From the Head of School

The Laws of Nature
This time of year - feeling the earth under my feet, seeing wildflowers emerge from the frozen ground, loving feel of the good dirt between my fingers - I rejoice at the wonder of it all. Nature presents to us an order and rhythm that helps us connect with the bigger picture of life.

Dr. Montessori knew the difficulty in recognizing and conveying the need for educational reform, but to explain it, she turned to nature. She felt we must look outside humanity, for humanity has not yet realized its importance. We must turn our attention to those “touching and almost miraculous manifestations of the maternal instinct, taken in its widest sense.” For instance, when we look at a hive of bees, what do we see? We see a society in which the complete energy of each adult participant is devoted, with unremitting self-sacrifice, to the task of building up a prepared environment for the coming generation, and to the care of that generation while it is developing. Montessori found it strange that humans – the architects, the builders, the producers, the transformers of the environment – do less for their offspring than these creatures.

Montessorians know the value of preparing the environment for their children: creating the delicate balance that nurtures and supports, but also knowing when to take children to the edge and let them fly. I like to think of our classroom environments as mini laboratories for the prepared environments of future generations. They are places, not unlike the natural world, where the proper nourishment, care and feeding are provided by those who understand and appreciate the laws of nature. We need only to be open and responsive to these needs and realize that the laws and order of the universe apply to all of us.

News and Notes

Ruffing Graduates Return
It is very gratifying to see our graduates return to Ruffing to visit on their high school free days, or, in this case, to complete their senior project. Linus Falck-Ytter and Evan Schrieber, both Hawken School seniors, will be on campus in May to complete their graduation requirement by contributing to an organization in ways that complement their skills and expertise. These projects are self designed and must meet the criteria of the high school’s program. We are the fortunate beneficiaries of their culminating high school experience. Linus (who has two bothers here) will assist in the Admissions office with Julie Haffke, as well as work in various classrooms supporting end-of-year projects. Evan, who is an accomplished pianist, will work with Jenny Rozsa and Anne Gore in our music program and help support the Spring Concert performance on May 19. 

Nature Center at Shaker Lakes - Wintergreen Challenge
We have been working with the Nature Center this semester on the Wintergreen Challenge to promote green consciousness and practices. We were chosen as a pilot school to test the practices within a school setting. The Middle School has been very active, with the rest of our levels looking forward to participating around Earth Day to clean up Doan Brook, an ongoing project Ruffing has supported for many years.

Exchange Visit
Yesterday, Ruffing was fortunate to have three visitors from Taiwan. Our Taiwanese visitors teach English to Taiwanese students and are visiting the Cleveland area, connected to Cleveland State University. They wanted to see our school and hear about our methodology and Montessori philosophy.

The Gardens
With the advent of warm weather, our perennial gardens are coming to life. Just this week, I enjoyed watching our children as they gazed and commented upon the beautiful foliage outside Natalie Bluestone’s classroom and at the entrance to the school. The installation of these gardens was made possible by a grant from the Hershey Foundation, and the landscape expertise of parent Scott Bowen. Enjoy!

The Gala
I want to offer a special “thank you” to our 50th anniversary Golden Bead Gala Committee – to the co-chairs Dominique River and Martha Schubert and to their creative volunteers for planning an exciting celebration. Thank you, as well, to the large number of families who have helped to sell out the event. I could not ask for more – a sold-out party to celebrate 50 years of service to children. I look forward to seeing many of you this weekend at this fun evening event, and thank each of you for your support.

Gordon Maas, Head of School

Gratitude
From every source, we are constantly reminded of the economic challenges we are facing. On a local level, our families, faculty and staff are certainly not immune. We began the admissions process and season in the fall expecting the unexpected, conservatively planning and budgeting for next fall’s enrollment. Through the course of the fall, winter and early spring, we definitely experienced the unexpected – we maintained the robust numbers of inquiries and applications!  We also remained strong in terms of retaining our current families. As a result, we are indeed fortunate to report that we are full for the fall of 2010 for all levels except for our Middle School. This strength is possible through the hard work of our faculty, staff, and volunteers, as well as our families serving as wonderful ambassadors within the community – so thank you!

