North Falmouth Elementary Announces Artist-in-Residence Program Joining Literacy & Arts Together.
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North Falmouth Elementary School will be joined by Boston artist, Caleb Neelon to create an entry-way mural at the school in February 2020. 
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The idea grew out of the book “McElligot's Pool” by Dr. Seuss in which a boy, Marco, imagines all kinds of sea creatures living in a small pool of water. All students will read the book as part of the school's "One Book, One Community" project. Each teacher in the school also receives a copy of the book for their classroom library. Kathryn Sodaitis, art teacher, helped initiate the One Book project and created the concept of an art collaboration between the artist and students which follows the theme of the book.

Caleb will be an artist-in-residence at North Falmouth during the week of February 3.  He will be painting a mural in the front entrance with an ocean theme, inspired by the message in McElligot's Pool.  Students will be creating drawings with Caleb that he will incorporate into the final mural. Students will also create 3D projects in art class that are inspired by the artist's mural and WHOI scientist presentations. 

Event's tied to this book include:

• January 6, 2020: featured a brief assembly in the cafeteria, where Principal Tim Adams introduced this year's book by reading a portion of the book and explaining this year's projects and events. 
• Multiple assemblies for all grades with visiting scientists from WHOI  to learn about different ocean habitats and the creatures that live there

• • January 13, 2020: Assembly for Grades 2 and 3
  • January 15, 2020: Assembly for Grades K and 1
  • January 21, 2020: Assembly for Grade 4

• January 23, 2020: Assembly with Artist Caleb Neelon to learn about his art, process, and previous work. Students will then begin creating their drawings & 3D projects.
• February 3-7, 2020: Artist Caleb Neelon will paint the mural.

The following organizations assisted with this project: Eight Cousins Books, Falmouth Education Foundation, and North Falmouth Elementary PTO.

With the ​Cape Cod Parent Resource Fair rapidly approaching we will be sharing blog posts on our participating sponsors, vendors and nonprofits.  You will find out more about these amazing businesses and what they offer to our community. They will be sharing their services, advice, what challenges face our community as well as upcoming events they will be having.  Make sure to check out our virtual program and resource guide ahead of the event so you can plan for what you want to see including our famous speaker panels. If you preregister for the speakers you will earn extra raffle tickets. You also earn them by attending any of our entertainment sessions! Just email us and you will receive tickets at the door! We hope to see you at the Resource Fair!

1.     Tell us about your business/non profit and how it benefits local families? 
Bridgeview Montessori School provides a Montessori alternative to  local public and parochial schools. Although the Montessori philosophy is over 100 years old, its tenets are in keeping with today's STEM and project-based focus.

2.     Where is it located? 
We are conveniently located at the base of the Sagamore Bridge at 885 Sandwich Road, Sagamore, MA

3.     What is your favorite thing about our community? 
I love how family oriented our community is. At our school, we see grandparents, aunts, uncles and, of course,  parents all having a hand is the education of the child.

4.     How else do you get involved with the community? 
Bridgeview Montessori pairs with a local organization for a three-year cycle to help that organization in whatever ways it needs. In the past we have partnered with the Bourne Head Start and the Maya Childcare Cooperative that is a local organization that supports a Guatemalan preschool for children of working moms. Most recently we have begun our partnership with the National Marine Life Center in Buzzards Bay. So far we have raised over $700 to donate to the center. We will be presenting them with a check in January.
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5.     What do you think are the biggest challenges facing parents in our community? 
Parents today want authentic experiences with their families. It is hard for that to happen with the overabundance of technology in our society. Parents also want to be assured that their children are being served in the school setting. Sometimes communication with everyone involved in a child's program can be hard. Here is a place where perhaps technology could be helpful, but we find that families really crave face to face meaningful conversation.

6.     What is your favorite memory or story over the years involving you and your business? 
Bridgeview Montessori became a non-profit organization in 2008. At the time, the school was faced with dropping enrollment due to a floundering economy. One of the most poignant memories I have is of a 2008 faculty meeting when our dedicated faculty decided to "dig deep" and do whatever needed to open our doors and continue to provide a stellar school experience. Living through that hard moment makes our current thriving learning community that much more resilient and powerful.

