Cowles Montessori Crier

"The Earth laughs with flowers." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Band Concert - Monday, April 23rd at Roosevelt 7:00 p.m.
Cowles Montessori Material Night - Thursday, April 26th at Cowles 3:30p.m.
Book Fair - April 23rd-April 27th at Cowles
Music Concert - Tuesday, May 1st at Roosevelt
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 (*please note this is an update event date)
Kindergarten-8th Grade: Last Day of School - Thursday, May 31st (3 hour early dismissal)

View Levi’s video for a few words of wisdom: https://flipgrid.com/bc5b36

A HUGE thank you to our Cowles After Dark event coordinators and CMPG Executive Board members for the wonderful fundraising event Saturday night. What a great way for parents to get together to support Cowles. Please join us on Monday, May 14th at 6:00 p.m. in the Cowles Library for our next Cowles Montessori Parent Group (CMPG) meeting!

The Book Fair begins this week through Friday, April 27th. The Book Fair Hours will be:

Mornings 8:15-9:00 a.m.

Afternoons 3:25-4:00 p.m.

Wednesday 1:55-3:30 p.m.

Keri Wolfe-Guess is one of faculty 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 Keri:

Cowles, what a fabulous pace to work! I can’t believe the transformation of the school over the last 18 years. I began working here in summer of 2000. I would drive everyday to do the Upper and Lower teacher training. I started the first 4-6 Upper El class and after a few years I moved down to the stage when children learn to read. The Upper El programming was so exciting with overnights to Springbrook, planting the first prairie, creating the first peace pole, and starting a radio station broadcast to our dismissal line. I truly loved the El II program. Moving down to Lower El, I enjoy seeing pets like; guinea pigs, bearded dragons, fish, and the awe of the children of animals. I have seen new readers grow in leaps and bounds in fluency and comprehension! Our parent groups have been so supportive with providing needed materials and they have been visionary in supporting the Montessori Philosophy. Enabling us to go to Montessori Conferences is one of the most important supports we receive. Working with Student teachers, custodial workers, and specialists add so much to our program. There is no place like Cowles! It is such a big part of my life.

What Keri be up to:

I love volunteering. I am a trained CASA worker. I work on mission trips. We have an Action Resource Center for food pantry and clothing resources I will be able to work at. I plan to help with the STEM program. I love art and will finally explore the many faces of it. Since we are so short on substitutes I would like to sub in 6 months. I have a home remodel plan and love to garden. Finally, spending more time with my grandchildren and support our sewing club making school bags for overseas.

What Keri will miss:

My most fond memories of Cowles are with my fellow teachers and the children. Everyday was a challenge and a blessing. Their discoveries taught me so much. Getting to know students as their teacher for three years is amazing. I still have many students from previous classes that email me or visit me at Cowles. Principals and office managers have come and gone with each improving from the last one. Nancy has been steady rock since she’s come and truly will be hard to replace. The teachers go above and beyond to build community and Mr. Johnson has allowed for opportunities to get closer as a staff, provided us with more professional development, and more time to collaborate. Cowles is a hard act to follow. I’m so blessed to have worked here.

Keri, our fondest farewell to you!

Please join me in congratulating Ashley Horning who has accepted the Lower Level Teacher position! As many of you know, Ashley is already integrated in the Cowles community and brings a wealth of positive experiences to the Lower Level Team. She is a graduate of Drake University and completed her student teaching at Cowles last year in Mona Thompson's classroom. She currently serves Cowles as an Early Childhood Associate in the Primary Classroom with Andrea Wright. Ashley will join Lower Level team this coming Fall.

From Ashley:

Hello!!!!!!! Many of you know me, but have you seen cute pictures of my cat, Walden?! Here is a dig deeper session into my life. I grew up and went to school in Johnston, Iowa. I loved to dance ballet and jazz, and other than that, avoided all other sport related activities. I have two older brothers, Marc and Adam. When I was younger, I’d say I either wanted to be an artist or a teacher. Now I figure I’m kind of both. :)

I completed my undergraduate studies at Iowa State where I studied Communications and Psychology. Through a constellation of events, I took several wonderful jobs after college where I got to explore my skills in counseling, baking, and supporting individuals in general - younger, marginalized communities, individuals with disabilities. Not to make it too long, but eventually I found myself more interested in working with children. I applied to work at a Montessori Children's Home and got to observe for a couple hours one day. I fell in loooooove. The way the children held grace - composure, a spark in their spirit. The way the staff around them listened and supported them. Unfortunately I didn’t get the job, but I discovered something I really felt drawn to...Montessori.

I received my Master’s in Education at Drake University in December of 2016. I was extremely fortunate to be able to student teach with Mona Thompson. And then...you all know the rest. I’m so, so grateful to be a part of the Cowles community. I greatly admire and learn so much from our staff.

Thanks for all your support throughout these past two years as I hoped and dreamed of being a Montessori teacher for DMPS. Your small notes of encouragement, words of wisdom and compliments on my sometimes not so fashion forward clogs have always made me welcomed and at home.

So much love,

Ashley

Tune in next week to find out who our new Office Manager will be!

Our music programs are just over one week away! 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.

Elizabeth Peterson

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! See the attached picture and just imagine what will be!

"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