The Elizabeth Ann Clune Montessori School

 

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The Elizabeth Ann Clune Montessori School of Ithaca

Nurturing the hearts, minds, and spirit of children for 29 years!

120 East King Road

Ithaca, NY 14850

Phone 607/277-7335

Fax 607/277-0251

www.eacmsi.org

 

Established in 1979, The Elizabeth Ann Clune Montessori School of Ithaca is a non-profit educational corporation offering classes for children ages 3-6, 6-9, 9-12 and 12-14. The school is affiliated with organizations established to promote standards of excellence:

Member: American Montessori Society

Member: North American Montessori Teachers Association

Accredited by: New York State Board of Regents (permanent charter)

The mission of our school is to guide the development of children towards becoming independent, responsible, contributing individuals. In so doing we strive for the child to become one who seeks a personal vision, who uses their talents and skills to enrich individual and community life. We educate children in an atmosphere which promotes respect and dignity for themselves, for others, and for the world in which we live. The Montessori approach to education is a holistic one, offering not only a rigorous academic curriculum but addressing as well the spiritual, emotional, physical, and social needs of the child. We celebrate meaningful traditions. We honor the sanctity of each persons's spirit. We provide the needed security to embrace challenge. We nourish the deep lasting relationship between children, teachers, and parents, which deepens the learning experience. Within the Montessori classroom children face a microcosm of the world.

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Heidi Brown, Peter Browning, Illa Burbank, Robert Clune, Angela Grange, Peter Littman, Roberta Moudry, Andrea Riddle, Lisa Swayze, Allen Hebert (alternate)

The Board of Trustees is responsible for setting policy as well as for ensuring the financial health of the school. The Board meets regularly, and sets aside time at the beginning of each meeting for non-members to make presentations.

Board members act as liaisons for each level to better facilitate communication during the year. Please feel free to call them, or any other Board member, if the need arises.

Angela Grange

Primary/Extended Day

Illa Burbank

Junior Level

Lisa Swayze

Upper Level

Peter Browning

Middle School

The Elizabeth Ann Clune Montessori School of Ithaca admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, and scholarship programs.

Introducing the Staff

Principal/Founder

Andrea Riddle is the facilitator/liaison/support person for parents, teachers, and children at The Elizabeth Ann Clune Montessori School of Ithaca. Andrea has a BA from Ithaca College in Special Aspects of Early Childhood Education. She received her Montessori training at AERCO/Ithaca and taught at the primary level for eighteen years and at the elementary level for seven years. Andrea completed the adolescent training course at The Montessori Academy in Minnesota in 1996. One of Andrea's specialties is music. Her training includes thirteen years of piano proficiency, two years at the Manhattan School of Music, one-year at the Ithaca College School of Music, and workshops in Dalcroze, Orff, and Sanford Jones (Montessori) approach to teaching music. She is the director of our all-school musicals. Andrea has been among the staff of teacher trainers at the Center for Montessori Teacher Training in North Carolina, as a presenter of classroom management skills and "making magic in the Montessori classroom." Andrea also trains and supervises many of the Ithaca College interns who work as part-time assistants in the classrooms. She has served as a consultant for the Montessori School of Maui, The Ithaca Montessori School, The Montessori School of The Fingerlakes and The Dream Project, a non profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of education in the Dominican Republic. She serves as a consultant as well at a Montessori pre school program which has been named in her honor at the Caraballo Haitian Batay. In addition to her commitment to children, eleven years ago along with her husband Ron, Andrea rescued a timber wolf, named Chance. The Riddles have created what animal behaviorists call an interspecies pack.

Director of Wellness

Anne Robbins received a BA in English Literature from the University of Colorado and a MS in Science from Pace University. She has been an RN and Family Nurse Practitioner since 1980. Annie began her relationship with EACMSI in 1997 as our school nurse. Her role in our community has grown over the years to include an administrative domain where she brings her knowledge, caring and expertise as our Director of Wellness. This year Anne will continue her journey, as a full time student in the MSW program at SUNY Binghamton. Please call her with questions about special education services, health curriculum and any general concerns. Anne enjoys time with family and friends, reading, and kayaking on Cayuga Lake.