7.     What advice would you give parents and caregivers in our community? 
Keep your schedule for your children reasonable. Let your children be bored and figure out what to do next. Unplug and try to be in the moment with your children. Play with water.... read a long chapter book. Get really dirty.

8.     Do you have any specials, events, or anything else taking place this upcoming year that our parents should know about? 
​For those interested in a Bridgeview Montessori education or Montessori in general, the best thing to do is to contact our Assistant Head of School, Suzanne Lawson at 508-888-3567/slawson@bridgeviewmontessori.org. Even if you are just curious, visit our website, www.bridgeviewmontessori.org, take a look, have a conversation.

Peace cannot be kept by force; it can only be kept by understanding. ― Albert Einstein

​CAPE COD ACADEMY TO HOST ADMISSIONS OPEN HOUSE ON SATURDAY, OCTOBER 19

Cape Cod Academy Announces New Personalized Tuition Program 
Cape Cod Academy is Now Affordable for All

Cape Cod Academy (CCA), an independent, co-educational, college preparatory school serving students from kindergarten to grade 12 on Cape Cod, is pleased to announce its new Personalized Tuition Program. It is an income- and resources-based method of determining a personalized tuition for each family, designed to ensure access to CCA.

Recognizing economic diversity enriches the educational opportunity for all families and is critical to the health of the school, CCA is pleased to launch this new program effective immediately. The Personalized Tuition Program opens the doors to families from a wide range of economic backgrounds that may have been reluctant to apply to the school because of cost. This program considers a family’s income and expenses and determines tuition based on a percentage calculation. Tuition for the 2019-2020 school year will be determined on a sliding scale ranging from $4,900-$32,000 for the year. An additional sibling discount will be made available to families with multiple children.

“This new initiative is two-fold,” said Jeff Thompson, CCA’s Director of Admission and Advancement. “It is intended to address challenges faced by families who seek a superior education yet lack the financial resources. It also enriches the experience of every student attending CCA by providing a diverse learning environment inside and outside the classroom, where students can embrace and celebrate their differences.”

“Diversity opens up opportunities for all of us,” said Chad Small, Interim Head of School. “It is a pillar of the school and reflected in our current enrollment, including our population of students from China. The school’s goal is to be affordable to all admitted students, regardless of their economic background. We believe this new initiative is a great way to give even more families access to the best educational experience for college-bound students on Cape Cod.”

Founded in 1976, CCA is located on a 46-acre campus that features outdoor classrooms, multiple athletic fields, two gymnasiums, tennis courts, state-of-the art science labs, music pavilions, multiple art studios, photo labs, outdoor pool, and a black box theatre. Our challenging and dynamic college preparatory program is enriched by opportunities in the arts, athletics, and community service. CCA has a vibrant population of international students who bring a cross-cultural perspective and added engagement to our domestic students, widening their awareness of different values and beliefs and improving social skills. 

Families interested in learning more about the Personalized Tuition Program can visit and apply on the website: www.capecodacademy.org. For more information, please contact CCA’s Admission Department at admission@capecodacademy.org or 508-428-5400.​
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Cape Cod Academy (CCA) is one of the only independent, co-educational, college preparatory schools serving students from kindergarten to grade 12 on Cape Cod. Founded in 1976, the school is located on an expansive 46-acre campus that features outdoor classrooms, multiple athletic fields, two gymnasiums, outdoor pool, state-of-the art science labs, and a black box theatre. Our mission is to instill a love of learning in students as they pursue academic excellence and develop life skills in a safe, values-centered community. For more information, visit www.capecodacademy.org.

Bridgeview Montessori School Open House

Bridgeview Montessori School to Hold Tuesday Tea Information Session for Prospective Families on April 9, 2019.

On Tuesday, April 9 between 4:30 pm and 5:30 pm, Bridgeview Montessori School will hold a Tuesday Tea Information Session for families interested in learning about a Montessori education for children ages 2.9 through 6th grade. Located at 885 Sandwich Road in Sagamore, the school will welcome families to explore the three programs that cater to each plane of development that Maria Montessori conceived of when she developed her pedagogy over 100 years ago. As is customary in a Montessori school, Bridgeview has a Children’s House serving students ages 2.9 to 6, an Elementary I serving students 6 to 9, and Elementary II serving students 9 to 12.

