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Tag: Service Learning at Montessori Community School

Fun Run – September 25, 2019

13th Annual Fun Run 2019

Wednesday – September 25, 2019

Our students have the unique opportunity to raise pledges for Service Learning Projects:

  1. The Children of Ethiopia Education Fund (COEEF) – Specifically, the COEEF program sponsors girls in Ethiopia so they can attend school.
  2. Adopt-a-Native Elder Program – Allows us to reach out to one another, share our gifts, and mend the broken circle of our relationship with the Land and the Native Americans who hold it in sacred trust.
  3. MEF Growth & Education – Continuing to grow the Montessori Educational Foundation nonprofit though grassroots Montessori advocacy and support

Make a bigger impact by

  • Helping your child to set a goal to raise a certain amount.
  • Helping your child tell family and friends about the Fun Run. You would be surprised how many friends, neighbors and grandparents are eager to support such a worthwhile cause.
  • Helping your child actively participate. (For example, earning money by doing extra chores at home. Then, in turn donating to this charitable event.)
  • Attending the event and join with them as they run or cheer them on from the sidelines.
  • Volunteering to help at the event. Please email psa@mcsslc.com for details.
  • Our goal this year is to raise at least $7,000 total, with 80% family participation. Help us beat exceed our previous goal.

We look forward to this exciting Service Learning experience and hope all of our families will participate with enthusiasm.

“We discovered that education is not something which the teacher does, but that it is a natural process which develops spontaneously in the human being.”
– Maria Montessori

MCS Sponsored Girls From COEEF Update

We received letters from our two girls we sponsor through the COEEF Program: Mariana Dereje, 1st Grade  and Bethehem Eyob Shenkute, 12th Grade.

We also received cards from two of the young women whom we sponsored that graduated from 12th Grade and the COEEF Program last year! They hadn’t had a chance to update us with photos and news of their final graduation year. It has been fun to follow these beautiful young women from the time of being young girls beginning the program. It is also so encouraging to read of their plans to continue their education and begin college.

The letters are on display in the school entry way, available to admire. We hope that you will enjoy reading them! If you would like to write letters or draw pictures with your own students to send back to our girls, please feel free to do so! You may bring your letters and/ or drawings to the MCS office.

Utah Youth Climate Strike

Our children are making a stand to put and hold todays leaders accountable. Last Friday, March 15th, 2019 children gathered at the Utah State Capitol to add pressure to their message: time is running out to protect our planet from a climate crisis. We hope the words from our youth will nudge leaders along to stop dragging their feet on such critical issues.

This event did not just take place in Utah but worldwide protests and strikes took place with the important message geared directly toward leaders and lawmakers. Their message is loud and clear, changes must be made. Our children are raising their voices and it is time adults start listening.

 

Montessori Education Foundation Funds and Gifts

Thanks to your generosity during our Fun Run Drive this past Fall to our non-profit Montessori Education Foundation (MEF). We were able to send or order the following items to our sponsored Navajo Grandmothers this week through the Adopt-a-Native Elder Program.

 

Mothers Day Box-
Spring Delivery only and delivered during the Spring food run. This gift box fills a need to provide personal care items that are not contained in any other gift option. It contains Cottenelle wipes, Kleenex, a wash cloth, bath towel, vent brush, bobby pins, Vaseline, shampoo, sanitizer, emery boards, and a bandana.
Grandmother Box –
This box contains 3 yards of Panne fabric and 4 yards of cotton fabric for making a skirt and blouse. Also included are safety pins, socks, scarf, thread, yarn, and a hygiene kit. The price of this item includes a credit card charge.
Food Certificates that can be used at all Bashas grocery stores located throughout the reservation. The certificates can only be used to purchase food and off-the-shelf medical items. They cannot be used for alcohol, cigarettes or lottery tickets. They are available in $25 increments. A credit card processing fee is included.

 

Yarn to weave rugs that she can sell at the Deer Valley Rug Show- Weaving allows many Elders, usually women, to sustain themselves in their traditional way. A yarn bundle supplies enough yarn for an Elder to make a 3’x5′ rug. Orders for yarn bundles will be sent out to the Elders as they are received unless it is close to a food run in which case the order will be delivered then.

