Calendar
10/9 Indigenous People’s Day (Columbus Day) – School closed, no childcare
10/10 All school assembly – Birds of the World 10 am
10/14 Family Fun Day, Scholastic Book Fair 10 – 2
10/23 Staff Inservice Day – School closed, no childcare

FAMILY FUN DAY & SCHOLASTIC BOOK FAIR
This year’s Family Fun Day and Scholastic Book Fair are fast approaching. We are looking forward to all your participation and support to make this year’s fair an incredibly successful and lucrative event for our school.
The Book Fair will be held on Saturday, October 14th from 10 – 2, with a preview on Friday, October 13th, from 3 – 6, in the Redwood Classroom, and we’re looking forward to seeing you there. If you normally pick up your children between 5 and 6 pm on Friday, come find them at the Book Fair, as one of the parents has volunteered to do a Read Aloud to the kids at that time.
Your family can shop together, participate in Fun Day activities, and enjoy refreshments. During the Book Fair, we also invite you to help build our classroom libraries by purchasing books and donating them to your child’s class through the Classroom Wish List program.
If you are interested in volunteering for the Book Fair, we still have several slots open for help with set-up, sales, and clean up. Please contact one of our parent Co-Chairs for more information: Sarah Lenoue (Isaiah’s Mom/Magnolia) lenoue@yahoo.com, or Corey Weinstein (Benjamin’s Mom/Magnolia) at corey@orangedoorproperties.com.

WINGS OF ADVENTURE
Wings of Adventure is a presentation from Wildlife Encounters. Educators will showcase live birds from around the world and talk about their survival, natural history, geography, natural behaviors and conservation education. This is an all-school assembly, Tuesday, Oct. 10th, at 10 am in the Magnolia classroom.

SOUND OF THE WEEK Each Wednesday your child is encouraged, with your help, to find an object at home (preferably not a toy) that begins with the sound of the week. Put it in a labeled bag to share with your child’s class. Next week’s sound is “E” as in Egg, Enemy, and Elephant.

SCHOOL PICTURES
The proofs are in! Please check your parent pocket/cubby/folder (Brown Cottage: kitchen counter), and return the order form by Monday, Oct. 16th. If your child missed getting his/her picture taken, or you are not happy with the proofs, you are invited to make an appointment at Dennis Geaney Studio to have photos taken. You can reach Dennis or Amy at 510-465-2131.

BOX TOPS & 10% BACK TO SCHOOLS
Thank you to everyone for turning in their Box Tops for Education and the Reward Certificates from Safeway for the 10% Back to Schools. They add up – nearly $60 from the Reward Certificates alone! That could buy some nice supplies for GLM’s art program! Thank you!

THANK YOU!
I want to thank Ms. Koerber, Ms. Yang and Mr. Hennigan for the fabulous afternoon they spent with our son Landen and five friends, taking them to lunch and a movie this past Sunday. We won this at last year’s Wine & Cheese auction. I had no idea it was going to be such a hit. Our son Landen exclaimed, “This is better than my birthday” to his teachers. The kids were excited beyond belief. Every parent told me how their child asked for hours whether it was time yet. As I drove away after dropping them off at the Grand Lake Theatre, it occurred to me this would be an excellent birthday party for a child…and a lot less hassle for the parents (smile). I hope Ms. Koerber, Ms. Yang and Mr. Hennigan offer an afternoon with them again at this year’s auction so that I have another chance to bid on it. The children were excited and talked about the afternoon for hours. Many, many, many thanks to the teachers for giving their time and making five children VERY happy.
Lynne Wardell (Landen’ Manuel’s mom- Juniper)

EMAIL LISTS
The class and Room Parent email lists are in place and working quite well. We’ve gotten a lot of positive feedback about the system – thank you! If you change your email address or wish to add another one please email Joanna at joanna@grandlakemontessori.com.

CHILDCARE NEEDED
I am looking for childcare for two days a week (Tuesday and Thursday) for my two daughters, ages 5 and 9. Both have after-school activities and would love to have a fun, caring person with a car take them to their activities. The hours would be from 3:30pm to 6pm. Please contact Celeste at crgrinage@yahoo.com if you can help or have a referral.

NANNY AVAILABLE
Our wonderful Nanny is available now that our children are in school. Our nanny, Betty, has been with us for 4 years. She raised our 4 and 1.5 year old daughters who are now at GLM.
She treats our children as if they are her own, giving them lots of love and attention. She took our daughters out almost every day, typically going to the library and the park, walking around the lake, feeding the birds, going to MOCHA and many other activities. She is reliable and shows up on time.
She is available from 7:30-6:00 M-F. She does not drive, so she prefers to be with a family or a share that is easily accessible, as we are, from public transportation. We live near Lake Merritt on the Oakland/Piedmont border. Betty is English speaking and can be reached directly at 510.206.9702. I am sure that you will be happy that you found her. I (Kara Kelly) can be reached at kara_g_kelly@yahoo.com. should you have questions or need a reference.

