September 23, 2015
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Notes From Dr. Hunt - Montessori and Test Scores
Montessori grading follows the Mastery model of education. Students review their own work and redo problems answered incorrectly. In Mastery learning, students demonstrate to the teacher a certain level of proficiency before they move on to subsequent information. A variety of instructional techniques may be employed by the teacher until it is clear that the student understands.
State-mandated standardized tests, by contrast, represent another method of assessing what students know. Standardized tests measure what all students know at one particular time in their development. This sort of testing can seem inconsistent with the Mastery learning model employed in Montessori schools. Standardized tests are not designed for students to revisit and redo items answered incorrectly. Rather, they are designed to measure what students in a given school know at a given point in time.
It is important to note that, while CMCS is required to take these standardized tests, we do not and will not "teach to the test." Nevertheless, whatever these tests do measure indicates that CMCS students are on par with other schools in the Waccamaw schools in English language arts, math, science, and social studies.
Last year, students at CMCS in grades 3 - 6 took the ACT Aspire. This was a new state standardized timed test. ACT Aspire test scores and the SC PASS scores (social studies and science for grades 4 - 6) will be sent home with your child September 23rd. With these tests you will receive normative charts, so you will be able to see where your child scored in relation to his/her same grade level peers in South Carolina. Again, CMCS's scores are very good school-wide. Writing scores across the district dropped significantly. Last year was the first year students had a 30-minute time limit to draft and write their essays.
This year we aimed to bring more life to our math homework and give the students more practice with each concept presented. Today's math student is asked to think about math using data as well as by chunking numbers by 10's and 5's. With the help of
Dr. Cathy Scott, CMCS Board member and professor at Coastal Carolina University, CMCS teachers tailored math homework workbooks to connect Montessori math with the newer math problems. These problems also target the updated SC math standards.
In summary, test data is used to compare our students to grade level peers across the district and across the state. It will always be our primary goal, however, to use any test data to help us best prepare our children's environment to create the most individualized instruction experience possible. And we will continue to assess our student's progress through a Mastery learning model, because we believe that demonstrating understanding through trying, making mistakes, reviewing and coming at it again until you've "got it" is the true sign of acquiring knowledge.
Kindly,
Dr. Hunt
Dr. Hunt's Office Hours:
8:30 - 10:00 a.m. every Tuesday
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Watch Dr. Hunt on WPDE Tomorrow!
Dr. Hunt will appear live on WPDE 15, the ABC affiliate, on
- Thursday, September 24th
- sometime between 12 - 12:30 p.m.
for a new segment, "
On the Road in Georgetown County." She will be promoting Coastal Montessori Charter School and our Open Enrollment period beginning October 1st. Tune in!
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THIS WEEK
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SEPTEMBER 2015
9/25 (Fri.) -
The Land Before Time showing this week at After School Movie Day, 3:45 - 5:30 p.m., $10, Come support MMUN fundraising endeavors!!
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ON THE HORIZON
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SEPTEMBER 2015
9
/30 (Wed.) - Formal Dining Day
9/30 (Wed.) - Squirrels Club
9/30 (Wed.) - School Pictures - Make Up Day
OCTOBER 2015
10/1 (Thurs.) -
Open Enrollment Begins (deadline 12/15/15)
10/1 (Thurs.) - The First Tee program for 4th graders, 8:30 - 10:30 a.m.
10/1 (Thurs.) - Parent Cabinet Meeting
10/2 (Fri.) - Earned Free Dress Day
10/2 (Fri.) - MMUN After School Movie Day,
3:45 - 5:30 p.m., $10,
Chicken Little
10/5 (Mon.) - Salt Marsh field trip for Ms. Elisabeth's class
10/6 (Tues.) - Salt Marsh field trip for Ms. Hillary's class
10/7 (Wed.) - Salt Marsh field trip for Ms. Sarah's class
10/8 (Thurs.) - Salt Marsh field trip for Ms. Andria's class
10/8 (Thurs.) - Student Cabinet Meeting
10/8 (Thurs.) - The First Tee program for 4th graders, 8:30 - 10:30 a.m.
10/9 (Fri.) -
MMUN After School Movie Day, 3:45 - 5:30 p.m., $10, Jumanji
10/12 (Mon.) - CMCS Board Meeting
10/13 (Tues.) - Substitute Assistant Teaching Training, 3:45 - 5 p.m., at CMCS
10/14 (Wed.) - Observation Day
10/15 (Thurs.) - The First Tee program for 4th graders, 8:30 - 10:30 a.m.
