A Great First Week!

Good afternoon MV,

What a beautiful day here on campus, it definitely feels like fall. It has been a great week. We have been exploring our classroom spaces inside and out, reconnecting with friends and making new ones, figuring out new routines and thinking a lot about what it means to be part of a learning community. We are off to a great start.

Here are a few things to know!

• Aug. 30 Labor Day Weekend Begins- No School
• Sept. 2 No School
• Sept. 3 After School Program (ASP) Begins
• Sept. 4 FC Meeting 3:15 @ Lower El Picnic Tables
• Sept. 7 Plymouth Town-wide Yard Sale (FC Fundraiser)
• Sept. 12 MVCS Open House (evening), LE 5-5:45, UE/MS 6-6:45 (Parents and Caregivers only)
• Sept. 18 Staff Meeting- No ASP
• Sept. 21 SLA Paddle 1-4 (FC event)
• Sept. 27 Staff In-Service Day- Half day Dismissal at 11:45am- NO ASP

Drop off- 7:45-8:15, we expect every student to be on campus and ready to start the day by 8:15

Lower Elementary— For the start of the year, the admin team will meet families halfway down the driveway, or for those who are returning families, at the usual afternoon pick up place until everyone gets used to pausing and waiting for space at the top of the driveway. The location will be marked with an orange cone. We will send you up the driveway where someone will greet your student as they exit the car and point them in the right direction. Teachers will be out to greet everyone. Adults, please do not exit your car during drop off and please try to arrange for your student to exit the right side of the car. There is a space to pull into at the bottom of the driveway if you want to get out for a goodbye hug before you get in line.

Upper Elementary— Admin will meet families at the back of the parking lot in a space marked with a cone. Students will exit the car, on the right side if possible, and teachers will be available to lead them in the right direction as they enter Fort Creek. Adults, please do not exit your car during drop off. Feel free to pull over in front of the school for a goodbye hug before you get in line.

Pick up- 2:45-3:00pm:

Lower Elementary -- Admin will meet families halfway down the driveway, or for those who are returning families, at the usual afternoon pick up place. The location will be marked with a cone. We will radio to the teachers waiting at the top, send cars up three at a time and a teacher will escort your child to the car. Please do not park and get out, this is a rolling pick up. It would be very helpful for us if families made a sign with their students' names and put it on their visor, so that we can easily identify you and your vehicle. We'll get to know cars and faces soon- promise!

Upper Elementary – A group of teachers will meet cars at the back of the parking lot in a space marked with a cone. We will radio to teachers in Fort Creek, who will send the students out to the waiting cars. Please do not park and get out, this is a rolling pick up. It would be very helpful for us if families made a sign with their students' names and put it on their visor, so that we can easily identify you and your vehicle. We'll get to know cars and faces soon- promise!

Thank you to everyone who came to help out the Saturday clean up! It was fun to be together and the school looks amazing. We are all super grateful.

First FC Mtg of the year will be Wed 9/4 right after school in the Lower El picnic table area. Everyone is welcome!

• We ask each family to contribute 50 hours each year. Join us and start planning out how you might want to volunteer this year.

Here are the sign up sheets for volunteering at the yard sale and the Squam Lake Paddle sign up!

Town Wide Yard Sale Sat 9/7

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1pHZvvxAFxXhv3wO1JqOK86vVD68E7apU-UE0cbAV5Zk/edit?usp=drivesdk

Squam Lake Association Paddle Sat 9/21 from 1-4

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1T0WLUM6n76sZFQj2moqAyWTk9rDuldNL2_FbjfNIL6k/edit?usp=drivesdk

Oakie Order Info

We will be sending out an email with information on how to order on Monday 9/9 and will take orders through 9/15. Check out Oaki.com to prepare for your order.

For this annual event, MVCS runs a community yard sale at the Plymouth home of Alfie, our amazing administrator. You can help in TWO ways:

1. Donate some high quality items to the yard sale! An attempt will be made to donate anything remaining, so please only donate High Quality Items that we have a good chance of selling.

We will NOT accept adult clothes, VHS tapes, or cassette tapes.

Hot sale items- everything in at least ‘very good condition’: children’s clothes and footwear, furniture, baby items, pretend play toys, sports equipment (not old or dated), pet items, newer kitchen equipment, newer electronic equipment.

FYI- the Family Committee will be hosting a Winter Gear Swap in October for our families. Please hold on to any gently used boots, coats, hats, snow pants, etc. for our swap, so that families can “fill in the gaps” for their kids’ winter apparel.

Items for the yard sale can be dropped off at Alfie's house (9 Maple Street, Plymouth), beginning Wednesday, September 6th through Friday the 8th, between the hours of 5pm-7pm. DO NOT leave items in her driveway.