Business Administrator

Lisa Smith graduated from Ithaca College in 1984 with a BA in Political Science. Working for a local computer manufacturer for almost ten years, Lisa gained experience in accounting, sales, and engineering administration. Her interest in manufacturing led to her postgraduate studies in system science and industrial engineering where she earned her MS in Applied Science in 1999 from Binghamton University. She was a Project Manager for Mackenzie-Childs, a manufacturer in Aurora, NY for four years before coming to EACMSI in July of 2002. Lisa lives in Newfield with her husband Scott and their two daughters.

Office/Facilities Manager

Sharey Travis has an AAS degree in Business Administration from Morrisville College. She spent many years in direct sales and in retail store management. In her spare time she enjoys spending time at her summer cottage on Cayuga Lake, working in her flower garden, reading books and going to the many sporting events that her 5 grandchildren participate in. Sharey lives in Lansing with her husband Gary. She has a grown son and daughter.

Administrative Assistant

Rebecca Couillard has been in the Ithaca area since coming to Cornell University in 1987. She completed her B.S. in Materials Science and Engineering in 1991 and her Ph.D. in Fiber Science in 1998 at Cornell. She has one daughter, Sarah, currently attending EACMSI. Rebecca also teaches Scuba diving, Red Cross classes and plays her cello.

Montessori Directors/Directresses

Liz Allen graduated from the University of New Hampshire with a B.A. in mathematics. She worked for seven years in banking and then began working with NGO's giving business support. After becoming a mother, Liz was very involved in the administration and teaching at cooperative preschools in both New Haven, Connecticut and Ithaca. When her children joined our school in 1999, she frequently worked as a volunteer and substitute. She received her Montessori training for 3-6 year olds at Princeton Center for Teacher Education. Liz lives in Ithaca with her husband, two children, cat Petey and dog Osa.

Primary/Extended Day

Becky Booth grew up in Germany, attending both German and American Schools. She moved to the U.S. to attend the University of Kentucky, where she majored in Elementary Education and minored in German Linguistics. After graduating she worked in a Montessori School that only had primary classes. It was here that she discovered her love for this method of teaching. While the school made plans to expand it's program to include a Junior Level, Becky went to Xavier University to get a Masters in Montessori Elementary education. While working on her degree and interning, she designed the Junior Level environment and curriculum for Providence Montessori School in Lexington Kentucky. She taught at this school until the birth of her first child and subsequent move to Gainesville, Florida. Since then Becky, her husband Jim and their three children have had the wonderful opportunity of living in Canberra, Australia, Fort Collins, CO and lastly Ithaca. Everywhere Becky has lived she participated in her children's PTA and substitute taught at local Montessori Schools. Now that her children are nearly grown, she is excited to get back to teaching full time at EACMSI.

Lower Elementary

Virginia Colket graduated from Wells College in 2003 where she majored in Religious Studies. That same year she accepted a position in a Montessori classroom and soon there after developed a life long love for this philosophy of education. This summer Virginia is embarking on Montessori Teachers Training at the Princeton Center for Teacher Education. She will return to EACSMI this fall as a co-teacher with Donyan Shadions in our third Primary environment. Virginia lives in Ithaca with her two kitties, Amadeus and Pablo.

Primary

Terry Cater-Cyker earned a Bachelor Degree in Social Work from Cornell University and did some graduate work in Special Education at Mansfield College. Prior to motherhood, she worked as a school social worker and chaired the school district's Committee for the Handicapped. Terry was involved in LaLeche League, serving as a leader for three years and also taught Sunday school and chaired her church's religious education committee. Terry completed her Upper Level Montessori training at CMTE/NY. She has worked at our school in a variety of positions over the past nineteen years including, assisting in Extended Day and Junior Level, as well as in the office. Terry has three children, all who are EACMSI graduates!

Upper Elementary

Scott Daigler is a Montessori teacher with close to thirty years of teaching experience at three different Montessori schools in New York State. Scott has a Bachelor of Science degree from S.U.N.Y. Empire State College, with a major in Human Development and a minor in Early Childhood Education. He holds the Early Childhood Credential and the Elementary 1 Credential from the American Montessori Society. Along with his teaching duties, Scott is the Curriculum Coordinator at EAC Montessori. He was a presenter at the AMS National Millennium 2000 Conference and has presented workshops nationally for the Montessori Peace Academy. Scott has worked as a consultant for Montessori teacher training programs and the Native American Seneca Nation. His interests are meditation, outdoor sports and activities, scuba diving and oceanic studies, ice hockey and human development.

