|
Homework
click here for details
Wish List
- Hermit Crab
(or two!)
- Plastic Artist Portfolio for storing posters
- Dorm-size
fridge (New or Used)
Science Kit Donations
Needed:
small pyrex glass pot with
lid
6 small bottles with unique
shapes
( maple syrup,perfume, orangina,
after dinner
drinks)
small plastic trays (child's
tea set size)
colored sand
paraffin wax
talcum powder
rubber ball
ping pong balls
glass pickle/jam size jars
Gallery
click
here for picture gallery
Fast Links
The
River Valley
Charter School
Ciderhill
Farm
American Montessori Society
Montessori Online
|
|
Latest
News and Notes
Friday June 9th, 2006
Dear Families,
We have enjoyed this week together, despite Mother Nature's plan for rain,
and the postponing of field day and our trip. We'll look forward to
sunshine next week (pretty please...)and lots of outdoors time.
You may have heard your kids mention "Picturing Writing". This is a program
that some of the RVCS began training for back in February. We purchased
all of the art supplies, and have begun to teach the progression of literature,
art and writing to students with diverse learning styles. We’re really
excited about it, and will continue for the next two weeks, and into next
year. We both hope to take further training through UNH to expand the
program.
In Open Circle we are beginning to focus on wrapping up the end of the year
with the appropriate Open Circle lessons, such as, memorable moments, saying
goodbye, etc. In addition, we are using our Open Circle lesson on interviewing
to get to know the E2 teachers better. The main purpose of this is for the
soon to be 4th graders, but also for the benefit of all the students. We
have interviewed Ali Fields and Lynne, and Andy and Ali. It has been so enjoyable.
Dates to remember: 6/12-6/19
Monday Mystery Ride Third Years: 11-1 Third years...don't
forget Monday's food to share!
Tuesday Construction Day (we'll be inventing and constructing)
Wednesday Field Day 10-12 (Wear your color!)
Thursday Maud slay (9:30-2:30)
Friday Slide Show/ Ice Cream Social 1:30
Spirit Week 6/19-6/22
Monday...Inside out/Backwards Day (Wear your clothes backward or inside
out if you'd like!)
1:30...crarts with Debby and Tracy
Tuesday...Hats and Hair Day (hair anyway you like it, and even hats!)
Wednesday...D.E.A.R. day (wear your pajamas and bring an animal and a blanket
or pillow)
Thursday...1/2 day Come as you are...we'll say goodbye for now.
Have a great weekend, Kate and Patti
__________________________________
Friday May 26th, 2006
Dear Families,
Our trip to the zoo was a huge success. The weather and the company (students,chaperones,
and animals!) were delightful. The children were so responsible. They stayed
close at all times, checking to make sure their partners and chaperones knew
where they were. They were so respectful.. What a wonderful bunch!!
On Wednesday, Shoshanna, Kate's Open Circle trainer paid us a visit and
did a lesson on Classroom Climate. We were able to relate this to the emotions
or "weather" that we go through each day in our classroom community. The remainder
of our lessons will be geared towards the transitions that we will be experiencing
as the year comes to an end.
The school and classroom budget has been depleted of all funds. Basics,
such as pencils are no longer available. We are running low on these, so
if anyone would like to donate some pencils, we would greatly appreciate
it.
Due to the recent warm weather, please make sure your child dresses in layers.
We are not currently using the AC, yet the classroom is very stuffy and warm,
so please make sure your child is wearing a t-shirt or has a lighter change
of clothes.
Next Wednesday we will be sending home the progress reports. It will be
your copy to keep. When you come for the Portfolio Review with your child,
please remember to sign the extra copy that we will have in the classroom.
This will go to the office. There will be no need to bring back your copy.
A reminder about the upcoming field Trips and in school events:
Thursday June 1st- half day - Portfolio Reviews
Friday June 2nd- half day- Grandparents Day in the A.M., Portfolio Reviews
in the afternoon
Monday June 5t- Dirt Detectives field trip to Spencer Pierce Farm
Wednesday June 3rd- In School Field Day for students and teachers
Thursday June 8th-Maudslay Park with naturalist Joanne Healey
Enjoy the great weather and the long weekend.
Talk soon,
Kate and Patti
Friday May 19th, 2006
Dear Families,
We had a busy week as usual, but in an MCAS sort of way! The third years
completed their math MCAS yesterday. They enjoyed taking the test and worked
exceedingly hard to prepare for it. The volume of work that these
fine students need to do is somewhat overwhelming for all of us, but they
do an outstanding job.
