Montessori and Preparatory Education (Ages 2 years old - 8th Grade)

 

A healthy lunch (if not ordering from the school menu)

All personal items labeled

A healthy snack (Remember we are “nut-free”)  The snack locker will be open for purchases during arrival and morning break

Wear school uniform and closed-toed shoes  Dress Code: Children must wear a school uniform purchased from Allen’s Sports Center. Athletic style, soft soled shoes are required. Absolutely NO sandals, crocs or boots.

Reminder: All supplies for the classroom are supplied by CDS (paper, notebooks, pencils, etc.!) 

Backpack - a SMALL backpack will eventually be needed to carry home miscellanous pieces of work and books.  Large backpacks and roller/wheeled backpacks are NOT needed or allowed, as they take up too much space.  You may want to wait until after the Meet and Greet on Friday, Aug 19th to purchase one. 

Arrival and Dismissal

• Arrival:             8:30am –   8:45am
• Dismissal:         3:15pm –   3:30pm  (please do not leave your vehicle unattended in the car line.)

• Before-care starts at 7:00am
• After-care available until 6:00pm

Lunch: To participate in the school’s hot lunch program, view the menu online at www.countrydaylargo.com – ‘School Life’ page. Bag lunches from home must be in labeled, insulated lunch boxes with a cold pack. Microwaves and refrigerators are not available for student use. Please include nutritional items and a drink. Candy is not allowed in the classroom!

 

Classroom Volunteers: We are proud of our parents' involvement, and we hope to utilize the many skills and talents that our families have to offer.  Any parent that wants to volunteer in the classroom (reading, lunch duty, chaperoning field trips, share a talent, etc) are invited to complete a volunteer survey that will be available at the Meet and Greet on Aug 19th.  All volunteers are asked to produce their driver’s license and vehicle insurance card (needed if you want to drive on a field trip) and be submitted for a background check.To many children, nothing is more exciting than seeing their parents in their classroom, and we welcome you as volunteers.

 

Fourth Grade Class Format

This year, the fourth grade has been “reorganized.” It has been separated from the Middle School to create its own unit. (Next year, the fourth and fifth grades will form the “Upper School Division.”) The group will be divided in half for their four “core” academic classes so that they can have a smaller student-to-teach ratio. All fourth graders will study language arts and social studies with Mrs. Janice LeVine, and they will study math and science with Mrs. Amy Piper. The children will study world languages, music, art and physical education with other staff members. Technology will be woven into - and throughout - their activities.

Our students are fortunate in that they will work with a variety of teachers throughout their week, each with their own strengths and teaching styles. However, we want to make sure that, at this young age, the students know that there will be one specific teacher who will be “theirs.” Therefore, each fourth grade student has been assigned to a “homeroom” teacher. Among other things, this teacher will be in charge of welcoming the students to her classroom each morning, disseminating notices and important information, and helping the students pack up their belongings at the end of the day. But, more importantly, she will be the main teacher in charge of your child. We expect that this will help us achieve our goal of providing a personal setting that will help nurture the teacher-student relationship.

Having said that, please know that the entire fourth grade will be together many times throughout each day and throughout the school year. At the very least, they will be together for snack, recess, specials, and lunch. They will be together for all field trips, celebrations and events.

We believe that the students will receive the greatest benefit by spending time in both the larger setting of the entire fourth grade group as well as in the smaller environment of the homeroom and academic classes.

We look forward to a successful year.

Yours truly,

Janice LeVine and Amy Piper,

Fourth Grade Team