November News
First State Montessori Academy Monthly Newsletter
📣 Mark Your Calendars:
11/10 - Staff Inservice Day (No School for Students)
11/11 - Holiday (School Closed)
11/17 - Oasis Night 6 - 8 p.m.
11/21 - Apparel Store Closes (for holiday orders)
11/24 - 11/28 Thanksgiving Break (School Closed)
PTO's BIGGEST fundraiser
OASIS night is almost here... This is our PTO's biggest fundraiser and because it is typically so successful, they don't have to do many other fundraisers (or ask you to sell things, etc.). Things you might be wondering about:
What do they fundraise for? Our PTO raises funds to send teachers to Montessori conferences around the country and they share their learning with their team so everyone benefits!
Why Oasis on a Monday night? Oasis gives us 100% of the ticket price if we come on a Monday night and they let us charge less than if you went on your own!
What if I can't but want to contribute? You can always buy a ticket, which is essentially a donation right to the PTO.
What do the adults do? Well, in our new spirit of modeling phone free activities and connecting with other parents, feel free to hang out and get to know the families of some of your child's friends (and monitor your child, of course - lol)
How much does it cost? Advance Tickets: $15 per child or $35 per family of 3 kids or more
Enrollment Window Opens Soon
Just an FYI that the School Choice enrollment window opens on Monday, November 3rd. If you are planning to remain at FSMA, you do not need to do anything! If you have another child/sibling who will be applying, they need to submit an application during the school choice window (which ends 1/7). If you know of families interested in FSMA, please encourage them to attend one of our upcoming information sessions.
Parent Series: Follow-Up
We heard from many families that the webinar on technology and children was very impactful! If you did not get a chance to watch it live, the recordings are available - just go in and register and you will have access to all 6 of the Parent Series Webinars.
In the spirit of this topic, many often ask what the school recommends regarding devices at home. Here are some guidelines based on new data/research about the impact of these things on our children:
- no smart phones before high school (there are alternatives like apple watches that give tracking and ability to text minimally so your child can still communicate with friends)
- no social media while at FSMA (and up to 16 years old)
- limit access to ipads and other smartphone-similar devices
- monitor your child's usage and the content they are accessing