Keystone Montessori Parents Organization

Potraits in Silhouette Sign up for Friday April 16, 2010

2010-03-08T19:42:00.000-08:00

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Happy New Year!

2010-01-04T08:47:00.000-08:00

Welcome back!
We hope you had an enjoyable holiday season and we wish you a wonderful and successful 2010!

Join us for Keystone Montessori Night at the Jump On In, Lowell!
Keystone students and parents can bring along friends to this event!

When: January 18th between 5 pm and 7 pm
Location: 100 Phoenix Ave., Lowell, MA 01852, Ph.:978-453-9700
Price (per play session): $8.50 per person (includes pizza & drink!)
Session includes 45 minutes of play, followed by a slice of pizza and a drink.
Playtime session 1: 5 pm to 5.45 pm
Playtime session 2: 5.45 pm to 6.30 pm
Be sure to get there before the playtime session of your choice begins. You can also attend more than one play session!

Adults can also purchase tickets for a raffle that will be held during this event.

Jump On In will donate 20% of the sales proceeds and 50% of raffle sales to the school! So join us and support the school!

Thank you to everybody who contributed to the fundraiser for the 2010 AMS conference!
KEMPO is pleased to be able to support this cause so that teachers can attend this event and bring new ideas to the classroom to enhance your child's education.

Next KEMPO meeting - All parents invited
The next meeting is scheduled for January 15 from 1.45 pm to 3 pm in Room 6.
Agenda for the meeting is to determine calendar of events (social and fundraisers) for the remainder of the school year. If you cannot attend but have suggestions for events, do contact us at keystone.parents@gmail.com.

Tip of the Week
Visit http://www.schoolfamily.com/ for expert insight, tips and resources for parents to help children succeed in school. Click on the link to check out downloadable tools such as an incentive chart for reading, the night-before-school checklist, the screen-time tracker and curriculum quizzes for each grade.

Happy Holidays!

2009-12-16T07:43:00.000-08:00

KEMPO wishes everyone a joyous and peaceful holiday season, and a wonderful New Year.

UN Dinner - Online Recipe Request & Video

2009-11-19T07:12:00.001-08:00

The food was such a huge success at the UN Dinner, we would like to create a online recipe folder. Please send in your recipes, along with the country it’s from, that you made for the UN Dinner to keystone.parents@gmail.com. If you only have a recipe on paper, please make a copy and leave it in the KEMPO mailbox upstairs. We’ll do our best to put it on there. If you used an online recipe. Please send us the pointer.

Also, here is a pointer to the audience participation video from the UN Dinner. Thanks to Ms. Walton for leading the musical event.

Ideas in Progress and Request for feedback

2009-11-18T21:31:00.000-08:00

Would you be interested in a babysitting to give you some time to go holiday shopping? If so, what timeframe, day of week and time? Comment here.

Tip of the week

2009-11-18T20:26:00.000-08:00

Next time your child is talking loudly or screaming, try whispering to them. They will have to stop screaming to listen to you. Tell us what happens!

You are invited to KEMPO Social Hour(s) on November 18th

2009-11-12T15:09:00.000-08:00

We will have a KEMPO social hour and meeting from 6 to 8 pm on Wednesday, November 18. In an effort to accomodate work schedules, we have chosen an evening schedule and we hope that you can attend. This is your opportunity to share your thoughts and ideas about how KEMPO can make a difference and also to discuss any concerns you might have. We would like to share with you activities we are planning and look for your ideas and input. We will provide refreshments; however, childcare will not be available. Please RSVP to keystone.parents@gmail.com.

Thank you for all those who attended. Please join us next time.

Meet the KEMPO Board members

2009-11-12T15:05:00.000-08:00

Co-Presidents: Leela Obilichetti and Radhika Pillai
Leela is a high tech software manager, and currently she is a full-time mom to her daughter, who attends Children’s House classroom 1.
Radhika is a marketing and brand management professional, who is currently a full-time mom to her son, who attends the Lower Elementary classroom.
Treasurer: Nandita Agarwal
Nandita’s son attends Children’s House classroom 4; Nandita owns a custom jewelry business.
Secretary: This position is currently open and available to parents who might be interested.
Other members of the board:
Karen Uttecht was President of KEMPO from 2007 to 2009 and is currently working towards her graduate degree in Computer Science at UMass Lowell. Her daughter attends the Lower Elementary classroom and her son goes to Children’s House classroom 1.
Diana Lawton is an author and food writer, and her son attends the Lower Elementary classroom. Diana is helping out with KEMPO’s fundraising activities.

