Hold” Yellow Room’s “Walk through the Seasons” quilt. Purple Room’s, “Custom Jenga”
Transcript
May 2020 Volume 26, Issue 10
Montessori School of
Lemont Since 1972
Save the Date!
May 1st
Tuition Due
No Classes, Conferences
May 5th
Teacher Appreciation Day
May 8th
Last Day of Online Auction
Virtual Informational Coffee
May 15th
Volunteer Appreciation
Online 6th Grade Parent Meet-
ing, 3:00pm
May 25th
No School, Memorial Day
May 29th
Last Day, Preschool Students
Inside this issue!
Director’s Notes 2
Parents’ Association
Meeting Notes
2
Adolescent Meeting 3
Spring Performance 3
Student Article 3
Coffee, Anyone? 4
“Montessori School of Lemont grew out of help the Kiwanis
gave to an immigrant family.“ By Susan Degrane, Daily Southtown, April 11,2020
A Daily Southtown story about local
Kiwanis efforts to attract new mem-
bers featured a 1950s photo of Kiwa-
nis of Southwest Chicago members,
including an unidentified girl, age 11
or so. That girl was Norine Gibbons,
now Norine Colby, 76, the mother of
Therese Colby and the founder of
Montessori of Lemont.
Norine said her path to success is due in part to support she and her family
received early on from Kiwanis...While
still a college student, she read a Chi-
cago Tribune article about Virginia
Fleege, founder of the Midwest Mon-
tessori Teacher Training Center in
Evanston. Fleege’s “Early Childhood
Geography & History Manual” pro-
vided the basis for lessons in Mon-
tessori classrooms. “I decided then
and there if I ever had children, I
would want them to be taught with
the Montessori approach. That was
my first exposure to Montessori,”
Norine said.
“What appealed to me most was
that with a conventional school the
teacher is the center but with Mon-
tessori the student is the center. The
teacher is there to help the student
polish their skills, to provide support
on his or her learning journey and to
help cultivate a lifelong love of learn-
ing.”
Norine stayed with Maria Montesso-
ri Elementary through several name
changes and relocations. When
parents decided to disband the
Auction 2020
school in 1979, she took the reins as
executive director. The school moved
to Blue Island, then to a community
center in Lemont, then to a church.
With a donation of 7.5 acres from Joe
Bonfitto, the parent of student Nick
Bonfitto, the school moved in 2001 to
its permanent location.
In 1991, Therese, then 23, joined the
staff as one of the youngest Montesso-
ri administrators. In 2013, she as-
sumed Norine’s responsibilities as
executive director. Norine still teaches
Latin to seventh and eighth graders...
Just as the other teachers, Norine is
having to adapt her Latin lessons for
distance learning.
Will she ever retire? “And do what?” she asks. “I’m contin-
uing to learn and to help my students
learn. This is my life.”
Excerpted from chicagotribune.com
The creativity of our staff and students is on full display for our annual auction this year!
Classroom projects that were in progress have been completed virtually, via mail and
socially distant deliveries and bidding will take place online between May 1 - May 8
Orange Room’s, “Winter
Campus Scene,” a watercolor
filtered image captured
during recess this year.
Adolescents
thought
provoking
piece using
collage
application
techniques
of hand
prints to
express the
values they
hold.
“All-School Love Collage” “What We Hold” Yellow Room’s “Walk
Also in attendance: Therese Colby, Karen Damato, Jennifer Galka, Anna Antosiak
and Elizabeth Waller
Meeting called to order at 9:30am by Jenna Treanor
NEW BUSINESS:
Distance Learning
Jenna inquired and offered assistance with distance learning.
Auction
There will be no physical auction this year due to the pandemic
It is the intention that we do some sort of online auction, school email to follow
Tuition raffle tickets can be purchased online
Sponsorships are available on the website
Jeanine was able to cancel the event at the Public Landing. Deposit will be refunded if venue
cannot open due to state mandate
Therese will check with classroom teachers about their classroom projects
Parent Survey
Therese informed us that the Accreditation Steering Committee will be composing and sending
out a parent survey about Distance Learning
PA Nominations
In accordance with PA Bylaws nominations were held for PA Officer Positions for the 2020-2021
school year.
Therese Colby refrained from participating in nominations.
Jenna Treanor was nominated for President by Elizabeth Waller
Karen Themel was nominated for Vice President by Jenna Treanor
Jennifer Galka was nominated for Secretary by Debbie Moreno
Debbie Moreno was nominated for Treasurer by Jenna Treanor
The PA will vote on these nominations at the next meeting on Tuesday, May 12th at 9:30 via Zoom.
Meeting Adjourned at 10:00am
We Miss You!
Emma and Alicia doing some social-
ly-distant Arbor Day cleanup!
A couple months ago my
mother was flipping through
her favorite newspaper, the
Daily Southtown, and did a
double take when she saw a
picture of herself in an article
about the Kiwanis Club (see
page one) as “an unidentified
little girl in 1956.”
Even more surprising was that
the article featured another
MSOL board member, Mary
Zeronas, who also serves on
Kiwanis' board.
After a few phone calls, the
Ridge Historical Society had the
identity of the little girl for their
archives and the Daily Southtown/
Chicago Tribune editor had
another story.
Until the interview with
reporter, Susan Degrane, I had
no idea that my mother's
immigrant family was served by
Kiwanis and neither did Mary
who has volunteered for both
MSOL and Kiwanis for decades. I
also never understood my
mother's fascination with Golden
Shoes until I heard her tell the
reporter that the owner, a
Kiwanis member, had 'shoed' her
and her siblings for years.
It was another article in the
Chicago Tribune, written over
five decades ago, that would
shape my mother’s career and
(Continued on page 4)
The Parents' Association of Montessori
School of Lemont exists to support the
school's philosophy, programs, and
activities for the benefit of all students,
staff and families.
Summer Specials
Page 3 Volume 26, Issue 10
The unofficial MSOL mascot
spotted in the Zen garden.
Yellow Room students created cards
and virtually celebrated Ms. Fry’s birthday
On May 15th from 3:00-4:00pm Adolescent teacher, Rebecca McClenning, will hold a virtual informational meeting for 6 th grade parents covering details about the curriculum, field trips and projects in the Adolsecent program. En-rolled 6th grade parents as well as
those considering the program are asked to RSVP by May 8 th.
