We began our study of dinosaurs this week by traveling to the Natural History Museum and seeing the display of “terrible lizards.”  Did you know that a meat eater is called a “carnivore?”  A carnivore has very sharp teeth and claws and typically their eyes are in the front of their heads so they can see their food targets from far away.  A herbivore is a “plant eater” who has grinding teeth and their eyes are on the sides of their heads so they can see around them and run away from other dinosaurs who wanted to eat them! 

A special shout out to our parents who traveled to the museum with us making it a smooth, flowing, and enjoyable field trip.  Thank you to Gail (Jonas’s mom), Kerry Frances (Jack and Lucy’s mom), Jay (Addie’s dad), Kevin (Thomas’s dad), Mario (Bravo’s dad), Mariam (Isaiah’s mom), Kari (Elie’s mom), and Maria (Emma’s mom). 

 

This week we also talked about amphibians and the qualities that make an amphibian.  Amphibians are vertebrates (have back bone), are cold blooded, and unlike reptiles, do not have scaly skin.  Amphibians have smooth and moist skin and they lay eggs like fish eggs.  This means that amphibians need to live near water.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This week we enjoyed Russian performers. 

Next week we are exploring the wonders of Asia traveling to China, India, Japan and the Middle East.  We are looking at the people, their customs, and the plant and animal life of the largest Continent on Earth.  We are looking forward to sampling some Korean food early in the week when Helen (Oscar’s mom) does some cooking with us, thanks!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Please be reminded that Spring Break begins at the end of next week, when school is dismissed at 11:15am on Friday, March 22.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now that the weather is changing, please provide a fresh set of clothes as back up for your child.  Please label all their clothes with their name clearly marked.  If we have lent you clothes in the past, please return them. Thank you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks to Isaiah and his family for providing us with delicious snacks.

 Have a restful weekend,

 Ms. Lina, Ms. Nancy, Ms. Julie

 

 A good time was had last Friday when our classroom was filled with the words and rhyming of Dr. Seuss and the eating of green eggs and ham.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Many thanks to the following families for donating eggs, bread, and ham for our feast, including:

 

Jonas and his family,

Andrew and his family,

Zoey and her family,

Lucy,  Jack and their family,

Eli and his family,

Charlotte and her family,

Isaac and his family,

Paige and her family

A special thanks to Emma’s mom, Maria “the chef”, for making our delicious green eggs and ham.

 

 

 

 

 

We are excited to take our first, full class field trip on Tuesday, March 12^th to the Natural History Museum.  We need all of our students at school by 8:30am for an 8:45 departure.  We will return to school for our regular lunch time.  No need for paper sack lunches.

 

Thanks to Lola W. and her family for providing a delicious snack this week.

 

Have a restful weekend,

 

Ms. Lina, Ms. Nancy, Ms. Julie

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 We are winding up our month of learning about the oceans and the wonderfully interesting continent of Australia. It has led us to look at the great coral reefs, sea animals and to learn that the ocean is salty.  We are looking forward to studying the continent of Asia and to learn about reptiles, amphibians and dinosaurs next month.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Dr. Seuss is a favorite author of the Foothills Montessori School and on Friday we read from his books while sampling the odd flavors of “green eggs and ham.”  Many of the students and teachers dressed up as their favorite Dr. Suess characters….”Do you like green eggs and ham?”  “I do not like green eggs and ham.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Parent teacher conferences start next week.  We are looking forward to meeting with each of you.  Thursday (3/7) and Friday (3/8) school is dismissed at 11:15am so that conferences can be conducted in the afternoon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks to Jack and Lucy and their family for providing delicious snacks this week.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Have a restful weekend.   En Espanol…”Tenga un buen fin de semana”

 Ms. Lina, Ms. Nancy, Ms. Nancy

 

 “Enero, Febrero,Marzo,Abril, Mayo, Junio, Julio, Agosto, Steptiembre, Octubre, Noviembre, Diciembre”  estos son los meses …January, February, March and April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November December, these are the months of the year.  The months of the year sung in Spanish and matched with a choreographed hand movement, cement in the children’s minds the sound and order of the months.

 “Enero, Febrero,Marzo,Abril, Mayo, Junio, Julio, Agosto, Steptiembre, Octubre, Noviembre, Diciembre”  estos son los meses …January, February, March and April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November December, these are the months of the year.  The months of the year sung in Spanish and matched with a choreographed hand movement, cement in the children’s minds the sound and order of the months.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Thank you for the big turnout for parent/child night and giving your children the opportunity to show you around their classroom and demonstrate some of the skills and knowledge they have acquired so far this year.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 One of the fundamental techniques of Montessori teaching is “the three-part lesson”.  This applies especially to the introduction of sounds and numbers.  For instance a couple of sand paper sounds may be introduced with the simple explanation “this is ‘a’”(two fingers are used to trace the letter while the sound of the letter is being shown).  Another letter is introduced in the same way.  The first aspect of the three part lesson is complete.  Then we prompt the student’s recall of the sound by saying “point to ‘a’”, “point to ‘s’”.  Finally, the third step is to recognize the sound by saying “which one is ‘a’?”, “which one is ‘s’?”.

 

We offer this technique to you as a tool to be used conversationally with your children when you are teaching them a new concept or reinforcing the learning of acquired knowledge.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks to Andrew and his family for providing our delicious snacks this week.

Please be reminded there is NO SCHOOL on Monday, February 18^th in honor of President’s Day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Have a restful weekend,

 Ms. Lina, Ms. Nancy, Ms. Julie

 

 

 

 

“Hola, como estas?” “Hi, how are you?”  “Por favor” “Please” , “Gracias” “Thank you” are a few of the common Spanish words heard in our classroom as we begin our day together. “ Uno, dos, tres” “one, two, three” can be heard by the children as they count in Spanish.  “Por favor, venga al circulo, no mas trabajo,” “please come to circle, no more work” is an example of some of the daily instructions that our students hear as they experience the Spanish language in a natural and routine manner.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We have found that singing in Spanish is also an easy and enjoyable way for the children to hear the rhythm of the language.  The children work with exclusive Spanish language materials in learning how to identify objects and pictures in Spanish.  They do this by learning how to pronounce, spell and associate the concepts in the Spanish language.  The Montessori math materials are also taught in Spanish, once the concepts are learned in English.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We are looking forward to our parent/child night next Wednesday, 2/13 starting at 4:45pm (if your last name begins with A-M) and at 5:30 (if your last name begins with N-Z).  This is a great opportunity to experience the Montessori classroom through the eyes of your child.  It is not only a window into their daily routines, but it gives you a sense of the key strengths of a Montessori education of helping to create a foundation of order, concentration, coordination and independence in your child so a life-long love of learning can be ignited, guided and nurtured.

 

            “Curiosity is the wick in the candle of learning.”

                                                            William Arthur Word

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Please remember to help facilitate your child making their Valentine holder (decorated shoe box is suggested) at home and please bring it to school on 2/14.  Please bring 34 valentines signed by your child (not addressed to specific children) to school that day.   Our afternoon children are invited to come to school at 10:15am on that day.

 

Thank you to Thomas and his family for providing delicious snacks this week.

 Have a restful weekend,

Ms. Lina, Ms. Nancy, Ms.Julie