Parent Resources
Welcome to your comprehensive information hub! This page serves as your go-to source for important details and essential resources. We are continuously updating this page with valuable information, so be sure to check back regularly for the latest updates and additions!
School Life
Helpful Links
Notices and Announcements
Last updated: April 7, 2024
Recording Volunteer Hours
Please remember to log into Track it Forward to update your volunteer hours. Keeping your hours current will help prevent any charges for shortfalls of time at the end of the year!
Child Pilot
Child Pilot is now live and running smoothly! Please take a moment to check your profile to ensure that all of the data is accurate. Also, as a new safety protocol, please upload photographs of all children and adults in your profile.
Weekly Email Archives
For your convenience, you can now access archived weekly email announcements by clicking on the boxes below.
Dec 2023
December Updates
December 10th
WINTER CLUBS
Winter clubs start this week (except for CH Mad Science and elementary Spanish). Please visit our after-school club page for more information on our winter clubs. After School Clubs
If you are interested in enrolling in Mad Science club for CH, please click on the link below! CH Mad Science Registration
TEACHER FAVORITE LISTS
We have received requests to access our “Staff Favorites” lists from families who want to surprise our teachers and support staff with a little something for the holiday season. We are very touched and grateful for your support! Your classroom reps may have already sent out these lists, but if you are unable to locate that email, I have included the se lists below:
NIDO
Support Staff, Specialty Teachers, & Admin
EFFORTLESS GIVING
We hope you kindly support our classrooms and school initiatives by using our affiliate links when engaging in your regular and holiday shopping. By shopping via the links listed on our Support Page, you can easily provide essential funds for our school at no additional cost to you! Please be sure that the Amazon link is still active upon checkout if closing your browser while shopping. Many thanks for your support!
Jan 2024
January Updates
June 3rd
Child Pilot Billing Update
Thank you for your patience as we continue to work on importing the billing data into Child Pilot (CP).
Thankfully, the glitches we have encountered have been quickly remedied by our CP contact and Ms. Dawn’s hard work! Invoices, attendance, and much more will now be centralized in your CP account. Also, we will be adding an option to pre-pay for items such as an estimated annual field trip fee, pizza Wednesdays, school merchandise, and more. Details coming soon!
Please note that even though discounts and credits are not yet fully itemized in the monthly invoice, the total amount due is accurate and includes all discounts/credits.
If you have any questions, please email Ms. Dawn at billing@montessoricenter.org.
MAP Market
Map Market will be selling beaded bracelets and keychains at carpool on June 4th and 5th. These goodies will feature glow in the dark and regular beaded lizards, aliens, stars, flowers, and two bead think bracelets. There are assorted colors, and everything is priced at $2!
New School Yearbook
We’re thrilled to announce the return of our annual yearbook! This softcover book is brimming with highlights and memories from throughout the year here at our school.
Orders are now open and can be placed using the QR code located on the main doors at the school or in the front office. Each yearbook is priced at $20 and includes shipping to the school. Yearbooks are anticipated to arrive by the end of June for pickup.
Feb 2024
February Updates
February 5th
Re-enrollment
Our re-enrollment period begins this week. Please check your email for additional information tomorrow!
Spirit Night
Join us this Wednesday from 5:00pm to 8:00pm for a Spirit Night hosted by the Student Council at Red Robin in Cary (2260 Walnut St).
All proceeds from our community sales will contribute to the council’s spring fundraiser—an initiative to send a much-needed care package to a staff member’s family in Liberia. Thank you for your support!
Family Open House
Please join us this Thursday from 5:00pm to 6:30pm for our Family Open House. Parents are invited to freely explore our school, visit classrooms, and meet with teachers to gain insights into classroom materials and the Montessori philosophy.
This event is an excellent opportunity to learn more about various features of our programs such as uninterrupted morning work cycle, mastery learning, etc.
Plus, parents can count this informative event as part of their annual volunteer hours! If you have any questions or need further details, please reach out to Ms. Kristen at kristen@montessoricenter.org.
Spring Fling Update
Due to an unforeseen conflict with our initially planned Spring Fling location, the Community Engagement Committee has made arrangements for this event to be moved to Harris Lake on Sunday, April 14th. More details will be sent at a later time, but we wanted to announce the date change as soon as possible.
Campus Improvement Day
Our next teacher workday on February 19th provides us with a wonderful opportunity to spruce up some of our outdoor classroom environments. Sadly, our last two events were thwarted by weather. Hopefully, we will have better luck with this date!
We want to take this opportunity to invite parents to help with sprucing up their child’s outdoor areas between 8:30am and 12:00pm, or later if you have time! We are seeking your assistance to help with various projects we have been unable to tackle during the school year.
Teachers and staff will be involved in a safety training for the first part of the morning. However, there are many projects that can be accomplished during this time. Following our training, we will be engaged in clearing trails beginning at 11am. Feel free to stay as long as you like to help with this initiative.
As a token of our appreciation, volunteers will be provided with coffee, donuts, and snacks galore! Also, those in attendance will have an opportunity to engage on an explorative trail walk with teachers and administrators. This is a chance for you to gain insight on our future expansion plans and to provide input on our nature education initiative. Details on this adventure will be posted soon!
STEAM Art Gallery
We are thrilled to announce the upcoming Student Art Gallery hosted by the STEAM Committee. Please note participation is entirely optional.
Interested students should create their artworks at home if they wish to participate. Submissions can utilize any medium – paint, colored pencil, charcoal, watercolor, photography, etc. – and should be no larger than 8.5×11.
Artwork should be submitted no later than February 20th. These works of art will be on display in our “art gallery” from February 23rd through March 1st. Please include the artist’s name and class with their submission. Please email steam@montessoricenter.org with questions!
Art submissions will also be featured on our website, and selected art will appear in some school-wide emails.
We so excited to see the talent exhibited by our young artists!
February 12th
Re-enrollment and Summer Camp
Re-enrollment is underway! Please visit our Re-enrollment webpage to access the re-enrollment contracts and view the re-enrollment overview. Please note that re-enrollment forms and deposits are due by February 27th to lock in the early bird tuition rates.
Also, please keep an eye out for our Summer Camp application forms for all programs, which will be available starting tomorrow.
Spring Pictures
Spring pictures are scheduled for week of February 27th to March 1st. In the spring, we schedule individual and class pictures.
As an extra treat, there may be adorable bunnies involved in the picture options. This will hopefully help encourage a host of smiles! More information on spring pictures and schedules will be sent home soon.
Campus Improvement Volunteer Day
On Monday February 19th (the teacher workday) the Campus Improvement Committee will be holding a school beautification events where parents are invited to lend a helping hand. To sign up, please visit the sign-up genius below:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/508084BAAAE2FAA8-campus#/
February 19th
Teacher Workday & Campus Improvement Volunteering
As a reminder, the school will be closed for a teacher workday on Monday, February 19.
We invite parents to help with sprucing up their child’s outdoor areas between 8:30am and 12:00pm, or later if you have time! We are seeking your assistance to help with various projects we have been unable to tackle during the school year.
Please click below to help us with our outdoor spring cleaning!
Student Information System: Child Pilot
Since we’ve decided to move away from FACTS Management, we have been actively exploring alternative options and have discovered one that we’re quite excited about – Child Pilot. We’re currently seeking parent volunteers to test out this new system and provide us with feedback and suggestions.
If you’re interested in trying out Child Pilot and contributing to its evaluation, please email us at info@montessoricenter.org. Your participation will also count towards parent volunteer hours!
February 26th
Picture Week
This week is picture week. For our spring session, we offer individual and classroom group photos.
Schedule
Tuesday (2/27): Nido, EY, CH1 & MAP
Wednesday (2/28): CH2, CH3, & CH4
Thursday (2/29): LE1, LE2, & UE
Friday (3/1): All class group photos
For a little fun, the photographers are bringing live baby bunnies as an option for the photography sessions. These cuddly characters should help place a smile on many faces. However, if you want to skip the bunny option, no problem, just let us know via the form below!
As you can imagine, combing hair, fixing disheveled outfits, removing snack crumbs from faces, and navigating children to the photographer is quite a feat. Unsurprisingly, we are in need of volunteer help to make this happen.
If you have any time available in the mornings this week, we would greatly appreciate your help. Please click the button below to volunteer!
Traffic Study
We need your help with an important prerequisite to our ongoing rezoning efforts. On Tuesday through Thursday of this week, the Town of Holly Springs and the DOT will be conducting a traffic study. You may see various crews in the parking lot during this process.
To help facilitate this study, the important goal is to minimize any queuing on Sunset Lake Road during carpool times. We will do our best to extend carpool hours to facilitate this. We may also open the playground field for additional parking during carpool.
If you are able to volunteer at any of our carpool times by arriving early to assist children in and out of their cars, please email us at info@montessoricenter.org.
Many thanks for any suggestions or support you can offer to alleviate carpool traffic!
Re-enrollment and Summer Camps
Apologies for the glitch in our online re-enrollment forms. The PDF confirmation copies are not automatically forwarding to all signers for reasons we are not able to determine.
Please don’t worry if you do not receive a copy of your contract as these will be uploaded to the document section of our new Student Information System, Child Pilot (CP). Re-enrolling families should receive an invite to establish a CP profile no later than Friday.
Additionally, to provide another layer of assurance, we will directly contact all current families who are missing re-enrollment forms by Wednesday. If you don’t receive this communication, please rest assured that your re-enrollment has been processed.
All re-enrolling families should receive a link to establish a CP profile no later than Friday. If you do not receive this invite, please contact info@montessoricenter.org.
Despite note that many of our summer camps have filled up quickly. The Nature Camp (week 3) for elementary students is already at capacity and is closed. Others are also close to capacity. Please also check your CP profile to make sure your summer contract has been processed. If you have any concerns or questions about your summer enrollment, please don’t hesitate to contact us at info@montessoricenter.org!
March 2024
March Updates
March 4th
Carpool Door Intercom
As a quick reminder our carpool door is now equipped with an intercom system, making communication and remote door access more convenient for everyone!
If you are arriving for an early or late arrival or departure, please utilize the intercom at the carpool door instead of heading to the front office. When using the intercom, simply press the silver button to communicate with the office.
We hope this new feature will help reduce inconvenient wait times for everyone. If you have any feedback or suggestions on how we can further improve our arrival and departure processes, please don’t hesitate to let us know!
International Day & Early Release
We’re excited to announce that International Day is just around the corner! Stay tuned for live pictures on our Facebook page from the festivities this Friday as we celebrate a rich diversity of cultures from the following countries:
Liberia (Nido & EY), Spain (CH1), Italy (CH2), Albania (CH3), Ireland (CH4), Scotland (LE1), Uruguay (LE2), Madagascar (UE), and Syria (MAP).
Each classroom has been hard at work preparing artwork, projects, and more to showcase the beauty and uniqueness of different cultures from around the world.
Friday is also an early release day. Dismissal times are as follows:
Nido & EY: 11:45am – 12:00pm from classroom door
CH1 & CH2: 11:30am – 11:45am from classroom door
CH3 & CH4: 11:30am – 11:45am from playground
Elem & MAP: 12:15pm – 12:30pm from carpool
MAP Bake Sale
Prepare yourself for our MAP student’s Spring Bake Sale featuring delicious spring treat boxes! Each box includes lemon bars, banana bread, dandelion cookies, and raspberry-filled twists, all for just $15.
Pre-orders will be accepted from March 1st through the 17th. Then, pick up your boxes during carpool on March 21st and 22nd.
Place your order now at: https://www.students.montessoricenter.org/
Spring Fling!
Organized by our Community Engagement Committee, we’re excited to invite you to our annual Spring Fling event at Harris Lake County Park on Sunday, April 14th.
Join us for a morning of fun activities and community bonding and as a precursor to celebrating our 40th year anniversary! It will be a great opportunity to connect with fellow families from our school.
As an added bonus, participating in this event will count towards one hour of your volunteer requirement!
STEAM Art Gallery
Thank you to everyone who helped to facilitate our STEAM Committee’s first art gallery!
There were a variety of styles from abstract art, photography, sculpture, cross stitch and many more.
