Fabulous February!

O.K. January was pretty awesome! 

Career month was a HUGE success!  Here a list of the careers your child leaned about from all of you:

Chiropractor

Fitness trainer

ASU associate director

Lawyer

Teacher

Teen mentor

Councilor

Software engineering instructor

Chef

Hotel manager

Musician

Police Officer

Absolutely amazing job with information and presentations!  The children loved it!

 

February

For this month the children will be studying Arizona plants and animals, an Arizona artist- Jackson Pollock (Who went to elementary school in our district!), the presidents, and we will continue our study of Europe and it's flags.

Our Valentines celebration will be Friday 2/14.  Candy valentines are O.K. just no cookies or cupcakes.  Wrapped goodies that can fit in a Valentines box are great!  Kleenex boxes fantastic Valentines boxes!  Get creative with your child in decorating them and have fun!  Please send the box in decorated on the day of the celebration.

Parent Education Wed 2/12 at 5:00

Unless you are the parent of one of my Kindergartners, you must attend.  Please make arrangements!  This does count as volunteer hours, so sign up on the Volunteer Spot tonight to reserve your space.  Childcare is provided and after is PTA (with dinner!!)
I look forward to seeing you all there!

Volunteer Hours
There are only a few opportunities left to get your 10 hours!  The Volunteer Spot on the School website has all of the events waiting for you to reserve your time!

Calendar
2/12 5:00 Parent Education
2/14 Daddy Daughter Dance
2/17 No School
 

December

December
This month has sure flown by!  As a class, we have been studying artic animals, winter poems, and holiday songs.  This is typically the time of year that the young students (first year) really come into their own.  They are making appropriate work choices, enjoying developing friendships, and finding joy in their work. 

How to help your child develop needed independence
Learning how to step back as a parent is so hard! (And at times heart wrenching!)  This style of learning environment expects high levels of independence from the child in order to be successful.  I have a short list of tips to help your child along.

• Please refrain from physically carrying your child at school.  Carrying your child can indirectly send the message that they are not as grown and capable as they actually are.
• Hand feeding your child in the cafeteria also can send the same message.
• Let your child dress themselves and pick their outfit. 
• Allow the child to do as much of their personal grooming as they are able (combing hair, brushing teeth, washing their body in the bath).
• Encourage your child to be responsible for their school bag.
• Help your young one to get in the habit of picking-up after themselves (on their own).
• Last but not least!  Count to 10 before jumping-in to assist your child when they are struggling with a challenging task...chances are, they may figure it out!

Please read this beautiful article by Mary Zeman published by Association Montessori International

The Greatest Love: Separation and Letting Go

Happy Holidays!


Calendar
12/17 Kindergarten Concert
12/20 Ms. Meg's Kiddo Celebration
12/23-1/7 Holiday Break
1/8 Site Council/PTA Make a New Year's resolution to start attending please!
1/29-1/31 Parent Teacher Conferences
2/12 Parent Education Night (Mandatory)

Have a happy Thanksgiving!!!

Being Thankful

I just couldn't send the students off for the Thanksgiving Holiday without expressing how thankful I am for such a kind and sweet group of children!

I am also thankful to each family who sent in napkins and Kleenex for the children.  Also to Jasper's mom who hand-made new snack aprons for us, to Ryan's mom who came to talk to us about the Omaha Tribe, to Veena's mom for coming to speak to us about India, and to Lauren's family for the donation of the singing bowl and the Zen Garden.

I will see you again On Monday 12/2!

November!!

Where did October go?

Most Important!
If your telephone number has changed, please email myself and the office!  If your child's emergency contact person's telephone number has changed, please email myself and the office.  This also applies if your address has changed.  Up to date information is critical for us to have in emergencies.  Thank you!


Observations

It is that time! Starting in November,  you are welcome to come and observe the classroom.  I ask that you make an appointment with at least 24 hrs notice.  Each observations is 30 minutes in length.  This is a time to be "a fly on the wall" and watch how the classroom works as a community.


Children's Day!

Thank you to everyone who joined the festivities!  We had a wonderful time!  The children did a great job walking in the parade and sitting for the elementary performance.  I am so proud of them!  The food and the company were awesome!  Thank you again for helping make our day such a success!

Our Peace Flags

 Getting Ready to Parade!

 

 Here We Go!

 

Up Next !

 

November bring studies of trees and leaves, North America, North American animals, Native Americans, nuts, and lots of new songs and poems!  If your family has a Native American heritage, I would love to make the time for you to share it with the class!  I offer the children information on the Powhatan, Navajo, and the Hopi people.  I love it when parents come to share.

 

The Holidays are right around the corner!  If you have a cultural holiday tradition you would like to share, you are welcome to come!  Please let me know!

 

Dates

11/7- Kindergarten Field Trip

11/11-No School

11/13-Site Council/PTA

11/25-29 Fall Break/Thanksgiving

12/17-Kindergarten Holiday Concert

12/20-Children's Holiday Party

 

 

We Love October!

I want to share some of my favorite things with you!

