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Cobb Tales
January 21, 2010
This Week...
Pancake Breakfast News
Thank you, Laura!
Web Store is Live
Valentine’s Family Skate
at Simsbury Farms
The Cobb School, Montessori
112 Sand Hill Road
Simsbury, CT 06070
www.cobbschool.com
Cobb on Facebook and Twitter
Why Cursive Writing?
A Window into Their World
Thank you to
Laura Oliver
for kindly
volunteering
to take pictures for this
week’s montage! We
hope you
enjoy this
collection
entitled
“Rush Hour!”
CLICK THIS PICTURE
Pancake Breakfast Next Saturday
A chilly January morning will be the perfect match for Cobb’s Annual Pancake Breakfast. Please bring your entire family to Cobb
for tasty griddle cakes and sausages in a warm, cozy atmosphere.
Families are invited to drop in any time between 9:00am and
11:30am to enjoy breakfast with old friends and new friends. This
year’s Co-Chairs are Liddy Doyle, Deb Reid & Laura Radmore.
Please contact any one of them or Windy Jansen to ask questions or
offer assistance. We hope to see you on the 29th!
On the Horizon
Mon., Jan. 24
Tues., Jan. 25
Wed., Jan. 26
Thurs., Jan. 27
Fri., Jan. 28
3:00-4:30
8:30-10:30
3:00-4:30
3:00-4:15
3:00-4:00
3:00-4:15
10:40-11:40
3:00-6:00
Acorn Singers
UEL Testing This Week
Lego Club
Art Club
Chess Club
Basketball Club
Suzuki Music for Babies
Ski Club
Montessori in Theory
National Handwriting Day
is Saturday, January 23,
celebrated in honor of
John Hancock’s birthday.
Why Cursive?
by Mary Anne Creto
As the Assistant Head of School and Primary Division Head, I am often
asked, “Why do you teach cursive handwriting in the Primary classes?”
Here are 8 reasons:
 Young children are more comfortable and able to draw curves, circles
and squiggly lines before they are able to draw straight lines.
 Cursive writing is easier for the child because it is an uninterrupted
flow. The child does not have to stop, pick up the pencil and continue at a
different point as they would with manuscript writing.
 There is not an issue with letter reversals in cursive writing. The b and d
in manuscript look alike as do the p and q. Later, when the child learns the
letters in manuscript, they will associate them with their cursive forms.
 When cursive is learned first at a young age, it is not only very interesting to the child, it becomes a natural habit. This is a positive outcome as
cursive is used more than manuscript in one’s life.
 A young child who learns cursive then transitions to manuscript has an
easier time than a child who learns manuscript first and then transitions to
cursive.
 Many children begin the Primary already knowing the names of the
alphabet letters (in manuscript). Teaching with the cursive sandpaper letters and movable alphabet at school, gives the child a chance to learn the
sounds without confusion with the names of the letters.
 The capital letters in cursive are significantly different from the lower
case cursive letters, resulting in less confusion. This is not the case with
many letters in manuscript.
The child does not feel left out of the adults’ world of cursive writing.
As you walk through The Cobb School, make sure you notice the beautiful
cursive handwriting in the work that is hanging in the hallways!
From the Business Office
Applying for Financial Aid is done on-line. Please follow the steps below:
1. Go to The Cobb School website - www.cobbschool.com
2. Click on the Prospective Parent tab
3. Click on Financial Aid
4. Please read the information, and then click on the FAST logo to be connected directly to FAST
Deadlines: On-line submission February 10, 2011
Tax return submission February 24, 2011
If you have any questions, please email or call Beth Rumsey in the Business Office. Thank you.
The Cobb School Welcomes...
believe
guide
...Chase to Miss Sheryl’s YCC. Chase joins big
sister Carson who is in Miss Pemba’s class.
Welcome, Chase, and welcome again, Joy
and Richard. It’s wonderful to have the little
one here!
respect
responsibility
integrity
independence
...Tom to the YCC as well! Please help make
Tom and his parents Jo and Matthew feel at
home by saying hello when you find them
outside Sheryl’s fabulous one-way mirror.
Welcome to Cobb!
step aside
let fly
...Catie to Miss Joan’s
Lower Elementary
class! We are so glad
you’re here! Please
say hello to Catie
and her parents Jennifer and Gerald
when you see them
at school. Welcome!
Parent Gatherings &Reminders
Fathers’ Morning at Cobb is Postponed to June 7
In an effort to simplify parents’ schedules and add a fun,
new twist to the end of the year picnic, we now invite dads
to the Willem and Niel’s Picnic & Field Day for Fathers. Willem and Niel’s van Gemeren were beloved
members of the Cobb community who passed away together in a plane crash on August 3, 2005. Willem and
Niel’s memory lives on at Cobb in many, many ways. This
annual picnic is just one way we remember this special
family. The picnic is followed by field events, which we
believe the fathers will especially love.
Ski Club Reminder
Cobb’s Ski Club has been enjoying the slopes at Sundown!
Please note the following Fridays for Ski Club:
Jan. 21, 28, Feb. 4, and 11
Cobb Family Skate is Scheduled!
On Sat., Feb 12 from 5:00pm to 6:00pm at Simsbury Farms,
Cobb will host its Annual Family Skate. Please bring nonperishable food items to donate to the Simsbury Food Pantry. There will be a box available in the warming room for
you to leave your items. Your small gift will make this
party that much better. Please let Miss Margaret know if
you would like to attend this event so we can prepare
Simsbury Farms for our arrival. We hope to see you there!
Web Store is Live!
Cobb is pleased to announce the launch of its Web Store.
Visit http://www.campuscustoms.com/cobbschool/ to
see new Cobb Store items such as baseball hats, boys fullzip sweatshirts, men’s t-shirts, and more! We hope you will
enjoy the convenience the new Web Store provides.
From the Admissions Desk
Please help spread the word that our next Open
House is February 2nd at 9:00 am. Thank you for
helping Cobb grow in so many ways. Prospective parents are inquiring because of your love and support.
Looking Ahead
Mon., Jan. 31
Tues., Feb. 1
Wed., Feb. 2
Thurs., Feb. 3
Fri., Feb. 4
3:00-4:30
3:00-4:30
9:00-10:30
3:00-4:15
3:00-4:00
3:00-4:15
10:40-11:40
1:00
3:00-6:00
Acorn Singers
Lego Club
OPEN HOUSE
Art Club
Chess Club
Basketball Club
Suzuki Music for Babies
DISMISSAL ED & EL
Ski Club