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Friday, February 16, 2007
GLM news 2006
Friday, February 16, 2007
Calendar
2/19 President’s Day – School closed, no childcare
2/20-2/23 Winter Break – Childcare by prior registration
3/1 Evening Discussion 7 pm
3/7 Science show, 2 pm for Kindergartners & Elementary
PARENT’S RIGHTS FORMS
You will be receiving a new Parent’s Rights form with your February statement. You will need to read, sign and return it immediately to the school office. Childcare Licensing is adamant about having the new form in your child’s file. Thank you.
FIELD TRIP FORMS
If you have not yet turned in the campus field trip form for your child, please do so ASAP. There are quite a few children participating in Tuff Tumblers and the art class that do not have this form completed.
JOIN US, MARCH 1ST
"Encouraging our children's healthy relationships with their bodies and with food"
Mark your calendars: As part of National Eating Disorder Awareness/Celebrate Your Body Week, Ariel Trost (Jacaranda parent) will be offering an evening talk/discussion at GLM on Thursday March 1ST, from 7-8:30 pm. More info/location to follow.
SUMMER DATES
June 15, 2007 will be the last day of this school year
June 18-22 will be staff prep week – no school, no childcare
June 25 – July 6 will be Session 1
July 9 – 20 will be Session 2
July 23 – Aug. 3 will be Session 3 and Opera/Performing Arts Camp
Aug. 6 – 18 will be Session 4
The week of Aug. 20 - 25 will be staff prep week; again, no school or childcare
First day of school to be announced.
THE SAFETY CORNER
In the midst of rushing through everyday life, it's important to take a minute or two to prepare for emergencies. Being prepared helps you and your family minimize the impact of any disaster.
continued
SOUND OF THE WEEK Due to Winter Break next week there will be no Sound of the Week. The sound for the following week is “U” as in Uncle, Umpire, and Usher.
The best way to make your family and your home safer is to be prepared before disaster strikes.
* Make a family communications plan that includes an evacuation plan and coordinates with your school, work and community communication plans. Practice this plan with your entire family.
* Build a disaster supplies kit that includes enough supplies for each family member for three days. Remember to check your kit every six months. There are six basics you should stock for your home in the case of an emergency:
* Water, food, first aid supplies, clothing and bedding, tools and emergency supplies, and special items for medical conditions.
* Know what may happen and how you can help
Learn what disasters or emergencies may occur where you live, work and play and how they can affect you, your family and community.
* Identify how authorities will notify you and how you will get important information.
* Learn what you can do to prepare by contacting your local chapter of the American Red Cross to ask about first aid, CPR and disaster training.
We at GLM are doing the same. We are creating and implementing communication plans which we will keep you informed about.
TAKE A BREAK
Forms for the next “round” of Take A Break (TAB), the Friday pizza lunch, have been distributed to parent pockets & cubbies. The form covers Fridays starting March 2nd, and ending May 4th. Extra forms are available in both offices.
NANNY NEEDED
I'm seeking a nanny for my 3 month old, 3-4 days a week, M-F from 7:30 AM-4:30 PM. I'm returning to work THE 2nd week in March. My work week is different each week, so I'm looking for someone who is willing to be flexible. I'm also looking for someone who is Infant/Child CPR certified, speaks English well, very energetic and likes to go for walks, has a clean CA drivers license, and has current references. We live around lower Rockridge area, close to public transportation (BART), shops and restaurants. We are looking for someone who will be a great fit for our family. We also have a small dog who loves people, so must love dogs too. Thanks! Email: Gethurman@yahoo.com (Greta Dedmon, Mulberry class).
WHAT’S ELEMENTARY UP TO?
✔ A snow trip Feb 14 – 16 to Norden, CA!
✔ Pennies for Patients fundraising drive 2/26 – 3/21
✔ Swimming at the YMCA beginning Mar. 1st
✔ Aftercare sewing class starting Mar. 2nd
✔ Mar. 7th: “Color of Justice”, a TheaterWorks production
✔ Field trip to see “People Like Me” dance performance on Mar. 20th
PENNIES FOR PATIENTS
Every year the elementary class at GLM participates in Pennies for Patients, a fund-raising event for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. This year’s event will begin February 26th and run through March 21st. There will be containers in each class for spare change – look under your car seats, lift the cushions off your sofa, empty the pockets of your raincoat! The GLM class that raises the most money gets a pizza party, and children with cancer benefit from funding for further research.
