Celebrate in 2008!

With the holidays fast approaching, 2008 will be here quickly - so the AMS Parent Blog wanted to update it's readers on a few upcoming AMS events in the new year.
In early February we will be toasting to 30 years of Anchorage Montessori School -- where did the time go? This event will be designed for the celebration of our AMS community and the 30 years of history we share with students, alumni and parents across the globe.
Then in late Spring (exact dates: TBD) we will be bringing you the thrill and convenience of an online auction -- be it from your living room, your kitchen, your office or wherever you internet... you'll be able to bid on exciting items while supporting your child's education at AMS. All this from the comfort of your computer chair!

Books & Bears

Elgin Jones has served over 600,000 meals to Anchorage children over the past eleven years and is lovingly known as Grandpa Elgin.

Grandpa Elgin has a dream of giving all his kids a teddy bear to love and a book to read this holiday season. Our goal is to make this dream a reality by providing 500 books and bears to Grandpa Elgin and you can help! Please consider a tax-deductible donation to Kids' Kitchen today, so we can make this dream a reality this holiday season.

For more information about the "Books and Bears" for Kids' Kitchen campaign, please contact Lisa Conner at 244-2013 or email: Lisa@LisaConner.com -- You can also visit the website for Kids' Kitchen to learn more about this great program: http://www.KidsKitchenAK.com

Just in time...

A perfect gift for your kiddos up here or those you might know in the lower 48: Two books are being sold in the atrium of AMS. Pocketboy's Wish & Pocketboy's Gift -- on special for only $12.00. Both tell the story of Pocketboy's Alaskan adventures as told by author Belinda Hisey. And the best part? 100% of the $12.00 goes directly to AMS and your child's education! Stock up today!

Do you feedblitz?

Did you know you can get the AMS Parent Blog delivered to your inbox? Then there's no remembering to check the blog, just check your email for all the latest updates on AMS and your child's education. Simply type in your email address in the white box labeled feed blitz over there on the left...no junk mail, no spam, just AMS information created just for you!

Do you know any AMS Parents? If you have AMS parents on your email list just simply fwd this website to them...the more community participation the better the blog! Forward today!

A quick lesson in...

Español!

Our very own AMS Mom, Karen Padgett, has been teaching some of our morning toddler and preschool classes Spanish. Just in time for the holiday break is a song you can easily learn (after all your toddler or preschooler may already know it!). For your translating convenience Karen has included pronunciation after the lyrics below...next week we'll teach you the colors (which your child may already know!):

(sung to the tune of “Three Little Indians.”) :

1) Una mano, dos manos
Vamos a contar

2) Una mano, cinco dedos
Vamos a contar

3) Uno, dos, tres, cuatro, cinco
Vamos a contar

4) Dos manos, diez deditos
Vamos a contar

5) (Then count in a regular voice, not singing)
Uno, dos, tres, cuatro, cinco, seis, siete, ocho, nueve, diez (yay!!!!!)

1) (OO-nuh MAH-noh, dohs MAH-nohs=one hand, two hands, sung three time)
(BAH-mohs ah cohn-TAHR=let’s count!)

2) (SEEN-coh DEH-dohs, 5 fingers, sung three times)
(BAH-mohs ah cohn-TAHR=let’s count!)

3) (OO-noh, dohs, trehs, QUA-troh, SEEN-coh, 12345, sung three times)
(BAH-mohs ah cohn-TAHR=let’s count!)

4) (dohs MAH-nos, dee-EHS deh-DEE-tohs=2 hands, 10 (little) findgers, sung three time)
(BAH-mohs ah cohn-TAHR=let’s count!)

Thank you...

A big thank you from Karin Goodman and the Holiday One Stop Shopping event to Caryl Sjostrom for donating the lion’s share of the food for the event and the Roberson, Kelm, Finley, Liles, Fagerstrom, Carter, Aarseth, and Lick families for helping make the event a success.