Lower Elementary

Melani Alexander Fuchs holds a BS in Physical Education from Cortland State. Melani created and implemented the first Physical Education program at the EAC Montessori School. She then took her Montessori Primary training in 1985. She completed her 6-9 training at CMTE/New Rochelle in 2000. Melani has been teaching at our school for twenty-four years. She is an artist, enjoys playing the guitar (singing with the children) and is a professional rider and horse trainer. Melani lives with her husband, son and daughter at Foxfields in Freeville.

Lower Elementary

Laura Gottfried graduated from the University of Vermont with a BA in Philosophy. She completed her Montessori training at CMTE at the College of New Rochelle in 1995. Laura taught at the 3-6 level for seven years, and the 6-9 level for three years. She is a certified Great Books leader, a program of interpretive reading, writing and discussion. In 2002 Laura was trained in the linguistics underlying multisensory language intervention by Dr. Louisa Moats at the Greenwood Institute in Vermont. In addition she has training in both the "Seeing Stars" and "LIPS" programs from Lindamood-Bell Learning Processes. These programs promote support for the sensory process in reading and spelling. Laura is trained in Alphabetic Phonics, an Orton-Gillingham based reading intervention program, and RAVE-O a multifaceted fluency intervention program. In 2006 Laura was trained as a practitioner of the School's Attuned Program based on the work of Dr. Mel Levine. This process guides educators in using observable phenomena to understand how students interact with the demands of school and to make decisions about improving school performance based on this understanding.

Learning Support/Main building librarian

Dawn Locke Grover began teaching in a Montessori environment in 1990. While doing her masters degree in experiential education, she accepted a summer teaching job with 3 - 6 year olds at Countryside Montessori School in Boulder, Colorado. She liked the Montessori philosophy of teaching so much that she taught at Countryside for 5 years, and then moved to Washington, DC to do her Montessori elementary training for 6 - 12 year old children. Both desire to travel and professional opportunity have led to a variety of teaching situations for Dawn since 1990. Wanting to settle closer to their roots, Dawn and her husband, Scott moved their family to Ithaca in 2003. They feel strongly that they have finally found a community to call home. In her personal time, Dawn loves to read, hike, camp, travel and play games. She lives on West Hill with her husband Scott, her son Cameron, and her daughter Lily.

Lower Elementary

Jim Hodges was the lead Middle School Teacher at The Susquehanna School, a progressive independent school in Binghamton, NY for 13 years, where he developed an integrated curriculum for adolescents and taught all subjects. He joined the EAC Montessori Adolescent staff five years ago. Jim enjoys gardening, hiking, and camping, among other outdoor activities, interests he brings to his work with adolescents. Jim received his B.A. in English from SUNY Albany and his MAT in English from Binghamton University. He has permanent N.Y.S. teacher certification for grades pre-K to 6 and 7 - 12 in English. Jim began his Montessori Adolescent training in July 2002 at the NAMTA Montessori Academy at Loyola College in Baltimore. He lives with his wife Tina and two sons in Ecovillage.

Adolescent Guide

Lisa Hoffberg earned a B.S. in Art with a minor in French from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Prior to entering the field of education, Lisa was a Peace Corps volunteer in West Africa. She also worked as a layout designer, writer and editor while being self-employed as an artist. Lisa holds a Masters in Education from Antioch New England Graduate School where she studied Integrated Learning and Waldorf Education. She has been teaching for five years, including student teaching at the Alternative Community School in Ithaca. For two years Lisa taught in a Waldorf charter school in Monterey, California. She took her Upper Level training at the San Francisco Montessori Teacher Education Center. When she's not teaching, Lisa practices yoga and enjoys hiking, knitting, cooking and birding. She and her husband live in Ithaca.

Upper Elementary

Meridith Jones graduated from SUNY Environmental Sciences and Forestry in 2001 with a Bachelor's degree in Biology. She has several years of experience working for agencies in Syracuse and Ithaca that support and advocate for people with disabilities. While living in Syracuse she became involved in fostering and placing stray pets in new homes, and in Ithaca has been an occasional volunteer with TCSPCA's offsite adoption program. Meridith received her Early Childhood Montessori certification through the Northeast Montessori Institute and is currently working on a Master's in Education. Nature and the outdoors are a big part of her life. Meridith lives in Newfield with her partner, three cats and dog.

