We had a great second week!  I can tell the children are starting to feel more comfortable and they are coming out of their shells.  It is fun to see their personalities come out!  We have such a wonderful group of children.  I am excited to spend this school year with them.

Last week we expanded on our theme of  knights.  We solidified our Classroom Code of Chivalry and hung it up in our classroom.  The children came up with some great ideas such as, “Be loyal to your friends”, “Be helpful”, and “Thou shalt not bully”.  They also made their own Coat of Arms.  Next we will make a Class Coat of Arms that will be a representation of what our class stands for and how we want to be known.   I am hopeful that these things will help the children remember their grace and courtesy and think about their actions.

August 31st was Maria Montessori’s birthday.  To celebrate, we read a book called Mammolina, which tells the story of her life.  The children loved it!  I could tell that some of the children were inspired by her story, especially the girls.  She really was a marvelous example of girl power!  We were also able to compare her to a knight.  She was strong and courageous and stood up for the less fortunate.  I would encourage you to learn more about Maria Montessori.  Ask your children to tell you about her.

We started learning about “The 7 Habits for Happy Kids” last week.  We made it through the first three which are:  “Be Proactive”, “Begin With the End in Mind”, and “Put First Things First”.  These are habits and skills that, if learned now, can help the children throughout their lives.  I am hoping to get through the last four habits this week.  We will be referring back to these throughout the school year.

There will be an important meeting for the parents of 6th graders this Wednesday, September 4th at 4:30 PM in the library.  You will be discussing the fieldtrip to the Redwoods in California.  You will also find out more about the expectations for you and your students for volunteering and helping with fundraising.  If you would like to be a chaperone for this trip, you will also get information about how to do that.  Please plan to be there!

Don’t forget about the MMA 5K on September 14th!  The race begins at 8:00 AM, with registration at 7:00 AM.  This is an important fundraiser for the 6th graders!  For more information, go to http://mma5k.blogspot.com

Please help your children remember their student planners!  This is an important communication tool and helps your children to learn responsibility.

The We Join In snack sign-up sheet is up to date and ready to be used.  There is a link to it on the right side of the blog. Please try to fill in the empty weeks!  Snack is an important part of our day and the children really miss it when we don’t have it.

This week we will be getting more serious about our work.  The children will be introduced to work charts and how to keep track of their work.  We will begin having our Book Club, learn the 6 traits of writing, as well as the Great Lessons of Grammar.  We will begin our cultural lessons in History, Geography, Botany, and Zoology.  We will also have a review of some basic math operations, terminology, and place value.  We will also start our Spanish class with Ms. Kari Anderson on Thursday.  It should be a busy week!

Last but not least, Don’t forget to subscribe to the blog!  I have 25 students and only 8 parents have subscribed.  This will be your way of keeping up to date on what we do in class.  The blog is replacing the weekly e-mails, so you have to subscribe!

Thanks for all you do!