ANOTHER NANNY AVAILABLE
Are you looking for someone you can feel confident will nurture, protect and love your infant? Does home cooked baby food sound good to you? Would you like someone who is more than willing to help around the house as your child naps? Are you looking for someone whose hours are flexible (nights and weekends) to accommodate your crazy schedule? Have we (Landen Manuel’s family, Juniper) got a nanny for you! Maria Martinez is all of this and more. Our infant took to her immediately. He smiles and actually grabs for her when she arrives each morning. As I work around the house I never hear a peep out of him. She seems to quickly get in tune with the child’s rhythms. And did I mention she speaks Spanish, takes the baby for walks and dances with him? If you are interested call GLM office for her phone number.

HOES DOWN HARVEST FESTIVAL
Come to the 19th annual Hoes Down Harvest Festival on Saturday, October 7th at Full Belly Farm (Capay Valley, Yolo county – north of Vacaville) where you can experience more than twenty workshops ranging from orchard pruning to egg laying (we'll teach you how!) with blacksmithing and engines chugging on the side. Learn how to felt and dye yarn, milk a goat or cow or just plain ol' relax under the blue October skies. There will be horse wagon rides giving short tours of the farm, a huge corn maize for adventurous kids and pumpkin carving contests for the young at heart. Great organic food and great music fill out the day, but wait! Don't forget the 19th annual Manure Pitch Off to test your fork flipping skills with the best of them! There will also be Sunday activities in the area and car camping is available. Please go to the website for more information: http://fullbellyfarm.com/hoesdown.html


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CLASS NEWS

REDWOOD (ELEMENTARY)
Our class has had a great week! We celebrated Yom Kippur by making Challah bread and eating apples dipped in honey. The children also wrote letters to themselves about things they would like to do differently in this new year. We have put the envelopes in an envelope to reopen next year to see how we have improved ourselves.
I gave the children lessons this week on the tone bars singing the scales and learning the names of notes. They were introduced to both the ascending and descending scale with the tone bars. They practiced matching their own pitch to that of the tone bars. It was a lot of fun!
The first years have been creating their own timelines about the history of writing this week. They also did some research on horseshoe crabs and nautiloids.
The third years have been learning about longitude and latitude on the map. They have been doing a scavenger hunt on the map as well.
The fourth years have been working on the usage of quotation marks in their writing. They have been writing down mock conversations to discover where the quotation marks need to be. They have also been working on incorporating quotation marks into their stories.
The fifth years are busy studying force, including the difference between balanced and unbalanced forces. This week they have been calculating the force of various body organs as well.

JACARANDA
Remember, it’s empowering for your children if their clothing is easy for them to remove, so that they can dress and undress themselves. For the younger children, this means loose clothing and easy to use buttons, snaps, zippers and Velcro. This includes shoes! Please send your child(ren) in clothing they can manipulate themselves. We, as parents and teachers, are helping them to help themselves.
Remember, too, the same principles for lunch boxes and their contents: the easier it is for the children to open and close the reusable containers, the more independent they can be.
Speaking of lunches, the Jacaranda class is settling into a routine of eating and quiet conversation for the thirty minutes that usually begins around 11:30 a.m. After twenty-five minutes, the adults ring a bell to remind the children that they have five minutes to finish and to clean up. Plastic bags present real difficulty for the children and are not reusable or recyclable.
In the classroom, the children receive many lessons everyday. Beginning lessons for the younger children, which introduce the child to being able to sit for several minutes at a rug or table; second and repeat lessons to the older children; and the oldest children giving basic lessons to the younger children, with adult oversight.
When a child is given a one-on-one lesson, s/he sits down at a rug or table with the adult on his or her right side, to allow the child complete freedom of movement. The adult moves carefully and slowly, minimizing distractions, while the other adult(s) help those who need help elsewhere in the classroom.
Every lesson has a direct and an indirect aim. The color and the width of each rod is constant throughout the set, so the red rod lesson, for instance, helps the child to discriminate between length, as each of the rods is longer than the previous rod. Young children, and many would argue adults too, learn by moving, so the child learns best the concept of length of the red rods and their proportionality by carrying to, ordering at and returning from the rug where the child chose to work.
Thank you to Leo’s family for the hand-grown and-picked grapes this week. They were beautiful and delicious!
Please do not hesitate to email the Jacaranda teachers at jacarandateacher@grandlakemontessori.com with any questions about your children or about the curriculum.