Primary

Marianne Montague holds a BS in Early Childhood & Elementary Education from Chestnut Hill College and a MS in Social Policy Analysis & Research from Rutgers University. Since 1980 she has moved between employment as an elementary classroom teacher in various educational settings, to work as a policy analyst/researcher in an education laboratory. In 1993 she fortuitously discovered the magic of a Montessori education when she enrolled her then young son in the Ithaca Montessori School. The following year she received her Montessori training at the Princeton Center for Teacher Education and ran the Toddler Program at IMS from 1994 - 1999. She completed her Upper Elementary Montessori training at the Center for Montessori Teacher Education in New York and joined our staff in 1998.

Upper Elementary

Jeffra Ruesink studied history at Michigan State University and spent ten years as a graphic artist in New York and California, working in a variety of media. She discovered Montessori education when her first son enrolled at the Primary level. Since receiving Montessori training at Northeast Montessori Institute, Jeffra has devoted herself to helping children make connections with the world through the natural environment and joyful experiences with art, music, and dance. She plays the guitar and piano, with a particular interest in children's music, and she loves to sing. Some of her other interests include organic gardening, cooking, and visual art. Jeffra lives in Ithaca with her husband and two sons.

Primary/Extended Day

Kate Salmon holds a B.A. in Biology with a minor in chemistry from the University of Delaware, where she taught laboratory classes during her studies. Her interest in becoming a Montessori guide began while substitute teaching in her older son's Montessori school in Park City, Utah. Kate received her elementary training from the Center for Montessori Teacher Education in New Rochelle, NY. She is a nature lover and long time vegetarian who has run her first marathon. Kate lives in Ithaca with her husband, two sons, and three dogs. She enjoys reading, mountain sports, and cinema.

Upper Elementary

Donyan Shadions returns to EACMSI after being away for four years. Her travels have taken her to Europe and the Dominican Republic where she started our sister school in the Caraballo Haitian Batey named in Andrea's honor. Donyan has spent the last two years in Ohio working at a facility for the elderly using the Montessori method with Alzheimers and dementia residents. She has also worked at a women's center as a Spanish speaking parent educator and bilingual library assistant.

Donyan received her Montessori primary certification in 2002 from CMTE. She lives with her daughter Zairra and her husband Jonathan, who has just arrived in the United States from the Dominican Republic.

Primary/Afterschool

Ann Palmer Stephenson has worked with young people in a variety of capacities for the past 20 years. Having earned her B.A. in Anthropology and Psychology, she went on to receive her Master's degree in Clinical Counseling from Lesley College, Cambridge, MA. She also studied at the University of Utah, and UNLV, earning a certification in Functional Family Therapy theory and practice. A painter, poet, master gardener and musician, she has worked as a counselor, freelance illustrator and landscape designer. She brings her passion for learning and commitment to working with youth to her role as Adolescent Guide. A life-long interest in the teaching profession crystallized when she was introduced to Montessori Educational Philosophy in 2004. (Ann completed her Montessori training in Adolescent Studies a year ago through the NAMTA program at Hiram College, outside Cleveland, Ohio.) She has lived in the Ithaca area since 1993 and shares her life with her 5 year old daughter, Eleanor, and a never-ending variety of 4 legged creatures.

Adolescent Guide

Sarah Whipple attended William Paterson College and received her Montessori training and certification for the Primary level (ages 3 - 6) at AERCO/Ithaca in 1980. She interned and taught at the Primary level at the Ithaca Montessori School. In 1984 Sarah began working at our school serving first as the business/facilities administrator for ten years. In 1996 she returned to teaching in our Primary/Extended Day program. Sarah has two grown daughters, both who are EACMSI graduates. She lives in Ithaca with her husband and enjoys gardening, reading, cooking, music, and going for long walks.

