Cowles Montessori Crier

“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

#heartsintheheights was created for Windsor Heights, Iowa residents and businesses showing their love for our community by placing hearts in their windows for neighbors to see as we practice social distancing. There is no such thing as too much love! Post hearts in your windows and attach #heartsintheheights when posting on social media.

For all humans to flourish in our current society, we are exercising “social distancing” during the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this process is to slow the spread of the virus. It is a collaborative effort to “flatten the curve,” which is a process to reduce the number of individuals needing medical attention and to not overwhelm the current health care responders with those in need. This means that students are not able to attend and learn in their traditional school environments. Distance learning programs were developed to ensure the highest level of safety for our school community and to continue the academic growth and development of our students.

• All schools are currently closed as DMPS transitions to online and distance learning to complete the 2019-20 school year
  
• Cowles Montessori School will be closed through the end of the school year
• Due to the efforts to maintain social distancing and “flatten the curve” guidelines, there is no current timeline for staff and families to enter the Cowles building to access their belongings. As soon as we are granted permission, we will schedule times for staff and families to enter the building safely
  
• Online distance learning is scheduled to begin on Monday, April 27th
• If you formally requested a school computer, they will be distributed on Wednesday, April 22nd at Cowles (9:00-10:00 a.m. Last names A-M) & (10:00-11:00 a.m. Last names M-Z)

Beginning Monday, April 27th, students will engage in online distance learning. The format and content were developed by the DMPS Curriculum Department and approved by the Iowa Department of Education. The distance learning experience includes suggestions to help keep students engaged during the school closure. These activities will not be graded or used as a measure of student learning and do not need to be turned in at any time. However, we want to provide you with some options to help keep your children academically and intellectually active. For more information go to DMPS@Home: https://www.dmschools.org/onlinelearning/

As our schools are closed, you might be wondering about how you might provide some structure and routines for your children. These suggestions will help you get started as you plan for balanced days:

Manage your expectations

• Your children will not be learning at the same pace or breadth as a usual school day. Use the suggested time guidance in the suggested schedule document posted below to start. Ease into any new routines.

Make time for breaks and fun

• All of us are anxious as we manage this new reality, so take any opportunity to relax and laugh together. It will make the hard stuff easier.

Set a thoughtful schedule

• Get everyone on the same page. Routines can be comforting for everyone but know that each child may need something a bit different.

Read, Think, Write, Talk

• By adding these four things to your day, no matter how loose or structured, you will be enhancing your child's learning.

Suggested Daily Structures

• The option posted in the document following this message is a suggestion for ways to balance out your child's daily schedule. You might choose to go with something more structured or something looser. You know your child and what works best for your household, but the suggested schedule is a way to get started.

The distance learning experience for your children will include:

• Weekly Virtual Class Gatherings
• Continuous Learning Online Canvas Coursework
• 1-on-1 virtual teacher check-ins with students

We've also posted a suggested daily schedule in the next section for your convenience.

Teachers are also learning to navigate their lives during this distance learning experience. Some teachers will be balancing their professional roles with their personal roles, as well as parental roles supporting their own children in the distance learning process. Teachers will be busy:

• Preparing and engaging students in weekly virtual class gatherings
• Supporting each student with 1-on-1 virtual meetings
• Attending ongoing professional development
• Collaborating with teammates
• Completing state and district forms
• Attending virtual school meetings
• Following up with school needs

Virtual Class Gatherings

Each child's classroom teacher will send an invite link for a whole class online gathering. Classrooms will meet once a week via Microsoft Teams (using the App or web page). The purpose of this is for the class to enjoy "seeing" each other and for students to have a chance to share events in their lives. The dates and times are staggered so siblings can attend at different times and to support teachers who have children of their own.