 

 

3 orders of firewood (in this case that payment will actually go towards electricity bills at her daughter’s home where she is now living. When we spent time with her at the Rug Show she mentioned that she gets very cold and had to turn the heat up high and that adds a considerable cost to her daughter’s heating bill.

 

Food Box to be delivered at the Spring Food Run -Elders at the Dilkon, Leupp, Birdsprings, and Pinon food runs have indicated a preference to receive a Bashas food certificate rather than a set of food boxes of comparable value. These Elders live in areas where shopping at Bashas is relatively convenient, and with the certificate they can make their own choices of food items. If you’re not sure which food run area your Elder attends, we will make sure that the appropriate choice of boxes or certificate gets to them.
A $250 gift card from Walmart
The total cost for these items was approximately $1800 and this allows us to send additional yard, food certificates and a Rainbow Box in the Spring.
Our grandmothers will be grateful to receive these gifts and especially during the Holiday Season.
Thank you again.
Robyn, Britney and Ashlee

 

12th Annual MCS Fun Run

If salvation and help are to come, it is from the child, for the child is the constructor of man and so of society.
The child is endowed with an inner power which can guide us to a more enlightened future.

—Maria Montessori

 

The heart of our Service Learning curriculum at Montessori Community School is Maria Montessori’s mandate to empower children to become agents of change, and our personal mission to create global citizens. The goal of the service works we do at all levels is to promote the development of lifelong lessons in empathy, hard work, and cultural awareness, while giving students a sense of belonging to a community.

Raising for a Good Cause:

On Thursday, September 27th, your child will be participating in our 12th annual Montessori Community School Fun Run!  Each year our students have the opportunity to raise pledges for two of our Service Learning projects, The Children of Ethiopia Education Fund, COEEF, and Adopt-a-Native Elder Program.  Please learn about these wonderful causes and support our community and your students in their efforts!

Our Montessori students will have the opportunity to raise pledges for our two main Service Learning projects: The Children of Ethiopia Education Fund (COEEF), and the Navajo Adopt-A-Native-Elder Program.  Specifically, the COEEF program will give vital financial support the girls our MCS students sponsor can attend school in Ethiopia. Pledges will also help our adopted Navajo grandmothers purchase much-needed items, such as food, firewood, clothing, and gardening tools for themselves and their families, as well as yarn to weave the beautiful rugs they sell to earn a living.

 

Service learning is a wonderful element of our Montessori program, and teaches students about the joy and value of contributing to their community, society, and world. We encourage you to join with us in supporting your child in service learning. You can do this by:

·      Helping your child tell family and friends about the Fun Run. You’d be surprised how many friends, neighbors and grandparents are eager to support such a worthwhile event.

·      Helping your child actively participate by earning money to pledge in the Fun Run. (For example, maybe he or she could help sweep the floor or put away clothes.)

·      Helping your child to set a goal to run a certain number of laps or to raise a certain amount of funds.

·      Attending the event (see the upcoming schedule for when your child’s class will be running) and join with them as they run their laps or cheer them on from the sidelines.

·      Volunteering to help at the event. Please email psa@mcsslc.com for details.

We look forward to this exciting service learning experience and hope you’ll participate with enthusiasm.

Sincerely,

MCS Parent School Alliance

MCS’ 11th Annual Fun Run: Thursday, September 28th

“If salvation and help are to come, it is from the child, for the child is the constructor of man and so of society. The child is endowed with an inner power which can guide us to a more enlightened future.”

– Maria Montessori

Each year our students have the opportunity to raise pledges for our two Service Learning Projects:

The Children of Ethiopia Education Fund (COEEF)

Specifically, the COEEF program will give vital financial support so that the six girls our MCS students sponsor can attend school in Ethiopia. The Children of Ethiopia Education Fund exists to empower young girls from Ethiopia who are  living in impoverished circumstances to have a quality, private education through generous sponsors and donors. Without this assistance many of these girls would not have the opportunity to attend any school. We feel that supporting girls in this way will have such a far reaching effect:  “To educate a girl is to educate a village (nation).”

Adopt-a-Native Elder Program

For more than 20 years our school has been involved in the Adopt a Native Elder program. The Adopt-A-Native-Elder Program exists to create a Bridge of Hope between Native Americans and other cultures. It allows us to reach out to one another, share our gifts, and mend the broken circle of our relationship with the Land and the Native Americans who hold it in sacred trust.