We are so proud of all of our talented artists!
March 11th
Promoting Peace through Service
The TNS Student Council (TNSSC) is requesting donations to be sent to Liberia, where one of our staff members has family and community members who remain in desperate need of certain items.
Requested donations include toothbrushes, toothpaste, canned foods, bar soap, sanitary pads, spices, lotion, shampoo, notebooks, dry goods, and more. A donation box is available in the front office. For a more detailed list of items, please reach out to our TNSSC committee leads, Ms. Alli, Mr. Art, and Ms. Torey, via info@montessoricenter.org.
Spring After-school Clubs
Spring clubs begin the week of March 18. Please visit the After-school Page on our website for the lineup for spring clubs.
Child Pilot
A big thank you to the parents who volunteered to engage in our beta testing of Child Pilot! Due to the positive feedback we received and the ongoing issues with ProCare, we are going to proceed with transitioning from ProCare to Child Pilot beginning April 1st.
Please keep an eye out for an invitation and registration information later this week, along with further instructions.
The Child Pilot app will provide you with a more streamlined check-in and check-out process, along with other convenient features. All family data for the current school year has already been migrated, and documents such as summer and re-enrollment forms will be uploaded over the next few weeks.
Once you access your portal, you will be able to verify and update your personal information, including emergency contact and alternate pick-up individuals, directly.
MAP Bake Sale
Our MAP student’s Spring Bake Sale is underway, featuring delicious spring treat boxes! Each box includes lemon bars, banana bread, dandelion cookies, and raspberry-filled twists, all for just $15.
Pre-orders will be accepted from March 1st through the 17th. Then, pick up your boxes during carpool on March 21st and 22nd. Place your order now at: https://www.students.montessoricenter.org/
Spring Fling!
Organized by our Community Engagement Committee, we’re excited to invite you to our annual Spring Fling event at Harris Lake County Park on Sunday, April 14th.
Join us for a morning of fun activities and community bonding and as a precursor to celebrating our 40th year anniversary! It will be a great opportunity to connect with fellow families from our school.
As an added bonus, participating in this event will count towards one hour of your volunteer requirement!
March 18th
Spring After-school Clubs
After-school clubs for the spring semester kick off this week! Because some clubs are at full capacity, please make sure you receive a confirmation email to verify that your child has been enrolled prior to attending a club.
For a complete lineup of available clubs, please visit our website.
As a reminder, registration for external clubs such as art, soccer, golf, and Mad Science must be completed directly with the respective company via the provided links.
Child Pilot
Last week, you should have received an invitation to download the Child Pilot app. Once you download the app, you will find your child’s information already populated in your profile. Please carefully review this data and make any necessary corrections for accuracy.
For families who wish to grant their authorized drop-off or pick-up individuals access to Child Pilot for attendance tracking, we will send out additional information and instructions by Tuesday on how to provide this access. Unlike ProCare, Child Pilot provides families with the option to elect permissions and determine which features your contacts are able to access.
One of the features that we and our volunteer families who helped test this app appreciated is its ability to allow for a much smoother check-in and check-out process! We are also exploring additional features with this software and will provide updates on them soon.
New Security Feature: Please ensure to upload profile photos for your children and ALL adults in your guardian and pick-up list. This will add an additional layer of security for our after-school staff and substitute teachers who may not be familiar with the individuals authorized to pick up your child. This will also eliminate the need for any new pick-up individuals to present ID if their image and information is in your child’s profile. For anyone without a profile picture, we are happy to take a quick snap on site! Please note that you can upload, edit, and delete your list as needed throughout the year.
Please remember ProCare will be deactivated on April 1st and that we go live with Child Pilot on April 2nd!
Summer Camp
Our elementary summer camps filled much quicker than expected. Consequently, we are not be able to accommodate all applicants for their requested summer camps.
For our elementary camp applicants, please access your Child Pilot messages to confirm the weeks in which you are enrolled. Please note that we will not charge for summer camp weeks that you applied for but that are now full.
Please contact us at billing@montessoricenter.org if you have any questions regarding your summer enrollment.
MAP Bake Sale
Our MAP students are excited to announce the continuation of their bake sale, featuring spring treat boxes! Each box includes delicious items such as lemon bars, banana bread, dandelion cookies, and raspberry-filled twists, all for just $15!
Orders must be submitted by March 17th. Boxes will be distributed during carpool on March 21st – 22nd. Don’t miss out on these delightful treats!
Spring Break
As a reminder, Spring Break begins on March 25th. We look forward to our students returning on April 2nd. Enjoy your break!
Morning Schedule Help Needed!!
Thank you to the Community Engagement Committee and our parent volunteers for your continued support! However, even with this assistance, the frequency of late arrivals is still posing a challenge to our classrooms.
Teachers often have a schedule that includes group lessons and activities early in the morning before the open work cycle. Late arrivals either miss out on lessons or require additional follow-up from the teachers to ensure they are oriented to the day or catch up on missed lessons later in the day.
We kindly ask that you ensure your child arrives before 9am or please notify your child’s teacher if you will be late. Your cooperation will benefit not only your child but also the classroom’s schedule!
Solar Eclipse Viewing Celebration
On April 8th, North Carolina will experience a partial solar eclipse starting in the early afternoon. To celebrate this rare phenomenon, our Science (STEAM) committee is coordinating with each classroom to create a fun viewing event for students, parents, and staff. We have already ordered eclipse viewing glasses for everyone!
We will also host our annual BBQ and bake sale on this day to supplement the festivities. Stay tuned for more information to be emailed this week!
April 2024
April Updates
April 1st
Teacher Workday on Monday
I hope you had a relaxing and enjoyable spring break! As a friendly reminder, April 1st is a teacher workday. We look forward to welcoming everyone back on April 2nd!
Important: Transition from ProCare to Child Pilot
Our transition from ProCare to Child Pilot is scheduled to begin on April 2nd. Please contact us immediately at info@montessoricenter.org if you have not received your Child Pilot invitation email.
Solar Eclipse Viewing Celebration
On April 8th, North Carolina will experience a partial solar eclipse starting in the early afternoon. To celebrate this rare phenomenon, our Science (STEAM) committee is coordinating with each classroom to create a fun viewing event for students, parents, and staff. We have already ordered eclipse viewing glasses for our students.
We will also host our BBQ Fundraiser and Student Council bake sale on this day to supplement the festivities. Click on the link below for more information!
April 8th
Parent Resource Webpage
Navigating the multitude of notifications and updates from the school via emails and app messages can be overwhelming. Who wants to dig through their inbox from days or weeks ago to find that one crucial message?
To tackle this challenge, we have created a virtual bulletin board via our Parent Resource page! This centralized hub aims to gather updates, resources, news, important dates, and more in one convenient location on our website.
Missed an announcement, update on our clubs or events, or lost track of our calendar? No problem! Hopefully, you will find the information you need on our Parent Resource page.
To enhance this resource and provide even more value, we’d love to hear your suggestions for additional content to include on this page!
Child Pilot
Thank you all for your continued support and patience during our transition to Child Pilot. Last week offered us a valuable real-time test of the system. If any attendance irregularities occurred last week, please rest assured that you will not incur any late departure fees based on this attendance data.
One important change to note is that authorized pick-up individuals must now download the Child Pilot app to record your child’s arrival or departure. Additionally, as a security measure, we now require photographs of all individuals in your profile to be uploaded to Child Pilot. For all missing images, we are happy to snap some photos for you! Please let us know if you need any assistance during this transition.
Spring Events
Spring has arrived, and with it comes an array of exciting events organized by our school-led and Community Engagement Committees for our students and families to enjoy!
Please check your email inbox from the past few weeks and visit our Parent Resource page for more details about the following upcoming events:
- Solar eclipse and BBQ
- Original Works Fundraiser
- Earth Day Events
- Spring Fling
- Science Night Campout Event
Have a great week!
April 15th
Parent Community Engagement Garden Event
Please mark your calendar for April 20th (2:30pm – 5:30pm) as the CEC kicks off Earth Day with a gardening event. Volunteer help and donations are welcome. Feel free to bring your children along as long as they are supervised. We will send out additional details this week.
Please click below if interested in helping with this event!
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/508084BAAAE2FAA8-47992930-earth#/
Science Night Out Camping Adventure
Get ready for Science Night Out 2024 on Friday, May 3rd, 2024! After a thrilling success and night of astronomical fun at SNO 2023, we look forward to making this year’s science-themed camping adventure even better!
Date: 5/3/24-5/4/24
Time: 6:00pm – 8:00am
Pick up times and cost are as follows:
- 6:00pm to 10:00pm if not camping–$40.00 (add $10 per additional child if you have multiple children attending)
- 6:00pm to 8:00am if your child is camping–$60.00 (add $10 per additional child if you have multiple children attending)
Adult chaperones attend free of cost. Siblings who do not attend The New School may attend for an additional cost.
Please sign-up and submit payment no later than Friday, April 19th, 2024. Also, please submit a separate sign-up for each child attending.
Event is weather dependent. Rain makeup date will be Friday, May 10th, 2024.
Please click on the link below to reserve your space for this fun event. We hope to see you there! https://form.jotform.com/240293963109055
Spring Fling
Thank you to our Community Engagement Committee for orchestrating today’s fun-filled Spring Fling event. The turnout was incredible, and the weather could not have been better. This marks the beginning of our year-long celebration for our 40th anniversary, and it certainly started off with a bang!
A heartfelt thank you goes out to our parent committee leaders, Ms. Jassi and Ms. Kim, along with Ms. Kristen, the committee’s administrative representative, for their planning and execution of this event.
We also want to express gratitude to our dedicated teachers, staff, and MAP students who worked behind the scenes to set up and provide support throughout the event. Your contributions were invaluable in making today a success!
Thank you also to everyone who was able to attend. If you missed this event, don’t worry, we have more in store for you for the remainder of this year and for our 2024-2025 school year!
Many thanks to our event highlights:
- Ms. Linda for her invigorating yoga session that kicked off today’s event.
- Kim’s Yong-In Martial Arts for their engaging presentation!
- Ms. Rachel with Dragonfly Nature Programs.
- Usborne books.
- Exceptional professional baked goods courtesy of McCakes by FM by one of our staff’s family members!
- And a shoutout to the mystery staff member who fearlessly participated in the Fun Run in their Monty the TNS T-Rex costume. We are happy that Monty was not trampled too badly!
If you did not have an opportunity to order an event t-shirt, please click on the button to order your shirt! https://form.jotform.com/241014585111040
Have a great week!
April 22nd
Science Night Out Event
Join us for our annual Science Night Out on May 3rd, from 6pm to 10pm! This exciting event promises a range of engaging activities. Click this link to learn more and mark your calendars for an unforgettable evening of science exploration!
Student Council Krispy Kreme Fundraiser
Get ready for our last Student Council fundraiser of the school year! This time, they are bringing you a sweet treat with a Krispy Kreme fundraiser. Keep an eye out early this week as students will be bringing home order sheets.
You can purchase a dozen original glazed donuts for $10.00 or a dozen chocolate iced donuts for $12.00.
All proceeds will be sent to the Ronald McDonald House of Durham, supporting families in need during difficult times. Let’s rally together and make this fundraiser a huge success for a truly worthy cause!
MAP Larping Day
On Monday, June 3rd, the MAP Classroom will be participating in a Live Action Role Play (LARP) activity at Dix Park in Raleigh. They will be wrapping up their study of Medieval Europe, and since the students have shared a strong interest in LARPing, we wanted to give them an opportunity to experience a Medieval battle!
For this, we will need a number of parent volunteers that are willing to role play alongside our students. The requirements would be:
- Dress in period appropriate clothing (Medieval Europe)
- Create and maintain period-appropriate (not realistic) weaponry (think styrofoam)
- Availability on June 3rd and 4th (the rain date) from 10am to about 12:30pm
- Help follow the storyline and stay within the role-play safety guidelines
If you are available and interested in joining our LARP, please sign up here!
Child Pilot and Tuition Invoicing
One of our ongoing goals is to centralize resources for our families by minimizing the number of apps and communication channels they need to monitor. Life is complicated enough without needing to tend to multiple messaging and information systems!
