| Wednesday | April 2 | Deadline for Returning Re-enrollment Forms | |
| Wednesday | April 2 | 12:15 - 12:45 |
Lunch-A-Month
(12:05-12:45 for Middle School) – Parents Welcome (pasta with marinara sauce, bread, cookie, lemonade) |
| Thursday-Friday | April 4-5 | Strawberry Festival Baking Days - (Watch for more information) | |
| Wednesday | April 9 |
12:15-12:45 p.m. |
Pizza Day (12:05-12:45
for Middle School) – Parents Welcome No pizza day for Seminar students. |
| Thursday | April 10 | 7:00 p.m. | Elementary & Middle School Information Session - for current & prospective parents. |
| Monday | April 14 | 6:15 p.m. | Board of Trustees Meeting |
| Wednesday | April 16 | 12:15-12:45 |
Lunch-A-Month
(12:05-12:45 for Middle School) – Parents Welcome (chicken nuggets, potato chips, cookie, lemonade |
| Thursday | April 17 | No classes - Staff In-Service Day | |
| Friday | April 18 | Conference Day - No Classes | |
| Wednesday | April 23 | 12:15-12:45 |
Pizza Day (12:05-12:45
for Middle School) – Parents Welcome No pizza day for Seminar students. |
| Wednesday | April 30 | 12:15-12:45 |
Pizza Day (12:05-12:45
for Middle School) – Parents Welcome No pizza day for Seminar students. |
| Thursday | May 1 | Strawberry Festival Berry Cleaning | |
| Friday & Saturday | May 2-3 | 28th Annual Strawberry Festival |
One of the benefits to the Community School method of learning and growing is the implementation of looping, multi-age classrooms, and buddy projects. Looping is the practice of having children stay with the same teacher for more than one year. Multi-age classrooms mean that students are not just placed in a classroom with children with a similar birth date, but are instead placed with children along a similar developmental plane. Buddy programs entail children of different ages working together on learning, service, or creative endeavors.
Research clearly indicates that learning is social. Children learn from listening and working with adults and children of varying ages. They also learn by sharing their own learning and experiences. The more a person shares and receives, the more learning takes place and the better that learning can “stick.”
Looping and multi-age placements allow children to become familiar with routines and expectations during their first year with a teacher and then allow them to become leaders at their level during subsequent years. The teachers have to spend less time getting to know children and assessing them during the beginning of the school year, because the teachers are already familiar with their learning styles. The teachers and students can pick up where they left off in the spring. Buddy programs allow older students to tutor and mentor younger students and allow younger students to feel less intimidated by older children. An added benefit, evident when you speak to any of our graduates, is that our students know how to communicate with people of all ages, not just their peers. They know how to adjust their speech and body language dependent upon the age of their audience.
Each day, Community School provides a multi-age learning environment that enriches your child’s education.
Re-enrollment forms and tuition deposits are due in the office by April 2. After that date, we cannot guarantee that a space will be available for your child in the fall. If you have any questions about re-enrollment, please call Victoria.
The Financial Aid Committee mailed 2008-2009 tuition assistance grant letters to parents over Spring Break. If you submitted a financial aid form to SSS and you have not received a grant letter, or if you have questions about tuition assistance, please contact Michi.
Please watch for your Strawberry Festival Parent Packet this week. It will contain your advance sale tickets, large order delivery forms, volunteer work schedule information, and t-shirt order forms.
Current and prospective parents are invited to attend our upcoming
information session. During the program, parents will visit our elementary and
middle school classrooms. The teachers will lead brief discussions on the
curriculum, educational philosophy, homework, peer pressure, and daily class
schedules. The teachers will also discuss the features that make Community
School’s program unique in the Roanoke Valley: hands-on learning, arts
integration, Spanish studies, student responsibility and goal setting,
off-campus learning, and middle school electives. Following the classroom
visits, parents are invited to enjoy refreshments and discuss their questions
with Community School’s Director and Admissions Coordinator.
We encourage all our current families to invite a prospective family to attend.
Cards and flyers with information about this event are available in the office.
Don’t forget to complete a Parent Referral Card for your guest family – if they
enroll, you can receive a $250 credit on your fall tuition. The referral cards
are available in the office and online at
www.communityschool.net (click on
“Links,” connect to our old website, then click on “Downloadable Documents”). If
you have any questions about the information session or the admissions process,
please call Victoria in the office.
If you are paying on the monthly installment plan, your final tuition payment is due by April 20. Contact Sue (sue@communityschool.net) with questions about your account.
Just in time to celebrate spring...we are about to order new engraved bricks
for our walkway. Please take this opportunity to give a unique gift in honor of
a family member or loved one and to personalize our school campus at the same
time. Bricks ordered by April 15 will be delivered and installed in time for
Grandparents' and Special Friends' Day May 23. A 4 x 4 brick is $100 (three
lines of text, 20 characters each). An 8 x 8 brick is $200 (six lines of text,
20 characters each).
Purchase a brick in honor of a child or in memory of friends and loved ones, or
to acknowledge special occasions such as a birth, anniversary or
graduation...Seminar parents, what a wonderful opportunity to pay tribute to
your child as they end their time at Community School!
Welcome to Elise (Beth’s class) and her parents Rob and Elizabeth. Please contact the office for their address so that you may add their information to your parent address list.
It’s that time again! Our classes are beginning to work on their art, drama and music pieces for the Arts Festival on Friday, May 23. It is important that students be here as much as possible from now through the festival. Please let the classroom and arts teachers know now if your child will not be here on May 23 or the week of May 23, as these absences will be crucial to the last rehearsals. We also ask that you let classroom and arts teachers know as soon as possible if your child has any planned, extended absences from now through the Arts Festival. Thank you so much for your cooperation. Cherry, Kim, Lisa, and Julie
I would like to thank the parents of the Lower Elementary classes who provided breakfast for the staff the last Thursday before spring break. They were Karen W. (actually a grandmother), Amy H., Jeanne B., Nancy D., Giuliana C., Kim C., Linda H. and Jennifer H. Karen W. and Nancy D. were the room parents who organized the breakfast. Thank you. Donna M.
The Strawberry Festival Community Chest needs your talent and your
donations. Our booth showcases strawberry-themed goods made or donated by
parents, grandparents, students and friends.
Each year is slightly different, but we do have some
specific items that are perennially popular, such as our t-shirts and homemade
strawberry jam (a huge seller). We rely upon your help to replenish the stock.
If you would like to have the recipe for the jam, ideas for sewn items, or if
you have any other ideas for the booth, please call Mary at 389-4566.
Sue Deegan (shdeegan@comcast.net) &
Mary Boston (bostonfour@verizon.net)
Community High School is now accepting applications for the 2008-09 school year. The application deadline is April 15 with decision on admission communicated by April 30. Download applications at www.communityhigh.net. (Click on Admissions link and then the Printable Application link.) Current Seminar students are encouraged to apply. Limited financial aid is available; please see the CHS application for instructions to apply for financial aid. If you have questions, please call the CHS office directly at 345-1688.