Ms. Kaley's Classroom Room 24

Hello Everyone!

Past Week:

This past week we had the Utah Opera come by to do an assembly on the different kinds of voices one would hear at an opera.  The kids loved it.  We hope to have them back next year.

Level 2s and 3s focused on Geometry this past week while Level 1s went over a review with pennies, nickels, and dimes and I introduced the quarter to them.  Level 2s focused on partitioning shapes and Level 3s struggled with how to connect the dot draw area or perimeter in the way the questions asked.  We will be reviewing this skill until they feel comfortable with it.

Our first graders are working at their level to add up change.  This is a great home practice activity or while you find you are out and about.  They are doing really well with staying on track with telling time.  Please have your child continue to practice time at home and begin to count change. The first graders have all had lessons in every area of addition and subtraction.  We will be constantly reviewing and giving extra help and attention to any that may need it, however they have all their stamp games open to them!  They have the option to practice their addition one day and subtraction the next.  Some still want to go in order and that’s fine as they will still get that mixed operation practice in their small math groups.

We have been working on our March prompt little by little.  This coming week we hope to finish up our drafts and then begin rewriting the final draft the last week of March.

This past week in cultural we did History:

Level 1s: Telling time to the quarter after/of hour

Level 2s: Mars and Jupiter

Level 3s: Cretaceous Period and Dinosaurs.  Theories on how the dinosaurs became extinct

Wednesday we had the COW.  3rd graders looked over a practice SAGE ELA test to see the layout and kinds of questions they will ask and how they need to answer them.  Ms. Rachel came in towards the end of the day and did her monthly Botany lesson.

Thank you to Katie, our awesome room mom, for putting together the golf basket for the Gala this past Saturday.  Thank you to anyone who donated to it and for anyone who came.

March Project– I talked to the kids about the March home project (Life in Utah vs. another country).  I will have a hand out for them tomorrow.  I told them I’d like them to discuss with you their country of choice and to let me know by Wednesday so I can write it down.  It will be a compare and contrast assignment for the written research part.  The visual presentation will up to them how they want to show their research.  I think a poster split into 3rds might be best.  Then they can write and put pictures into each 3rd what is similar between life in Utah and that country of choice and what is different in each.  This project will be due Friday March 30th.

Upcoming Week:

I am leaving for the AMS Montessori conference on Thursday.  I will be back on March 27th.  Ms. Misha will cover for me the Friday that I am out.  They will focus on Spring activities and learn about Holi and Spring and then pick a craft from the choices given.  The afternoon will remain the same with classroom meeting and then earned Friday time may begin.

I will not hold Language groups this week, but will still get in everyone’s leveled math lesson.

Those who need their planners planned for them are already ready to go for this week and next week.

There will not be another blog post until Sunday night or Monday.  Have a great week!

Spring Concert in April: There will be a spring concert on April 20th at Weber High School in their Auditorium.  Lower Elementary’s performance will begin at 6:00pm.  Please arrive no later than 5:30pm.  Students should wear black bottoms pants, a solid color top with no logo or designs, and black shoes and socks.  Ms. Clarissa is looking for 2 volunteers from each class to help organize students backstage before the concert.  Sign up for volunteering can be submitted at https://www.trackitforward.com/site/389525/event/406808

Any questions can be directed to Ms. Clarissa Lunt at clunt@mariamontessoriacademy.org 

Cheers!

Ms. Kaley

Hello Everyone!

March Calendar Addition:

I didn’t realize there wasn’t any school for student’s on March 19th.  Please add to your calendars that there is also no school on March 19th.

Reminder that I will be going out of town for the AMS Annual Montessori Conference.  I am excited to go as it one of, if not the largest conference for Montessori teachers in the USA.  Thousands of teachers come from all over the world and I always get to experience new tips and confidence.  I love meeting and hearing other Public/Charter Montessori teachers talk since we are own special breed amongst the Montessori world. I will be out March 22nd, 23rd, and 26th.  Other teachers from our school and administration will also be attending.

If your child is sensitive to routines and consistency please help reinforce that we will be sticking to our routine as much as possible.  Ms. Misha and Ms. Nikki will continuing their lessons and helping check off on Thursday and Monday.  Ms. Lori, a parent in our class, will be our sub for all 3 days I am out.  For Friday, I am normally there with the students as the only teacher.  Now that studio has ended, Ms. Nikki will be in the classroom on Friday with Ms. Lori.

Past Week:

This past week in group lessons Geometry was worked on by 2nd and 3rd graders.  1st graders worked on learning how to write fractions.

