The Pyramid
Montessori School of North Hoffman Lotus Montessori
1200 Freeman Rd. 3805 Huntington Blvd.
Hoffman Estates, IL Hoffman Estates, IL
www.msnh.org 847– 705-1234 847-705-5678
PTO Newsletter May 2008
Dear Parents:
As we approach the end of our academic year, I wanted to share a few thoughts
with you.
First, I would like to thank all of you, our parents, and all of our faculty and
staff, for coming together to foster a true sense of community. This year proved
to me how resilient our community can be; we not only come together when
times are good, but we are there for each other when life presents us with chal-
lenges. In a sense, all of our efforts are meant to build this type of environ-
ment—that each child, and by extension each family, can depend on our com-
munity for strength and support. This environment cannot be built only by the faculty and staff.
Rather, it can only be established through the collective efforts of all of us.
On a related point, the participation of our parents has been truly outstanding this year. There was a
lot of parent involvement in all of the school functions, and my sincere thanks go to all of the parent
volunteers. I would specifically like to thank those parents who came on overnight field trips to An-
cient Lifeway and Camp Edwards. In particular, I would like to single out the tireless efforts of Cyn-
thia Voetsch who led the Erdkinder road trip to Boston. All of our overnight field trips are immensely
valuable in the education of our children and would not be possible without your participation.
Speaking of Erdkinder, it was this time last year that we announced plans to begin our Erdkinder
program in the 2007-2008 academic year. Despite the challenges that each new program faces along
the way, we have had a truly successful first year. The interconnectedness of this curriculum has
provided the students with a deeper understanding of content areas and knowledge. In fact, I am
happy to report that our Erdkinder program will nearly double in size in the coming 2008-2009
academic year!
At the same time, I don’t want to overlook the hard work and dedication of our entire faculty and staff
in all of our other programs. The implementation of the nine outcomes of the Authentic Montessori
Education (Independence, Confidence & Competence, Autonomy, Intrinsic Motivation, Ability to Han-
dle External Authority, Social Responsibility, Academic Preparation, Spiritual Awareness, and Citi-
zens of the World) was dually noted at both campuses. Across the entire school, all teachers were
pleased with the overall development of their students.
I am pleased to have promptly received all of the re-enrollment forms from families who are returning
for the next academic year. This will allow us to start planning for an even more successful 2008-
2009 academic year.
Finally, I would like to remind our Elementary parents about our summer program which is already
planned. The program includes well-thought out planning for Sports, Nature Exploration, Fine Arts,
and Science. In each session, related field trips will complement our goals. In addition, our students
will have 90 minutes of academic enrichment and Spanish classes twice each week. The tuition for
summer includes all field trips as well as classes. I hope to see many of
you take advantage of this program.
Wishing you all a happy, healthy, and relaxing summer!
Molood Naghibzadeh, PhD
THE PYRAMID Page 2
Hair-raising Event for Amanda Jensen
As many of you know, one of our Upper
Elementary students, Amanda Jensen,
was diagnosed with Leukemia on her
12th birthday. Since this date in Febru-
ary, she has been fighting and succeed-
ing in beating this cancer. However, this
is a long road for her: a road that will
last at least 2 years. Because of this,
Amy Venditti and Sandy Schultz, two
parents of Amanda’s classmates, de-
cided to have a
fundraiser, on May 7, for the Jensen
family.
Since the idea was thought of, others
joined in to help organize this event.
Dr. Naghibzadeh let us use the school
for this event, supporting us 100 percent. Nicki Douros, David Wiskowski and Kim Schmidt helped
finalize the plans. Julia Le, Teri Walker, Peggy Hollingsworth, Amy Venditti and Ms. Z manned the
food tables. Diane Knippen, Grandma Schultz, Peggy Hollingsworth, Judy Loughlin, Terry Momot,
Dr. Naghibzadeh, Kim Schmidt, Carol Niec, and Nicki Douros donated goodies. Dr Naghibzadeh’s
sister, and mother of Mersedeh Wiskowski, Minoo Naghibzadeh, and Sandy Schultz’s friend, Lisa
Heidler, two very qualified hair stylists, cut and shaved heads. Zachary Stebbins, Evan Wo-
jciechowsi, Cody Walker, Michael Douros, Brandon Venditti, Steven Herigodt, Daniel Ethan Basa,
Samuel Nathan Basa, Alex Veitch, Almos Elekes, Ashkan Madani, Chase Schmidt, Jacob Rajaman-
ickam, Samuel Douros and Mukund Dewan shaved their heads bald. My entire class made signs,
went door to door for pledges, set up the gym, sold goods or helped with the clean up at the end.
