I love the first day of March!  To me it brings hope that Winter will end and Spring will come.  I look forward to seeing blue skies and feeling the warm sun again!

We’ve had a busy and fun week here in our class.  We had some fun Math lessons that got the students excited about Algebra.  We learned about plants that changed the world in our Botany lesson with Ms. Rachael.  We got to explore dinosaur bones and fossils with a fun kit from WSU.  We also learned all about bones and got to see bones from lots of different animals.  The students especially enjoyed this lesson and did not want to stop exploring all of the fun books about animals and the human skeleton.  We studied the Boston Massacre and the Boston Tea Party and started preparing for mock trials concerning those two events.  We had the spelling bee on Tuesday and I’m so proud of our students who worked hard and overcame their fears to represent our class.  They did a great job!  We also had the 6th grade STARBASE graduation.  Our 6th graders had a great experience at STARBASE and learned so much.  I’m excited for our students who will have the opportunity to attend next year.

Please check with your students today to see their expectation sheets and reflections.  These need to be signed and brought back to school on Monday.  Due to the fact that we had a few extra things happening this week, many of the students did not get everything signed off that is usually required during the week.  When filling out their reflections, I asked them to consider whether or not they used their time wisely and if they did the best that they could with the time that they were given.  Some students are struggling to make an appropriate work plan and then follow it.  We will keep practicing and reinforcing these skills.

Thank you to those of you who have been bringing snack for our class!  Mason is signed up to bring snack next week.

Literacy Week is coming up the week of March 11th.  As part of Literacy Week, we are asking every student to bring a picture of the cover of their favorite book.  We will line the halls with the book covers and hope that it inspires students to explore some new books!  Also, we are doing the book swap tables again this year.  There will be tables set up in both kivas where students can swap out a book that they no longer want for something new.  Literacy Night will be on Tuesday, March 12th from 5:30-7:00 PM.  Come dressed as your favorite book character and enjoy a fun night with your family!

The gala fundraiser is coming up on March 23rd!  As part of the event, each class is supposed to put together a basket to be auctioned.  This year, instead of collecting supplies, MAPA will be accepting monetary donations and they purchasing the supplies for the baskets.  If you would like to donate, you can do that here:  https://squareup.com/store/mapa-9/item/basket-donations-for-gala-baskets?t=modal-em

Have a wonderful weekend!

Kirsten

Hello!  I hope that you have all had a wonderful weekend and are ready for a great week ahead!  Here are some things that you should be aware of.

First, I want to thank all of the parents who came to Parent Teacher Conferences.  It was wonderful to meet with you and talk about all of the things your students have been learning.  I know the students were excited to show you the portfolios that they worked so hard to put together for you.  I apologize to those of you who had to wait for me as I got a little behind schedule at times and I appreciate your patience.  If you were unable to attend conferences and would still like to come in, please e-mail me at kgonzales@mariamontessoriacademy.org.

Last week we really emphasized using the expectation sheets to plan and complete work in class.  We discussed it at length every day and gave the students many reminders.  I was really proud of many students who made great work choices and met the work expectations for the week.  Some students still struggled to be productive and fell short of meeting expectations.  Please be sure to find, read, and sign the pink reflection sheets that went home on Friday.  Discuss them with your students.  Encourage your students to put their best foot forward at school and put forth the necessary effort to be successful.  Please let Petra and I know if there is anything we can do to help your child meet expectations.  The reflection sheets should be returned with a parent signature tomorrow.

We will be doing extra history lessons and projects at school this week in honor of History Week. We have been able to borrow some fun materials from Weber State about dinosaurs and bones that I am excited to share with the students. We will be discussing the theme of Tragedy and Triumph as it applies to various historical events and people.

The Spelling Bee will be held this Tuesday at 11:00 AM in the addition gym.  We are so proud of the students who will be representing our class and wish them the best of luck!  Parents are invited and encouraged to attend.

Last week we had a student wear a very nice watch to school and it went missing when he took it off briefly in the classroom.  Please be on the lookout for an unfamiliar watch that might appear in your home.

Thank you for sharing your children with us.  Petra and I love them!

