Category Archives: Reminders

Reminders

Posted on by

Don’t forget Box Top store is tomorrow.

Thank you for sending home projects and homework folders.  I still have a few students who still need to bring theirs to class.  Homework folders included handwriting packets for several students to complete over the break.  Please help your child do their best work.  I included reading logs for the next few weeks.

Families are welcome to attend the International Festival on both Wednesday and Thursday.  Our class will be visiting the upper el on Wednesday morning from 9-11 a.m. and you are welcome to do this with your child.  Then, Thursday afternoon from 1-2:30 p.m. the lower el with be presenting to their projects, everyone is welcome to come and see our classes projects.

Don’t forget, our classroom Holiday program this Friday from 8:45-9:15 a.m.  We will be performing in the library.  We hope to see you there!

Shoes, Pants, and Reminders

Posted on by

We have P.E. on Monday mornings.  With the change of weather, many students are wearing boots to school.  Please remind your child to bring an extra pair of shoes for use in the gym.

Also, a quick dress code reminder that pants must be free from holes in the knee.

Don’t forget homework folders and home projects for tomorrow.  We have seen some great projects so far this month.  Thank you for your help with this fun event.

I know several students are ready to start their project for January.  Please see our blog page for next months topic.

Continue reading →

Monday

Posted on by

Families, please remember to send your child’s homework folder and home project Monday.  We have a long winter break and I want to emphasize the importance of keeping reading momentum going.  I will be including additional reading logs to cover the time away from school.   Please, create time for reading over the break.  I have a few things for various students to work on over the break.  I will be including these in your child’s folder to work on over the break.

International Festival Reminder

Posted on by

Remember, home projects for the festival are due on Monday, December 15.  They will need to be on a tri-fold board.  The lower el will be presenting on Thursday, December 18, 1:00-2:30 p.m.  Families are encouraged to attend.  This is really one of my favorite events of the year.

We also wanted to invite you to a Holiday mingle and jingle, Friday, December 19, 8:45 to 9:15 a.m., in our classroom.  This is an opportunity to hear some fun songs your children have been working on, enjoy some light snacks, and get to know other families in our classroom (think playdates!).  If you would like to help provide a refreshment for the event, please come with it ready to serve.  I will provide drinks, plates, and napkins.

I want to take the opportunity to thank all of you.  I appreciate the extra care you take in helping your child with their reading and homework, this time is so valuable.  Also, I want to thank those of you who have gone the extra mile by donating your time to our classroom this year. Thank you, I could not do this without all of you.

 

Take Home Folders

Posted on by

Today your student should have returned home with a take home folder.  Included is a letter, reading log, and information to access IXL.  IXL is an online math program that covers skills students learn in each grade level.  I will be creating a blog page which will list weekly IXL homework assignments based on ability/grade level.  If you have time tonight, help your child log on and practice lesson A.1 according to their grade level.  I do realize that all children are at different ability levels in multiple areas and I will be working a system to insure that time is not wasted and that progress is in place.  At times, I may have students working on multiple grade levels in order to fill in any holes.  This applies especially to younger students who are progressing quickly.  I first want to make certain everyone is able to log on and understand how to get started.  Please let me know via email if you have any troubles.

Also, please work to complete the reading log with your child.  November home projects are now in full swing.  I will create an easy access page to follow the monthly topics.  I was optimistic that I would have this all in place today.

Don’t forget next Wednesday the 12th we have Get down and dirty with Montessori Materials night.

Our Last Week of School

Posted on by

I cannot express how impressed I have been with the sense of compassion and teamwork this class has developed.  The unforeseen obstacles we have faced this year have strengthened and helped these children grow in ways that they would not have otherwise.  They have grown and expanded into an amazing community and have learned life skills that will take them far in life.  They have learned to recognize differences, needs and strengths in one another.  I know some of you had the opportunity in sit in on our compliment circles and see how they are able to lift each other, recognize service, and celebrate who they are.  I have seen the beauty of them becoming leaders and helping their fellow classmates.  Teacher have come to me and expressed how impressed they are in the friendships and teamwork they witness with this group.  These opportunities shape these young people for the better and I feel so fortunate to see this first hand.  I have shed many tears of joy in seeing them develop further into amazing people this past year.  It took a little longer than hoped because of our unique challenges, but we normalized into peaceful focused work cycles.  The academic progress these students have made is so exciting.  Upper el teachers are thrilled to hear how well prepared in large math these students from our class are for next year.  Our reading has soared!  One of the reading specialists was nearly in tears of joy as we were going over reading scores.  These kids have made great strides and it takes all of us as a team to make this happen.  Please, please, please, continue to have your children read regularly over the summer.  It is so important to keep this momentum going.

As this year comes to an end, I am already planning for next year and wanting to make you aware of some of the changes you will see happening.  This was a transition year for many of students and we thought it best not to change too many things at once.  One thing that will be different will be home projects.  Projects will have assigned due dates and guided topics.  They will continue to be due monthly.  We will also be having book shares monthly.  Our first home project for next fall will be a little different in nature, it will be a show and teach.  I will be sending further details, but you may want to be thinking with your student over the summer about something they enjoy doing and how they can teach that to the class.