Keep Shopping...& sitting

For those of you that missed the Holiday Open House this past Saturday, there are still catalogs available at the front desk. You can place your order, take care of holiday gift giving, and still get credits for AMS!

In addition, if your interested in placing a Sensaria order you can contact our very own AMS Mom and Sensaria rep, Jess Badgley at:
jessbadgley@mysensaria.com
Jess can then email you an on-line link so you can shop for Sensaria products and give AMS credits all from the comfort of your cozy computer chair!

Did you miss the Shopping Open House?

If you couldn't attend today you are still welcome to take advantage of the fantastic offers through our fundraiser!! Please visit the following website:

http://www.pamperedchef.biz/afwifecooking

Once you are there please click on the lower left hand corner where it says "Order Products" this will take you to where you can enter our name (Anchorage Montessori School) and place an order there. This will give you the option to have the items shipped to yourself!!!!!
Any questions? Contact Tonya at: tnya831@aol.com

Shop this Saturday!

One Stop Shopping Open House this Saturday November 17th from 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. at AMS! Invite your friends, neighbors, family, etc. to this exciting event! Vendors include: The Body Shop, Silpada, Simply Fun, The Pampered Chef, Weekender, Tupperware, The Longaberger Company, Southern Living at Home, and Uppercase Living. Come out this Saturday to support AMS and shop for the holidays. Doorprizes and loads of holiday specials!

The 28th Annual Alaska State Karate Championship, December 2nd from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Our very own Lauren, a brown belt, and Casey, a yellow belt, both from Tanaka's Karate School, will be participating in this event. The event will be held at the Unversity of Alaska's Wells Fargo Sports Center. Adult $6.00, students $5.00 and children $3.00.

Also, just a reminder for the Holiday Open House this Saturday the 17th from 11:00 to 3:00. MANY local vendors for your holiday shopping needs!

Shop at AMS...& spread the word

Coming this Saturday, November 17th to AMS is the Holiday Open House. Featuring a variety of local home-based businesess this year's event will include products for home, garden, decorating, gourmet foods, and entertaining. This year's event promises to be just as diverse and perfect for a fun-filled day of shopping, door prizes, and fun. The One Stop Shopping Open House will run from 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. If you have any questions on the event, please contact: kgoodman@acsalska.net



Who's on your email list? If you have any AMS families please fwd this blog address to them, word is getting out but we need your help to make sure all AMS families know about this blog as another way to stay in touch with their child's education. Please forward today!

Last Day of Book Fair

Today is the last day of the Blizzard into Books Scholastic Book Fair. Be sure to stop by AMS before 4:00 PM today to take advantage of this great book shopping opportunity. We have a variety of books for all ages and reading levels...come browse today!

Toy Recall: Aqua Dots & Fisher-Price

This week there were 2 major recalls of toys. Please read the following links and forward onto any other parents or grandparents you know...with the holidays approaching these are especially important to read. The first recall news listed involves the Spin Master Aqua Dots product line and the second recall listed involves a Fisher-Price product line. The Spin Master Aqua Dots can cause coma and serious seizures. Fisher-Price's recall involves a choking hazard. Please cut and paste the links into your browser or email to fwd on (the whole link doesn't fit into one line so please include the 2nd line as well in your web browser):

http://money.cnn.com/2007/11/07/news/international/toys_drug.ap/index.htm?cnn=yes

http://money.cnn.com/2007/11/06/news/companies/fisherprice_recall/index.ht

Do you know anyone...

In a home based business in Anchorage? AMS is hosting a fundrasing shopping opportunity. On Saturday November 17th we'll thow open our doors to these local businesses and offer one-stop shopping for all your holidays needs. If you know of someone with a home based business here in Alaska please notify Karin Goodman via email at: kgoodman@acsalaska.net. Last year's event included businesses from home, garden, decorating, gourmet foods, entertaining and books. This year's event promises to be just as diverse and perfect for a fun-filled day of shopping, door prizes, and fun. Contact Karin today!

