Week 2

Aug24

Good Evening!

I say it on a regular basis, time flies!  I feels just like yesterday that the school year ended, and here we are at week 2!

We began our week with the “Birth of the Universe”.  This story is one of the Great Lessons Maria Montessori developed in order to spark the child’s interest in the world around them.  In our classroom, we have taken a slightly different approach to the first Great Lesson.  Returning, and brand new(!), students volunteered to present the lesson to Ms. Holly’s class.  Even though there were a few items beyond our control, the lesson went well, and the audience loved it!

We take this approach in our classroom in order to keep older students engaged (what better way to show mastery than through teaching of a subject), as well as model speaking skills to our mentor class.

In addition to the first Great Lesson, we have begun our introductory science lessons.

  • 4th grade students will be studying the concept of cycles this year.  This will tie in to the Utah Core study of Utah’s Natural History.
  • 5th grade students will focus on change as well as cause and effect
  • 6th grade students science study revolves (pun intended!) around scale (how big is the universe?!)

In math we are taking some time to do a bit of review before the first formal math assessment.   I will be doing formative assessments in language.  Formative assessments are designed to inform my instruction.  These preliminary, and ongoing, assessments allow me to give your children the lessons they need.

Your children recorded their first spelling word list in their planners today.  Please take a few minutes each evening to review these words with your child.  Spelling can be daunting for some kids, but the more time you spend studying with them, the better they will do.   Spelling tests are Wednesday mornings before our specials.

I strive to communicate everything you need to know to help your students in school.  Please don’t hesitate to email if you need clarification, or have questions about classroom procedures and expectations.

Back to School Night

Aug17

Good Evening!

Back to school night is tomorrow from 6:30-7:00.  Between the hours of 6:30 and 7:00 we will be in the gym for a short parent education night.  From 7:00-8:00 you can join us in the classroom for a brief informational session.

In addition to the educational component, the school will be providing an opportunity to parents to be background checked between 6:30 and 7:30 tomorrow night during Back-to-School Night. Parents who wish to be certified drivers for field trips, or will be volunteering at the school for more than 1 hour a week, will need to be background checked per the schools background check policy (Background Check Policy). There is a LiveScan required payment of $25.00 due at the time of your prints (cash or check). Please make checks payable to Academica West. A picture ID (i.e., driver’s license, state ID card, passport, etc.) is required for the fingerprinting services. A processing fee of $52.75 to Maria Montessori Academy (cash or check) is required in order for fingerprints to be processed. The fee covers the bill from BCI (Bureau Criminal Identification) which is billed directly to the school.

If you wish to be a certified driver, the office will also need to keep a copy of your driver’s license and an up-to-date copy of your auto insurance card on file. You can call the front office for more information or email ahafen@mariamontessoriacademy.org.

If you can’t make it to be background checked during back to school night, there will be an opportunity on October 18th during Parent Teacher Conferences.

Hope to see you tomorrow night!

Welcome Back!!

Aug14

It’s finally here, the first day of school!

Please be sure your child comes prepared by remembering the following items:

  • School supplies should be prepared as outlined on our school supply page, you can find the guidelines here.
  • All children need to have indoor shoes to wear in the school and classroom.
  • Students should have a reusable water bottle.
  • All snacks and lunches must follow our school wellness policy, which can be found here.  Also, when planning lunches, pack items that require one minute or less to heat, this will ensure your child has enough time to eat lunch without having to rush.
  • We go outside each day at 10:20 to run the track.  Children should have shoes that will allow them to do so comfortably (sneakers, tennis shoes or similar shoes are acceptable).
  • Ball caps or other sunhats are highly recommended for recess and other times we will be outside.  I encourage sunscreen as well.
  • If your child has a book they would like to bring to school for our silent reading period, please have them do so.

Ms. Kari and I are excited to have your kids back in the classroom!!

 

Classroom Snack Guidelines and Sign-Up

Aug14

In the spirit of following Dr. Montessori’s recommendations for child nutrition, and in order to align with school policy for snack, our classroom will be participating in child/family provided snack.   This routine will allow children the opportunity to practice practical life skills of preparing snack and cleaning up afterward.  Students will provide and prepare for a week for 27 students.  Please adhere to the approved items as it will streamline snack time and eliminate possibility of messy spills and stains in our classroom.

In order to ensure that snack does not become a distraction, our class is limiting the approved items to the following list:

  • Mini bagels with cream cheese
  • Fruit (ex. apples, clementines, bananas, strawberries, blueberries, cucumber, melon – cut at home, grapes, cherry tomatoes)
  • Cheese Sticks
  • Veggies (ex. carrots, broccoli, celery)
  • Crackers with cheese (pre-cut)
  • Granola Bars (no chocolate chips please)
  • Fruit Leather (no fruit snacks or fruit roll-ups please)
  • Mini-muffins
  • Whole Grain bread with jam

You can sign up for snack at this link.