The Brickton Weekly, January 13, 2011

The Big Leap is on its way
Happy New Year!  The Big Leap is our annual dinner dance and fundraiser with a silent and live auction, raffles, and lots of fun.  Mark your calendars for Saturday, March 5, 2011.

Where:  Victoria Rosemont (located in the penthouse of the Rosemont Holiday Inn Express)  6600 Mannheim Road, Rosemont, IL, 60018
When:  Saturday, March 5, 2011 beginning at 6:30 PM
Who: Adults Only

The Holiday Inn Express has offered a special room rate of $79 for a king or $89 for a double room.  Use the code BMS when making your reservation.  (Front Desk: 847-544-7500)

NEW THIS YEAR: Express Checkout… no lines, no waiting!
No more waiting in line at the end of the evening.  Prior to the event, you’ll have the opportunity to provide the Brickton Business Office with your credit card information for a one time authorization of the evening’s charges. 

Moving Up!  Move Up Visits Begin at Brickton
January is reserved for a very special kind of experience for all of the third year students in Children’s House, Lower and Upper Elementary. This is the month in which they each get to spend a day in the next level program in anticipation of moving up the following year. Naturally, every day, all of the students intermingle with each other. That is the way we do things at Brickton, and we know each other well.

Yet, as much as the students are familiar with one another, the third year move-up visit is different. Even though it may mean spending the day with friends who just happened to move up a year ahead, this visit is still primarily about living a typical day, engaging in work, trying out material, feeling the rhythm and flow of activity at a brand new level. It can be intimidating and exhilarating at the same time, just the way it should be. After all, the invitation would not be extended unless there was every expectation of success and a good time. Even for the sixth year visiting the Middle School, who have been through a move-up visit multiple times, there is a sense of excitement, for at any age, there is nothing quite like the feeling of having grown up in some way. The move-up visit is a welcome challenge.

The beginning of a new school year in August 2011 may seem a long way off on a cold snowy day in January, but this is just the right time to begin thinking ahead, contemplating a new frontier and the joy of coming to a point of readiness to enter a new plane of development and learning. Already, among themselves, third year are beginning to talk about next year and what it will be like and what they will get to do that they had not been able to do before.

Ellie, Molly’s daughter, a third grader, will be visiting Upper Elementary next week. “Well, I won’t be there,” Sean, her brother, a sixth year, told her, standing tall and confident. “I’ll be in the Middle School that day, all day.” There was no turning back; he was out the door.

Following the student visits, parents then participate in their version of a move-up visit, observing in classrooms and learning about their child’s new program. If you are the parent of a third year student, make sure to check in with your child’s directress as to the date of the move-up visit and be sure to talk with your child about it. Directresses, too, will be calling you as well to share your child’s day.

Please Note: Toddlers have their own version of move-up visits, which occur when they turn three and demonstrate readiness to move-up. They, too, spend time in the receiving classroom over several sessions until one day, they simply move up and slip into a new routine easily and seamlessly.

Manna Pays Your Tuition!
We had a record number of families participate in the Manna fundraiser in December.  A big THANK YOU to all!  Did you know that when you buy gift cards through Manna for stores that you already shop in, you get 50% of the profit towards your tuition bill for the following school year?  You already shop at Jewel and Dominicks - why not buy gift cards from Brickton and everyone benefits?

Thank you for your ongoing support of Brickton fundraisers.

Scholastic Book Club
Orders for the January Book Clubs are due on Friday, January 14, 2011, and fliers can be found in your parent folders. Teachers will earn a free book pick for every order placed online, free money to spend, plus bonus points to order classroom materials.

Scholastic Book Clubs are a convenient and affordable way to strengthen your child’s love for reading while supporting Brickton. Every catalog has an exciting $1 book pick along with numerous books priced under $3.  Books will arrive in plenty of time for Valentine’s Day!

Thank you for your support!

Thank You from Salvation Army
Pamela Church-Pryor of the Salvation Army sent Brickton a note of appreciation for our contributions to this year’s toy drive.  Thanks to the donations from Brickton families and others in the community, the Salvation Army was able to provide toys for 408 children this holiday season.

Health Report
It's been a healthy start to the new year for the students and staff of Brickton Montessori  School. Since returning to school on January 4, there have been very few absences due to illness and nothing of a serious nature has been reported.  We will continue to keep you posted.