Many people in our community and outside our community donated lots of money. The grand total
is $4,544.59 dollars.
As a newer staff member and parent in this community, I was in awe at the support and love that
was given to the Jensen family. To see so many come together for a member of our community in
need is truly what Montessori meant when she focused so heavily on love: love of the environment,
love of others and love of self. The Montessori School of North Hoffman and the surrounding com-
munity demonstrated that love on May 7.
Thanks to all for caring so deeply.
Bridget Scales, Upper Elementary directress and parent
THE PYRAMID Page 3
(Top) Left to Right : Michael Douros, Samuel Douros, Almos Elekes, Daniel Ethan Basa, Alex Veitch,
Mukund Dewan, Ashkan Madani, Deven Kazmierczak, Jakob Rajamanickam
(Bottom) Left to Right : Evan Wojciechowski, Brandon Venditti, Cody Walker, Steven Herigodt, Zach Stebbins,
Chase Schmidt, Mr. Eagan
THE PYRAMID Page 4
Thanks for a Great Year!
Many thanks to all of you who volunteered through the PTO this year! We had a very success-
ful year this year. We started with a great Ice Cream Social that was a big hit with all of the
children. We hosted several movie nights during the year and continue to get requests from the
children for another and another and another!
We had a terrific response to our community service activities. Thank you to everyone who do-
nated gifts for Palatine Township’s Adopt-A-Family program in December, to everyone who do-
nated food for the Palatine Township Food Pantry, and to everyone who donated food, toys, and
supplies to Red Door Animal Shelter. These activities are a great way for our school to connect
with the community and to teach our children to reach out to others in need.
We also had several very successful fundraisers this year. Thank you to everyone who partici-
pated in our Sally Foster fundraiser at the beginning of the year. This fundraiser helps the PTO
sponsor its events and activities throughout the year. Thank you also to everyone who partici-
pated in our Scrip fundraiser. The Scrip program is an easy way to give money to the school
without spending anything more than you would be spending already. We also had our most
successful gala to date. The school earned $45,000 from this event. Funds will be used for
school improvements and for the building of a new facility just a few minutes from the MSNH
campus.
It is exciting to see the school community as it grows stronger each year. We greatly appreciate
all of your help. The dedication you show to making our schools a better place strengthens our
community and creates an unparalleled learning environment for our children.
Thanks again for your support! Have a wonderful summer. We look forward to seeing you next
year!
From the MSNH & Lotus Montessori PTO
School Calendar of Events
March 2008 - April 2008
Wednesday May 7th Mothers’ Night (Young Toddlers thru 3-6 yrs. )
th
Wednesday May 14 Volunteer Appreciation
Monday May 26th Memorial Day Holiday SCHOOL CLOSED
th
Wednesday June 4 Kindergarten Graduation
Thursday June 5th Elementary Graduation
th
Friday June 6 Academic Year Ends & School Picnic/Field Day
Summer Sessions
Summer Session I June 9th – June 27th
Summer Session II June 30th – July 18th
Friday, July 4th SCHOOL CLOSED
st th
Monday – Friday July 21 – July 25 SCHOOL CLOSED
th th
Summer Session III July 28 –August 15
THE PYRAMID Page 5
Elementary Presentations
Lower Elementary
The lower elementary students are busily
involved in preparing and giving the presenta-
tions. The yearly presentation are research
projects that the students take ownership and
work hard to present. The process involves
brainstorming sessions, gathering information
from different sources, putting the information
together , preparing boards, memorizing and
finally presenting their topic in front of an
audience. This is an excellent opportunity for
students to develop public speaking and devel-
ops confidence and competence. The students
pursue their interest and come up with fasci-
nation and interesting topics ranging from
History to biographies, from science to arts.
Montessori method of education allows children to explore and pursue their special interests.
The teachers guide the students from one level of independence to another empowering them to
gain success. The presentation night is a great example of discovery, exploration and empow-
erment.
Upper Elementary
On May 5, the final group of presenters in the Upper Elementary demonstrated their new
knowledge of topics that he or she has been researching since March. Topics included famous
people, events, hobbies and concepts. Boards are on display in the hallway.
Tree of Life
The Tree of Life is a material that is traditionally used in the 9-12 classroom. This material works
on developing hierarchical order skills through the taxonomy of animals. Throughout the Montes-
sori curriculum children have worked with animal studies. They begin with a basic introduction to
living and non-living in the toddler and 3-6
class. Children then begin to recognize the
differences and similarities in animals. As
children enter the elementary environment,
they begin sharpening these observational
skills and understanding the order of taxon-
omy (kingdom, division, phylum, class, order,
family, genus and species).