In Open Cirlce we completed our unit on the six steps to problem solving.
There will be a summary of these steps given to each child to take home.
We encourage you to discuss these steps with your child and when possible,
apply them to problems as they arise in your home. Some families display
these steps on their fridge as a tool for adults and children alike. We are
continuing with our Open Circle lessons until the end of the year. We just
finished a lesson on "Keeping a Conversation Going".
A reminder about the upcoming field Trips:
Thursday May 25th - Roger William's Parker Zoo
Thursday June 1st - half day - Portfolio Reviews
Friday June 2nd- half day- Grandparents Day in the A.M., Portfolio Reviews
in the afternoon
Monday June 5th- Dirt Detectives field trip to Spencer Pierce Farm
Wednesday June 3rd- In School Field Day for students and teachers
Thursday June 8th -Maudsley Park with naturalist Joanne Healy
Fingers crossed that we don't get too much rain this weekend. Enjoy what
you can of the fine weather.
Kate and Patti.
Friday May 5th, 2006
Dear Families,
We are enjoying some real spring weather, after two days of solid rain,
and a lot of built up energy in here. We all appreciate the sunshine,
and some extra long recesses. Ask your kids about all the wildlife
we saw on Thur. Snakes, turtles, and ducks!
Ali and Lynn's class did a fabulous presentation of Marlo Thomas's Free
to Be You and Me for all of us on Wed. The kids are still talking
about it. It was fun to see the alumni! On Thur., we had a guest
named Michelle from the Mt.Washington Observatory. Ask your kids about
it. Fascinating facts for all! We decided she must really love
weather, if she's willing to sleep in a bunk bed on the top of Mt. Washington
for eight days in a row, and then take six days off, in the lowlands of N.
Conway. The kids asked great questions, and were very polite.
The website if you're interested is www.mountwashington.org.
Today we're having a mini-talent show, for those shy in spirit, and some
who are not! Ask your kids about it. It will surely be fun.
In Open Circle, we continue to work through the six steps to problem solving.
We are preparing for another round of MCAS for third grade the week of
May 15th. We will not be having any trips for the next two week, then
let the field trips begin!
Some
Reminders:
Thur. 5/25 Zoo in Providence
Mon. 5/29 No School...Memorial Day
Thur. 6/1 ½ day...Portfolio day
Fri. 6/2 ½ day...Special friends, Grandparents Day,
portfolio afternoon
Mon. 6/5 Spencer Pierce Little Farm "Dirt Detectives" 1-3
Tue. 6/6, Wed. 6/7 All School Field Day (more info. To come)
Thur. 6/8 Walk at Maudslay with JoAnn Healey, picnic and kite flying afterward
9:30-2:00
Mon. 6/12 Mystery Ride with Kate and Patti for third years...shhhh...I'll
tell you more in a few weeks
Friday 6/16 Crafts with Debby and Tracey (please send in an old shirt
or smock for special painting that is not washable...)
Wed. 6/21 last day of school for the kiddos.
Enjoy the weekend!
K/P
Friday April 28th, 2006
Dear families,
The children quickly got back into the routine after the April vacation.
We are now in the home stretch. Summer will be here before we know it.
The children continue to work so hard during each work cycle. They are
such a great group of self directed, responsible, and independent students.
We wrapped up our study of reptiles and have moved onto fish. This will
bring us to the end of our study of vertebrates.
If your child has a summer birthday, and wishes a candle walk before
school finishes in June, please send us a note so we can choose a mutually
agreeable date. They love this time. We are trying to space them
out between May and June, so we are not inundated with the last week of
school.
In Open Circle we finished our lesson on Expressing Anger Appropriately
and have moved onto the Six Steps to Problem Solving. As mentioned before,
it is always such a pleasure to do Open Circle with your children. They are
so thoughtful and sincere and have so much to offer.
Our Earth Day clean up was a huge success. We collected a lot of trash
and we were very lucky with the beautiful weather. Thank you to our chaperones
for making this possible.
Please check your child's change of clothes status to make sure they
are complete and are suitable for the warmer weather.
Patti is currently listening to a book on tape called Real Boys by Dr.
Pollack . She highly recommends this book to parents of boys or anyone
interested in reading it.
Here is a list of upcoming events:
Our Trip to Roger Willisams Zoo in Rhode Island is scheduled for Thur.
