​Happy May everyone! I cannot believe that it's coming up to the end of the school year soon. It's been such a wonderful year and it feels like it has gone by far too quickly!

I've been so honored to serve the community this year as president of the Parent Association Board here at Montessori Children’s House. It has brought me so much joy to see this group change and adapt throughout the school year, no matter what was thrown at us. I've really enjoyed being involved in all the different activities we have hosted including the walk and talks, parent education events, and book club discussions. I hope that each of you will take a moment to think about what things you would like to see the board do next year as well. We would love to hear more from the community on how best to serve you. 

I am incredibly thankful to the parent community for your generous fundraising efforts for our amazing staff! I cannot wait to hear all about what the PA will be doing for our staff next year and in the years to come. 

I want to thank my amazing team of board members for all the hard work that they've put into each newsletter, event, and opportunity that has been given to us this year. They are the ones who make each of these events possible. I also want to thank all our teachers and staff for the outstanding work and commitment they have made to our children. This community wouldn’t be what it is without all of you. 

I look forward to meeting any potential new board members and cannot wait to see what the future has in store for the MCH Parent Association. I hope you all have a great summer!

Thank you,
Susan Smith
President, MCH Parent Association

​May Walk & Talk
Come join us Friday, May 20th after drop off for the last Walk & Talk of the school year! We'll be meeting at Farrel-McWhirter Farm Park (19545 NE Redmond Rd, Redmond) for an easy walk and casual conversation with your fellow MCH parents. 

Meet up by the horse barn around 9:30--9:45am and we’ll take a walk along the trails through this magnificent park.  The red horse barn is centrally located, just beyond the clearing near the south (main) parking lot off Redmond Road.

These events are hosted by the Parent Association and not affiliated with the school. Please wear a mask to all in-person events.

Join Us in Celebrating the End of the Year
It's hard to believe the end of the year is just weeks away. While we won't be able to have a formal gathering as a community, we do want to invite you to pack a picnic lunch and join us at Marymoor Park at noon on June 25. There will be no organized activities, but we'll pick a central location to congregate.

Watch for more information in June!

Board of Directors Election

Each year the MCH Parent Association holds an election for our Board of Directors. Our bylaws dictate that 25% of our MCH Parent Community must participate in the election to be valid. Please watch your email the week of May 30 for information on how to vote.

Then, on Monday, June 13th, at 7:00pm on Zoom, we'll be holding a special meeting to announce the election results. This meeting usually takes about five minutes and we encourage you to join us and meet the new board of the MCH Parent Association. Contact us for the Zoom meeting link.

Parenting with Courage & Compassion Follow Up
Thank you to all community members who joined us for our parent education series over the last month. We learned more about ourselves, our parenting traditions/styles, and future directions for ongoing conversations. For those who were unable to attend, we look forward to additional programming in the fall. If you have ideas or specific topic areas that you would like to see highlighted in the future, please contact us.
 
Pro tip! “Punishment often stops misbehavior, but hardly ever motivates children to do better in the future.” Rather than punishment, focus on solutions in challenging situations. Solutions are reasonable (achievable), related to the challenge, respectful for all involved, and HELPFUL in supporting the child’s need to feel safe, significant, and autonomous. Learn more at www.sounddiscipline.org.   

Staff Appreciation Week Success!
Thank you to everyone in the MCH parent community who donated money for this year's Staff Appreciation Week! With your generosity we raised more than $9,400 to celebrate the incredible people who look after our kids and make MCH the wonderful school that it is.

Staff Appreciation Week (SAW) took place May 2nd through May 6th. With your donations, we were able to:

• Provide Mercurys Coffee gift cards for MCH teams to use throughout the week
• Cater a lunch for staff on Wednesday, May 4th from Homegrown
• Cater a second lunch for staff on Friday, May 6th from Gourmondo
• Provide DoorDash gift cards for staff who were off campus for the catered lunches
• Gift each of our 51 MCH staff members with a $100 gift card to one of the following retailers of their choosing: Amazon, Target, DoorDash, or Brick & Mortar Books

Again, we can’t thank the MCH staff enough for everything they do, and we can’t wait to celebrate them again in May 2023!

