Week of Jan 13th to Jan 17th 2014

January is always a wonderful time in the classroom. The children are eager to explore all the possibilities after a long winter rest, free from the distractions the holidays always bring. This is a time for amazing learning and we love watching it all come together!

It’s hard to believe that we are already almost through January.  Our continent study was Antarctica. We learned where it was located and what kinds of animals lived there. That led us to the study of Penguins. We discussed the different kinds of penguins, Parts of a Penguin and read books about Penguins.

During this week we discussed the life of Dr. Martin Luther King and his many accomplishments. We read ‘Happy Birthday Martin Luther King’ by Jean Marzallo. We also talked about ‘what is peace?’ and how children could be peaceful.

Chinese New Year

On Monday, February 3rd, we will be celebrating Chinese New Year with our annual dragon parade! During this week we will study Chinese culture as we discuss and study China and create our Chinese Dragon. We encourage any of our students who have a traditional Chinese outfit to please wear it on Feb 3^rd, if not wear something red, as red is considered a lucky color.

Our Chinese New Year Parade will be celebrated on Monday, Feb 3rd at 11:00 a.m, please join us to see the Parade.

Just a Reminder

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner and, although those adorable cards and candies are tempting, we ask that you do not send them to school.  Candy and cards for each classmate can get out of hand so we appreciate your understanding and cooperation!

 Valentine’s Day

We would like to repeat what we did for Valentine’s Day last year. We will have the children make one valentine card in class to exchange at school on Valentine’s Day. We will put all the children’s names in a basket. Each child will choose a name of a classmate and give their valentine card to that child. We will use this as an opportunity to practice our manners. We will have a treat to share at group time. Anyone interested in providing this treat (strawberries or apples?), please let me know.

 

When asked to the children,’ What is Peace?’,

Dylan- doing work

Marley-Painting

Marnee- Being nice to each other

Madeline- to not fight

Alice-not to go to the Peace Table

Sydney-Being calm, kind and nice

Cameron-Being quiet

Nika- Be kind and caring

Lily-Being nice too each other

Tesla-Being quiet

Miles-Making friends and playing with them

Spencer-Not being mean o my sister and brother

LucyAnne-Focus on your work

Alex-use peaceful ways to solve the problem

Mazie-not to hurt other people

Zach- Be safe

Mia- not hurt people

Giuliana-Be safe

Josiah-not use hands to hurt

 

 

Madeline table washing, helps in developing concentration and finishing a cycle of work

Mia and Alice enjoying Green Tea

 Mazie working on the Color Tablets and grading them from Darkest to Lightest

Mateo, Pin Punching on the dots helps with strengthing the fine motor muscles and helps in develping the pincer grip

Our three volunteers Dylan, Josiah and Giuliana busy doing the dishes after our Stone Soup feast.

Lily and Jack created a Christmas Tree with the Red Rods and Knobless Cylinders.

Monroe busy at the easel.

Zach and Dylan applying butter on the bread for the Stone Soup feast.

I am Thankful for............

 

Marley, working with the Brown Stairs  and Pink Cubes and learning about Patterning and Comparing.

Marnee, working with dry exploration materials and sorting.

Week of Jan 6th to Jan 10th, 2014

Happy New Year and welcome back!

Hoping you all had a wonderful holiday break.  A very big thank you from the bottom of our hearts for all the lovely gifts we received.

As we all know children enjoy a regular routine. We appreciate January because it’s typically a quiet month as students readjust getting back into a school routine.