JUNIPER
3rd Year Students and Elementary
Starting this week, our third year/kindergarten students will spend some time each week playing various sporting games with the elementary students. This is a wonderful opportunity for the older primary children to meet and interact with the elementary students and to exercise their bodies at a more advanced level.
Rain Gear
On rainy days, your child is welcome to wear a rain jacket and rain boots to keep them dry. However, no umbrellas, please. They are cumbersome and frequently turn into toys or swords rather than keeping your child dry!
Sound of the Week Items
Thanks to all of the parents for helping the children choose wonderful objects for our sound of the week activities. One reminder, however: please, no toys!
Halloween
Look for upcoming announcements about Halloween activities that will be occurring during the next few weeks.
*Quote of Week*
During lunch, Nathan Burge turned to his neighbor and said, "My friend, my friend, please don't spit. I'm trying to eat lunch."

LIVE OAK
We have had a very exciting last few days in the Live Oak classroom. We are thrilled to have started our new worm bin. The much-awaited package arrived on Monday and on Tuesday we put one pound of red wriggler worms in the bin. The children helped tear paper up to insulate and protect the worms in the compost bin while they eat our leftover food scraps. We look forward to watching the progression of the bin over the winter in preparation for spring planting when we will use the healthy soil our worms produce. We have also had an exciting beginning of the week with two birthdays! Thank you to Ethan and Alexandra’s family for celebrating with us. We have begun our month long study of the continent of North America. We already learned that Isabella’s family is from Mexico and that the ice in Greenland is falling off into the sea. Please help your children learn about different mountains and rivers and landforms of North America.

GINKGO
Thank you to Joanne Yoshimura, Maria Saliba, and Marni Hunter for working with the children on an art project. This was the first art project of the year for the Ginkgo children and they did fall leaves.
The Ginkgo class has now opened easel painting, with the results going into the children’s cubbies. Please remember to check your child’s cubby frequently (located in the class, next to the kitchen entrance) so you can proudly show off artwork at home.
Flu season is early this year. To prevent the spread of this virus we’re continuing to remind children to wash their hands before eating and after using the restroom.
We’re looking forward to the Ginkgo picnic on Saturday October 7, beginning at 11:00 am, at the south end of Lake Temescal. See you all there!

MAGNOLIA
The Magnolia class had a wonderful first month of the year. The children are taking great pleasure in their work. As we enter October we will begin our study of the continent map, fish, and the fundamental needs of humans. The children are truly enjoying bringing things for our specimen table.
The third year children, from all five primary classes, will begin getting together each week to play organized games and P.E. with the elementary kids. This is an exciting way to bring the GLM classrooms together.
If you have not yet brought in your family photo, please do so. We will begin to decorate our ornaments for our family tree next week.
There is a sign up sheet on the clipboard for book fair volunteers; please take a look.

MULBERRY
This has been a busy week: The class grew in size by three! Please welcome Ajani, Moises and Nicolas. While it's been busy we’ve still been productive. We've had table washing, mopping, watering plants, washing dishes, painting, play-dough, and much more.
The class has really taken to the I-spy game with our Sound of the Week items. This week Camellia brought a Domino, Megan brought a Duck and a Dragon, Molly also brought a Duck and Blair brought Dental floss and a Dip stick for bubbles! Ms. Aima also adds items to the basket every week: Dropper, Diaper, Dog, and a Daisy. Next week’s sound of the week is "E".
At lunch the children have been working on unpacking their lunches. Thank you to the parents who have been sending reusable containers. We are trying to be earth friendly so I would like to remind everyone no zip-lock bags. The bags are also hard for the children to open. Please label all containers.
On Thursday mornings Mr. Hoffman joins us with his guitar and sings songs with the class. The children are starting to warm up to him and are dancing and singing some of their favorite songs.
Song of the week:
It rained a mist, it rained a mist,
It rained a mist all over the play ground, the playground.
It rained a mist all over the playground. etc.
Change the verses by naming other things that can get wet outside (the bench, the flowers, grandpa, etc).

CAMELLIA
Picture day was a huge success! If your child missed getting his/her picture taken that day please contact Dennis Geaney Studio at 510-465-2131.
This week the Camellia teachers continue to give lessons on how to sit on our behinds. We are making progress; some of the older children are reminding the younger children how to sit when we eat and do our work.
At home, please encourage your child to use his/her words instead of his/her body. For example, during Sound of the Week, instead of grabbing her item from another child, a girl very politely said, “That’s my sound of the week”. This week’s sound was "D", and we shared Duck, Dustpan, Dishtowel, and Diaper. Next week’s sound is "E" as in egg, eggplant, and elephant. Please be sure to label the item your child brings in so it can be returned.
Thank to Sophie's dad, Zachary, and Paul's dad, Kevin, for reading so many wonderful stories to the children. The kids love it! Books and parents reading are always welcome in the classroom. If you’d like to come in to read or do a project with the class, be sure to let the teachers know.
REMINDER: Monday, October 9th, is Indigenous People's Day (aka Columbus Day). School is closed, and there is no childcare.
Mr.Tien’s office hours are every Friday, from 3 to 6 p.m. Feel free to drop in if you need to talk about anything.
As you know, the weather is changing, so please put an extra layer on your child, and remember to label EVERYTHING if you want it to get home.  ¶ 12:29 PM