Family Fun Magazine is great for craft ideas and recipes.
www.familyfunmag.com

They just had a GREAT article in the new October issue called "Creating Creative Kids" the link is below.  You will love it!

http://www.parents.com/fun/activities/indoor/create-creative-kids/

Parenting books:

The following books have been my personal life-savers!






Positive Discipline for Preschoolers

by Ann Duffy

1-2-3 Magic: Effective Discipline for Children 2-12 

by Thomas W. Phelan

Montessori from the Start: The Child at Home, from Birth to Age Three

 

by Lillard & Jessen

 

October!

 

There are so many fun things to learn in October!  We will learn about the part of the pumpkin and the pumpkin life cycle.  We will be learning about Africa and the animals that live there.  Spiders and bats are a favorite to look-in into this time of year as well an the composer Bach and Impressionist artists. We also have the United Children's Day Festivities on 10/30!  The Kinders have been busy sewing 26 peace flags for the class to display on the big day!

 

Jayvyn hard at work sewing a peace flag!

Lauren Carefully sewing a peace flag!

 

 

Events:

10/7-14 Fall Break
10/18 Picture Day!  New Date!

10/16 PTA/Site Council

10/25 Fall Festival (Have you signed up to help on Volunteer Spot?!)

10/30Children's Day (More information to come soon!)

We are all here!!!

Welcome!!!

Welcome Kinders!!

 

 

 

Welcome Second Years!!
Phillip and Reegan not pictured

Welcome 1st Years!!

Welcome Rhys and Ryan (arrived after picture)

 

Sick Policy

We are all here and that means one thing.....now we all get sick!  It takes some time for new students to build up that immune system, so expect some sniffles.  I thought it would be helpful to remind everyone of the school's sick policy.  A child must be fever/ vomit/ diarrhea free for 24 hours without the aid of medication to return to school.  If you are questioning whether your child is well enough to bring them to school, you should probably keep them home.  Sick children sent to school create a domino effect of more sick children and sick teachers.

 

What's Going on for September

As a group we will be looking at the Solar System, Apples, Pablo Picasso, the composer Tchaikovsky, studies in color and much more!

Thank You!
A big thank you for all of the classroom supplies!  I also wanted to send a thanks to Lauren's family for the Montessori Services goodies from the classroom Wish List on Volunteer Spot.

I am here for you if need me!  I welcome all questions you may have, so please never hesitate to ask!

Up Next

9/6-Back to School Bash
9/11- PTA/Site Council- see you all there- Especially Kinder families.   The elementary will be presenting on their Montessori program- good information for 1st grade!

Fall 2013

Back-to-School Shopping

Please keep in mind the school's dress code when doing your back-to-school clothing shopping for your child.  Closed-toe shoes/sandals (you all have been GREAT about this!), no spaghetti straps, no shortie shorts/skirts/dresses-they should be longer than the child's finger tips when held at their sides and keep in mind how tight the clothes are-the children work on the floor and need to be comfortable getting up and down.

Backpacks

Same as in the past, Please no backpacks as they are too large and we have no room to store them.  I promise, your child will never have enough papers to take home to necessitate a backpack.  I am asking that tiny backpacks stay home as well.  They cause arguments amongst the children about what is OK to bring to school.  We found that those "Sack-style" backpacks, although small and compact, were a pain.  Children's things, and limbs, get tangled up in the strings and they hang down to their knees.  Small tote bags are best.  The dollar store always them!  I appreciate your planning when it comes to this item!

Supplies for the Fall

I divide the classroom supplies by each child's year in the classroom.  Please use the supply list for you child according to how many years they have been in the classroom.

1st Year Supply List (for students new to the classroom)

1 Small Book Sized Tote Bag (NO backpacks-we simply do not have the room to store them)
1 Metal Fork (no cartoon characters)
1 Metal Spoon (no cartoon characters)
1 Container Clorox Wipes
1 Box/Bag of Penne Past or Ditalini Pasta
1 Package of Paper Napkins
2 Complete Changes of Clothing Labeled in a Gallon Zip Bag

2nd Year Supply List (for returning students)

1 Small Book Sized Tote Bag (NO backpacks-we simply do not have the room to store them)
1 Metal Fork (no cartoon characters)
1 Metal Spoon (no cartoon characters)
1 Bottle of Dish Soap
1 Box of Kleenex
1 Package of Glue Sticks
1 Bag of cotton Balls
1 Complete Change of Clothing Labeled in a Gallon Zip Bag

Kindergarten (3rd Year) Supply List(you know who you are-your child is amped to be a Kinder!)

1 Small Book Sized Tote Bag (NO backpacks-we simply do not have the room to store them)
1 Non-Toxic Plant (No Pathos)
1 Box of Kleenex
1 Box Watercolor Paint (8 color tray please)
1 Pack of Cellulose Sponges (please no green scrubby sponges)
1 Skein Brightly colored Yarn
2 Primary Ruled Composition Books (the composition books from Walmart are not good, as we have found out.  Try Office Max, Dollar Store, Staples)
1 Package of 8 1/2 x 11 White Copy Paper
1 Complete Change of Clothing Labeled in a Gallon Zip Bag


See you at Back To School Night in July!