Welcome to Ms. Brittany’s Class
Communication
Blog
Our blog is set up so that you will be informed weekly of what is happening within our classroom along with reminders of upcoming events at our school. Our blog also has all important documents you will need throughout the school year such as: Home Projects, Year-at-a-Glance, etc. Please make sure you have subscribed to our blog: http://blogs.mariamontessoriacademy.org/brittany/ in order to be up-to-date.
Emails
If you have any questions, concerns, comments, or other information that you would like us to know about, please email me at bherrera@mariamontessoriacademy.org. Our blog has a comment and email feature; however, please do not use this feature. An email is preferred in order to have a response in a timely manner.
Normalization Period
Please respect the first 6 weeks of school. Please try to avoid being absent during this time, including vacations. This period of time is essential since the dynamics of the classroom are being formed. The children are learning their environment and curriculum, establishing time management skills as well as establishing themselves intellectually, emotionally and socially. We will be creating a community in our classroom and building teams by playing cooperative games and other activities. We’ll be getting to know the children and doing placement testing.
Attendance
School starts promptly at 8:30 a.m. If your child is not in the building by 8:30 in the morning, you will have to walk your child into the school and check him/her in at the office. They will be considered tardy. Please help your child be on time to school. It is very important to his/her education to be here on time, so that they may start their day calm and relaxed, not rushed and stressed.
If your student will not be attending school, due to illness, vacation, or any other reason, please contact the front office to notify them of your student’s absence. This can be done via phone or on our school website.
Cosmic Education
The 6-9 year old is in a sensitive period for the acquisition of culture. They have an innate need to learn about the world around them and their place in it. Maria Montessori called her curriculum the “Cosmic Curriculum”. What this means in simpler terms is that we have an integrated science, social studies, and cultural curriculum. While we have separate math and language works, they serve as a support for the cultural core. Botany, history, geography, zoology and physical science are the areas of focus in order to help the child understand the world around them. We also incorporate art and music into continent studies. Please take time to extend your child’s learning by taking them to museums, walks or simply help them make connections between what they are learning at school and their home life.
Classroom Lessons and Follow-ups
Each child will receive lessons in alternative math (fractions, time, money, and measurement), arithmetic, language, writing, geography, history, zoology, botany, and geometry. All lessons will be taught weekly to each child.
Every morning, following the morning math work, each child will have a plan of their day on their work charts. As the children become more normalized, they will be asked to plan their day based on their follow-up works. These work charts are to be used to help guide each child to complete their assignments on time and independently.
Grading
Each child will progress at his/her own pace through the lessons for their level. As teachers we constantly observe the child and provide them with an environment (lessons, materials, guidance and encouragement) that will help the child strengthen their interpersonal development.
Your child’s work will not be given a traditional grade. The children and showing will help conduct their parent teacher conference by reviewing their goals you their progress through work samples.
Homework
You will not find traditional homework within our classroom. Homework will be completed in the form of home projects. Home projects will be guided by themes, which will be posted on a separate blog page. Home projects will be connected to all age groups within the school this year. The final outline will be available on September 13th. These home projects are meant to explore questions, find answers, share information with peers, increase academics, and ultimately instill a love of learning. Reading about your home project topics is a great way to include both aspects of your work outside of the classroom.
Your child will have many opportunities to read and be read to in the classroom and we highly encourage reading at home. Research shows that reading at home with your child is more effective at creating a successful reader than any reading drills, expensive programs or instruction. We’d like to recommend at least 20 minutes a day.
Parent Education
Please attend Parent Education nights and Parent Teacher Conferences- these are opportunities to see your child’s work, and to better understand the Montessori curriculum.
Practical Life at home and at School:
-Dress themselves
-Grace & Courtesy
-Make own lunch
-Gardening
-Brush teeth/hair
-Using the library/Obtaining own card
-Care of plants
-Nutrition
-Writing letters or thank you notes
-Home safety
-Social Etiquette
-Simple acts of kindness
-Public speaking
-Care of animals
-Peaceful conflict resolution (I messages)
-Making & keeping friends
Don’t be surprised if they want to implement some of these at home!
In addition, there are no scheduled bathroom breaks in our school. Your child will be allowed to use the bathroom as needed. In order for this program to be successful, it will be necessary for us to demonstrate how to take care of the bathroom environment without supervision.
PE and Music
Students have a 90 minute period for guided PE and music instruction, every Tuesday. Please talk to your children about respecting every adult and teacher in our school- not just their classroom teachers. The PE teacher asks for children to come in sneakers or tennis shoes on their day of PE.
Snack
There is a philosophical reason behind snack time in the Montessori Method. Your child will gain the skill of helping to prepare (cutting apples, etc) and clean up snack and serve their classmates. This teaches leadership and is one of the children’s favorite activities. We will be teaching healthy eating habits and ask that only healthy snacks be brought for this time. We really need your help for this food preparation/snack time to work. Fresh produce from your garden is a welcome snack as well. Please find the link to sign-up on our classroom blog for Snack Sign-up. Ideally, we ask that you provide snack twice during the school year.
Suggested Healthy Snacks
Any fresh fruit or vegetables
Pretzels
Graham Crackers
Whole grain bagels or bread with cream cheese or butter
Strawberries, cantaloupe, oranges, grapes, apples, pears,
Dried fruit such as raisins or fruit leather
Granola or granola bars
Whole Wheat Crackers
Dry cereal (no sugar coatings)
Cheese
Rice cakes
Jerky
Snacks do not need to be preassembled. Teachers assist children with this.
Please! No candy, sodas, chips/Cheetos, drink mixes, dips or peanut butter (because of allergies).
Thank you for understanding our commitment to healthy minds and bodies.
Recess and Lunch
Recess will be before lunch. Generally, recess begins at 11:30 a.m. and lunch begins at 12:00 p.m. Lunches must be brought from home. Please be mindful as you help your child prepare a healthy lunch for school by sending a well-balanced meal free from empty calories and added sugar. Please send a small ice pack in your child’s lunch box if the food needs to be kept cold. Students may use the classroom microwave, but we ask that they limit their heating time to only one minute in order to provide time for multiple students. We are kindly asking to limit drinks to low/no sugar drinks, milk, and water during lunch. Please do not send drink mixes or any drink with red or orange coloring to school as the spills will stain our desks and carpet.
Birthdays
When it is your child’s birthday, we honor your child with a Celebration of Life. Please contact me by email in order to schedule. We ask, if possible, for you to come and provide a picture for each year of your child’s life, as well as sharing something specific for each year of life. We ask that no younger siblings attend, so we can focus on your child’s special day. Please no food for celebrations. If you would like to donate a book in honor of your child you may. If your child’s birthday is during the summer months, you may opt to have a Celebration of Life during the first few weeks of school, their half birthday or at the last few weeks of school.