In January we’ll learn about:

·        Antarctica

·        Asia

·        Landforms

·        Penguins

·        Hibernating Animals

·        Amphibians

·        Tea Pouring

 

Sound of the week

‘O’-Olive the Octopus

 

Upcoming Events

• Valentine’s Day is coming up. Please do not buy any Valentines or candy to pass out at school. Each student will make one card at school, and then randomly draw them from a basket.
• The Chinese New Year Parade, end of Jan/beginning of Feb
• No school on Mon, Jan 21^st - MLK Day

Week of Nov 18th to Dec 6th, 2013

·         We studied the Pilgrims, the Mayflower and the Native Americans in the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving and discussed how the Pilgrims were grateful for the help of the Native Americans and reflected on the things that we are grateful for. We also discussed the meaning of the “First Thanksgiving”. We wrapped up our study of Thanksgiving with “Stone Soup".  Thank you to all our families who brought an ingredient for the soup. We read a couple of versions of the story “Stone Soup”. The story taught the students the important lesson about giving and sharing

·         I think all the students were excited to come back to school on Monday after the week long break with many so new works to explore.

·         We started this week by learning about Hanukkah and we will discuss Christmas and Kwanzaa in the coming weeks. The children have enjoyed playing, the Dreidel game and adding a candle to the ‘menorah work’.

·         We also discussed how animals adapt in the winter and have learned about migration and hibernation.

·         Food prep is a great practical life activity in a Montessori classroom. The children learn self-care as they wash their hands. They develop independence and improve fine motor skills as they prepare the food. They practice grace and courtesy as they offer the food to share with their friends. The new food prep work in the classroom is Rice Cracker spreading with Apple Butter.

BRRRR……

 

As we head into December the weather is getting colder!  Please dress your child WARM for the freezing outside temperatures.  We do go outside for fresh air even when it is very cold unless it is freezing. We want to keep your children warm and healthy so please have the following items at school for your child every day:

****-thick, warm coat (no thin windbreakers)
****-light sweater for layering
****-boots and  warm socks
****-hood or warm hat
****-warm gloves or mittens
****-extra clothes in cubby appropriate for the weather
 

Remember that handling hats, gloves, mittens, boots, coats, and scarves is part of your child’s Practical Life training at the Primary level.   We will help your child learn to handle the extra clothing.   If the weather is wet or there is snow on the ground, all children need to wear boots to school.   It is not good for children’s feet to wear boots all day and our classroom floors don’t need the mess, so all children need a pair of shoes to wear in the classroom.  (Kindergarten and Full Day Fours especially need a pair of athletic shoes for P.E. )   You may choose to have your child keep their shoes in their cubby at school or they can carry them back and forth in their bag.

 

It’s important that a child’s clothes be accessible as well as have a loose, comfortable fit (and of course, the outfit has to be cute!). The clothing should be easy to button, snap, or buckle without the aid of an adult.

In the Montessori classroom, every activity is designed to inculcate a sense of independence and this extends to the clothes a child wears. We want our students to wear a coat freely and remove clothing for the restroom without help. This develops confidence and a positive self-image.

In school, we have special activities in our Practical Life area that instruct a child how to function independently when eating, cleaning, and dressing. One special material is the Dressing Frame – a series of wooden frames with cloth that are attached with different fasteners, such as buttons, laces, and buckles. In addition to the practical application of these materials, a child also learns concentration, focus, and self-discipline when using the frames.

 

 Winter Vocal Concert

Only Kindergarten and Full Day students will be participating in Dr. Brown’s Winter Vocal Concert on Tuesday, December 17 at 6:00PM.  Our half-day students will participate in the spring concert.   All are welcome to attend.  

 

 

Sound for this week

 

“m- Missy the mouse”

                                     

Week of Nov 13th to Nov 15th, 2013

 Parents, please note if you plan to join your child for the Thanksgiving luncheon on Thursday, Nov 21st, full day students will be in the lunchroom at 10:55 am, so you can meet your child in the lunchroom. If your child is a half day student (3 year olds), please pick them from the classroom sign them out and then proceed to the lunchroom.

We have been learning to say hello in many different languages, Jambo in Swahili, Bonjour in French, Hola in Spanish, ask your child in what languages they can say hello.

Large Movement in the classroom-

 Turkey Pokey

(Hokey Pokey)

You put your right wing in

you put your right wing out

You put your right wing in

And you shake it all about.

You do the turkey pokey

And you turn yourself around.

That's what it's all about.

