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Mill Falls News
December 15, 2017
IN THIS ISSUE

Ongoing: 
  • Food Drive for the MFCS Food Pantry
12/18
Lower Elementary Chorus
3-4pm

12/19
Lower & Upper Elementary Chorus FIELD TRIP!
3-4:15/4:30pm

12/22
Pizza form for January AND February due

12/22
Early Release at 11:15am

12/25-1/2
December Vacation

1/3/18 School Reopens!

Please click here for our online Google calendar.


CORPORATE SPONSORS

We gratefully acknowledge the ongoing contributions from the following corporate partners: 

 

 

 

 

 

Festivals of Lights & Learning...
This week, winter firmly planted its feet! We managed to keep to our planned school schedule despite the storm, and have a really productive week. 

Alongside their usual curricular work, the children are deep into their end of year projects. Our younger students are exploring the various 'festivals of light' celebrated this time of year including - Chanukah, Kwanza, Christmas and Dwali. Parents of these children have seen the various crafts projects created thus far, alongside information being shared about each of these wonderful holidays. Our older students are busy researching and exploring their own family histories, creating a family tree, gathering stories, traditions and treasures which will be presented to their teachers and classmates next week. 

On Wednesday afternoon, staff was treated to an incredibly beautiful and DELICIOUS luncheon organized and largely created by MFCS mom and incredible cook, Hind Bashier with help from Intisar Elawad  and  Ayat Ibrahim.  Their dishes, along with the contributions of many others, helped to power the staff through the afternoon. And did we mention that cheesecake masterpiece by MFCS Grandma,  Sharron Craig !

After lunch, Maryclare Heffernan , our Student Services Coordinator and experienced facilitator, led staff through a visioning session , as part of our organization's preparation for Strategic Planning. 

Related...many thanks to those of you who shared your voices with the Board of Trustees by completing their  SWOT Exercise. The ideas you've sent along via the survey, will be reviewed by the Board's Governance Committee and presented to the Trustees in preparation for the Board's Strategic Planning work early in 2018. It's so exciting to be doing this work - thoughtfully and carefully taking stock of where we are, what we can improve, and creating new goals for our future. 

We asked you to Share the Warmth, and boy did you! This week, Susanne took stock of the incredible number of donations you've brought in for our 2017 Coat Drive . 72 gently used (and some even new) coats were delivered to our front office during the last few weeks. They will be picked up by the New Horizons/Family in Transition Team today. Thank you all SO much for your generosity. 

 Your support for our Food Pantry has also been incredible. Parents, grandparents, staff, trustees & friends have shared so much in support of this effort. This has enabled us to send the children home more varied food options and especially more fresh food, several days per week. Those of you who purchased the BreathNH Booklets from MFCS mom, Lisa Z, also helped to support the pantry with a $108 infusion! And finally, this week, a member of our MFCS community donated $250 in Market Basket Gift Cards to be sent home with each of our recipient students. Please click here to view the food list organized to best meet the needs of those we serve.

As we head into the holiday season and the look toward the new year, we have so much to be thankful for, so much to hope for. The kindness and care for our community exhibited on a daily basis by students, families, staff, trustees, funders, and the  greater community warms the heart, and feeds the soul. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Early Dismissal - the Start of December Break!


Early Dismissal:
December 22nd
11:15am

School Closes at 11:15am for the start of the December Vacation!



Please note, there will be no AfterCare Programming; 
BeforeCare will be provided that morning.

January & February Pizza Friday Orders

A reminder that Pizza Friday forms will now be designed for ordering 2 months of pizza on one form.

Today we sent home Pizza Friday Form for January AND February. 

Please click here for the form. 

Completed forms and payment are due on
Friday, December 22nd!
2018 Enrollment Lottery

Hard to believe, but it's that time again... We will begin our 2018 
Lottery Enrollment Period just after we return from the holidays. 

MFCS Families - if you plan to enroll a child in the 2018 Lottery you MUST complete the 2018 Lottery Enrollment Form. That simple form will be available on line and on paper beginning on  January 3rd . We have scheduled the 2018 Lottery for March 20th and have scheduled Information Sessions between January and March. We will be sharing reminders and additional information in the coming weeks.

If you don't have any children to enroll in the Lottery, but would like to lend a hand during this busy lottery season, please keep an eye out for  Volunteer Opportunities during the Enrollment Period . We will be needing Parent Ambassadors to help welcome our prospective families, and to help on Lottery Day. 

