September 23, 2025
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Message from the Head of School
Dear MSOW Families,
One of the most meaningful ways parents can support their child’s Montessori journey is by learning more about what happens inside the classroom. Our upcoming Parent Education Nights are designed to give you just that opportunity for three levels; Children's House, Lower Elementary, and Upper elementary. These evenings will offer insight into Montessori philosophy, Montessori lessons, daily experiences, and the developmental needs of your child at each stage.
Children's House October 28, 6-7:30pm, childcare available
Lower Elementary October 22, 5:30-6:15pm, childcare available
Upper Elementary October 22, 6:15-7:00pm, childcare available
Read more about these evenings below in this Newsfeed. A link for childcare will be made available closer to the event.
This year, members from our Lower Elementary and Upper Elementary teams are presenting together to highlight how the Montessori approach is intentionally connected across levels. The Pre Children's House level offers a Parent Education video to their families. Middle School offers an orientation overview for their families first semester and a school-wide event second semester.
Here is a link to a 45-minute BBC Documentary video about the life and work of Dr. Maria Montessori. Her story is very interesting and the video provides valuable context for the unique approach we are privileged to offer here at MSOW. Follow this link and be ready to use MSOW's subscription login: msw26 and password: 26254
https://cvod.infobase.com/PortalPlayLists.aspx?wid=279627
I look forward to seeing you at a Parent Education evening as we continue our partnership in fostering each child’s potential and lifelong love of learning!
Brenda Zellmer
Head of School
Montessori School of Waukesha
Meet the MSOW Before and After School Care Team
The Pre Children's House and Children's House After School Care (ASC) Team works with the 25-35 students between the ages of 18 months and 6 years. Most of the team are college students, recent grads, or high school seniors. Typically, six team members are scheduled each day to be with this group of younger students.
The Elementary Team works with the 25-35 students between the ages of 6-12 years old. Madelyn is a college student, and Sarah is a recent grad. PreCH/CH Team members float to be a third person in the Elementary group based on the number of students registered.
Many of you have met or talked with Kate Tallman, MSOW's ASC Coordinator because she is also at the reception desk for part of the morning. Kate coordinates the ASC teams from 3:00pm to 5:30pm. Before that, she is one of the nap room specialists from 1pm - 3pm.
Sadie Eisinger
Destiny Hicks
Destiny Hicks
Sarah Lenz
Sarah Lenz
Madelynn Miller
Abby Pizzala
Abby Pizzala
Gwen Roskopf
Sara Sodemann
Kate Tallman
Kate Tallman
Cameron Willmann
Cameron Willmann
Not Pictured: Melanie Catalan and Mollee Flitcroft
Montestarry Night this Friday
It's Not Too Late to Volunteer!
You can still get involved! We cannot do this event without all the wonderful volunteers so please check out the volunteer sign up for spots that are still available.
Mom's Night Out
No need to register or rsvp, just come and join us for this fun, casual evening!
Sendik's Cookout with the Board
Join the MSOW Board and Head of School at the Meadowbrook Sendik's from 11am-4pm on Sunday, October 5!
Enjoy a burger, brat, hotdog, chips, soda, and/or water. A portion of the proceeds goes to MSOW!
This is one of MSOW's "Meals for Montessori," events. Throughout the year, families are invited to enjoy a meal at a local venue. These venues return a percentage of their proceeds back to the participating school.
Hey, you've gotta eat, right! Come eat at a Meals for Montessori event and help raise money to benefit MSOW students. Thank you!
RSVP for the MSOW Grand Gathering: Two Mornings to Choose From - October 9 and October 10!
To make our annual Grand Gathering: A Day to Welcome Grandparents more enjoyable and accessible, we’re spreading the event over two consecutive mornings this year. This change will help to ease parking, reduce lines, and create a more relaxed experience for our special guests.
Each family will be assigned one of the two mornings for their child(ren) to welcome grandparents to campus between 7:00 and 8:30 a.m. If a grandparent needs to attend on the opposite day from the assigned one, that’s absolutely fine - just RSVP accordingly using the link below. If a grandparent has grandchildren from multiple families and it is preferred that they come on two separate days, that's fine too - just RSVP accordingly. The key here is to RSVP. Once again, photo backdrops will be available to help capture the memories!
