This week our core lessons of Language and Math (both in English and Spanish) have been embellished by our talk about Bolivia and all the beautiful natural attributes of that South American country.  On Thursday (October 25) we will bring those details to life by celebrating International Children’s Day at our school.  Please remember that this is a half day.  Students who usually attend the afternoon session are encouraged to come in the morning and be at school by 8:15am.  Pick up is at 11:15.  Friday, October 26^th is a holiday celebrating Nevada Day. There is no school. 

With the Fall weather upon us, please provide a jacket or sweater for your child and clearly label the item.  Wearing a jacket is a good opportunity for your child to practice putting on the item and even (for the younger children) to learn the mechanics of zipping up their garment.  Pulling the sleeves out of the garment and placing the hood on their heads helps to align the jacket for pulling it on easier.

Please note, that the basket outside of our classroom holds “lost” sweaters and jackets.  Feel free to look there if you are missing some of your child’s clothing.

Our Fall Festival is just around the corner (Friday, November 2^nd) and we encourage all of our families to attend.  It is a school wide FMS event and gives all of us the chance to enjoy and celebrate the bounty of our community.  We look forward to seeing all of you there.

Thanks also to Keval and his family for providing our delicious snack. 

We introduced the concept of circle maps to the children this week.  A circle map is a literary tool designed to focus a thought process in describing a subject.  The subject is in a center circle and words (and/or pictures) are placed around the subject.  All of the adjectives fit in a concentric circle around the subject.  It is considered to be an effective tool for focusing thoughts to eventually writing a sentence about the subject.  Although many of our children are just learning their sounds, several of our kindergarteners were able to use words to describe the subject.  It was interesting to see the different levels of understanding of this concept in the multi-aged classroom.

 Mr. Bean was introduced to our outdoor classroom and is bringing new life to the children’s garden experience.  He arrived on Monday and is giving the children a simple, natural way of enjoying the garden while watching the movement of a large, happy rabbit.

International Children’s Day celebration is next Thursday, October 25^th Reminder to all half-day afternoon students – please join us for ICD festivities in the morning from 8:30-11:15.  October 25^th is a half-day for all students and primary dismissal is at 11:15. We are bringing the magic and beauty of Bolivia to our classroom.  Maria Cavalle (our room mother) just posted the sign-up sheet (on Sign Up Genius) for parents to participate in this unique FMS celebration.  Thank you to everyone who can help make this day special for our children.

Having finished up parent teacher conferences last week, we were impressed by the insights we learned from each one of you about your child(ren).  As teachers, we know the parent-child relationship is primal and sacred.  It is the foundation for the child’s life giving them the template for communication, problem solving, and the tools to create a well balanced self image.  It is the daily bread relationship that influences and supports our school experience with your child.   We are grateful to be surrounded by parents who bring such a strong level of support and presence to our classroom.  It is truly the combination of home and school that together nurtures and teaches each child in our class.

  A big “book” thank you to the generous donations of new books to our classroom library. 

 Thank you for the wonderful snack provided by Addie  and her family last week and by Zoey and her family this week.  Snack in the Montessori classroom provides more than the opportunity for the student to nourish their bodies (although you are all doing a great job at that), it is a natural way for children to practice Dr. Montessori’s dictum of “grace and courtesy” There is a protocol each child must follow in order to participate in that area of our classroom, including hand washing, taking the prescribed amount of snack and eating with manners in the company of another student.  Thanks to all of our families for providing healthy snacks.

 Please be reminded that picture day is next Tuesday, October 16^th. 

This week we focused on “books, bones and Bolivia”!

Our school is enriched by the wonderful book fair that visits us every Fall, giving all of us a chance to buy and enjoy new books.  We are touched every day by our readers and emerging readers, asking us to listen to them read aloud.  Reading is a core skill strongly supported by the Montessori classroom.  In Dr. Montessori’s view, writing proceeded reading and the technique of training the eyes to look left to right was foundational to molding a proficient reader.  Not only do all of our works get presented in this format, we are ever vigil for helping our students hold their pencils in the “pincer grip” thus supporting the ease of writing.  Simple spooning and tweezing items at home can help with this development.

Our science focus this month is on human bones and the difference between vertebrates and invertebrates.  Did you know a snake is a vertebrate?  It seems so smooth that it must be lacking a back bone, and yet it has a spine and bones to support it.

We are focusing on the culture and history of Bolivia, introducing the children to this wonderful South American country.  If you have any artifacts from Bolivia or South America, please let us know as we are starting to gather items for our upcoming International Children’s Day event on Thursday, October 25^th.  Afternoon students should plan to attend school the morning of October 25th from 8:30 to 11:15 to participate in ICD festivities. Please be reminded that school is in session for half a day on the 25th and closed on the 26th in observance of Nevada Day.  

Have a restful weekend.

Ms. Lina, Ms. Nancy, Ms. Julie