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Thursday, November 09, 2006
Calendar
11/10 Veteran’s Day – school closed, no childcare
11/14 Journey of Discovery in Ginkgo 5:30 – 8 pm
11/15 Journey of Discovery in Magnolia 5:30 – 8 pm
11/16 Journey of Discovery in Juniper 5:30 – 8 pm
11/22 – 11/24 School closed for Thanksgiving, no childcare
VETERAN’S DAY
This Friday, Nov. 10th, GLM is closed in honor of Veteran’s Day. There will be no childcare.
SCHOOL PICTURES ARE IN!
They are in your parent pockets/cubbies.
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!
Many thanks to the Lee-Fong family (Diana, Stephen, Claudia and Crystal) for agreeing to adopt the GLM bunny, Winnie. Claudia was instrumental in convincing her parents that if they didn’t adopt her, Winnie wouldn’t have a home! We all hope Winnie has a happy, relaxed retirement full of love and affection.
JOURNEYS OF DISCOVERY
Be sure to sign up for one of the Journeys of Discovery for an interesting, educational evening. RSVP to the school office for dinner and free childcare.
GLM ENROLLING TODDLERS
GLM is currently enrolling toddlers for the summer and 07/08 school year. Please call the business office at 510-622-0259 if you need an application.
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 “J” as in Jello, Jewelry, and Judo.
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.
BELOVED NANNY AVAILABLE!
We are moving soon and our nanny, Maria, is available in December/January from Monday-Thursday (8-5). We have felt so fortunate to have Maria caring for our children over the past 4 years, we want to help her find a great family! Seeking family with infant for sharecare with remaining family. Location flexible. Please feel free to email me with any questions: e_moughty@hotmail.com
❄●❄●❄●❄●❄●❄●❄●❄●❄●❄●❄●❄●❄●❄●❄●❄●❄●❄●❄●❄●❄●❄●❄●❄●❄●❄●
CLASS NEWS
REDWOOD (ELEMENTARY)
This week our class enjoyed the Native American Dancer on Monday. Last year our class saw him perform at People Like Me. In that show he was one of 6 performers so it wasn't as intimate and he did not do any talking so everything was subject to our interpretation. This show he actually shared with the children what he was doing. He also shared some Native American sign language as well as some Native American history. He did 2 new dances we had not seen before. The children had a good time. Both Clare and Michael were a part of a group of children who were invited to get up and learn a dance with some of the primary children.
We also went to the Strega Nona festival this week at the Federal Building Auditorium. All 4 of Tomie DePaola's books were combined for this festival. It was produced by the company Stagebridge which is a production company that allows older adults the opportunity to act. The average age of the actors and actresses in the company are 70 years old! But this particular show featured a child and a younger man...he was twenty. We know because Gabriel wanted to know how old he was so he asked! It was a wonderful show and the children had a great time.
This week our class also discussed the history of Veteran's Day. We discussed both World War I and World War II. The children were quite intrigued with why it is that adults don't just talk their problems out and how is it that when they are so heavily engaged in a war do they decide to just stop fighting. We discussed the outcomes of some of the wars and how things have changed in certain parts of the world as a result of the various wars.
JACARANDA
• On Tuesday, November 7, the Jacaranda class discussed how people choose leaders by voting in elections. The class then put its own voting power to work and voted on snack choices: apples or oranges. After checking off the appropriate box, the children dropped their ballot in the ballot box. After a dramatic count and discussion of "spoiled" ballots, or double checked ballots, apples won!
• Primary age classes at Grand Lake Montessori follow a cultural calendar, ensuring that the children are receiving group lessons on all aspects of the cultural curriculum. For instance, on Wednesday, Oct. 4, Mr. Moody introduced the children to Native American dances. On Oct. 16 Jacaranda teachers and the children addressed the needs of humans, Oct. 17, botany cabinet leaf tray, and parts of a flag on Oct. 30, to name a few of the variety of topics.