​Welcome back from spring break! I hope everyone was able to have some wonderful adventures during our time away from school. As we come into spring, it’s time to look forward to celebrating our teachers and staff! This month brings some exciting community-building activities, and I'm looking forward to leading the next Walk and Talk on April 15th at Evans Creek Park. This event happens right after drop-off and should be an excellent opportunity to connect and explore the nature that grows so close to our school. I hope to meet many of you there! 

Recruiting begins this month, so make sure to look for information about opportunities to join our awesome Parent Association board. I know we are eagerly searching for volunteers who want to see our community grow and blossom. 

I'm also incredibly excited about our upcoming parent education series. Have you registered yet? It should be a wonderful opportunity for all of us as parents to grow. The registration link is provided below. I hope you all have a wonderful month! 

Regards,
Susan Smith
President, MCH Parent Association

Mark Your Calendars!
Now through April 20th: MCH Staff Appreciation Week Fundraising -- This is our opportunity to celebrate the staff members who make MCH such a wonderful place for our children. See below for how you can participate.

Friday, April 15th: Walk & Talk -- We will be meeting after drop-off (approximately 9:30-9:45 am) at Evans Creek Preserve, lower trailhead (4001 224th Ave. NE, Redmond). Plan to join us rain or shine! If you're running late, please text Susan at 425-802-4295. 

Tuesdays, April 19th, April 26th, May 3rd, and May 10th, 7:00--9:00 pm: Parenting with Courage and Connection Four-Part Series -- Registration Required. See below for details. 

Thursday, May 5th at 7:30 pm: Book Circle Conversation -- This month we'll be discussing "The Girl with the Louding Voice" via Zoom. See below for more info.

May 2nd--6th: Staff Appreciation Week

Friday, May 20th: Walk & Talk -- For the May walk, we'll be meeting at Farrel-McWhirter Farm Park (19545 NE Redmond Rd, Redmond). Meet up by the horse barn no later than 9:30 am and we’ll take a walk along the trails through this magnificent park.  The red horse barn is centrally located, just beyond the clearing near the parking lot.

These events are hosted by the Parent Association and not affiliated with the school. Please wear a mask to all in-person events.

Book Circle - The Girl with the Louding Voice
The inspiring story of a teenage girl growing up in a rural Nigerian village who longs to get an education so that she can find her “louding voice” and speak up for herself, "The Girl with the Louding Voice" by Abi Daré is a simultaneously heartbreaking and triumphant tale about the power of fighting for your dreams.

Despite the seemingly insurmountable obstacles in her path, Adunni never loses sight of her goal of escaping the life of poverty she was born into so that she can build the future she chooses for herself – and help other girls like her do the same. Her spirited determination to find joy and hope in even the most difficult circumstances imaginable will “break your heart and then put it back together again” (Jenna Bush Hager on The Today Show) even as Adunni shows us how one courageous young girl can inspire us all to reach for our dreams…and maybe even change the world.

We hope to see you there! Please join us on Zoom for this event on Thursday, May 5th at 7:30pm. 

Note: You are always welcome to come to Book Circle even if you haven't read the book. 😉

Parenting with Courage and Connection
We hope you will join us for the FREE interactive online workshop to explore the latest brain science and child development research, rooted in positive discipline. 

This cumulative, four-week series will take place online for four Tuesdays in a row: April 19th, April 26th, May 3rd, and May 10th, from 7:00-9:00 pm. 

Parenting is challenging in the best of times…and these are not the best of times! Join us for this engaging, online series to learn effective strategies and approaches while you connect with others who are raising young humans. 

This approach is not a one size fits all – come explore your own experience of being parented, your cultural values, and learn some tips to trust your inner voice. Join us to build community while gathering parenting tips from pros. Come, deepen your understanding as you reflect on parenting practices to raise caring, collaborative, capable kids. 

All MCH community members are welcome (participation in our previous intro class is not a pre-requisite for this series). Although it is free to our members, registration is required to participate and active participation is essential. REGISTER HERE.