❄●❄●❄●❄●❄●❄●❄●❄●❄●❄●❄●❄●❄●❄●❄●❄●❄●❄●❄●❄●❄●❄●❄●❄●❄●❄●
CLASS NEWS
REDWOOD (ELEMENTARY)
Elementary is on their eagerly anticipated snow trip to Norden, CA. Check here next week to find out all about it!
JACARANDA
Overheard on the yard as children were playing "Red Light, Green Light": "Remember, I can go on red and do a right turn on red!"
Thank you to everyone who helped with the Jacaranda Valentine's Day celebrations: Ariel, Ruby's mom, with the parent's valentines and Stephanie (Zander) and Gina (Soli) for helping the children make their bags. On the day, thank you to Kendra (Camille) for her help with set up and clean up and Erika (Isabella) for bringing in all the goodies for the tea party. Zayda (Logan) baked delicious shortbread cookies, too. The children really enjoy this time of sharing, giving and receiving. Ms. Leck would especially like to thank all the families for honoring the Jacaranda Valentine's Day guidelines. The children's bags were stuffed with many sweet cards filled with messages of love. We appreciate your efforts so much!
We have started doing job time in our classroom at the end of every morning. The children choose a job off the job time chart at our Monday morning meeting and are then responsible for doing this job at the end of every morning for the week. A piece of music signals the transition from the end of the morning to job time. They do things like clean the snack area, feed the animals, roll up our work rugs and dust the shelves. Ask your child about their job for the week. They can also show you the job time chart.
Please remember that the clipboard sign in sheet at the front of the Jacaranda classroom is a Licensing requirement. In the event of an emergency, like an earthquake, we will use the day's roster for a head count, and search and rescue, if necessary. This is important, folks!
The third years in our class (otherwise known as the kindergarteners) went on a fieldtrip with all of the other third years in the school on Thursday. They visited the Discovery Museum in Sausalito to see an exhibit honoring 100 years of Montessori Education. Thank you to our parent drivers for making it all possible. Ms. Leck and some of the other teachers will be attending the International Centenary Celebrations of Montessori in San Francisco this weekend. They will be going to workshops and other meetings with 1400 other Montessori teachers and administrators from around the world!
At the most recent all-staff meeting, the Disaster Consultant who reviewed the Grand Lake Montessori emergency and disaster plan was impressed at the school's level of preparedness in the event of an actual crisis. Please remember that your responsibility in to replenish your child's clothes bag as well as write your child a letter of comfort .
JUNIPER
Juniper's Valentine's celebration was a lot of fun. The children took turns being the "postman," wearing a red hat and red scarf, delivering their valentines to all of the children in the class. After giving their friends valentines, they had a holiday snack of red Jello and red cornbread.
Elizabeth, Tyler Knowlton's mother, spent time on two different days making Chinese Dragons with the children from egg cartons, ribbon, paint, glue, and other items. It was a great way for them to get a hands on experience of the Chinese celebration of the Lunar New Year. Thank you, Elizabeth!
The third year students are going on a field trip this week to celebrate the centennial year of Montessori. We will report back after the break to let you know how it went.
Reminder! Next week is GLM's Winter Break. The school is closed Monday, February 19 for Presidents' Day and will be opened for childcare Tuesday-Friday by sign-up only.
We've been practicing our fire and earthquake drills with the children. Though they're not yet perfect, they are getting better. We now have 100% of the children wearing slippers in the classroom, so their feet are protected when we go out of the classroom during our fire drills. Also, be sure to replenish your child's clothing bag every week (or every day if they are potty training). This is an important part of our emergency preparedness, so please take it seriously!
During March, we will be studying the parts of a flower, among other things. We need one or two parent volunteers each week to bring in fresh flowers (cut or potted) for us to dissect and examine. Look for a sign-up sheet on the door after the break, and talk to Ms. Koerber or Mr. Hennigan if you have any questions.
