As the students have become familiar with the routines, procedures, and processes in P1, we have watched friendships bloom and strengthen. We have witnessed our Kindergartners extend a helping hand to their younger peers, showing them things such as finding a job on the shelf, building a puzzle together, helping a child with their shoes, and including new friends in their play at recess.

It speaks to the depth of kindness and empathy that our students possess and how deeply they care about the roles they play in helping our younger students find their footing in our classroom.

We have been talking about emotions…what they are, what they feel like, and identifying the name of the emotion in relation to the feeling.  Ms. Melissa delivered a lesson involving one student holding a bandanna in front of their mouth and simply using their eyes to convey a particular emotion such as being happy, sad, or angry.

Another child tries to recognize the emotion being expressed. So far, the students have enjoyed this job immensely.

We have resumed our “Take Home Reading Program” this week.  This is where students who are reading are offered a classroom book to take home over the weekend and read it to their parents.

You will notice the book is put into a plastic bag with your child’s name on it.  If your child is participating in this program, please enjoy hearing your child read it to you, and then help them to return the book the following Monday.  

REMINDERS:

PTO’s first general meeting is scheduled for Thursday, 9/6 at 8:30 am in the Multi Purpose Room.

Our annual Scholastic Book Fair begins on Monday, 9/17 and runs through Friday, 9/21.

Parent/Teacher conferences are starting the week of 9/17.  There is a half day dismissal @ 11:15am (no lunch at school) for all primary students on 9/20.  No school for students on 9/21 due to parent/teacher conferences. Conferences are best attended by parents only, child care services are available by FMS staff during the duration of the meeting.

Kindergarten field trip to the fire station will take place on Thursday, 9/27.  Please make sure your child is wearing their new, blue FMS tee shirt and proper footwear, as we will be walking to station #97 located on Amador Lane.

Working with “Eye Spy” in Spanish with Ms. Diana.

THANKS:

A big thanks to Sophia, Carl, and their families for providing delicious snacks and beautiful flowers for our classroom.

Welcome to our 2018-2019 school year!  We are off to a great start. We are so happy to see many returning students this year.  This has made transitions and procedures much smoother during the first days of school. And just like Dr. Montessori intended, our seasoned students are able to guide our new students in the process of moving purposefully through the classroom.  Our new friends have quickly grasped our grace and courtesy expectations, and are acclimating to our routine.

We will be communicating with you on a regular basis through a bi-monthly blog (like this one) and a monthly paper calendar.  Please review the calendar as we often put important reminders on it, along with an original piece of art that your child made.  We match the artwork with the monthly theme, so that it can easily be a talking point for you to engage your child.

Also, the blog is a great way for you to see your child interacting with materials and other students in the class.  It’s a way for you to become familiar with their friends and to discover what they are learning. You may access the P1 blog by going to the school blog and selecting your child’s classroom blog (don’t forget Art, Phys Ed, Music, and the Outdoor Classroom)!  Remember to access our classroom blogs using the password: fms@201819.

Please take a few minutes to review our snack and flower request list.  We greatly appreciate the generous and well thought out contributions from our families for this important task.  In the orientation packet, you will discover a recommended snack list. Please plan for approximately 30 children, for a 5 day span.  

Families are welcome to drop off snack and flowers on Monday for the week, or bring a smaller supply each day.  We are grateful to Guillermo and his family for bringing in healthy and beautiful snacks and flowers to our room.

f you haven’t had a chance to check out PTO information, it can be found on the school website at foothillsmontessori.com under the COMMUNITY page.  We are so fortunate to have an active and creative PTO board that is invested in the success of our school and provides a vital leadership role for our FMS community. We encourage all of our parents to participate in our PTO’ s activities. The first general meeting is on 9/6 at 8:30am and will be held in the multi-purpose room.  

Primary Parent Orientation is scheduled for Thursday, 8/23 at 5:00pm in the multi-purpose room. The Montessori philosophy is process driven, requiring practice and observation.  We structure our orientation to present different situations that families encounter both at home and at school; offering a Montessori perspective on how to mirror Montessori practices at home. We encourage all of our parents to attend and look forward to seeing you!

Thank you to Guillermo and his family for providing beautiful flowers and healthy snack for our classroom.