With this in mind, we aim to utilize Child Pilot, which addresses most of our needs at this time. This includes scheduling conferences, accessing our calendar, messaging your child’s teachers or the administration, signing up for events, and monitoring your child’s attendance record.
After careful consideration, we are now optimistic that Child Pilot will also serve as our tuition management system. This means families will have a convenient way to pay for tuition and incidentals such as pizza day, childcare, late fees, field trips, after-school clubs, and more.
Further details will be emailed later this week, so please keep an eye out for additional information.
However, please remember to access the Parent Resources Page on our website for the most updated information and collection of convenient links!
Campus Improvement Update
Despite facing a few delays, we are steadily navigating through a series of bureaucratic challenges. Although we are currently unable to immediately connect to the town’s sewer system as originally planned, this delay is due to some positive news. The engineering work has been approved and is poised for connection once we receive final approval on our plans to link up with the city’s water supply, and this is happening ahead of schedule.
You may have noticed flags and cordoned-off areas on the playing field. Once we receive the green light, the final construction phase will involve digging into our field (possibly in these areas). This construction may also affect a small section of the fenced-in area. At this time, we are unsure of the exact location of these connections. However, rest assured that outdoor recess activities will not be affected by this construction!
We should know more about this timeline in the next few weeks. As always, we will keep you updated.
April 29th
Science Night Out
Science Night Out is coming up on May 3rd, from 6pm to 10pm! Please note that registration is closed. If you have already signed up, please make sure to check your email and Child Pilot messages for instructions on the evening’s events.
School Closed on Friday
Please remember that the school is closed this Friday for teachers to organize or host parent-teacher conferences.
Student Council Krispy Kreme Fundraiser
Get ready for our last Student Council fundraiser of the school year! This time, they are bringing you a sweet treat with a Krispy Kreme fundraiser. Keep an eye out early this week as students will be bringing home order sheets.
You can purchase a dozen original glazed donuts for $10.00 or a dozen chocolate iced donuts for $12.00.
All proceeds will be sent to the Ronald McDonald House of Durham, supporting families in need during difficult times. Let’s rally together and make this fundraiser a huge success for a truly worthy cause!
MAP Larping Day
We are re still seeking volunteers for our Monday, June 3rd Larping Event!
As mentioned last week, the MAP Classroom will be participating in a Live Action Role Play (LARP) activity at Dix Park in Raleigh.
To ensure the success of this event and to provide support to our MAP students, who are eagerly anticipating it, we need parent volunteers willing to participate in role-playing.
Volunteers should:
- Dress in period-appropriate clothing (Medieval Europe)
- Create and maintain period-appropriate (but not realistic) weaponry (think styrofoam)
- Be available on June 3rd and 4th (the rain date) from 10am to approximately 12:30pm
- Assist in following the storyline and adhering to role-play safety guidelines
If you’re available and interested in joining our LARP, please sign up below!
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/409084BAAA729ABF94-49118151-mapmedieval#/
May 2024
May Updates
May 6th
Science Night Out
We were so disappointed that we needed to unexpectedly postpone Science Night Out! Unfortunately, the deterioration of air quality occurred more rapidly than anticipated due to the controlled burning activity nearby. We greatly appreciate your understanding.
For those who signed up their child(ren), the new date for Science Night Out will be this Friday, May 10. If you are unable to attend on the rescheduled date, please email steam@montessoricenter.org to request a refund. Thank you for your understanding and flexibility!
Student Council Krispy Kreme Fundraiser
Krispy Kreme orders are due tomorrow! A big thank you to everyone who has already purchased or plans to purchase doughnuts.
All proceeds will be donated to The Ronald McDonald House of Durham. Please drop off your orders at the front office. Doughnuts will be available for pickup on Friday. Thank you for your support!
Teacher Appreciation Week
This week is Teacher Appreciation Week!
As we celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week, I want to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude to our extraordinary educators who continuously go above and beyond to create an exceptional learning environment for our students.
Every day, I have the privilege of witnessing the dedication, passion, and unwavering commitment of our teachers. They tirelessly strive to meet the unique needs of each student, providing individualized support and fostering a nurturing atmosphere to help every child thrive.
I invite you to join me in honoring and appreciating our incredible teachers who play such a pivotal role in shaping our children’s future. Your ongoing support and recognition mean the world to them!
I also want to give a special shoutout to our CEC for organizing this event to celebrate our teachers throughout the week. Your efforts are truly appreciated.
Thank you all for your continued support and for recognizing the invaluable contributions of our teachers!
May 13th
Thank you!
On behalf of our teachers and staff, I wanted to thank you, our Parent Representatives, and the Community Engagement Committee again for supporting and organizing such a wonderful Teacher Appreciation Week!
Your support and involvement are what make our school community so special, and we feel very fortunate to have such dedicated families. Your generous gestures, gifts, sentiments, and contributions were thoroughly enjoyed by our teachers and staff.
One of the many highlights of the week was our community lunch, where we got to enjoy Alpaca, a particular favorite among many of us. This special event offered our teachers with a rare opportunity to step out of the classroom and enjoy some well-deserved time connecting with their colleagues. The other surprises (including the very generous gift cards, the beautifully designed drink containers, a delightful breakfast spread, flower seeds, and more) made this a very special week for us all.
Together, we make the magic of TNS happen, and we are truly grateful for your support of our amazing teachers!
Campus Improvement Spirit Night
We invite you to join our last Spirit Night of the school year at the Cary City BBQ location (on Kildaire Farm Road) on Wednesday to support our Campus Improvement Committee.
Mark your calendars and come out to support our school community while enjoying a great meal. Members of our staff will be onsite for an hour or so during the evening, ready to engage with the children and spread some TNS spirit!
May 20th
Billing Update
We are pleased to announce that Child Pilot is now ready for you to set up your payment method!
Key Information:
- Transaction Fee: If you selected the 12-month payment plan and the automated ACH option, please note there is a $1 per transaction fee. To offset this, we will reduce your $50 finance fee by $12.
- Invoices: Invoices are still being set up and may not yet reflect your full or correct amount. Additionally, any payments already made will not show up in the system yet. Thank you for your patience as we work to complete this extensive transition!
- Billing Timeline: We anticipate that billing will be complete by the end of this week. Invoices will be sent out 5 days before the due date of June 1st.
If you have any questions, please email Ms. Dawn at billing@montessoricenter.org.
May 28th
Child Pilot Billing Update
Child Pilot is now ready for you to set up your payment method and automatic payments, as selected in your re-enrollment contract. Please note that if you opted for the 12-month payment plan with the ACH option, there is a $1 fee per transaction. To offset this, we will reduce your $50 finance fee by $12.
Be aware that invoices are still being set up and may not yet reflect the full or correct amount. Any payments already made will not appear in the system at this time. We expect the billing process to be completed by the end of next week. Thank you for your patience as we complete the transition from Blackbaud to Child Pilot!
If you have any questions, please email Ms. Dawn at billing@montessoricenter.org.
Carpool Lane and Security
You may have noticed new yellow and red color strips along our carpool curb. For your convenience, we have designated the yellow strip as a temporary drop-off zone if arriving outside of carpool hours. Parents should not leave their vehicles unattended in this area. However, families may park temporarily to approach the carpool door for arrivals and departures.
Please note that the red zone is a strict fire lane. No temporary parking or drop-offs are allowed in this area under any circumstances, as this may result in an infraction for the school.
Should you have any parking lot or other safety concerns, please send your feedback to our new security@montessoricenter.org email address.
Holly Springs Salamanders Tickets
New School families, join us for the final event of the school year: a Holly Springs Salamanders game on Sunday, June 2nd! The game starts at 5 PM.
Important details:
- Our school has a dedicated section for families to sit together, located down the third base line, right near the playground.
- Reserve your tickets with our group: Holly Springs Salamanders Tickets.
- For those who can stay until the end, kids are invited to run the bases after the game.
- If you purchased a New School t-shirt, consider wearing it to show your school spirit!
We look forward to seeing you there!
June 2024
June Updates
June 3rd
Child Pilot Billing Update
Thank you for your patience as we continue to work on importing the billing data into Child Pilot (CP).
Thankfully, the glitches we have encountered have been quickly remedied by our CP contact and Ms. Dawn’s hard work! Invoices, attendance, and much more will now be centralized in your CP account. Also, we will be adding an option to pre-pay for items such as an estimated annual field trip fee, pizza Wednesdays, school merchandise, and more. Details coming soon!
Please note that even though discounts and credits are not yet fully itemized in the monthly invoice, the total amount due is accurate and includes all discounts/credits.
If you have any questions, please email Ms. Dawn at billing@montessoricenter.org.
MAP Market
Map Market will be selling beaded bracelets and keychains at carpool on June 4th and 5th. These goodies will feature glow in the dark and regular beaded lizards, aliens, stars, flowers, and two bead think bracelets. There are assorted colors, and everything is priced at $2!
New School Yearbook
We’re thrilled to announce the return of our annual yearbook! This softcover book is brimming with highlights and memories from throughout the year here at our school.
Orders are now open and can be placed using the QR code located on the main doors at the school or in the front office. Each yearbook is priced at $20 and includes shipping to the school. Yearbooks are anticipated to arrive by the end of June for pickup.
July 2024
July Updates
February 5th
Re-enrollment
Our re-enrollment period begins this week. Please check your email for additional information tomorrow!
Spirit Night
Join us this Wednesday from 5:00pm to 8:00pm for a Spirit Night hosted by the Student Council at Red Robin in Cary (2260 Walnut St).
All proceeds from our community sales will contribute to the council’s spring fundraiser—an initiative to send a much-needed care package to a staff member’s family in Liberia. Thank you for your support!
Family Open House
Please join us this Thursday from 5:00pm to 6:30pm for our Family Open House. Parents are invited to freely explore our school, visit classrooms, and meet with teachers to gain insights into classroom materials and the Montessori philosophy.
This event is an excellent opportunity to learn more about various features of our programs such as uninterrupted morning work cycle, mastery learning, etc.
Plus, parents can count this informative event as part of their annual volunteer hours! If you have any questions or need further details, please reach out to Ms. Kristen at kristen@montessoricenter.org.
Spring Fling Update
Due to an unforeseen conflict with our initially planned Spring Fling location, the Community Engagement Committee has made arrangements for this event to be moved to Harris Lake on Sunday, April 14th. More details will be sent at a later time, but we wanted to announce the date change as soon as possible.
Campus Improvement Day
Our next teacher workday on February 19th provides us with a wonderful opportunity to spruce up some of our outdoor classroom environments. Sadly, our last two events were thwarted by weather. Hopefully, we will have better luck with this date!
We want to take this opportunity to invite parents to help with sprucing up their child’s outdoor areas between 8:30am and 12:00pm, or later if you have time! We are seeking your assistance to help with various projects we have been unable to tackle during the school year.
Teachers and staff will be involved in a safety training for the first part of the morning. However, there are many projects that can be accomplished during this time. Following our training, we will be engaged in clearing trails beginning at 11am. Feel free to stay as long as you like to help with this initiative.
As a token of our appreciation, volunteers will be provided with coffee, donuts, and snacks galore! Also, those in attendance will have an opportunity to engage on an explorative trail walk with teachers and administrators. This is a chance for you to gain insight on our future expansion plans and to provide input on our nature education initiative. Details on this adventure will be posted soon!
STEAM Art Gallery
We are thrilled to announce the upcoming Student Art Gallery hosted by the STEAM Committee. Please note participation is entirely optional.
Interested students should create their artworks at home if they wish to participate. Submissions can utilize any medium – paint, colored pencil, charcoal, watercolor, photography, etc. – and should be no larger than 8.5×11.
Artwork should be submitted no later than February 20th. These works of art will be on display in our “art gallery” from February 23rd through March 1st. Please include the artist’s name and class with their submission. Please email steam@montessoricenter.org with questions!
Art submissions will also be featured on our website, and selected art will appear in some school-wide emails.
We so excited to see the talent exhibited by our young artists!