The Tuesday Tea Information Session held on April 9 will include presentations in each of the three programs, Children’s House, Elementary I and Elementary II, to demonstrate how Montessori is unique. Parents and caregiveres who choose to bring their children will be encouraged to observe them as they engage with the work and the environment. Suzanne Lawson, Director of Admissions, explains, “We think it is important for parents to know their school choices. All schools are not created equal and not all Montessori programs are the same. More than ever before, parents are actively invested in finding the just-right-choice school for their children. Our information sessions as well as visits during the school day are key for today’s discriminating and careful parents.” Additional visit dates as well as more information can be found by visiting www.bridgeviewmontessori.org.
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To learn more about the school check out the Cape Kids Cast Interview with Suzanne Lawson and one of their students!

1.     Tell us about your business/non profit and how it benefits local families.
Bridgeview Montessori School, located on beautiful Cape Cod at the base of the Sagamore Bridge, serves children 2.9 to 12 years old in our Children's House, Elementary I and Elementary II. Adhering to the principles set out by Maria Montessori, we celebrate the individual and differentiate instruction to serve a range of learners. We are a small school by design which allows us to be organic and thoughtful about each and every thing we do.

Our teachers are Montessori trained educators who have dedicated their professional lives to guiding students to be the best they can be, academically, socially, and emotionally. They collaborate with each other, they actively seek professional development, and they strive to create a family / school partnership for each individual who shakes their hands while entering our classrooms.

Our families are diverse. We have working parents, military parents, single parents, grandparents raising their grandchildren, and LGBTQI parents. Some parents apply for and receive financial aid; some parents pay full tuition. Some parents are familiar with independent school culture and Montessori specifically; some are new to Montessori and to private school. Some parents choose to have their children here from 2.9 through 12 years old, some see us as a preschool, and some come to us after having been disappointed with the traditional schooling provided by their towns. These varied backgrounds and experiences add to the richness of our community.

Central to this vibrant community are our students. Each individual who walks through our doors does so with the raw material needed to implant, grow and blossom in our environment. That student may be a math wizard, a dinosaur fan, an avid reader, a soon to be toilet trained two year old. In any case, these students learn what they are good at and learn where their growing edges are. ….. They become emboldened.

In a society where childhood can be rushed, technology is everywhere, and frenetic schedules are more the norm than the anomaly, Bridgeview Montessori is vital for those families and educators searching for that safe port in the storm. We have created an environment where everyone feels safe to do his or her best work and safe to share those growing edges that we all have. We know that if our passions are celebrated, we are freer to explore and improve our areas of weakness. We learn to ask for help and to receive help. We learn to give encouragement and support. We feel our importance and know we can make good choices. Our school grows as we as individuals grow.

2.     Where is it located?
Bridgeview Montessori is located at 885 Sandwich Road in Sagamore. We are at the base of the Sagamore Bridge on the Cape side. 

3.     What is your favorite thing about our community? 
The young families in this area are discriminating, always looking for just that right product or experience to enhance the life of the family. We strive to have our children have experiences that are authentic. Looking for sea glass, eating a fresh shucked oyster or visiting one of our wonderful small town libraries are part of the daily lives of our Cape families. We love how hardworking families are to be able to provide the very best experiential learning and growth for the children. 

4.     How else do you get involved with the community? 
For three year cycles, Bridgeview Montessori picks an organization to support through outreach. We feel it important that these organizations have a local component so our children can see and learn exactly how their efforts help. Bridgeview Montessori is in its third year helping to support Maya Childcare Inc. This organization with it's board in MA. is a non-profit corporation that works to improve the lives of children living in poverty in Guatemala.  Every donation received goes directly to supporting the Acorn Childcare Center in Guatemala...... A board member from the organization visits our school each year to talk about our work together. Before Maya, we were supporting our local Bourne Head Start Program. Next year, we choose a new organization.