Observations
Just a reminder that we are approaching the end of observation opportunities! You are welcome to observe in your child’s classroom through the end of April. Please contact me at julieh@ruffingmontessori.net to schedule a date and time.

Julie Haffke, Director of Admissions

Report from the Board
This month's meeting had two areas of focus: officer elections and bylaw changes. Rebecca Holland, who has served on the Board since 2008, was elected President for 2010-2011, while Nancy Lyon Stadler and Brett Davis both agreed to continue to serve in 2010-2011 in their current offices of Vice President and Treasurer, respectively. Election of Board Secretary will be made in the May. We continue to review potential candidates for election to the Board; please contact Lindsay Flack (Lindsay.flack@gmail.com) or Jane McGann (mcgannja@msu.edu) if you are interested.

The Governance Committee presented their recommended changes to the Fairmount Montessori Association bylaws, which will be voted on by all FMA members at our Annual Meeting. This will be held on May 10 at 7 pm in the Middle School. These changes are designed to ensure that we follow best practices of NAIS and ISACS, and that we conform to Ohio law governing non-profit organizations. You should have received a summary of the proposed changes by e-mail or USPS last week. The new text can be reviewed in its entirety on the school's website, either as a "clean" copy or with the old language still incorporated for comparison.

Last month, Amy Shorey and Kimberly Humphreys-Dyer resigned from the Board. Amy had served on the Board since 2007, while Kimberly had been a Trustee since 2006. We thank them both for their years of dedicated service to the Board.
As always, we invite you to attend the next Board meeting, which will be held in the Middle School at 6 pm on May 10. The Annual Meeting of the Fairmount Montessori Association will follow, at 7 pm on May 10.

Knowledge Master
The results of the International Knowledge Master Open are in, and Ruffing has every reason to be very proud. We entered three teams 4th, 5th, and 6th Year teams. The 6th Year team earned 686 points with 94 correct answers. This placed the team 3rd among sixteen 6th Year teams throughout the State of Ohio and 89th in the World (out of 322).

The 5th Year team earned 651 points with 89 correct answers, placing 4th among twenty-one 5th Year teams in Ohio, and 34th  in the World (out of 281).
The 4th Year team placed 18th in the State (and 228th in the World) with 453 points and 78 correct answers. As there is no 4th Year category, our 4th Year team was entered and ranked with 5th Years. Congratulations!

All Elementary Level teams in the Knowledge Master Open answered the same set of 100 questions. Points are awarded based on the length of time it takes the team to answer the questions correctly. Teams are given a second chance to answer each question if they are unable to answer correctly on the first try. Ruffing has distinguished itself in the Knowledge Master Open since first participating in the 2002-03 school year.

It has been a great joy to coach the teams this year. They have come a long way since our first meeting last fall. Success in the Knowledge Master Open requires far more than knowledge. In fact, only eighteen questions tested knowledge, while eighteen more tested comprehension; twenty nine tested the ability to apply; thirty five tested analytical ability. The key to success in the Knowledge Master Open is teamwork, and each team came a very long way in that regard.

Lauren Pacini, Technology Coordinator

Helping Hands
Helping Hands is a parent volunteer service, which is dedicated to the support of the teachers and staff at Ruffing Montessori School. Over the past 8 years, we have been asked to create, repair and stock various classroom materials. Some of our common requests include cutting paper for metal insets, easels, and spelling lists. We laminate posters, flash cards, book covers and student artwork so they can be enjoyed and displayed for all. We have even been asked to assemble furniture and sort inventory.

It has been our pleasure to serve the needs of our staff. We believe that when the teachers feel supported, the benefits go directly to our children. We are currently looking to increase awareness and participation in our work. We need your help! Helping Hands currently meets twice a month on Thursday mornings from 8:30-11:30 am. We accept any help on a drop-in basis.  This can be an easy way to fulfill your volunteer hours while enjoying the camaraderie of other parents. If you are interested in becoming a part of this valuable team, please contact Jean Kloos at 216-932-1733 or jhkloos@sbcglobal.net. We can add you to a convenient, no obligation, e-mail reminder list. Then, it’s up to you to come whenever you are available. We appreciate your interest and look forward to serving our wonderful staff for many years to come!
Helping Hands dates for the remainder of the year: 3/11, 4/8, 4/22, 5/6, 5/20.