February 12th
Re-enrollment and Summer Camp
Re-enrollment is underway! Please visit our Re-enrollment webpage to access the re-enrollment contracts and view the re-enrollment overview. Please note that re-enrollment forms and deposits are due by February 27th to lock in the early bird tuition rates.
Also, please keep an eye out for our Summer Camp application forms for all programs, which will be available starting tomorrow.
Spring Pictures
Spring pictures are scheduled for week of February 27th to March 1st. In the spring, we schedule individual and class pictures.
As an extra treat, there may be adorable bunnies involved in the picture options. This will hopefully help encourage a host of smiles! More information on spring pictures and schedules will be sent home soon.
Campus Improvement Volunteer Day
On Monday February 19th (the teacher workday) the Campus Improvement Committee will be holding a school beautification events where parents are invited to lend a helping hand. To sign up, please visit the sign-up genius below:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/508084BAAAE2FAA8-campus#/
February 19th
Teacher Workday & Campus Improvement Volunteering
As a reminder, the school will be closed for a teacher workday on Monday, February 19.
We invite parents to help with sprucing up their child’s outdoor areas between 8:30am and 12:00pm, or later if you have time! We are seeking your assistance to help with various projects we have been unable to tackle during the school year.
Please click below to help us with our outdoor spring cleaning!
Student Information System: Child Pilot
Since we’ve decided to move away from FACTS Management, we have been actively exploring alternative options and have discovered one that we’re quite excited about – Child Pilot. We’re currently seeking parent volunteers to test out this new system and provide us with feedback and suggestions.
If you’re interested in trying out Child Pilot and contributing to its evaluation, please email us at info@montessoricenter.org. Your participation will also count towards parent volunteer hours!
February 26th
Picture Week
This week is picture week. For our spring session, we offer individual and classroom group photos.
Schedule
Tuesday (2/27): Nido, EY, CH1 & MAP
Wednesday (2/28): CH2, CH3, & CH4
Thursday (2/29): LE1, LE2, & UE
Friday (3/1): All class group photos
For a little fun, the photographers are bringing live baby bunnies as an option for the photography sessions. These cuddly characters should help place a smile on many faces. However, if you want to skip the bunny option, no problem, just let us know via the form below!
As you can imagine, combing hair, fixing disheveled outfits, removing snack crumbs from faces, and navigating children to the photographer is quite a feat. Unsurprisingly, we are in need of volunteer help to make this happen.
If you have any time available in the mornings this week, we would greatly appreciate your help. Please click the button below to volunteer!
Traffic Study
We need your help with an important prerequisite to our ongoing rezoning efforts. On Tuesday through Thursday of this week, the Town of Holly Springs and the DOT will be conducting a traffic study. You may see various crews in the parking lot during this process.
To help facilitate this study, the important goal is to minimize any queuing on Sunset Lake Road during carpool times. We will do our best to extend carpool hours to facilitate this. We may also open the playground field for additional parking during carpool.
If you are able to volunteer at any of our carpool times by arriving early to assist children in and out of their cars, please email us at info@montessoricenter.org.
Many thanks for any suggestions or support you can offer to alleviate carpool traffic!
Re-enrollment and Summer Camps
Apologies for the glitch in our online re-enrollment forms. The PDF confirmation copies are not automatically forwarding to all signers for reasons we are not able to determine.
Please don’t worry if you do not receive a copy of your contract as these will be uploaded to the document section of our new Student Information System, Child Pilot (CP). Re-enrolling families should receive an invite to establish a CP profile no later than Friday.
Additionally, to provide another layer of assurance, we will directly contact all current families who are missing re-enrollment forms by Wednesday. If you don’t receive this communication, please rest assured that your re-enrollment has been processed.
All re-enrolling families should receive a link to establish a CP profile no later than Friday. If you do not receive this invite, please contact info@montessoricenter.org.
Despite note that many of our summer camps have filled up quickly. The Nature Camp (week 3) for elementary students is already at capacity and is closed. Others are also close to capacity. Please also check your CP profile to make sure your summer contract has been processed. If you have any concerns or questions about your summer enrollment, please don’t hesitate to contact us at info@montessoricenter.org!
Aug 2024
August Updates
March 4th
Carpool Door Intercom
As a quick reminder our carpool door is now equipped with an intercom system, making communication and remote door access more convenient for everyone!
If you are arriving for an early or late arrival or departure, please utilize the intercom at the carpool door instead of heading to the front office. When using the intercom, simply press the silver button to communicate with the office.
We hope this new feature will help reduce inconvenient wait times for everyone. If you have any feedback or suggestions on how we can further improve our arrival and departure processes, please don’t hesitate to let us know!
International Day & Early Release
We’re excited to announce that International Day is just around the corner! Stay tuned for live pictures on our Facebook page from the festivities this Friday as we celebrate a rich diversity of cultures from the following countries:
Liberia (Nido & EY), Spain (CH1), Italy (CH2), Albania (CH3), Ireland (CH4), Scotland (LE1), Uruguay (LE2), Madagascar (UE), and Syria (MAP).
Each classroom has been hard at work preparing artwork, projects, and more to showcase the beauty and uniqueness of different cultures from around the world.
Friday is also an early release day. Dismissal times are as follows:
Nido & EY: 11:45am – 12:00pm from classroom door
CH1 & CH2: 11:30am – 11:45am from classroom door
CH3 & CH4: 11:30am – 11:45am from playground
Elem & MAP: 12:15pm – 12:30pm from carpool
MAP Bake Sale
Prepare yourself for our MAP student’s Spring Bake Sale featuring delicious spring treat boxes! Each box includes lemon bars, banana bread, dandelion cookies, and raspberry-filled twists, all for just $15.
Pre-orders will be accepted from March 1st through the 17th. Then, pick up your boxes during carpool on March 21st and 22nd.
Place your order now at: https://www.students.montessoricenter.org/
Spring Fling!
Organized by our Community Engagement Committee, we’re excited to invite you to our annual Spring Fling event at Harris Lake County Park on Sunday, April 14th.
Join us for a morning of fun activities and community bonding and as a precursor to celebrating our 40th year anniversary! It will be a great opportunity to connect with fellow families from our school.
As an added bonus, participating in this event will count towards one hour of your volunteer requirement!
STEAM Art Gallery
Thank you to everyone who helped to facilitate our STEAM Committee’s first art gallery!
There were a variety of styles from abstract art, photography, sculpture, cross stitch and many more.
We are so proud of all of our talented artists!
March 11th
Promoting Peace through Service
The TNS Student Council (TNSSC) is requesting donations to be sent to Liberia, where one of our staff members has family and community members who remain in desperate need of certain items.
Requested donations include toothbrushes, toothpaste, canned foods, bar soap, sanitary pads, spices, lotion, shampoo, notebooks, dry goods, and more. A donation box is available in the front office. For a more detailed list of items, please reach out to our TNSSC committee leads, Ms. Alli, Mr. Art, and Ms. Torey, via info@montessoricenter.org.
Spring After-school Clubs
Spring clubs begin the week of March 18. Please visit the After-school Page on our website for the lineup for spring clubs.
Child Pilot
A big thank you to the parents who volunteered to engage in our beta testing of Child Pilot! Due to the positive feedback we received and the ongoing issues with ProCare, we are going to proceed with transitioning from ProCare to Child Pilot beginning April 1st.
Please keep an eye out for an invitation and registration information later this week, along with further instructions.
The Child Pilot app will provide you with a more streamlined check-in and check-out process, along with other convenient features. All family data for the current school year has already been migrated, and documents such as summer and re-enrollment forms will be uploaded over the next few weeks.
Once you access your portal, you will be able to verify and update your personal information, including emergency contact and alternate pick-up individuals, directly.
MAP Bake Sale
Our MAP student’s Spring Bake Sale is underway, featuring delicious spring treat boxes! Each box includes lemon bars, banana bread, dandelion cookies, and raspberry-filled twists, all for just $15.
Pre-orders will be accepted from March 1st through the 17th. Then, pick up your boxes during carpool on March 21st and 22nd. Place your order now at: https://www.students.montessoricenter.org/
Spring Fling!
Organized by our Community Engagement Committee, we’re excited to invite you to our annual Spring Fling event at Harris Lake County Park on Sunday, April 14th.
Join us for a morning of fun activities and community bonding and as a precursor to celebrating our 40th year anniversary! It will be a great opportunity to connect with fellow families from our school.
As an added bonus, participating in this event will count towards one hour of your volunteer requirement!
March 18th
Spring After-school Clubs
After-school clubs for the spring semester kick off this week! Because some clubs are at full capacity, please make sure you receive a confirmation email to verify that your child has been enrolled prior to attending a club.
For a complete lineup of available clubs, please visit our website.
As a reminder, registration for external clubs such as art, soccer, golf, and Mad Science must be completed directly with the respective company via the provided links.
Child Pilot
Last week, you should have received an invitation to download the Child Pilot app. Once you download the app, you will find your child’s information already populated in your profile. Please carefully review this data and make any necessary corrections for accuracy.
For families who wish to grant their authorized drop-off or pick-up individuals access to Child Pilot for attendance tracking, we will send out additional information and instructions by Tuesday on how to provide this access. Unlike ProCare, Child Pilot provides families with the option to elect permissions and determine which features your contacts are able to access.
One of the features that we and our volunteer families who helped test this app appreciated is its ability to allow for a much smoother check-in and check-out process! We are also exploring additional features with this software and will provide updates on them soon.
New Security Feature: Please ensure to upload profile photos for your children and ALL adults in your guardian and pick-up list. This will add an additional layer of security for our after-school staff and substitute teachers who may not be familiar with the individuals authorized to pick up your child. This will also eliminate the need for any new pick-up individuals to present ID if their image and information is in your child’s profile. For anyone without a profile picture, we are happy to take a quick snap on site! Please note that you can upload, edit, and delete your list as needed throughout the year.
Please remember ProCare will be deactivated on April 1st and that we go live with Child Pilot on April 2nd!
Summer Camp
Our elementary summer camps filled much quicker than expected. Consequently, we are not be able to accommodate all applicants for their requested summer camps.
For our elementary camp applicants, please access your Child Pilot messages to confirm the weeks in which you are enrolled. Please note that we will not charge for summer camp weeks that you applied for but that are now full.
Please contact us at billing@montessoricenter.org if you have any questions regarding your summer enrollment.
MAP Bake Sale
Our MAP students are excited to announce the continuation of their bake sale, featuring spring treat boxes! Each box includes delicious items such as lemon bars, banana bread, dandelion cookies, and raspberry-filled twists, all for just $15!
Orders must be submitted by March 17th. Boxes will be distributed during carpool on March 21st – 22nd. Don’t miss out on these delightful treats!
Spring Break
As a reminder, Spring Break begins on March 25th. We look forward to our students returning on April 2nd. Enjoy your break!
Morning Schedule Help Needed!!
Thank you to the Community Engagement Committee and our parent volunteers for your continued support! However, even with this assistance, the frequency of late arrivals is still posing a challenge to our classrooms.
Teachers often have a schedule that includes group lessons and activities early in the morning before the open work cycle. Late arrivals either miss out on lessons or require additional follow-up from the teachers to ensure they are oriented to the day or catch up on missed lessons later in the day.
We kindly ask that you ensure your child arrives before 9am or please notify your child’s teacher if you will be late. Your cooperation will benefit not only your child but also the classroom’s schedule!
Solar Eclipse Viewing Celebration
On April 8th, North Carolina will experience a partial solar eclipse starting in the early afternoon. To celebrate this rare phenomenon, our Science (STEAM) committee is coordinating with each classroom to create a fun viewing event for students, parents, and staff. We have already ordered eclipse viewing glasses for everyone!
We will also host our annual BBQ and bake sale on this day to supplement the festivities. Stay tuned for more information to be emailed this week!
Sept 2024
September Updates
Coming soon!
Notices and Announcements
Last updated: April 7, 2024
Recording Volunteer Hours
Please remember to log into Track it Forward to update your volunteer hours. Keeping your hours current will help prevent any charges for shortfalls of time at the end of the year!
Child Pilot
Child Pilot is now live and running smoothly! Please take a moment to check your profile to ensure that all of the data is accurate. Also, as a new safety protocol, please upload photographs of all children and adults in your profile.
