Ms. Jen's Blog

Parents,

This week we will be introducing the following zoo phonics characters

J – Jerry Jelly fish

N – Nigel nightowl

O – Olive octopus

P – Peewee penguin

W – Willy weasel

We will narrow our study of the solar system and focus this week on the earth.  We will also do some experiments on gravity as well as a gravity inspired art project on Friday.  There is something fun about dropping stuff off of a high place and watching it splat below 🙂  We will also begin our studies in botany by taking a look at the different parts that plants have and how we care for our plants in our classroom.

As the children become more comfortable in their classroom and with their peers we will begin asking them to do more challenging work.  Many of the manipulatives that we began the year with will be replaced with materials that are related to the curriculum we are studying.  We refer to what the child does in the classroom as work and not play (even though many times it may look like play to adults).  Maria Montessori explained why the work of a child is so important “A child’s desire to work represents a vital instinct since he cannot organize his personality without working: a man builds himself through working. There can be no substitute for work. . . a man builds himself by carrying out manual labor in which he uses his hands as the instruments of his personality and as expressions of his intellect and will, helping him to dominate his environment . . . work becomes fascinating and irresistible and raises a man above his diverted self . . . enabling him to express his own individuality” The secret of childhood p. 186.  As teachers we look forward to seeing the amazing individuals that these children become because of the work they have done.

Have a great week

Ms. Jen & Ms. Martha

Parents,

What a great Friday!  We went on an exploration of our solar system out on our playground.  We stopped at each planet and talked about some things that make that planet really cool  (Uranus doesn’t rotate like the other planets spinning  clockwise, it spins like a wheel or us doing a somersault). We also made a planet cake.  We took a vote with Ms. Joy’s class to decide on what planet our cake should look like.  The morning class choose to have an Earth cake and the afternoon class choose to have a Saturn cake.  It was so fun!

This coming week we will be focusing on the following letters

J – Jerry Jellyfish

N – Nigel Night Owl

O – Olive Octopus

P – Peewee Penguin

W – Willy Weasel

We will talk about our star, the sun as well as constellations we can see in our night sky.  We will give an introduction to the difference between plants and animals.  As part of our study of primary colors we will look at the art work of Piet Mondrian.

We are missing several small items from different materials in our classroom.  If your child brings home something that you do not recognize, such as beads, small animals or other small objects  – it might belong in our classroom and we would love to have it back.  I know how appealing the small objects can be, it’s part of the reason we use them but often we cannot use the material if even one piece is missing. Thanks for your help with this.

Jean Piaget said “The principal goal of education in the schools should be creating men and women who are capable of doing new things, not simply repeating what other generations have done”.  In our classroom we often ask students to try new things or do something that has typically been done for them.  Some children love the challenge while others are frustrated with the thought of doing something that is new to them.  Our goal is not to frustrate but to challenge and show the children what they are capable of.  Maria Montessori said “Never help a child with a task at which he feels he can succeed”.  As teachers we would challenge you as parents to help your child by not doing things for them that they are capable of.  Each child has different abilities, but they are all capable of more than we think.  Just some food for thought.

Have a great long weekend!  We will see you on Tuesday.

Ms. Jen & Ms. Martha

Dear Parents,

As the school year progresses you may here stories from your children about other children misbehaving in some way.  There are many reasons why children misbehave.  It could be that they are suffering from some form of loss in their family,(a parent being deployed, a divorce, a death, a new baby, moving to a new place).  It could be that they have a disability that makes it more difficult for them to be part of our community.  Whatever the reason is, we all struggle sometimes and as adults it is our job to teach our children compassion, and empathy by example.

Our school has recently moved toward a more inclusive model when it comes to children with special needs.  This means students with special needs are being serviced in the regular classroom.  We have specialists helping in our rooms and they are there to give a helping hand to all the students in the room.  Often times the children won’t know who has learning differences and who does not. This model of teaching benefits all children.  The children with learning differences learn how to become a successful member of the community by interacting with their peers who already have the skills to be a successful community members.   In turn, the students who already have these community skills learn compassion, and empathy for others, enabling them to grow into confident, caring adults.