High Schools chosen by Middle School graduating class of 2010:

Cub Scout Campout – Save the Date
Mark your calendar for Saturday, May 15, for the first “practice” overnight campout of Cub Scout Pack 3380. Cubmaster Mark Mendes (son Charlie is in Dixie’s class) will host the campout in his backyard at 3085 Fairmount Boulevard with outdoor activities beginning after the Great Kids Race. One parent is required to attend with each camper. More details to follow.

Grandparents’ and Special Persons’ Day at Ruffing Montessori School
…is right around the corner, May 7, 2010. As you know, this is our opportunity to show appreciation to our children’s wonderful grandparents and to the special persons in their lives and to give them a view of a Ruffing school day.

This is an incredibly heartwarming and fun event, but it also requires many volunteers to help make the day run smoothly. Specifically, we are looking for approximately 40 parent volunteers to assist in this event. Additionally, we will need volunteers to donate food. Those interested in volunteering and donating a food item are to email Robin Ritz at robinaritz@gmail.com Also, it is not too late to invite a guest, so please, if other special people are interested in visiting Ruffing and spending time with your special little person, please contact Karen Hahn and she will be glad to mail an invitation.
Thank you in advance
Sheri R. Stevens, Co-Chair GPSP Day

Recommended: A Marine Biology Web Site
Are you and your child interested in ocean life? Dive into the world of marine biology and biodiversity through the Podcast of Life. Witness science in action through lively stories from the front lines of ocean science. The educational and entertaining Web features are produced by, among others,  the Encyclopedia of Life and the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. Current programs include material on the Great White Shark, the Right Whale, and Sea Cucumbers. Children can email questions to scientists in one of the interactive features.
Log on to http://eol.org/podcast

Sky Show
If the evenings of April 16 and April 17 are clear, we are in for an interesting and beautiful alignment of objects in the western evening skies. On Friday the 16th, you will see the bright planet Venus low in the northwest sky. Just above Venus will be a crescent moon, and above the “bowl” of the crescent moon will be the Pleiades star cluster in the constellation Taurus. On the 17th, the Pleiades will be just below the moon. Both nights, but especially the 16th, should provide a spectacular view through binoculars as well as enjoyable naked-eye viewing.

Cary Seidman, Middle School Science Teacher

Montessori Trivia
What do Julia Child, rapper Sean 'P. Diddy' Combs, Larry Page and Sergey Brin (founders of Google), Jeff Bezos (founder of Amazon.com), Anne Frank, Prince William, Prince Harry, former first lady Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis, and Nobel Literature Prize winner Gabriel Garcia Marquez all have in common?  All these individuals were educated at Montessori schools.  I think about how many times I have to explain to acquaintances what Montessori education is and why I've chosen Ruffing, and I like knowing that next time, I can drop a few names to support my decision.  Then again, I can also mention other famous parents who have chosen Montessori education for their own kids: Cher, Michael Douglas, Yul Brynner, Yo Yo Ma, and Bill and Hillary Clinton.

I just thought this would be interesting trivia for you to enjoy as we ramp up for this weekend's Gala. 

Happy Spring!

Nivi Engineer, PA President

 Notice to 4th -8th Grade Students and Families:
Annual Spring Concert: Wednesday, May 19, 2010
The students have been working hard to prepare an exciting program to share with their friends and family. Please note this event on your calendar of spring activities. There will be a daytime performance and an evening performance at 7 pm in the gym. Each student has a special responsibility in the concert and it would be difficult to find a substitute for his or her instrumental or singing part. We hope that you will be able to reschedule lessons, practices, or doctor appointments so each student can be present. In the spirit of community, I am sure that you will work with your child's schedule for the best possible outcome.  Please let me know of any special problems.  Thanks for your understanding.

Jennie Rozsa, Music Teacher

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