Add'l verses:

Left wing

Drumsticks (legs)

Stuffing (tummy)

Wattle (head)

Tail feathers (bottom)

Turkey body (whole self)

 

Sound for Next Week-

k- Kayo the Kangaroo

Make two fists and give a kick with one leg, and say the letter sound ’k’.

Reminders-

Soup ingredients needed by Wednesday Nov 20, 2013

Thursday, Nov 21^st - Thanksgiving Luncheon

Nov 25- 29^th-Thanksgiving Break

 

Classroom Pet Sitting and Rugs Washing- Please let me know if anybody is interested in taking care of our classroom fish and if anybody is willing to take the classroom rugs home to launder during Thanksgiving Break.

 A Big Thanks to all the parents who bought materials for our classrooms through the Small Hands Catalog, they are truly appreciated.

 

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!!!!

 

 

 

Week of Nov 4th to Nov 8th, 2013

A Peek at Our Week

In Geography we began visiting the continents starting with North America, the children were introduced to the countries of North America.

In Zoology, we began our study of fish, another group of vertebrates. The children had a lesson on the Parts of a Fish, Fish Puzzle and different kinds of Fish.

Other popular works have been corn tweezing and pin-punching the world map.

We would love some donations of Indian corn so that we can continue with corn tweezing. This is a great activity that promotes concentration and fine motor skills and always a favorite amongst the children.

Next Week

We will be making stone soup (taken from the story,’ Stone Soup’) and fresh butter next Thursday, November 21, 2013 with the class, so we will need some ingredients to be brought in. To be sure we get all the ingredients; I assigned certain items to each student. The children will wash, cut and prep the vegetables to make the soup on Thursday and on Friday we will eat our soup for snack.

If there is a problem bringing in any items, please let me know and I can take care of it. We need all these items by Wednesday, Nov 20, 2013 except for the bread if we can have it on Friday that would be great!!

 Ingredients

3 year old boys- one potato each

3 year old girls- one carrot each

4 year old boys- one celery stalk

4 year old girls- one small zucchini

Kinders-

Cameron- can of black beans

Jack- veggie broth

Mazie- frozen green beans

Adrian- can of tomatoes

Lily- frozen corn

Nika-a can of tomatoes

Spencer- a onion and a couple of garlic cloves

Alex- frozen peas

Teagan-heavy cream(quart)

Tommy-Loaf of bread

Sydney-Loaf of bread

Sound Of The Week

J-Jerry the Jellyfish

(stretch arms out in front of you and shake them and say the letter sound ’j’)

Reminders

Scholastic Orders due Fri, Nov 15, 2013

 

 

Week of Oct 31st to Nov 1st

 

 

 

 Thank you, Kiowa for carving our Jack O Lantern. Thank you, Crissy, Nathan, Alicia, Scott Whitington, Scott Baldermann, Nathan, Jeanette and Lisa for volunteering in our classroom and helping out with the centers for the Halloween celebration, it was quite a blast!!.

 

I Did It All By Myself- Support the Children’s Independence the Montessori Way

Is there anything more rewarding than being able to care for one’s own self? Help your child on the path to independence with home activities that support similar self-care “lessons” in the Montessori classroom. A little planning and a lot of patience will go far!

The most important (and the hardest!) part? Allow plenty of time for learning and practice, so your child can master new skills without pressure from the clock (and you can get to work on time).

Maria Montessori tells us in The Discovery of the Child, “If teaching is to be effective with young children, it must assist them to advance on the way to independence...We must help them to learn how to walk without assistance, to run,...to dress and undress, to wash themselves...All this is part of an education for independence.”

“Care of Self” activities children can do at home

• Dressing & undressing
• Washing hands
• Cleaning one’s shoes
• Nose blowing
• Buttoning, snapping, zipping, tying, lacing, and buckling
• Brushing one’s hair & teeth

It’s cold outside! How to put on a coat or sweater?
Teach your child the “up and over” method. Place the child’s coat on the floor with the collar near the child’s feet. The child bends down, places his arms in the arms of the coat, lifts the coat up and over his head, and voila! He’s wearing his coat.