Do not delay! Registration deadline is this Friday, April 15! This is a $150 per person value brought to you for FREE by the MCH Parent Association. We must have a minimum of 15 participants to run this series with Sound Discipline. We hope to see you there as we learn and grow in community!

Show Your Love and Appreciation for the MCH Staff! 
The MCH Parent Association is excited to invite the community to participate in a special fundraising campaign now through April 20th for the upcoming Staff Appreciation Week (SAW).

After another difficult year, we once again have the opportunity to provide the teachers and staff at MCH with extraordinary recognition through SAW. During the campaign, our goal is to raise $7,600, which will be used to send coffee, meals, and gifts to staff during the week of May 2nd--6th to celebrate everything they've done for our kids during the pandemic. Please consider giving today!

It's Recruitment Season!
The MCH Parent Association is beginning its recruitment season for new board members! As an MCH parent, you are already a member of the parent association. As a board member, you can become more involved in deciding how we support our MCH family and foster the strong community spirit we all love. Our goal is to recruit a board with diverse perspectives and experiences, reflecting our entire community. You can find additional information here:

• Recruiting Contact Form
• Board Membership Information
• Board Application

We are also holding an informational meeting next Thursday, April 21, 2022, at 7:30p via Zoom, to discuss board activities and ways you can participate. We hope to see you there!

​Happy March everyone! I hope you're all staying dry after the soggy, cold month we just went through. I'm looking forward to spring and am hopeful for some new opportunities to socialize and be more involved in the community. Our book circle for "Shame Proof Parenting" was a huge hit and I loved talking to the author about all the different ways to work with our children to make them feel more seen and heard in a loving way. I'm so grateful for the work our Community Development committee has done to bring parent education to the forefront of our mission. We will be delivering additional parent education series later this year. 

It's recruiting season here at the Parent Association, so please be on the lookout for information on how you can become part of the board. I've enjoyed serving as president this year and getting to see how our new members have brought so many wonderful changes to this organization, and I can’t wait to see what new ideas are to come. One of my favorite initiatives is this newsletter and how it helps to unite us when we can’t see each other as often in person.

If you're interested in finding out more information about the board, you can email us at board@mch-pa.org. Remember, you all are part of our wonderful Parent Association, and there are no financial costs to serve as a board member. What we hope for is to welcome parents who are excited to help with the community and mission of the school. Be on the lookout for our recruiting informational meeting coming up in April. 

I'm also looking forward to finding ways to appreciate our amazing staff this spring, so be on the lookout for information on our upcoming events and Staff Appreciation Week. Personally, it's my favorite activity that the Parent Association plans each year. I hope you all have a wonderful month!

Regards,
Susan Smith
President, MCH Parent Association

​A huge thank you to all who joined us last month for an insightful evening at our Book Circle with author Mercedes Samudio, LCSW. 

We chatted about the trials of caregiving and welcoming new perspectives, learning together about shame-proofing our parenting and our community. Mercedes highlighted that sharing boundaries invites a sense of calm and invited us to remember all the moments that are really, really good with the children in our care. Missed it? Not to worry! See below for our upcoming events.

Also, a big thank you to everyone who completed our parent education survey. Your feedback helped us tremendously in planning our upcoming events. We couldn’t do it without you. See below for details!

Friday, March 11: Walk & Talk! We will be meeting after drop-off (approximately 9:30-9:45 am) at Sammamish Landing Park for a walk along the East Lake Sammamish Trail, rain or shine. Meet at Sammamish Landing Park, 4607 East Lake Sammamish Parkway NE.
 
Tuesday, March 22nd at 7:30 pm: Book Circle conversation for “Firekeeper's Daughter” by Angeline Boulley via Zoom. See below for more info.

Tuesday, March 29th at 7:00 pm: Introduction to Parenting with Courage and Connection. RSVP required. See below for more info.

Tuesdays, April 19th, April 26th, May 3rd, and May 10th, 7:00--9:00 pm: Parenting with Courage and Connection Four-Part Series. Registration Required. See below for more info.

These events are hosted by the Parent Association and not affiliated with the school. Please wear a mask to all in-person events.

