Happy Friday MCS Community!
Let’s talk about sick kids.
We have had quite a few illnesses circulating on the island the past couple of weeks, which is not unusual for this time of year.
Of course no one wants to send a sick kid to school, and when any of us do not feel well (child or adult) we need a break to rest and heal. The reality of our world, though, is that life does not stop when someone is sick. We are a community of working parents who understand this on many levels.
It feels like an important time for a reminder about the impacts of exposure to illnesses that reach beyond the day of an individual child. In a classroom a sick child, or a child presenting signs of an oncoming contagious illness, can have quite a few levels of impact: the spread of an illness to other children also means to their families, many with tiny littles at home, as well as to our staff, whose health our entire operation depends on.
It is completely understandable to feel frustrated with the inconvenience of keeping children home when a day at school seems possible with their temperament and minimal symptoms. What we are doing here, though, is in consideration of the entire community and an effort to protect those we have welcomed to campus that day.
Attached is a copy of our Parent Student Handbook, and our Illness Policy starts on Page 26. Parent Student Handbook 24_25.docx
We want to send a thank you to all of those parents who have kept your children home at signs of concerning symptoms, or swooped back to campus when called to pick up your child when they are not well. We do recognize the many balls you are juggling, and appreciate that you treat this one, your children, as the one you never drop.
This Week @ MCS
Pictured:
1 A Toddler friend rakes leaves in the chilly weather this week
- Ms. Suzanne leads a group of Lower Elementary students in an important new lesson. Lessons are delivered in groups, pairs, or individually each day.
- Two Primary friends working hard on the push pin lesson, which is a fine motor material leading to pencil holding.
Upcoming Events (more info on each below)…
PRO TIP: Click the date to save the event to your personal calendar on your phone!
Thursday, February 6th: Zoom Meeting for Rising Junior High Schoolers (7th-9th Grade)
Saturday, February 8th: Saturday Play Date/Game Day 9AM-12PM, On Campus
Friday, February 14th: Grandparent/Special Friend Day
Saturday, February 22nd: Love & Play 9AM-12PM, On Campus
Saturday Morning Play Date/Game Day
Could you use a few hours of childcare on a Saturday morning? On Saturday, February 8th from 9AM-12PM drop off your kiddos with us and go do whatever it is you would like to do with 3 available hours of your time. The Toddler & Primary programs will have a morning drop off play date on their playgrounds with special activities and a snack included for $50 per child. Lower & Upper Elementary are hosting a drop off morning of GAMES for $30 per child. Please email office@montessorikeywest.com or text/call 305-294-5302 to sign up by February 3rd. All proceeds benefit the continuing education expenses for our staff who attended the International Montessori Conference in Atlanta.
Grandparent/Special Friend Day
One of the most special days of the year is upon us! Our annual Grandparent/Special Friend Day is a sweet and memorable chance for the children to welcome a Grandparent or Special Friend (family member, neighbor, any grown up they love) to join them in the classroom to experience a bit of their world. Toddler & Primary students will welcome their guests for 9AM or 10AM time slots, and Elementary students will welcome their guests for 1PM & 1:45PM time slots.
Invitations were mailed out this week. Our goal is for every child to have an adult visit them that day. If the guest we mailed an invitation to cannot attend, a parent can attend instead. Please let Ms.Alex know in the office who will be attending if a Grandparent/Special Friend cannot make it.
Love & Play
Mark your calendars for Saturday, February 22nd from 9AM-12PM when our campus turns into a carnival and we celebrate Love as a community! This is a once a year super special event you will not want to miss! This event is open to the public, so please extend invites to any friends locally who may enjoy a morning of bounce houses, face painting, crafts, snacks, and Montessori Key West magic.
Weekly Miracle Makers
Oftentimes it feels like our school is powered by Miracles. Miracles large and small happen each week to pull off all that we do here. Those miracles appear in acts of love and kindness and service by parents, children, staff, alumni, community members, and more, and each week we highlight a special one here.
This week’s Miracle Maker is Deejay Peak, the owner of The Key West Candle Company, who not only facilitated an incredible fundraising event in our candle sales this Fall, but also hosted a wonderful candle making event for our Upper Elementary students as a thank you for their 100% participation in the fundraiser. The class made custom candles to take home, and also worked on vision boards to learn entrepreneurial skills. Deejay is a parent of a toddler here and a fantastic member of our community. We are so grateful!
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