10/16 (Fri.) - MMUN After School Movie Day,
3:45 - 5:30 p.m., $10, Monster University
10/23 (Fri.) - No School
10/27 (Tues.) - Progress Reports go home
10/29 (Thurs.) - Substitute Assistant Teaching Training, 3:45 - 5 p.m., at CMCS
SUBSCRIBE TO THE CMCS CALENDAR
Click here to subscribe to the CMCS Google school calendar and stay informed about upcoming events. Subscribing will put CMCS events on your device's calendar software that will be updated automatically when we update the calendar. This subscription process is compatible with most calendar software programs like Mac's iCal and Outlook.
View our entire
CMCS calendar.
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Substitute Teaching Training
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Interested in subbing at CMCS? The following training sessions are being offered from 3:45 - 5 p.m. at CMCS:
- Tuesday, October 13th
- Thursday, October 29th
Substitute teachers at CMCS serve in classrooms as Teaching Assistants, so this training will focus on the roles and responsibilities of a Teaching Assistant.
Contact
Ms. Kristy with questions or to sign up.
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How Has Attending CMCS Impacted You and Your Child?
CMCS OPEN ENROLLMENT
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October 1st - December 15th
for 2016 - 2017 School Year
The CMCS team is seeking parents and students to share their CMCS story around Georgetown county in order to increase CMCS visibility and create a greater understanding of our mission as a Montessori school. Specific talks and events will be posted on the CMCS events calendar by the end of September. If you are interested in telling your story contact
Ms. Kristy or call the office at 843-235-0413.
EVERYONE CAN HELP
Spreading the word and helping to educate our community about Montessori is important to our school. Talk to your friends, family and associates about Montessori and make sure people know that Open Enrollment starts in October. Encourage them to visit a classroom to see Montessori in action.
OPEN HOUSE
Interested families considering CMCS should plan to attend the Open Enrollment Open House
November 6th, from 6 - 7:30 p.m.
to learn more about Montessori and our school.
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Montessori Book Club
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This fall's book club will have its first meeting October 5th at 5:30 p.m. The club will meet twice a month on the first and third Mondays at 5:30 p.m., in Room 606, here at CMCS. Books will be handed out at the first meeting and the Book Club syllabus will be discussed. In addition, the club will map what we know (or think we know) about Montessori pedagogy. Light refreshments will be available.
The fall Book Club book is "
Montessori Learning in the 21st Century: A Guide for Parents and Teachers," written by M. Shannon Helfrich.
If you are interested in learning more about Montessori pedagogy, please
sign-up to join the book club. Dr. Hunt will be facilitating one club this fall and a second book club in the spring (depending on interest).
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CogAT Testing Change - All 2nd - 6th Graders Will Participate
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All students in grades 2 - 6 will take the CogAT this October. There is no need to send an email to Dr. Hunt by October 5th.
ABOUT CogAT
In South Carolina, the CogAT abilities test is the tool used for determining gifted and talented (GT) status. The CogAT tests verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, and nonverbal reasoning.
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After School Options
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OCTOBER HOMEWORK CLUB
MONDAY - THURSDAY
After-School Homework Club, facilitated by Coach Chris, runs from 3:45 to 5 p.m., and offers homework support for all interested students.
Click here to sign up for October. Advance reservation price is $7/day, same day price is $10. Homework Club is held at CMCS.
FRIDAY MOVIE DAYS
Fridays CMCS offers movies for $10 from 3:45 - 5:30 p.m. Partial proceeds will benefit the
MMUN NYC Conference for 6th graders. Popcorn is provided. If your child has specific allergies please communicate this with the Movie Days staff and pack an appropriate snack for your child. Upcoming schedule:
- Sept.18 - Ratatouille
- Sept. 25 - The Land Before Time
- Oct.2 - Chicken Little
- Oct. 9 - Jumanji
- Oct.16 - Monster University
- Oct. 30 - Spooky Buddies
MORE OFFERINGS:
Kicks Tae Kwon Do
Starting September 25th
3:45 - 5 p.m.
at CMCS
Sign up in the CMCS office or email
Coach Chris
Circus Camp
Thursdays in October beginning Oct. 1st
Wednesdays, 3:45 - 4:45 p.m.
at CMCS
$60
Click here for all the details
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Classroom Updates
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Be sure to check your teacher's
Classroom Updates page frequently to see what's going on in the classroom, like this one from
Ms. Elisabeth.
The dust has settled on a very full week and we can look ahead at the week that is before us...
Last week we were able to begin the sixth grade literature group, headed by our very own parent volunteer, Trava Hendrix! Sixth year parents, ask your student about the book, let them tell you about it! We also spent a morning with our first of three MAP tests - Reading. Next week, on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings, the students will take MAP Language and Math tests.