Looking for...

Anchorage Montessori School is looking for two (2) board members. We are looking for someone with a strong financial and fundraising background. If you are interested in submitting an application or if you know someone who may serve the school well, please notify Amy at the front desk.


Help your child's teacher win $50 or $100 for her or his classroom!:

During Parent-Teacher conferences this week (Nov 8 & 9, 2007), sign up on the eScrip list in your child's classroom. Just write in your name, address, phone number, email address, and Safeway/Carrs card number. Currently-registered people will also be counted. If you are already registered, please write your name on your child's teacher's list and write "already registered." If a friend or family member of yours is already registered, please also write their name on the list and write "already registered." Two $50 awards will be presented, one for the classroom with the highest number of registrants, and one for the classroom with the highest percentage of registrants. The same classroom may win both awards! Questions or comments? Contact Karen.padgett@alaska.com, 349-9987

2 quick items...

A Hamster needs a Home

An AMS family needs to find a good home for their hamster. It comes with a cage and food. Please let Amy at the front desk know if your interested.

NO school...

On Thursday Nov. 8th & Friday Nov. 9th there is NO school for toddlers, preschoolers & kindergartners and early release for elementary.

Books! Books! Books!

Blizzard into Books starts today! ALL this week at AMS the Scholastic Book Fair will be running daily in the 'big room'. Please come and help support AMS while also restocking your library or stocking up on gifts. The holidays are just around the corner and Blizzard into Books offers the *perfect* opportunity to take care of your gift giving all in one stop. For further details on this book event of the season:

http://bookfairs.scholastic.com/bookfairs/cptoolkit/publish/anchoragemontessori

Do you or does someone you know work for BP?

Then check out this exciting opportunity to give $500 of BP donations (*not from your pocket*) to your favorite organization, school, or charity. BP is offering you as an employee the opportunity to designate an organization, school or charity as the recipient of a $500 donation right away...and most checks are cut within just a few weeks. A quick and easy way to support your favorite organization, school or charity with just a click! If you need a paper request form, call 866-299-4932 and it will be mailed to you. OR click today and donate:

http://www.fabricfund.bp.com

Shopping & Working earn $$ for AMS!

Both shopping & working can give you two chances to, with little effort on your part, earn valuable $$$ for your child's education.

Did you know that just by shopping online at miniboden.com, nordstrom.com, ebay.com, or even expedia.com you can earn $$ for AMS? There are over 700...yes, 700 merchants that will give $$ to AMS as long as you click from escrip to their sites. It's ridiculously easy, just goto http://www.escrip.com sign up for your FREE account - then start your holiday shopping right away. AND you don't have to just stop there, tell friends, family, random people on the street (?) that they can CLICK for ESCRIP and earn for AMS today!

As for the working part, your employer be it small, medium or large (corporations included) probably has a matching gift program. Some employers use different terminology (corporate gift giving, community support, etc) but ANYTIME you give ANY $ (even $5) your company will most likely match that $ to AMS. Most companies have the forms easily located on their websites or via HR. With just a little time on your part your donations to AMS can double and so too can your impact on your child's education. Match up today!

Do YOU fidget?

Your child might... and Betsey Howard, AMS Director of Education wants your "fidget toys" (see photo for example). They build hand strength, develop motor skills and help kids calm down & concentrate. These types of toys are often given out at conferences as freebies from different vendors. If you’re going to a conference please be on the lookout for them, and consider donating one or more to your child’s class.

A few reminders:

-- The AMS Cash for CANS drive has been extended until November 15th - also looking for a parent to drop off the final can load (volunteer credit!)

-- Next week on Thurs. Nov 8th & Fri. Nov 9th there is NO school for toddlers, preschoolers & kindergartners and early release for the elementary

-- BLIZZARD INTO BOOKS SCHOLASTIC BOOK FAIR is next week...woo hoo!