Cowles Montessori Crier

Greetings from the Children’s House,

Our classrooms had an amazing start to the school year with our kindergarten students stepping up and becoming leaders in our classrooms. They have been working to create peaceful environments by reviewing our grace and courtesy rules and practicing activities from our peace shelves. We are excited that our preschool friends started on September 7th so our older students can show them how to be wonderful models of grace and peace.

“There is a great sense of community within the Montessori classroom, where children of differing ages work together in an atmosphere of cooperation rather than competitiveness. There is respect for the environment and for the individuals within it, which comes through the experience of freedom within the community.” – Dr. Maria Montessori

During September, we will work on building strong and respectful communities in our classrooms while creating class contracts with our grace and courtesy expectations. We will practice and discuss how to be safe in the classroom and in the hallway, lunchroom, bathroom, and in our outdoor community. Some classrooms will introduce the solar system this month. Starting with the big picture and narrowing in increases awareness of our place in the universe. We learn that all things are connected when we add the people, plants, and animals we share it with.

Peace,

The Children’s House Teachers

Visual Arts News:

I am Kara Dare the Visual Arts Teacher, the students call me Mrs. Dare. I grew up in Mason City, IA earned my BA at University of Northern Iowa and MA at Drake University. My husband and I have two children (both Cowles alumni) and two German Shepards. This is my 14th year at Cowles. I truly enjoy being a part of each child's growth through their years at Cowles.

This school year our theme is "Art is Everywhere" for Upper and Lower Elementary. Our units will focus on the galaxy, the planet, the continents, oceans, country, state, community, school and finally self. Kindergarteners are excited to learn about new art materials and connect their art with life. Middle school is starting more of a choose your own adventure type art plan, they have several lessons to choose from, each lesson is worth letters that spell out ROY G BIV, by the end of the semester they need to have all seven letters. They will also begin throwing on the pottery wheel this fall.

You can view your child's artwork through Artsonia.com. If you need help setting up an account, please let me know.

Mark your calendars for Fine Arts Day on Friday, March 22nd. If you would like to present or know someone that may want to present on this day, please let me know.

Mrs. Kara Dare, MA

Art Educator

Music Education News:

Hello!

My name is Elizabeth Peterson, and I am the kindergarten through eighth grade general music teacher. I grew up in Urbandale and went to UNI for my bachelor’s in music education. I came back to the Des Moines area for student teaching. I was hired to teach music in Des Moines Public Schools in 2010 and have been at Cowles ever since. I live in northern Beaverdale with my husband and our two cats and two dogs. I look forward to singing, folk dancing, playing instruments, and creating music with our students! Save the date! February 29th will be our Lower Elementary and Upper Elementary performance date! More information to come!

Mrs. Peterson

Music Education

P.E. News:

My name is Jaryd White. I have been the P.E. teacher at Cowles for the past 14 years and now have two boys that are attending Cowles. I received my bachelor's degree from Upper Iowa University and my master's degree from Drake University. I have a true passion for keeping our bodies healthy, and I love providing a safe environment for children to learn about sports and activities that they can explore in their afterschool lives.

Jaryd White

Physical Education

Parents of Kindergarten-8th grade students:

I use artsonia.com as a digital portfolio for each student in the Cowles Art Class. Through Artsonia you can view your child's artwork, share with family and friends (they can become a fan club), leave comments for your artist, purchase merchandise with your child's artwork on it, and more. Artsonia allows your child to build their portfolio of art over their nine years at Cowles, so eighth graders can go back and look at all their work from their younger years. You should either already have an account set up or if you have a Kindergartener or new to Cowles student you should have received an email to register. You can also use the link below to connect.

You can also browse to www.artsonia.com/parents and enter this Parent Code
KKTR2X2S

If you have any questions please let me know.

Thanks,

Kara Dare

Cowles Art Teacher

OneRun 2023

• When: Saturday, September 23, 2023, 8am
• Where: Water Works Park (new location!)
• Registration is open!
• Link to information and registration: http://www.dmpsfoundation.org/events/

Cowles Montessori Golden Birthday Celebration!