LIVE OAK
Thank you to all of the parents who helped us prepare for our Valentine’s Celebration this week!! We had sugar free Jell-O, frozen grapes and blueberry muffins while the children enjoyed talking about whom they loved and why. The responses were precious: Mia- “I loved my friend Nathan, we were friends before we were in the hospital born”. Isabella- “My mom, we go different places together”. Lucy- “My millipede, it tickles me a lot and I kiss it”. Lucas- “My mom, she plays Legos with me”. Michael- “Will, he plays tag with me and calms my body”. Lorenzo- “My mom, she goes different places with me and gives me more choices than my dad”. Mark- “My uncle John, he chases us and now he lives in Japan”. Keiley- “My Mimi, she lives in Philadelphia”. Vikram- “My dadama, it is my mom’s sister and I love my mom”. Kaya- “I love Felicia because I went to her house”. Kalyn- “I love my Jell-O because I like to lick it”. Jackson- “Lorenzo because he plays with me a lot”. Ariana- “My brother because he likes to share stuff with me”. Alexandra- “My mom, she hugs me”. Lali- “Sachi, she runs around and plays and when she comes down she spoils the computer”. Ananda- “Daddy and Mommy- they play with me and my sister”.
We have enjoyed having Ms. Lescure in our classroom this week. She is a trainee from the Montessori Teacher Training Center for Northern California. She has been practicing giving lessons to the children.
Please remember to bring in a picture of your family. Photos are welcome to include dogs, cats and fish!
GINKGO
The Ginkgo class has been making sure our classroom is clean, especially during the cold and flu season. The children have been quite helpful in the care of our environment. They have helped by dusting shelves, scrubbing tables, and polishing wood and metal trays. These practical life activities prepare the children's fine and gross motor skills that are needed for higher learning. These exercises also require focus, attention to detail, and concentration. For example, polishing requires children to judge and reason how much polish to use. Dusting requires them to carefully move materials to and from shelves. The results of this work are not just a clean classroom but also a sense of pride, joy, and respect of our communal space.
The care of the children's environment is also applicable at home. There are various fun opportunities for your child/ren to participate at home. S/he can help pick up litter in the neighborhood, scrub the car, or even help drying dishes. These are great ways to do the chores needed in the home and have fun with your child/ren.
MAGNOLIA
The children had a busy week filled with love. On Tuesday they decorated their cereal boxes with cut out hearts, glitter, stickers, and various other collage materials. Thank you Corey Weinstein for helping us with this project. On Valentine’s Day we celebrated Amina's third birthday with a tasty snack of bagels and fruit. The children were all very excited to pass out their Valentines. Thank you Heather Hood, Naima Hart, and Aleka Eisentraut for helping us with this.
The children have been playing some fun games as a way to learn the names of geometric solids. One of the favorites is when the teacher asks the children playing the game (usually 3-4) to each pick up a solid cube, cylinder, or cone and switch it with another child's shape: "If you have the sphere please switch it with person who has the cone." Next week we will go on a walk to look for some of these shapes in nature. Connor brought in some pinecones from his trip to the mountains which are the same shape as an ovoid.
This week, with Mr. Moody, the children learned some meditative poses while listening to some Mandarin music. Mr. Hoffmann is teaching the children a French song, "Alouette", to go along with our study of Europe.
MULBERRY
Our Valentine's Day celebration made for a busy morning. To carry their valentines the children decorated bags. At one table the children attempted to make Cheerio necklaces but most of them decided to eat their Cheerios instead. For snack they helped make heart shaped French toast with spread strawberry jam and cream cheese. They also had ice cream cones filled with strawberries and cranberry juice. The children passed out their valentines at circle and put them in their decorated bags. All the homemade Valentines were so creative! Thank you to all the parents who helped out.
Thursday we celebrated Lunar New Year. Mulberry children dressed up in Mandarin suits (from our Opera costume collection). Alex Luces mom, Tuyen, and grandpa Minh, came in along with Megan Lin’s moms, KoKo and Margot. They planned a wonderful morning in the Brown Cottage, including books about Lunar New Year. Children took turns standing with the lion head on for the lion dance. They had Vietnamese music which the children danced to with enthusiasm. The children helped cut up fruit for a fruit salad and learned to make little egg rolls. They then served themselves a delicious lunch of fried rice, egg rolls, and fruit salad.
