We have electric power at The Montessori House as of 8 p.m., Tuesday, June 1.
Classes will be in session on the normal schedule tomorrow, Wednesday.
Remember, for the balance of this week the parking lot entrance on Knickerbocker is closed due to construction. Enter and exit only from Riveredge, and use only the east parking lot. The roadway between the school and playground will be closed for drop-off and pick-up.
We’re expecting over 250 people at Saturday afternoon’s Montessori House International Festival. The Festival starts at 2 p.m. and will continue until 5:30 p.m.
Thanks to our International Festival Committee and all the volunteers who have already spent much time preparing for this weekend’s festivities. And thanks for all the really hard work (and great results!) that are yet to come.
The Festival will take place as follows:
- Check-in at the Check-In Counter with Ms. Maria.
- Montessori House students receive a Festival Passport.
- Tour the world, taste the food, try the crafts at our 12 country booths.
- Everyone gathers at the World Stage to hear and see music and dance performances from around the world.
- Note, the country booths will close during the performances.
- As our one dozen country booths reopen, resume your round-the-world tour, tastings and crafts.
The Montessori House International Festival is a family event. Parents must accompany and supervise their children at all times. At many of our country booths, children will need parent assistance to participate in the activities. And, if you have any food concerns (allergies, etc.), only parents can supervise what their children eat.
As an all-volunteer effort, we must limit the International Festival only to the immediate family of Montessori House students enrolled for 2009-10 or 2010-11, and only to those families who provided an RSVP by last week. Please do not bring friends or extended family, for we may not have space to admit them.
Parking at the school will be limited, so please read on for instructions on traffic, drop-off and parking.
The Festival will take place in and around The Montessori House playground. We have limited parking available at the school, and much of this will be occupied by Festival presenters and performers. Here are some rules and suggestions for drop-off and parking:
All traffic through the parking lot will be one-way: enter only on River Edge and exit only on Knickerbocker. Only exit to the right (north) on Knickerbocker, no left turn exit permitted. We will post a Stop sign at the walkway to the school entrance; please proceed slowly and with utmost caution through the parking lot (we expect to have over 100 young children in the area, and sometimes they escape!)
Once you enter from River Edge, we will have a designated area where you may drop off members of your family with their food contribution. Please, young children must be dropped off with an adult companion, never alone and unaccompanied.
Deliver your food contribution to tables just east of the playground (by the Stepping Stones play area); volunteers will be ready with labels and instructions.
After drop-off, the driver should continue through the parking lot to the Knickerbocker exit.
Exit to the right (north) on Knickerbocker. No parking is permitted on Knickerbocker. Your best bet for street parking is to proceed to the light and turn right on River Edge:
You may park on River Edge after you’ve driven past the school parking lot entrance. Please be mindful of bus stops, driveways, etc. and be attentive to posted parking rules.
You may park on the side streets off River Edge. Again, be mindful of driveways, fire hydrants, posted parking rules, etc.
When you leave the Festival, we recommend that your entire party walk to your car. If you cross River Edge, please do so carefully, at the traffic light. If you choose to pick-up your party in the parking lot, be warned: many people will be cleaning and packing and traffic through the lot will be very slow.
The weather forecast for Saturday is great. We look forward to a wonderful time with you, your family and all your Montessori House friends!
We’re making appointments for Parent-Teacher conferences on Thursday and Friday, May 20th and 21st. We schedule 20-minute conferences between 8:00 a.m. and 11:20 a.m. If you would like to schedule a discussion with your child’s teacher(s) please stop by the office during the school day or call 201-816-8343.
Reminder: No classes on the conference days — Thursday May 20, and Friday May 21.
Also, for Pre-Primary and Kindergarten students, we still have spots open for Parent Visitation next week Monday, May 10 through Friday, May 14. If you would like to spend 30 minutes in the classroom participating in school with your child, we have two 30-minute slots each morning and two 30-minute slots each afternoon each day. However, we do limit the number of parents visiting to three at a time in each classroom. If you’re interested in scheduling a classroom visit please stop by the office or call 201-816-8343. (Note: Stepping Stones does not participate in Parent Visitation.)
