Primary News


Fieldtrip Photos from Isabelle and Syeda's Class




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Weaving Work in Shelley and Yukiko's Class


Primary students in Shelley and Yukiko's class had the opportunity to use the table loom GMS parent Barbara Onadein donated to the school.  All of the children helped to weave this lovely table runner that is now on our snack buffet table.  Two children took over as the loom managers and they oversaw the work, only asking for a teacher's assistance if something went wrong.

Thanks to Jessica and Alan Smith, we now have a lot of new yarn and warp threads from Unifi to add to the chenille yarn that Ms. Onadein gave us when she donated the loom.  The children started a second weaving project and those students who will be attending "Week in the Woods" camp will be working on that the new project.  We can't wait to see how it turns out!



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Tracy and Evelyn's Class Visit the Butterfly Farm


Primary students from Tracy and Evelyn's class enjoyed a beautiful day at the Butterfly Farm.  Check out all the great photos from their day with their winged friends!


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Carmen and Monica's Class Visit the Llamas!


Primary students in Carmen and Monica's class had a great visit to Llama Trek.  The children learned all about llamas and how they are cared for. 


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Spring Activities in Tracy and Evelyn's Class
Spring 2010

We’ve had a very busy Spring!  Here is an overview of all the lessons and activities the children have been working on and enjoying!

Lessons:
Our older students received the following lessons over the last two weeks: action work (verbs), division, fractions, report writing, cursive writing, and even/odd numbers.
 
Our younger students will continue to receive lessons in the following areas:  language (I-Spy, moveable alphabet, farm, name writing, letter writing, etc.), mathematics (teen boards, ten boards, counting, math chains, number writing, etc.), geography (book making, map making, puzzle
maps) science (solar system, butterflies), and cultures (Spain and England).
 
We celebrated Earth Day (Dia de la Tierra) by playing outside on the field with hula hoops, balls, and a parachute.  Later we talked about what the
Earth means to us.
 
The afternoon kids spent time playing in the woods, ate lunch outside, learned how to say Earth Day in Spanish, and painted a picture about what the Earth means to them.  The children went to the garden and used one piece of the Earth as a focal point of their picture.
 
Cultural lessons:
France-- Our afternoon kids built 2-D versions of the Eiffel Tower!
Italy -- The students sculpted clay and made dishes, vases, and mammals.
Spain-- The students made replicas of Gaudi sculptures.

      The students who will be moving up to Lower El visited that division for a Great Lesson in Early Humans.


We have talked a great deal about pinworms, the volcano in Iceland, and butterflies.  We really enjoyed our time together at the Butterfly Farm. Thanks to all who attended.  Enjoy the photos!
 
We have had several Special Guests visit our class this Spring:
 
       Isabelle Bangham, a GMS Primary teacher who is from France, introduced the students to French culture. Isabelle brought in French bread and cheese.  She also taught us some French vocabulary, introduced us to France’s flag, and loaned us a couple of European puzzles.  Isabelle is from France.
    
Lynn Wagoner, GMS Learning Support Services Specialist, visited our class and presented beautiful material on Spain.
Lynn brought in a Flamenco music CD for the kids to listen to.  The children asked many questions. Thanks to Lynn for volunteering her time to share her knowledge of Spain with us!
 
Our librarian Pete read a book entitled Sawa Sawa by Rose Shomali Musleh. The book challenges stereotypical views of gender specific roles.  (Only girls do housework?!  No way!)  The kids really got into the story and talked
about how much their dads help around the house.
 
We were fortunate enough to learn about Germany through our friend Monica. Monica brought in lots of visual aids.  They children really enjoyed viewing the European coins, the flag of Germany, the football jersey, and photos of Germany.  They asked lots of questions.  We also listened to some German children’s music (in German, of course!).
 