Ms Andria came into our class to share some historical knowledge on ancient Mesopotamia, complete with a fun follow-up lesson researching some vocabulary words, and some interesting reading on the Laws of Hammurabi. Be sure to ask you scholars about these laws - they prompted some strong feelings of justice among our students!
READ MORE.
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Contact Us |
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247 Wildcat Way
Pawleys Island, SC 29585
843-235-0413
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Order School Pictures
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View proofs and order
online! If you don't have the password for your student's classroom, contact
Ms. Kristy.
Ordering open from 9/20 - 10/30, and shipped directly to you!
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School Store Open
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The CMCS School Store is now open weekdays 8 - 8:30 a.m. Money raised will help fund CMCS 6th-graders heading to the
MMUN conference this spring in NYC.
Some 6th-grade volunteers are still needed to man the store. If your child is interested and can get to school before 8 a.m., please contact
Trava Hendrix to sign up.
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Progress Reports and Conferences
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The first Progress Reports are set to go home with students October 27th. Teacher-parent conferences will take place between October 27th and October 30th. Lead teachers will contact parents to schedule times.
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Follow PTO on FB
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Follow our very own CMCS PTO on
Facebook for all the latest on activities and fundraising.
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Go Fund Me MMUN
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CMCS sixth-grader, Joe Chastain has created a
GoFundMe campaign to help raise money for the whole CMCS MMUN team (17 students!) to travel to NYC for the international conference this spring. Please visit it and share it with your friends to help put a dent in the $15,000 it will take to send the students!
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MMUN Dollar Dress Days
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CMCS students may have a free dress day for only $1 on the third Friday of each month to benefit our MMUN team as they raise money to travel to NYC this spring.
Click here for all the details.
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Community Events
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THE MITNEY PROJECT
Click here for the list of Fall Activities, Sept.- Dec., for children and adults
ANTI BULLYING PERFORMANCE by Sticks and Stones
Thursday, September 24th
3 pm
Waccamaw Neck Library
DeBordieu Auditorium
More info
PAWLEYS ISLAND FESTIVAL OF MUSIC & ART
Three weeks of art and musical performances including Aaron Neville, Steve Tyrell, AJ Croce, Ken Lavigne, outdoor live painting, a chalk walk and much more!
Sept. 25 - Oct. 17th
Click here for the complete schedule and more info
GULLAH MUSEUM GRAND OPENING
Saturday, Oct. 3rd
12 - 4 p.m.
123-7 King Street, Georgetown
Click
here for details
VILLAGE GROUP BENEFIT COSTUME GALA
Saturday, Oct. 10th
6:30 - 11 p.m
Pawleys Plantation
Keynote Speaker: Molly Spearman, SC State Superintendent of Education
Click
here to view flier
MISS RUBY'S KIDS GOLF TOURNAMENT
Monday, October 12th
Wachesaw Plantation
1 p.m. Shotgun Start
$150/player, $600/foursome
Click here for all the details
Register by phone at 843-436-7199 or
email
FALL FESTIVAL FOR ELEMENTARY KIDS
Friday, October 30th
4 - 5:30 pm
Judicial Center Plaza in Georgetown
Click
here for details
FALL FUN FEST
Saturday, October 31st
6 - 8 pm
Georgetown First Assembly of God Church
Free Admission
More info
here
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Breakfast and Lunch Menus
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2015-2016 School Calendar
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Click for Next Year's School Calendar |
Coastal Montessori Charter School (CMCS) follows the Georgetown County School District calendar for vacation and holidays.
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Teacher and Staff Directory
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ADMINISTRATION Dr. Nathalie Hunt, Director Kristy Harbaugh, Office Manager Tia Bergeron, Operations Manager Kelly Metz, RN, School Nurse
UPPER ELEMENTARY Sarah Wilson, Lead Teacher Natalie Boggs, Teaching Assistant Hillary Usher, Lead Teacher Sarah Stimpson, Teaching Assistant Andria Hejl, Lead Teacher Nan Gadek, Teaching Assistant Elisabeth Enriquez, Lead Teacher Celeste Reid, Teaching Assistant
LOWER ELEMENTARY Antoinette Ursits, Lead Teacher Pam French, Teaching Assistant Shaye Heiskell, Lead Teacher Johanna D. Wilson, Teaching Assistant Amy Williams, Lead Teacher Jo Addington, Teaching Assistant Ally Boddicker, Lead Teacher Jamie Williamson, Teaching Assistant
SPECIALTY TEACHERS Chris Bergeron, Athletic Director and Physical Education Keely Elliott, Spanish Teacher Kim Evans-Robey, Visual Arts Teacher Kalley Long, Music and Drama Teacher Nicole Nucero, Special Education Resource Teacher Amber Wheeler Bacon, Literacy Coach
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