Weekly Email Archives
For your convenience, you can now access archived weekly email announcements by clicking on the boxes below.
Dec 2023
December Updates
December 10th
WINTER CLUBS
Winter clubs start this week (except for CH Mad Science and elementary Spanish). Please visit our after-school club page for more information on our winter clubs. After School Clubs
If you are interested in enrolling in Mad Science club for CH, please click on the link below! CH Mad Science Registration
TEACHER FAVORITE LISTS
We have received requests to access our “Staff Favorites” lists from families who want to surprise our teachers and support staff with a little something for the holiday season. We are very touched and grateful for your support! Your classroom reps may have already sent out these lists, but if you are unable to locate that email, I have included the se lists below:
NIDO
Support Staff, Specialty Teachers, & Admin
EFFORTLESS GIVING
We hope you kindly support our classrooms and school initiatives by using our affiliate links when engaging in your regular and holiday shopping. By shopping via the links listed on our Support Page, you can easily provide essential funds for our school at no additional cost to you! Please be sure that the Amazon link is still active upon checkout if closing your browser while shopping. Many thanks for your support!
Jan 2024
January Updates
June 3rd
Child Pilot Billing Update
Thank you for your patience as we continue to work on importing the billing data into Child Pilot (CP).
Thankfully, the glitches we have encountered have been quickly remedied by our CP contact and Ms. Dawn’s hard work! Invoices, attendance, and much more will now be centralized in your CP account. Also, we will be adding an option to pre-pay for items such as an estimated annual field trip fee, pizza Wednesdays, school merchandise, and more. Details coming soon!
Please note that even though discounts and credits are not yet fully itemized in the monthly invoice, the total amount due is accurate and includes all discounts/credits.
If you have any questions, please email Ms. Dawn at billing@montessoricenter.org.
MAP Market
Map Market will be selling beaded bracelets and keychains at carpool on June 4th and 5th. These goodies will feature glow in the dark and regular beaded lizards, aliens, stars, flowers, and two bead think bracelets. There are assorted colors, and everything is priced at $2!
New School Yearbook
We’re thrilled to announce the return of our annual yearbook! This softcover book is brimming with highlights and memories from throughout the year here at our school.
Orders are now open and can be placed using the QR code located on the main doors at the school or in the front office. Each yearbook is priced at $20 and includes shipping to the school. Yearbooks are anticipated to arrive by the end of June for pickup.
Feb 2024
February Updates
February 5th
Re-enrollment
Our re-enrollment period begins this week. Please check your email for additional information tomorrow!
Spirit Night
Join us this Wednesday from 5:00pm to 8:00pm for a Spirit Night hosted by the Student Council at Red Robin in Cary (2260 Walnut St).
All proceeds from our community sales will contribute to the council’s spring fundraiser—an initiative to send a much-needed care package to a staff member’s family in Liberia. Thank you for your support!
Family Open House
Please join us this Thursday from 5:00pm to 6:30pm for our Family Open House. Parents are invited to freely explore our school, visit classrooms, and meet with teachers to gain insights into classroom materials and the Montessori philosophy.
This event is an excellent opportunity to learn more about various features of our programs such as uninterrupted morning work cycle, mastery learning, etc.
Plus, parents can count this informative event as part of their annual volunteer hours! If you have any questions or need further details, please reach out to Ms. Kristen at kristen@montessoricenter.org.
Spring Fling Update
Due to an unforeseen conflict with our initially planned Spring Fling location, the Community Engagement Committee has made arrangements for this event to be moved to Harris Lake on Sunday, April 14th. More details will be sent at a later time, but we wanted to announce the date change as soon as possible.
Campus Improvement Day
Our next teacher workday on February 19th provides us with a wonderful opportunity to spruce up some of our outdoor classroom environments. Sadly, our last two events were thwarted by weather. Hopefully, we will have better luck with this date!
We want to take this opportunity to invite parents to help with sprucing up their child’s outdoor areas between 8:30am and 12:00pm, or later if you have time! We are seeking your assistance to help with various projects we have been unable to tackle during the school year.
Teachers and staff will be involved in a safety training for the first part of the morning. However, there are many projects that can be accomplished during this time. Following our training, we will be engaged in clearing trails beginning at 11am. Feel free to stay as long as you like to help with this initiative.
As a token of our appreciation, volunteers will be provided with coffee, donuts, and snacks galore! Also, those in attendance will have an opportunity to engage on an explorative trail walk with teachers and administrators. This is a chance for you to gain insight on our future expansion plans and to provide input on our nature education initiative. Details on this adventure will be posted soon!
STEAM Art Gallery
We are thrilled to announce the upcoming Student Art Gallery hosted by the STEAM Committee. Please note participation is entirely optional.
Interested students should create their artworks at home if they wish to participate. Submissions can utilize any medium – paint, colored pencil, charcoal, watercolor, photography, etc. – and should be no larger than 8.5×11.
Artwork should be submitted no later than February 20th. These works of art will be on display in our “art gallery” from February 23rd through March 1st. Please include the artist’s name and class with their submission. Please email steam@montessoricenter.org with questions!
Art submissions will also be featured on our website, and selected art will appear in some school-wide emails.
We so excited to see the talent exhibited by our young artists!
February 12th
Re-enrollment and Summer Camp
Re-enrollment is underway! Please visit our Re-enrollment webpage to access the re-enrollment contracts and view the re-enrollment overview. Please note that re-enrollment forms and deposits are due by February 27th to lock in the early bird tuition rates.
Also, please keep an eye out for our Summer Camp application forms for all programs, which will be available starting tomorrow.
Spring Pictures
Spring pictures are scheduled for week of February 27th to March 1st. In the spring, we schedule individual and class pictures.
As an extra treat, there may be adorable bunnies involved in the picture options. This will hopefully help encourage a host of smiles! More information on spring pictures and schedules will be sent home soon.
Campus Improvement Volunteer Day
On Monday February 19th (the teacher workday) the Campus Improvement Committee will be holding a school beautification events where parents are invited to lend a helping hand. To sign up, please visit the sign-up genius below:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/508084BAAAE2FAA8-campus#/
February 19th
Teacher Workday & Campus Improvement Volunteering
As a reminder, the school will be closed for a teacher workday on Monday, February 19.
We invite parents to help with sprucing up their child’s outdoor areas between 8:30am and 12:00pm, or later if you have time! We are seeking your assistance to help with various projects we have been unable to tackle during the school year.
Please click below to help us with our outdoor spring cleaning!
Student Information System: Child Pilot
Since we’ve decided to move away from FACTS Management, we have been actively exploring alternative options and have discovered one that we’re quite excited about – Child Pilot. We’re currently seeking parent volunteers to test out this new system and provide us with feedback and suggestions.
If you’re interested in trying out Child Pilot and contributing to its evaluation, please email us at info@montessoricenter.org. Your participation will also count towards parent volunteer hours!
February 26th
Picture Week
This week is picture week. For our spring session, we offer individual and classroom group photos.
Schedule
Tuesday (2/27): Nido, EY, CH1 & MAP
Wednesday (2/28): CH2, CH3, & CH4
Thursday (2/29): LE1, LE2, & UE
Friday (3/1): All class group photos
For a little fun, the photographers are bringing live baby bunnies as an option for the photography sessions. These cuddly characters should help place a smile on many faces. However, if you want to skip the bunny option, no problem, just let us know via the form below!
As you can imagine, combing hair, fixing disheveled outfits, removing snack crumbs from faces, and navigating children to the photographer is quite a feat. Unsurprisingly, we are in need of volunteer help to make this happen.
If you have any time available in the mornings this week, we would greatly appreciate your help. Please click the button below to volunteer!
Traffic Study
We need your help with an important prerequisite to our ongoing rezoning efforts. On Tuesday through Thursday of this week, the Town of Holly Springs and the DOT will be conducting a traffic study. You may see various crews in the parking lot during this process.
To help facilitate this study, the important goal is to minimize any queuing on Sunset Lake Road during carpool times. We will do our best to extend carpool hours to facilitate this. We may also open the playground field for additional parking during carpool.
If you are able to volunteer at any of our carpool times by arriving early to assist children in and out of their cars, please email us at info@montessoricenter.org.
Many thanks for any suggestions or support you can offer to alleviate carpool traffic!
Re-enrollment and Summer Camps
Apologies for the glitch in our online re-enrollment forms. The PDF confirmation copies are not automatically forwarding to all signers for reasons we are not able to determine.
Please don’t worry if you do not receive a copy of your contract as these will be uploaded to the document section of our new Student Information System, Child Pilot (CP). Re-enrolling families should receive an invite to establish a CP profile no later than Friday.
Additionally, to provide another layer of assurance, we will directly contact all current families who are missing re-enrollment forms by Wednesday. If you don’t receive this communication, please rest assured that your re-enrollment has been processed.
All re-enrolling families should receive a link to establish a CP profile no later than Friday. If you do not receive this invite, please contact info@montessoricenter.org.
Despite note that many of our summer camps have filled up quickly. The Nature Camp (week 3) for elementary students is already at capacity and is closed. Others are also close to capacity. Please also check your CP profile to make sure your summer contract has been processed. If you have any concerns or questions about your summer enrollment, please don’t hesitate to contact us at info@montessoricenter.org!
March 2024
March Updates
March 4th
Carpool Door Intercom
As a quick reminder our carpool door is now equipped with an intercom system, making communication and remote door access more convenient for everyone!
If you are arriving for an early or late arrival or departure, please utilize the intercom at the carpool door instead of heading to the front office. When using the intercom, simply press the silver button to communicate with the office.
We hope this new feature will help reduce inconvenient wait times for everyone. If you have any feedback or suggestions on how we can further improve our arrival and departure processes, please don’t hesitate to let us know!
International Day & Early Release
We’re excited to announce that International Day is just around the corner! Stay tuned for live pictures on our Facebook page from the festivities this Friday as we celebrate a rich diversity of cultures from the following countries:
Liberia (Nido & EY), Spain (CH1), Italy (CH2), Albania (CH3), Ireland (CH4), Scotland (LE1), Uruguay (LE2), Madagascar (UE), and Syria (MAP).
Each classroom has been hard at work preparing artwork, projects, and more to showcase the beauty and uniqueness of different cultures from around the world.
Friday is also an early release day. Dismissal times are as follows:
Nido & EY: 11:45am – 12:00pm from classroom door
CH1 & CH2: 11:30am – 11:45am from classroom door
CH3 & CH4: 11:30am – 11:45am from playground
Elem & MAP: 12:15pm – 12:30pm from carpool
MAP Bake Sale
Prepare yourself for our MAP student’s Spring Bake Sale featuring delicious spring treat boxes! Each box includes lemon bars, banana bread, dandelion cookies, and raspberry-filled twists, all for just $15.
Pre-orders will be accepted from March 1st through the 17th. Then, pick up your boxes during carpool on March 21st and 22nd.
Place your order now at: https://www.students.montessoricenter.org/
Spring Fling!
Organized by our Community Engagement Committee, we’re excited to invite you to our annual Spring Fling event at Harris Lake County Park on Sunday, April 14th.
Join us for a morning of fun activities and community bonding and as a precursor to celebrating our 40th year anniversary! It will be a great opportunity to connect with fellow families from our school.
As an added bonus, participating in this event will count towards one hour of your volunteer requirement!
STEAM Art Gallery
Thank you to everyone who helped to facilitate our STEAM Committee’s first art gallery!
There were a variety of styles from abstract art, photography, sculpture, cross stitch and many more.
We are so proud of all of our talented artists!
March 11th
Promoting Peace through Service
The TNS Student Council (TNSSC) is requesting donations to be sent to Liberia, where one of our staff members has family and community members who remain in desperate need of certain items.
Requested donations include toothbrushes, toothpaste, canned foods, bar soap, sanitary pads, spices, lotion, shampoo, notebooks, dry goods, and more. A donation box is available in the front office. For a more detailed list of items, please reach out to our TNSSC committee leads, Ms. Alli, Mr. Art, and Ms. Torey, via info@montessoricenter.org.
Spring After-school Clubs
Spring clubs begin the week of March 18. Please visit the After-school Page on our website for the lineup for spring clubs.