Thanks to Jacqui, Ben's mom, for presenting England to us.  The children were introduced to historic sights, historic facts, food, government, and the culture of England.  We learned about Big Ben, fish & chips, English
police cars, cricket, rugby, the Queen's guards, and more!  Jacqui brought in visual aids including money from England.
 
Thanks to Ada for giving us a mini-concert on Monday morning. Ada played various songs including our favorite, "Dragon Baby". Thank you Allison and Ada!
 
Frank stopped by and entertained the afternoon kids. He sang with the children, told stories, and made everyone laugh.  We received a very interesting version of Rapunzel.  Thanks, Frank.  (Frank just happens to be our Head of School and a fascinating storyteller.)




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Students in Isabelle and Syeda's Class Work on Their Mother's Day Projects


The children enjoyed creating their Mother's Day projects with Gabriella. 


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Grandparents and Special Friends visit Isabelle and Syeda's Class!
Enjoyed our day with our special guests!

The children in Isabelle and Syeda's class enjoyed sharing the gardens with their grandparents and special friends on April 30th!


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Tracy and Evelyn's Class Raises Money for Haiti
Many Thanks for Your Support

Dear Parents,
 
 
Thank you for your generous contributions to our project for Haiti.
 
As we talked about Haiti over the last couple of weeks, the children expressed sincere compassion. It was truly beautiful. One child even said that it would give her peace to have everything fixed in Haiti.
 
Last week the afternoon students sorted and counted the money we collected. We are pleased to tell you that our total came to $405.00.
 
We will send our donation to International Partners in Mission this week.
 
Thanks again for your generosity.
 
Sincerely,
Evelyn and Tracy



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Bells, Study Buddies and Calder Activities in Shelley and Yukiko's Classroom


The children have been busy this spring in Shelley and Yukiko's class!  In January, the class excitedly welcomed their new bells!  Thanks to the Davis family, our classroom has a full set of bells.  The bells are a sensorial material for training the ear to hear pitch and intervals.  The support materials for the bells assist in learning the names of the notes as well as other musical knowledge

In February, our study buddies worked with us on our Spanish!  We love our study buddies.  Mike showed Charles how to write the vowel sounds in Spanish.  Then Charles took a turn and was so excited to be able to write what he heard.

Older students can help children in ways that peers and adults cannot.  The younger children are comfortable and enthusiastic when practicing their lessons with these role models.   It also helps the study buddies to see the materials they used to use in a new way.  They can see the concepts and skills in the activities, and can find ways independently to support the young ones as they challenge themselves.

In March, the class has been studying Alexander Calder.  He was the inventor of the mobile, which is sculpture that moves freely, often from the wind.  Before Calder worked on that, he made many wire sculptures.  So we have been making wire sculptures as well.  This is a flower and a butterfly, and Tad is working on making a wire sculpture that can move and spring back to its original shape. Thomas made glasses and a camera.
Please come by our classroom and see our sculptures!


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Dr. Michael Ignelzi and Dr. Eiber Sanchez Visit Carmen and Monica's Class
Learn about proper dental health

Dr. Mike from Lake Jeanette Orthodontics and Pediatric Dentistry visited Carmen and Monica's classroom on March 8th to discuss good dental hygiene.  The students are studying the human body in their class.  Dr. Eibar Sanchez, who is from Peru and also a dentist at Lake Jeanette, accompanied Dr. Mike.   Dr. Eibar, a native Spanish speaker, communicated in Spanish to the students in Carmen and Monica's Spanish-immersion class, while Dr. Mike presented in English.  This very interactive lesson started with Drs. Mike and Eibar explaining required items for good dental hygiene (toothbrush, toothpaste and floss), and demonstrated the proper method of teeth-brushing and flossing. Each student was able to brush a  stuffed dinosaur's teeth to show his or her skills.

