What's Happening
Osborn School District #8
Montecito Community School (Preschool -6th grade)
Come see why Osborn is
the best kept secret!
A Fond Farewell...
|
 |
Students and staff bid a fond farewell to retiring Principal
Maria O’Malley singing Gloria Estefan’s Reach. Mrs. O’Malley
has enjoyed her four years as principal and shared several
special moments. She chose this time to retire since
Montecito students will attend Longview school next year.
She plans to assist in her husband’s business. She has
worked in Osborn schools since 1990...,
most recently teaching Dual Language Kindergarten at Encanto
prior to becoming Montecito’s principal. While Montecito has
excellent achievement and beautiful facilities, the School
Board voted to close Montecito due to low enrollment and
budget cuts. Montecito teachers will either move to Longview
or are planning to transfer to other Osborn Schools. None
are being let go.
This decision to close this lovely school, while painful,
addressed declining enrollment and declining dollars that
created a budget deficit of $712,000. The decision had
nothing to do with the caliber of the staff or programs at
Montecito—it was strictly financial. This change will
require minimal disruption to other district schools because
Montecito students will simply be transferred to Longview
School.
We have wonderful programs and facilities in the district—we
simply need more children. Please encourage your friends and
neighbors to consider enrolling in Osborn. |
A+ Peace Program
|
Montecito’s Peace Program has
been awarded the prestigious Arizona Educational
Foundation’s A+ Exemplary Program Award. The Peace
Program at Montecito School originated in 2006, with the
objective to
 increase
positive behaviors and decrease bullying. The teacher and
counseling team aimed to put into practice abstract concepts
listed in “Character Traits” and “Life Skills” so that
students from pre-school to sixth grade could have
applicable and practical experience with them.
During the next three school
years, the campaign moved from “I am part of the puzzle;
I keep the peace”, to “I am part of the
puzzle; I spread the Peace”, to this year’s “I
am part of the puzzle; I am the peace”. All
students also earn Montecito Peace t-shirts when they were
‘caught’ displaying positive behavior. The t-shirt states
the year’s message. Students and staff wear their peace
shirts each Friday.
Each year, classrooms
participate in a presentations and discussions with the
school counselor regarding bullying. Students are taught how
to identify and address bullying. Teachers continue to
implement positive behavior support systems and classroom
|
management strategies that
promote peaceful interactions and problem solving. Each week
in Community Circle teachers implemented the Peace lesson
and students learned and practiced the new character trait.
In addition, every student and staff member creates a piece
of art that promotes the idea that like
pieces of a puzzle, it takes everyone working together to
create peace. These art pieces are displayed as murals
throughout the school. Discipline issues have decreased 44%
since the inception of the Peace Program. |
Reading with the Stars
|
|
Phoenix Mercury Temeka Johnson
read a lovely children’s book she authored called Meek
Moment. It is about her life with her
grandmother, Jewel; her love of basketball; and the
decisions she had to make as a young girl. It is the first
of an autobiographical trilogy about how those difficult
choices led her to being a WNBA Champion.
|
New Playground Built at Montecito
|
 |
Thanks to Brown & Caldwell and the Real Gift Foundation and over 200
volunteers
from the school and neighborhood, Montecito students received a new
playground. On August 29th, a brand new playground structure at
Montecito Community School was destroyed by arson. The fire was so bad
it took the fire department 3 hours to put it out. The playground
replaced one that was broken beyond repair; having been there since the
1960’s. It was only up for 2 weeks before someone burned it down. The
Real Gift Foundation decided to make a very big wrong, very right by
getting the playground replaced and adding another to the school. The
playground structures were installed on October 11th. Students had a
very exciting ribbon cutting ceremony on the 13th. |
Montecito Students Raise Funds for Children's
Hospital
|
Student representatives sell at craft fair |
Sixth grade students at Montecito Community School will be
participating in a student-led Community Service Project. In
August, 6th grade students decided to make crafts to raise
money to buy toys and games for Phoenix Children’s Hospital.
All three 6th grade classes at Montecito are participating.
Each class chose a different craft: Richard Argust’s class
created hand- embroidered holiday cards, Danielle Lane’s
class created holiday placemats, and Lena Spotleson’s
class created beaded earrings. The children plan to sell the
crafts throughout the holidays and sold their wares at the
District Tea on December 13th. After the students sell their
crafts, they will be taking their profits to the toy store
to purchase the games and toys. Sometime this spring,
selected students will personally deliver these gifts to the
children at Phoenix Children’s Hospital. It is a way to give
back to the community which gives to Montecito. |
Montecito's Courtyard Comes to Life
|
|
Thanks to the
creative vision of retiring principal Judy Whiles,
Montecito's courtyard has never looked better! Coyotes,
Rabbits, Hares, Javalina, Quail, a Roadrunner, a Bobcat and
even a Frog now grace the courtyard for all students to
enjoy. All sculptures and the plants will be identified by
ceramic tiles for student education. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