PLEASE RSVP FOR YOUR GRANDPARENT(S): We are assigning grandparents to a day based on the first letter of the grandchild's last name:
Thursday, October 9th, we will welcome grandparents whose grandchild(ren) have a last names starting with A - K
Friday, October 10th, we will welcome grandparents whose grandchild(ren) have a last names starting with L - Z
NOTE: To help us plan accurately and ensure a special experience for all, we kindly ask that only grandparents attend. If a grandparent needs assistance with transportation or assistance with (multiple grandchildren), then one additional adult family member is welcome to accompany them.
MSOW Dates to Remember
Highlights from MSOW Classrooms
World Languages - a Children's House Friday Specials Class
This week, Portuguese!
This week, our Children’s House Elders’ (5K) World Languages adventure took them to Brazil and Portugal—right from the MSOW Library! Montessori parent Mariana Brandão (Sofia, CH4) brought the magic of Portuguese to life, teaching the children how to greet their friends with flair, sharing beloved Portuguese children's stories, and leading a joyful singalong of The Itsy Bitsy Spider… entirely in Portuguese!
The fun didn’t stop there—our young linguists also discovered that in Portuguese, even animals speak the language! That’s right—a frog’s ribbit becomes coá-coá and a rooster’s cock-a-doodle-doo turns into cócórócó!
Thank you Mariana and Sofia for sharing their Brazilian heritage and the language of Portuguese with our students as they develop a foundational understanding that the world is filled with many, many different languages.
If your family speaks a primary language other than English in your home and would like to share your language with our 5K students on a Friday afternoon between 1pm and 3pm, please email Director of Faculty and Staff Karen Driscoll at kdriscoll@msow.org.
What Does Mastery Look Like in a Montessori Classroom?
Take a Look at UE 2 Presentations
At MSOW, mastery at the elementary level is shown when a student can take a learned skill/concept and apply it in a new or different context—demonstrating a true understanding of the underlying principles rather than simply repeating a procedure or information. One way students may demonstrate mastery is through creative projects. Last week, our Upper Elementary 2 students showcased their mastery of recent lessons through creative peer projects ranging from dances and plays, to posters and dioramas, to brochures or reports.
Most UE2 students presented on Montessori's First Great Lesson: The Coming of the Universe and the Earth. This Great Lesson explores the origins of the universe, the formation of Earth, and the development of its physical features like continents and oceans. Many balloons were popped! They contained elements to represent particles of energy and matter present during the expansion of the universe. Students are also exposed to other origin stories during their time at the elementary level. Some students chose to present information about the state of Washington.
In general terms, the purpose of Maria Montessori’s Cosmic Lessons (the “Great Lessons”) is to give children a big-picture framework of the universe and life so that everything they learn afterward—math, language, science, history, geography, art—has meaning, context, and connection. The Cosmic Lessons set the stage for children to see themselves as purposeful beings in a purposeful universe, and to approach learning with curiosity, connection, and responsibility.
Montessori Mindful Moment
Growing wellness for our students, community, and planet. 🌱
The Middle School Monarch Waystation is taking shape as a welcoming habitat for butterflies and pollinators! This project, part of the Wellness curriculum, invites students to connect with nature while learning how their efforts support biodiversity and conservation.
Students have been busy preparing the garden beds, planting milkweed and nectar-rich flowers, and creating a space where monarchs can one day rest, feed, and lay their eggs during migration. While the garden is still under development, the work already highlights how small actions in our own community contribute to global conservation.
We are excited to see the Monarch Waystation grow and flourish with continued care and dedication from our students!
MSOW Parent Education Sessions Beginning Soon!
MSOW Student Art
In and Out of the Classroom
From MSOW Art Specialist, Gina Viola:
MSOW is creating online student art portfolios on Artsonia.com. Artsonia manages student art portfolios in a safe, educational environment. Portfolios develop students' pride and self-esteem while connecting families to the art room. Use the link to connect to your child's gallery! There, you will be able to view your child's artwork, add families to your child's fan club, and support the school's art program. Artwork will be available to view for students currently in art class, typically K5 - 8th graders.
Thank You to our Generous Volunteers
Thank you to MSOW Middle School parent, David Kuenzi (Nick-8th grade) for using his connections to find beautifully reconditioned iMac computers for the Middle School program. With our growing Middle School program - 43 students this year - we can certainly use this great tool.
Thank you to Jeff Wick (Emma-UE2) for moving the pile of mulch in the Campus West parking lot and spreading it on the garden bed located on the corner of Summit Ave. and University Drive.
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