Following the brushing lesson, the Drs. showed discussed the various types of healthy and unhealthy foods to eat.  The students called out the Spanish names for each item and discussed whether they were good or bad for their teeth.  The students already knew many of the Spanish names before Dr. Eibar told them!  Once the session about good vs. bad food choices (and the reasons) were discussed, Dr. Mike talked about how teeth are the strongest part of our bodies (even stronger than bones) and how the teeth and mouth relate to the digestive system.  Dr. Mike then showed the children a model of a tooth with a transparent view of the inside of the tooth. At the conclusion of the lesson, the students were given new toothbrushes, toothpaste and floss along with dental literature for their parents to review.  Many thanks to Dr. Mike and Dr. Eibar for visiting!


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Great Work and New Students in Isabelle and Syeda's Class


Students in Isabelle and Syeda's class welcomed three new students to their classroom after the winter break. Francesca and Hanna moved up from the Toddler division in January and Alex is new to GMS. The children enjoy washing work in Practical Life while the older children have been busy studying the solar system this winter. CASA students are enjoying their work in the afternoons as well.

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Tracy and Evelyn's Class Give to Local Animal Shelter


As a holiday project, the students in Tracy and Evelyn’s Primary class collected pet supplies for the Guilford County Animal Shelter. The students, their families and friends collected a van load of food, toys, bedding, grooming items and carriers for the shelter animals. Thanks to everyone for their participation!


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Experiencing Practical Life in Tracy and Evelyn's Class

Practical Life promotes independence, order, concentration, and coordination.  The students choose from a variety of works that include: pouring, spooning, scooping, tweezing, stringing, basting, scrubbing, polishing, hammering, screw driving, sorting, and dressing frames (button, buckle, zipper, snap, tying, and lacing frames).  Students are able to self-correct their own work by using the class materials.  The following images are examples of the Practical Life works found in our classroom.  As you can see, the students use real-life tools and breakable materials.  Photos include: bubble making, pouring, tweezing, grinding, button frame, table scrubbing, changing clothes, baby scrubbing, hand washing, and hammering work.

Math works in Tracy and Evelyn's Class

Students in our class are introduced to counting, numeral recognition, numeral writing, addition, multiplication, subtraction, division, fractions, measurements, time (clock work), and money.  Some of the materials in our room can be viewed in the following images. 

The photos are of: linear math chains (skip counting), the 100 board, addition with objects, golden bead addition, division, and the teen boards and beads. 

Learning all about Language in Tracy and Evelyn's Class

In language, students are introduced to story sequencing, opposite work, sign language, rhyming, poetry, handwriting, cursive, journal writing, story writing, report writing, rhyming, riddles, phonograms, grammar, and reading.

Evelyn and Tracy's Holiday Party 2009!

We would like to thank all the parents for volunteering their time, effort, materials, and support for our holiday party.  The children loved making crafts, snowmen, and dream catchers.  Enjoy the photos from this mornings party! 

Happy holidays to all!  Evelyn and Tracy.

Carmen and Monica's Spanish Immersion Class Celebrate Winter

Our class has been learning about different winter celebrations, doing lots of different activities and making crafts. 

Tracy and Evelyn's Class Learn About Hannukah

Last Wednesday and Friday, Heather Gottlieb introduced Hannukah to the children.  The children learned about the menorah, Hannukah traditions, and sampled potato pancakes.  Heather made a work in the class of the dreidel game, which the children enjoyed playing. 

Lots of work and fun in Isabelle and Syeda's Class Room in December


November and December have been busy months in Isabelle and Syeda's class.  The students have been busy working on maps and bells, making cornbread with Gabriella, learning about Canada and Hannukah, enjoying music with Yukiko and shopping for goodies at the Middle School Holiday Market!  Retired GMS teacher Diana Noble has been volunteering in the class room and working with the students as well.  Thanks Diana!  Be sure to check out all the great photos from our all of our activities!

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Kelly and Tracy's classes Visit Timberlake Farms

The Timberlake visit on November 20th consisted of hikes, peaceful circle time, singing songs about nature, and embracing our inner selves.  It was a beautiful day and enjoyed by all.  Check out the pictures from our visit!

