This past week, the Montessori class learned about five different kinds of winter squash, introducing one per day. The butternut, acorn, spaghetti, hubbard, and pumpkin squashes will remain on the shelf until the end of the month, so students will have ample time to compare and explore them. At that time, we will open the squash (after discussing what we may see inside of them), roast them, and taste them. The pumpkin will be turned into a pie. The book "Grow a Pumpkin Pie" will provide the basic recipe in story form.
On November 21, full day students will have a Thanksgiving luncheon with the whole school community. We will be eating in the gym with all of the other grades. If you haven't turned in your reservation sheet with $2,75, please do so. If your child has a lunch account, you do not need to pay for the Thanksgiving lunch separately; the cost will be automatically deducted from the account. It is getting colder out, and snowflakes have been sighted. Please send your child to school dressed appropriately for the weather. They may only need a light jacket to get from the warm car to the warm school, but they need warmer clothing to play for a half-hour outside. If the weather is dry, and the temperature is above 25 degrees, we will go outside. When snow starts to fall, please send your child in with boots and snowpants. Some families keep a pair of snowpants at school to stay in the cubby. Likewise, some choose to keep a pair of inside sneakers at school. Children may not wear boots all day at school. Please label all outside clothing, sweaters, and footwear. Feel free to check the page, "A Peek Inside the Classroom." We are adding new photos of student work regularly. So much of a Montessori student's work is experiential; they use material and put it away, and may not have a worksheet or paper to take home reflecting the skills learned and practiced. The photos are a chance to see your young workers in action. Report cards will be sent home on November 30. Parent-teacher conferences will be held on December 1. Please sign up for a 15 minute appointment at the link http://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c044caead2ca3f94-201615 (the Sign-Up Genius link can also be found on the St. Mary School website). When reading your child's report card, especially if it is your first one, please be aware that the skills listed represent the typical three year cycle of a Montessori primary education, from 3 to 6 years old. It is typical for younger children to receive many N/As, as skills haven't been introduced or observed. We look forward to seeing all families represented on conference day. Lastly, a special thank you to Ryan Verity, St. Mary's Business Manager, for bringing his adorable puppy to visit our class! The children were thrilled with the surprise visit of a furry friend.
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Hello again! I am sorry that there was a newsletter haitus, but I am happy to be back to school seeing all of my little friends!
This month, our themes are going to be squashes and Thanksgiving. Each day, next week, the children are going to be introduced to a new kind of winter squash. There are so many amazing and lovely varieties! The squash will remain on the shelf for our students to observe and handle. By the end of the month, we will cut each of them open (after making some predictions about what they will look like inside) and taste some roasted squash. Today, we had a young visiting author, Muskan Virk tell us about her book, 365 Days of Gratitude. She began this book when she was 6 years old! It is an important message to our children to hear such a young person speaking to them about being thankful for what we have. Of course, in the spirit of Thanksgiving, we will begin talking about what we are thankful for. We encourage all of our children to try to remember how much they have that is good. Report cards and conferences are coming up! We will have our parent/teacher conferences on December 1. Please see stmaryschoolswormville.org to sign up for a conference time slot on the Sign-Up Genius. Thank you! |
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Ms. Teresa is just one of the three fantastic teachers in St. Mary's Montessori Children's House! |