Board Meeting on 4th Monday - Everyone is Invited

Hello Parents—

The AMS Board of Directors meets monthly, generally the 4th Monday of the month. This coming Monday at 5:30 pm is our February meeting. These meetings are open to all and there are several agenda items this month that I'm sure will be of interest to parents, including:

• Tuition rates for the 2010/2011 school year
• Update on our spring enrollment campaign
• Full day toddler program hours
• Summer program
• Update on the search for a new Executive Director

We welcome input from parents on these important topics—especially the tuition rates for next year as we are looking at rolling some of the fees and extra charges into the monthly tuition rate. One thing we are considering is having the school provide all of the snacks and including that in the tuition. So if you care to be part of the discussion, please join us on Monday night at 5:30 at the school!

Joann Mitchell

Volunteer Opportunity: Flyer Distribution

Help get the word out about Anchorage Montessori School. As part of our spring marketing campaign, we are placing flyers throughout the city to increase awareness about the school and to encourage parents to come to one of our open house events in February, March, and April. Here's how to participate:

1. Sign up! Place your name and contact information on the sign-up sheet on the school bulletin board.
2. Distribute flyers. Ask the office staff for a set of flyers (provided in stacks of 10) and commit to placing flyers in all the family-friendly places you visit. Ideas for poster distribution include:
   Coffee shops
   Libraries
   Book stores and toy stores
   Dance/music/gymnastics/yoga studios
   Athletic clubs and recreational facilities
   Military bases
3. Report back. Let us know where the flyers end up. This doesn’t need to be formal, just provide the office staff with a quick list of the places you visited so that we know where posters still need to be placed. You can submit your list via email to anchorage.montessori@acsalaska.net or by handing your list to the person working at the front desk.

We'll provide a running tally of where the flyers have been posted next to the sign-up sheet.

Thanks for your support!

-- AMS Communications Committee

Gala Gambling Tips

Planning on attending the AMS Auction and Casino Gala on the 20th but need a gambling refresher? No worries! A complete guide of game rules is attached for all gambling tables provided at the upcoming event.

Never tried Craps, Roulette, Poker or Blackjack? The 20th is your night to try it all because everyone is a winner. Experienced and inexperienced alike play for fun (no monetary exchanges beyond a "chip donation" $30/300chips) in a stress-free, child-free environment.

Planning to go for broke? Go for it! There will be trophies for the highest rollers to be displayed at school, home or office.

See you at the AMS Auction and Casino Gala on Saturday, February 20.

Gala Tickets and Babysitting

AMS Auction and Casino Gala Tickets are on sale now
$25 in advance/$40 at the door
You can purchase tickets at the front desk or next week at our auction table at drop-off or pick-up.Friends and family are welcome and encouraged to attend!!!


AMS staff will provide babysitting during the gala
at the AMS facility (less than a mile from event)
5:15pm to 10:30pm = 5.25 hours
$45 first child/$25 for each sibling
Contact the front desk for more information

Gala Donations
Thank you to everyone who has already donated. We have a lot of great auction items but are in need of more. Please bring in your donations this week if possible. We need to prepare the program for the night festivities.

Buy your split-the-pot tickets.
You do not need to be present to win. Current total is over $300.

Marketing Campaign + ED Search

On behalf of the AMS Board of Directors, I wanted to inform you of two important outcomes from the January board meeting, held last week:

First, the board is moving forward with an integrated marketing communications campaign that will officially kick off next week. You'll find more information about the activities we have planned and ways that you can help support this exciting initiative in the students' folders Tuesday.

Second, the search for a new executive director is officially underway. The position was posted in the Sunday issue of the Anchorage Daily News. The ad will appear again on Wednesday and run on ADN's website throughout the month. Other postings include local/state nonprofit and educational websites, Montessori-focused websites, and CareerBuilder.com. If you know of someone who may be interested in this position, please direct them to the CareerBuilder.com website, or have them contact the search committee co-chair, Rachel Witty at search@anchoragemontessorischool.org.

As always, we are happy to hear from you. Whether you have suggestions, questions, or just want to come observe, we invite you to come to the board meetings, which are held the last Monday of the month at 5:30 pm.

Thank you for your continued support!

Sincerely,

Joann Mitchell
Chair, AMS Board of Directors