We are excited to meet and discuss "The Firekeeper's Daughter" by Angeline Boulley. No registration is required. We will meet Tuesday, March 22nd at 7:30 pm via Zoom. Email board@mch-pa.org for Zoom info. 

About "The Firekeeper's Daughter"...

• An instant #1 New York Times bestseller
• Soon to be adapted at Netflix for TV with President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama's production company, Higher Ground
• A TIME Magazine Best YA Book of All Time Selection
• Amazon's Best YA Book of 2021

In "The Firekeeper's Daughter," Daunis Fontaine's life is split between two communities, that of her white French Canadian mother and the other of the Sugar Land Ojibwe Tribe of her late father. When Daunis witnesses a tragic murder, she finds herself involved in an FBI investigation into drug trafficking in her community that will uncover secrets and threaten people, including many she knows.

In this thrilling and dynamic story, Boulley tells a tale that is suspenseful, insightful, and emotionally complex. Content alert: substance abuse, murder, grief, sexual assault, racism, kidnapping, death by suicide, gun violence.

Don’t have time to read the book? Join us anyway, we’re happy to have you! And/or listen to an interview with the author HERE. 

On Tuesday, March 29th, from 7:00--9:00 pm, we will be partnering with Sound Discipline to bring you an introductory session for "Parenting with Courage and Connection." Space is limited in this FREE workshop and RSVPs are required. Please register as soon as possible HERE.
 
Parents are often challenged by power struggles and whining, arguments over chores, sibling fights, bedtime problems, clashes over homework and screen time, and other issues. This class provides an introduction to the skills and tools needed to get to the core of the conflict and bring more peace and joy to your home.

In this fun and interactive two-hour workshop, you will learn how to:

• Use basic brain science (adult and child) to improve behavior at home
• Build connections to share your values and culture
• Discipline with kindness and firmness.
• Parents will leave this workshop with several simple, respectful parenting tools to use right away!

This offer is a single session with no continued commitment and will provide insight into our upcoming four-week parent education series that will begin in April. Join us for just this one session and/or come to learn about the ongoing series that will follow!

To download a flyer with all the information you need on this event, please visit the MCH Parent Association website.

We are so pleased to offer our community a FREE four-week cumulative series, "Parenting with Courage and Connection." The series will take place online for four Tuesdays in a row: April 19th, April 26th, May 3rd, and May 10th, from 7:00-9:00 pm. 

Although it is free to our members, registration will be required to participate in the series. Registration details will be coming in April.
 
This will be new content - an extension and deeper dive into what is offered in the introductory class mentioned above. Attendance at both the introductory session and the four-part series is welcomed!

We hope you will join us for this engaging series to learn effective strategies and approaches while you connect with others who are raising humans. Come and build community with other parents and caregivers as you deepen your understanding and reflect on parenting practices to raise caring, collaborative, capable kids.
 
This is a $150/person value brought to you for FREE by the MCH Parent Association. We must have a minimum of 15 participants to run this series with Sound Discipline. We hope to see you there! 

If you make purchases on Amazon, we encourage you to check out the AmazonSmile program. It's an easy way to support charitable organizations (like your Parent Association!) with every eligible purchase, at no cost to you. 

The program is available at smile.amazon.com on your web browser and can be activated in the Amazon app for iOS and Android phones. When you select a charity, AmazonSmile will donate 0.5% of your eligible purchase to that organization. If you'd like to support the MCH Parent Association, please click here: https://smile.amazon.com/ch/91-1960800. 

If you do choose to support the PA through AmazonSmile, we sincerely appreciate the support. Every penny counts!

Thank you to all who donated to the 2021 MCH PA SEED campaign! Together, we raised $32,700!

While we did not quite meet our goal, every gift helps us replenish our largely exhausted funds so we may continue our mission of supporting the MCH community.

And even though the campaign is over, it’s never too late to donate! Your gift helps pay for short-term tuition assistance, sponsored field trips, education specialists, classroom enrichment materials, staff professional development and MCH community development.

If you did not give this year, we would appreciate it if you would complete this survey so that we may improve our communication in future campaigns.  ​

October is upon us and with the changing seasons, we have some exciting news in this month’s newsletter!