May 25th.
Thur. 5/4 Mt. Washington weather expert here at 10:00
5/15 – 5/19 MCAS week (well be here all week)
6/1 Maudslay with biologist JoAnn Healey, picnic and kite flying afterward
6/2 Grandparents/Special person day/ a.m. and p.m portfolio review
6/12 Mystery ride with the third years...Kate and Patti
Have a great weekend. Enjoy the great weather.
Kate and Patti.
Friday April 7th, 2006
Good afternoon families,
Just a short note, as Kate is away at Open Circle Training, and I'm
in here for a short bit of quiet and communication to you.
These kids are doing amazing research. We decided to dream in circle
about where we're going to visit someday. Please ask your child.
They have high hopes, and we're sure they'll get there someday.
Just a note re: homework. Feel free to review your child's homework
with them. That would help us out a lot. Homework is generally
sent home only when work isn't finished, for good reason sometimes.
If you child has a summer birthday, and wishes a candle walk before
school finishes in June, please send us a note so we can choose a mutually
agreeable date. They love this time.
After April vacation, life here seems to get busier, as we push to get
curriculum covered, enjoy the outside by going on more field trips, and
maintain classroom organization amidst all this. Here are a few dates
to pencil on your calendar. You have not received official notification
of all of these, but you will soon.
Mon. 4/10 Tree expert from Audobon here at school in a.m.
Wed. 4/12 Wolf Hollow , a.m. Ipswich
Mon. 4/17 Fri. 4/21 Spring Break
Thur. 4/27 Earth Day Clean Up, a.m. Plum Island
Thur. 5/4 Mt. Washington weather expert here at 10:00
Wed. 5/10 "Dirt Detectives" Spencer Peirce Little Farm , Newbury
9:15
5/15 – 5/19 MCAS week (we'll be here all week)
5/25 Roger Williams Zoo on school bus with Karen and Kathy's class
(all day...stay tuned for more info), Providence, R.I.
6/1 Maudslay with biologist JoAnn Healey, picnic and kite flying afterward
6/2 Grandparents/Special person day and portfolio review
6/12 Mystery ride with the third years...Kate and Patti
Wow….that's most of it anyway. We'll be in touch about a few more
options.
Enjoy a beautiful weekend, and we'll talk soon.
Truly,
K/P
Friday March 24th, 2006
Dear Families,
We really do enjoy our conferences with you. It seems there's
always something that we can learn from you, as we partner with you to
teach your child.
We have enjoyed a productive week, beginning our study of reptiles,
and continuing to prep the third years for MCAS.
Monday, the third years will begin with their practice test.
Terri and Kate will be with our third years in Terri's E-1 classroom.
Colleen, Patti and Heather will host the 29 first and second years here.
Because of the allergies next door, please make sure your child brings
his/her own peanut free snack and bottle of water. We'll resume
grocery shopping the following week for our class.
The MCAS will end on Thursday, and we will look forward to "Fun Friday",
as MCAS wraps us and we move on to April.
We look forward to having a tree expert come to meet with us on April
10th, as well as the trip to Wolf Hollow on April 12th. Stay tuned
for more info about our trip to the R.I. zoo on May 18th, and a trip to
Maudslay State Park with Joanne Healey.
Our lonely hermit crab still longs for a friend. So.. if you're
near the pet store or Building 19, please consider. We also are
in need of a few more items, which we'll include on the wishlist.
Thank you as always.
In Open Circle we focused on being calm. We discussed times when it
is important to be calm, times when we need help calming down, and what
strategies we can use to help. As a group we practiced calm breathing techniques.
Since this lesson, we have heard many of the children refer to this while
helping console peers. The goal of Open Circle is to carry over what they
learn in each discussion into their everyday lives.
Enjoy your weekend,
Truly,
K/P
Friday March 10th, 2006
Dear Families,
It does appear that spring is close! Please remember to send
your child with an extra set of clothes to leave at school, as mud season
has arrived, for now anyway.
We look forward to sending progress reports home Wed. afternoon,
and meeting with you on Thur. 3/16 or Friday 3/17. There will
be dismissal at 11:30 a.m. both days.
Thank you for the science kit donations! Please check the
wishlist update, as some of our substantial items have been donated.
Joppa Flats was thrilled to be the recipient of the Bird Book.
