Ms. Jen's Blog

Parents,

Remember that there is no school on Monday for Presidents day. This week we will continue our study of the ocean biome by talking about the animals that can be found in the different zones of the ocean.  We will only be talking about the top 3 zones: the sunlight zone, the twilight zone and the midnight zone.  In zoology we will talk about a few of the different types of fish that live in the oceans and in art we will introduce the artist Pablo Picasso.  Thank you to all who helped us with Valentines day.  We appreciate all the donations.  We will be using the extra fruit to make smoothies this week.

In the book Montessori A Modern Approach by Paula Polk Lillard she says “Montessori regarded the parent as a partner in the child’s schooling.  This recognition of the parent’s legitimate role in the child’s education can give the parent a new way of viewing himself and the school.  The school is no longer seen as the authority issuing orders to the parent and child alike. Instead, the parent is invited into the classroom. He shares in what is going on there and in the hopes for the future of the child and the class” (p. 145).  Ms. Jess and I all see the parents in our class as our partners in the child’s education.  We not only appreciate your support but we could not do this work without it.  Thank you!

If you are interested in volunteering in our class you can just send me a quick email letting me know when you would like to come in.  We love to have parents come in and help.

Have a great week!

Ms. Jen & Ms. Jess

Parents,

This week we will be talking more about our ocean biome.  We will be talking about the different layers of the ocean.  We will be looking at the parts of a fish and doing an experiment with pennies in water.

We will be introducing the 5th habit of happy kids which is seek first to understand and then to be understood.  This habit is more challenging for children to put into practice but great to talk about and practice.  The idea behind this habit is to listen before you talk.  We explain it to the students in this way “I listen to other people’s ideas and feelings. I try to see things from their viewpoints. I listen to others without interrupting. I am confident in voicing my ideas. I look people in the eyes when talking”.

Our formal Valentine’s snack will happen on Friday.  Thank you to everyone who has singed up to bring items and volunteer. We will be handing out  Valentines to classmates.  We have 21 students in the morning class and 16 students in the afternoon class.  Your child does not need to make a valentine box we have made these in class.  Please remember to just sign who the valentine is from and not who it goes to.

Have a great week.

Ms. Jen & Ms. Jess

Parents,

On Monday we will celebrate our 100th day of school. Thank you to all who have singed up to help, we could not do this without you!  This week we will introduce our new units of study.  In Geography we will be learning about the ocean biome. Our vertebrate this month will be fish.  For physical science we will be doing water experiments beginning with sink and float.  The next element of art we will talk about is the element of line.

Here is one of my favorite Montessori quotes. “Our care of the child should be governed, not by the desire to make him learn things, but by the endeavor always to keep burning within him that light which is called intelligence.” As we look to the end of the year it is my goal to keep fanning the flame of these amazing children and keep them excited about learning.

Have a great week!

Ms. Jen & Ms. Jess

Parents,

This week we will finish up our studies of mammals, Antarctica and weather. We will also begin the art project that will be auctioned off at the Gala in March.  Each year our class makes a quilt. This year our quilt is going to be inspired by the artist Henri Matisse. If you would be willing to help cut out fabric for this please let me know.

Just as a reminder next Monday will be our 100th day of school. We could still use a few volunteers to help with this. Here are the links to sign up

morning class https://www.trackitforward.com/site/389525/event/525040

Afternoon class https://www.trackitforward.com/site/389525/event/525041

Parents,

I apologize for not posting this earlier.  Time flies on a long weekend.  This week we will be continuing our study of Antarctica and the polar biome.  We will talk about the life cycle of mammals, weather and introduce the artist Henri Matisse.

We are beginning to plan our 100th day of school celebration.  This is a big deal for us! We have been counting the days of school since day 1.  Our 100th day falls on Monday February 3. We are in need of some help with this fun day.  Here is the link to sign up

AM class   https://www.trackitforward.com/site/389525/event/525040

PM class https://www.trackitforward.com/site/389525/event/525041

One of the activities each student will do on this day is to come out in the hall to count with me.  One of the Math standards for kindergarten is for students to be able to count to 100 by 1’s and by 10’s.  We have been practicing all year but a little practice at home would be great.

Thanks for all your support!!!!

Have a great week

Ms. Jen & Ms. Jess

Parents,

This week we will continue talking about our habit of Think Win Win.  We will be studying the animals of Antarctica and the parts of a mammal.  In art this month the element we will be looking at is shape.  There are 3 types of shape you can find in art.  They are geometric, organic and irregular.  We will be looking at all 3.

One aspect that many adults notice when they enter a Montessori classroom is the order that exists.  This order is present not only in the layout of the materials on the shelves but also in the way the presentations and lessons are given.  There is an underlying reason for this.  Maria Montessori said “To help the development of the intelligence is to help put the images of the consciousness in order”.  One job of a Montessori teacher is to provide the child with an ordered environment so they are free to order their intelligence. As adults we take for granted that we already have so much information ordered in our minds.  It can be easier for us to take in new information when we have some context for it.  Our children are learning new things everyday and creating how this information will be ordered in their mind.  We aid them when the environment around them is ordered.  This does not mean that our homes are perfectly clean with nothing left out.  Order to a child can mean that they know their daily routine  or that they know what consequences to expect.  It can mean knowing where to find their clothes and toys or what responsibilities they have.  When we create order for our children at home we are aiding them in their development.