You will receive a calendar invite from your child's teacher to Join the Microsoft Teams Meeting (See schedule below). There are 3 ways to join Microsoft Teams (App, web page, phone call):

Step 1: Click on "Join Microsoft Teams Meeting" in the calendar invite

Step 2: It will pull up another page, in the middle it will say:

• "Already have the Teams app? Launch it now". Click on "Launch it now". Click on "Join Meeting"
• OR you can "Join on the Web instead". Click on "Join Meeting"
• OR you can receive a phone call from the Teams app (it will have a 319 area code)

Step 3: Mute your mic. There tends to be a lot of unwanted audio feedback if too many people have their mic on. You or the teacher can turn the mic on if it's your child's turn to speak.

Preprimary (PreK-Kindergarten) – Mondays

• Mrs. Mattes and Ms. Emily – 8:30 a.m.
• Mrs. Fischer and Ms. Lori – 9:10 a.m.
• Ms. Kelly and Ms. Camile – 9:50 a.m.
• Miss Calaway and Mrs. Benson – 10:30 a.m.
• Ms. Darcy and Ms. Cindy -11:10 a.m.
• Mr. Bonnette and Mrs. Larsen– 11:50 a.m.

Lower (1st, 2nd, 3rd Grades) – Tuesdays

• Ms. Ashley – 8:30 a.m.
• Ms. Lindsey – 9:15 a.m.
• Mrs. Thompson - 10:00 a.m.
• Mrs. Andlauer – 10:45 a.m.
• Mrs. Keninger – 11:30 a.m.

Upper (4th, 5th, 6th Grades) – Wednesdays

• Ms. Stacey – 8:30 a.m.
• Ms. Lori– 9:15 a.m.
• Mrs. Gibson - 10:00 a.m.
• Ms. Maxwell – 10:45 a.m.
• Mr. Egherman – 11:30 a.m.

Middle School (7th and 8th Grades) – Mondays and Thursdays

• Home Room – 9:00 a.m.
• Algebra 1 – 10:00 a.m.

Continuous Learning Canvas Course

Each weekday, students will log on to the DMPS Continuous Learning Canvas Course. Students will self-select and complete work as independently as possible. To access your child's Canvas Course, go to: https://dmschools.instructure.com/login/canvas

• The username is (your student ID #)@student.dmschools.org
• The default password is the child’s birthdate: MMDDYYYY

For video support on how to access, go to: https://dmschools.instructure.com/login/canvas

Suggested times by age-range:

Preprimary (PreK-Kindergarten) - Monday through Friday

• 45 minutes per day

Lower (1st, 2nd, 3rd Grades) - Monday through Friday

• 60 minutes per day

Upper (4th, 5th, 6th Grades) - Monday through Friday

• 90 minutes per day

Middle School (7th and 8th Grades) - Monday through Friday

• 3 hours per day

Related Arts (Music, P.E., Art) All students - Monday through Friday

• 30 minutes per day

1-on-1 Teacher Check-ins

Each teacher will schedule virtual 1-on-1 meetings with each student using Microsoft Teams (App or web page). The purpose of this is for the teacher and each student to reconnect with each other, review the Canvas coursework, and field any questions each student might have. The teacher and each student will meet approximately two times total during the five-week distance learning session.

DMPS@Home:

• The main place to go for accessing information and support for distance learning:
• https://www.dmschools.org/onlinelearning/

DMPS Canvas Coursework:

To access your child's Canvas Course, go to: https://dmschools.instructure.com/login/canvas

• The username is (your student ID #)@student.dmschools.org
• The default password is the child’s birthdate: MMDDYYYY

For video support on how to access, go to: https://dmschools.instructure.com/login/canvas

Microsoft Teams

You will receive a calendar invite from your child's teacher to Join the Microsoft Teams Meeting for Virtual Class Gatherings and 1-on-1 check-ins. There are 3 ways to join Microsoft Teams (App, web page, phone call):
- Step 1: Click on "Join Microsoft Teams Meeting" in the calendar invite

- Step 2: It will pull up another page, in the middle it will say:

• "Already have the Teams app? Launch it now". Click on "Launch it now". Click on "Join Meeting"
• OR you can "Join on the Web instead". Click on "Join Meeting"
• OR you can receive a phone call from the Teams app (it will have a 319 area code)

- Step 3: Mute your mic. There tends to be a lot of unwanted audio feedback if too many people have their mic turned on. You or the teacher can turn the mic on if it's your child's turn to speak.

