Welcome to the

Sycamore Room!

Welcome Sycamore Families to our 2010-2011 School Year!

Mrs. Moore and I are thrilled to embark on yet another year of learning and growth with your children, and we are so fortunate you leave them entrusted to our care. I hope you know what joy they bring to our classroom and to Mrs. Moore's and my life. We are right back into the swing of things this past week. The Montessori environment is so wonderful and so familiar to your children that they are able to instantly welcome new friends and yet still embark on their own learning journey. We come in, say hellos and the children have gone right to work. It's amazing watching these 3, 4 and 5 year olds do this.

This week we have bonded with our new friends from the Maple Room and after a day you wouldn't have even guessed we had these 'transfer' students. They are forming new friendships and new working partners, and the transition has really been seamless. To our former Maple Room families we are happy to adopt you into the Sycamore Room and we hope you are just as happy with us as we are with you already!

We are also welcoming seven new families to the Sycamore Room and CMS:

• The Peter Family 
• The Ringer Family
• The Saylor Family
• The Woodward Family
• The Replogle Family
• The Mohan Family
• The Cebulko Family

If you've been keeping track, yes, that puts us at 30 students. I know some of you may feel overwhelmed at that number, but I just wanted to reassure you on a couple of things to ease your mind:

• First, the classroom, Dr. Montessori's prepared environment, all of her observations and work, were all done in similar environments to ours-sometimes with even more children (please don't gasp!). The philosophy/methodology really works. It makes us (Mrs. Moore and I) let go of things that we don't always need to control and puts the students at the forefront of decision-making, problem-solving and leadership. This increases their own independence, development and growth of their total being. Don't worry their academia will not be lost; it will go hand-in-hand with all of their development, and you'll see your children will impress you. They consistently impress me!
• Second, I work with a wonderful group of people! I have a lot of resources to help me when I'm stuck in my teaching; to bounce ideas off of; to make suggestions for improvemetns; to brainstorm together, etc! It really does make my job easier.
• Finally, there's Mrs. Moore. She is the greatest counterpart to have in the classroom with me, and she makes my job so much easier by the ways she can re-direct children, help avoid conflicts from escalating, keeping her humor with the children (they ALL LOVE her) and having a passion for being here in the first place. She is such a joy to be around, and your children will so benefit from being with her!

For those of you who don't know me, I thought I'd share a little information about me:

I have a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration (Human Resources) from Eastern Michigan University, and I completed my AMI Certification in the Summer of 2009. I have been married 13 years now to my wonderful husband, Monte, and together we have four children. Nate, 12 is in the 7th grade at Creekside Middle School; Joshua, 8-turning 9, is in the fourth grade at West Clay Elementary; Sidney, 5-turning 6, is in the Magnolia Room here at CMS; and Benjamin, 2, is in the Oak Toddler Room. We live on the west side of Carmel, and yes, it is a hike to get to CMS, but worth the drive every day as I know it is the best Montessori school in the area. (This is our family's 6th year with the school!) We have truly loved being a part of this community.

Likewise, for those of you who don't know Mrs. Moore, here's some information about her:

She's been married to Tony, her husband, for 29 years. (It'll be 30 years this April!) They have two beautiful daughters, Rachel and Alissa who are both in college. Her daughter, Alissa, just got engaged this past summer. (Congratulations!) And if you think I hike it to school, Mrs. Moore drives every day from Speedway because she loves this environment and your children that much!!! She loves to garden; she is a fantastic resource for art/craft ideas and all-around can do pretty much anything in the classroom!

We are truly blessed with a wonderful group of families, and we are looking forward to a wonderful year in the Sycamore Room!

Welcomt to all of you!

Sincerely,

Mrs. Spence and Mrs. Moore

Below is our Wish List. If you are interested in purchasing one of the items from Montessori Services, Michael Olaf, or Nienhuis Montessori please contact Mrs. Spence via email at sycamore@cmsindiana.org.

Sycamore Classroom Wish List

Classroom Materials/Supplies

Item                                                             Vendor                       Quantity     Price

Art Cards

Language Cards

Science

Baking Supplies

Outdoor Classroom/Practical Life