5.     What do you think are the biggest challenges facing parents in our community? 
We think that parents have lots of choice today but are also always reminded not to over-schedule their children. I believe young families must feel pressure from both sides.... help your child explore to find his/her passions; don't over-schedule your child; let children enjoy childhood. I think at Bridgeview Montessori, children get what they need..... so many parents supplement their child's school experience by providing myriad activities. A Bridgeview education can be a just right fit with very little supplementing. 

6.     What is your favorite memory or story over the years involving you and your business? 
There are so many. Although seemingly trivial, memories created while at recess are some of my personal favorites. An educator for over 25 years, I still find recess with children to be one of the most compelling times of the day. Watching energy, creativity, problem solving, self expression, cooperation and imagination flourish each day what keeps me involved with this vibrant community of learners. How many of us get recess? I am lucky that I do every day! 

7.     What advice would you give parents and caregivers in our community? 
Choose your child's school, products, and activities with care so that they enhance rather than dominate. Family time is really the biggest gift.  Everything else should be carefully selected to add richness but not replace unstructured time spend together ...... in the moment. 

8.     Do you have any specials, events, or anything else taking place this upcoming year that our parents should know about? 
To learn about our school, we always suggest seeing us in action. To make this easy for families, we have planned Welcome Wednesday events and Tuesday Tea Information Sessions. These are easy drop in events that will give you a sense of how we serve children and families:
Welcome Wednesdays

• November 28
• December 5
• December 12
• January 9
• January 23

• January 30
• February 6
• February 13
• February 27
• March 27
• April 3
• April 10
• April 24
• May 8
• A Very Special Welcome Wednesday Celebrating our Student Artists, May 15

TUESDAY TEA INFORMATION SESSION FOR ADULTS: 4:30 TO 5:30

• January 15
• April 9
• May 14, Celebrating our Student Artists

Also, look for information about our Montessori Toddler Playgroup starting this winter. See www.bridgeviewmontessori.org for more information about this program and our school in general. 

Sacred Heart School Still Accepting Applications for 2018-2019 School Year!
 
Sacred Heart School, a Catholic, independent, co-educational learning community located in Kingston, MA, educates children in Preschool through Grade Twelve in a respectful, academically challenging environment which is rooted in the Gospel. Spanning more than one hundred twenty acres, our campus provides a vast array of facilities that allow students to grow and explore the world around them!
 
By putting an equal emphasis on academic and moral development, Sacred Heart students are not only prepared for success in the classroom, but also embody our mission to serve those in need, and to live compassionately in pursuit of social justice.
 
We are proud of the foundation we are able to offer our students in the areas of technology and digital literacy, as well as verbal and multimedia communications. Our existing groundwork of robotics, coding, and digital literacy classes at the Early Childhood Center and Elementary School, and AP Computer Science, programming, and instructional technology classes at the High School provides a great opportunity to specialize in these areas especially when they are coupled with our long tradition of strong communication skills.
 
Sacred Heart students begin honing their writing, speaking, and presentation skills early. At the Elementary School programs like the Wax Museum, Geography Fair, and Market Day require students to present, not just to their peers, but also to visiting adults. Part of their digital literacy instruction is focused on digital citizenship and how to behave in our increasingly screen-focused society. When they move into the Middle School, all of our students take public speaking classes and have the opportunity to compete with our nationally ranked speech and debate team. Recently we’ve also reintroduced our broadcast journalism program which allows students to film news broadcasts, record podcasts, and create short films and PSAs.
           
Coupled with outstanding and rigorous academics, Sacred Heart offers a number of after school activities and athletic opportunities that allow each student to find his or her own niche. Whether it’s on the Lacrosse or Soccer field, in the Art Room, singing in the Chorus, participating in the Student Council, or serving as a Peer Minister, Sacred Heart has something for everyone.
 
Sacred Heart School’s educational vision nurtures trust and confidence in God’s faithful presence. The school provides its students with a rigorous curriculum supported by evolving teaching methods, advances in technology, and a diversified liberal arts program designed to inspire and educate the whole person.  Visit us today to see how you too, can be a part of the Sacred Heart Family!
 
