At the beginning of every month, various cultural, art, and science works are replaced on the shelves. The materials reflect the particular theme and subject matter found in our curriculum.  For instance, this month we are introducing the concept of “vertebrates and invertebrates,” along with mammals in our science area. In the cultural area, we are looking at the world and the seven continents. 

One of the areas that gets a big monthly update is called Practical Life. The Practical Life area offers students a chance to develop practical skills which help children do things in life like cleaning up a spill with a broom and dustpan, opening and closing containers, slicing a banana and serving sections to friends. Tweezing and pouring jobs are designed to build coordination and strength in little fingers to correctly grasp a pencil and learn to write comfortably. 

Ever wonder what the themes are for the month?  We invite you to look at the calendar your child brings home at the start of each month.  A small art project (tied to the current theme) is made by the children and attached to the calendar.  You will notice on the calendars we include the monthly themes and also highlight important dates of events on campus. The year long curriculum may also be found in the parent information packet we distributed during parent orientation.  

The Scholastic Book Fair was a big success and we appreciate the generosity of our families who donated books to our classroom.  

Our Kindergarten field trip to the fire station was well attended and informative.  We appreciate the watchful care parent chaperones brought to their important task.

REMINDERS:

The PTO Fall Festival is on Friday, 10/18 from 5:00pm – 8:00pm. Come and enjoy the lovely weather, games, music, and food with the whole FMS community.  We are looking forward to seeing all of you there!

World History Day is on Thursday, 10/24.  Each of the classrooms will be transformed into a particular epoch of history.  Students are encouraged to dress up in a costume reflecting any of the room themes including:  Invertebrates, Reptiles and Fish, Dinosaurs and early Man, China, India, Egypt and the Medieval/Renaissance time.  An all school parade will commence around 11:00 am (parents are invited) and students will be dismissed at 11:15 am.

No school on 10/25 in observance of Nevada Day.

THANKS:

Thanks to Linnea, Olivia, and their families for supplying healthy and beautiful snacks, as well as, flowers for our classroom.

As we close out the month of September and set our eyes on October, we see the depth and breadth of work being done by the students is increasing.

Montessori math, language jobs, reading, and Spanish work are all being brought to the floor and worked on by our students with Ms. Melissa and Ms. Diana. Step by step, the Montessori process is implemented where students are given individual lessons, then encouraged to practice the lessons repeatedly. Mastery of a material happens when the student demonstrates comfortable and nimble use of the work.

We appreciate all of our families making time to meet with Ms. Melissa and Ms. Diana during parent/teacher conferences.  Communication is the vital link between the classroom and home, and we are better prepared to meet the needs of the individual child by working together while sharing observations and insights.

October brings two all school events to campus.  First, the PTO Fall Festival on Friday, 10/18 and then World History Day on Thursday, 10/24.  On World History Day, each classroom is transformed to present a particular epoch of history and students get to travel to different classrooms sampling activities, food, and art activities reflective of that time period.

October brings two all school events to campus.  First, the PTO Fall Festival on Friday, 10/18 and then World History Day on Thursday, 10/24.  On World History Day, each classroom is transformed to present a particular epoch of history and students get to travel to different classrooms sampling activities, food, and art activities reflective of that time period.

Picture day is Tuesday, 10/1.  

THANKS:

Thanks to Nick, Kaitlyn, and their families for supplying healthy and beautiful snacks, as well as flowers for our classroom.

“Normalization” is a Montessori concept which describes a time when students are truly engaged in the work of the classroom.  It is best experienced as a quiet, focused hum in the room. If a person were to walk in at that moment, it might take them a while to spot the teachers giving lessons on the floor, as every student is engaged in meaningful activity.  How does that happen? It all begins with the prepared environment.

P1 is organized into areas including language (English and Spanish), math, sensorial, practical life, science, cultural, and art.  Each one of these areas is defined by the shelves holding specific materials. Work is placed on the shelf in a manner that is useful and interesting. The introductory (easiest) work is on the top of the shelf going from left to right, with the most challenging work positioned on the bottom of the shelf.

Dr. Montessori observed in her classrooms (over 100 years ago) :

Normalization comes about through “concentration” on a piece of work.  For this we must provide “motives for activity” so well adapted to the child’s interest that they provoke his deep attention.  Their success in this is dependent on the use of the objects for the purposes they are designed to serve, a thing which is also conducive to the child’s “mental order.”  If they are used with care and precision, this leads the child to the “coordination of his movements.” 

~ The Absorbent Mind, Dr. Maria Montessori, pg.206

We have already experienced this quiet hum in our classroom this year, and are pleased with the level of concentration and purposeful movement in the room.  

REMINDERS:

The annual book fair starts on Monday, 9/16 and runs through Friday, 9/20. The fair will be hosted in the multi-purpose room.

Parent teacher conferences are scheduled for Friday, 9/20 and there is no school for students on that day. Child care is available on the playground while parents are meeting with the teachers during their conference time sponsored by the FMS PTO

THANKS:

Thanks to Sophia, Poppy, and their families for supplying healthy and beautiful snacks, as well as flowers for our classroom.

Playing the “emotion game.” What emotion am I showing you with my eyes only?

Welcome to our 2019-2020 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 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:FM$1920.

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 Scarlett and her family for providing healthy snacks and beautiful flowers to our room.

If 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 9/5 at 8:30am and will be held in the multi-purpose room.  

Primary Parent Orientation is scheduled for Thursday, 8/22 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 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!

As we approach the end of our school year, we take a moment to reflect on the immense academic and social growth our students have experienced.  It has been a tremendous year for students learning to read, and to do math computations including division of four digit numbers!

Reading on a continuous basis throughout the summer is vitally important for maintaining skills and encouraging the love of learning.  Our local libraries are great places to borrow books, get out of the summer heat, and experience the usefulness of learning the reading skill.  

Don’t forget the blog is available to you during the summer and may be a fun way for your child to see pictures of their friends and to remember some of the lessons we did during the school year.

We are so grateful to our parents and for the tremendous amount of support we feel from you. Thank you also to those who chaperoned our field trips, helped prepare the monthly food projects, and came into the classroom to share life experiences that coincided with our cultural studies.

 Finally, we say a special thanks to Amalia Sciscento for being an outstanding room mother for us this year. Muchas gracias!

Most importantly, enjoy the sweet satisfaction of the summer and the gift of time as we recharge for next school year.  We look forward to seeing all of our returning and new students for the 2019/2020 school year beginning on August 12th.