Downtown Montessori Academy Celebrates New Organic School Garden with “Green Festival“ on June 2nd
Downtown Montessori Academy, a charter school operating under a license of the City of Milwaukee, invites the community to join the grand opening of a new educational organic school garden. During the last months, DMA students, parents, staff and community volunteers jointly created a garden on the DMA school grounds, located on S. Graham Street in Milwaukee’s Bay View neighborhood. The project has received wide community support, including donations from green minded local businesses and organizations. The school garden consists of twelve raised beds for a total of 240 square feet. With volunteer support from three master gardeners, students will plant, grow and harvest organic vegetables, herbs and native flowers in this hands-on educational project . Virginia Flynn, Head of Downtown Montessori Academy, welcomes the new school garden as another important tool in the quality Montessori education of DMA students. "We believe, as Maria Montessori said: The land is where our roots are. The children must be taught to feel and live in harmony with the Earth", says Flynn. By learning gardening techniques including worm composting and the use of rain barrels for water conservation, DMA students will be able to grow healthy food in an urban environment, an important skill many members of the parent generation never learned.
The DMA Green Festival will start at 3:30 pm on June 2nd. Activities include:
The local folk band Lollycoogan will perform Irish & Scottish songs from 5 pm to 6:30 pm.
We need your help. We are ready to start planting our box gardens. All we need now are the plants. Below is a list of plants we would like for our gardens although any donation is appreciated and will be put to use.
Seeds- We can plant these directly into the ground
Seedling Plants- Plants that are already started
Supplies-
We need volunteers to help maintain the beds over the summer, primarily to water and weed when necessary. Family involvement is integral to the success of our gardens. Please let us know if you are willing to volunteer a week of your time to help out with the gardens.
Currently, all PTO officer terms have expired, and the PTO President will be ending his term a year early. As a result, the Head of School, faculty and Board of Directors will take the summer break to evaluate the role the PTO will fill to support the strategic goals and mission of the school.
The PTO is a vital part of the DMA community, and the Board and administration would like to encourage any and all parents interested in participating in the PTO in the next school year to provide their names and contact information to Liz (lbecerra@downtownmontessori.com).
A sample invite to send out to your family and friends.
With only 3 weeks left until the auction, there are still MANY things that need to be done. Check out the latest flyer for more info.
Join us for another summer learning experience. All ages are welcome.
Children's House Program
Elementary Program
Cookbooks were sold out at last weeks fair by 4:15! If you would still like a cookbook, just fill out this form and return to school. Cookbooks are only $1 and all proceeds will go to Haiti.
Pepsi is giving away $1,300,000 a month to fund ideas that have a positive
impact and Hungry for Music is currently in the top ten with GET
INSTRUMENTAL!, a campaign to donate 10,000 instruments to 10,000
underprivileged children.
It will only take a few minutes for you to help and we do need your help!
1. Go to http://www.refresheverything.com.
2. Join (at the left-hand corner at the bottom of the page).
3. Go to "Leaders" in the $250,000 category and vote for Hungry for Music
(or click there to see a brief project description and video, and then
vote).
4. Voting ends February 28. Please vote for us once a day.
5. Spread the word to your friends on Facebook, Twitter, and elsewhere.
Check here for the latest opportunites to volunteer.
Last Spring, DMA saw the graduation of its first eighth grade student. Parents often question the idea of a small school setting for their child, especially after they move into middle school. We can't think of a better way to express its importance than in the words of an eighth grade student.
Read Flannery's speech here.
Hungry for Music, a Washington D.C.-based grassroots non-profit with a mission to put musical instruments in the hands of kids who need them, donated 20 brand new violins and accessories to DMA. This program arose from HFM’s understanding that many children are unable to participate in school music programs because they can’t afford to rent or buy an instrument. This outstanding program has made it possible for us to begin offering violin instruction as part of our music program. Our MANY THANKS go out to Hungry for Music. Please take a moment to spread the word and support Hungry for Music’s efforts through their web site at http://hungryformusic.com.
DMA was recently awarded a board development grant from the Non-Profit Management Fund. This grant has enabled the Board of Directors to engage with Ms. Denise Patton of BDP & Associates, a consultant with over 25 years non-profit management experience. More information about the Non-Profit Management Fund can be found at http://www.nonprofitmanagementfund.org/enter.html