April 15-19

Hey folks!

We have finished up our Study of South America!  We are moving up to North America next week.  The kids are so excited . When I mentioned our new study, they automatically started shouting out States they wanted to report about.  So…. look forward to helping them at home with that.  As always they will be given some time in class to work on this however they may choose to work on it at home especially if they choose not to at school 😉 . We will also be covering our bodies which is interesting because several of the students checked out Library books about the body during Library time before I told them where our studies would take us…. Very curious…….

Encourage your little peeps to finish strong. Ask them what works they did during the day.  Each day they are given Math works, Spelling, Comprehension, and cultural works to do.  They also have a page of a  DWLM each day, which focuses on state standards for reading, writing and arithmetic. Twice a week they are given writing practice. So you see, they should be busy little bees… We have a few who are struggling to keep their focus on works that need to be done instead of making sure everyone else is doing their job…. … It causes chaos as works tend to not get done that way…..

Thanks again for all of your support as I have jumped into this new adventure.  I am so excited to see where this adventure takes me.  I am currently taking the Montessori training so at times it  is overwhelming.

Field Trip

Our field trip is coming up on Thursday, April 18th. It is the  Disney documentary about penguins to celebrate Earth Day.  This is not the field trip to the Clark Planetarium  (that is on May 3)

We will meet at the Megaplex theater at the Junction at 8:45 in the morning. You can just drop your children off there instead of school.  I currently do not have anyone listed for needing a ride to the theater. If this is not the case, please let me know ASAP by emailing me. astoddart@mariamontessoriacademy.org

The movie will end about 10:30ish. If you are able to transport any children back to the school from the theater please sign up on this wejoinin link: https://www.wejoinin.com/sheets/jsiix. This needs to be done by Sunday (tomorrow)

Unfortunately, we have an extremely limited number of tickets for chaperones. But please put the field trip to Clark Planetarium on Friday, May 3 on your calendars because all parents are welcome to that field trip.

Testing.

UT state standardized assessments (now called RISE and Aspire Plus) will be on the follwing days for our class. These assessments are important to us for several reasons.

The state assessment data are important to your family because the results are one way to communicate how much your child has learned in English language arts, writing, math, and science. At MMA, we know that these tests are but one indicator of a child’s progress in these content areas.

The state assessment data are important to us because determining what a student knows or does not know is a vital cornerstone in individualizing learning experiences, which is the basis of a Montessori education. The results help us to identify needs for new and additional materials, tailor professional development for teachers, and determine where to best invest school funding.

Taking tests is a practical life skill, required for college entrance as well many professions. Doctors, lawyers, teachers, contractors, nurses, and cosmetologists (to name just a few) all must take tests in order to enter their professions. Standardized testing in school provides a valuable opportunity to practice taking tests in a low-stakes environment, better preparing our students for future assessments – which is why we encourage all students to participate.

If you choose to opt your child out of testing, please complete the Parent Exclusion from State Assessments Form. This form must be handed from you to either Ms. Lana or Ms. René, who will take 5 minutes to review this form with you. We ask that these forms are submitted no later than April 12th. Thank you for your cooperation and support.

Save the date
4/12/19 – MAPA Meeting, 8:45am, conference room

4/22/19 – Early release

4/22/19 – JH Musical Performance, 6pm at Pleasant Valley Library

4/23/19 – JH Musical Performance, 6pm at Pleasant Valley Library

5/3/19 – Field trip Clark Planetarium

5/3/19 – MAPA Meeting, 8:45am in Conference Rm

5/15/19 – Box Top Store

5/21-24/19 – Early Release, PTCs

5/24/19 – Last Day of School for Students

 

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