February 2024
Due to the up/down weather in January we were able to get outside from time to time…and it was WONDERFUL!!! When the weather is frightful (aka windy and freezing cold), the children became accustomed to being inside and doing gross motor activities and movement cd’s to burn off some energy. The teachers have done a fantastic job coming up with fun activities for the children to fill the void of being outside. I am hoping we can continue to sneak outside this month.
Please make sure that your child has extra clothes at the school in case we do go out and has a fall. Please ensure they have waterproof boots and a few pairs of extra socks.
Everyone needs to bring boots, coat, snow pants, toque and mittens each day. It’s better to have them for outings. We will not risk taking a child out who is not properly dressed.
We are closed on Monday February 19th, 2024, for Family Day; however, we are open the remainder of the week as all schools are closed for Teacher’s Convention. Please let the staff know if your child will be absent as we need to keep track of everyone.
The biggest news in February will be within our staff. Miss Garrecht will be leaving Medicine Hat Montessori Preschool for a move to Coleman to join her fiancé who has taken a job there. She has been with us for 13 years and has stuck with us through the growth of the program, COVID and everything in between. We are excited for this new chapter in her life and look forward to hearing about her mountain adventures. Her final day is scheduled to be February 2nd. We have hired Mrs. Heather Fruin as her replacement. Heather has worked for us in the past, she has her Level 3 and is familiar with the Montessori program. We are excited to welcome her back to the team!
In years past, we have done a community project with the children in lieu of exchanging Valentine’s Day cards. This year we have chosen The Santa Claus Fund to donate books to for their year-round intake of children. We will collect books starting February 1st and will deliver them on Friday February 16th. We will be having some sweet Valentine’s treats and activities for the children on Feb. 14th.
Thank you to all those families who kept their ill children at home. By allowing them the time to rest at home they recovered quicker and did not pass the germs around. It is greatly appreciated! Please be sure to familiarize yourself with the new health policies, they are in the best interest of the students and staff at the school and keeping everyone healthy.
Income Tax receipts will be issued shortly. They are emailed out from our system. If there is an error such as address or name of who is receiving the receipt, please let me know and I can change it and resend it to you.
We will be taking the week of August 5th-9th, 2024 as our closure this summer.
I know the schools will be starting their registrations in the coming month and there are many children who are age eligible for kindergarten. I will be preparing a Montessori kindergarten package with some information for each family. I am just working with the MH SD#76 board to make sure all information is current to any changes that Alberta Education had made.
Please do not hesitate to ask questions or to arrange a meeting to discuss your kindergarten options. We are here to help you with this decision.
We are going to wait until March to do our preschool/toddler registration for summer and fall. There will be a form sent home at the end of February for you to look over and fill in.
We will continue will kickboxing on Mondays (as the weather allows), Social Thinkers on Tuesday and Music on Thursdays. These activities make the weeks go by quickly.
Stay warm and enjoy February!