Level 1s: writing fractions

Level 2s: Drawing right angles with a protractor

Level 3s: SAGE geometry, data, and measurement questions

In cultural this past week: Botany

Level 1s: Stems (parts of, kinds of, stems we eat)

Level 2s: Parts of a tree and tree rings; why trees are important to humans

Level 3s: About honey bees, plant pollination, kinds of pollinators, Cheetos pollination simulation

In language groups the Antelopes worked on expanding sentences.  Taking a simple sentence such as ‘The girl walked.’ to adding more details using our who, what, where, when, whys, an hows to give more details.  The Badgers and Crocs worked on figurative language.  Badgers did an introduction to Onomatopoeia and Personification.  Crocs did Onomatopoeia and Personification, but also went over Similes and Metaphors.

We also had Scales and Tales stop by Thursday afternoon to show us some reptiles and then on Friday, the Planetarium van came!

Upcoming Week:

This upcoming week we have the COW and Ms. Rachel coming for monthly Botany

Tuesday- The Opera is coming to perform.  Assembly at 9:30-10:15.  No Music, just PE.

Wednesday- COW (12:30-1:45) and Ms. Rachel (1:50-2:50)

Friday- Early Release.  We will be going over St. Patrick’s Day and do activities

Language groups will go over Poetry this week and learn how to write Limericks and rhyming poetry

Saturday- School Gala

Supply needs/Reminders:

If anyone would like to donate any forks, we still have spoons, but are in need of forks.  If you are sending your child with a lunch that requires a fork or spoon, please pack them their own.

Remember that slippers and water bottles are an essential need for the classroom.

Pants with holes in them do need to be repaired or not worn at all.

Have a great rest of your weekend and upcoming week!

Ms. Kaley

Hello Everyone and Happy March!

This past week was very busy!

Past Week:

We had Literacy Week this past week and our week was filled with book activities and events!  On Tuesday we watched as our 3 top spellers participated in the school’s annual Spelling Bee!  Jax, Makiah, and Ella all did very well.  Ella even was in the top 3!  I am so very proud of them in what they accomplished.

We read the book Ishi, a book about a rock having a tough time, but then finds a way to bring its happiness back.  Our classroom made our own Ishi book as well as a 2 page spread of our own Ishi experience for the school’s “Ishi book.”

Thursday we had our Literacy Night!  I had a blast running the Harry Potter Trivia with Ms. Kirsten.  If you got to come and see, the floating candles and witch hats were made by our class 🙂

On Friday we had studio and then did Dr. Seuss activities in the afternoon until the school wide Read-a-thon.

Since our week was busy with new activities and events we were unable to do cultural lessons this week.  We will make up Botany this coming week.

In group lessons this week I had the Antelopes and Badgers language group work on expanding their sentences to be able to add more details and sound more interesting.  The Crocs worked on how to write a letter and learned the set up.

In math, everyone worked on their Geometry:

Level 1s: Kinds of lines in polygons

Level 2s: How to use a protractor and identify acute and obtuse angles

Level 3s: Area practice

March Events:

This coming week we have Scales and Tales coming on March 8th.  The Clark Planetarium will also be stopping by on Friday for a presentation at 2pm

March 9th is the last studio class for the year

March 13th we have the Opera coming to do a performance

March 16th is an Early Release at 1pm

March 17th is the school’s annual Gala.  Each class needs donations for the silent auction.  Our class has the Golf Basket.  If you know anyone who can donate golf supplies or has connections to courses, please send in supplies and/or contact our room mother- Katie James: misskt2558@yahoo.com

Tickets for the Gala are available.  Join us for food, drinks, auctions from classroom baskets and leveled art work.  This year’s Gala is at Union Station

Tickets can be bought online at https://squareup.com/store/mapa-9

Tickets are on sale at the school on March 9th from 3-4 at a sale price (get the sale price if bought before March 10th)

Tickets at regular price can be purchased at the school March 14th and 15th from 3-4

March 22nd I will be leaving to travel to Denver, CO for the annual AMS Montessori Conference.  I will be out Thursday, Friday, and Monday.  Ms. Lori Stewart is subbing.  Our students will follow as much of their regular schedule as possible without me there and on Friday they will do an art activity in the morning and their normal Friday routine since studio will be over.

March’s Home Project– Students will compared their Utah life to the lifestyles of another country. A compare and contrast project will be assigned to complete.  DUE Mar. 30th.  We will begin talking about this project and help the students understand the expectations.  Student should be researching and thinking about what country they want to focus on to compare/contrast their life in Utah to

Upcoming Week:

This coming week we have Scales and Tales coming on March 8th.  The Clark Planetarium will also be stopping by on Friday for a presentation at 2pm

Group lessons will also include Botany lessons for cultural, more Geometry for Level 2s and 3s, and Fractions for Level 1s

We will also work on March’s problem of the month and begin our March writing prompt

Have a great rest of your weekend and upcoming week

Ms. Kaley