KEMPO mission for the 2009/2010 school year

2009-11-12T15:04:00.000-08:00

Our mission for this school year is to help foster a greater sense of community and belonging among Keystone families, by organizing and hosting events every month. We believe that a vibrant and active parent community strengthens the school and creates an environment where students will enjoy their overall experience at the school.

A Big Thank You to the Siegler family!

2009-11-05T09:47:00.000-08:00

KEMPO would like to thank Siegler Family (Lower Elementary), for their generous donation of $100 to KEMPO. We greatly appreciate and value your support. Thank you!

2009 UN Dinner - A Big Thank You to all parents who attended!

2009-10-26T08:20:00.000-07:00

The 12th annual United Nations Dinner to celebrate UN Day was held on October 25 at the Chelmsford Senior Center from 4 pm to 6 pm. We estimate that more than 150 people attended the event.
Children enjoyed creating beaded chains with cut-outs of animals from different continents, and other craft activities. In keeping with past years, this was a truly colorful event, with guests sampling an array of food from different cultures and many wearing traditional attire from cultures of their choice.
Decorations included murals (one of them pictured here) that were created by Keystone students and families to celebrate the International Day of Peace, in connection with the Art Miles Project. These murals will now be sent to Egypt, to be displayed on pyramids along with murals from other parts of the world, in this truly global project.
The highlight of the event came when Arts and Music teacher, Ms. Kathy Walton, leading elementary students on stage, engaged the audience in a lively interactive musical session featuring Orff instruments and songs about the world.
The event was capped by a raffle of themed baskets full of goodies made possible by donations from parents from all the classes. Thanks to all parents who helped with these baskets and congratulations to the winners!

Tip of the Week

2009-10-16T09:27:00.000-07:00

Did you know that you can make sidewalk paint at home with just a few ingredients such as food coloring and starch?
Try this the next time the infamous New England weather offers us a bonus day of sun and enough warmth for kids to play outside..... Not only is this fun for the kids, it is also environmentally friendly and biodegradable.
Find out how to make sidewalk paint here: http://www.ehow.com/how_2074363_make-sidewalk-paint.html

What is KEMPO working on?

2009-10-08T15:01:00.000-07:00

Gearing up for the next event.... stay tuned for more information

KEMPO Calendar of Events (Tentative)
December - Silhouettes/Jump-on-in
January - Flatbreads Social
February - Jump-on-in Social/Museum trip
March - Trip to the movies/Museum
April - KEMPO Spring Social
May - Teacher Appreciation Week (May 3- 7)
June - Year-end picnic

Easy ways to support your school
Target's Take Charge of Education Program - find out more at www.target.com/tcoe
Hannaford Helps Schools Program - find out more at http://www.hannaford.com
Boxtops for Education

Bring in your Box Tops for Education

2009-10-08T08:49:00.000-07:00

Keystone participates in the Box Tops for Education program, sponsored by General Mills, and we need your help to reach our goal of raising $500 for our school this year.

Here's what you can do to help: Clip box top coupons from participating products like Cheerios, Ziploc, Pillsbury, Juicy Juice, Hefty, and more. (Here's the complete list of products.) The coupon looks just like the image posted above. Then bring the coupons in to Keystone and drop them off in the coupon box on the bookshelf in front of Kathy's desk. That's it!

Each box top coupon you submit earns Keystone 10 cents. Here's something cool: if every Keystone parent brought in just three box top coupons a month, we'd reach our goal of raising $500 for our children at Keystone.

Our first mailing of box tops is due on October 31 -- that's just three weeks from now -- so let's get as many coupons in the mail as we can. Thanks for your support!

Tip of the week - Recipes

2009-09-24T10:31:00.000-07:00

Smoothie (featuring a secret ingredient that packs a punch!)

If you have a picky eater on your hands, getting him/her to eat healthy can be a challenge. A smoothie is a quick and easy way to sneak in some extra nutrition into your child's diet. Smoothies are great because you don't have to follow an exact recipe; you can customize them for your child's taste.