The children in Miss Motlagh’s class have
worked hard with this material and have be-
gun further research and comparisons be-
tween animals in similar families. In tradi-
tional schooling, taxonomy of animals is pre-
sented at the secondary school level. The
mental order that children gain in working
with this material is invaluable.
THE PYRAMID Page 6
Elementary Fieldtrips
Camp Edwards Lower Elementary Field trip
The lower elementary attended
Edwards camp in East Troy,
Wisconsin from April 14 to 16, 2008.
Many parents joined the teachers as
Dr. Naghibzadeh chaperons. This two
nights and
three days field trip was a great out-
door educational experience for the
children. The students attended
classes in two groups, they thoroughly
enjoyed Pond Mucking, Maple Syrup
making. They learned about water
cycle and visited the 'Nature Center'
where they had a class called "All
about Wolves."
There was a true spirit of team build-
ing cooperative learning and sharing
among the students. They helped, encouraged and supported each other. The great delight of the
second day was 'Tube sliding' during recess. Dr. Naghibzadeh also joined the children in this ex-
citing activity! The last evening the children sang songs and enjoyed themselves around a roaring
camp fire. We thank all the chaperones who accompanied and helped us during this trip. Overall
a successful educational trip.
Upper Elementary Trip to Michael, IL
On April 29, the Upper Elementary class
traveled to Michael, IL to spend
3 days at a camp called Ancient Life-
ways. Here the students slept in very
rustic dwellings called longhouses, did
flint knapping, made cordage and
leather pouches, heard stories, played
games, threw spears with an atl atl
(an ancient tool used to help project the
spears farther), sung songs and
explored nature in a rustic setting that
is where the Illiniwek Indians once may
have lived. The camp was begun by the
White family which still maintains the
property and programs. All children en-
joyed the freedom of exploring the creek
and running down the very tall hill.
Each child had their own favorite.
Brandon Venditti asked me when we
would be returning to this place. I told him that it was an Upper Elementary trip that was taken
every three years and that he would be in Erdkinder when we went again. He said, "That stinks!" I
agree. It was an incredible experience for all.
THE PYRAMID Page 7
Erdkinder Boston Trip
Erdkinder went on a week long road to Bos-
ton, MA April 11 through the 18, 2008. We
went on this trip because we were studying
the Civil War in history and American Litera-
ture. It was an awesome opportunity to ex-
perience what we were learning in our classes.
We really were able to get a better under-
standing about America history and literature.
We left late Friday night and stopped along
the way until we arrived in Philadelphia, PA.
We saw Frank Lloyd Wright's Falling Waters,
which is a beautiful house that is adjoined
with nature. We also took a tour called Frank-
lin's Footsteps Walking Tour. We saw Christ
Church Burial Ground, where Benjamin Franklin was buried. We visited Franklin's house, Inde-
pendence Hall, Constitution Hall, the Liberty Bell, and Liberty Hall. We also visited the Signer and
the Signers Walk, which is a memorial to the men that signed the Declaration of Independence. We
saw the house where Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence as well as the Na-
tional Constitution Center and Betsy Ross's grave.
After Philadelphia, we drove to Boston, MA. The first day there we went on a Freedom Trail walk and
saw Boston Commons. We also visited the Old City Hall, where the Boston Massacre took place. We
went to Massachusetts State House, Irish Family Memorial, Holocaust Memorial, Granary Burial
Ground, and Faneuil Hall. The second day we took a guided
tour of Harvard and then we went to Harvard Square. We also
visited the Museum of Fine Arts. We took various subway sys-
tems to get to most of our destinations while in Boston.
Along with our knowledge that we learned from our experi-
ences in Philadelphia and Boston, it was significant that we
stopped at the Mystic Seaport, CN, to see the slave ships.
In addition, other FUN activities that we enjoyed were, the New
England Aquarium, visiting Fenway Park, and window shop-
ping at the seven story Abercrombie & Fitch at Faneuil Hall in
Boston. Also, we visited the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Can-
ton, Ohio, and went to see Niagara Falls in Canada.
This road trip was educational and we learned a lot from the
experience. It was a great opportunity. We would like to thank
Ms. Motlagh, Mr. Eagan and Mrs. Voetsch for planning out our
trip and being our chaperons. Overall, I think Erdkinder
became closer with each other, but most importantly it was a
lot of FUN!!!