• On November 6, at an all-school assembly, the children watched and listened to a Native American dance performance. They listened to how the over 550 tribes in North America used dance and song to explain the world around them, and joined in dancing and singing together.
• Ms. Leck has finished the adult Montessori training that she has been teaching in recent months and will no longer be away every other Friday. Congratulations, Ms. Leck!
• After a group of children set up the lunch tables, the children eat with real plates, silverware and glasses every day during lunchtime. Occasionally silverware needs to be replaced, so we are asking that if anyone has any extra child-sized spoons and forks, donations to the Jacaranda lunch service are welcomed.
JUNIPER
*Parent/Teacher Conferences
Parent/Teacher conferences are scheduled for November 5 and 6, with time slots from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Look for a sign-up sheet on the Juniper clipboard to schedule your conference.
*Montessori Bells
The Juniper children have recently taken a keen interest in the Montessori bells. They have been learning about low C, high C, and the C scale. Even our youngest children have been playing scales (much to our delight and surprise!)
*Butterflies in the Classroom!
Juniper's caterpillars have emerged from their chrysalises and the children have enjoyed observing their behavior and growth. Ask your child about it and see what they've noticed!
*Thanksgiving Menu is Set
The Juniper children have set the menu for their Thanksgiving Feast. It will consist of baked chicken, rice, broccoli, celery, brownies, pumpkin bread, and cranberries. Look for food item assignments in your child's lunch box early next week.
*"When I'm a famous artist..."
We were trying (unsuccessfully) to find Monet's signature on the painting "Water Lilies" when Casey said, "We can't see his name. When I grow up and be an artist I will sign my name big so everyone can see it!"
LIVE OAK
If you didn’t attend our Live Oak Journey of Discovery, you really missed a great evening. While I understand some of you attended the Silent Journey last year, this was an entirely new evening with teachers giving you lessons and letting you discover how your child learns in the classroom. Some of the comments I heard were, “I’ve read much and thought I understood it but doing it really touched my heart and amazed me”, “ I had such an amazing time and learned so much, no wonder you love doing this for a living.” You are certainly welcome to attend other classes’ Journeys. It will change how you think about education.
With the holidays around the corner, I was wondering if we could recruit some volunteers for classroom crafts or reading some Thanksgiving stories.
This week the children continue to learn about Native Americans with our emphasis on the Southwest tribes. You may hear many unfamiliar names along with Navajo. We are also learning the names of triangles. Help your child to say the names equilateral, isosceles and scalene. Thank you Lucy for bringing in your amphibian called a salamander. It was way cool to look at his soft, wet skin.
Don’t forget observation sign ups are on the clipboard. We’ll look forward to that and our conferences.
GINKGO
This week the Ginkgo class has been baking up a storm. We baked lemon bread using the lemons from GiGi’s tree. We also baked a dish with butternut, delicata, buttercup, and gold acorn squash. The children have been learning the names of these squashes for the past few weeks. Baking has been a great opportunity for the children to practice using grace and courtesy. They have practiced saying “Yes, please” or “No, thank you” when offered squash and lemon bread. We have also taught that it is polite to wait until everyone is served before eating.
We would like to give a special thanks to Bernadette Sheen, Caitlin’s Mom, for celebrating Election Day with the Gingko class. The class had to decide upon the main dish, either pasta or pizza, for our Thanksgiving Lunch. Bernadette not only made ballots and a Ginkgo Voting Booth, but she also brought “I Voted” stickers! After tallying the votes together, pasta was the clear winner.
MAGNOLIA
The children had a great time watching Native American dancing on Monday. They were especially amazed by the hoop dance. The performer picked up several hoops while dancing and made different shapes with them such as a butterfly and a mouse.
Happy 4th Birthday Delilah! She shared a lovely bagel snack with us.
Ms. Olivares would love some help next Monday or Tuesday making place mats for our Friendship Feast. She would also love 2 more volunteers to help with cooking on the day of the feast on Monday Nov. 20th.