It is displayed in their lobby as a work of art. If you didn't happen
to buy one, please feel free to have your child borrow our classroom copy.
It's beautiful, and a lot of hard work went in to it, from the kids.
In Open Circle, we discussed body language and emotions. Kate shared
with the staff at our staff meeting on Tuesday what Open Circle is all
about. She asked the children for their feedback-their likes and dislikes.
It was so precious to hear their responses!
Get out there and enjoy the great weather!
Truly,
K/P
Friday March 3rd, 2006
Dear Families,
As I write this, the third years are busy enjoying Eartha, in Yarmouth,
Maine. The first and second years enjoyed a smaller class atmosphere
this afternoon. (We did miss you Kate and friends). We focused on
tooth health, and watched a cool video on maps and the earth. Ask
your kids about hemispheres and the equator!
You may hear about literature circles with the second and third
years. We have started reading novels with some of the kids, as part
of their reading program. Each person has a "job" in a literature
circle. These groups will change as the year goes on, but currently
one group is reading My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George,
and the other group is reading Mr. Popper's Penguins by Richard and Florence
Atwater.
Would you please search your silverware drawers at home to see
if your child brought home one of our pieces? Michael donated his
entire set of silverware to our classroom, and some of it is missing.
Thanks for checking.
If any of you have any good parenting/child ed. books you're reading,
please pass on the titles to all of us. One of my new favorites
is, RAISING CHILDREN WHO THINK FOR THEMSELVES, by Dr. Elisa Medhus.
I think it is extremely practical, and certainly ties in with the Montessori
philosophy. It's also very reasonably priced on Amazon. com.
The Merrimack Library Consortium also owns it.
We are always looking for parents to come in and lead an activity.
Next week, Janet V. will help us with seed packets for Community Service.
Kate Coryell will be leading us in yoga. If you have something you
could offer during the day, we would love it. And, thank you for all
the jobs you do for us, whatever it is.
We look forward to meeting with you all on March 16th and March
17th. Most of you have signed up for conferences. If you haven't,
please do as soon as you can. A form went home, and there is also a
sign up outside the door.
Enjoy the weekend!
Truly,
K/P
Friday February 17th, 2006
This note will be short, as there is a TORRENTIAL
rainstorm happening, as we sit down to write this during indoor recess!
We enjoyed ourselves so much last night at the Pot Luck Supper,
and we hope you did too. Thanks for helping us to make it happen.
The food and company were great.
It's been a week full of special surprises. Besides the
surprise rainstorm (ask your kids), we were guests at Karen/Kathy's
"Lewis and Clark" expedition, and Karianna and Michele's "Central American"
fair. Wow! Such talent these kids have.
We all look forward to "recharging" our batteries, and coming
back to school rested and refreshed. Enjoy every minute.
Truly,
K/P
Friday February 10th, 2006
Dear Families,
It has been a great week, just packed full. We are studying
rocks and their properties. The kids enjoyed looking at each other's
rock collections, and completing a "lab report" about their specific
rock. We also learned how to graph using a pictograph based on everyone's
birthstone.
We have collected ten beautiful hygiene kits for the Jeanne
Geiger Crisis Center. (Thanks Janet, for coming up with the great
idea of each child bringing specific items) We hope to have twelve
by Wed.
Our Penguin Play has been keeping the second years, and a few
first years very busy. Fun!
In Open Circle, we did a review of all the previous lessons/discussions.
The children each filled out a self-evaluation with regards to how
they think they have been applying the skills of Open Circle into their
day to day routine. Needless to say, according to the evaluations, everyone
in the class is doing every thing that they are supposed to!!
The rocks workshop with naturalist Joanne Healy was a huge
success. There were many interactive hands on activities for all of
the children to enjoy. We were so lucky to have her and hope to avail
of her expertise again in the future
Please make sure your child has slippers here at school.
We're approaching "mud season" and our floors will be showing it, if
we're not careful.
Tuesday is Valentine's Day. We will be celebrating with
games, crafts and songs. We decided not to exchange Valentine's
among the class this year, but there will be time to craft during the
day, and "share the love". If anyone would like to send in a
special snack for Valentine's Day, we'd love it. Please e-mail us
@ [email protected].
Upcoming Event:
*Valentine Pot Luck dinner Thur. 2/16 6:00-7:00.
We look forward to it! Please e-mail Janet Vandermeulen @ [email protected]
with your contribution, if you haven't already. Please bring
your own plates and silverware, along with your dish to share.