Child Pilot
A big thank you to the parents who volunteered to engage in our beta testing of Child Pilot! Due to the positive feedback we received and the ongoing issues with ProCare, we are going to proceed with transitioning from ProCare to Child Pilot beginning April 1st.
Please keep an eye out for an invitation and registration information later this week, along with further instructions.
The Child Pilot app will provide you with a more streamlined check-in and check-out process, along with other convenient features. All family data for the current school year has already been migrated, and documents such as summer and re-enrollment forms will be uploaded over the next few weeks.
Once you access your portal, you will be able to verify and update your personal information, including emergency contact and alternate pick-up individuals, directly.
MAP Bake Sale
Our MAP student’s Spring Bake Sale is underway, featuring delicious spring treat boxes! Each box includes lemon bars, banana bread, dandelion cookies, and raspberry-filled twists, all for just $15.
Pre-orders will be accepted from March 1st through the 17th. Then, pick up your boxes during carpool on March 21st and 22nd. Place your order now at: https://www.students.montessoricenter.org/
Spring Fling!
Organized by our Community Engagement Committee, we’re excited to invite you to our annual Spring Fling event at Harris Lake County Park on Sunday, April 14th.
Join us for a morning of fun activities and community bonding and as a precursor to celebrating our 40th year anniversary! It will be a great opportunity to connect with fellow families from our school.
As an added bonus, participating in this event will count towards one hour of your volunteer requirement!
March 18th
Spring After-school Clubs
After-school clubs for the spring semester kick off this week! Because some clubs are at full capacity, please make sure you receive a confirmation email to verify that your child has been enrolled prior to attending a club.
For a complete lineup of available clubs, please visit our website.
As a reminder, registration for external clubs such as art, soccer, golf, and Mad Science must be completed directly with the respective company via the provided links.
Child Pilot
Last week, you should have received an invitation to download the Child Pilot app. Once you download the app, you will find your child’s information already populated in your profile. Please carefully review this data and make any necessary corrections for accuracy.
For families who wish to grant their authorized drop-off or pick-up individuals access to Child Pilot for attendance tracking, we will send out additional information and instructions by Tuesday on how to provide this access. Unlike ProCare, Child Pilot provides families with the option to elect permissions and determine which features your contacts are able to access.
One of the features that we and our volunteer families who helped test this app appreciated is its ability to allow for a much smoother check-in and check-out process! We are also exploring additional features with this software and will provide updates on them soon.
New Security Feature: Please ensure to upload profile photos for your children and ALL adults in your guardian and pick-up list. This will add an additional layer of security for our after-school staff and substitute teachers who may not be familiar with the individuals authorized to pick up your child. This will also eliminate the need for any new pick-up individuals to present ID if their image and information is in your child’s profile. For anyone without a profile picture, we are happy to take a quick snap on site! Please note that you can upload, edit, and delete your list as needed throughout the year.
Please remember ProCare will be deactivated on April 1st and that we go live with Child Pilot on April 2nd!
Summer Camp
Our elementary summer camps filled much quicker than expected. Consequently, we are not be able to accommodate all applicants for their requested summer camps.
For our elementary camp applicants, please access your Child Pilot messages to confirm the weeks in which you are enrolled. Please note that we will not charge for summer camp weeks that you applied for but that are now full.
Please contact us at billing@montessoricenter.org if you have any questions regarding your summer enrollment.
MAP Bake Sale
Our MAP students are excited to announce the continuation of their bake sale, featuring spring treat boxes! Each box includes delicious items such as lemon bars, banana bread, dandelion cookies, and raspberry-filled twists, all for just $15!
Orders must be submitted by March 17th. Boxes will be distributed during carpool on March 21st – 22nd. Don’t miss out on these delightful treats!
Spring Break
As a reminder, Spring Break begins on March 25th. We look forward to our students returning on April 2nd. Enjoy your break!
Morning Schedule Help Needed!!
Thank you to the Community Engagement Committee and our parent volunteers for your continued support! However, even with this assistance, the frequency of late arrivals is still posing a challenge to our classrooms.
Teachers often have a schedule that includes group lessons and activities early in the morning before the open work cycle. Late arrivals either miss out on lessons or require additional follow-up from the teachers to ensure they are oriented to the day or catch up on missed lessons later in the day.
We kindly ask that you ensure your child arrives before 9am or please notify your child’s teacher if you will be late. Your cooperation will benefit not only your child but also the classroom’s schedule!
Solar Eclipse Viewing Celebration
On April 8th, North Carolina will experience a partial solar eclipse starting in the early afternoon. To celebrate this rare phenomenon, our Science (STEAM) committee is coordinating with each classroom to create a fun viewing event for students, parents, and staff. We have already ordered eclipse viewing glasses for everyone!
We will also host our annual BBQ and bake sale on this day to supplement the festivities. Stay tuned for more information to be emailed this week!
April 2024
April Updates
April 1st
Teacher Workday on Monday
I hope you had a relaxing and enjoyable spring break! As a friendly reminder, April 1st is a teacher workday. We look forward to welcoming everyone back on April 2nd!
Important: Transition from ProCare to Child Pilot
Our transition from ProCare to Child Pilot is scheduled to begin on April 2nd. Please contact us immediately at info@montessoricenter.org if you have not received your Child Pilot invitation email.
Solar Eclipse Viewing Celebration
On April 8th, North Carolina will experience a partial solar eclipse starting in the early afternoon. To celebrate this rare phenomenon, our Science (STEAM) committee is coordinating with each classroom to create a fun viewing event for students, parents, and staff. We have already ordered eclipse viewing glasses for our students.
We will also host our BBQ Fundraiser and Student Council bake sale on this day to supplement the festivities. Click on the link below for more information!
April 8th
Parent Resource Webpage
Navigating the multitude of notifications and updates from the school via emails and app messages can be overwhelming. Who wants to dig through their inbox from days or weeks ago to find that one crucial message?
To tackle this challenge, we have created a virtual bulletin board via our Parent Resource page! This centralized hub aims to gather updates, resources, news, important dates, and more in one convenient location on our website.
Missed an announcement, update on our clubs or events, or lost track of our calendar? No problem! Hopefully, you will find the information you need on our Parent Resource page.
To enhance this resource and provide even more value, we’d love to hear your suggestions for additional content to include on this page!
Child Pilot
Thank you all for your continued support and patience during our transition to Child Pilot. Last week offered us a valuable real-time test of the system. If any attendance irregularities occurred last week, please rest assured that you will not incur any late departure fees based on this attendance data.
One important change to note is that authorized pick-up individuals must now download the Child Pilot app to record your child’s arrival or departure. Additionally, as a security measure, we now require photographs of all individuals in your profile to be uploaded to Child Pilot. For all missing images, we are happy to snap some photos for you! Please let us know if you need any assistance during this transition.
Spring Events
Spring has arrived, and with it comes an array of exciting events organized by our school-led and Community Engagement Committees for our students and families to enjoy!
Please check your email inbox from the past few weeks and visit our Parent Resource page for more details about the following upcoming events:
- Solar eclipse and BBQ
- Original Works Fundraiser
- Earth Day Events
- Spring Fling
- Science Night Campout Event
Have a great week!
April 15th
Parent Community Engagement Garden Event
Please mark your calendar for April 20th (2:30pm – 5:30pm) as the CEC kicks off Earth Day with a gardening event. Volunteer help and donations are welcome. Feel free to bring your children along as long as they are supervised. We will send out additional details this week.
Please click below if interested in helping with this event!
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/508084BAAAE2FAA8-47992930-earth#/
Science Night Out Camping Adventure
Get ready for Science Night Out 2024 on Friday, May 3rd, 2024! After a thrilling success and night of astronomical fun at SNO 2023, we look forward to making this year’s science-themed camping adventure even better!
Date: 5/3/24-5/4/24
Time: 6:00pm – 8:00am
Pick up times and cost are as follows:
- 6:00pm to 10:00pm if not camping–$40.00 (add $10 per additional child if you have multiple children attending)
- 6:00pm to 8:00am if your child is camping–$60.00 (add $10 per additional child if you have multiple children attending)
Adult chaperones attend free of cost. Siblings who do not attend The New School may attend for an additional cost.
Please sign-up and submit payment no later than Friday, April 19th, 2024. Also, please submit a separate sign-up for each child attending.
Event is weather dependent. Rain makeup date will be Friday, May 10th, 2024.
Please click on the link below to reserve your space for this fun event. We hope to see you there! https://form.jotform.com/240293963109055
Spring Fling
Thank you to our Community Engagement Committee for orchestrating today’s fun-filled Spring Fling event. The turnout was incredible, and the weather could not have been better. This marks the beginning of our year-long celebration for our 40th anniversary, and it certainly started off with a bang!
A heartfelt thank you goes out to our parent committee leaders, Ms. Jassi and Ms. Kim, along with Ms. Kristen, the committee’s administrative representative, for their planning and execution of this event.
We also want to express gratitude to our dedicated teachers, staff, and MAP students who worked behind the scenes to set up and provide support throughout the event. Your contributions were invaluable in making today a success!
Thank you also to everyone who was able to attend. If you missed this event, don’t worry, we have more in store for you for the remainder of this year and for our 2024-2025 school year!
Many thanks to our event highlights:
- Ms. Linda for her invigorating yoga session that kicked off today’s event.
- Kim’s Yong-In Martial Arts for their engaging presentation!
- Ms. Rachel with Dragonfly Nature Programs.
- Usborne books.
- Exceptional professional baked goods courtesy of McCakes by FM by one of our staff’s family members!
- And a shoutout to the mystery staff member who fearlessly participated in the Fun Run in their Monty the TNS T-Rex costume. We are happy that Monty was not trampled too badly!
If you did not have an opportunity to order an event t-shirt, please click on the button to order your shirt! https://form.jotform.com/241014585111040
Have a great week!
April 22nd
Science Night Out Event
Join us for our annual Science Night Out on May 3rd, from 6pm to 10pm! This exciting event promises a range of engaging activities. Click this link to learn more and mark your calendars for an unforgettable evening of science exploration!
Student Council Krispy Kreme Fundraiser
Get ready for our last Student Council fundraiser of the school year! This time, they are bringing you a sweet treat with a Krispy Kreme fundraiser. Keep an eye out early this week as students will be bringing home order sheets.
You can purchase a dozen original glazed donuts for $10.00 or a dozen chocolate iced donuts for $12.00.
All proceeds will be sent to the Ronald McDonald House of Durham, supporting families in need during difficult times. Let’s rally together and make this fundraiser a huge success for a truly worthy cause!
MAP Larping Day
On Monday, June 3rd, the MAP Classroom will be participating in a Live Action Role Play (LARP) activity at Dix Park in Raleigh. They will be wrapping up their study of Medieval Europe, and since the students have shared a strong interest in LARPing, we wanted to give them an opportunity to experience a Medieval battle!
For this, we will need a number of parent volunteers that are willing to role play alongside our students. The requirements would be:
- Dress in period appropriate clothing (Medieval Europe)
- Create and maintain period-appropriate (not realistic) weaponry (think styrofoam)
- Availability on June 3rd and 4th (the rain date) from 10am to about 12:30pm
- Help follow the storyline and stay within the role-play safety guidelines
If you are available and interested in joining our LARP, please sign up here!
Child Pilot and Tuition Invoicing
One of our ongoing goals is to centralize resources for our families by minimizing the number of apps and communication channels they need to monitor. Life is complicated enough without needing to tend to multiple messaging and information systems!
With this in mind, we aim to utilize Child Pilot, which addresses most of our needs at this time. This includes scheduling conferences, accessing our calendar, messaging your child’s teachers or the administration, signing up for events, and monitoring your child’s attendance record.
After careful consideration, we are now optimistic that Child Pilot will also serve as our tuition management system. This means families will have a convenient way to pay for tuition and incidentals such as pizza day, childcare, late fees, field trips, after-school clubs, and more.
Further details will be emailed later this week, so please keep an eye out for additional information.
However, please remember to access the Parent Resources Page on our website for the most updated information and collection of convenient links!