Here's a recipe submitted by a fellow Keystone parent. You will never guess the secret ingredient in this recipe - it's Kale!

Ingredients (all organic or local as possible):

2 stems Kale - destemmed and shredded
1 Banana, cut up into pieces
1/2 cup Frozen Blueberries (fresh also works)
1/2 + 1/2 cup Milk of choice (or a blend of Coconut and Hemp Milk)
OPTIONAL: Hemp Protein powder
WAY OPTIONAL: 1/4 Avocado, cut up into chunks
Note: Instead of bananas and blueberries, you may substitute the fruits that your child prefers.

Steps:

In a blender, blend (to as smooth as possible) to liquid Kale leaves. The more liquid they are, the more chance of hiding it.
Add Banana, blueberries and 1/2 cup milk
Blend until smooth.
Add more of the fruits and milk as needed and blend to the correct consistency your child likes.
OPTIONAL: Add the protein powder and/or Avocado.
Add more milk and a sweetener such as Honey or Maple Syrup.
Blend some more and serve up this delectable and nutritious treat!

Makes 1-2 servings.
Recipe Courtesy Ms. Leela Obilichetti

To share your "clever" recipes, email keystone.parents@gmail.com.

Tip of the Week - Events

2009-09-17T18:05:00.000-07:00

Past Events

Winter Sing-a-longs

You are invited to bring your family and friends to the winter sing-a-longs. Join us for 45 minutes of singing, dancing, and playing instruments to your favorite songs. The fee is $8/family. No sign up is required.

Sing-a-longs will be held at 9:30 am (only) on the following dates andlocations.

Knights of Columbus, 40 Summer Street, Maynard, MA (Corner of Nason andSummer Sts.)Thursday, December 10 and 17

Union Congregational Church, 218 Main Street, Groton, MA (Rte. 119/GrotonCenter)Wednesday, December 16 and Tuesday, December 22

See you all there!

Mister Vic and Pat978-897-0874mtofav@comcast.net

Festival of Trees
Date: November 21, 2009 - December 5, 2009
Location: Methuen, Massachusetts

Website: http://www.methuenfestivaloftrees.com/

The Festival of Trees, an annual event, was begun to fund the restoration of the Tenney Gatehouse. It is a magical event held annually by the Festival of Trees, Inc., to celebrate the spirit of the holiday season. Event details are on the web site.

Town Halls Benefit Concert
Date: Saturday, November 21, 2009
Time: 7:00pm - 10:00pm
Location: Chelmsford High School Performing Arts Center

The Town Halls Benefit Concert will feature talented local artists including Nova Scotia Celtic Band Tri, Stuart Highlanders Pipe Band, Anna Dagmar, Yoke Shire, Dance New England Celtic Dance Troupe and more. The goal of the concert is to raise funds to revitalize Chelmsford’s historic town halls.

Tickets ($10 adults; $5 children under 12) are on sale now at www.mktix.com, Music Academy of Chelmsford, the Chelmsford Town Clerk's office and Chelmsford's Community Education office. For more information, contact townhallsbenefit@yahoo.com.

"James and the Giant Peach", by The Peacock Players
Directed by Medina Mahfuz
October 16th-18th, 2009
Location: Nashua

Watch a fabulous group of child actors who do amazing, professional quality theatre.
An imprisoned boy! A magical peach! Insect friends! An incredible journey! The amazing adventure of James Henry Trotter will fulfill the fantasy of anyone who has ever dreamed of escape. Roald Dahl's story comes hilariously to life in this delightful dramatization that reveals the wickedness of some, the goodness of others, and the indecision encountered by many when they are faced with crises.

SHOWTIMES:
FRIDAY @ 7PM
SATURDAY @ 2PM & 7PM
SUNDAY @ 2PM
Get tickets and more info:http://www.peacockplayers.org/

Art Miles Project - Sunday September 20, 1 PM to 3 PM
Location: Keystone Montessori School
Bring your friends to Keystone's celebration of the United Nations International Day of Peace. We will be creating an art mural and creating peace flags to celebrate peace. Parents and children can enjoy painting and community. As part of the Art Miles Project, our mural will be sent to Egypt where it will be displayed on the pyramids. Click below to read more -
http://www.examiner.com/x-20451-Boston-Montessori-Learning-Examiner~y2009m9d10-Celebrate-International-Day-of-Peace-making-community-art-mural

5th Annual Farm Fair - Saturday, Sept 26 Noon - 4:00 PM
Location: Barrett-Byam Homestead
Rain Date: Sunday, Sept 27
http://www.chelmhist.org/calendar.htm

Parents, here's a suggestion for a fairly low-key, low-cost event that your kids might enjoy. If you go, do let us know if your family had a good time. Read on....