Learning about Water Color Painting in Kelly and Rhea's Class

The students in Kelly and Rhea's class have been learning about water color technique and Vincent Van Gogh. They made their own paintings in the style of Van Gogh, and discussed still life art.

Frank Visits Kelly and Rhea's Class

We'd like to thank Frank for visiting our class today and sharing his stories and music with the children.  They especially liked his rendition of Pete Seeger's The Foolish Frog.  Check out Pete Seeger's website in case you can't remember the lyrics at www.peteseeger.net/The Foolish Frog.htm

Carmen and Monica's Spanish Immersion Class Study Solar System
Can you name the planets in Spanish? They can!

Children in Carmen and Monica's class work on a group lesson about the Solar system in Spanish.

The children in our Spanish Immersion class have been learning the names of the planets in Spanish.

Kelly and Rhea's class make fabric Christmas cards


Children in Kelly and Rhea's class recently made beautiful Christmas cards.  They chose the fabrics and sewed them to the cards.  The adults cut most of the fabric and used the machine to make some of the other stitches.  The children then wrote messages of peace on the inside.  Enjoy the photos!


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Carmen and Monica's Spanish Immersion Class Study Austrailia
Story of the Blue Lizard

Children in Carmen and Monica's Spanish Immersion class enjoyed painting colorful lizards as part of their studies of the continent of Austrailia.  The children enjoyed a story about a aborigines lizard that fell on it's face and turned blue.  They put their creative talents to work to create an array of colorful lizards of their own!

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Lessons from Shelley and Yukiko's Classroom
Learning about metal insets

This child learned about using the metal inset circle to draw a pumpkin from a friend.  Metal insets and their extensions help build the strength and stamina of the hand to prepare it for writing.

Tracy and Evelyn's Class Native American Curriculum

As we continue our Native American curriculum, we will introduce the children to the following: canoes, dream catchers, mandalas and regional maps.  The students have been introduced to pictographs (written language of the Native American), Native American homes (tipis, hogans, long houses, adobe villages), oral history (storytelling and legends), the uses of the buffalo, totem poles, and thunderbirds (mythical gigantic birds with wings that close together and produce thunder).

On November 7th, The Guilford Native American Association hosted the Native American Cultural Festival. Traccy Carr and other participants danced in a friendship circle with an Aztec Indian Chief. 

On December 2^nd, Ms. Dunker, a representative from the Greensboro Historical Museum presented artifacts and history of North Carolina Native Americans.  She discussed habitat, nutrition, dress, music and games, how the Native Americans used every part of the deer, loved the land, and loved peace. She brought in arrowheads, an ax, feathers, moccasins, deer skin, vegetables and beans, gourds, a disc (a type of ball used for an early version of bowling), and pictures.  She also dressed in full NC Native American attire.  The children were able to answer many questions about Native Americans, and learned more as well.  Check out all the photos!

Kelly and Rhea's Class Learn About the Nutrition and the Human Body
Field Trip to the Slim Goodbody Show

The children in Kelly and Rhea's Primary class have been learning about Nutrition and the Human Body.  They painted life size self portraits to learn about the outside of their body and made vests and hats with cut outs of the internal organs to study the insides of their bodies.  These art projects are designed to enhance the many other works and lessons the children used during this unit of study.

To finish this unit the entire class will be going on a field trip to the Carolina Theatre to attend the Slim Goodbody show, which will feature songs and performances related to the study of the human body.

Great Photos from Isabelle and Syeda's Class


Check out all the great photos from the summer Moving Up Camp, to the start of school, gardening fun and going to the library with Isabelle and Syeda's class.