Another way to help is to share information about the 2018 Lottery Enrollment with family, friends, colleagues, and neighbors. 

Stay tuned for more details, and sharable links. 

End of Year Donations & Monthly Giving...
Please Consider A Year End Gift to Mill Falls

As the calendar year comes to a close, we hope that you will consider making a meaningful donation in support of our School. Donations of every size are needed and MUCH appreciated.

Year-end giving is a great time to make a tax-deductable donation in support of NH's first Public Montessori School.

Our school program is offered tuition-free like any other public school, but we receive less than half of the public dollars that are provided to neighborhood schools across our state. 

Your Generosity = Educational Success! 

Please click here to learn more about donating, and don't forget that many companies will match your donation with a Matching Donation of their own! You can ask your HR department about that.  We LOVE corporate matching and hope to connect with more businesses - large  and small - this year to grow our corporate match partnerships. Please help  be part of that effort! Inquire with your employer today to find out if  they will match your donations. If you have any questions,  please  send Meryl an email . Thank you!!

As you consider ways to support MFCS, please consider  Monthly Giving. You can become part of the Monthly Giving Circle today! It's a great way to 'set it and forget it' - you simply decide the donation amount to give monthly, and then have that donation automatically made either by check from your bank, or via PayPal. Please click here to learn more!
 

After School Clubs

MFCS Lower Elementary Drama Club!
Join Ms. Becca and Ms. Christine at the MFCS Lower Elementary Drama Club. The club will offer students an introduction to theater skills and etiquette, utilizing games and activities to build student confidence and understanding of the components of performance. All experience levels are welcome!  Please click here to view the flyer..

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The Lower & Upper Elementary Choruses  are  ready for their upcoming field trip to St. Teresa's Rehabilitation & Nursing Facility. 

If your child is in  Lower or Upper Elementary Chorus , please be sure to send in their permission slip so they can attend this fun & exciting event!
 
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REMINDER: Ski & Snowboard Club sign up is coming to an end!
You have until December 18th to avoid late fees when signing up. So don't wait - sign up today!!

Click here to register for the club
Construction Update
Outdoor work is expected to continue into next week. There may be some upcoming paving and movement of the fencing. During this time, as weather permits, we are utilizing other green spaces on the property.
Brain Buster

This Week's Challenge:

Winner: Malik/Glacier/3rd
Winter Reminders...


Weather-Related Closings & Delays:
In the event of a weather-related closing or delay, we will post information on WMUR. You can see that on the TV or online at
  wmur.com/weather/closings . You can also download the app on your phone or tablet. 

Cancelation Guidelines: 
  • Generally, we follow the Manchester School District's weather-related decisions because so many of our students depend on busing to get to and from school. 
  • In the unusual event that weather conditions require that we close or delay, even if Manchester has not decided to, we will send out an all-school alert via ALMA. You can check your alert settings by logging in to ALMA (it can send a text and/or automated call).
Dressing for Winter:  Coats, boots, gloves, and hats are key to enjoying recess and outdoor fitness time safely. The children and staff go out every day unless the 'feels like' temperature is below 20 degrees or there is rain or snow.   


Winter Illnesses: 
Please DO NOT send your child to school if he/she has:
  • Fever of 100.3 or greater (Temperature should be normal for at least 24 hours before returning to school. Please keep in mind that often times temperatures are lower in the morning but rise in the afternoon)
  • Vomiting within the past 24 hours
  • Diarrhea within the past 8 hours 
  • Rash not previously diagnosed by your child's doctor and determined not to be contagious
  • Severe cold or cough 
  • Conjunctivitis with drainage from the eye (child may return after 24 hrs. of antibiotic treatment) 
  • Impetigo (may return after 24 hrs. of antibiotics) 
  • Strep throat (may return after 24 hrs. of antibiotics) 
  • Any acute illness that does not allow them to fully participate in school activities
If symptoms persist or are severe you should check with your child's health care provider. 

Please remember to let us know if your child is sick by 
calling or emailing the front office ( office@millfalls.org
and your child's teacher. 
Thank you! 
Montessori Moments...

 

Below, members of the Jr. Monarch Hockey Team, coached by our own MFCS dad, Ryan Frew, have been visiting the school and reading with students as part of their service program.







Below, Ms. Kayla and Ms. Kristin testing out the hand-crafted, human-sized gingerbread house the children colored earlier this week. ;-)