Hello!

Well, we are over a month into the school year!  Only eight more to go!  We are off to a great start so far.  We have established classroom routines and are fully into our work cycle.  Most of the students were so anxious to get to work that it was a smooth and beautiful transition.  We have a few holdouts, but for the most part, everyone is eagerly working and craving new lessons.

One part of our routine that many students are struggling with is our student planners.  We started using our planners the second week of school.  They should be coming home and getting signed every day and then coming back to school.  Please ask your student about their planner if you haven’t been seeing it.

Our first field trip on Friday was wonderful!  It was a beautiful day and we learned lots of interesting things about our country’s history.  Thank you to all of the parents who helped make this a success.  We couldn’t do field trips without you!  We actually have three field trips coming up in October.  The first on is for 4th graders only on October 4th.  We will be going to the American West Heritage Center by school bus.  We won’t need any chaperones for this trip.  Be looking for a permission slip to come home this week.  Our whole class will be going to see Newsies at Weber High on October 25th and to Hogle Zoo on October 31st.  Please keep these dates in mind and let me know if you are available to help transport students or chaperone.

Ms. Petra and I love you children.  We have enjoyed getting to know our new students and reconnecting with our returning students.  Thank you for giving us the opportunity to teach them.  Please reach out with any questions or concerns.  kgonzales@mariamontessoriacademy.org

Hello!

Since the home project paper I sent home is a little hard to read, I thought I would post a digital copy here.  Remember, it is due on October 3rd!

Native American Research Project

Native American Research Project Rubric

Hello!

We are already into our third week of school!  Time is going by fast.  The first two weeks were filled with team building games, lessons about classroom procedures, and getting to know you activities.  We learned about Maria Montessori in honor of her birthday on August 31st.  We had lessons about the beginnings of the universe and the coming of life.  We made a volcano and grew bacteria in a Petri dish.  We did some math assessments, which will continue this week.  We will also be doing reading assessments.  We are building our classroom community and are off to a great start!

If you haven’t had a chance to sign up for snack yet, please use this link https://www.trackitforward.com/site/mapa to sign up.  Snack is so important to the students.  We really appreciate your help!

I would like to give some friendly reminders about dress code.  All students need a pair of indoor shoes or slippers to wear in the classroom.  Jeans are only to be worn on Fridays.  While jeans are allowed on Fridays, the students should still be in dress code shirts on Fridays.  Shirts should be a solid color and have a collar.  School spirit T-shirts are also allowed.  Shorts should go at least past the fingertip of the middle finger when arms are straight down by the student’s side.  Leggings are not to be worn as pants.  Leggings or shorts should be worn under skirts or dresses.  Clothing should be free of tears and stains.  Pants should be a solid color and not denim.  Athletic shorts and pants are not in dress code.  If your child has a special circumstance or needs assistance getting dress code clothing, please let me know.  For the school’s official dress code guidelines, please read this https://mariamontessoriacademy.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Dress-Code-Guidelines-17-18.pdf

We have a few field trips coming up and will need parent support with chaperoning and driving.  On September 21st, we will be going to Bountiful for the Freedom’s Light Celebration of the Constitution.  This is an all day field trip.  On October 25, we will be going to see the musical Newsies at Weber High.  This field trip is only in the morning.  Unfortunately, we did not receive tickets for parent chaperones, so we will just need drivers to drop off and pick up.  On October 31st, we will be going to the Hogle Zoo.  This is an all day field trip.  Please keep these dates in mind and check your schedules to see if you can help.

If you can drive for our Constitution field trip on September 21st, please contact Sara Dunn at saraldunn@gmail.com to let her know.  She will be organizing the carpools for this trip.

I love your children and I’m so grateful to have the opportunity to teach them.  Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns. kgonzales@mariamontessoriacademy.org

Kirsten

Here are the supplies for the 2018-2019 school year.  Please feel free to use supplies you still have from last year if they are in good shape.  The students will be keeping their own supplies. Please label everything with your child’s first and last names.  The binder should be labeled on the spine.  It is helpful if supplies are unpackaged before the students bring them to school.  The loose leaf paper and page protectors can be put into the binder.  The pencils, scissors, etc. can be put into the pencil box.  If you are unable to purchase these supplies, please let me know.   