We are still in need of whole oranges for our juicing activity.  Thank you in advance for your help.  One of our other practical life activities we have out this month is making scones.  I have had several students request that I put the recipe on the blog so the can make them at home to share with their families, so here is the recipe.

Cranberry orange scones

Mix:

• 1/3 c. flour
• 1/4 t. baking powder
• 1/2 t. sugar
• 1/8 t.  salt
• Cut in:
  • 1 T. cold butter

• Stir in:
  • 1 T.  dried cranberries
  • Zest of ½ an orange
• Add and mix:
  • 1 T. egg
  • 1 T. cream

Mix very briefly and press it into a flattened circle about 3/4″ thick on a baking sheet or shallow cake pan. Cut it half.  Bake at 450 F for 8 to 10 minutes.

Have a great week!

Ms. Jen & Ms. Jess

Parents,

Happy new year to all of you!! I hope your break was refreshing.  Ms. Jess and I wanted to thank all of you for the many gifts we received.  Thank you so much for your kindness.

This month in geography we will be studying Antarctica and the polar biome. In zoology our vertebrate we will talking about are mammals with our focus on the elephant seal that lives in Antarctica. In physical science we will be talking about weather and our element of art will be shape.

We are on habit 4 of the 7 habits of happy kids.  This habit is “Think Win Win”.  In this habit we will be moving from the private victory to the public victory.  Our first 3 habits were all about bettering ourselves and improving our own lives.  With “Think win-win”  we will learn about 4 outcomes that are available when you interact with someone else; win-win, win-loose, loose-win, and loose-loose.

Win-Win-  “Let’s find a solution that works for both of us.” People who search for solutions that make them happy and at the same time make others happy. People in this category have both the courage to say what they want and the consideration to work toward mutual benefit.

Win-Loose- “I am going to beat you no matter what”  People who fit in this category are only concerned with themselves they want to win and make others loose. They have the courage to say what they want, but are low on consideration. With win-loose you think of competition, comparison, power, and position.  This is actually a very common interaction in our society.  As parents we naturally have position over our children and sometimes put our agenda over theirs.  We must remind ourselves to constantly be on guard for situations in which we can change a win-loose to a win-win when interacting with children.

Loose-Win- “I always get stepped on”  People in this category have lots of consideration of others but they lack the courage to express and act on their own feelings and beliefs.  Too much time in this category creates the victim mentality and people who just follow the crowd.  They may bury a lot of their feelings, have no demands or expectations of others, and they are quick to please others even at the expense of themselves.

Loose-Loose- “If I’m going down, you’re going down with me.”  People in this category are low on courage and consideration they envy and criticize others.  They put themselves and others down.  This situation can be the long term result of a win-lose.

In class we will talk about ways to make situations win-win, we will think of cooperation, communication, and seek for mutual benefit.  These are great topics to discuss at home in your family.

We will be juicing oranges as one of our practical life activities this month and could use donations of whole oranges.  We appreciate your help in advance.

No school on Friday.  We will not have school on Friday for professional development.

Have a great week!

Ms. Jen & Ms. Jess

Parents,

I have a few reminders for you.  Here is a message from Autumn in our office

Good Afternoon,

Our deadline for online Aspire accounts is quickly approaching. Re-registration for current students for the 2020-2021 school year starts January 6. In order for parents to register their students for next year they MUST have an online account by January 1. As of this morning, most families have not yet signed up. Please sign up before Winter Break so the office can answer any questions you have (due to privacy laws we cannot send student numbers through email).
Instructions to create an Aspire account can be found here.

Thank you,

Autumn Douglas

Here is a message from MAPA (our parent association this is our version of PTA)

Hey everyone,

Not sure if everyone knows we have a blog up and running, but we do. It’s another great resource for parents that want to stay connected to their local PTA (that’s basically what we are).

Happy Christmas loves! Cheers!

The newest post:
http://blogs.mariamontessoriacademy.org/mapa/2019/12/15/last-thoughts-for-2019/

Parents,

This week we will finish our study of North America and the grasslands.  We will also finish our air experiments by making air rockets.  Tuesday through Thursday will be early release days for parent teacher conferences.  This means that the morning class will be held from 8:30 to 10:30 and the afternoon class will be held from 11:00 to 1:00. There will be no school on Friday.

For all afternoon parents: When we were lining up one day last week someone dropped what looks like a man’s wedding band. I asked the students if it belonged to any of them but no one claimed it.  If this is something you are missing please let me know.

Winter break will be from Friday December 20th to Friday January 3rd.  School will resume on Monday January 6th.  I hope you all have a safe and happy holiday.

Ms. Jen & Ms. Jess

Parents,

I hope you had a fun and relaxing Thanksgiving break.  I know I did. In December we will still be talking about North America but our biome will be the grasslands.  In botany we will be talking about stems.  In physical science we will be doing some experiments with how air moves things.

Parent teacher conferences are quickly approaching.  They will be held December 17-19.  If you have not taken the opportunity to sign up here are the links.  We hope to see everyone there.

Tuesday December 17 https://www.trackitforward.com/site/389525/event/511723

Wednesday December 18  https://www.trackitforward.com/site/389525/event/511843

Thursday December 19  https://www.trackitforward.com/site/389525/event/511844

With the amazing snow we have had please remember that we go outside almost every day.  Please make sure your child has the appropriate outside gear (hat, coat, snow pants, boots and gloves).  I would also ask that you label everything with your child’s name.

Have a great week!

Ms. Jen & Ms. Jess