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Environmental Education with Evelyn and Tracy

August-September 2009

We have been enjoying our school campus by exploring our school gardens, taking nature walks, and playing in the woods.  The children have sampled figs, grapes, blackberries, apples, carrots, peppers, and tomatoes!  At the ponds, the children have gleefully spotted tadpoles, frogs, fish, lizards, spiders, and dragonflies.  In the woods, the children enjoy unstructured play and examine the biology of their outside surroundings.   We encourage you to “leave no child inside”.  If you are interested in learning more about the importance of the natural world, we recommend Last Child in the Woods by Richard Louv.  This fall, we will introduce our Native American Indian curriculum.  The children will learn about Native American Indian habitats, culture, and more.

Dental Friend visits Evelyn and Tracy's Primary


Dr. Cashion presented to Evelyn and Tracy’s primary class at the beginning of May. He spoke with the students about dental hygiene and nutrition. The class discussed healthy and non-healthy food choices and how important it is to take care of our teeth. We would like to thank Lisa Selvey and Dr. Cashion for their time.


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Carmen and Monica's Students Show Their Creativity
In art, and the art of cooking!

For those who attended the Greenatopia Gala, the beautiful painting created by Carmen and Monica's class will be familiar.  Here are some wonderful photos of the students creating the fish in the painting.

Another creative activity for the students was a cooking project.  The children made Costa Rican tortillas together.  Photos of this fun and tasty project are also shown here.



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Evelyn and Tracy's Class Celebrate Mexico


Evelyn and Tracy’s class have been studying Mexico these last few months. Thus far, the students have been learning about the culture and geography of Mexico, Mexican artists Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera, our Lady of Guadalupe, the Mexican flag, and Mexican masks. We celebrated Mexico by having a taco party in the class. The students took pride in inviting their parents to the party and worked hard at cleaning up.


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Great Photos From Isabelle and Syeda's Class
Field Trips, Grandparents Day, and More!

Isabelle and Syeda's class have recently taken a wonderful field trip to the Natural Science Center for a picnic and a visit to the zoo (with the help of some terrific chaperones).  Take a look at the wonderful photos!

Other photos include proud students, special friends, and grandparents on Grandparents' Day, May 8th.

There are also many photos of the children working, enjoying lunch indoors and outdoors, and showing off some of their accomplishments (including being Frank for a day!)  Enjoy!



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Evelyn & Tracy's Students Create Birdfeeders


What a wonderful way to celebrate spring! Evelyn and Tracy's students combined some practical life skills with science and art to create hand made bird feeders. The GMS gardens and outdoor work areas are such a perfect setting for lessons like this! Thank you so much to Renea M. for helping students with this project.


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Isabelle and Syeda's Class Egg Hunt


On Thursday, April 9th, Isabelle and Syeda's class, along with some parent helpers and our Middle School Study Buddies, enjoyed an outdoor egg hunt! It was a beautiful spring day, and the children had a wonderful time finding eggs, and having a special snack outside.


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Kelly and Rhea's Students Create Solar System Work on the Playground
Creative, eager learners at work!

At GMS, students are given the tools to own their learning. They have opportunities in the woods and the playground and the gardens to extend their learning beyond the classroom.

These photos show how several students in Kelly and Rhea's class used materials from the natural world to create their own version of the solar system on the playground equipment.

The children worked together to create the work. They used problem solving skills to decide which materials would represent particular parts of the solar system. Students used the knowledge they have gained from classroom lessons to decide which rocks would represent which planets. This spontaneous work demonstrates true understanding of these concepts.



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Isabelle and Syeda's Classroom Activities
Enjoy some wonderful photos of the students working

Children in Isabelle and Syeda's class have been very busy, and the new classroom camera means we can share some photos!  Students have been working in all areas of the classroom, and in the GMS kitchen!  There are even a few pictures of students making the most of snow on the playground.  The class also had a very special violin presentation from Ella and her mom, Wendy!