For more information or to schedule a tour please contact our Enrollment Office
admissions@sacredheartkingston.com | 781.585.7511 | www.sacredheartkingston.com

​Please enjoy this piece written by Sandra Nickerson, Head of School and Elementary Art teacher at Bridgeview Montessori School. As you will see, Sandy is an inspired educator and mentor who leads Bridgeview with equal aplomb. Enjoy.
 
As our annual young artists’ exhibit hangs on the walls of our school, I’d like to share how we conceptualize it. Just to clarify, the ‘young artists’ are our students, aged 2.9-12. Hanna, our Children’s House and Elementary I Art teacher, and I think of our students as young artists who are on their creative journeys - exploring, discovering, practicing and making. Children from each developmental stage have unique and exciting ways of expressing their perceptions of the world around them.
Our job is not to guide them away from their perceptions but to help them to confidently express who they are in the present. Of course there are some generalizations that can be made. Our youngest artists (3 and 4 year-olds) are very interested in exploring each medium. Subject matter takes second place to process, and actually final product holds very little interest. This is why children might paint a color over and over until there is a hole is their paper. As a child approaches Kindergarten, expressive subject matter can become a focus...a house, a dog, or a pumpkin. They are usually very satisfied with their creations. Frustration and self-doubt play second fiddle to their expressive symbolism. As children move through Elementary I (6 to 9 year-olds), they feel strongly that the viewer understand their intent. Rather than representing people and objects realistically, symbolism becomes the goal. The broccoli-shaped trees seen in their work is an example of this.  During EII years (9 to 12 year-olds), young artists begin to shift toward representationalism. They want to draw it how they see it, and they want lessons that help them accomplish this goal. Frustration and self-doubt can begin to surface as artists learn that technique takes lots practice.
 
As Art educators, Hanna and I create projects that highlight each child’s sensitive period of artistic development. We also create projects where students explore a variety of mediums, styles and techniques. We offer two dimensional and three dimensional work choices. Children begin their work in September, and Hanna I begin to think about May’s Celebration of Art. As the year progresses, we put work aside that highlights each student's’ strengths. We want the work in the show to represent the variety that is done throughout the year. In April we begin to mat the pieces and think about display. Our goal is for each artist to have four pieces in the show. This year we matted, hung and placed more that 300 pieces of art throughout the school.
 
We do not hang work by age or by project or by classroom. In each space, we display work from different aged artists from all program levels. We want the children from each classroom who live with the work for about a month to appreciate not just their artwork, but the work done by artists of all ages. There is no such notion that the older you are, the better your artwork is.  At our school each piece is true art. During the Celebration of Art, we have chosen not to let family and friends know where their young artist’s work is shown. These adult visitors also model for their children that all the art is important and should be respected and enjoyed. Viewers purposefully exploring every art piece with eyes wide open is our goal.
 
The week after the Celebration of Art, we at Bridgeview Montessori have a special Art History lesson for our Elementary students. We ask them to find an artwork in the exhibit that they really like, sit down, sketch it, and then return to the art studio. When all return, we take turns sharing the sketches and talking about why each of us was drawn to a particular work. It is during this lesson that Hanna and I become quite proud as we listen to how carefully and authentically these young artists talk about another’s work of art. During this lesson students learn that we can be attracted to and appreciate all kinds of art. As teachers, we feel the satisfaction of a job well done and, of course, our ideas start percolating about next year’s curriculum and Celebration of Art.
Please enjoy the gallery below.

Two Very Special Open House Events to Highlight our Celebration of Student Art
Tuesday Afternoon Information Session
May 15, 4:30 pm to 5:30 pm

Welcome Wednesday
May 16, drop in between 9:15 am to 11 am
or schedule for another day!

885 Sandwich Road | Sagamore www.bridgeviewmontessori.org Director of Admissions: Suzanne Lawson slawson@bridgeviewmontessori.org | 508.888.3567 ~ serving students 2.9 to 12 years old ~

With the ​Cape Cod Parent Resource Fair rapidly approaching we will be sharing blog posts on our participating sponsors, vendors and nonprofits.  You will find out more about these amazing businesses and what they offer to our community. They will be sharing their services, advice, what challenges face our community as well as upcoming events they will be having.  Make sure to check out our virtual program and resource guide ahead of the event so you can plan for what you want to see!  We hope to see you at the Resource Fair!