Please be aware that every child is first and foremost a child.  Meaning that they are all still learning appropriate was of interacting with one another.  Also know that I love and respect each one of them like their 2nd mother and I am offended if you talk bad about them. We as adults should be able to help our children find peaceful solutions toward conflict with their peers.  If you are having difficulty with this I may be able to help you find ways for your child to interact peacefully to resolve conflict with others.    I will not however discuss other children’s behavior or needs with you unless you need to know specific things pertaining to assisting in the classroom or on fieldtrips.

Here are the letters we will be learning this week:

• c-Catina Cat
• e- Ellie Elephant
• g- Gordo Gorilla
• h- Honey Horse
• r- Robby Rabbit

We will have a peace lesson this week about our “Love Lights”  a Love Light is the feeling you get when you do something that makes you feel good inside, it is also that place inside you that tells you right from wrong.  You may refer to love lights as a gut feeling, the Holy Spirit, your conscience, intuition, inner voice, etc..  At school we will call them Love Lights, but it would be a great conversation to tie this vocabulary with whatever vocabulary you use at home.  This way the children will be able to make that connection from school to their own family community.

In science this week we will be learning about the planets, classifying living and non-living things and learning the needs and how to care for living things.

In our art studies this year we will be learning the basic elements of art.  We will start out by talking about color and we will learn the three primary colors, red, yellow and blue.

Have a great week

Ms. Jen & Ms. Martha

Parents,

What an amazing first week of school!  Your children are fantastic!!!  Much of our work this week focused on getting to know each other and how our classroom works.  Friday we had our first opportunity to make silence.  This is a very common activity in an Early Childhood classroom, but it is also very misunderstood. We are not forcing the children to be quite.  This exercise helps them become more aware and sensitive to the sounds around them.  It also helps develop willpower and self control over their bodies.  Finally this activity shows children that we must work together to achieve a collective goal.  In the beginning of the year our silence may only last a few seconds but by the end of the year we may be able to be silent for several minutes.  It is beautiful to see the joy that making silence can bring the children.

This week we will be beginning our sound study with the letters a, b, m, s, and t.  We study these letter sounds by using a program called Zoophonics.  Zoophonics is not a traditional Montessori work, but we have found that it makes learning the alphabet sounds engaging and exciting for the children and it follows one of the Montessori beliefs of learning the letter sound first and the letter name next.  The reason for this is that children can begin to read if they know the sound the letter makes.  In Zoophonics each letter is represented by an animal character, so for /a/ the character is Allie Alligator, /b/ is Bubba Bear, /m/ is Missy Mouse, /s/ is Sammy snake and /t/ is Timmy Tiger.  The characters also have a signal that we make with our bodies while we say the sound.  This way we are engaging as many learning styles as possible.  Visual learning with the pictures and stuffed animals, auditory learning by making the sounds, and kinesthetic learning by making the signal.  We will learn 5 new sounds the next 4 weeks and 6 sounds on the 5th week.  We will also be putting the sounds together to make words.

We will be having a fire drill this week.  This will happen in the morning, but we will also be practicing with our afternoon kids by playing an audio of an alarm on our ipad and exciting the school by ourselves.  If you feel this will be difficult for your child please talk to them about it and how it is just practice.  It may also be a good idea to practice this at home with your family.

We will also begin our study of the universe.

I know that for many of you drop off and pick up have been frustrating.  Here are some helpful hints to make drop off and pick up easier

1. Pull forward (all the way to the end of the lane)
2. Pay attention to teachers and volunteers directing traffic (it’s a dirty job!)
3. Stay in your car if you are using the pick-up lanes.
4. Ask for help (if you pulled forward and your student was not paying attention ask a teacher to assist you)
5. If your child needs help getting into or out of the vehicle, park in the parking lot.  North Shore parking lot will be available after Labor day.
6. Use the cross walk (it teaches children to use it too, and we always want children to use the cross walk).
7. Come get your child, do not call for them to run across the parking lot to you.
8. Bring a snack.  You may be waiting a long time and nobody likes it when you’re hangry.
9. Wait your turn.
10. Speak to teachers before or after school.
11. Be nice. I now it’s frustrating, but try to imagine your happy place.
12. Pay attention.  Stay off your phone, students will step in front of cars.
13. Prepare other relative that may pick up, by explaining these rules and possibly sending them with a snack.

