June 2021

Hello, MCOL families!

June is here and with that, the 2020-21 school year is quickly coming to an end! I wanted to personally thank you for making Gabby and me feel welcome throughout our first year at Montessori Center of Our Lady, as together we navigated all things COVID-19. In conversation with Team MCOL throughout the school year, we have worked hard to stay focused on our forward movement and finding small ways to celebrate our successes. We thought it might be beneficial to share our accomplishments with you, our MCOL family community. Let’s get started!

• Team MCOL met in August and shared how we want to move our school forward. We shared what traditions we want to maintain, others we want to tweak, and things we wanted to change as we work to continue our ministry for another 44 years! Any and all decisions are consistently guided by the Felician Sisters Core Values for ministry and our MCOL Mission and Vision Statement.
•  We brought back the MCOL car line (used for 34+ years) with much success from our team’s perspective and many of you!
• We temporarily transformed Room 6 into a virtual classroom to allow parents to work while their virtual student(s) had a safe place to attend school.
• We added gratitude and community service to our Kindergarten Leadership program. This was in an effort for our kindergarten students to see themselves as a contributor and possessing the ability to make a change, whether individually or as a group.
• We purchased HEPA Air purifiers for each of our rooms that will last us for years to come.
• We purchased a sanitizing/disinfecting fogger/mister to use at the end of each school day that will last us for years to come.
• Our Mission Director, Gail, has her office on our MCOL campus, which is a wonderful benefit for our programs. Gail will introduce our Young Children’s Worship program to our Young Children’s Community in the Fall 2021!
• We removed various pieces of furniture and other items from our main hallways creating a sense of tranquility that matches our classroom environments.
• Our dream of a Young Children’s Community (toddler) came to life and is currently in wait pool status!
• We added fresh fruit and vegetables to our daily snack offering to provide healthier food options to our students!
• We welcome our Nido Community (infant) to MCOL in September 2021 and only have two enrollment spots remaining!
• We created wooded trails for our students to enjoy and allow the zoology and botany of our classrooms to come alive!
• We are creating synchronicity between classrooms to maximize each student’s educational experience at MCOL, while providing teachers with autonomy.
• We met MiOsha requirements as a Safe Workplace!
• We added a mailbox just outside our main doors.
• We added a yellow line on our sidewalk to allow our students a visual marker as they independently enter and leave their school each day.
• We are working with an Early Childhood Social and Emotional Consultant and will do so through the next school year to build upon our understanding of social and emotional development in ourselves and the students we serve.
• We have hired Bright Loritos to bring a high-quality Spanish program onto our campus for our students, beginning in our Young Children’s Community through Children’s House, for the 2021-22 school year.
• We brought in Transparent Classroom for Distance Drop off allowing for an efficient process for each family and student daily with regards to the COVID health questionnaire. Transparent Classroom is also our chosen program for our conference reports and a Nido/YCC communication tool required by the State of MI. 
• We are working with two vendors during Summer Camp with the intention of offering MCOL parents two opportunities for after-school classes on our campus (gymnastics and art). Our goal is to provide two opportunities on our campus for your child thus reducing your evening commitments and allowing you to return home sooner.
• We provided our napping Children’s House students with a separate space to sleep, while their older classmates continue working, thus allowing our napping students better quality sleep.
• COVID understandably removed our community-building initiatives with our families. We are adding a few community events to our 2021-22 calendar in hopes the state’s COVID guidelines for child care centers will allow us to come together…safely, of course!
• We asked and you overwhelmingly responded, “Yes!” for a weekly hot lunch offering for the 2021-22 school year. We will start with one day per week for the first semester and add an additional day or two as feasible.
• Next year, we are adding one day of “hot lunch” that you may opt-in for on behalf of your child. We will begin our journey to hot lunch with pizza (sure-fire favorite with the children 😉).
• We created a small material making room for our teachers.
• We relocated our staff lounge, so our team has a private place to enjoy their break!
• We added a Team Prayers and Blessings board to support one another in times of need and celebrate one another in times of joy! 

We all managed a global virus and the many effects that virus brought to our typical way of functioning, personally and professionally. We did that and kept moving forward recognizing the loss and accomplishments along the way, locally, nationally, and globally. Let’s pause for a moment and celebrate our individual and collective efforts on behalf of the greater good.

