Miss Lisa's Classroom Homepage
Oct. 19
Hello everyone,
It’s a busy time of year, so here are a few important reminders and upcoming events to keep on your radar:
This Friday: All-School Half Day
Please note that this Friday is a half day for the entire school. There will be NO CIRCLE.
Class Get-Together – Sunday, November 9, 10:00 AM–12:00 PM
Mark your calendars! Join us for a fun and casual class gathering at the Pera Club (1 E Continental Dr, Tempe, AZ 85288). We’ll have a ramada near the playground—siblings are welcome too! I’ll be sending out a Sign-Up link this week with more details.
Asia Continent Study
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Student Presentations begin Monday, November 4. Please sign up for a presentation date here:
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Asia Luncheon is on Friday, November 14. We’d love your help! Sign up to bring a dish from an Asian country and plan to join us:
Halloween at Villa
For those new to Villa: Halloween is a costume-free day at school. Please do not send candy with your child. Be sure to check your Villa email for all the details about Trunk or Treat happening this Saturday!
From Lisa: What We’re Learning
Next week we'll be learning about the water cycle & what happens to all this rain we've had and that will lead into learning about clouds.
We are also doing our quarterly retest on spelling words to make sure the kids are retaining what they have mastered. If anyone recognizes any words, that is why. Since these are the most commonly used words, they should fully master them.
Important Dates to Remember
| Date | Day | Event Description |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 21 | Tuesday | Vision & Hearing Screening |
| Oct 23 | Thursday | Peter Piper Dine Out, 4:00–8:00 PM |
| Oct 24 | Friday | Infant & Toddler Program Closed; All-School Half Day |
| Oct 25 | Saturday | Trunk or Treat |
| Oct 28 | Tuesday | Family Engagement Session #1 |
| Nov 4 | Tuesday | E1 Intro Night |
| Nov 6 | Thursday | MS Intro Night |
| Nov 11 | Tuesday | All School Closed – Veterans Day |
| Nov 13 | Thursday | Vision & Hearing Screening Makeups |
| Nov 14 | Friday | Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day |
| Nov 20 | Thursday | PTO Gratitude Breakfast; E2 Intro Night |
| Nov 26–28 | Wed–Fri | All School Closed – Thanksgiving Break |
Thanks for staying on top of everything—we appreciate your support and look forward to seeing you at the upcoming events!
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Sept. 28
Asia Study
On Wednesday, the kids will be selecting their topics for our Asia study. Please help your child come prepared with three choices. They’ll be called at random to make their selection.
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First years will choose an animal
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Second years will choose a city (ideally a capital)
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Third years will choose a country
Presentations will begin on November 4, and our Asia luncheon is scheduled for November 14.
Class Get-Together
I’d love to organize a casual class get-together—something simple like meeting at a park. My husband works at SRP, so we may be able to use their Pera Club, which has a playground and shaded picnic area. I’m aiming for November 9 or 16, and I’ll confirm once I hear back from Pera.
Just a few quick updates as we head into week three:
👕 Class T-Shirts
If you haven’t already, please Venmo $10 to Miss Lisa (@lisa-moore-8738) to cover the cost of class t-shirts. The kids will be choosing their color tomorrow.
🍕 Pizza Friday
Our first Pizza Friday was a hit! If you'd like your child to participate but haven’t signed up yet, Venmo $145 to Lisa (@lisa-moore-8738) to cover the cost for the full year (about 24 Fridays).
🛒 Pizza Shopping Chaperones
Interested in joining the fun as a Pizza Shopping chaperone? It’s a short commitment (20–30 minutes) and a great way to see the kids flex their independence—budgeting, decision-making, and shopping skills in action. To sign up, just email Lisa directly.
Ms. Ariana will be creating the shopping schedule this week, and permission slips will go out at the beginning of each month. Reach out to Lisa with any questions.
🌟 Volunteering
📣 School News
Don’t forget to check the Villa Voice each week for school-wide updates. (Anyone else considering a landline after that article? We are!)
📇 Parent Contact List
If you didn’t receive the parent contact list and would like to be added, just email me (Erika). We can only share it with those who opt in.
🔔 Class Social
We'd love to have a class social this year. We could do a park gathering when things cool down, unless someone has another suggestion and wants to help organize? Email me (Erika).
IMPORTANT DATES
First week done! I hope everyone had a great one.
ℹ️ Orientation Night
A big thank-you to Lisa for hosting such a helpful orientation night! She shared a ton of great information, and she’s also put together an info sheet you can refer to throughout the year.
📇 Contact List
Several parents have already asked for the class contact list. If you haven’t signed up yet, please reply to this email ASAP with your name, phone number, and email address. This list helps families connect for birthday parties and other events. I’ll be sending out the current version soon!
👕 Class T-Shirt
Each year, the kids design a class t-shirt to wear on field trips. If you haven’t already, please Venmo $10 to Miss Lisa at @lisa-moore-8738 to cover the cost.
🍕 Pizza Friday
Pizza Fridays start this week. The first one is a freebie for everyone to try. The cost to participate for the full year (about 24 Fridays) is $145. To join in, Venmo Miss Lisa at @lisa-moore-8738.
🔔 Fingerprint Clearance
We love having parent volunteers! If you’re interested, please apply for fingerprint clearance . This is required for off-campus activities and one-on-one chaperoning (like field trips, reading buddies, and pizza shopping). Processing can take time, so we recommend starting today! See below for all of our Volunteer Opportunities or visit the Volunteer page.
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📅 IMPORTANT DATES
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🌟 Volunteer Opportunities (Sign-ups coming soon!)