Snack

Each day we have snack in our room.  Our snack is provided by donations from you.  Snack is a very important part of our day.  The first week or so we will have group snack.  We will all sit together and use our best manners, saying words like please, and thank you, waiting for others, and cleaning up after ourselves.  As time goes on we will move from group snack to individual snack.  The main purpose of snack in our environment is to teach grace and courtesy, it also fills hungry bellies, but once again the main purpose is to teach us to take care of ourselves, the environment, and others.  Once we begin individual snack, the children will have the opportunity to feed themselves when they have a need.  However, we do encourage the children to only have snack once to make sure everyone gets the opportunity to eat.   It is the child’s responsibility to regulate their own bodies, a skill that will help them throughout their lives.  If Ms. Martha or I notice a student appears to be having a drop in blood sugar, by behaviors such as tired, frustrated, overly emotional, or mental blocks, we will ask some leading questions to help guide the child into having some snack.  We will not however, be reminding everyone to eat.  Some children don’t need snack or find it exhausting to follow all the procedures as in washing hands, getting snack, eating, and washing plates.  So don’t be too surprised if they choose not to eat snack. 

Here are the guidelines for snack.  Typically we like to offer one fruit or veggie and one whole grain each day.  Our snacks portions are small, (think 2 apple slices and a 1/4 cup of goldfish) but we have 28 students in each class.  Check the ingredients on any processed food, if the first two ingredients contain sugar than they are not appropriate for school snack.  If there are any peanuts in the food they are not appropriate for snack.  If we are not able to serve snack items in our class we will send them home with your child.    Please know we are not passing any judgment.  There are plenty of snacks in my cupboard at home that would not qualify as school snacks.

Here is a list of some appropriate snacks: (you may have other ideas and that is great!)

Un-prepared produce (we will prepare them in class)-   Apples, bananas, oranges, strawberries, grapes, celery, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, tomatoes, blueberries, jicama, beets, cherries, olives, sweet peppers, cucumbers etc.

Grains:  Goldfish crackers, Ritz crackers, wheat thins, corn chips, pretzels, sunflower seeds, popcorn, club crackers, graham crackers (check sugar), veggie chips,

Other:  Cheese, humus, guacamole, salsa, yogurts (check sugar), dried fruit, fruit snacks (check sugar)

“Children are human beings to whom respect is due, superior to us by reason of their innocence and of the greater possibilities of their future.”

― Maria Montessori

Have a great week

Ms. Jen & Ms. Martha

Parents,

Here are the links to sing up for snack this year.  Please sign up for 2 slots throughout the year.  We have a severe peanut allergy this year.  Please do not send items that contain peanuts.  Please bring a healthy snack for the whole class for the whole week. A typical snack would be about 2 apple slices and 3 or 4 whole grain crackers. Some acceptable snack ideas would be any fruit or veggie, whole grain crackers, cheese, and granola bars. Please check the ingredients on packaged materials if the main ingredient is sugar or corn syrup please do not send it for snack.

Am class snack sign up 

Pm class snack sign up

Thanks for all of your support

Ms. Jen & Ms. Martha

Dear Parents,

Welcome back to school.  We are so excited to begin this new school year with you and your children.  We find it a great responsibility and honor to be your child’s guide through this critical time of learning.  It is in these years that children develop social skills, foundational academics, responsibility, independence, and a love for learning.

In order to stay informed with what our class is doing you will need to subscribe to our class blog.  Once you subscribe and confirm your subscription you will receive email updates each time I post new information.  The class blog is my main form of communication so it is critical that you subscribe to it.  Here are the steps you need to subscribe:

1.  go to  http://blogs.mariamontessoriacademy.org/jennifer
2. click on the subscribe button on the left side of the screen, or if on your phone scroll to the bottom of the page
3. type in the numbers and letters you see, and your email address
4. Go to your email open the confirmation email and click on the confirm button. You must not skip this step!

To stay up to date with what is going on school wide, subscribe to the main school blog.  You will find information here that I often neglect to tell you so it is a good idea to subscribe to both and stay up to date with all the happenings. http://www.mariamontessoriacademy.org/?page_id=5392

Dress Code:

Please be aware that Maria Montessori has a dress code.  It may be helpful to familiarize yourself with the dress code before you go school shopping.  Basically clothing must be solid colored, shirts must have collars and no jeans.  Here is the link for all the details.  http://mariamontessoriacademy.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Dress-Code-Policy-MMA-signed-04.08.14.pdf   You may also choose to purchase school spirit shirts.  Here is the link https://squareup.com/store/beeyouteesfundraising I also believe there will be samples at the Pool Party.