Please make other arrangements for your child’s care starting Monday, March 29.
As of 5 a.m. The Montessori House has both electric power and water.
The school is open Monday, March 15 on the regular class schedule. Grandparents’/Grandfriends’ day will proceed today as scheduled.
CAUTION: River Edge Road is closed east of Knickerbocker. The River Edge access to the parking lot is CLOSED. Please plan your route to school accordingly and enter and exit with extreme caution from the the Knickerbocker side.
P.S. Poor Ms. Maria. In the last snowstorm a tree fell on her car (no damage). This time a tree fell on her house! Everyone’s safe, but she can now see the sky from her daughter’s bedroom!
As of 9 p.m. Sunday March 14th, The Montessori House had electricity. We will see if water service is restored by morning (United Water indicates that most service should be back to normal by morning).
If all services are not restored by early Monday morning (the 15th), school will not be in session. However, the trend appears that we will have all critical services.
We ask that all parents please call the school on Monday morning at (201) 816-8343 for the latest information with regards to the Tenafly power and water services situation and school closing.
Note: our access to update the website is limited, so please call for the latest information.
As of Sunday March 14th, Tenafly has no electric power and no water service. If services are not restored by early Monday morning (the 15th), school will not be in session.
We ask that all parents please call the school on Monday morning at (201) 816-8343 for the latest information with regards to the Tenafly power and water services situation and school closing.
Please make other arrangements for your child’s care on Friday, March 12.
Monday, March 15, we’re back on our normal schedule. However, remember, Monday, March 15 is Grandparents’/Grandfriends’ Day, so we expect to have many visitors at school.
A member of The Montessori House community has contracted a confirmed case of Strep Throat.
All children at school on Monday, March 8 may have been exposed. Please monitor you child for symptoms. The chart below provides a handy reference for Strep Throat and other common childhood ailments.
Please report any cases of the following to the office as soon as possible.
| Chicken Pox | Small red spots turning to blisters, may be preceded by fatigue, slight fever, upset stomach. |
| Scarlet Fever (Scarlatina) | Rash, sore throat, temperature, vomiting. |
| Pediculosis (Headlice) | Persistent itching of scalp, small, oval silver-white eggs on hair shaft base. |
| Giardiasis or Giardia Lamblia – A protozoa | Diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and nausea It is the most frequent cause of non-bacterial diarrhea in the country. |
| Bacterial Conjunctivitis | “Pink eye,” sometimes with discharge, tearing, itching, pain. |
Strep Throat |
Sore throat, usually red throat, swollen glands, general malaise, occasional abdominal discomfort. |
| Impetigo | Tiny pus-filled pimple-like lesions that rupture and crust within a few hours to two days. Usually on face around nostrils or around lips. |
| Pinworms | Night-time rectal itching and restlessness. |
| Coxsackie Virus | Fever, blisters on gums and in mouth, blister or rash on palms of hands or soles of feet. |
| Fifth Disease | Red rash on face that looks like slapped cheeks. Could have cold symptoms, fever. Incubation period is four to fourteen days. |
The Montessori House is closed on Friday, February 26, on account of severe winter weather.
We still plan to conduct the Parents Workshop (for parents looking for a pre-school) scheduled for 9:30 a.m., Saturday, February 27.
One final note … poor Ms. Maria … she made it home at the end of the day, climbing the hills of Tenafly and Englewood. However, her driveway was yet to be shoveled, so her car skidded into the shrubs. While waiting for her husband to help move the car, a 12″ diameter tree snapped and fell on the car. All’s well now — the tree’s been chopped into manageable pieces, the car’s in its usual parking spot, and there was no serious damage (not to Ms. Maria or the car).
Be sure, however, this experience had no bearing on canceling classes and closing the school on Friday.
Have a great weekend!