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

White 1 1/2″  three ring binder  (New students only.  Returning students should use their portfolio from last year.  Please make sure you bring it back to school if you brought it home over the summer.)

25 page protectors

1 package loose leaf notebook paper

1 or 2 packages 24 Ticonderoga pencils (These are the only pencils that hold up!)

1 package 24 colored pencils

6 wide ruled composition notebooks

1 pair scissors

1 ruler

erasers (either pink erasers or the kind that go on the end of the pencil)

1 pencil box

glue sticks or bottle of school glue

2 plastic 3 prong folders with pockets (any colors)

indoor shoes (slippers, Crocs, etc.  No characters)

reusable water bottle

These supplies are optional but appreciated and helpful in the classroom:

flashdrive

tissues

paper towels

handheld pencil sharpener

3×5 index cards

graph paper

pillow or cushion for sitting on the floor more comfortably

*Please do not bring any markers of any kind

**We use storage cubbies in our classroom for the students to store their supplies.  Many of the storage bins are getting very worn.  If your student would like to bring a new fabric cube storage bin that they can use for as long as they are in our class, that would be fine.  Otherwise, they are welcome to use the ones that we already have.  Here is an example:  https://www.target.com/p/fabric-cube-storage-bin-11-room-essentials-153/-/A-50344470?lnk=rec|adaptpdph1|related_prods_vv|adaptpdph1|50344470|0  Please purchase a neutral color such as cream or tan.  Light blue would also work.

Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns.  I prefer that you use my school e-mail (kgonzales@mariamontessoriacademy.org) to communicate, rather than replying through the blog. I am so excited to see all of you and embark on this journey together!

Kirsten

The school year is coming to a close.  It has gone by so fast!  As students look forward to summer vacation, some of them are having a hard time remembering that they are at still at school.  Some students are acting completely out of character and are making really poor choices.  Please reinforce with your children that it is important to continue to work hard and follow the rules for these last two weeks of school.

Here are some important things to remember:

May 14th is Crazy Sock Day!

May 14th Our class will be participating in a “store” with several other classes.  The students may bring items that they have made or things from home that they no longer want and “sell” them to other students.  No candy or soda will be allowed.  Also, there will not be access to electricity.  Students will be using Maria Montessori Money that they have been earning for the last couple of weeks.

May 15  is Crazy Hat or Hair Day!

May 16th is Pajama Day!

May 16th The 4th and 5th grade country/continent reports are due

May 16th is the 5th grade meeting to prepare for the Redwoods at 5:30 PM in the library.

May 17th is Dress Up as Your Future Occupation Day!

May 18th is Field Day and Dress Down Day.

May 21-25 are early out days.  School will be dismissed at 1:00 PM each day.

May 23rd is the Upper El Bridging/6th Grade Graduation at 10:30 AM in the gym.  Parents of 6th graders are invited to join us for breakfast at 9:30 AM prior to the ceremony.

May 23rd and 24th are Parent Teacher Conferences.  Please go to www.trackitforward.com and click on Event Sign Ups to find my sign up sheet.  I will be unable to do conferences on May 22nd, so I made the appointments for 15 minutes each to accommodate more parents.  If you would like more time, please sign up for two consecutive time slots.

May 25th is the last day of school!

Last, but not least, Ms. Petra and I are so thankful for all of the gifts and kind words shared with us during Teacher Appreciation Week.  Thank You!

I hope all of you have enjoyed your Spring Break!  I know I have.  I’m a little sad that it is coming to an end.  Its always a great time to relax, refresh, renew, and refocus.  Hopefully we are all ready for the push to get through the end of the school year.  Only seven more weeks!  I know I always say that time is moving quickly, but I really think this year has been the fastest school year ever.  We still have learning to do, so encourage your students to hang in there and not give up quite yet.

Its that time of year when we begin SAGE testing.  I know that this is not anyone’s favorite thing, but please encourage your children not to worry or stress out about these tests.  This is an opportunity for them to show what they know and how much progress they have made over the school year.  Our class is testing on April 10, April 13, April 25, and May 9.  Please plan for your children to be at school on these days.  It is important that they come to school well rested, well fed, and relaxed.  Please also have your child come prepared with a water bottle, a healthy snack, and a book that they will enjoy reading in case they finish early.

