April 2026 Edition

Montessori Moment from Ms. Rachel

What Did My Child Do at School Today? 

It is very natural for parents to want to know what their child has done at school each day. After all, children spend the majority of their waking hours there. This question can be especially challenging to answer if your child attends a Montessori school.

In a traditional school, instruction is scheduled in blocks, and there may be a textbook that students are working from. This structure can make it easier for parents to understand what their child has done throughout the day.

However, in a Montessori classroom, there is no block scheduling, and students are free to choose their work (as long as they are making appropriate choices) during the three-hour work cycle.

So what can you do to get a better idea of your child’s day?

One helpful approach is to model what that conversation can look like. Start by talking about your own day:
“Today I had a meeting with my boss about a big project we are working on. Then I worked on that project with three other people in my office. I also answered phone calls and wrote emails.”

Once you’ve started the conversation, you can use open-ended questions like these to encourage your child to share more:

For Primary:

1. What work did you choose today? (practical life, sensorial, language, math)

2. Did your teacher give you any lessons today? What can you tell me about them?

3. Did you try any new work today? Tell me about it.

4. Who did you sit with at lunch?

5. Who did you play with on the playground?

For Elementary:

1. What was your most challenging work today?

2. Who did you work with during the work cycle?

3. What lessons did your teacher give you today?

4. What projects are you working on?

5. Who did you spend time with during lunch or recess?

For Adolescents:

1. What projects are you working on?

2. What community service work are you doing right now?

3. What did you talk about during your community meeting?

4. Tell me about something you read or researched in social studies, science, or English.

5. What was the most challenging thing you did today?

Level Highlight - Upper Elementary

The Grey Fox classroom has sprouted seeds and transferred them to our raised bed. We also planted lots of strawberry plants thanks to the Famulari family. The Butler-Willis family donated two huge bags of potting soil, so we were able to fill both beds! 

Our 6th graders completed their long-range Social Studies project with a Roman Market reenactment in the multipurpose room this past Friday. 

For International Night, our students worked in small groups with 6th-grade leaders to complete our Djibouti display. Did you know the national favorite food is spaghetti? 

Our class pet, Michelangelo, has been soaking up the sun and eating lots of mealworms thanks to the Powell family donating worms! We are going to start measuring him every month to see how much he is growing! 

The News You Need

2026-27 Staff Updates

We wanted to share a few staffing updates for the 2026–27 school year. Ms. Melissa Powell will be moving to Clemson to begin a PhD program. We will miss her but we wish her all the best in this exciting next step. Ms. Amy Pontiff will be transitioning into the role of the reading interventionist at MCS, where she’ll use her recent Master’s in Literacy to support our developing readers.

With these changes, we're pleased to welcome two new team members. Gin Gin Lundy will join us as our Upper Elementary teacher, bringing 27 years of experience across public and private schools, along with a strong Montessori background in both Lower and Upper Elementary. She is passionate about fostering independence, critical thinking, and a love of learning.

We also welcome Alexandra (Allie) Sclafani as our Lower Elementary teacher. She holds a Master’s in Psychology from Dartmouth, has Montessori teaching experience, and is also a published author whose work reflects her love of nature and creativity.

We’re excited about these transitions and the strengths each educator brings to our community! 

Front Office News  from Ms. Lori and Ms. Sandie

📝 Attendance Alert: Understanding the "10-Day" Parent Note Rule

Every day in the classroom counts! As we navigate the school year, we want to ensure all our families are clear on CCSD's attendance policy regarding parent notes. While we value your partnership in managing your child’s health and family needs, please keep the following "10-Day" threshold in mind:

The 10-Day Parent Note Limit

• Parents may provide personal notes to excuse absences for illness or emergencies for up to 10 total days per school year.

• Once a student reaches 11 or more absences, a standard parent note is no longer sufficient. To be marked as "excused" from the 11th day onward, official medical or legal documentation (from a doctor, dentist, or court) must be provided.

• Principals retain final authority to review and approve absences beyond the 10-day limit for specific, extenuating circumstances.

Why It Matters

Exceeding 10 days can lead to serious academic hurdles and unexcused absences contribute to truancy. Three consecutive and five total unexcused absences may trigger a formal Truancy Intervention Plan. 

How Parents Can Help

To help stay within these guidelines, we encourage parents to submit a medical note any time a child misses school for a doctor's visit, even before hitting the 10-day limit. This preserves your allotted parent notes for unexpected emergencies later in the year. 

Registration for 2026-27 is Now Open

The student registration window for the 2026-2027 school year is now open. Registration is required for each child enrolled in a CCSD school, whether new or returning. 

Completing annual registration for each child is essential as it allows schools to obtain your most up-to-date contact information, including emergency contacts and student medical updates.

Parents and guardians of returning students must log in to their Parent Portal account and update the necessary information. If you need help with your Parent Portal login, please contact Ms. Lori by email or phone 843-769-0346.

Parents and guardians of returning 4K students will need to access registration via a SNAPCODE link sent by from CCSD via email. 

Parents and guardians of new students will need to access registration via the link on CCSD’s website. 

Important Dates

April

Apr. 6-10 - Spring Break (Schools are closed)
Apr. 14-15 - Spring Pictures
Apr. 16 - Class Pictures and Makeup Pictures
- School Choice Lottery Decisions Announced
Apr. 21 - Deadline to Accept School Choice Seats

May

May 1 -Fun Run
Early Dismissal (1:15)
May 4-8 - Progress Reports Distributed
May 4 - SC Ready Reading A (3rd-5th)
May 5 - SC Ready Reading B (3rd-5th)
May 7 - SC Ready Writing (3rd-8th)
May 11 - SC Ready Math A (3rd-5th)
  SC Ready Math (6th-8th)
May 12 - SC Ready Math B (3rd-5th)
SC Ready Science (6th)
May 14 - SC Ready Science (4th)
May 21 - Field Day/8th Grade EOY Trip
May 25 - Memorial Day (Schools are Closed)
May 26 - Step Up Day (for Bridging Students)
May 27 - Bridging for Primary, LE, and UE (see schedule above)
May 28 - Bridging for MS
    Last Day of School - Half Day (11:30 dismissal)

Important Links

Daily Transportation Change Form 

Parent Portal

RevTrak  - School Store

PTO Tee Shirt Order Form

Yearbook Order Form