Alexa Schmidt
Erdkinder Student, 7th Grade
May 7th, 2008
THE PYRAMID Page 8
Romeo and Juliet
Seeing that Montessori believed in the introduction of great literature to children from a very
young age, children in the lower elementary classes have read the work of William Shakespeare
with their teachers. It has been delightful to hear the discussion spurred from such rich literary
content. Children have enjoyed writing their own Shakespeare inspired plays, as well as sonnets.
As a going out trip students from both lower elementary classes attended the play “Romeo and
Juliet” at the Apollo Theater in Chicago. The theater was wonderful. The actors came out and
introduced themselves before the play and a few stayed after the performance to answer ques-
tions. Our lower elementary students stunned the producer of the play with not only their thea-
ter etiquette, but also their understanding of the play as well as their insightful questions. This
will be an annual trip for the lower elementary students as this was a wonderful culminating ac-
tivity.
Veronika Filip, a second grade student from Miss Motlagh’s class has submitted her theater re-
view of the performance accompanied by Leilah Petit’s illustration of young Juliet in the Capulet
tomb:
THE PYRAMID Page 9
Japanese Student exchange
On March 2 until March 16th, the Upper Elemen-
tary students had a special opportunity to host
seven Japanese students. Ms. Akemi, our Japa-
nese teacher, and Mrs. Knippen, one of our par-
ents, planned this wonderful exchange. The four
boys and 3 girls were hosted by families and ex-
perienced a little Americana while here. Some of
the trips were: Sears Tower observatory, Shedd,
The Field, Medieval Times, Day trip to Galena,
Clay Monet as well as many other mini trips. We
were sad to see our new friends go, but some of
these kids will venture to Japan in the summer to
do an exchange program there.
A presentation for upper elementary
On April 8, the Upper Elementary had a very
special presentation from a very distinguished
man named Michael Barbee. Mr. Barbee has
traveled to China and Southeast Asia many
times and brought artifacts to share with the
students. His assistant, Ren Shan, had items to
share, pictures to look at on a power point pres-
entation and a very creative craft to do with the
students. As Brandon Venditti said, That was an
awesome presentation. It wasn’t just a sit and
listen presentation.
THE PYRAMID Page 10
Mother’s Night
On May 7th, children from the toddler and primary
classrooms show their favorite work to their moth-
ers. Thank you to all the moms who were able to
attend our mother’s night. The children were de-
lighted to be able to share their favorite activities.
Lotus Community Joins Together to Honor Earth Day
April 22nd marked the 39th anniversary of
Earth Day. The Lotus campus joined together
to learn more about this observance and the
importance of caring for our environment.
Mrs. Anees’ toddlers planted vegetable seeds in
pots to get a jump start on their garden this
summer. After the seedlings grow, they can be
transferred to the garden to grow big and
strong and provide healthy and delicious vege-
tables for the students.
All classes worked to pick up litter around the
campus and nearby areas, including the bank
and shops in the adjoining lot. The children sorted through the collected items to remove any-
thing recyclable. This activity demonstrated to the children the importance of collective effort
and individual effort in caring for our environment. They also learned how easy it is to recycle.
Grandmas and Grandpas join class for Grandparents’ Day
Grandparents’ Day was a fun way to include
others in our communities and communicate
the importance of the prepared environment.
The children were able to work as they do dur-
ing class with the materials of their choice, and
also were able to demonstrate self-care and
care for their environment by
serving, eating and cleaning up from snack.
Seeing Jacqueline use the materials allowed us
to get to know her in a new way, said Gerry Al-
len, grandfather of Jacqueline Caglar. She was
very busy using many different pieces of mate-
rials. Her sense of and enjoyment in the
classroom was very obvious.
THE PYRAMID Page 11
Gala Auction Winners Enjoy Toddler Mommy and Me Class
As part of the MSNH 2008 Valentine’s Gala, a group of mothers and toddlers from both Mrs.
Anees’ and Mrs. Henderson’s class gathered at school on Saturday, April 19th, for the second an-
nual Toddler Community Mommy and Me Class. This three hour class was offered by Mrs. Hen-
derson and Mrs. Anees as a Gala auction item and enabled mothers to experience a morning class
with their toddlers.
The class followed the normal routine in-
cluding work period, self-served snack, line
time, a story, songs and time in the gym,
plus an art project completed by the toddlers
and their moms. The participants stamped,
painted and used art markers to decorate
three terra cotta pots. They then gathered to
plant spring tulips for the entire campus to
enjoy. The potted tulips are now in the play
area for all the children to enjoy.