Slippers:

Slipper Doc

Classroom Supply list:

Personal items (*labeled with child’s name):

*Back pack

*Slippers/inside shoes see the above attachment

*Water bottle

*Gallon zip-lock bag with name on it containing:  Pants, shirt, underwear, and socks

1/2 inch 3 ring binder (white)  Write name on inside cover.

Optional Classroom Donations (These items will be used by the entire class through out the year)

Water colors

Zip-lock bags all sizes

Paper Towels

Tissues

sponges (the ones without the scrubbing side)

Clipboards with the bar across the top not the big clamp.

*Notice: the items on this list will be used during the regular school day.  They may be brought from home on a voluntary basis.  Otherwise, they will be furnished by the school.

Class Schedule:

A.M. Class 8:30-11:30

Drop off begins at 8:15, but after 8:30 your child will be marked tardy.  Teachers will be at pick up when it begins at 11:25 and after 11:35 children will wait for you in the office.

P.M. Class 12:00-3:00

Drop off begins at 12:00, and after 12:10 your child will be marked tardy.  Our doors will be locked until 12:00, this is so we can eat our lunch and prepare our classroom.  Pick up begins at 3:00 with the entire school but Early Childhood students will wait with their teachers (unless otherwise noted by a parent) and if you are running late after 3:20 your child will wait for you in the office.

Half Day schedules

A.M. 8:30-10:30

P.M. 11:00-1:00 (note P.M. class start earlier than the regular schedule)

Upcoming Events:

Tuesday August 2nd- Pool Party at North Shore Aquatic Center from 7-9

Friday August 12th-New Student Orientation: (This is for students new to our classroom)

• A.M. Students from 1-1:45
• P.M. Students from 2-2:45

Monday August 15th-First Day of School half day schedule the entire week

Thursday August 18th- Back to School Night 7-8 pm

 Have a great week

Ms. Jen & Ms. Martha

Parents,

Many of you may know that we have a few classroom pets.  We have a fish tank with about 8 fish and we have 2 parakeets.  I feel that pets in the classroom are so valuable.  They provide so many learning opportunities for the children that could not be experienced any other way.  The children love to check in on our pets and they help feed them  almost daily.  If you would like to donate some supplies to help with the care of our pets please visit the wejoin in sheet here.  If you have any questions on what is needed please email or talk to me and I can clarify any questions you may have.  Thank you so much for all of your support and especially for sharing your amazing children with us!!

We made it to the second week of school.  I was so impressed with all of the children last week.  They always amaze me and make me smile.   Here is what we have going on this week.  We are beginning our introduction of the alphabet by using a program called Zoophonics.  It is not a Montessori program but the children love it and it does a great job at getting them excited about learning the sounds of the letters.   This week we will introduce the letters M, A, S, T, B.  The zoophonics characters that go along with the letters are Missy Mouse, Allie Alligator, Sammy Snake, Timmy Tiger and Bubba Bear.  The animals have an action and make the sounds of the letters.  This enables the children to interact with the letters in many different ways. If you hear your child refer to any of these characters you will now know what they are talking about.

We will also begin our study of Biology by introducing the difference between living and non-living.  The children will explore outside to see what they can find that falls into these two categories.   This week we will also introduce the study of our universe.

On Wednesday we will have our first fire drill.  We will practice what we need to do when we hear the alarm.  If you feel that this may be difficult for you child you can talk about it at home and even practice with your family.  The morning class will be involved with the official fire drill but we will still be practicing with our afternoon class.