COVID-19 Guideline Changes

Our newest COVID guidelines have been issued by the State of MI, DHHS, and our COVID Preparedness Plan updated accordingly. Please be sure to see what changes and what remains the same.

Kindergartners

As the school year comes to an end and our kindergarten students continue their journey independently from us, we know they are prepared. We know they understand they are capable and able to make a difference in someone’s day or the world at large. We know you will continue to instill a strong sense of personal competence. We know this next leg of their journey will provide a different view of their world and different opportunities to contribute. We know they will move on surrounded in God’s love and we pray they will feel Him standing shoulder-to-shoulder with them as they embark on new challenges and adventures. Thank you for allowing us to be a part of their life story. We look forward to hearing about the journey ahead for each child next school year and for many years to come!

End of the School Year

Our last week of school will be Spirit Week with daily themes selected by our Kindergarten Leadership students! Click on the button below to see what theme or Kindergartners chose!

Our last day of school, Friday, June 18 is a half-day with a noon dismissal for all students. We would appreciate it greatly if ALL students stay until noon. We cannot have our traditional end of year Fun Day, so we have chosen a celebration geared for our students. We have arranged for Beverly Meyer, The Music Lady to perform individual classroom concerts outdoors (Activity Room, if raining). Additionally, we will provide the children their all-time favorite, pizza, with an ice cream sundae for dessert! There is nothing you need to do for our end of year celebration. It is our team gift to the children and designed solely with them in mind. ♥

In closing, here’s a glimpse of the past 10 months at Montessori Center of Our Lady –

Until Next Time,
Laura Bengel

Mission Moments - St. Joseph

In the month of June, it seems only fitting that the Mission Moments focus on Fathers. Pope Francis declared 2021 the year of St. Joseph. St. Joseph was a special man and chosen by God to be Jesus’ earthly father. Although not his biological son, as Jesus was conceived by Mary through the Holy Spirit, Joseph was chosen to be the guardian of Jesus and Mary on earth.

Joseph the Righteous and Obedient Follower:
Chosen by God to be Jesus’ earthly Father was startling to Joseph. Upon hearing the news that Mary was with child, Joseph knew it could not be his. His initial thought was to “divorce” her quietly. In a dream, an angel appeared to Joseph and told him not to be afraid and to take Mary as his wife. Surrendering to the will of God and trusting in the Lord, even though he did not completely understand all the details, Joseph obeyed and accepted the Father’s will.

Joseph the Protector – Compassionate and Merciful:
Joseph showed immense compassion, mercy, and unconditional love for Mary by shielding her from public disgrace and a harsh punishment for being with child prior to marriage. He put his feelings and reputation aside to protect Mary. After Jesus’ birth, Joseph continued to protect Mary and Jesus by fleeing to Egypt to escape the horrific plans of King Herod.

Joseph the Worker:
By trade, Joseph was a carpenter, using his skills to support Mary and Jesus. Being a good Father, he spent time with Jesus in the woodshop teaching him skills of the trade. Jesus was a natural woodworker and learned quickly. Joseph knew that Jesus would not spend his entire life as a carpenter for he was destined to serve His Heavenly Father. Joseph made sure Jesus attended school where he learned to read and was taught scriptures. This prepared Jesus for his earthly ministry.

Joseph the Ordinary Man:
Joseph was a righteous, quiet, and hardworking man who was happy to live his life through mercy in action and in the shadows of Mary and Jesus. He is an exceptional model of fatherhood. One who put others first, even if that meant self-sacrifice, worked hard to support his family, taught his children to be independent, and was ready to forgive and love unconditionally. Most importantly, he put his trust and faith in God and taught others to do the same. As we honor and think more deeply about St. Joseph throughout this year, may we also ponder our own fathers and continue to ask God to bless them and grant them the grace to follow St. Joseph’s example of fatherhood.

Happy Father’s Day to all the Dads!

Blessings,
Gail Jones – Mission Director

Upcoming Dates

June 18 - Half-Day 8:30 - Noon (Last Day of School)
June 23- First Day of Summer Camp
July 2 - 5- No Summer Camp (Fourth of July Holiday)
August 25- Last Day of Summer Camp
September 7- First Day of School