The Mommy and Me morning was a unique
opportunity for me to see Sebastian at work!
We had a great time with the other mothers
and children especially when we painted the pots, said Cheryl Rinosa, mother of Sebastian. It is
amazing to see how well he knows his way around the classroom and how he interacts with other
children in a classroom setting.
The children greatly enjoyed the chance to show their work and classroom to the moms. The
moms also learned some songs so they can sing along with their toddlers at home.
Fascinating Rhythm
On Wednesday, April 16, 2008 the Kindergarten children attended Symphony Orchestra at
Hemmens Auditorium. It was a wonderful opportunity to introduce children to live music. The
musicians played small segments of compositions by composers such as Tchaikovsky and Bee-
thoven, ending with a longer and well known piece by George Gershwin. In between segments,
the conductor provided commentary and individual musicians demonstrated rhythm and beat.
As with all the arts, appreciation develops over time. To prepare for this concert, the children
listened to the music in the classroom; sometimes with accompanying activities such as draw-
ing, line movement, and story telling.
Comments afterwards included: “I heard jazz, my dad listens to jazz”, “I liked when the tuba
played the long notes”, “I thought of a castle”, “I want to listen the music at home.” Each child
came away with a different level of experience. I would like to encourage families to provide var-
ied musical listening experiences for your children. There are many free outdoor concerts spon-
sored by park districts where children do not have to sit still and picnics are encouraged. Li-
braries are a great source of free music to try in the car. Above all, enjoy the world’s music.
THE PYRAMID Page 12
Michael Douros Raises $2000.00
for St. Baldrick’s Day, Childhood Cancer
As soon as Michael Douros heard about his friend Amanda and her illness, he went right home
and searched the web for an organization that he heard about at school from Ms. Schultz, The St.
Baldrick’s Day Foundation. Once on-line, he learned that he could shave his head and raise
money for childhood cancer. He told his mother, Nicki Douros, that this was what he wanted to
do. She took him to the barber and as his site says, he went from “Eagle Eye to Bald Eagle”.
Those of you who know Michael, know that he is not only competitive but
a highly successful fund collector. He has been not only principal-for-
the-day for selling the most raffle tickets for the gala, but also for helping
his class win the pizza party for the most money earned from selling raffle
tickets for this year’s gala. So seeking money out for St. Baldrick’s was
yet another challenge he was ready to face. His grand total donated for
children’s cancer is $2095.00! He did not stop there. Once he heard
about this fundraiser for Amanda, he took to the streets and raised
$720.00 for her family. Thanks to Michael Douros for all his time and
hard work.
Pet Food Drive Movie Night
We hope everyone who came to see
our showing of “Mr. Magorium’s Won-
der Emporium” had a magical time
this was our last movie night for the
year. Please make a suggestion on the
list posted in both school lobbies and
look for a back to school movie night
in the fall.
Amy Venditti
THE PYRAMID Page 13
ShopWithScrip Program News
MSNH/Lotus Montessori School’s ShopWithScrip Program sends a THANK YOU to everyone
who ordered their certificates and cards from the school. Our schools earned over $3000.00
this year with participating families earning an average of $100.00 in tuition reduction!!
WOW!
If you haven’t heard about what the ShopWithScrip Program is feel free to go to
www.msnh.org and click on the Scrip Program link. There you will find all you need to know
about ordering store and restaurant gift cards that you can use while doing your everyday
shopping. The best part about the ShopWithScrip Program is that by purchasing Jewel
cards or Shell Gas cards from the school, you can earn tuition reduction dollars! Its as easy
as picking up an order from your school’s office; Then go to www.shopwithscrip.com to sign
up for electronic ordering. You can place your order every week on Monday and get your
cards and certificates by Friday! It’s that simple!
Questions can be directed to the Scrip Coordinator at scrip.msnh@gmail.com.
Congratulations to Veronica Henderson!
Please join us in wishing congratulations to Veronica
Henderson, infant-toddler coordinator on her upcom-
ing wedding to Geoffrey Garner on July 8th! After her
wedding, Mrs. Henderson will use both her name and
Mr. Garner’s name to be known as Mrs. Veronica
Henderson-Garner.
We wish them lots of happiness and good fortune!
The Pyramid is a bi-monthly publication for the Montessori School of North Hoffman and Lotus Montessori.
It is available online at http://www.msnh.org/newsletter.htm. Most of the photos in this newsletter are courtesy of Mr. David Wiskowski.
If you have information that you would like to be considered for publication, please send an email at david.msnh@gmail.com.