Or...There will be a trailer in the Upper El parking lot beginning Tuesday, September 3rd for donation drop off.

2. Volunteer at the yard sale

Meet new people and work some of your volunteer hours! We need people to help set up, sell, and clean up. Please see the sign up sheet below.

In the past, the children of volunteers have run a small bake sale / lemonade stand in concert with the yard sale. If you have a child who would be interested in participating in this, please sign them up along with you. FC will be happy to solicit donations for the bake sale if we have enough student volunteers.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1pHZvvxAFxXhv3wO1JqOK86vVD68E7apU-UE0cbAV5Zk/edit?usp=drivesdk

Be sure to reach out if there are any questions,

Family Committee Team

Jenn and Sarah

We still have a few openings. Please spread the word! I am looking for the following...

• Lower El Assistant
• Upper El Assistant
• 2 ASP Staff (3:00-5:00 any day of the week M-F or all week)
• 10 Subs ($15.00 hourly rate, as needed)

If you are interested or know someone who might be, please please please reach out to Merrill at merrill@mountainvillagecharterschool.org. This is a fantastic place to work!

Gretchen is looking for smocks and aprons for UE/MS art. There is a box in the Burrow if you have one to donate! Thank you!

Here is Pauline's Amazon Wish List for Lower El Art if you would like to contribute.

https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/1BE6RJNRU8Z0P?ref_=wl_share

Thank you!!!!!!

Thank you for your time and we look forward to hearing from you,
Brendan and Michael

*Meet your Music Teachers:
Brendan Adams:
Brendan comes from a musical family and found his passion for music from a very young age. His main instrument is Saxophone which he has played since 5th Grade. Brendan has played in a variety of ensembles including community concert bands, jazz big bands, pit bands for musical theater and marching bands. His favorite genres of music include rock, jazz/funk, and musical theater. Brendan also dabbles in music arranging, creating arrangements for small instrumental groups and medleys of popular songs.

Michael has been a musician since a young age, beginning his musical journey on piano, and ultimately majoring in percussion and pedagogy, and music therapy at Plymouth State. He brings a hybrid musical experience ranging from high school jazz band to numerous band/solo projects. A wildly diverse musical taste; he enjoys Taylor Swift as much as Dragonforce. In his free time he enjoys busking and arranging. Favorite musical pass time; Car Karaoke belting out KPOP/boy band hits.

Our beautiful and unique school pictures are scheduled with, MVCS Assistant, and photographer Jim Napier for the morning of Thursday, October 3rd with a makeup/ rain date of Thursday, October 10th. Students will be photographed in our outdoor classrooms and everyone will receive a complimentary class picture.

Please print and complete the order form attached below, or ask us to give you a hard copy, and return it and your payment in full, to the office by Monday September 23rd.

Let us know if you have any questions!

We currently have a great Animals on Campus policy but last year we took this even further and now have a Therapy Dog policy. My pup Tulip (aka Toolie) is slowly heading in this direction. She has.....

• passed her puppy training course at White Mountain Pet College
• passed her 2 Foundations classes at White Mountain Pet College
• has her shots up to date
• and is in excellent health

This summer, she has learned how to come from a great distance, to "stay with me" when passing folks in a store or on a walk, and to have "loose leash communication" while on a walk. She is now 56 pounds of pure love!

Toolie will be on campus occasionally through the year on Thursdays or Fridays. She will be in an office space and on a leash at all times. Signs will be posted on office doors as always. We will take walks through campus to visit everyone and there will be a schedule for interested students to have a little supervised time with her.

In November, she will take the "Good Citizen's" test to see if she is eligible for the therapy dog training! I will keep you posted!

Hi MVCS,

Our indoor spider plants are having "babies" galore right now (pic below). There are about 15 of them. Would this interest any of you?

Once I cut off the babies, you'd simply "hang" them in glasses of water or small vases to root. Which is cool for kids to watch the root growth progress. Then, once they have roots then can be planted in small pots with drainage rocks and soil. They're super low maintenance from there and maybe by spring will have "babies" of their own!

Let me know if you are interested and I can send them in. Thanks!

Allie Stoddard (a family in the Eaglets)

a.q.stoddard@gmail.com

Here is the August Head of School Report. Let me know if you have any questions!

You are always welcome to attend Board meetings in person or virtually! The next meeting is 9/17/2024 happening at 5:30 in the Brook Trout classroom. Here is the Zoom link.

Please know that I am always available to chat or to answer any questions you have. Just send me an email and we will set up a time.

-Merrill

OUR MISSION To engage students in experiences that integrate natural environments with a Montessori-inspired curriculum, igniting achievement in academic, social-emotional and physical development.