Primary/Extended Day

Support Staff

Cheryl Botts completed her undergraduate work at SUNY Brockport where she received a double major a B.A. degree in Spanish as well as in Modern Dance. She attended Universidad de Salamanca Spain, living there for 8 months. In her now nearly 20-year career of teaching Spanish, Cheryl has taught preschoolers through college age students. She obtained her M.A. at SUNY Binghamton in 1992. Her thesis was a study on Mayan-speaking families and culture in the Yucatan, Mexico. Cheryl received a grant in 1996 and taught one year in Chile through the Fulbright Teacher Exchange Program. She continues to build a business teaching adults and children. She also owns a guesthouse in Danby and presently lives with her husband and child (learning both English and Spanish) in the Binghamton area.

Spanish

Linda Chen received her B.A. in Music Education from Queens College and her M.A. in Music Education from Teachers College, Columbia University. Linda came to us from a Montessori school in Queens where she taught music for 5 years. She loves to engage with different instrumentation, singing, listening, rhythm games, creative movement, storytelling, as well as multi-cultural experiences with students during her teaching. Linda participated in the Montessori Music Conference last summer in Rochester, NY. She is currently working toward her Ed. M (Teachers College, Columbia University) with a special project on, "Integration of Musical and Artistic Experiences for Young Children." She will attend the Long Island Choral teachers workshop this summer at Adelphi University. Her interests include arts and crafts, tennis, and jogging. Linda lives with her husband Tony in Owego.

Extended Day & Junior Level Music, Upper Level Chorus and Upper Level Support Teacher

Jeff de Castro holds a BA from Amherst College, an MFA in Sculpture/Ceramics from Rhode Island School of Design and completed the New York State Certification program at Elmira College in K - 12 Art Education. He has been listed as one of 250 community artists in the United States Initiative called Artists and Communities co-sponsored by the Mid Atlantic Artist Foundation and The National Endowment for the Arts. He has been an artist-in-residence with numerous institutions including Sculpture Space (2003), Long Beach Island Foundation for the Arts (2000), and The Inkshop Printmaking Center (2005). His public art projects have featured educational workshops as a major component in the process of creation and have included young artists of all ages. Very Special Arts / Massachusetts has sponsored his projects with deaf children, inner-city youth, youth-at-risk, and incarcerated teens. He lives in Trumansburg with his wife Sandra Steingraber and two children Faith 10 and Elijah 7.

Extended Day & Junior Level Art/Afterschool

Marjorie Hoffman holds a BFA from Cooper Union, an MS in Elementary Education from City College of New York and an MS in Special Education from Bank Street College. She is certified as an art teacher, grades 1 through 12, and an elementary and special education teacher. Marjorie has been working in the arts and teaching since 1970. Among the positions she held before following her daughter to Montessori are: arts educator at several children's museums; woodworking teacher at Fieldston Lower School in NYC; and graduate instructor at Bank Street College. She is presently a columnist for the Ithaca Child and serves on the boards of Temple Beth El, Hillel at Ithaca College and the Ithaca Area United Jewish Community, where she is campaign chair. Marjorie feels blessed to be part of three generations of family artists. Her mother was a ceramicist and art teacher and her two daughters have continued the tradition by exploring their own artistic paths.

Art 9 - 14 year olds

Beth Mielbrecht and her family moved to Ithaca from Manasquan, New Jersey in July, 2008. Beth is a NJ certified teacher in Elementary Education and Special Education, and she is beginning the process to obtain her Upper Level Montessori training. Beth has a Bachelor of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering from Stevens Institute of Technology. She worked as an engineer for twelve years in the automation and performance racing industries. Beth also has a BA in English and American Literature from Stevens, and her graduate work in education was completed at Georgian Court University. Beth is a Karuna Reiki Master, yoga student, and soon to be a vegetable farmer.

Upper Level Support Teacher

Suzanne Nussbaum has a BA in Latin and Greek from Barnard College, and MA and M. Phil. Degrees in Classics from Yale. She taught Latin, Greek and classical studies at Yale, the University of Cincinnati, and Hobart-William Smith. She then taught Latin at Ithaca High School for two years before becoming a mother. Her two children were enrolled at Montessori when the opportunity to teach Latin with us arose. Suzanne has been teaching Latin at our school since 1997. Starting this year, Suzanne divides her time and her Latin teaching between our school and Ithaca High School. She enjoys handing down to a new generation the knowledge of the ancient language and culture she learned from her teachers.