I am grateful to see MCH back in the swing of things and look forward to settling fully into our family’s fall routine. I hope you all are finding your rhythm as well as enjoying meeting new members of our community. Our first coffee meetup at Evans Creek was a success and we are excited to see that the community is ready to get out and create new connections.
 
On October 18th, the Parent Association will kick off our annual SEED fundraising campaign. SEED funds all our activities during the year and every student benefits from these programs. Throughout the month, we will share more information about our programs with you, but to summarize, SEED covers:

• Sponsorship: Short term tuition assistance and sponsored programs
• Extracurricular: Field trips, education specialists, and special events
• Enrichment: Special projects and classroom enrichment materials
• Development: Staff professional development and MCH community development

This is an especially important year for SEED, and we look forward to your gift to the 2021 fund!

Be on the lookout for more Parent Association events that will be announced soon, including an evening virtual event coming up and a discussion about books and podcasts. Harvest Fest is just around the corner, and we are excited to see what the school has planned!

I hope to get a chance to meet up and speak with more of you as the year continues. Please feel free to reach out at any time with your questions, comments, or ideas.

Sincerely,
Susan Smith
President, MCH Parent Association

Please join the MCH Parent Association for our Annual Meeting.

This short get together will provide members of the Parent Association an opportunity to review the previous year’s financial report and learn about the current year’s budget and board priorities.

The meeting is scheduled for Monday, November 8th, 2021, from 7:00 PM to 7:15 PM via Zoom. 

Please contact us for Zoom access information.

We hope to see you there!

Thank you to the families who were able to join us for our first coffee meetup in September. It was a soggy day, but we had a good time chatting about hobbies, summer travel stories, and simply getting to know each other.

We have two more meetups planned in October - please join us!

Our first meetup will be an easy walk/hike on Thursday, October 14th at Soaring Eagle Park in Sammamish. We'll be there, rain or shine, to enjoy a walk in the woods with fellow MCH parents. Meet at the main entrance between 9:30--9:45 am, and we'll head into the forest for about 60--90 minutes, depending on participants' availability. Soaring Eagle's main entrance is located at 26015 E. Main Dr., Sammamish. You can find out more about the park on the King County Website.

Our second meetup will be held virtually on Tuesday, October 19th. Join us on Zoom from 7:30--9:00 pm(ish) to plan our upcoming Book/Podcast Circle. Help us explore topics, select content, decide when we'll meet, and other details. We might even throw in a few games just for fun! While this event is geared toward parents, it will certainly be child friendly. We'll enjoy some social time from 7:30--8:00 pm, and then games and the main discussion will start at 8:00 pm. Join when you can and stay as long as you like. Please contact us for Zoom access information.

If you are interested in the Book/Podcast Circle but cannot attend the virtual planning meeting, please contact us to be added to the communications.

These events are hosted by the Parent Association and not affiliated with the school. Please wear a mask to all in-person events.

Children are doing a great job wearing their masks…most of the time.

Wearing a mask properly is a new skill that takes time and practice to normalize. If your child shows some resistance or is experiencing mask fatigue, these ideas may be useful. 
 

1. Empathy: It's always helpful to notice and validate whatever emotions children are feeling.
2. Kindness with firmness: Practice creating connection with empathy and respect AND following through on what is required: in this case, wearing a mask.  
3. Ask, don’t tell: “What needs to be over your nose right now?” “How can you keep your mask on your face and still be comfortable?” “What ideas do you have?”  “Looks like you want to throw things with your friend. What can you throw, and where can you do that?”
4. Limited choices: “You can wear your mask and we can go meet a friend for a walk, or we can stay home without masks and play a game together. What would you like to do?”
5. Encouragement: “I notice that you kept your mask on during circle time. Thank you.”
6. Practice at home (take time for training): Invite young children to put masks on their stuffed animals or family members during play. This helps address mask-wearing when the child’s brain is calm and receptive. 
7. One word: For older children, a simple “Mask” might do the trick (avoiding lecturing or nagging).