Congratulations to our new CMPG Board Officers!

President - Rochelle Quiner

Co-Vice Presidents - Teva Dawson and Nicole Kosby

Secretary - Kate Thompson

Treasurer - Matt Wier

A special thanks to our outgoing CMPG Board Officers Betsy Mitchell, Jen Speers, and Allison Peterson for their service! During their tenure on the CMPG Board:

• They donated a great deal of time and energy volunteering and working closely with teachers in their respective roles and as parents.
• They were instrumental in coordinating fundraising efforts, which has brought in tens of thousands of dollars for the school.
• They supported important funding requests that provided materials directly to students.
• They built positive relationships within their network, which has expanded opportunities for the school in the community.

Dear Families,

We hope you and your families are well, staying safe and practicing physical distancing. The Garden Committee has a couple of exciting things happening that we need some assistance from you to make it successful.

1) We want to use our garden beds to create a community garden similar to Victory Gardens from the World Wars. We will plant a variety of vegetables that can be harvested throughout the summer and fall. If you are interested in helping to plant that would be great. Please sign up below. We are looking at planting around May 11th.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/805084AACAC23AA8-garden

2) We have over 260 plants arriving in mid-late May for our pollinator garden and will need help putting them in the ground. Their will be plant stakes of which plants go where so you won't have to guess.

For both, we estimate about 30-60 minutes of time. Only one family at a time for planting to maintain our physical distancing and keeping everyone safe. One member of the garden committee will be there to oversee it. Times will be arranged later, but maybe in the comments, you can let us know the preference between A.M. and P.M. preference. Finally, the building will not be open.

As you have questions, please feel free to contact someone from the garden team.

adam.egherman@dmschools.org

savannah.calaway@dmschools.org

jennifer.gelner@dmschools.org

Thank you for helping!

Climate action is Earth Day 2020’s theme. Climate change represents the biggest challenge to the natural systems that make our world habitable.

“The pandemic has taught us that what really matters is the same for all of us, the health and safety of our families and our loved ones, our communities and our world. That’s exactly what climate change also threatens. To care about climate change we only have to be a human living on Planet Earth.” Dr Katharine Hayhoe

The coronavirus pandemic must not deter us from honoring Mother Earth by addressing the Climate Crisis. We must solve both challenges.

Earth Day history: April 22, 1970 launched the environmental movement. 20 million Americans — 10% of the population — took to the streets demanding a new way forward for our planet. Earth Day led to landmark U.S. environmental laws including Clean Air, Clean Water and Endangered Species Acts. Many countries soon adopted similar laws. The United Nations chose Earth Day to sign the Paris Climate Agreement in 2016.

There are many ways we can participate in Earth Day safely at home with our kids this year. If whatever we choose to do on Wednesday is explained to our kids as acts of love and care for nature and our planet we further nurture those very values.

EarthDay.org website outlines topics of concern and actions being taken: Climate change, food security, loss of biodiversity, water quality, air quality, plastic pollution.

What can we do at home? a few suggestions:

Activities:

• plant something in a pot, yard or garden.

• pick up liter while out for a walk.

• gather glass, paper, cardboard to be recycled.

• make a drawing, painting or sculpture with a nature theme.

Home “teach-in” questions:

• Can we lessen food waste?

• eat more plant-based foods?

• grow more of our own food?

• might we compost? recycle?

• Can we find more locally produced foods?

• donate or volunteer at a food bank?

• Can we walk more?

• drive less? carpool more?

• use more public transportation?

• Could our garden include more native plants and grasses which are hardier and support butterflies and other pollinating insects?

Just make it fun and meaningful. Do it for Mother Earth, Cowles Garden Committee

#WeAreCowles

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