We strive to be friendly to the environment, and teach our kids the
same. We will have napkins and cups available.
Wish List
We have sent home a list of Science items we'd like to collect
by March 1st. We are in need of white poster board for our maps.
In addition we are "wishing" for a digital scale, i.e. for weighing
bodies and large items!
Many thanks for all you do to keep us supplied! Please
see below:
Science Alert
Dear Families,
We are putting together a kit of 20 science experiments.
Please help us gather the following list of new materials. We can
now store science equipment on our new shelves in the bathroom (Thank
you Chris Horan)
small pyrex glass pot with lid
tiny spoons
bottle olive oil
2 boxes food coloring
1 bottle clear ammonia
1 package of sponges
6 small bottles with unique shapes ( maple syrup, perfume, orangina,
after dinner drinks)
small plastic trays (child’s tea set size)
colored sand
isopropyl alcohol
10 marbles
paraffin wax
matches
talcum powder
rubber ball
vegetable oil
ping pong balls
We'll keep a running inventory of what we receive, and keep
you posted via e-mail.
Thank you in advance.
Truly, K/P
Friday January 28th, 2006
Dear Families,
We have just a few short notes about a productive and fun
week in E-1. We hope you heard all about Joppa Flats. It was
a really educational, lively field trip. Kids rotated between
four activity centers. If you haven't already heard, please ask
about the cardinal!
Our bird book is hours from completion. It’s just beautiful,
and if you didn't order a copy, we'll be sure to share our class copy.
The kids adoringly dedicated it to our friends at Joppa Flats, and an anonymous
donor has purchased one for Joppa Flats. Thank you.
Teachers spent the science workshop day preparing for twenty
new Science experiments that tie in with the Montessori Curriculum,
and will be housed in each of our rooms. Please save any little
containers (glass or plastic) that you might recycle anyway (i.e.
olive, pimientos, garlic, baby food jars). We are in the process
of putting science drawers together. Stay tuned for a letter coming
home with other items you might save for us.
We did a science activity about properties of objects and
whether or not they were man made or natural.
Speaking of Science, we've had to become "bad breath busters".
You may have heard your child say that we're asking that they always brush
their teeth before coming to school. Some kids admitted it had
been days since they brushed, so please help us with improved oral hygiene.
Thanks!
In Open Cirlce this week, we spoke about interviewing as a
means of learning new information about others. We also had a circle
about good speaking up skills. Kate's Open Cirlce trainer stopped by during
the week to observe an Open Circle. She had so many glowing comments about
the students. She noticed how respectful they were of one another, how kind,
and attentive they were, as well as the excellent listening and cooperating
skills exhibited.
It seems to be "mud season" a bit early outside. Please,
please, please make sure your child has an extra set of clothes in
his/her cubby (shirt, pants, underwear and socks). It's no fun
to be wet, and the nurse's supply is often depleted.
Thank you to Tracey Marino for the box of white board markers.
We especially love the magenta one!
We wrap up Kate DiCamillo's The Tale of Despereaux today.
What a treat. Thanks Gwen Albert in E-2 for the recommendation!
Til next week, enjoy the weekend!
Truly, K/P
Friday January 13th, 2006
Dear Families,
We are full tilt into studying about birds. You may
hear the call of a bald eagle, or the squawk of a seagull around
the house this weekend. Each child is researching a bird for writing
about in our class book. Any supplements you can provide from your
local library are helpful. Please ask your child what they're researching.
We talked about the historical importance of Martin Luther
King's teachings for our past, present, and future. In playing
a game at lunch about diversity, we hope there is a simple understanding
of his importance.
Our Pot Luck Supper has been scheduled for Thur. 2/16, from
6:00 - 7:00. This is a chance to bring a dish to share, and have dinner
with your child, his/her friends and teachers. Due to space,
we need to leave siblings at home with a babysitter. Hopefully,
this gives you plenty of time to make arrangements. Thanks Janet
V. and Tracey for helping with this.
Speaking of thanks, we neglected to mention Janet Hawkes
as our class "laundress". Often a thankless job, we do appreciate
you! Thanks to the Moores for the new picture dictionary, Janet for giving
us each a growing Amaryllis, Susan Tabb for the loom boxes, and all of
you for your ongoing willingness to help when we need it.
Teachers are here on Tue. for a Science Workshop Day.
