Hello again from the Montessori Children's House! September is rushing along, mornings are a little cooler, and our students are learning at an amazing pace!
First, thanks to all who attended Meet the Teacher Night. It was a time to answer some of the commonly held questions. However, please don't hesitate to reach out anytime to the Montessori teachers with any questions or concerns. A few points we discussed: Montessori students have no real need for a water bottle, unless they use it with their lunch, or after school. We have a water pitcher that children can pour from anytime they are thirsty. This prevents lots of trips back and forth to the cubbies. Also, we are using the playground as much as we possibly can. Fresh air and running around time are important to this age group, as is the socialization that takes place during free play time. And finally, please consider, if you haven't already, packing an extra mask in your child's backpack; sometimes, they get wet or dirty, and it's good to have a change for comfort and sanitation. Drop off in the mornings have been going smoothly. The children are more comfortable with every day they come to school. Even those who are still crying are stopping quickly once they get to the classroom. Transitions are hard. We ask, please, to let the teachers get your children out of the car. It keeps the car line moving faster, especially once the children get more independent about coming out of their vehicles. Thanks for your anticipated cooperation. We recently had our first fire drill. It was a "silent drill," so we practiced the skills (being quiet and walking in line) without the fright of the alarm! Our students did brilliantly! We have already celebrated a couple of birthdays in our room. We cannot invite family to the classroom, unfortunately, due to Covid protocols. But families of birthday students are welcome to send in a small treat (nut free, please), to share with others. Some choose to put together a party favor bag to send home, but it is not necessary. The birthday kiddo takes a birthday walk, however many times as the earth has gone around the sun in their lifetime, and we listen, while they all eat their snack, to the traditional birthday book, called "On the Day You Were Born." It is a short, but special, celebration. I know that what the kiddoes are doing at school is somewhat a mystery. This age group doesn't generally talk a lot about their days. But when I tally up the notes I took today, and I made note of over 100 works used by our industrious students! They are beginning to find their favorite activities, and stay with them for longer periods, and also choosing friends to invite to join them. Many students are also asking teachers for lessons, which we love! We want to know our students' interests! For the rest of this month, we will continue to learn about fire safety (particularly fire drill behavior) and learn about apples. Thank you for reading!
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Hello! Welcome to the first 2021-2022 School Year Montessori Newsletter!
Thank you for all those who came to First Lessons and stuck with the phasing-in schedule. Our students are growing more comfortable every day with choosing work, asking for lessons, and expressing their needs. On Monday, September 13, we will commence with our regular schedule, wearing uniforms. All students will arrive during the window of 7:30 - 7:50 am, at the back door. Please enter the parking lot via the Stahley Rd. driveway, and follow the arrows to the doorway, by the statue of Mary, where one of the Montessori teachers will waiting to assist your child out of the car. There is no need for you to get out; we've got it! We will take temperatures outside, before the student enters the building, so please wait until that is done to drive away. In the unfortunate event that you are late, please park in the lot by Door B1 and wait to be let in. Our school day begins with children hanging things up in their cubbies, letting a teacher know if they have brought or are buying lunch, and checking in by putting their name stick in the cup. Then they are invited to find work that they will enjoy. We encourage children to make their own "plans" for the day. If they are hungry, they may serve themselves some snack, which is food from the school-wide breakfast program (cereal, small bags of graham cookies, juice, or applesauce), anytime during the morning. Our snack table seats 4 occupants, with a plexiglass divider between all spaces. Students may choose to work alone or with one or two friends. They may ask a teacher for a lesson with work that they do not know how to use. Later in the morning, we all clean up to have a circle, where we may read a story, sing a song, or have a short lesson. We try to go outside as much as weather permits. Young children need to run and stretch and have free play in fresh air. Our Half Day Students leave at 11 am. Adults picking up, please park in the lot next to Door B1, come to the sidewalk in front of the window, and we will send your child through when we see you. Full Day Students will have lunch at 11:30 am. We will follow the protocol of having 3 feet distance between eating children. We do help them open packages, and teach them how to do it as much as is feasible. After lunch, students clear their own tables, wipe them with a child-safe alcohol wipe, and get ready for rest. At 12:25 pm, all students take a short rest in the classroom. Again, we are following the protocol of distancing, which we can keep to 3-6 feet apart during rest. If a child falls asleep, we let them rest until about 1:25 pm. Awake children can get up to go back to work at 1 pm. If you do not want your child to have an extended rest, please let one of the teachers know, and we will happily wake them at 1:00 pm. At this time of day, we will sometimes be able to play outside, or we might have another work choice period. We begin to wind down our day at 1:50 pm, so that all children are ready to go by 2:10 pm dismissal. If you are picking up, please park in the lot, come to Door B1, and we will send your child out when we see you. If your child goes home on the bus, we walk them to the appropriate door to board the bus. Exact times and special classes are detailed on this website, under the heading "Contact Info & Schedules." Each morning, before leaving for school, please, for the sake of health and safety, keep these questions in mind: 1: Does your child have a fever (over 100 degrees F) without having taken fever-reducing medication? 2. Does your child have loss of smell or taste, cough sore throat shortness of breath chills headache, body or muscle aches nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea? 3. Has your child been in close contact with anyone who has been diagnosed with Covid-19, or has been placed in quarantine for possible contact with Covid-19? 4. Has a medical professional asked you to quarantine your child? If you answer "yes" to any of these questions, please keep your child home. We regularly sanitize tables, materials, and shelves during the school day. We also remind students to sanitize hands upon entering the classroom and to wash hands after bathroom and before eating. Please help by keeping unwell children home. As always, if you have any questions or concerns, feel free to reach out via the Remind App, or email me, Miss Teresa, at [email protected], or Miss Krista at [email protected]. Thank you for allowing us to partner in your child's education! |
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Ms. Teresa is just one of the three fantastic teachers in St. Mary's Montessori Children's House! |