Latin 9 - 14 year olds

Kelly Seaman RN started her nursing career as an LPN in 1981. She went on to receive an AAS degree in nursing, and become a Registered Nurse in 1988. Kelly's nursing experiences include two summers in the Adirondacks as a camp nurse, OB/GYN and medical/surgical nursing, travel nursing and most recently oncology. She lives in Trumansburg with her husband Jay and her 9 year old daughter, Leah. Kelly enjoys spending summers on Cayuga Lake, visiting with her large family and taking long walks with her yellow lab, Moses.

School Nurse

Caryl Silberman RN was a Meteorologist at Cornell University and the Northeast Regional Climate Center in 1987 before obtaining her AAS in Nursing at Tompkins Cortland Community College and Registered Nurse license in 1993. Since then Caryl has worked in women's health care, was a visiting nurse with the Cortland County Health Department, and was a school nurse for another school in the Ithaca City School District. She lives in Ithaca with her husband Tony, 10 year old daughter Sophia, and family pets Chester the dog, and Big Kitty the cat. Caryl loves to walk/hike, play tennis, practice yoga, and cook.

School Nurse

Silke Ullmann holds a Masters Degree in Languages from the University of Berlin, in West Germany. Silke loves introducing children to different cultures and languages utilizing play and music. She lives in Ithaca with her husband and their nine-year old daughter.

Spanish

Gary Weiss has a Master's Degree in Physical Education, Adaptive Physical Education, and a Minor in coaching from Cortland University and Ithaca College. He has 6 years of experience teaching and coaching in Ithaca and the surrounding areas. He has coached a number of team sports including tennis, swimming, basketball, soccer, track and softball. He is currently involved in coaching track & field for the Ithaca Youth Bureau. Gary is an avid bicyclist, swimmer, hiker and gym rat. Wood working and all aspects of construction are a part time passion as well (something that he has done for over 30 years). He has lived in Ithaca for 29 years with his wife Erica. His two grown daughters Laurel and Hanna also reside in Ithaca. Gary was a "Big Brother" for a local student for 8 years who recently graduated. Gary now has a new 9 year old that he is working with. His extended family includes his dog Sasha and his cat Tango.

Physical Education

Ryan Zawel holds trombone performance degrees from Northwestern University and Ithaca College. He has performed with the Tommy Dorsey Band, Broadway's Miss Saigon, the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra, and the Joel Rubin Jewish Music Ensemble. He has collaborated with members of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, and Zappa Plays Zappa. In addition to his private teaching studio, Ryan has served on the faculties of Hunter Campus Schools in New York City, Ithaca College, and Syracuse University. He currently teaches at the trombone studio and directs the Klezmer Ensemble at Cornell University. Ryan's wife, Nicki, is a fellow music educator. They have two children, Daniel, 4 and Ruby, 1.

Music/Band 9 - 14 year olds

 

Who To Contact for What

If you have a question concerning:

Your child or the class, speak to or e-mail directly the Directress or Director

As of September 3rd, e-mail addresses are:

If you need further assistance, speak to Andrea Riddle.

Things You Should Know

Please note that our calendar differs somewhat from the Ithaca City Schools. In order to learn of snow days, tune your radio to WSKG, WHCU, WTKO or WVBR: if the Ithaca City Schools are announced as being closed, then we are also closed.

Arrival

Classes begin at 9:00. Teachers will be at school from 8:30 on to welcome early arrivals as well as to prepare for the day. Parents may pull up to the front door to drop children off. It is illegal to pass a stopped school bus, so you may have to wait in line. If you need to come into the school, please park in the lot rather than at the door. The driveway must be kept clear for buses. Feel free to park behind a faculty car if necessary. Primary Level children will be met in the front hall by a teacher or assistant during the first few weeks of school.

Dismissal

Ithaca City School buses will arrive at Montessori at 3:00 and depart at 3:10. Parents are not allowed in the driveway at all during this time. Parents picking up children should plan to do so between 3:15 and 3:30. When you arrive, park in the lot and walk into the building for your child. (Feel free to double park behind any staff car.) One of our staff will get your child from his/her classroom. This will minimize disruption in the classrooms at the end of the day. If your child ever needs to leave school at the end of the day for a destination other than the usual one, or be picked up by another person, he/she must bring a note to school on that day or you may e-mail the office at admin@eacmsi.org by noon. Any changes after that time must be by phone. If you have not advised us the child will be sent home in the usual way. Children who are not picked up by 3:45 will be sent to our Afterschool Program and a $15.00 fee will be charged.

