Dates to Remember January

December 22nd – January 2nd – Winter Break, School Closed

January 3rd – Classes resume

January 9th – PTSA General Membership Meeting, 6:30 pm

January 10th – 12th – FAST Benchmark Testing, grades 3 through 6

January 12th – Open House 10 am

January 16th – School closed for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday

January 17th – Field trip for primary classes to the Maryland Science Center

January 17th - Showcase of Specialty Programs, Charles Herbert Flowers High School, 6-8 pm

January 23rd – School closed for Teacher Grading/Planning Day

January 24th – Second grade SRI reading testing

January 27th – Reading Is Fundamental book distribution

Judith P. Hoyer Montessori

News Gazette HOLIDAY EDITION DECEMBER 2011

JPH Winter Fest Celebration Is a Huge success!

On Monday, December 19th, Judith P. Hoyer Montessori welcomed Congressman Steny Hoyer to our

annual Winter Fest Celebration. Senator Hoyer has come to JPH for this occasion every year since his

wife, Judith P. Hoyer, began her highly successful early childhood program here over a decade ago. Dr.

Whitt worked with Mrs. Hoyer in the early days of the program when Montessori was one of several

early childhood models showcased at the school.

This year, our music teacher, Mrs. Lorey Hallada, partnered with teachers to produce the most exciting

holiday musical celebration ever. Each class sang a holiday song or recited a holiday poem from cultures

around the world. The JPH Montessori chorus played beautifully and skillfully. The many parents who

attended the program and all the JPH teachers and staff were very proud of them.

Congressman Hoyer congratulated the students, teachers and Dr. Whitt and commended the parents for

providing the support and encouragement that all students need to be successful. He spoke of his wife’s

early work and how the school has grown in excellence and student achievement steadily during the years.

Mr. Lyndon Boozer, Vice President of AT&T, expressed his appreciation of the students’ performance, and

Dr. Whitt extended her gratitude for the teddy bears presented to the primary and Pre-K students and

the field trip that AT&T will sponsor for the elementary students. We were all grateful to celebrate our

students and our wonderful school in this memorable winter festival.

Principal’s Perspective

IhadanamazingexperienceatourAnnualWinterHolidayprogramonDecember19th,onewhichmanyofyouexperiencedwithme.WhatwewitnessedwasastunningperformancefromourPrimaryandPre‐KstudentstoourLowerandUpperElementarystudents.Icouldn’thavefeltmoreproudofeachandeveryoneofthem.IbelievethatwhatMs.Halladaandstaffbroughtoutinourstudentsinthis.performanceisatestamenttothepotentialandpossibilitiesofourMontessorischool.Yes,themusicprogramisonlyoneaspectofourschool,buttoseetheinitiativeandeffortsofourstudentscometogether,theintenseinteresttheyshowintheirclassworkandnewlearningexperiences,andtheirgrowinginvolvementinsupportingourcommunity,clearlyshowstheirdesireandcommitmenttotheirlearningandschoolcommunity.Asalways,weappreciatethecontinuedsupportofCongressmanStenyHoyer,whocommunicatestheimportanceofschoolsandfamiliesprovidingastrongandsupportivelearningenvironmentforchildrenofallages.ThisisthesamemessageforwhichJudyHoyerissowell‐known,notonlyinPrinceGeorge’sCounty,butaroundthestate.Wesendourwishesforahappyandpeacefulholidaytoallourfamilies,andlookforwardtoseeingyouallinthenewyear,readyforlearningandexploringthepossibilitiesforourfutureasaMontessorischool.Thankyouallforyourcontinuedsupport.Dr.LynnetteWhitt

SHE’S A WINNER! Our own Mrs. Hazell has won again! Here are three student interviews sharing Mrs. Hazell’s talent and triumph: Holiday Gingerbread House Bash-Up by Anish K. In Upper Marlboro’s Darnall’s Chance House Museum, there was the 12th annual Gingerbread House contest. The winner was no surprise; our very own Mrs. Hazell had won the contest. Mrs. Hazell has entered 11 out of 12 gingerbread contests. Mrs. Hazell is an excellent baker. Mrs. Hazell had to go through a lot of weeks to make it. Her gingerbread house is called the “Skipjack Santa”. It is not new to see Mrs. Hazell’s creative gingerbread houses. Last year, we had put one of Mrs. Hazell’s gingerbread houses in the hallway. It was a scene from Hansel and Gretel. The Gingerbread Skipjack by Liam H.

This year (2011) Mrs. Hazell won the first prize ribbon in a gingerbread contest held at Darnall’s Chance. Her gingerbread creation was a skipjack sailing nearby an island with a house on it. A skipjack is a special oystering boat that has been used on the Chesapeake Bay. The last skipjack to oyster in Maryland went out of business this year. The main rule of this contest is that no non-edible objects are allowed to be used, with the exception of a lighted building. Some foods Mrs. Hazell frequently uses in her gingerbread creations are old breads like hamburger rolls to make her islands, breadcrumbs for sand, gingerbread, candy, and royal icing. This is Mrs. Hazell’s 11th year entering this contest and half (if not most) of the times she won a ribbon.

Ready, Set, Gingerbread by Jayla C. and Kamiya A.

Hello. Do you want to know about gingerbread houses? Why not get facts straight from the source, Mrs. Hazell to us to you. She entered the Darnall’s Chance contest for a lot of fun and something for her to do while her husband watches football. She found out about the contest through a Prince George’s “Fall Bulletin of Events”. Mrs. Hazell first learned to make gingerbread houses with her mother and her two sisters at the age of eight, and she has been making them ever since. She has entered the contest eleven times and won five times. Mrs. Hazell’s biggest gingerbread house was entitled, “Santa’s Workshop.” The hardest one was called, “Taos Pueblo”. One of the rules for the contest is that everything needs to be edible. One of the keys to gingerbread house making is making it without the leavening because it will make it strong and sturdy. She also says there is always room to improve. Thank you for reading our very special treat! (Editor’s Note: Our Upper Elementary students were asked to interview Mrs. Hazell about her success and write a news story for our paper. Save this issue – one, if not all of them, will be famous some day!)