This week Little Chefs was another great success. The children made lasagna and fruit salad. Next week there will be no Little Chefs because it is Winter Break. We will resume this wonderful cooking activity after the break.
Song of the week:
Skinna ma rink a dink a dink,
Skinna ma a rink a do, I love you.
I love you in the morning and in the afternoon,
I love you in the evening and underneath the moon.
Oh, skinna ma rink a dink a dink,
Skinna ma rink a do, I love you and you and you and you.
Quote of the week: The child can only develop by means of experience in his environment. We call such experience "work." --Maria Montessori
CAMELLIA
Thank you to all the parents who took the time at home with your children to make Valentine cards. Our tea party was a hit. The children made pink Cheerios necklaces, and a healthy and juicy fruit cone. They all had a wonderful time (teachers, too!). Thank you to Paul's dad, Kevin, and Megan's mom, Koko, for setting the activities for the children, and Selina's mom, Mia, for the muffins and bags. The children passed out cards to their friends, and after they were done, they all gave each other hugs.
Let me tell you, the Little Chefs really know how to cook. The lasagna was so good they ate until their plates were empty. Remember next week is Winter Break, so there will be no Little Chefs; it will resume Feb. 27th.
This week’s sound was "T" and we had lots of Toothbrushes, Toothpaste, Telephones, and Turtles. There will be no Sound of the Week during Winter Break, but will resume on Feb. 28th with the sound of "U", as in Umbrella.
A fond farewell to Mary Elizabeth and her parents who are moving to the East Coast. We will miss you all. Send us a postcard!
Dates to remember:
2/19/07 - President's Day school closed
2/20-2/23 - Winter Break - childcare by prior registration
Camellia class would like to welcome the Thompson's family: Hayden, Rahsaan (dad), Kara (mom), and sister Keiley .
QUOTE OF THE WEEK: cont... WITH MUSIC AND LANGUAGE
We can feed the child's intense interest in language, and prepare for later spoken language, by speaking clearly, not using "baby talk", by not raising our voices to an unnatural pitch, often reserved for speaking to pets, and not oversimplifying language in the presence of the child.
Friday, February 16, 2007
Calendar
2/19 President’s Day – School closed, no childcare
2/20-2/23 Winter Break – Childcare by prior registration
3/1 Evening Discussion 7 pm
3/7 Science show, 2 pm for Kindergartners & Elementary
PARENT’S RIGHTS FORMS
You will be receiving a new Parent’s Rights form with your February statement. You will need to read, sign and return it immediately to the school office. Childcare Licensing is adamant about having the new form in your child’s file. Thank you.
FIELD TRIP FORMS
If you have not yet turned in the campus field trip form for your child, please do so ASAP. There are quite a few children participating in Tuff Tumblers and the art class that do not have this form completed.
JOIN US, MARCH 1ST
"Encouraging our children's healthy relationships with their bodies and with food"
Mark your calendars: As part of National Eating Disorder Awareness/Celebrate Your Body Week, Ariel Trost (Jacaranda parent) will be offering an evening talk/discussion at GLM on Thursday March 1ST, from 7-8:30 pm. More info/location to follow.
SUMMER DATES
June 15, 2007 will be the last day of this school year
June 18-22 will be staff prep week – no school, no childcare
June 25 – July 6 will be Session 1
July 9 – 20 will be Session 2
July 23 – Aug. 3 will be Session 3 and Opera/Performing Arts Camp
Aug. 6 – 18 will be Session 4
The week of Aug. 20 - 25 will be staff prep week; again, no school or childcare
First day of school to be announced.
THE SAFETY CORNER
In the midst of rushing through everyday life, it's important to take a minute or two to prepare for emergencies. Being prepared helps you and your family minimize the impact of any disaster.
continued
SOUND OF THE WEEK Due to Winter Break next week there will be no Sound of the Week. The sound for the following week is “U” as in Uncle, Umpire, and Usher.
The best way to make your family and your home safer is to be prepared before disaster strikes.
* Make a family communications plan that includes an evacuation plan and coordinates with your school, work and community communication plans. Practice this plan with your entire family.