Kirsten

We will be exchanging valentines on Thursday for Valentine’s Day.  We have 31 students in our class, so please plan to bring enough valentines for everyone if you choose to bring some (passing out valentines is optional).  We will not be making boxes or bags in class, but feel free to make one at home and bring it on Thursday.  You may pass out candy with your valentines, but the candy can not be eaten at school.  It will need to remain packaged and be eaten at home.  Some people have requested a class list so that they can address the valentines.  Here it is!

1. Alya
2. Denver
3. Ariane
4. Sienna
5. Ava
6. John
7. Addy
8. Kimbrie
9. Sophia
10. Gen
11. Isaiah
12. Tahlin
13. Gabe R.
14. Gabe W.
15. Avyana
16. Ashley
17. Hunter
18. Dustin
19. Kasumi
20. Christian
21. Amira
22. Melody
23. Evan
24. Caiden
25. Mason
26. Enrique
27. Lucian
28. Wyatt
29. Josie
30. Corbin
31. Henry

Some important things to remember this week:

Monday, January 14th the 5th graders are displaying their Engineering Fair projects around the school

Tuesday, January 15th the 6th graders will be attending STARBASE

Wednesday, January 16th is the science fair.  All 6th graders should bring their projects this day and have them displayed at 8:30 AM.  They must have a research paper and a lab book to accompany their display board.  They may bring a book or quiet game to occupy themselves while they wait for their turn to be judged.  Parents are invited to come and view the projects from 2:30-4:00 PM.

Thursday, January 17th the 4th graders will be displaying their STEM projects that we have been working on in class.  We have been learning about earthquakes and trying to build a 3 story building that will withstand a mild earthquake.

Friday, January 18th is our 5th grade field trip to Biztown.  Please have your child at North Shore by 7:20 AM.  If they did not order a Chick Fil A lunch, they will need to pack a lunch.  All students should bring a water bottle.  If your child would like to purchase a Biztown T-shirt, which is dress code approved, they may bring $10 to purchase a shirt.  Our drivers are Shaylee Larsen (Wyatt’s mom), Tammy Harr (Ashley’s grandma), and Felicia Fernandez (Sophia’s mom).  Be looking for a track it forward link later tonight to sign your child up for a ride.

There will also be lots of fun STEM assemblies and presentations for all of the students this week.  I’m looking forward to it!

On January 10th from 6-7:30 PM, MMA will be screening the documentary SCREENAGERS for all interested parents, students and friends of the school in the Junior High commons area.

SCREENAGERS – The average child in America spends more time consuming electronic media than going to school, with many teenagers going online “almost constantly.” In SCREENAGERS, physician and filmmaker Delaney takes a deeply personal approach as she probes into family life to explore parental struggles over social media, video games, academics and internet addiction. Through poignant and funny stories along with insights from authors, psychologists, and brain scientists, SCREENAGERS reveals how tech time impacts kids’ development and offers solutions on how adults can empower kids to best navigate the digital world and find balance.

Our class has decided to have a holiday feast on December 20th at 12:00 PM!  Each student may invite two guests to join them.  We’d love to have you join us!  Please sign up here:  https://www.trackitforward.com/site/389525/event/447616  if you can help provide things for the feast.  If you sign up to bring food, it would be helpful if you could provide your own serving utensils.  Thanks!

We want to thank everyone who came and participated in Parent Teacher Conferences earlier this month.  It was wonderful meeting with all of you and discussing the progress your children have been making.  We have wonderful students and families in our class and it is a pleasure working with all of you!

Thank you, as well, to all of the parents who helped drive students to the Newsies field trip this week.  We had a great time!

Speaking of driving for field trips, we have our field trip to the Hogle Zoo this Wednesday!  Please let us know ASAP if you can help drive students on this trip.  We had a few parents sign up to help at conferences, but we could use a few more.  We will send out the Track it Forward sheet for you to sign your child up for a carpool tomorrow.

This past week was challenging.  All of us were a bit out of sorts with the tragic loss of Molly and Troy Cox, two members of our MMA family.  Petra and I did our best to support those students who were struggling and maintain a sense of normalcy for the students overall.  We did have several of the students in our class spend some time with the grief counselors that were available at the school on Wednesday.  We will continue to support the students and help them to process and understand their grief during this difficult time.