Attendance

If your child is sick and unable to attend school, we request that you call us by 9:00. If ever your child needs to arrive later than 9:15, please instruct him/her to stop by the office upon arrival to have their attendance recorded.

After School Program

The After School program begins at 3:30. Children are to be picked up by 5:30. The After School program is an ongoing program and thus a commitment for the year is needed. We recognize that schedules may vary during the year and some flexibility will be possible. Payments may be made monthly. Please be aware that if a child's classroom teacher feels that he or she is not yet ready for such a long day the school reserves the right to postpone enrollment in the After School Program.

Physical Education

Physical Education is an important part of our school program and is required by law. A child may be excused from gym with a doctor's order if they are injured or when a medical condition could be exacerbated by physical activity. The order should include the reason and, when possible, the length of time for exclusion. No student may return to gym after such an exclusion until the School Nurse has received a return to physical education order from the physician. Students who are excluded from gym may not participate in Ski Club, recess or physical activity at EACMSI. Sneakers only are considered proper footwear for PE class.

Health

Children with colds, coughs, flu symptoms or temperature elevations of greater than or equal to 100F should be kept home until symptoms subside. This means waiting until the child is not infectious and has been fever free and/or diarrhea or vomiting free for 24 hours WITHOUT medication to reduce a fever. It is certainly unfair to children and staff who are well if children are sent to school in an infectious state. Sick children are uncomfortable at school and unable to utilize the teaching materials. If in doubt, please keep your child home an extra day! If your child is not well enough to participate in outdoor recess, he/she is not well enough to be at school. Working parents need to have an alternative solution, as we are not equipped to care for sick children except in an emergency. If your child needs to take any medicine while at school, please have an adult hand deliver the medication in its original container to our school nurse. We can only administer medicine accompanied by a prescription or written permission from a doctor. This includes over-the-counter medicines as well as homeopathic remedies, alternative medicines and supplements. State regulations require that every child have a medical form on file in order to attend school. All children must be fully immunized.

Toys/Games/Cell Phones

We request that children come to school without toys, games and cell phones. We encourage the bringing of objects of interest related to ongoing projects in the classroom, and recognize the importance of the link between home and school. Weapons, play or real, are definitely not permitted. Families who choose to allow their children cell phones must instruct them that they are to remain in the child's backpack and may not be used while the child is at school.

Footwear & Labeling

Each child needs to have a pair of indoor shoes to wear in the classroom. These can be indoor sneakers also used for physical education. In addition children need outdoor shoes or boots for recess play and outdoor physical education sessions. Crocs and flip flops are not permitted for recess or gym. Please label lunch boxes, hats, mittens, sweaters, jackets, shoes, etc. with your child's name. This enables them to recognize their own things and assures that they get returned if misplaced.

Recess Wear

All temperature determinations take wind chill into account

Required Recess Clothing

(At discretion of recess staff) Boots if playing in snow, mud, or water Outdoor shoes for playing on paved surfaces, grass or stone

Birthdays

The birthday tradition at The Elizabeth Ann Clune Montessori School of Ithaca is that rather than celebrating with cupcakes or sugary treats, each child chooses a small gift for the school as a way of sharing his/her special day with his/her classmates. The gift can be a book, a plant, or anything the class can use. We feel this is better for everyone's nutrition as well as less of an expense for parents.

Check with your child's teacher for ideas. Our hope is that this will make your child's birthday a more meaningful event. We ask that birthday party invitations not be distributed at school.

Classroom Observation

The school is organized into three Primary classes, which includes both a half day and full day program, two Junior Level Classes, an Upper Level Program, and a Middle School program. Classroom observations are scheduled on Thursday mornings, beginning the third Thursday in October. Parents are encouraged to make an appointment to observe their children in action.