Here is some information about an upcoming event at our school

Parents,

Thank you to those parents who provided snack for our first week of school.  Snack will be done differently this next week. The purpose of snack in a Montessori classroom is not to fill empty bellies, but as a lesson in practical life skills.  Please be aware of this and do not depend on snack as a meal, it is important that the children eat before coming to school. Last week we had snack all together as a group.  We practiced waiting for everyone to have snack before we ate and used polite words like please and thank you.  Next week our snack will not only teach us how to be courteous, but it will also teach us responsibility, independence, and self regulation.  Snack will not be done together as a group.  Instead snack will be available throughout the work period and the children will be able to choose when they have snack.  The procedures for snack go like this.  First the child will decide that they need snack, they will then get a snack tray and plate, serve themselves the appropriate portion of snack, sit at a table, eat it, then clean and sanitize their dishes. Snack will  be cleaned up during our clean up time so it will then be unavailable. It is going to take a few days, maybe even weeks for the children to get comfortable with this, but they do.  If (or I should say when) your child comes home and says they did not get snack.  Please remind them of these procedures and that they make the choice of when they have snack.  Usually when a child does not get snack they either forgot about it until it was too late, or are waiting for me to give them permission.  I do not usually give reminders but if a child is acting out of sorts or complains that they don’t feel good I may suggest they eat some snack.  It is important that the children learn to listen to their bodies’ needs so they are able to communicate when they need something.

We have about 28 kids in each class.  A typical snack would be 2 to 3 apple slices and 3 to 4 whole grain crackers.  Some snack suggestions are bagels and cream cheese, fruit and crackers, veggies and hummus.  Please bring the food in the package, uncut/unprepared.  We will prepare snack at school.  I have looked over the class list and there were not any food allergies listed.  If your child has a food allergy please let Ms. Martha or I know as soon as possible

Dear Parents,

There has been a bit of confusion about drop-off and pick-up.  The purpose of this post is to make sure we are communicating effectively to ensure the safety of the children and the effectiveness of the drop-off/pick-up system. If someone other than yourself is picking up or dropping off students please make a copy of this, or explain to them in detail how this all works.  I know this can be frustrating, and it feels like you are stuck in the depths of eternal torment, (Believe me I’ve done it!), but your patience is appreciated.

A.M. Drop-off and Pick-up

Drop-off is done between 8:15 and 8:30 along with the whole school. The first driver pulls all the way to the south end of the drop-off lane.  This allows all of the cars behind to unload at the same time making it possible for the next set of cars to line up in front of the school.  If your child needs assistance unbuckling from the car, we ask that you do not use the drop-off lane and instead park in the parking lot or after next week, at the North Shore Parking lot.  You may then exit your vehicle and assist your child in unbuckling, then use the crosswalk. This first week Ms.Martha and I have been waiting for the students and bringing them to class.  When the time comes that the children feel confident in walking to class on their own, I will greet them at the classroom doors inside the school.  Please note that your child needs to be in the school by 8:30 if you arrive after 8:35 you will need to walk your child inside and sign them in.  Do not drop them off and drive away if you do not see staff outside assisting students.

Pick-up on regular schedule days is done at 11:30 and 10:30 on half days. The children are gathered together at the main office doors and we ask that the first driver pulls all the way up to the south end of the building.  We will then fill the cars with students.  We also ask that parents who are not using the pick-up/drop-off lane use the crosswalks and encourage your children to use the crosswalks.  Do not call to your child from the parking lot and allow them to run across to you.  You will need to walk across the cross walk to get them.  If you are late your student will be inside the school at the main office waiting for you.

P.M. Drop-off and Pick-up

Your students will be allowed into the school at 12:00, 11:00 on half days.  This is so that the teachers are given a lunch break between classes.  It would be helpful if you arrive a few minutes early and make sure your child is in the building before you leave.  Do not drive away if your child is not inside the school staff will not be outside at this time.  If you arrive later than 12:05  you will need to walk your child into the building and sign them in.

Pick-up is done between 3:00 and 3:20 and 1:00 and 1:20 on half days, along with the whole school. The Early Childhood Students will be waiting at the south end of the school with their teachers.  The first driver pulls all the way to the south end of the pick-up lane.  This allows all of the cars behind to load at the same time making it possible for the next set of cars to line up in front of the school.  If your child needs assistance buckling into the car, we ask that you do not use the pick-up lane and instead park in the parking lot or after next week, at the North Shore Parking lot.  You may then exit your vehicle, use the crosswalk to pick up your child and buckle them in at your own pace.  For safety reasons Early Childhood classes are the first to be excused and we are positioned outside minutes before 3:00.  If you are later than 3:20 your child will be inside the school at the main office waiting for you.

Thank you!

Ms.  Jen & Ms. Martha