Now that the colder weather is upon us and you are sending your child to school with jackets, hats and sweaters, please remember to write their name on the label.

Also, putting on a jacket can be one of those milestones that helps your child feel independent.  There are a couple of tips to follow when you are teaching your child to put on their own jacket.

First, make sure they have pulled the sleeves out of the jacket and that both sleeves are ready for their arms to go through.  If the jacket has a hood, encourage your child to put the hood on, thus making it clear where their arms go in putting on the jacket.

If there is no hood, show them where the tag is in the back of the jacket and show them how to lay the sweater on their shoulders (with the tag in back).  Help them start the zipper if need be, then let them zip it up.  The more often your child practices putting on their own jackets, the better they will be at doing it all by themselves.

Please be reminded that now would be a good time to refresh your child’s extra change of clothes and trade out the shorts and lightweight tops for sweat pants and long sleeved clothes.

As we approach our Thanksgiving holiday, we acknowledge all the wonderful gifts of life that we share, including good health, abundant food, strong friendships and the bounty of being in caring families.  May we cherish the time we spend together over this holiday.

“offering a pickle slice”

A big thanks to all of the families that donated jackets, sweaters and blankets for the homeless children in our community.  Every act of kindness brings more light to our world and offers hope and love to people in need.

Spanish bingo.

The shrill squawk of the juvenile Macaw bird greeted the Primary students this morning as they entered the world of the Rain Forest Animals.  The Macaw’s beak is so strong, that it could snap a broom handle in half with one bite.  We also learned that a Macaw also has a bone in its tongue, making it function much like a human finger.

A Golden Banded Tarantula was quietly walked around the room on the arm of our very own Ms. Val!  Possessing no teeth, the Tarantula uses its fangs to stun its “food” and then sucks out the edible portions of its prey.  The Tarantula defends itself by shooting invisible hairs off its body into the victim’s mouth and eyes.

The Blue Skink showed us his blue tongue which it uses to smell things with.  It is one of the few animals on Earth to have green blood.  Apparently the taste of this green blood carries a sour taste, making it  less appealing to eat.

The Green Iguana has a marking near the top of its head that looks like a third eye, making it more threatening looking to would be predators flying above it. Ms. Dianna, makes holding a Green Iguana look easy!

The Boa Constrictor snakes were heavy to hold, cool to the touch and a great reminder that the animal world is full of amazing and powerful creatures.

.Reminders:

Half day dismissal at 11:15 on Wednesday 11/26.  No school on Thursday or Friday 11/27 and 11/28 in celebration of the Thanksgiving holiday.

“Frozen the Musical” performance on Tuesday, 12/16 at 9:30 in the Multi Purpose Room.

In December, there is a half day dismissal at 11:15 on Friday 12/19.  Winter break runs through 1/5/15.  School resumes on Tuesday, 1/6/15.

A big thanks to Suki and Addie Z. and their families for providing delicious snacks and beautiful flowers for our classroom.

pin punched continent map

The Montessori Method is fundamentally about instilling a “ process”  for doing everything.  Process precedes content.  

If a student is given the proper lesson up front on how a job can be done, they will be able to duplicate the steps and experience the satisfaction of using the materials effectively.  

As Montessori students receive lesson after lesson where the emphasis is on process, they begin to feel the underlying message of “when work is done in this order, in this manner, the greatest experience can be drawn from the materials and the lesson at hand.”

Concentration is a natural byproduct of using a learning format in an intentional and repetitive way.

 Not only is a technique learned and a greater sense of independence is felt by the student, but an overall sense of peace and well being flows from a mind fully engrossed in their work at hand.

It takes a steady awareness on the part of the teacher (and the parent at home) to keep the course and gently, but firmly redirect the child back to the process and not be swayed by their natural enthusiasm to get to the end results, without doing the vital steps in between.

Once the process is secured in the mind of the student, then the variations or extensions of the work can be introduced.

At that point, the student has a “place” in their mind where to store the new information.

 Then when the need arises to recall the steps or retrieve a more abstract fact, the student has a well trodden pathway in their memory upon which to draw upon.

Mastery of process then makes mental storage of facts easier and allows the student to participate more fully in the lessons they are learning.  

An engaged student is one who is building upon their abilities to function effectively in the classroom, absorb more and more abstract information and then to eventually be able to synthesize and analyze the data learned.

TAIKO DRUMS

Last week, the multi-purpose room was filled with the rich timbre of large, Japanese drums as the primary classes enjoyed the musical journey of the performers who came to our school today.

Taking up most of the stage, the Taiko drums sent out rhythm and sounds that sounded ancient, and powerful.  Like the physical heart, the drum has a rhythm that speaks directly to the ears and to the skin.

It was easy to move with the “voice” of the drum. “Archaeological evidence shows that Taiko drums were used in Japan as early as the 6th century BC and were likely used for communication, festivals, and other rituals.”

International Children’s Day was a huge success thanks to all of your contributions;  including your time and the many supplies donated for the activities in our classroom.  Thanks for making it easy to do!

Thank you to all the parents who hiked with us at Red Rock Canyon; helping all of us to create a meaningful and safe field trip for our Kindergarten students

REMINDERS:

Thursday, 11/20 is picture re-take day.

Friday, 11/21 is the annual PTO Holiday Bazaar.  Don’t miss seeing the wonderful crafts!!

Wednesday, 11/26 is half day with dismissal at 11:15. No School on 11/27 and 11/28.  Happy Thanksgiving;  we all have so much to be grateful for!

A big thanks to Clare and Addison B. (and their families) for providing delicious snacks and beautiful flowers.