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Evelyn and Tracy's Class Make Irish Soda Bread
Cooking

Evelyn and Tracy's class celebrated St. Patrick's Day by learning about St. Patrick and making Irish soda bread. The class discussed the meaning of a recipe and how each ingredient is important to the final product. Each student added an ingredient and eagerly watched as the bread baked. Later that morning, the bakers sampled their creation.

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Evelyn and Tracy's Class Study Pioneers
Pioneer Study

Evelyn and Tracy’s Students’ Pioneer Study


We are learning all about pioneers! The students have been reading books about life on a pioneer settlement and have made drawings of settlements. We have learned new vocabulary, made pioneer books, and tasted pure maple syrup. The class looks forward to making bread, sewing, and drying herbs. Last week we spoke to the students about chores on the pioneer settlement, and read from The Little House Books by Laura Ingalls Wilder. This week we discussed how pioneer children amused themselves. Since the children did not have computers or television, they spent time outdoors and also made shadow puppets. Our students created their own shadow puppets and individually entertained the class with original stories.

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Montessori Primary Level Language Studies
Shelley and Yukiko's Classroom

Language study in Montessori Primary is practiced with many different activities. In these photos, children work with the metal insets to make colorful designs, write word books, read words and match them to pictures, read to each other, use rhyming puzzles, practice free writing, work on sound booklets, use the reading corner, make a book about ocean animals, build words with the moveable alphabet, and use grammar symbols to analyze phrases.




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Shelley and Yukiko's Students Study Ikebana
(Japanese Flower Arranging)

We have updated the class flower arranging work to co-ordinate with our study of Asia. The children are using kenzan and stones to practice the art of Japanese flower arrangement, called ikebana. It involves working with the foliage and flowers the way they are naturally, using the features of each branch to balance against the others.

We will be having families with ties to Asia coming to present about their countries soon! It is going to be quite busy and interesting.




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Kelly and Rhea's Class is Studying The Solar System


The childrens' solar system learning will be integrated through the different areas of the classroom - science, art, music, and practical life.

Students are using practical life and art skills to learn concepts in science. They have heard songs about the sun and Mercury, and using different media they have made representations of the sun and Mercury to hang in the classroom and smaller versions to take home. They are learning that the planets orbit the sun and are able to relate that concept back to their birthday celebrations when they carry the globe around the sun.

Mimi, Garrett, Rithika, Jason, Freddie, Aidan and Mason show off their tissue paper suns and cratered representations of Mercury in the attached photos.


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Primary - Learning at Home


What Can We Do At Home?

Parents often ask us this question. Below you will find some suggestions on what you can help your child with at home.


• ABCs and 123s

• Singing the alphabet song and practicing counting never gets old.
Also practice naming colors and shapes.

• I-Spy
As you know, we teach the sound of the letter before naming the letter, play I-Spy to help your child recognize the sound of the letter
“I-Spy with my little brown eye something that begins with the sound “s””.

• Rhyming
Read a rhyming book, sing songs, or make-up your own game.

• READ READ READ READ:
Read to your children and listen to them read.

• Grace and Courtesy:
Practice the art of interrupting politely and listening actively.

• Independence:
Help you child become independent by doing the following: have a designated area for your child to put away his/her belongings; use hooks children can reach; assign routine chores so that your child is a responsible member of the family
(set the dinner table, arrange flowers, dust, feed the pet, water plants); expect your child to clean-up after him/herself; establish routine bedtime ritual along with regular bedtime, child should sleep alone in own bed

• Peace: create peace table/peace item in household.
Any family member can invite another to the peace area and resolve any conflict, acknowledge each other’s feelings as a beginning, and listen to each other before declaring peace.

• Make agreements with your child:
If your child is doing/or not doing something on a consistent basis it is time to establish an agreement that states what behavior is accepted, the child decides the consequence if the agreement is broken (follow-up with agreement).