* Build a disaster supplies kit that includes enough supplies for each family member for three days. Remember to check your kit every six months. There are six basics you should stock for your home in the case of an emergency:
* Water, food, first aid supplies, clothing and bedding, tools and emergency supplies, and special items for medical conditions.
* Know what may happen and how you can help
Learn what disasters or emergencies may occur where you live, work and play and how they can affect you, your family and community.
* Identify how authorities will notify you and how you will get important information.
* Learn what you can do to prepare by contacting your local chapter of the American Red Cross to ask about first aid, CPR and disaster training.
We at GLM are doing the same. We are creating and implementing communication plans which we will keep you informed about.
TAKE A BREAK
Forms for the next “round” of Take A Break (TAB), the Friday pizza lunch, have been distributed to parent pockets & cubbies. The form covers Fridays starting March 2nd, and ending May 4th. Extra forms are available in both offices.
NANNY NEEDED
I'm seeking a nanny for my 3 month old, 3-4 days a week, M-F from 7:30 AM-4:30 PM. I'm returning to work THE 2nd week in March. My work week is different each week, so I'm looking for someone who is willing to be flexible. I'm also looking for someone who is Infant/Child CPR certified, speaks English well, very energetic and likes to go for walks, has a clean CA drivers license, and has current references. We live around lower Rockridge area, close to public transportation (BART), shops and restaurants. We are looking for someone who will be a great fit for our family. We also have a small dog who loves people, so must love dogs too. Thanks! Email: Gethurman@yahoo.com (Greta Dedmon, Mulberry class).
WHAT’S ELEMENTARY UP TO?
✔ A snow trip Feb 14 – 16 to Norden, CA!
✔ Pennies for Patients fundraising drive 2/26 – 3/21
✔ Swimming at the YMCA beginning Mar. 1st
✔ Aftercare sewing class starting Mar. 2nd
✔ Mar. 7th: “Color of Justice”, a TheaterWorks production
✔ Field trip to see “People Like Me” dance performance on Mar. 20th
PENNIES FOR PATIENTS
Every year the elementary class at GLM participates in Pennies for Patients, a fund-raising event for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. This year’s event will begin February 26th and run through March 21st. There will be containers in each class for spare change – look under your car seats, lift the cushions off your sofa, empty the pockets of your raincoat! The GLM class that raises the most money gets a pizza party, and children with cancer benefit from funding for further research.
❄●❄●❄●❄●❄●❄●❄●❄●❄●❄●❄●❄●❄●❄●❄●❄●❄●❄●❄●❄●❄●❄●❄●❄●❄●❄●
CLASS NEWS
REDWOOD (ELEMENTARY)
Elementary is on their eagerly anticipated snow trip to Norden, CA. Check here next week to find out all about it!
JACARANDA
Overheard on the yard as children were playing "Red Light, Green Light": "Remember, I can go on red and do a right turn on red!"
Thank you to everyone who helped with the Jacaranda Valentine's Day celebrations: Ariel, Ruby's mom, with the parent's valentines and Stephanie (Zander) and Gina (Soli) for helping the children make their bags. On the day, thank you to Kendra (Camille) for her help with set up and clean up and Erika (Isabella) for bringing in all the goodies for the tea party. Zayda (Logan) baked delicious shortbread cookies, too. The children really enjoy this time of sharing, giving and receiving. Ms. Leck would especially like to thank all the families for honoring the Jacaranda Valentine's Day guidelines. The children's bags were stuffed with many sweet cards filled with messages of love. We appreciate your efforts so much!
We have started doing job time in our classroom at the end of every morning. The children choose a job off the job time chart at our Monday morning meeting and are then responsible for doing this job at the end of every morning for the week. A piece of music signals the transition from the end of the morning to job time. They do things like clean the snack area, feed the animals, roll up our work rugs and dust the shelves. Ask your child about their job for the week. They can also show you the job time chart.
Please remember that the clipboard sign in sheet at the front of the Jacaranda classroom is a Licensing requirement. In the event of an emergency, like an earthquake, we will use the day's roster for a head count, and search and rescue, if necessary. This is important, folks!