I am trying to replace the sadness I feel in not seeing them over the summer with excitement for all the new things next year will bring.  I have grown alongside them this year and love that this journey will continue as we meet together again next fall.  The Montessori philosophy is beautiful in so many ways, but one particular strength I appreciate is that I as a teacher get to know and grow with your child for more than a year.  I love knowing that with our soon to be level 2’s and 3’s, that I have already developed a knowledge of who they are and can continue to grow in that knowledge in order to help them reach their potentials.  Often times, like in traditional school, by the time you really start to have a great feel for the child and their needs, the school year is already winding down and they move forward into the next class, only to start the process all over again.  I love that we have the ability to develop a deeper understanding of each unique child we teach.   I love them all and I celebrate how amazing each child is and thank you for allowing me to be apart of this great work.

We will be honoring the moving forward of our level 3’s into upper el on Tuesday.  The bridging ceremony was changed from 11:30 to 11:00 a.m.  Level 3 parents are invited to attend.  It will be a short ceremony, followed by a picnic lunch for level 3’s joining upper el.  Level 3’s please do not bring something to warm for lunch this day.  Level 1 and 2’s will be having lunch in the classroom.

Wednesday is crazy hair day.

Thursday is crazy sock day.

Friday is pajama day and yearbook signing.

Don’t forget that all week is dismissal at 1:00 p.m. in order to provide time for conferences.

Celebrating Equality

Posted on by

This week we have been studying about Martin Luther King Jr.  We read a book about the March on Washington and his famous “I have a dream speech”.  The children did journaling activities and we discussed what segregation was like in our country.  We have also been reading a chapter book about the life story of Rosa Parks.  In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. there will be no school Monday.  This may be a great opportunity for you to take time and further these discussions with your children.

The level ones begun their zoology unit on reptiles this week.  Our entire class was able to participate in this kick off with a visit from Scales and Tails.  The kids had such a great time seeing and learning about the reptiles they brought to visit.  It was an afternoon well spent.

We have been busy doing mid year reading assessments.  I really want to stress the improvements we see with the students who are consistently reading each night at home for 20 minutes.  I understand how busy life is, yet this is so valuable.  Please remember to make this a routine with your children.  We have some fantastic volunteers who come to help with our classroom during the week.  If you or someone in your family would like to get in some of your volunteer hours by coming and reading with the children, we would love it! We can always use help with reading.

Reminder that Sees candies fundraiser is due on the 23rd.  Please do not send cash.  Chocolates will be delivered in time for Valentines.

I hope you enjoy your long weekend and I will look forward to seeing your children’s smiling faces on Tuesday.

A New Year!

Posted on by

Parents, it is hard to believe we are already in year 2014!   It was fun to hear about everyone’s break.  I missed our class and was excited to get back into our routine. We had a great week getting back into the groove of things.  We have some great work set up for this new year and are moving ahead full force.  February will be an opportunity to come to school with your student day.  I will be setting up a wejoin for this soon, as well as, Parent Teacher Conferences.  Conference will be February 5th, 6th, and 7th.  Students will be encouraged to attend with their parents for this conference.

We have our international festival on February 6th.  I ask that your student brings their completed project to school by the 3rd.  For those of you who have not attended before, I might equate it to like a science fair of country projects.  Our classroom is doing their projects on Europe.  Your child can pick any country they like, or an over all theme, such as animals native to Europe, flowers, foods, etc.  It just needs to tie to Europe.  They will be required to have a poster or trifold board to set on the desks and they may bring visual aids etc.  Our class will present their projects to each other and then they will be displayed during the festival for others to come by, look, ask questions.  It is so much fun and the parents are all invited to come.

This week Ms. Julie, the P.E. teacher, sent some bright pink papers for students who did not have their P.E. shoes.  We have P.E. on Wednesdays and because of the snow we are in the gym.  Snow boots are not proper gym shoes.  I may suggest that if your child has an old pair of shoes they could leave in their locker for P.E. this would help prevent wet snow boot issues.

I know some students took home their slippers and water bottles over the break to be washed.  Please make certain they are returned back.  It really helps the management of the classroom.

As always if you have any questions, concerns, or celebrations please share them with myself and Ms. Brec.

 

 

November

Posted on by

It is hard to believe we are now entering November.  I wanted to remind you that we are still wanting to see a home project every month from your children.  We do not have assigned due dates, please bring them in once they are completed and we will work them into our schedule.  It is so fun to see what excites the children and the fun ideas they present.  Please make this a fun opportunity for them and make it their own work.

We also have students who are very eager to bring show and teach.  This month I will be having them bring books to share.  They can briefly tell us about the book and why they liked it.  This can be a book they have read or someone else has read to them.  Show and teach is on Friday afternoons.

We also do not have anyone signed up to provide snack this week.  If you are able to provide something for the class this week, that would be fantastic.  The children really count on this and we find it really helps their focus during their morning work.  We have several weeks throughout the year that still are unassigned.  Please check out our snack sign up link.  If everyone signs up for two different weeks we will have the year covered.  Thanks so much for your help with this.

With the change of weather it is very important your students are dressed for the changing season.  We go outside most mornings and would like to remind you to make certain your child is ready for our cooler mornings.  We also are having a problem with several students not having their inside shoes.  This is very important, especially now that their shoes are coming in from the damp ground.  Please check with your child if they have their inside shoes at school.  Many say they have taken them home and not returned them.  Remember we can no longer have stocking feet.  Thanks so much.