Adapted by Julie Miller, MS, RDN Positive Discipline Parenting Educator, original credit to Cheryl Erwin, MA, MFT, Positive Discipline Lead Trainer

During the Parent Association’s August meet-and-greets, we heard from several people who wanted to connect with other MCH families to plan playdates or get to know parents in our school community. Transparent Classroom is a helpful tool for this if you want to reach out to other families directly.

Simply log in to your account and click on "Classmates" (in the left-hand sidebar) to see the names of the other students in your child’s class, as well as their parents’ or guardians’ names. 

Right underneath "Classmates," you can also click on "Directory." The “Parents” tab lists contact information for any parent, in any classroom, who has agreed to share their details with the MCH community. This is a voluntary feature, so contact information is only listed if the parent has consented. If you’d like to add or remove your information in the Transparent Classroom directory, or if you need help logging in to your Transparent Classroom account, you can reach out to office@mchkids.com.

​Want to get to know your child’s teachers? Looking for ideas for staff gifts for the holidays? This summer, the Parent Association worked with MCH to create profiles for each staff member. Thanks to the hard work of MCH’s administrative staff, these are now available in Transparent Classroom.

The profiles include birthdays, favorite activities, foods, and gift ideas. The PA will be using them for staff appreciation activities throughout the year, but they’re a fantastic resource for anyone in the MCH community looking for fun information about the people who work with your kids each day.

To access the profiles from Transparent Classroom, click on School Info and select your child’s class. Scroll down to the “Fun Facts about Montessori Children’s House Staff” section to click on this year’s profiles. 

Then scroll to click on each staff member’s name by department or classroom.

​The Parent Association wants to learn more about our parent community! We've created a short survey to better understand how you'd prefer to work with and hear from us. The survey is completely voluntary, but your responses will help us shape our outreach this school year and into the future.

Click here to access the survey through Google Forms. The survey has only seven multiple-choice questions, and we appreciate you taking a few moments to fill it out. We hope to see all responses by Friday, October 20th. 

​If you make purchases on Amazon, we encourage you to check out the AmazonSmile program. It's an easy way to support charitable organizations (like your Parent Association!) with every eligible purchase, at no cost to you. 

The program is available at smile.amazon.com on your web browser and can be activated in the Amazon app for iOS and Android phones. When you select a charity, AmazonSmile will donate 0.5% of your eligible purchase to that organization. If you'd like to support the MCH Parent Association, please click here: smile.amazon.com/ch/91-1960800https://smile.amazon.com/ch/91-1960800. 

If you do choose to support the PA through AmazonSmile, we sincerely appreciate the support. Every penny counts!

The MCH Parent Association would like to welcome you to the 2021-2022 school year! Did you know that as a parent of an MCH student, you are automatically a member of the Parent Association? 

I'm Susan Smith, the newly elected president of the Parent Association Board, and I work with a group of experienced individuals to find ways to help you, our parent community, feel supported by and integrated with the school. We are excited to build our community this year and find new ways to encourage our parents, students, staff, and teachers to bond during these unique times. The board is here for you if you have any questions about being a parent of an MCH student and how best to acknowledge our staff and teachers throughout the school year. 

The Parent Association is a non-profit organization that hosts staff appreciation week, holds community enrichment events, and helps fund scholarships for our students. These programs are all possible through the generous gifts we have received through our SEED campaign, a fundraising campaign you will see more information on later this fall. 

We value your input in our community and will be reaching out to you throughout the year via this newsletter, word of mouth, and the occasional email to ask for feedback and volunteers to assist at various events. 

Please feel free to reach out to us if you have any questions. I look forward to meeting you all and, again, welcome to the MCH community!
Sincerely,
Susan Smith
President, MCH Parent Association

Over the past year, MCH had provided loaner laptops to some students when they needed to school at home. Many of those laptops are quickly coming to the end of their useful life.

The Parent Association is soliciting laptops from the community to have a small stock ready to go should students need to school at home again this year. If you have a laptop that meets the following criteria and are interested in donating it, please contact us.

• No more than 5-7 years old
• Windows operating system (we cannot support Macs or Chromebooks)
• The battery holds a charge for at least 2 hours
• Has a power cable

Thank you in advance! We appreciate your consideration and any donations you can make.