The third years in our class (otherwise known as the kindergarteners) went on a fieldtrip with all of the other third years in the school on Thursday. They visited the Discovery Museum in Sausalito to see an exhibit honoring 100 years of Montessori Education. Thank you to our parent drivers for making it all possible. Ms. Leck and some of the other teachers will be attending the International Centenary Celebrations of Montessori in San Francisco this weekend. They will be going to workshops and other meetings with 1400 other Montessori teachers and administrators from around the world!
At the most recent all-staff meeting, the Disaster Consultant who reviewed the Grand Lake Montessori emergency and disaster plan was impressed at the school's level of preparedness in the event of an actual crisis. Please remember that your responsibility in to replenish your child's clothes bag as well as write your child a letter of comfort .
JUNIPER
Juniper's Valentine's celebration was a lot of fun. The children took turns being the "postman," wearing a red hat and red scarf, delivering their valentines to all of the children in the class. After giving their friends valentines, they had a holiday snack of red Jello and red cornbread.
Elizabeth, Tyler Knowlton's mother, spent time on two different days making Chinese Dragons with the children from egg cartons, ribbon, paint, glue, and other items. It was a great way for them to get a hands on experience of the Chinese celebration of the Lunar New Year. Thank you, Elizabeth!
The third year students are going on a field trip this week to celebrate the centennial year of Montessori. We will report back after the break to let you know how it went.
Reminder! Next week is GLM's Winter Break. The school is closed Monday, February 19 for Presidents' Day and will be opened for childcare Tuesday-Friday by sign-up only.
We've been practicing our fire and earthquake drills with the children. Though they're not yet perfect, they are getting better. We now have 100% of the children wearing slippers in the classroom, so their feet are protected when we go out of the classroom during our fire drills. Also, be sure to replenish your child's clothing bag every week (or every day if they are potty training). This is an important part of our emergency preparedness, so please take it seriously!
During March, we will be studying the parts of a flower, among other things. We need one or two parent volunteers each week to bring in fresh flowers (cut or potted) for us to dissect and examine. Look for a sign-up sheet on the door after the break, and talk to Ms. Koerber or Mr. Hennigan if you have any questions.
LIVE OAK
Thank you to all of the parents who helped us prepare for our Valentine’s Celebration this week!! We had sugar free Jell-O, frozen grapes and blueberry muffins while the children enjoyed talking about whom they loved and why. The responses were precious: Mia- “I loved my friend Nathan, we were friends before we were in the hospital born”. Isabella- “My mom, we go different places together”. Lucy- “My millipede, it tickles me a lot and I kiss it”. Lucas- “My mom, she plays Legos with me”. Michael- “Will, he plays tag with me and calms my body”. Lorenzo- “My mom, she goes different places with me and gives me more choices than my dad”. Mark- “My uncle John, he chases us and now he lives in Japan”. Keiley- “My Mimi, she lives in Philadelphia”. Vikram- “My dadama, it is my mom’s sister and I love my mom”. Kaya- “I love Felicia because I went to her house”. Kalyn- “I love my Jell-O because I like to lick it”. Jackson- “Lorenzo because he plays with me a lot”. Ariana- “My brother because he likes to share stuff with me”. Alexandra- “My mom, she hugs me”. Lali- “Sachi, she runs around and plays and when she comes down she spoils the computer”. Ananda- “Daddy and Mommy- they play with me and my sister”.
We have enjoyed having Ms. Lescure in our classroom this week. She is a trainee from the Montessori Teacher Training Center for Northern California. She has been practicing giving lessons to the children.
Please remember to bring in a picture of your family. Photos are welcome to include dogs, cats and fish!
GINKGO
The Ginkgo class has been making sure our classroom is clean, especially during the cold and flu season. The children have been quite helpful in the care of our environment. They have helped by dusting shelves, scrubbing tables, and polishing wood and metal trays. These practical life activities prepare the children's fine and gross motor skills that are needed for higher learning. These exercises also require focus, attention to detail, and concentration. For example, polishing requires children to judge and reason how much polish to use. Dusting requires them to carefully move materials to and from shelves. The results of this work are not just a clean classroom but also a sense of pride, joy, and respect of our communal space.
The care of the children's environment is also applicable at home. There are various fun opportunities for your child/ren to participate at home. S/he can help pick up litter in the neighborhood, scrub the car, or even help drying dishes. These are great ways to do the chores needed in the home and have fun with your child/ren.