Even very young children are capable of independent work,
Suggested activities: laundry, setting the table, helping to prepare dinner by washing fruit/veggies, clearing the table, pouring their own breakfast cereal or spreading butter on their own bread/toast, pouring their own beverages from easily accessible small pitchers, pet care, sweeping/mopping with child size brooms/mops, window washing with a spray bottle of water and a squeegee/towel, etc. The list is endless and children will help point out their interests to you, as you go through the day together.

A Peek At Our Week

Scooping out the Pumpkin seeds

Estimating the Pumpkin Seeds ( there were 638 seeds in the pumpkin)

Graphing and Voting for the eyes, nose and mouth for our Jack O lantern- circle eyes, triangle nose and scary mouth

Lifecycle of the pumpkin

Cutting apples for the Applesauce

Tasting the roasted pumpkin seeds and applesauce

Sound of the week

‘i’ – Inny the inchworm

(Bend your index finger up and down, say the short letter sound ‘i’)

Reminders

No school on Nov 4^th for 3 and 4 year olds, as all of the ECE team will be at a CPR/First Aid Training. The kindergartners will work in Ms. Therese’s room and we will have two subs for that day. Please drop off and pick your child through Ms. Therese’s door tomorrow.

Picture Retakes is on Friday, Nov 8^th

^{Thanksgiving Luncheon RSVP’s due by Tue, Nov 5th}

^{No School Nov 11th and 12th}

 
^{Have a wonderful November!!!}

 Transfer with a baster, observe the concentration.

 Van Gogh Inspired Sunflowers!!

 The 45 Layout

Week of Oct 21-25, 2013

Week of Oct 21-25, 2013

·         Thanks to all the parents for attending Parent-Teacher Conferences. It was a pleasure to meet with you and share your child's progress.

·         A BIG THANK YOU to all of you who ordered from the Small Hands Montessori catalog. Your orders will be arriving before the holidays. We’ll keep you posted.

A Peek at our Week

·         Pumpkin Scrubbing

·         Apple estimation- the children had to guess the number of apples, we had about 50 apples

·         Apple Tasting- we tasted Red Delicious, Granny Smith and Golden Delicious apples

·         Favorite Apple Graph- the Red Delicious apples were by far the most favorite apples and won by 13 votes.

·         Johnny Appleseed

·         Lifecycle of an apple

·         Parts of an apple

·         Bats

·         Parts of a Skeleton

Song

Knock, Knock

Trick or Treat

Who are you?

I am a cowboy, I am a little cowboy

Knock, Knock

Trick or Treat

Who are you?

I am a cowboy, I am a little cowboy

(Then the children act out the part)

Repeat chorus

(Ghost, Pirate, Monster, Ballerina)

Sound of the week

‘h’- Honey the horse( Slap both sides of your thighs, suggesting a horse galloping. Say the letter sound ‘h’.

Reminders

• Halloween will be a fun-filled day in our room. We will celebrate Halloween with fun themed centers and have a special snack at Circle Time. Please remember no costumes at school.
• No school on Nov 4^th for 3 and 4 year olds, as all of the ECE team will be at a CPR/First Aid Training. The kindergartners will work in Ms. Therese’s room and we will have two subs for that day. Please drop off and pick your child through Ms. Therese’s door on that day.

Parent Resources

Here the link to the newsletter, if you would like to see pictures of children working in the classroom, I am unable to post pictures and send it through emails.

http://mssheela002.blogspot.com/

http://www.loveandlogic.com/t-Free-Articles-and-Handouts-for-Parents.aspx

http://www.starfall.com/  - Use this site to practice letter recognition, letter sounds, rhyming words, word families, and many more literacy concepts.

 

Happy Halloween!!!

Apple Counting

Apple Sorting

 

How many apples long?

 

Brown Stairs and Knobless Cylinders

 

Creative exploration with the Triangle Box