It’s observation time. Please sign up to observe on the hot pink sign up sheet on the clipboard. You need to observe before you have a parent-teacher conference.
The Magnolia class Journey of Discovery is scheduled for next Wed. Nov 15th. This a wonderful opportunity to learn more about the Montessori philosophy and “play” with the materials. Be sure to RSVP to the office for free childcare & dinner!
MULBERRY
Observations begin next week. We ask that all parents come in and observe before we have conferences in December. There is a sign up sheet on the clipboard. Also, next week is the last week to observe primary classes if you want to submit your first choice for your child's primary class next year.
Thank you to Blair for bringing in bagels to share with the class!
Thanksgiving is approaching quickly. Our feast will be Nov.20. We will be making lasagna, garlic bread, fruit salad, soybeans and cheesecake. All are welcome to join, and if you would like to help out let Mrs. Aima know.
Next week sound of the week is "J" as in Journey, Junk and Joy.
Song of the week:
Open shut them (your hands), open shut them, give a little clap, clap, clap.
Open shut them, open shut them, lay them in your lap, lap, lap.
CAMELLIA
Thank you for signing up for the Camellia observations. They start next week, Nov. 13-17, and end the week of Nov. 27. The sign up list is on the clipboard. Watch for the sign up for teacher-parent conferences. If you have any questions about observing please feel free to ask Mr. Tien.
We're having our Thanksgiving celebration feast on Nov. 20, a Monday. The children are going to prepare their wonderful dishes of fruit salad, soybeans, and delicious lasagna. There will be a notice going out regarding what is needed for the feast. Everybody is welcome to come and join us. Again, any questions? Please feel free to ask the Brown Cottage staff. Thank you.
This week’s Sound of the Week was "I", and children brought in Insects, Ivy, Incense, Invitation and Igloo. Remember next week’s sound is "J" as in Jacks, Juice, and Jump rope.
Reminder: GLM is closed Friday, Nov. 10, for Veteran's Day and Nov. 22-24 for Thanksgiving.
11/10 Veteran’s Day – school closed, no childcare
11/14 Journey of Discovery in Ginkgo 5:30 – 8 pm
11/15 Journey of Discovery in Magnolia 5:30 – 8 pm
11/16 Journey of Discovery in Juniper 5:30 – 8 pm
11/22 – 11/24 School closed for Thanksgiving, no childcare
VETERAN’S DAY
This Friday, Nov. 10th, GLM is closed in honor of Veteran’s Day. There will be no childcare.
SCHOOL PICTURES ARE IN!
They are in your parent pockets/cubbies.
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!
Many thanks to the Lee-Fong family (Diana, Stephen, Claudia and Crystal) for agreeing to adopt the GLM bunny, Winnie. Claudia was instrumental in convincing her parents that if they didn’t adopt her, Winnie wouldn’t have a home! We all hope Winnie has a happy, relaxed retirement full of love and affection.
JOURNEYS OF DISCOVERY
Be sure to sign up for one of the Journeys of Discovery for an interesting, educational evening. RSVP to the school office for dinner and free childcare.
GLM ENROLLING TODDLERS
GLM is currently enrolling toddlers for the summer and 07/08 school year. Please call the business office at 510-622-0259 if you need an application.
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 “J” as in Jello, Jewelry, and Judo.
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.
BELOVED NANNY AVAILABLE!
We are moving soon and our nanny, Maria, is available in December/January from Monday-Thursday (8-5). We have felt so fortunate to have Maria caring for our children over the past 4 years, we want to help her find a great family! Seeking family with infant for sharecare with remaining family. Location flexible. Please feel free to email me with any questions: e_moughty@hotmail.com
❄●❄●❄●❄●❄●❄●❄●❄●❄●❄●❄●❄●❄●❄●❄●❄●❄●❄●❄●❄●❄●❄●❄●❄●❄●❄●
CLASS NEWS
REDWOOD (ELEMENTARY)
This week our class enjoyed the Native American Dancer on Monday. Last year our class saw him perform at People Like Me. In that show he was one of 6 performers so it wasn't as intimate and he did not do any talking so everything was subject to our interpretation. This show he actually shared with the children what he was doing. He also shared some Native American sign language as well as some Native American history. He did 2 new dances we had not seen before. The children had a good time. Both Clare and Michael were a part of a group of children who were invited to get up and learn a dance with some of the primary children.