• Spanish:
Practice songs in Spanish

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Primary - Nutrition


AFTERNOON LUNCHES

Dear Parents,

We have noticed some less than healthy lunches at school and would like to offer a few healthy suggestions for you. As all of you know, it is essential for children to eat wholesome foods full of protein, vitamins, and healthy carbohydrates. Of course there is only so much time during the day to prepare these meals, and we understand that nutrition sometimes takes a back seat to convenience. Take a look at the information below and contact us if you have any questions.

Evelyn and Tracy

Healthy recommendations:

Fresh fruit instead of fruit in syrup--- Fresh fruit such as a small apple, tangerine, seedless grapes, or banana are easy to send to school and require no preparation (also, you eliminate unnecessary sugar from your child’s diet).

Fresh-cut veggies or pre-cut veggies are healthy and easy (carrots, bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, broccoli)
With dip is a refreshing treat

Wheat or rice crackers, pretzels, and rice cakes instead of sugary carbohydrates (easy to send to school, good to eat)


If you find that your child does not like to eat sandwiches, try sandwich wraps instead or homemade crackers/cheese/meat stacks (leave Lunchables at the store)

Vanilla yogurt with fresh fruit instead of pre-packaged, dyed yogurt

Vanilla pudding is a simple dessert to have at lunchtime

Fruit breads are healthy desserts as well (strawberry or banana)


REMEMBER

It is best to avoid food dyes as well as artificial preservatives, therefore be mindful of sugar-free foods that contain Splenda or aspartame, neither are good for your child.

Your children cannot independently eat their lunches if they cannot open their containers, send food in containers your child can open.

Items we will send home uneaten: Fruit roll-ups, fruit candy, candy, cookies, cinnamon rolls/doughnuts

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Evelyn & Tracy's Winter Primary News


Our first trimester’s central focus has been transitioning our new students into our Montessori environment.

In Practical Life our students enjoy work on dry and wet pouring, spooning, basting, eye dropping, color mixing, polishing, scrubbing, hammering, screw driving, grinding, flower arranging, sweeping, and dusting. Each of these works help build concentration, coordination, order, and independence.

In Sensorial the students practice daily with sensorial works that help build discrimination skills and naming sensorial experiences (ie. knobbed cylinders,
cube and puzzle work, Red Rods, the Brown Stair, the Pink Tower, the color tablets, sound cylinders, and the geometric cabinet).

In Geography our students receive lessons on North Carolina landmarks and symbols, world continents, and map making.

In Science our students enjoy studying the Earth, land and water land-forms, fossils, constructing fossils, caves and experiments (stalactites vs. stalagmites), continents, and North Carolina lighthouses.

In Language our students receive lessons on the moveable alphabet, cursive handwriting, silent –e work, labeling the environment and the Farm, poetry, rhyming, opposites, story sequencing, book making, and story writing.

In Math the students practice daily with 1-10 work, teen beads and boards, the 100 board golden bead addition, the stamp game, multiplication bead bar layout, addition with objects and subtraction with objects.

During circle time we practice grace and courtesy, respecting each other’s bodies and words. We use a bell in the classroom to obtain everyone’s attention and make important announcements. Our friends enjoy singing such songs as “Alligator Pie”, “5 Little Pumpkins”, “Make New Friends” and “Do You Know Your Continents”


Our students also enjoy liberal art classes in Spanish, Music and Movement, Library, and Gardening.


Class Wish List

Watercolor paper
Reusable plastic bags (gallon, quart, sandwich)
Soft Scrub
Food coloring

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Primary - Television and Our Children


Dear Parents,

As teachers we do our best to observe our students in the class and on the playground. Lately we have noticed an alarming increase of aggression in the class and on the playground. Although some students pretend to be “good guys”, their behavior is not role model material. Also we experience on a daily basis students who cannot focus on work. Some students zone –out during individual work time and group presentations. Other students use class materials as fantasy objects and find it difficult to relate to our concrete work.


For those of you who have car DVD players, we ask you to leave the DVD off on school days. Your children do not need to view movies or cartoons during the car ride to school or in the car line. Children also do not need to play video games or any other hand-held electronic items before school begins.