Our next home project will be due on November 15th.  This is the project about America that will be part of our school’s Cultural Festival.  We decided to leave this project pretty open-ended.  Students may choose to study anything about America that is of interest to them.  Please let me know if your child needs help narrowing down their ideas.  This project should be on a tri-fold board that can easily be displayed on a table top.  We will not be distributing specific questions that need to be answered, as we anticipate the topics being quite varied.  The display should be attractive and the topic well represented with information and pictures.  Students should be able to present information on their topic to parents, teachers, and students who will be walking around to see the different displays.

There are a couple things that our class will be working on that we’d love you to reinforce at home.  Some of our students are struggling to be kind to others.  We will be having some lessons to reinforce that our words and actions matter and that they affect those around us.  Everyone deserves to be treated with respect, even those people that we may not like.  Another thing that we will be working on is our noise level.  We have a chatty class this year and it can make learning and focusing difficult.  We will be practicing speaking with quieter voices and limiting our conversations during class time to things that pertain to our lessons and works.  Reminders at home go a long way toward helping the students make better choices at school.

Petra and I love your children and are grateful for the opportunity to work with them.  Please let us know if you have any concerns or questions!

Please sign up for a time to come in for Parent Teacher Conferences.  They will be held October 15-17th.  Please remember that school gets out at 1:00PM on these days.  Also, check out the book fair happening during conferences in the library.  If you haven’t signed up for an account on Track It Forward, you will need to do so in order to sign up for a conference appointment.  Let me know if you have any questions.

https://www.trackitforward.com/site/389525/events

Original Works order forms went home today.   Here is a Q & A from Ms. Rachael Bush, the coordinator of this fun fundraiser.  As a reminder, the money raised from this fundraiser goes directly to our classroom!

Original Works Q & A:

What is Original Works?

Turn your child’s art into keepsakes (mugs, tote bags, pot holders, pillowcases, keychains, night lights, etc.). This fundraiser benefits your child’s classroom directly.

What if my child didn’t do or complete their art?

Complete it now! Art needs to be on plain 8.5”x11” paper (cardstock is best for durability). No 3-D art (glitter, pipe cleaners, etc.) and no copyrighted art. Must be original! Whatever you turn in with your payment will be considered complete.

What if my child made more than one piece of art?

You need one order form per piece of art. The order form needs to be filled out and taped to the back of your child’s art.

What if I have a child who wants to participate and isn’t at MMA?

Anyone can submit art. All you need is an order form and to designate which teacher you want to benefit!

How do I pay?

Write a check made to Original Works and attach it to the order form or write your credit card number on order form.

When are orders due?

Art, order forms, and payment must be returned to the front office by October 17th.

What needs to be on the art?

Your child’s name, teacher’s name, and a T designating the top of art must be written on the back of each piece of art.

When will keepsakes arrive?

Friday, November 30th!

Questions?

Email rachael.bush@gmail.com ☺

You won’t want to miss this years Fall Festival! We have a lot of exciting surprises in store!  It is this Friday, October 12th from 4-7PM.

Purchase your tickets online at:
https://squareup.com/store/mapa-9

Any tickets/wristbands purchased online will be available for pickup at the “ticket drive-thru” or at the will call booth the night of the festival. Pre-sale prices are good now thru October 11th.

Ticket Drive Thru dates will be: October 8, 9, 10, & 11 in the north east corner of the North Shore parking lot from 2:45-3:30 pm or October 8 & 10 from 8-8:30 am

From our MAPA President:

Hi Parents,

Thank you so much to everyone who has already signed up to help at Fall Festival! October is a pretty busy month as far as MAPA and volunteering go so we need help from so many. If you haven’t had a chance to sign up yet there is still time. We need several more volunteers to keep all of the activities open. This year MAPA will be implementing the “no volunteer, no activity” moto again. This means that any time we have a volunteer need and no one has signed up that activity will be closed for the time slot.

Not only do we have Fall Festival this month we also have Parent Teacher Conference dinners and Book Fair October 15-17th.

Please, please follow the link and sign up where you are able. Please note there are multiple signups for all events on the calendar. If one is full please click on the next signup sheet. If you have any questions you can email MAPA at mapa@mariamontessoriacademy.org.

https://www.trackitforward.com/site/389525/events

Cheers,
Angela Voraotsady