• Saturday, September 30th, from 5:00-9:00 p.m.
• Carnival games, inflatables, food truck, birthday cake, train rides, face painting, & more!
• Movie and snacks from 7:00-9:00 p.m.

Professional Development (PD) Days/Holidays Observed

• Friday, September 22nd - PD Day - No school for students
  
• Monday, September 25th - Yom Kippur - No school for staff and students, office closed
• Monday, October 16th - PD Day and Parent-Teacher Conferences - No school for students
• Tuesday, October 17th - PD Day - No school for students

Parent-Teacher Conferences

• Monday, October 16th, from 12:00-7:00 p.m.
• Tuesday, October 17th through Friday, October 20th, as scheduled with your child's teacher

CAR LINE SAFTEY! WE NEED YOUR HELP!

Your child's safety is our top priority, and we need your help! Our car line process is safe when all families follow the plan we have in place at Cowles. One area of improvement we need your help with is pulling forward to our drop off area in the parking lot (see the maps and details below). Please, for your child's safety, do not stop on the street, no parking zones, or the bus lane in the front of the building on College Avenue to drop off your child. This is our biggest safety concern and an area where parents/guardians can support us most.

To ensure student safety and the efficiency of our traffic flow system, please note the following:

• Post your child's name and teacher's name on a homemade sign and display on the dashboard of your vehicle.
• Drop-off and pick-up locations are marked on the map
• Right-hand turn only when exiting the parking lot
• "NO PARKING" zones are designated by city signs that are posted (also indicated on the map)
• When picking up your child, post their name sign in your window and our teachers will support students crossing and loading into your vehicle
• Watch for signals from teachers supporting students at designated crossings
• Follow the traffic laws that pertain to cell phone use and seat belts while driving

Washington Avenue Car Line

• This is an ideal drop off option for anyone, especially Preschool and Kindergarten before school
  

• Due to traffic flow, Washington Avenue Car Line is reserved for the following classes of older students and their siblings for pick up after school:
• Mrs. Romeo's students and their siblings
• Ms. Alexander's students and their siblings
• Middle School students and their siblings
• Students walk in from Washington Street on the designated sidewalk with teaching monitoring
• "NO PARKING" zones are designated by city signs that are posted
• Avoid turning around in residential driveways
• Follow the traffic laws that pertain to cell phone use and seat belts while driving

The safest and preferred method for pickup of children from Cowles would be through the car line that goes through the Cowles parking lot or on Washington Street.

Vehicles parking too close to intersections creates vision obstructions for other motorists in the area and causes unnecessary congestion in the area. We ask that parents keep in mind the following City Code sections when choosing a parking space to pickup their children after school.

1. City Code 60.10.07(5) states parking is prohibited in front of, or within 3 feet of a curb cut of, a public or private driveway.
2. City Code 60.10.07(6) states parking is prohibited Within an intersection or within ten (10) feet of an intersection of any street or alley, or as otherwise marked.
3. City Code 60.10.03 requires Every vehicle stopped or parked upon a roadway shall be so stopped or parked within eighteen (18) inches of the curb.

The goal of the Windsor Heights Police Department is to ensure safe, efficient travel surrounding the school - and the parents who are parking too close to driveways and / or intersections are creating hazards to the safety of the pedestrians in the area, as well as other traffic in the area.

Officers with the Windsor Heights Police Department will continue to monitor the area and work to educate parents on the City Codes mentioned above. We appreciate everyone taking it upon themselves to instill safe practices on their own to help reduce congestion and safety issues in the area.

Thank you for helping us spread the word and working to increase safety in the area!

Our partner, Raygun, created the Cowles Montessori Store for children, adolescents, and adults to buy T-Shirts. A portion of your payment is donated directly to Cowles!

You can purchase mugs, hats, and other T-Shirts through our Cowles Shop.

Email: todd.johnson@dmschools.org
Website: cowles.dmschools.org
Location: 6401 College Avenue, Windsor Heights, IA, USA
Phone: 515-242-7818
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CowlesMontessori/
Twitter: @Cowlesdmps