We also went to the Strega Nona festival this week at the Federal Building Auditorium. All 4 of Tomie DePaola's books were combined for this festival. It was produced by the company Stagebridge which is a production company that allows older adults the opportunity to act. The average age of the actors and actresses in the company are 70 years old! But this particular show featured a child and a younger man...he was twenty. We know because Gabriel wanted to know how old he was so he asked! It was a wonderful show and the children had a great time.
This week our class also discussed the history of Veteran's Day. We discussed both World War I and World War II. The children were quite intrigued with why it is that adults don't just talk their problems out and how is it that when they are so heavily engaged in a war do they decide to just stop fighting. We discussed the outcomes of some of the wars and how things have changed in certain parts of the world as a result of the various wars.
JACARANDA
• On Tuesday, November 7, the Jacaranda class discussed how people choose leaders by voting in elections. The class then put its own voting power to work and voted on snack choices: apples or oranges. After checking off the appropriate box, the children dropped their ballot in the ballot box. After a dramatic count and discussion of "spoiled" ballots, or double checked ballots, apples won!
• Primary age classes at Grand Lake Montessori follow a cultural calendar, ensuring that the children are receiving group lessons on all aspects of the cultural curriculum. For instance, on Wednesday, Oct. 4, Mr. Moody introduced the children to Native American dances. On Oct. 16 Jacaranda teachers and the children addressed the needs of humans, Oct. 17, botany cabinet leaf tray, and parts of a flag on Oct. 30, to name a few of the variety of topics.
• On November 6, at an all-school assembly, the children watched and listened to a Native American dance performance. They listened to how the over 550 tribes in North America used dance and song to explain the world around them, and joined in dancing and singing together.
• Ms. Leck has finished the adult Montessori training that she has been teaching in recent months and will no longer be away every other Friday. Congratulations, Ms. Leck!
• After a group of children set up the lunch tables, the children eat with real plates, silverware and glasses every day during lunchtime. Occasionally silverware needs to be replaced, so we are asking that if anyone has any extra child-sized spoons and forks, donations to the Jacaranda lunch service are welcomed.
JUNIPER
*Parent/Teacher Conferences
Parent/Teacher conferences are scheduled for November 5 and 6, with time slots from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Look for a sign-up sheet on the Juniper clipboard to schedule your conference.
*Montessori Bells
The Juniper children have recently taken a keen interest in the Montessori bells. They have been learning about low C, high C, and the C scale. Even our youngest children have been playing scales (much to our delight and surprise!)
*Butterflies in the Classroom!
Juniper's caterpillars have emerged from their chrysalises and the children have enjoyed observing their behavior and growth. Ask your child about it and see what they've noticed!
*Thanksgiving Menu is Set
The Juniper children have set the menu for their Thanksgiving Feast. It will consist of baked chicken, rice, broccoli, celery, brownies, pumpkin bread, and cranberries. Look for food item assignments in your child's lunch box early next week.
*"When I'm a famous artist..."
We were trying (unsuccessfully) to find Monet's signature on the painting "Water Lilies" when Casey said, "We can't see his name. When I grow up and be an artist I will sign my name big so everyone can see it!"
LIVE OAK
If you didn’t attend our Live Oak Journey of Discovery, you really missed a great evening. While I understand some of you attended the Silent Journey last year, this was an entirely new evening with teachers giving you lessons and letting you discover how your child learns in the classroom. Some of the comments I heard were, “I’ve read much and thought I understood it but doing it really touched my heart and amazed me”, “ I had such an amazing time and learned so much, no wonder you love doing this for a living.” You are certainly welcome to attend other classes’ Journeys. It will change how you think about education.