Below are a few excerpts from a website we found that discusses television’s impact on children.

As parents, you are the primary care providers and establish all house rules. These house rules affect our class environment and we ask that you carefully consider the following information below.

Thank you,
Evelyn and Tracy


From www.media-awareness.ca

Researchers have identified three potential responses to media violence in children:

• Increased fear-also known as the “mean and scary world” syndrome:
  Children, particularly girls, are much more likely than adults to be portrayed as victims of violence on TV, and this can make them more afraid of the world around them
• Desensitization to real-life violence:
  Some of the most violent TV shows are children’s cartoons, in which violence is portrayed as humorous – and realistic consequences of violence are seldom shown
• Increased aggressive behavior:
  This can be especially true of young children, who are more likely to exhibit aggressive behavior after viewing violent TV shows or movies
  
  Child development:
• Parents should pay close attention to what children see on the news: Studies have shown children are more afraid of violence in news coverage than in any other media content
• Television can affect learning and school performance if it cuts into the time kids need for activities crucial to healthy mental and physical development
• Most of children’s free time, especially during the early formative years, should be spent in activities such as playing, reading, exploring nature, learning about music or participating in sports
• Many violent acts are perpetrated by the “good guys”, whom kids have been taught to model, even though kids are taught not to hit, TV says it’s OK to hit if you’re a good guy. This can lead to confusion when kids try to understand the difference between right and wrong.
  

• Limit the number of TV-watching hours
• Keep TV out of bedrooms
• Keep TV off during meals
• Weekday TV ban
• Family TV time
• Talk to kids about what they see on TV
• Offer fun alternatives to TV
  
  

Shelley and Yukiko's Students Learn About Ocean Life
Next Stop in Their Studies: Asia!

As part of our studies of ocean and sea animals, we painted the front windows to represent the different layers of the ocean and placed animals the children drew into the ocean where they belong. We will work more on the coral reef soon.

Also, we just started studying Asia and the children got to try on clothes from Japan, India and China.



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Valentine's Friendship Feast
The Practical side of Practical Life

The Children in Kelly and Rhea's class prepared a feast to celebrate their friendships. The day before the children had made their own place mat paintings, cut fruit for fruit salad, peeled cucumbers and spread cream cheese for cucumber sandwiches, and put together ingredients for cranberry-orange muffins. The day of the feast the children talked about love and what it means to be friends. They participated in a "love feast" where they talk about what they love about a friend and themselves. The children prepared the tables by moving them together, spreading a table cloth and setting it with plates, glasses, and napkins. Together they shared the meal they had prepared in love and friendship.

It is events like these that give purpose to the practical life lessons the children see and practice throughout the year. They move the tables, pour their water, set a place, sit together and share a meal. They use the Grace and Courtesy as they have practiced many times. Maria Montessori wrote that the practical life excercises, "involve inspiration, repetition, and concentration on precise details." These lessons aid the inner construction of discipline, organization, independence, and self-esteem through concentration on a precise and completed cycle of activity. (Paula Polk Lillard)

Montessori Time


In a Montessori classroom learning is described as hands on learning. This month the children in Kelly and Rhea's class learned to tell time using their whole bodies! The numbers were written on large pieces of paper and the children placed them on the floor as they would appear on a clock face. They had cut outs of the hour hand and minute hand and they lay down to become the hands of the clock. Later the children were able to make their own clocks on large pieces of paper. Another follow up lesson used the fraction insets to teach half past the hour.

These lessons in time used one of the tenets of Montessori education, which is movement. Maria Montessori said, "Mental developmnet must be connected with movement and be dependent on it." These methods incorporate more than one learning style. The children heard about time, moved as if they were part of the clock, and saw the clocks they made. They are able to independently follow up the work with manipulatives, and repeat the work for their own mastery.


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