Campus Improvement Update
Despite facing a few delays, we are steadily navigating through a series of bureaucratic challenges. Although we are currently unable to immediately connect to the town’s sewer system as originally planned, this delay is due to some positive news. The engineering work has been approved and is poised for connection once we receive final approval on our plans to link up with the city’s water supply, and this is happening ahead of schedule.
You may have noticed flags and cordoned-off areas on the playing field. Once we receive the green light, the final construction phase will involve digging into our field (possibly in these areas). This construction may also affect a small section of the fenced-in area. At this time, we are unsure of the exact location of these connections. However, rest assured that outdoor recess activities will not be affected by this construction!
We should know more about this timeline in the next few weeks. As always, we will keep you updated.
April 29th
Science Night Out
Science Night Out is coming up on May 3rd, from 6pm to 10pm! Please note that registration is closed. If you have already signed up, please make sure to check your email and Child Pilot messages for instructions on the evening’s events.
School Closed on Friday
Please remember that the school is closed this Friday for teachers to organize or host parent-teacher conferences.
Student Council Krispy Kreme Fundraiser
Get ready for our last Student Council fundraiser of the school year! This time, they are bringing you a sweet treat with a Krispy Kreme fundraiser. Keep an eye out early this week as students will be bringing home order sheets.
You can purchase a dozen original glazed donuts for $10.00 or a dozen chocolate iced donuts for $12.00.
All proceeds will be sent to the Ronald McDonald House of Durham, supporting families in need during difficult times. Let’s rally together and make this fundraiser a huge success for a truly worthy cause!
MAP Larping Day
We are re still seeking volunteers for our Monday, June 3rd Larping Event!
As mentioned last week, the MAP Classroom will be participating in a Live Action Role Play (LARP) activity at Dix Park in Raleigh.
To ensure the success of this event and to provide support to our MAP students, who are eagerly anticipating it, we need parent volunteers willing to participate in role-playing.
Volunteers should:
- Dress in period-appropriate clothing (Medieval Europe)
- Create and maintain period-appropriate (but not realistic) weaponry (think styrofoam)
- Be available on June 3rd and 4th (the rain date) from 10am to approximately 12:30pm
- Assist in following the storyline and adhering to role-play safety guidelines
If you’re available and interested in joining our LARP, please sign up below!
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/409084BAAA729ABF94-49118151-mapmedieval#/
May 2024
May Updates
May 6th
Science Night Out
We were so disappointed that we needed to unexpectedly postpone Science Night Out! Unfortunately, the deterioration of air quality occurred more rapidly than anticipated due to the controlled burning activity nearby. We greatly appreciate your understanding.
For those who signed up their child(ren), the new date for Science Night Out will be this Friday, May 10. If you are unable to attend on the rescheduled date, please email steam@montessoricenter.org to request a refund. Thank you for your understanding and flexibility!
Student Council Krispy Kreme Fundraiser
Krispy Kreme orders are due tomorrow! A big thank you to everyone who has already purchased or plans to purchase doughnuts.
All proceeds will be donated to The Ronald McDonald House of Durham. Please drop off your orders at the front office. Doughnuts will be available for pickup on Friday. Thank you for your support!
Teacher Appreciation Week
This week is Teacher Appreciation Week!
As we celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week, I want to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude to our extraordinary educators who continuously go above and beyond to create an exceptional learning environment for our students.
Every day, I have the privilege of witnessing the dedication, passion, and unwavering commitment of our teachers. They tirelessly strive to meet the unique needs of each student, providing individualized support and fostering a nurturing atmosphere to help every child thrive.
I invite you to join me in honoring and appreciating our incredible teachers who play such a pivotal role in shaping our children’s future. Your ongoing support and recognition mean the world to them!
I also want to give a special shoutout to our CEC for organizing this event to celebrate our teachers throughout the week. Your efforts are truly appreciated.
Thank you all for your continued support and for recognizing the invaluable contributions of our teachers!
May 13th
Thank you!
On behalf of our teachers and staff, I wanted to thank you, our Parent Representatives, and the Community Engagement Committee again for supporting and organizing such a wonderful Teacher Appreciation Week!
Your support and involvement are what make our school community so special, and we feel very fortunate to have such dedicated families. Your generous gestures, gifts, sentiments, and contributions were thoroughly enjoyed by our teachers and staff.
One of the many highlights of the week was our community lunch, where we got to enjoy Alpaca, a particular favorite among many of us. This special event offered our teachers with a rare opportunity to step out of the classroom and enjoy some well-deserved time connecting with their colleagues. The other surprises (including the very generous gift cards, the beautifully designed drink containers, a delightful breakfast spread, flower seeds, and more) made this a very special week for us all.
Together, we make the magic of TNS happen, and we are truly grateful for your support of our amazing teachers!
Campus Improvement Spirit Night
We invite you to join our last Spirit Night of the school year at the Cary City BBQ location (on Kildaire Farm Road) on Wednesday to support our Campus Improvement Committee.
Mark your calendars and come out to support our school community while enjoying a great meal. Members of our staff will be onsite for an hour or so during the evening, ready to engage with the children and spread some TNS spirit!
May 20th
Billing Update
We are pleased to announce that Child Pilot is now ready for you to set up your payment method!
Key Information:
- Transaction Fee: If you selected the 12-month payment plan and the automated ACH option, please note there is a $1 per transaction fee. To offset this, we will reduce your $50 finance fee by $12.
- Invoices: Invoices are still being set up and may not yet reflect your full or correct amount. Additionally, any payments already made will not show up in the system yet. Thank you for your patience as we work to complete this extensive transition!
- Billing Timeline: We anticipate that billing will be complete by the end of this week. Invoices will be sent out 5 days before the due date of June 1st.
If you have any questions, please email Ms. Dawn at billing@montessoricenter.org.
May 28th
Child Pilot Billing Update
Child Pilot is now ready for you to set up your payment method and automatic payments, as selected in your re-enrollment contract. Please note that if you opted for the 12-month payment plan with the ACH option, there is a $1 fee per transaction. To offset this, we will reduce your $50 finance fee by $12.
Be aware that invoices are still being set up and may not yet reflect the full or correct amount. Any payments already made will not appear in the system at this time. We expect the billing process to be completed by the end of next week. Thank you for your patience as we complete the transition from Blackbaud to Child Pilot!
If you have any questions, please email Ms. Dawn at billing@montessoricenter.org.
Carpool Lane and Security
You may have noticed new yellow and red color strips along our carpool curb. For your convenience, we have designated the yellow strip as a temporary drop-off zone if arriving outside of carpool hours. Parents should not leave their vehicles unattended in this area. However, families may park temporarily to approach the carpool door for arrivals and departures.
Please note that the red zone is a strict fire lane. No temporary parking or drop-offs are allowed in this area under any circumstances, as this may result in an infraction for the school.
Should you have any parking lot or other safety concerns, please send your feedback to our new security@montessoricenter.org email address.
Holly Springs Salamanders Tickets
New School families, join us for the final event of the school year: a Holly Springs Salamanders game on Sunday, June 2nd! The game starts at 5 PM.
Important details:
- Our school has a dedicated section for families to sit together, located down the third base line, right near the playground.
- Reserve your tickets with our group: Holly Springs Salamanders Tickets.
- For those who can stay until the end, kids are invited to run the bases after the game.
- If you purchased a New School t-shirt, consider wearing it to show your school spirit!
We look forward to seeing you there!
June 2024
June Updates
June 3rd
Child Pilot Billing Update
Thank you for your patience as we continue to work on importing the billing data into Child Pilot (CP).
Thankfully, the glitches we have encountered have been quickly remedied by our CP contact and Ms. Dawn’s hard work! Invoices, attendance, and much more will now be centralized in your CP account. Also, we will be adding an option to pre-pay for items such as an estimated annual field trip fee, pizza Wednesdays, school merchandise, and more. Details coming soon!
Please note that even though discounts and credits are not yet fully itemized in the monthly invoice, the total amount due is accurate and includes all discounts/credits.
If you have any questions, please email Ms. Dawn at billing@montessoricenter.org.
MAP Market
Map Market will be selling beaded bracelets and keychains at carpool on June 4th and 5th. These goodies will feature glow in the dark and regular beaded lizards, aliens, stars, flowers, and two bead think bracelets. There are assorted colors, and everything is priced at $2!
New School Yearbook
We’re thrilled to announce the return of our annual yearbook! This softcover book is brimming with highlights and memories from throughout the year here at our school.
Orders are now open and can be placed using the QR code located on the main doors at the school or in the front office. Each yearbook is priced at $20 and includes shipping to the school. Yearbooks are anticipated to arrive by the end of June for pickup.
July 2024
July Updates
February 5th
Re-enrollment
Our re-enrollment period begins this week. Please check your email for additional information tomorrow!
Spirit Night
Join us this Wednesday from 5:00pm to 8:00pm for a Spirit Night hosted by the Student Council at Red Robin in Cary (2260 Walnut St).
All proceeds from our community sales will contribute to the council’s spring fundraiser—an initiative to send a much-needed care package to a staff member’s family in Liberia. Thank you for your support!
Family Open House
Please join us this Thursday from 5:00pm to 6:30pm for our Family Open House. Parents are invited to freely explore our school, visit classrooms, and meet with teachers to gain insights into classroom materials and the Montessori philosophy.
This event is an excellent opportunity to learn more about various features of our programs such as uninterrupted morning work cycle, mastery learning, etc.
Plus, parents can count this informative event as part of their annual volunteer hours! If you have any questions or need further details, please reach out to Ms. Kristen at kristen@montessoricenter.org.
Spring Fling Update
Due to an unforeseen conflict with our initially planned Spring Fling location, the Community Engagement Committee has made arrangements for this event to be moved to Harris Lake on Sunday, April 14th. More details will be sent at a later time, but we wanted to announce the date change as soon as possible.
Campus Improvement Day
Our next teacher workday on February 19th provides us with a wonderful opportunity to spruce up some of our outdoor classroom environments. Sadly, our last two events were thwarted by weather. Hopefully, we will have better luck with this date!
We want to take this opportunity to invite parents to help with sprucing up their child’s outdoor areas between 8:30am and 12:00pm, or later if you have time! We are seeking your assistance to help with various projects we have been unable to tackle during the school year.
Teachers and staff will be involved in a safety training for the first part of the morning. However, there are many projects that can be accomplished during this time. Following our training, we will be engaged in clearing trails beginning at 11am. Feel free to stay as long as you like to help with this initiative.
As a token of our appreciation, volunteers will be provided with coffee, donuts, and snacks galore! Also, those in attendance will have an opportunity to engage on an explorative trail walk with teachers and administrators. This is a chance for you to gain insight on our future expansion plans and to provide input on our nature education initiative. Details on this adventure will be posted soon!
STEAM Art Gallery
We are thrilled to announce the upcoming Student Art Gallery hosted by the STEAM Committee. Please note participation is entirely optional.
Interested students should create their artworks at home if they wish to participate. Submissions can utilize any medium – paint, colored pencil, charcoal, watercolor, photography, etc. – and should be no larger than 8.5×11.
Artwork should be submitted no later than February 20th. These works of art will be on display in our “art gallery” from February 23rd through March 1st. Please include the artist’s name and class with their submission. Please email steam@montessoricenter.org with questions!
Art submissions will also be featured on our website, and selected art will appear in some school-wide emails.
We so excited to see the talent exhibited by our young artists!
February 12th
Re-enrollment and Summer Camp
Re-enrollment is underway! Please visit our Re-enrollment webpage to access the re-enrollment contracts and view the re-enrollment overview. Please note that re-enrollment forms and deposits are due by February 27th to lock in the early bird tuition rates.
Also, please keep an eye out for our Summer Camp application forms for all programs, which will be available starting tomorrow.
Spring Pictures
Spring pictures are scheduled for week of February 27th to March 1st. In the spring, we schedule individual and class pictures.
As an extra treat, there may be adorable bunnies involved in the picture options. This will hopefully help encourage a host of smiles! More information on spring pictures and schedules will be sent home soon.