With the holidays around the corner, I was wondering if we could recruit some volunteers for classroom crafts or reading some Thanksgiving stories.
This week the children continue to learn about Native Americans with our emphasis on the Southwest tribes. You may hear many unfamiliar names along with Navajo. We are also learning the names of triangles. Help your child to say the names equilateral, isosceles and scalene. Thank you Lucy for bringing in your amphibian called a salamander. It was way cool to look at his soft, wet skin.
Don’t forget observation sign ups are on the clipboard. We’ll look forward to that and our conferences.
GINKGO
This week the Ginkgo class has been baking up a storm. We baked lemon bread using the lemons from GiGi’s tree. We also baked a dish with butternut, delicata, buttercup, and gold acorn squash. The children have been learning the names of these squashes for the past few weeks. Baking has been a great opportunity for the children to practice using grace and courtesy. They have practiced saying “Yes, please” or “No, thank you” when offered squash and lemon bread. We have also taught that it is polite to wait until everyone is served before eating.
We would like to give a special thanks to Bernadette Sheen, Caitlin’s Mom, for celebrating Election Day with the Gingko class. The class had to decide upon the main dish, either pasta or pizza, for our Thanksgiving Lunch. Bernadette not only made ballots and a Ginkgo Voting Booth, but she also brought “I Voted” stickers! After tallying the votes together, pasta was the clear winner.
MAGNOLIA
The children had a great time watching Native American dancing on Monday. They were especially amazed by the hoop dance. The performer picked up several hoops while dancing and made different shapes with them such as a butterfly and a mouse.
Happy 4th Birthday Delilah! She shared a lovely bagel snack with us.
Ms. Olivares would love some help next Monday or Tuesday making place mats for our Friendship Feast. She would also love 2 more volunteers to help with cooking on the day of the feast on Monday Nov. 20th.
It’s observation time. Please sign up to observe on the hot pink sign up sheet on the clipboard. You need to observe before you have a parent-teacher conference.
The Magnolia class Journey of Discovery is scheduled for next Wed. Nov 15th. This a wonderful opportunity to learn more about the Montessori philosophy and “play” with the materials. Be sure to RSVP to the office for free childcare & dinner!
MULBERRY
Observations begin next week. We ask that all parents come in and observe before we have conferences in December. There is a sign up sheet on the clipboard. Also, next week is the last week to observe primary classes if you want to submit your first choice for your child's primary class next year.
Thank you to Blair for bringing in bagels to share with the class!
Thanksgiving is approaching quickly. Our feast will be Nov.20. We will be making lasagna, garlic bread, fruit salad, soybeans and cheesecake. All are welcome to join, and if you would like to help out let Mrs. Aima know.
Next week sound of the week is "J" as in Journey, Junk and Joy.
Song of the week:
Open shut them (your hands), open shut them, give a little clap, clap, clap.
Open shut them, open shut them, lay them in your lap, lap, lap.
CAMELLIA
Thank you for signing up for the Camellia observations. They start next week, Nov. 13-17, and end the week of Nov. 27. The sign up list is on the clipboard. Watch for the sign up for teacher-parent conferences. If you have any questions about observing please feel free to ask Mr. Tien.
We're having our Thanksgiving celebration feast on Nov. 20, a Monday. The children are going to prepare their wonderful dishes of fruit salad, soybeans, and delicious lasagna. There will be a notice going out regarding what is needed for the feast. Everybody is welcome to come and join us. Again, any questions? Please feel free to ask the Brown Cottage staff. Thank you.
This week’s Sound of the Week was "I", and children brought in Insects, Ivy, Incense, Invitation and Igloo. Remember next week’s sound is "J" as in Jacks, Juice, and Jump rope.
Reminder: GLM is closed Friday, Nov. 10, for Veteran's Day and Nov. 22-24 for Thanksgiving.
