After talking about the date on the calendar every school day this month, we are all very aware that Halloween is approaching! Montessori Children's House will celebrate the holiday by having fun Halloween stations during our morning work period on Wednesday. We will have art projects, cookie decorating, and scooping out our pumpkin in preparation for carving. Of course, all are welcome to come to school in costumes. We do ask that play weapons be left at home, and for parents to be mindful that costumes must be comfortable enough to wear while moving about the classroom. Please leave small or fragile accessories home, so that they are not lost or broken before Halloween night, and please don't have your child wear make-up (we still have lunch and a short rest that day). Full day students will participate in the Halloween parade to show off their own costumes and see how other children dressed up.
This week, we are wrapping up our unit on deciduous trees and their leaves. We have sorted the leaves by color, and found that some leaves are dark, dark purple or almost black, and others were gray! Even red leaves could be pink on the opposite side. We have also named the parts of these leaves, and some students have made nomenclature books naming these parts. The leaves that families brought in are now dried out and crispy. So they will now be used in the mortar and pestle, where students can crush them as small as possible. It's a fine motor and sensory exercise!
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The Montessori class began last week with a visit from the Swormville Fire Department. We watched a fire safety presentation, and then got to see the fire engine up close. Every child was offered a firefighter hat as a souvenir. Thank you to the wonderful folks at the Swormville Fire Department!
It's not too late to bring in a leaf for our class fall leaf collection! This Monday, we will do some sorting and classifying activities using the leaves from all of our families. We will also use them to explore, name, and learn the parts of leaves. This Tuesday and Wednesday are both picture days. Tuesday, October 23, will be the day for individual portraits. Please have your children in their Sunday best for their photos. Wednesday, October 24, will be the day for taking the class photo. Please dress your children in uniforms for that day. As always, the photographer will make every attempt to photograph Montessori children first, so they are fresh and well put together! The Montessori class continues to learn about deciduous trees and their leaves this week. This is a time when we concentrate on introducing a beautiful piece of Montessori work called the botany cabinet. There are puzzles in the cabinet that show the various shapes that leaves take, as well as one puzzle showing the parts of a leaf, one that shows the parts of a deciduous tree, and one showing the parts of a flower. We harvested the dried corncobs from our garden, and continue to keep an eye on our growing pumpkins. Our students are strengthening their fine motor skills by using small tongs to pull the dried corn kernels off the cob. Then they pour what has been collected into a container. It's getting very full! Please look for information in the St. Mary Buzz and going home with your children about the upcoming Pumpkin Carving afternoon at Spoth's, and St. Mary's Fall Fest. We will celebrate Halloween as a class by wearing costumes, walking around the school in the costume parade, and having fun in different Halloween stations in the classroom. For costumes, we ask that your child does not wear makeup, or include any play weapons. Please be mindful that small or fragile costume accessories may not be appropriate for the school day, as they may get lost or broken. Finally, all classes in the lower elementary grades are preparing for a Fall Play with Ms. Oishei, our Music Teacher. Soon, you will receive permission slips for your child's participation. Appearing on stage is not mandatory. Our students are learning a simple song and some choreography during our Music classes. Look for more details coming soon! For our first week of October, the Montessori class has continued learning about Autumn. We have introduced the topic of deciduous trees, the parts of leaves, and what is happening to the weather, plants, and animals during this season. Of course, Halloween is already a big topic of conversation at circle! Stay tuned in the future for news about our Halloween celebration.
Thank you to the Kisailus family for providing a giant pumpkin to our room! The children will hammer golf tees into it (a fun practical life activity that exercises hand-eye coordination), and then we will set the pumpkin into the garden for us to observe the changes as it decomposes. We have a huge pumpkin plant in our garden from the giant pumpkin the Kisailuses donated last year! What a wonderful illustration of the circle of life! We will continue to hold, as the weather permits, "class practice" fire drills so that the school-wide fire drills are not so "alarming" to the children. As it gets colder, please dress your child for the outside weather everyday. We do try to go outside as long as the temperature (the "real feel") is above 25 degrees and it is not too wet. Of course, those kind of temperatures haven't come..... yet. Also, please take note of the kind of extra clothes are in your child's cubby, and replace with cooler-weather wear. As you know from receiving the Remind notification, we have had cases of hand, foot, and mouth disease in the Montessori room. The sooner we know about communicable diseases in our population, the faster the teachers can put extra care into disinfecting the environment, while keeping an eye out for other children with symptoms. If your child is sick, you may e-mail or text the teachers directly (contact information on this website) or call the school office. Thank you for your help to keep our students healthy! On a final note, community learning was demonstrated when Mrs. Kahrimanian and her sixth graders brought dioramas representing the Seven Days of God's Creations. We thank them for sharing their creations and knowledge with us! |
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Ms. Teresa is just one of the three fantastic teachers in St. Mary's Montessori Children's House! |