MAGNOLIA
The children had a busy week filled with love. On Tuesday they decorated their cereal boxes with cut out hearts, glitter, stickers, and various other collage materials. Thank you Corey Weinstein for helping us with this project. On Valentine’s Day we celebrated Amina's third birthday with a tasty snack of bagels and fruit. The children were all very excited to pass out their Valentines. Thank you Heather Hood, Naima Hart, and Aleka Eisentraut for helping us with this.
The children have been playing some fun games as a way to learn the names of geometric solids. One of the favorites is when the teacher asks the children playing the game (usually 3-4) to each pick up a solid cube, cylinder, or cone and switch it with another child's shape: "If you have the sphere please switch it with person who has the cone." Next week we will go on a walk to look for some of these shapes in nature. Connor brought in some pinecones from his trip to the mountains which are the same shape as an ovoid.
This week, with Mr. Moody, the children learned some meditative poses while listening to some Mandarin music. Mr. Hoffmann is teaching the children a French song, "Alouette", to go along with our study of Europe.
MULBERRY
Our Valentine's Day celebration made for a busy morning. To carry their valentines the children decorated bags. At one table the children attempted to make Cheerio necklaces but most of them decided to eat their Cheerios instead. For snack they helped make heart shaped French toast with spread strawberry jam and cream cheese. They also had ice cream cones filled with strawberries and cranberry juice. The children passed out their valentines at circle and put them in their decorated bags. All the homemade Valentines were so creative! Thank you to all the parents who helped out.
Thursday we celebrated Lunar New Year. Mulberry children dressed up in Mandarin suits (from our Opera costume collection). Alex Luces mom, Tuyen, and grandpa Minh, came in along with Megan Lin’s moms, KoKo and Margot. They planned a wonderful morning in the Brown Cottage, including books about Lunar New Year. Children took turns standing with the lion head on for the lion dance. They had Vietnamese music which the children danced to with enthusiasm. The children helped cut up fruit for a fruit salad and learned to make little egg rolls. They then served themselves a delicious lunch of fried rice, egg rolls, and fruit salad.
This week Little Chefs was another great success. The children made lasagna and fruit salad. Next week there will be no Little Chefs because it is Winter Break. We will resume this wonderful cooking activity after the break.
Song of the week:
Skinna ma rink a dink a dink,
Skinna ma a rink a do, I love you.
I love you in the morning and in the afternoon,
I love you in the evening and underneath the moon.
Oh, skinna ma rink a dink a dink,
Skinna ma rink a do, I love you and you and you and you.
Quote of the week: The child can only develop by means of experience in his environment. We call such experience "work." --Maria Montessori
CAMELLIA
Thank you to all the parents who took the time at home with your children to make Valentine cards. Our tea party was a hit. The children made pink Cheerios necklaces, and a healthy and juicy fruit cone. They all had a wonderful time (teachers, too!). Thank you to Paul's dad, Kevin, and Megan's mom, Koko, for setting the activities for the children, and Selina's mom, Mia, for the muffins and bags. The children passed out cards to their friends, and after they were done, they all gave each other hugs.
Let me tell you, the Little Chefs really know how to cook. The lasagna was so good they ate until their plates were empty. Remember next week is Winter Break, so there will be no Little Chefs; it will resume Feb. 27th.
This week’s sound was "T" and we had lots of Toothbrushes, Toothpaste, Telephones, and Turtles. There will be no Sound of the Week during Winter Break, but will resume on Feb. 28th with the sound of "U", as in Umbrella.
A fond farewell to Mary Elizabeth and her parents who are moving to the East Coast. We will miss you all. Send us a postcard!
Dates to remember:
2/19/07 - President's Day school closed
2/20-2/23 - Winter Break - childcare by prior registration
Camellia class would like to welcome the Thompson's family: Hayden, Rahsaan (dad), Kara (mom), and sister Keiley .
QUOTE OF THE WEEK: cont... WITH MUSIC AND LANGUAGE
We can feed the child's intense interest in language, and prepare for later spoken language, by speaking clearly, not using "baby talk", by not raising our voices to an unnatural pitch, often reserved for speaking to pets, and not oversimplifying language in the presence of the child.
