Cowles Montessori Crier

Week of December 9th

Cowles Montessori Vision

“Human flourishing, as Maria Montessori put it, means becoming a person of one’s time and place with the means and wherewithal not only to function within but to shape society (NCMPS, 2019).”

“All humans (CHILDREN and ADULTS) flourish in society (ENVIRONMENT).” - Cowles Montessori Vision

Important Dates to Remember

CMPG Monthly Meeting

Monday, December 9th at 6:00 p.m. - Cowles Music Room

Orchestra Concert

Thursday, Dec. 12th at 6:30 p.m. - Cowles Gym

Staff Professional Development

Friday, December 13th - No school for students

Band Concert

Thursday, December 19th - Cowles Gym
Students report at 6:00 p.m., performance starts at 6:30 p.m.
Order of performances: 6th Grade Band, 7/8th Grade Band, Jazz Band

Winter Break

Saturday, December 21st through Wednesday, January 1st
Students return on Thursday, January 2nd

Semester Break for Students

Thursday, January 16th through Monday, January 20th
No school for students
Students return on Tuesday, January 21st

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Pet Therapy Returns to Cowles

Dear Parents & Guardians,

Cowles will welcome a therapy dog program to our school this year. This is a wonderful opportunity for our school community!

Research has shown that therapy dogs support psychological growth and increase social skills and self-esteem in children and adolescents. Therapy dogs have been trained to provide emotional support, positively impacting reading progress, emotional functioning and communication skills.

Hope and Hercules ("Herc") are coming to Cowles to provide pet therapy to students, teachers and staff. They are a certified therapy dog team through Therapy Dogs International®. Herc is a 2-year old yellow Labrador Retriever. He is also certified as an AKC Community Canine Good Citizen and AKC Urban Canine Good Citizen. Hope and Herc always work together as a team. Herc is always on a lease and they are insured while they are doing therapy work. Hope and Herc have been reviewed and approved by the Des Moines Public School Professional Therapy Dogs Oversight Committee. Hope is a Cowles parent and Windsor Heights resident. Herc's family also includes Hope's spouse, Geoff Wood, and her son, Cowles 5th grader Graham Wood.

We understand this information may be important to you if your child has been diagnosed with any allergies to certain animals or if your child is fearful of dogs. Jessica Reisinger, school counselor, and Ann Humphrey, school nurse, will answer questions related to these concerns.

As noted above, this letter is intended to provide initial notice of the plan to include a therapy dog in school, in the event that your child has any allergies and/or related to animals. In that regard, please note that school personnel will remain vigilant to ensure that the school building continues to be adequately cleaned and ventilated.

Should you have any questions at this time, please feel free to contact the main office. We look forward to working with you. On behalf of everyone at Cowles Elementary, I thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation and support of this therapy dog program!

Sincerely,

Todd Johnson, Principal

Jessica Reisinger, School Counselor

Hope and Herc, Professional Therapy Dog Team

ROOSEVELT DANCE TEAM

The Roosevelt Dance Team is offering a Little Rider Dance Clinic on December 13th to perform at the basketball games that same night. Please fill out this form to register and see more information. Also please share this with anyone you know that might be interested!

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeK4Mpl62bc6vAuPl8HUfiOllzmLVeK-lkSeEyFSkqtOvkBdw/viewform?vc=0&c=0&w=1&fbclid=IwAR3W8DR3kemHJMqUfXT3HBCbHfjdqgdCHYhSHQ6VcJizKfn2W1JXrRV63xo

BRIDGES 2 HARMONY GOSPEL CHOIR

For those who I’ve yet to meet, my name is Devon Steve and I am one of the choir directors at Roosevelt. In this position, I also serve as the Artistic Director of Bridges 2 Harmony Gospel Choir here at TRHS. In January 2020, we will be hosting the 9th annual Jr. Bridges 2 Harmony Workshop! This month long workshop (commonly known as Jr. Bridges) began in 2012, as a musical outreach program for fifth through eighth grade students, exposing them to the rich gospel and spiritual tradition. During the workshop, students will work alongside members of Bridges 2 Harmony, learning several songs, developing healthy gospel vocal technique, and experiencing a unique musical experience. The workshop begins on January 8th and meets weekly on Wednesdays until January 30th. It concludes with a performance alongside Bridges 2 Harmony in concert on January 30, 2020. The participation cost is $30/student, with registration deadline January 5, 2020. (For families that register more than one child per family, the discount is $25/student.) The online registration page can be found at tinyurl.com/jrbridges. Payments are accepted in cash, check, or money order sent directly to Roosevelt via mail or in person. Checks should be made out to Bridges 2 Harmony and sent to 4419 Center Street, Des Moines, IA 50312.

I invite you to extend this opportunity to all of your 5th-8th grade children, family members, family friends’ children, the loud neighbor child, whomever; but especially students who would truly benefit from this musical opportunity (regardless of school district!). If you want to learn more about Bridges 2 Harmony or the Jr. Bridges workshop, you can go to trhsvocalmusic.org/bridges2harmony. Please contact me with any questions you may have about this workshop. I'm looking forward to sharing and making music with these up and coming superstars!

“Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything.” ― Plato

Car Line Traffic Flow

Car Line Traffic Flow: Important Things to Remember

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

If you are new to Cowles or new to parent pick-up, notify the office if you need a sign with your child’s name for your car for parent pick-up
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