​Explore Your School Choices: Bridgeview Montessori School
Jessica Germain, Bridgeview Montessori teacher & alumni parent
 
I started worrying about preschool pretty much at conception. Not my own, of course, but my son’s. After all, I was resigning my position as a public elementary school teacher to raise this child. And, in truth, it was my frustration with the stressful, impersonal environment in my current school that first planted the seed of desire to escape and start my own family. It made sense that I wanted things to be different for my child. I deeply wanted him to discover the wonder in the world around him and develop a passion for learning about it. As he began to emerge as a person in his own right, my resolve was strengthened. We had talked so much about inspiring “lifelong learners” in my teacher training, but every day in the classroom all I did was teach to a standardized test that seemed aimed at creating standardized human beings. How could I take this naturally curious child with a mind of his own and put him in that environment?
 
As I began to consider preschool options for this curious child of mine, many independent preschools presented themselves as options, and friends recommended everything from Catholic education to homeschooling. I explored them all, but in the back of my mind there was my mother’s voice. When I was growing up she had always told me that a Montessori education would have been her first choice for me. My father, a traditionalist, was against the idea on principle, so I was off to the mainstream. But my husband, also a traditional person, told me that my Masters in Education qualified me as the family decision maker on this topic. Thus empowered, I forged ahead in my quest for the perfect preschool.
 
Many schools received high recommendations from other moms. A woman I had recently met in our Sandwich Library playgroup had an older son that went to Bridgeview Montessori School in Sagamore. When she spoke about her son’s experience, I knew I had to check it out. I had visited other schools that either felt like extensions of home play or seemed like roads directed towards traditional education. When I visited Bridgeview Montessori School, I was invited to view a Children’s House classroom in action. The moment I saw it, I knew. It felt like we were coming home to a bright, peaceful, welcoming place. This place was about learning. And work. The children were spending their days joyously exploring their work as the classrooms were filled with extraordinary Montessori materials prepared meticulously by trained Montessori teachers.
 
When we observed a classroom at Bridgeview Montessori, we saw materials that were colorful and engaging, not garish, but carefully maintained and meaningful. Each child was working industriously and seriously in a way that seemed incredible for a group of three or four year olds. My husband said skeptically, “He could never do that.” But I knew. Our son could do that. He craved that kind of purpose and his intellectual curiosity demanded that kind of direction. What wonderful things could he discover if he was surrounded by other children whose mutual curiosity was guided and encouraged by teachers. I was sold. I cancelled all future appointments to visit other schools and never looked back.

​More than a decade later, I still haven’t looked back. Though our now-teenage son has graduated from Bridgeview Montessori School, I can still see its benefits rippling through him every day. He retained his natural curiosity and become a middle school student who challenged himself to learn more outside of the classroom than in. In high school, I still see the ability to manage his time and workload with ease and to set his own internal expectations for excellence. At work and play, he is confident to approach new situations and tackle novel problems with innovative solutions. He learned all of that through the independence and respect afforded him in a Montessori program. We could not have made a better investment in his future than to begin his educational journey at Bridgeview Montessori School.
 
About the Players
 
As for me, Jessica Germain, I never returned to teaching in the public school. I decided to pursue Montessori training instead and am currently a teacher at Bridgeview Montessori School in the Elementary I (1st - 3rd grade) program.
 
My husband Greg Germain is the General Manager of Accu-Seal Corporation and is proud to be raising an independent, self-confident son. Greg served as President of the Bridgeview Montessori Board for three years from 2013 to 2015.
 
Courtenay Harrington Bailey, my friend who first recommended Bridgeview Montessori, started the popular Dramafun! program in Sandwich and became the Music and Drama teacher at Bridgeview Montessori School. Courtenay and our families remain close friends to this day.
 
Eli Germain is a student at Sturgis Public Charter School in Hyannis. In his spare time, he writes poetry, plays board games, and trains more than 23 hours per week for Cape Cod Swim Club where he holds numerous age group records and is currently ranked in the top 20 nationally for the 200 yard butterfly. His first coach at CCSC, Adrienne Fontes, was also his Fitness teacher at Bridgeview Montessori School. Eli will turn 15 this month.