Conferences/Report Forms

Formal reporting for the Junior Level, Upper Level, and Middle School consists of two written progress reports, in January and June. In addition, Junior Level parents will have two conferences, fall and spring. Upper Level and Middle School parents will have one scheduled conference in the fall, and spring term conferences as needed. Primary/Extended Day parents will have two scheduled conferences and one written report in June. Standardized testing is administered to the third year students in Junior Level, and Upper Level students the second and third weeks in May.

What You Will Find On Our Website - EACMSI.org

As many of you already know we have a beautiful website. What some of you do not know is that it is a very valuable tool for the Office to keep in touch with our community. Some folks look at it on a daily or regular basis and others have never looked at it. Starting on the first day of the 2008-2009 school year we ask that you look at it regularly as it will be one of our primary ways of letting you know what is going on here at school. When you click on Parent Resources in the center of the page, you will immediately get a School Notices Page. This is where we will put important notices such as snow days, busing information, last minute class field trips, and much more. Also on this page you will find a link to click for the Montessorian each week. Watch for links to other things that may appear on this page. On the left side of the page you will see a calendar which is updated weekly and year at a glance which gives you an overview of all the dates on our master calendar. You will also see our handbook which you can refer to for all kinds of things and a biography of each of our staff members. Please bear with us at the beginning of the year as some of our new staff's pictures are not yet up. Thank you for your kind attention to regularly looking at the website (EACMSI.org).

Nutrition

The Elizabeth Ann Clune Montessori School of Ithaca dedicates itself to educating our children, staff and families in making healthy, sound nutritional food choices during the school day. We encourage using whole grain products, and making low sugar and low fat choices for lunches, snacks and treats to share. Full Day Primary, Extended Day, Junior Level, Upper Level, and Middle School children must bring a lunch, including beverage, in a lunch container. Please include any necessary utensils. In order to promote re-cycling, children will be required to carry back home all their remains from lunch in their lunch boxes. We encourage parents to pack food in recyclable containers. Please try to include a high quality protein and a fresh fruit and veggie in each lunch. If you are looking for prepared lunches and snacks please scan the ingredients to be sure you don't find sugar or fructose and enriched bleached white flour as the first few ingredients. It is quite a surprise when you begin reading ingredient labels! What we consume really does impact the quality of the energy we bring to our work and it affects our emotional state as well. We appreciate your attention to this important matter.

Snack Suggestions:

Please note: We are a peanut free school. In addition the Upper Level is tree nut free!

Tuition

If you have registered to pay tuition by the month, payments are due on the first of each month beginning in July and must be sent to the school no later than the 15th of each month. A late fee may be charged if we are required to bill you. If you are paying tuition twice yearly, payment dates are August 1 and January 1.

Newsletter

Information about school events and parent meetings is made available in the parent newsletter which is published every Friday on our website. Click on Parent Resources, then click on this week's Montessorian and view the newsletter. If you prefer to have your child bring home a hard copy of the Montessorian each week, we will be happy to provide it in that way. In addition, classroom list serves will be established.

Classroom Placement Policy

It is school policy that in those levels where there are two classes, siblings will be placed in different rooms.

It is school policy that in levels where there are two classes, children of faculty will not be placed in rooms with their parents.

Discipline Policy

Part of the preparation of the environment for the child's learning involves the establishment of ground rules of human behavior. This provides the limits for the group and for the individual. Nancy Rambusch American Montessori Society Founder

The ground rules at The Elizabeth Ann Clune Montessori School of Ithaca are simple and all encompassing:

1. Respect yourself

2. Respect others

3. Respect the environment

When a child has broken a rule for the first time, he/she is asked to come up with a reasonable solution with the support of his/her teacher so that the behavior will not occur again. If the child's solution does not work and a second incident occurs, the child is sent to the office where a new solution is proposed by the child, with the support this time of the office staff. The child fills out a discipline form which is brought home for parents to sign. If the same child is involved in a third incident, the child calls his/her parent and must leave school for the remainder of the day. Child and parent together process the issue, look at the solutions that have not worked and come up with a new solution that holds promise. A 9:00 a.m. meeting between Andrea, the child, the child's teacher and the parent is called, where the new solution is presented. If it is a reasonable solution and the child seems ready to be at school, the child is welcome to return to school that morning.

The Elizabeth Ann Clune Montessori School of Ithaca
120 East King Road, Ithaca, New York 14850
Phone: (607) 277-7335, Fax: (607) 277-0251, Email:

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