November '21 Newsletter
May School has a lot to be thankful for—from amazing students, supportive parents and dedicated teachers to a community beyond May Center's campus that recognizes the important work of the organization. Thank you for supporting our community!
Pictured: Ms. Deanna’s students took a moment to reflect on what they are thankful for.
May Teacher Institute has been working with first and second grade teachers at Pablo Roybal School in Pojoaque. These teachers have completed May Center’s Structured Literacy Specialist course and are now participating in intensive coaching. Our work this year has included developing a structured literacy approach for whole group instruction, using data from the dyslexia screener and other assessments to inform the creation of small literacy groups, targeting instruction for these groups to meet the needs of the students, and progress monitoring. We are so impressed by these teachers’ hard work and dedication to their students!
Pictured: Students at Pablo Roybal Elementary School work with their teacher Amy Fresquez on phoneme (sound)--grapheme (letter) mapping using Elkonin Boxes.
The May Away program will begin a new term in January and spaces are currently available for remote classes in reading, writing, and math. The classes meet Monday through Thursday for 14 weeks beginning January 11th, 2021. Registration closes on Friday December 3rd. Submit an application today!
Our Tutoring Program's first term is coming to a close on December 17. Students have been working on skill building instruction, including reading, writing, math, and executive functioning skills coaching. We are currently running a waiting list for our tutoring program, but welcome additional families to submit an application if they are interested in pursuing tutoring with us.
May Center continues to work with The Masters Program in both tutoring and the pilot of our Executive Functioning (EF) skills class. The current EF class will be ending on December 6th and a new 14 week session will be offered again in January. The students enrolled in the fall pilot have reported they have found the class helpful, appreciate the conversations they have with their peers and the instructor, and have been making changes to their study habits and time management skills.
Beginning the last week in October, May Center also began piloting an EF class for 5th and 6th graders at Wood Gormley elementary. In this class students are learning about mindfulness, effectively using a planner and other organizational systems, time management, and study skills. The course will run for six weeks and will end before winter break.
Meet Ms. Daisy!
Ms. Daisy is a certified Montessori instructor with over 25 years of experience. Through additional training she is also certified in Montessori Applied to Children at Risk. We are fortunate to have her on staff as our Early Childhood Lead Teacher. Daisy’s experience coupled with her training allows her to follow the individual needs of each of her students.
“She is a miracle worker” is something we often hear families and co-workers say about Ms. Daisy. If you’ve never had the opportunity to see her in action, you’re missing out. The level of structure combined with the independence she teaches her 3-6 year old students is quite impressive. She makes a significant impact on the early learning of the children she teaches. In fact, Ms. Daisy was voted 2017 Montessori Educator of the Year!
Here’s what some of her current and former students have to say:
"I like how she helps me read.” Lynnae, Early Childhood
“She is one of the kindest and caring teachers ever.” Blaise, 7th grade
“Ms. Daisy is really passionate about working with young children. She helps them have a better chance especially if they struggle with dyslexia. She’s also very sweet.” Francisco, 8th grade