Here are some other dates to be aware of moving forward.  The 4th grade Utah History Fair projects are due this Thursday, April 12th.  As a reminder, students are free to research anything having to do with the state of Utah.  They should make a tri fold board that can be displayed for the fair.  They should also be prepared to present their projects to our class.  I believe that the final meeting for students attending the Redwoods and their parents is on Wednesday, April 18th.  I will let you know when I have confirmed the date and time.  The 6th graders will be going on a field trip to the planetarium on April 24th.  Be watching for permission forms to come home soon.  The 6th graders also have a state study due on April 25th.  They should have already brought home this assignment.  Ask them about it if you haven’t seen it yet.  The 4th and 5th graders will be doing a final continent/country report to finish out their home projects for the school year.  I will send home the details for this project later this week.

I love your children.  I love teaching them.  I am proud of all of their accomplishments.  I am so grateful for all of you and your support.  I love Ms. Petra and I’m so grateful to be able to work with her every day.  She is a wonderful example of love, kindness, and acceptance.  Don’t tell anyone, but I truly believe that we have the most amazing class in the whole school.  We aren’t perfect, but we are perfectly imperfect!  We are continually working as a class every day to find solutions to our problems and be the best we can be.  I look forward to seeing everyone tomorrow!

As always, please let me know if you have questions or concerns.  My e-mail address is kgonzales@mariamontessoriacademy.org.  Please use this e-mail rather than sending a message through the blog.

Kirsten

Hello parents!

This Saturday, March 17th is our school’s annual Gala fundraiser.  This is a very important event for our school and always a lot of fun! This year we are hoping to raise money for a new playground.   Please read this message from our MAPA president, Heidi Bradley:

Did you know the Gal’s in the past have made the school money so they could purchase computers, bike rack, P.E. equipment, crosswalk flashing lights, etc…? This year the school is in need of a new playground and we are hoping to get enough money to make a big difference in the playground bill. In comes the GALA:) Our ticket sales for the Gala so far are looking a little sad. We are asking MMA parents to step up and come support MMA. If you can’t come to the Gala but would still like to contribute to the school. The following link has some donation choices:) https://squareup.com/store/mapa-9

OR we will be at the Northeast Corner of North Shore parking lot taking donations and selling Gala tickets this Wednesday and Thursday from 3-4 (drive thru style)!! Hope to see you there:)

Hello!

Here are some things that are coming up in the next couple of weeks…

We are supposed to go on a field trip to Astro Camp on Thursday.  I will admit that it kind of snuck up on me and I am not as prepared as I should be.  In order for this field trip to happen, I need parents who are available to drive students as well as stay and chaperone for the day.  It is located at Odyssey Elementary School in Ogden, so it isn’t too far to drive.  If you are a chaperone for this trip, please be prepared to lead students in an activity, as well as step in and help with the launch simulation if necessary.  I apologize for the last minute request.  If you are available on Thursday, please let me know by Monday.  If we don’t have enough drivers, we will just postpone this trip for another time.

Our biography reports are due on February 12th.  I posted the requirements on the blog and sent home paper copies with the students who requested them.  If you haven’t seen anything yet, please check with your student.

It is time for Parent Teacher Conferences!  The sign ups will be a little different this time.  Instead of using wejoin, we will be using track it forward.  If you haven’t signed up for an account with track it forward, you will need to do that before you can sign up.  You go to https://www.trackitforward.com/site/mapa to sign up.  After that you should look at the event calendar and find “PTC Ms. Kirsten” on February 14, 15, or 16.  If none of those dates or times work for you, I’d be happy to accommodate you on another day.  This conference is student led, so I’d like your student to join you if possible.  Also, all three days of PTC will be early out days and school will dismiss at 1:00 PM.

The Box Tops store is on Tuesday, February 20th.

The science fair is coming up on February 21st!  This is for 6th grade students only.  I need the exact title that will be on the display board no later than Monday.  Please go to https://www.sciencebuddies.org and then click on the Project Guide tab for help with the science fair process.  Each student should have a display board, a lab notebook, and a research paper to display.

We have been focusing on Math a lot in class for the last couple of weeks.  One thing that we would really like to accomplish this year is to have all of the students memorize their multiplication facts.  Many of them can do complicated multiplication and division problems, but they still need to use a chart to get the facts right.  Anything you can do at home to practice multiplication facts and reinforce what we are doing in class would be great.

Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns about anything.  I look forward to meeting with all of you at PTC soon!

Kirsten

Hello,

Tomorrow is our class talent show!  We will be joining with Ms. Jalee’s class to have a talent show at 2:00 PM in the school library.  We only had a handful of students sign up to participate, but I have encouraged the students to bring in any artwork or projects they would like to display.  Parents are welcome to attend!

Monday is our field trip to the Leonardo Museum in Salt Lake.  We are meeting at the Ogden Frontrunner station at 8:00 AM and arriving back at the same station at 2:52 PM.  Please plan to pick up your child at the station before picking up other children at MMA.  Students need to wear dress code and bring a lunch and water bottle.  Please don’t pack anything that needs to be refrigerated or microwaved.  We’ve had several parents volunteer to join us on our field trip.  Thank you!  Just be aware that the Leonardo requires a 5:1 ratio for chaperones and anyone beyond that will be required to pay $7 to enter the museum.  I believe we will have enough free wristbands to ride the Frontrunner for all students and adults.

We’ve been talking about our biography reports in class, but I know everyone has been waiting to hear what the expectations are and when it is due.  I’m sorry!  Here is the information:  Biography Report  This report will be due on Monday, February 12th.  I have told the students that all of the information should not come from the internet.  They should read a book or article about their person if possible.  They should also choose someone who inspires them.

Sixth grade students should be working on their science fair projects.  The science fair is on February 21st and is required for all 6th graders.  An awesome resource to prepare for the science fair is science buddies.  We will be talking about this is class next week.

Our school is having a Chili Cook Off!  It is on January 31st from 5:30-7:00PM in the school gym.  This is such a fun night and a great way to build our community.  Admission is $5 and children 5 and under are free.  It is also all you can eat!  If you would like to enter a pot of chili into the contest or donate some cornbread, please use this link:  https://www.wejoinin.com/sheets/wgkpp.

Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns.  kgonzales@mariamontessoriacademy.org

Kirsten

Hello!  Its been a while!  We have lots to talk about.  I hope that everyone had a wonderful winter break!  I was grateful to spend time with my family and just relax.  Its always hard to get back into the routine after a long break and some of us did struggle a bit last week.  I’m hopeful that this next week will be a fresh start and that we can get excited about learning again!

A quick reminder that we have no school on Friday, January 12th or Monday, January 15th.  Enjoy another break!

Some of our students have been busy planning a class talent show.  Its become somewhat of a tradition that the 6th graders plan a talent show every year.  Our talent show will be on Friday, January 19th at 2:00 PM in the library.  Please come and watch!  I realize that not every student is comfortable getting up in front of people to share their talents.  We will have tables set up for students to display artwork, stories, crafts, or anything they would like to share with others.  Encourage your student to participate!

On January 22nd, our class will be going on a field trip to the Leonardo Museum in Salt Lake.  We will be taking the Frontrunner, so we don’t need drivers, but we’d love to have some chaperones join us.  Please e-mail me if you would like to attend.  kgonzales@mariamontessoriacademy.org  Information about exact times to come…

Our next home project will be to do a biography report.  We’ve been talking a lot in class about setting goals and having a growth mindset.  The students should choose to do their report about someone that they admire and that inspires them to be a better person.  I will discuss this with the students in class and send home exact expectations.  Please encourage your students to start thinking of a person that they would like to research and read about.

From the school:  Please take 15 minutes to complete the AdvancED Parent Survey.  We value your opinion and incorporating parent feedback is important for our school growth.  Plus, we are required to analyze data from this survey to maintain our accreditation.  Thank you for your time and effort!

http://www.advanc-ed.org/survey/public/section/response/begin?surveyConfigId=738200

I would like to thank everyone who donated tissues last week.  We definitely needed them!  Also, thanks so much for all of your support with our class snack.  It is a very important part of our day.  There are lots of students who are coming to school without eating breakfast.  If it is a matter of not having time, please feel free to send breakfast with your student and they can eat it when they get to class.  It is hard for children to concentrate and learn when they are hungry!  Also, please try to make sure your student is packing a healthy, substantial lunch.

I will stop there before I overload you with too much information!  Thank you as always for all of your help and support.  You truly are amazing parents and I appreciate all that you do.  I love your children!  It is a joy to spend time with them every day.

Kirsten