Campus Improvement Volunteer Day
On Monday February 19th (the teacher workday) the Campus Improvement Committee will be holding a school beautification events where parents are invited to lend a helping hand. To sign up, please visit the sign-up genius below:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/508084BAAAE2FAA8-campus#/
February 19th
Teacher Workday & Campus Improvement Volunteering
As a reminder, the school will be closed for a teacher workday on Monday, February 19.
We invite parents to help with sprucing up their child’s outdoor areas between 8:30am and 12:00pm, or later if you have time! We are seeking your assistance to help with various projects we have been unable to tackle during the school year.
Please click below to help us with our outdoor spring cleaning!
Student Information System: Child Pilot
Since we’ve decided to move away from FACTS Management, we have been actively exploring alternative options and have discovered one that we’re quite excited about – Child Pilot. We’re currently seeking parent volunteers to test out this new system and provide us with feedback and suggestions.
If you’re interested in trying out Child Pilot and contributing to its evaluation, please email us at info@montessoricenter.org. Your participation will also count towards parent volunteer hours!
February 26th
Picture Week
This week is picture week. For our spring session, we offer individual and classroom group photos.
Schedule
Tuesday (2/27): Nido, EY, CH1 & MAP
Wednesday (2/28): CH2, CH3, & CH4
Thursday (2/29): LE1, LE2, & UE
Friday (3/1): All class group photos
For a little fun, the photographers are bringing live baby bunnies as an option for the photography sessions. These cuddly characters should help place a smile on many faces. However, if you want to skip the bunny option, no problem, just let us know via the form below!
As you can imagine, combing hair, fixing disheveled outfits, removing snack crumbs from faces, and navigating children to the photographer is quite a feat. Unsurprisingly, we are in need of volunteer help to make this happen.
If you have any time available in the mornings this week, we would greatly appreciate your help. Please click the button below to volunteer!
Traffic Study
We need your help with an important prerequisite to our ongoing rezoning efforts. On Tuesday through Thursday of this week, the Town of Holly Springs and the DOT will be conducting a traffic study. You may see various crews in the parking lot during this process.
To help facilitate this study, the important goal is to minimize any queuing on Sunset Lake Road during carpool times. We will do our best to extend carpool hours to facilitate this. We may also open the playground field for additional parking during carpool.
If you are able to volunteer at any of our carpool times by arriving early to assist children in and out of their cars, please email us at info@montessoricenter.org.
Many thanks for any suggestions or support you can offer to alleviate carpool traffic!
Re-enrollment and Summer Camps
Apologies for the glitch in our online re-enrollment forms. The PDF confirmation copies are not automatically forwarding to all signers for reasons we are not able to determine.
Please don’t worry if you do not receive a copy of your contract as these will be uploaded to the document section of our new Student Information System, Child Pilot (CP). Re-enrolling families should receive an invite to establish a CP profile no later than Friday.
Additionally, to provide another layer of assurance, we will directly contact all current families who are missing re-enrollment forms by Wednesday. If you don’t receive this communication, please rest assured that your re-enrollment has been processed.
All re-enrolling families should receive a link to establish a CP profile no later than Friday. If you do not receive this invite, please contact info@montessoricenter.org.
Despite note that many of our summer camps have filled up quickly. The Nature Camp (week 3) for elementary students is already at capacity and is closed. Others are also close to capacity. Please also check your CP profile to make sure your summer contract has been processed. If you have any concerns or questions about your summer enrollment, please don’t hesitate to contact us at info@montessoricenter.org!
Aug 2024
August Updates
March 4th
Carpool Door Intercom
As a quick reminder our carpool door is now equipped with an intercom system, making communication and remote door access more convenient for everyone!
If you are arriving for an early or late arrival or departure, please utilize the intercom at the carpool door instead of heading to the front office. When using the intercom, simply press the silver button to communicate with the office.
We hope this new feature will help reduce inconvenient wait times for everyone. If you have any feedback or suggestions on how we can further improve our arrival and departure processes, please don’t hesitate to let us know!
International Day & Early Release
We’re excited to announce that International Day is just around the corner! Stay tuned for live pictures on our Facebook page from the festivities this Friday as we celebrate a rich diversity of cultures from the following countries:
Liberia (Nido & EY), Spain (CH1), Italy (CH2), Albania (CH3), Ireland (CH4), Scotland (LE1), Uruguay (LE2), Madagascar (UE), and Syria (MAP).
Each classroom has been hard at work preparing artwork, projects, and more to showcase the beauty and uniqueness of different cultures from around the world.
Friday is also an early release day. Dismissal times are as follows:
Nido & EY: 11:45am – 12:00pm from classroom door
CH1 & CH2: 11:30am – 11:45am from classroom door
CH3 & CH4: 11:30am – 11:45am from playground
Elem & MAP: 12:15pm – 12:30pm from carpool
MAP Bake Sale
Prepare yourself for our MAP student’s Spring Bake Sale featuring delicious spring treat boxes! Each box includes lemon bars, banana bread, dandelion cookies, and raspberry-filled twists, all for just $15.
Pre-orders will be accepted from March 1st through the 17th. Then, pick up your boxes during carpool on March 21st and 22nd.
Place your order now at: https://www.students.montessoricenter.org/
Spring Fling!
Organized by our Community Engagement Committee, we’re excited to invite you to our annual Spring Fling event at Harris Lake County Park on Sunday, April 14th.
Join us for a morning of fun activities and community bonding and as a precursor to celebrating our 40th year anniversary! It will be a great opportunity to connect with fellow families from our school.
As an added bonus, participating in this event will count towards one hour of your volunteer requirement!
STEAM Art Gallery
Thank you to everyone who helped to facilitate our STEAM Committee’s first art gallery!
There were a variety of styles from abstract art, photography, sculpture, cross stitch and many more.
We are so proud of all of our talented artists!
March 11th
Promoting Peace through Service
The TNS Student Council (TNSSC) is requesting donations to be sent to Liberia, where one of our staff members has family and community members who remain in desperate need of certain items.
Requested donations include toothbrushes, toothpaste, canned foods, bar soap, sanitary pads, spices, lotion, shampoo, notebooks, dry goods, and more. A donation box is available in the front office. For a more detailed list of items, please reach out to our TNSSC committee leads, Ms. Alli, Mr. Art, and Ms. Torey, via info@montessoricenter.org.
Spring After-school Clubs
Spring clubs begin the week of March 18. Please visit the After-school Page on our website for the lineup for spring clubs.
Child Pilot
A big thank you to the parents who volunteered to engage in our beta testing of Child Pilot! Due to the positive feedback we received and the ongoing issues with ProCare, we are going to proceed with transitioning from ProCare to Child Pilot beginning April 1st.
Please keep an eye out for an invitation and registration information later this week, along with further instructions.
The Child Pilot app will provide you with a more streamlined check-in and check-out process, along with other convenient features. All family data for the current school year has already been migrated, and documents such as summer and re-enrollment forms will be uploaded over the next few weeks.
Once you access your portal, you will be able to verify and update your personal information, including emergency contact and alternate pick-up individuals, directly.
MAP Bake Sale
Our MAP student’s Spring Bake Sale is underway, featuring delicious spring treat boxes! Each box includes lemon bars, banana bread, dandelion cookies, and raspberry-filled twists, all for just $15.
Pre-orders will be accepted from March 1st through the 17th. Then, pick up your boxes during carpool on March 21st and 22nd. Place your order now at: https://www.students.montessoricenter.org/
Spring Fling!
Organized by our Community Engagement Committee, we’re excited to invite you to our annual Spring Fling event at Harris Lake County Park on Sunday, April 14th.
Join us for a morning of fun activities and community bonding and as a precursor to celebrating our 40th year anniversary! It will be a great opportunity to connect with fellow families from our school.
As an added bonus, participating in this event will count towards one hour of your volunteer requirement!
March 18th
Spring After-school Clubs
After-school clubs for the spring semester kick off this week! Because some clubs are at full capacity, please make sure you receive a confirmation email to verify that your child has been enrolled prior to attending a club.
For a complete lineup of available clubs, please visit our website.
As a reminder, registration for external clubs such as art, soccer, golf, and Mad Science must be completed directly with the respective company via the provided links.
Child Pilot
Last week, you should have received an invitation to download the Child Pilot app. Once you download the app, you will find your child’s information already populated in your profile. Please carefully review this data and make any necessary corrections for accuracy.
For families who wish to grant their authorized drop-off or pick-up individuals access to Child Pilot for attendance tracking, we will send out additional information and instructions by Tuesday on how to provide this access. Unlike ProCare, Child Pilot provides families with the option to elect permissions and determine which features your contacts are able to access.
One of the features that we and our volunteer families who helped test this app appreciated is its ability to allow for a much smoother check-in and check-out process! We are also exploring additional features with this software and will provide updates on them soon.
New Security Feature: Please ensure to upload profile photos for your children and ALL adults in your guardian and pick-up list. This will add an additional layer of security for our after-school staff and substitute teachers who may not be familiar with the individuals authorized to pick up your child. This will also eliminate the need for any new pick-up individuals to present ID if their image and information is in your child’s profile. For anyone without a profile picture, we are happy to take a quick snap on site! Please note that you can upload, edit, and delete your list as needed throughout the year.
Please remember ProCare will be deactivated on April 1st and that we go live with Child Pilot on April 2nd!
Summer Camp
Our elementary summer camps filled much quicker than expected. Consequently, we are not be able to accommodate all applicants for their requested summer camps.
For our elementary camp applicants, please access your Child Pilot messages to confirm the weeks in which you are enrolled. Please note that we will not charge for summer camp weeks that you applied for but that are now full.
Please contact us at billing@montessoricenter.org if you have any questions regarding your summer enrollment.
MAP Bake Sale
Our MAP students are excited to announce the continuation of their bake sale, featuring spring treat boxes! Each box includes delicious items such as lemon bars, banana bread, dandelion cookies, and raspberry-filled twists, all for just $15!
Orders must be submitted by March 17th. Boxes will be distributed during carpool on March 21st – 22nd. Don’t miss out on these delightful treats!
Spring Break
As a reminder, Spring Break begins on March 25th. We look forward to our students returning on April 2nd. Enjoy your break!
Morning Schedule Help Needed!!
Thank you to the Community Engagement Committee and our parent volunteers for your continued support! However, even with this assistance, the frequency of late arrivals is still posing a challenge to our classrooms.
Teachers often have a schedule that includes group lessons and activities early in the morning before the open work cycle. Late arrivals either miss out on lessons or require additional follow-up from the teachers to ensure they are oriented to the day or catch up on missed lessons later in the day.
We kindly ask that you ensure your child arrives before 9am or please notify your child’s teacher if you will be late. Your cooperation will benefit not only your child but also the classroom’s schedule!
Solar Eclipse Viewing Celebration
On April 8th, North Carolina will experience a partial solar eclipse starting in the early afternoon. To celebrate this rare phenomenon, our Science (STEAM) committee is coordinating with each classroom to create a fun viewing event for students, parents, and staff. We have already ordered eclipse viewing glasses for everyone!
We will also host our annual BBQ and bake sale on this day to supplement the festivities. Stay tuned for more information to be emailed this week!
Sept 2024
September Updates
Coming soon!
School News
Gala and Auction Review
Julie2024-12-23T16:14:51-05:00December 16th, 2024|0 Comments
Our first-ever Gala & Silent Auction fundraiser was a great success! Families and staff [...]
Going Gaga
Julie2024-09-26T00:48:08-04:00September 26th, 2024|0 Comments
Thanks to the generous donations from our school community, we are thrilled to announce [...]
Spring Fling Picnic
Julie2024-04-15T19:33:11-04:00April 15th, 2024|0 Comments
Thank you to our Community Engagement Committee for orchestrating our fun-filled Spring Fling event on [...]
New School Strategic Plan
Information coming soon!
New Families
We strive to provide new parents with a welcoming and comprehensive list of resources to acclimate quickly to the school. Click below for more information.
Celebrating 40 Years & Looking Ahead!
Our Campus Improvement Plan (CIP) is well underway! Stay informed on the updates and learn more about how to become involved by visiting our CIP page.
“The greatest gifts we can give our children are the roots of responsibility and the wings of independence.” ~ Maria Montessori