My cousins and I play foursquare. My Aunt makes ham. – Cort

I go to my grandparents and go to church on Christmas Eve. Then I sleep over at my grandparents’ house and then I have to sit on the steps until my parents and grandparents get food ready. Then we open our presents! – Lily

On the day before Christmas, this is what I do – I make sugar cookies with vanilla icing and I decorate the Christmas tree. The night before Christmas we sit around the fireplace and watch Christmas movies. On Christmas I open presents and eat. – Jasmine

On Christmas Day my family comes together and on Christmas Eve I get to open one present before Christmas. – Lena

Today I am going to tell you a little bit about what I do in our Indian holiday Diwali. In Diwali I light up candles because it is the festival of lights. I sometimes eat out on Diwali. – Akash

On Christmas day I go to my Aunt’s house and my cousins go too! My cousins, Ava and I play games and open gifts. – Taylor

Before Christmas, me and my family go get a Christmas tree. Then we decorate it when we bring it home with lots of ornaments like musical notes and some fake eggs. Sometimes we play some music. – Austin

On December 25th I celebrate Christmas with my family. My mother bakes a cake and I get presents. – Dashon

I celebrate a Hindu festival every year called Diwali. We put up lights on our house. We eat many sweets. We go to many places and have lots of fun. – Neerav

My holiday memory is Christmas. The night before Christmas I go down stairs and fix candy cane cookies for Santa and sometimes a little for myself and in the morning they are gone!.—Ernest

I always bake cookies and bake a Gingerbread house and after I open my presents I make an igloo or snowman. Also, after I open all my presents I get to pick some I want to play with. I love Christmas! – Kamiya

On the day after Christmas this is what I do. I invite my closest friends for a brunch and play, too. Then my mom makes pancakes and other food. Then we play on my Wii. They probably leave from 12:00 pm to 3:00. That’s it. – Alyssa

On the day before Christmas I bake cookies with my Mom. Then we put some candy in the stockings. Once we are done we go to sleep. – Katie

On Christmas Eve we go to our Grandma’s house and have a Christmas Eve party. –Theawesome

Every year my mom, dad, sister and I go to Darnall’s Chance and check out the gingerbread creations there. This year my teacher, Mrs. Hazell, won the first prize ribbon. – Liam

My holiday tradition is to go downstairs, open presents and then go outside and play and goof off. -- Jack

Every Christmas Eve I open 1 little tiny present to start the Christmas feeling. – Maceo

Last Christmas my sister woke me up to see the presents and I screamed. – Imani

My favorite holiday is Christmas. I love Christmas, AND Halloween AND Happy New Year AND July 4! – Sydney

My memory of the holiday is getting gifts and going to my cousin’s house. – Inioluwa

My favorite holiday memory is getting presents by Santa and my family members also decorating

and putting up the Christmas tree. – Elijah

My favorite holiday is Christmas. My memory is that when I was 7, I woke up and went downstairs and I yelled, “It’s Christmas!” to my mom, my brother, and my Grandpa. We opened our presents and when we were done I went to my Grandma’s house and opened the presents there, and that’s my memory. – Bradyn

Last year for Christmas I went to my Uncle’s house and it was fun. – Catherine

My favorite Christmas memory is seeing Rudolph’s nose, decorating the tree, opening the presents, and baking cookies! – Alexandra

Making cookies, getting presents form Santa, getting a present from Rudolph -- Mason

Holiday Memories from our Students

Thank you for your continued partnership and support.

Dr. Whitt and the Staff of Judith P. Hoyer Montessori

More Holiday memories…

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Specialty Program sibling applications are here! Please see attached flyer for details. Remember to sign-up for the E-Alert emails on the PGCPS home page or the JP Hoyer web page. www.pgcps.org/judyhoyerecc Winter Holiday Homework packets are coming home with students K – 6. Please allow your child to give attention to completing these over the holidays. Thank you! Zumba class on Wednesdays from 4-5 pm is in full swing in the JPH Montessori gym with dynamic Zumba instructor, Monique Tyes. Bring a check made out the the Cheverly Recreation Council to join us mid-session on January 5th!

"Our aim is not only to make the child understand, and still less to force him to memorize, but so to touch his imagination as to enthuse him to his innermost core." Dr. Maria Montessori

My favorite holiday memory was decorating my tree. – Bradyn My favorite holiday memory is baking and decorating sugar cookies. One looked like Santa, another looked like Rudolph, another like a snowman, another like a tree, and another like a snowflake. – Miles

Last Christmas my sister and I woke up to see the gifts. – Jada I love Christmas because I get to wake up in the morning and open presents and celebrate God’s birthday. – Donovan

A favorite holiday memory, my favorite tradition, well once I wake up I’m supposed to go upstairs and wait and when Grandma comes and after she’s done entertaining us she leaves. We wait -- after breakfast is ready we go downstairs and eat it. After that we open presents. – Chris

I have also had some experience making gingerbread houses, especially during the holiday season. I have a family Christmas tradition like anybody else. I get up in the morning, go wake up my parents and rush downstairs to open my presents. I also go to my grandparents’ house to celebrate Christmas with them. I might not celebrate Christmas like other people, but I still put up a Christmas tree and get presents. I hope all of you have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. – Anish

"When the child goes out, it is the world itself that offers itself to him. Let us take the child out to show him real things instead of making objects which represent ideas and closing them up in cupboards." Dr. Maria Montessori