🚗 Field Trip Drivers & Chaperones
Help transport students to field trip destinations in your own vehicle and chaperone a small group during the outing. Trip dates and durations will vary. Interested? Email Lisa with the number of children your car can accommodate. Once all volunteer info is collected by mid-September, trip planning will begin.
📚 Reading Buddies (2 Needed)
Love literacy? Join us for one-on-one reading sessions with students.
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Ideal commitment: once a week, afternoons, for about an hour
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Each child reads for ~10 minutes
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To sign up, contact Lisa directly.
🌱 Garden Parents (2–4 Needed)
As soon as the weather cools, we’ll begin prepping and planting our garden.We’re excited to use our new timed drip irrigation system this year! Help us:
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Prepare the garden bed
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Plant seeds
🧺 Laundry Helpers
Each weekend (except half-day Fridays), we need a parent to take home and wash classroom linens. Interested in joining the rotation? Let us know!
🛒 Pizza Shoppers Chaperone (4 Needed)
Every Thursday before Pizza Friday, accompany two students to Sprouts to shop for sides.
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Students will bring a shopping list
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Help them stay on task, choose enough for the class, and stick to the budget
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Recurring opportunity: aim for once a month. Email Lisa to express interest. Once volunteer info is collected, sign-ups will be sent out.
🍕 Pizza Pickup & Delivery
Pick up pizzas from Little Caesar’s (2950 N 32nd St SUITE 125, Phoenix) on your chosen Friday.
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Pickup: ~11:10 AM
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Delivery: by 11:30 AM Drop off at the classroom gate (cart provided) or come through the office to say hi to your child!
🥢 Potluck Setup & Cleanup
Our first Continent Study lunch event—focused on Asia—is on November 14. A sign-up will be shared closer to the date for help with setup and takedown.
🧑🍳 Cooking Volunteers (1–3 Needed)
We’re teaming up again with Blue Watermelon/Chef In The Garden! Every other month starting in September, students will:
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Learn about a featured vegetable
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Cook a chef-inspired recipe
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Plant the vegetable in our garden. We provide all supplies; students do the prep with adult supervision. Want to join in? Email Lisa to be added to the notification list. Tentative schedule coming soon—first cooking week is September 15.
🏠 Gingerbread House Builders (10–12 Needed)
Geometry meets holiday fun! On December 18, we’ll build and decorate gingerbread houses. We need:
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Volunteers to make frosting “glue” the weekend before
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Parents to assist kids during 45–60 minute building shifts (Supply requests will go out ahead of time.)
WEEKLY EMAILS: I will be sending weekly emails out that cover both general school admin information as well as classroom specific needs/updates. The end of my emails will usually include important upcoming dates, but the online calendar for Villa has the entire school year on it for your reference.
CLASS WEBSITE:
Everything I send will also be posted to the class website. Please bookmark it for future reference - https://www.villamontessori.com/apps/pages/MsLisasClass. The website will also have our SignUps, volunteer info, and other important info.
PARENT CONTACT LIST:
I will put together a shareable Parent Contact List. If you are interested in having your information included, please send me the below information. If you are a returning parent and your info has not changed, just let me know you want to be added again (you don't need to resend it). I will send the list out to those who would like to be included at the end of the first week of school.
Child Name
Parent First and Last Name - Phone number, E-mail Address
NOTE FROM LISA:
Hello everyone,
Welcome back to school!! This is going to be a great year and I can’t wait to get to know our new community. If you are new to the class or Villa in general, we will hopefully meet on Friday, or next week at Parent Night.
You should all have met Erika by now, at least virtually. She will be communicating with you regularly and will help me get you the information you need throughout the year. I hope you have all found the class website.
The supply list is on the website, feel free to reach out with any questions or challenges. You may bring your child’s supplies on Friday during the Open House Meet & Greet between 9-11. It is helpful to have the supplies before school begins so that our attention on the first day of school is your child and not supplies. If you are unable to make it on Friday, you are welcome to stop by on Thursday, just let me know.
See you soon =^)
“Joy is the evidence of inner growth” M.M.
Lisa Moore
Villa Montessori Charter School
Room 101
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IMPORTANT DATES:
- August 4th - Monday - First Day of School
- August 6th - Wednesday - E1 Parent Orientation 6:30 PM
- August 7th - Thursday - E2 Parent Orientation 6:30 PM
- August 8th - Friday - Enrichment Fair - Elementary
- August 9th - Saturday - PTO Back to School Popsicle Social @ Elementary Campus 8:30 - 10 AM
- August 11th - Monday - Specials and SpEd services start, Primary Enrichment Registration
- August 12th - Tuesday - E1 Enrichment Registration
- August 13th - Wednesday - E2 Enrichment Registration
- August 19th - Tuesday - Dine Out at Fly Bye, 5-9 PM
- September 1st - Monday - Labor Day - All School Closed
- September 4th - Thursday - Villa Parent Happy Hour at The VIG Arcadia
- September 12th - Friday - All School Early Release 11:30 AM, No Circle for Staff Professional Development; Infant and Toddler Program Closed
- September 16th - Tuesday - E1 & E2 Picture Day
- September 17th - Wednesday - ECC & MS Picture Day
- September 19th - Friday - Primary - 6th Early Release 11:30 AM, Goal Setting Conferences, Circle/All Day OK
- September 22nd - Monday - Picture Makeup Day
- September 24th - Wednesday - Sandra Day O'Connor Civics Celebration Day
- September 26th - Friday - Primary - 6th Early Release 11:30 AM, Goal Setting Conferences, Circle/All Day OK
