Cowles Montessori Crier

"Be yourself because an original is worth more than a copy."
- Unknown

Music Concert - Tuesday, May 1st at Roosevelt (See information below for details)
Metro Kids Open House - May 1 and May 3: 5:30pm-6:30pm; May 2 and May 4: 7:00am-8:00am
Piano Recitals - May 8th, 17th, and 29th
Orchestra Concert - Thursday, May 10th - 6:30 p.m.
CMPG Meeting - Monday, May 14th - 6:00 p.m. Cowles Library
Field Day - Friday, May 18th
Retirement Party - Wednesday, May 23 4:00-5:30 at WH Community Center (Open to the community to celebrate our retiring faculty and staff)
New-to-Cowles Parent and Community School Tours - Thursday, May 24th 4:30-6:00 p.m.
Montessori Alumni Night - Thursday, May 24th 6:00 p.m. (Open to all past, current, and in-coming students of Cowles Montessori and their families)
Preschool: Last Day of School - Tuesday, May 29th
Moving Up Ceremony - Thursday, May 31st
Kindergarten-8th Grade: Last Day of School - Thursday, May 31st (3 hour early dismissal)

View Cameron's video for a few words of wisdom:
https://flipgrid.com/7aed5b

To view other Project Wisdom Announcements, go to: https://flipgrid.com/b795d5

Last Monday, April 23rd, the Cowles 6th Grade Band participated in the 2018 Parade of Bands Concert at Roosevelt High School. The concert consisted of 13 DMPS schools and marked the first time Cowles has ever participated in the event. Our students did a fantastic job and so did the entire group of bands from our DMPS schools.

Thank you Darin and the Cowles 6th Grade Band!

Our Metro Kids before and after school program is hosting current, new, and interested individuals for an Open House. Please join us during one of these dates and times:

May 1 and May 3: 5:30pm-6:30pm

May 2 and May 4: 7:00am-8:00am

The students will perform on May 1st at the Roosevelt High School auditorium!

Please have your child(ren) from Ms. Andlauer, Ms. Jansen, Ms. Keninger, Ms. Thompson, and Ms. Wolfe-Guess's class at the Roosevelt High School cafeteria at 5:40. We will start our program at 6:00.

Please have your child(ren) from Mr. Egherman, Ms. Lori, Ms. Maxwell, Ms. Gibson, and Ms. Stacey’s class at the Roosevelt High School cafeteria at 7:10. We will start our program at 7:30.

Please do not leave your children unattended if the teachers are not there yet.

Thank you,

Elizabeth Peterson

Nancy Virden, our Office Manager, is one of our staff members retiring at the end of this year. We thank her for her many great years of service and wish her the very best as she retires.

From Nancy:

I have made many friends in my time here at Cowles. Someone has always helped me out, whether in life, death or sickness. Cowles has a wonderful, caring staff. My best memory at Cowles was when a little preschooler saw me in the parking lot. He was so taken back and surprised since he only saw me in the building at my desk! He told his mother, “that’s the ‘weal’ principal.” I have never forgotten his statement. I have so many projects to do when I retire. First I am downsizing and getting rid of so much “stuff” I have accumulated over the years. A big garage sale is looming…..

I LOVE to read, and I’ve been collecting books to do so when I retire. My son built me a small front porch that is only for me (a few guests will be invited) and that’s where I want to spend my time reading! I also love to cross-stitch but haven’t had time – might start that up again. It is a bitter-sweet situation, my retirement. I love my job, and the people I see on an everyday basis. I might get more involved with my church and visiting those in the hospitals. But right now, I’m just focusing on not being too upset about leaving. I will miss Cowles.

Nancy, our fondest farewell to you!

Please join me in welcoming Marian Riggs, our new Office Manager! Marian currently serves the DMPS Community as the Office Manager at Smouse Opportunity School. She has a background in Fiance during her time in the corporate sector. Marian demonstrates a high level of customer service, the ability to navigate systems pertinent to the Office Manager role, and strong communication skills with faculty, staff, parents and the community.

Read more about Marian in the attached Introduction Flyer posted below.

Tune in next week to find out who our new PrePrimary Teacher will be!

Read about our "soft launch":

https://www.dmschools.org/2018/04/kindergartener-drives-cowles-walking-school-bus/

• Promotes healthy lifestyles and active transportation for students, families, and the community
• The Walking School Bus will starts at the Windsor Heights Presbyterian Church and ends at Cowles Montessori

• The walking school bus will be on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays now through the end of the school year
  
• Student drop off is at 7:45 a.m. at the Windsor Heights Presbyterian Church
  
• Student begin walking to Cowles at 8:00 a.m.
• Participants complete the Consent and Registration form and return to Cowles (form is attached below this message)
  
• The Walking School Bus is a collaborative effort between Principal Johnson of Cowles Montessori, Jenny Weber of Wellmark, Matt Wier of CMPG, and Michael Loffredo of the City of Windsor Heights

Walking School Bus FAQs

What is a Walking School Bus (WSB)?

A WSB is a fun way to get to school as a group! Children walk under adult supervision along a recommended route to school. (See the photo attached to this section)

Why Should I Join?

A WSB is an opportunity for children to learn important pedestrian safety skills. WSBs can help reduce the number of parents dropping off children to school, which means reducing traffic congestion and improving air quality around the school. In addition, if your child participates, they will get more physical activity, which will help keep them healthy and prepare them to learn for the day. Finally, it will save you time. Imagine volunteering for WSB just once a week, and having four free days where you do not have to worry about getting your child to school!

What does it cost?

The program is free! It relies on adult volunteers, and the more volunteers, the more days a walking school bus can run.

How do I sign up my child?

It is easy! Just fill out the attached Walking School Bus Consent Form and return it to your school. (Posted below this section)

Who can be a volunteer with the WSB?

All parents, family members, and school staff who have been cleared by DMPS‘s volunteer screening process. We hope that you will join and help volunteer with WSB! It is a great way to spend time with your child before school.

Construction Update

Our priorities during construction are as follows:

- Safety and Communication

- Car Line and Parking Lot

- Playground access

3/1/18 - Portion of the playground was removed and a construction fence is up

3/2/18 - The raised gardens and compost were properly moved and stored for future use

3/3/18 - The construction company is preparing for formwork and will be digging to put in footings
3/26/18 - The construction company has spent a great deal of time digging:) The formwork is underway!
3/30/18 - Formwork continues
4/6/18 - Progress continues with formwork. The DMPS construction oversight personnel and the construction company were intentional about reducing noise associated with construction during our testing window
4/10/18- Brian, the Construction Inspector, will provide the building with a copy of the blueprints for the new addition. They will be a traveling document throughout the building for students to learn from. He will also provide someone on-site to speak to classes.

4/11/18 - The new addition coming along well! It is so much fun to image what our building will be like in a few short months! The timeline is currently “on schedule”. We will begin preparing the building for several projects that will be going on in the building starting Monday, June 2nd:

- Library renovations (We will pack up all Library items and store them in open classrooms)

- Elevator installation

- Cafeteria renovations

- HVAC in all east-wing classrooms

- New Addition

4/12/18 - The new playground equipment has been ordered! See the attached picture. The installation will occur once the equipment has been received.
4/23/18 - The cement trucks are coming and going non-stop!
4/30/18 - Formwork continues, the progress is going smoothly.

"Together we celebrate diversity, respect, and the love for learning through the Montessori Method. Our environment nurtures and prepares the child for a global community."

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