A family day of cider making and tasting, hay rides, tours of the Barrett-Byam Homestead and Watts-Stevens Education Center and more. Special music will be provided for entertainment and the Chelmsford Art Society will display the creations of numerous local artists. Demonstrations of flax production will fascinate the children as they try their hand at some of the chores they may have had to do, including beating and combing. A cider making demonstration allows children to make apple juice.

Kick-Off Meeting - All Parents are invited

2009-09-17T17:58:00.000-07:00

All Keystone parents are invited to the kick-off meeting.
Date & Time: September 29, 2009, 4 pm to 6 pm
Location: Classroom 6
The agenda: Elections to determine board members, KEMPO calendar, Planning for annual United Nations Day dinner.

Welcome to all parents!!

2009-09-09T14:45:00.000-07:00

KEMPO extends a warm welcome to all parents entering the 2009/2010 school year!
New parents, let us know how we can help, as you get to know your child's school!

KEMPO Meeting

2009-09-09T13:56:00.000-07:00

Come to a meeting!
Our first meeting is scheduled for September 15th at 3 pm. The school provides free childcare to parents who attend KEMPO meetings. Everyone is invited to attend and add input; please don’t be shy! KEMPO’s calendar will be available online by the end of September ‘09.

KEMPO invites parent volunteers

2009-09-09T13:53:00.000-07:00

KEMPO's board for 2009/2010:
Co-Presidents: Diana Lawton and Radhika Pillai
Secretary: Leela Obilichetti
Treasurer: Nandita Agarwal
Officers and chairpersons are elected at the beginning of the year by Keystone parents.

A special thank you goes out to all parents who have offered to volunteer their time for KEMPO this school this year. Your support is invaluable.

KEMPO invites all parents to join the organization.
Becoming involved is a great way to make new friends, gain experience in a non-profit organization, and have fun at the same time! The amount of time you choose to spend volunteering is entirely upto you.
If you are interested in volunteering at KEMPO, then please send an e-mail to keystone.parents@gmail.com, indicating your interests.

What is KEMPO?

2009-09-09T13:06:00.000-07:00

KEMPO stands for Keystone Montessori Parents Organization.
Our goal is to provide a warm and inviting community for our children to thrive in, and to give them access to the best teaching practices and materials.
All Keystone Montessori School parents are members. The KEMPO board and committees are made up of parent volunteers.
KEMPO sponsors social events throughout the year such as the Ice Cream Social, annual U.N. Dinner, Fall/Spring Socials, End-of-year School Picnic. KEMPO also occasionally provides an avenue for parents who own businesses to showcase and sell their products during some events, and donate 10% of proceeds to KEMPO.
KEMPO raises funds to enhance your child’s education and make improvements to the school without raising tuition.
Projects that KEMPO has funded include: additional materials for the classrooms such as bead cabinets, the limited-access security keypad for the office, the peace-pole planted on the playground and additional funds for teachers to attend the American Montessori Society’s national conference.
This summer, KEMPO was awarded a $20,000 grant from the Horne Family Foundation. The grant has made it possible to establish a new Music and Arts program in all Keystone’s classrooms, utilizing new musical instruments and art materials.

$20,000 Horne Family Foundation Grant Awarded to KEMPO

2009-09-07T11:52:00.000-07:00

/grant%20press%20release.doc

See the Press Release in the Lowell Sun here -
http://www.lowellsun.com/schools/ci_13281976

Welcome to all Keystone families!

2009-09-04T16:24:00.000-07:00

KEMPO extends a warm welcome to all Keystone families

entering the 2009-2010 school year!

Welcome to Keystone Parents Blog!

2009-09-02T10:04:00.001-07:00

Welcome to the new Keystone Parents Blog & Website!