We originally adopted three grandmothers –  Grandmother Roseline Jackson who died two years ago. Grandmother Emma Bahe who died this year and Grandmother Elivira Horseherder to whom we are still committed. Recently we chose to adopt another grandmother whose name is Grandmother Anita Jackson, a relative of Grandmother Roseline. We are delighted to have this opportunity to become part of the life of Grandmother Anita. We anticipate having regular communication with her as we do with Grandmother Elvira.

The money raised by our students will be used to provide our adopted Navajo grandmothers with much-needed items, such as food, firewood, clothing, and gardening tools  as well as yarn to weave the beautiful rugs they sell to earn a living and also to our support our girls in Ethiopia.

Service Learning is an important component of our Montessori program, and teaches students about the joy and value of contributing to their community, society, and world. We encourage you to join with us in supporting your child in service learning. You can do this by:

  • Helping your child to set a goal to raise a certain amount or get pledges by how many laps they are able to complete on the obstacle course.
  • Helping your child tell family and friends about the Fun Run. You would be surprised how many friends, neighbors and grandparents are eager to support such a worthwhile event.
  • Helping your child actively participate. (For example, earning money by doing extra chores at home. Then, in turn making a payment on Youcaring.com and seeing how your donation helps us meet our goals.)
  • Attending the event (see the upcoming schedule for when your child’s class will be running) and join with them as they run or cheer them on from the sidelines.
  • Volunteering to help at the event. Please email psa@mcsslc.com for details.

Please make your pledge via Youcaring.com and share with family and friends.

          

Our goal this year is to raise at least $7,000 total,

with 80% family participation.

We look forward to this exciting Service Learning experience and hope all of our families will  participate with enthusiasm.

Sincerely,

MCS Parent School Alliance

Pledge Form

Educate a Girl, Empower a Nation: A COEEF Event

Montessori Community School sponsors 4 girls through the Children of Ethiopia Education Fund, COEEF. We wanted to share an event you might be interested in! This is another way that we can lend our support to the organization that supports the education of many girls who would otherwise not have the opportunity to attend school.

Friday, September 22, 2017, COEEF will be holding an event including Ethiopian food, memorabilia, music, and a huge silent auction.

This event will take place at the Holladay City Hall Pavilion from 6 – 9 pm.

Holiday Giving Gratitude

Dear Montessori Community School,

I want to say thank you on behalf of all of us here at Neighborhood House for your help with Giving Tree. You & everyone at Montessori PSA did so much to help make the holiday season bright for the children & families we serve. Attached is a thank you video & a few photos that you are welcome to share with your colleagues, friends, or family members who may have helped with Giving Tree gifts for kids in our programs. We look forward to partnering with you in the new year & so appreciate all you do to help make Neighborhood House & our community great!

 

We hope you & everyone at Montessori PSA have a very happy New Year!

All the best,

Becca

MCS’ Service Learning Helps with COEEF’s Student Success

MCS sponsors six girls through the COEEF Program. Each year we raise money for them through our annual Fun Run in the spring. Stay tuned for more information about our Fun Run this coming season.
Please read this amazing clip from COEEF’s January 2017 Newsletter:

STUDENTS’ SUCCESS
Great News! 

In the last nine years, 90 COEEF students have completed high school. Of these students. 83 (92.2%) joined different universities throughout Ethiopia.

Of the students who joined universities, seven of them have successfully completed their university education and started a career.

COEEF students attending universities are enrolled in the following disciplines: (Please note that the number shown in the following table doesn’t include the seven students who have completed their university education.)

 

Letters for Students

The girls love to receive letters and photographs from their sponsors! 

If you would like to send a letter or a small package to your student(s), please send them to COEEF’s P.O.BOX.

Deadline is April 20

Volunteers will take them to Ethiopia on our sponsor trip in May.

 We are happy to take letters or gifts under 16 oz. to your students.

Please send them to:

COEEF

P.O. Box 271545,

Salt Lake City, Ut 84604. 

Please put your girl’s name and ID number on the BACK or the bottom of the letter or package.

The deadline is April 20, 2017