Drummond Montessori Magnet School
April 25, 2008
Dear Drummond Families,
April has been an extraordinary month. Our little school has so far: held three public garden meetings, approved and revised (based on public input) our garden plan, drawn together with the input of parents, teachers, students and community members what I believe to be the best SIPAAA this school has ever produced, kicked off an Ultimate Frisbee league, provided all of our students the opportunity to see The Chicago Ballet Company perform in our own gymnasium, installed our second annual art exhibit, begun wok on creating a recycling room, distributed report cards and spoke to 94% of our parents regarding the progress of their children, held an LSC election and welcomed Early Childhood parents to yet another educational evening.
Before the month is finished we will be breaking ground on our long sought after garden project, implementing a safety procedure for drop-off and pick-up, hosting a poetry slam, hosting a science night for 5th and 6th grade parents while still providing the best education possible to our students. I am grateful to our teachers for every ounce of time and energy they give to our school and our students please recognize that not every school has a team of such smart, welcoming and dedicated faculty. I feel fortunate to work with such a strong team.
Sincerely,
Mark Neidlinger
Ground Breaking
After three years of discussion we are ready to realize our collaborative dream: the Garden Project. Old Veteran’s Construction will begin the process of securing our grounds for construction as early as Monday, April 28th. This will mean that as of next week our back lot will no longer be available for parking. I have confirmed with the contractor that adequate measures will be taken to avoid and issues with safety. They will have a six foot fence coordinating off the construction zone and that fence will be covered with a mesh netting to make certain that climbing cannot occur. Please assist us parents, in making sure that your children maintain a safe distance from all fencing and equipment. As you can guess, my number one concern will be the safety of our students and all my decision moving forward – regarding the garden - will be based upon this issue. We will have a few months of dust, dirt and concern before we can celebrate this fantastic accomplishment. Please be patient and as always, use caution for yourself and our students.
Clean out your medicine cabinet!
A number of you have expressed curiosity and concern over the terrible condition of my face and chest after our return from spring break and I thank you. A number of you were equally as kind by pretending nothing was unusual and engaging me regardless of these embarrassing scars. I urge each of you to check your medicine cabinets this weekend and toss anything that has expired. After a simple little blood test it was determined that my break-out was from having taken some (drastically) expired over the counter medication while visiting my folks in Florida over the break. (My parents are avid collectors of art and antiques and as I’ve recently learned, medication.) The good news is that I have great tales to taunt my parents with for years to come.
My sincere gratitude.

Happy Secretary’s Day
Norma Roman and Reina Bago!
Lastly, the past several days have been difficult for our school. The LSC election seemed to spur a divisive nature within our school community. It is my biggest hope that we can repair the damage that has occurred and continue moving forward focusing purely on our students and providing them with a positive and safe environment that is based on mutual trust and positive energy. Please enjoy the weekend ahead, we have much work before us.