E-1 teachers will be making Science Kits with the 24 basic Science Experiments
from the Montessori Album. We hope you and your families enjoy
a wonderful weekend together.
Truly,
K/P
*Upcoming field trip:
Friday, January 20th…Joppa Flats "All About Birds"
Friday January 6th, 2006
Happy New Year families! It's good to be back after
a restful break. This week has had moments that remind us of the
first week of September, but indeed we will all return to reality by
Monday!
Please help us welcome the newest member of our class,
Alex Dunn. He is a first year from Newburyport, and you may hear
his name at home, as he is already making new friends. Welcome
Alex!
We are beginning our bird study, and will anticipate our
trip to Joppa Flats on Friday morning, January 20th. We will
also be writing our class book this month. Each child will research
a bird of their choice and write about it. Please remember, there
is no obligation whatsoever to purchase these books, but some families
like them, and we look at it as a way to get a nice kid-designed published
book (free) for our classroom library. It is a great way to teach
writing from story web, to draft to final copy too, so bear with us if
you hear a lot of "bird talk". There will be information coming home
about purchasing books, but it is absolutely your choice. Later
on in the year, we'll design individual books.
We are continuing our open circle discussions. Our recent
discussion was about Group Membership and how even though each of
us might belong to the same group(s), such as church, sports, etc. we
are all very different and should be treated fairly as an individual.
Each and every one of your children are SO accepting of each others
differences. We have a lot of different personalities and learning styles
and we all feel safe being ourselves because of the respect that we have
for each other.
It's cold out there. It would be great if everyone
brought gloves, preferably water proof (and perhaps even stashed
an extra pair to keep in their backpacks just in case). Our basket
of dollar store gloves is used every day, and those are now missing.
So, just a reminder to help everyone stay warm.
We are looking for plastic "shoeboxes" (Sterlite or Rubbermaid)
to store the individual knitting looms in. (12 would be great)
You are so generous to include us all in the gift certificate
to Newburyport. We’re hoping you all received our thank you, but
once again, many thanks for the lovely gift of our choice.
Here's hoping you are getting re-organized after the holidays,
and we are sure it's going to be a great second half of the year.
Thanks for all you do...to name a few, to the Horans for
the microscope and art supplies, to the Hawkes for the laminated
world map, to the Davis' for the looms, to the Denners for the amazing
bird book and CD, to the Hurleys for the tree skirt, to the Marcheterres
for the gift of yarn and knitting needles, and to ALL of you for your
volunteer efforts to help us out…Pals: Janet and Tracey, Classroom Helpers:
Rick MacLeod and Susan Patten, Copy Gals: Karen, Eileen, Tracey and Doina,
Scholastic Mom: Andrea Martin, Fairy Godmothers (saving us good "culch"):
Kate Coryell and Janet V. and am SURE we’ve forgotten some. We are
grateful to all of you, because without you, this job would not be the
same!!!
Stay tuned for more info about the Pot Luck Dinner...probably
now in February.
Truly, K/P
Friday December 16th, 2005
Dear Families,
We were happy to have school today. We have a long winter
ahead of us, so we can do without snow days for a while!
Our trip to the Nutcracker was magnificent. It was a delight
to watch all the little faces in awe of the color and beauty of the
performance. We felt very lucky to share such an experience with your
children. For many it was their first experience not only of a ballet,
but also a trip on the big yellow school bus to the bright lights and
big city!
We would like to send out a heartfelt thank you to all
for donating wrapping paper as well as blankets, scarves, mittens.
Our giving tree was overflowing. A big thank you to Janet Vandermeulen
for making fleece scarves with the class. They got to keep one and donate
one to the giving tree. The volunteer from the Crisis Center who stopped
by to collect everything was so touched by the generosity of everyone.
Thanks to you, Christmas will be a lot brighter for many families. After
Christmas we will be collecting used cell phones and chargers for the
Crisis center.
Janet also came in this afternoon to make beautiful ornaments
for our tree with the kids.
If your child does not have a cup with a wide handle,
could you please exchange the one they have in school with one that
has a wider handle. The blue aluminum ones from Wal-Mart (in the
camping section) or even coffee mugs (not glass) work well.
The ones without handles are falling off and noisy!
The children are working very hard on their money work,
among other math concepts, but we are in need of loose change for
our cash register. There just doesn't seem to be enough to go around.
If anyone could spare a few pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters,
it would be greatly appreciated.
Our classroom lacks storage, so in an effort to become
more organized and reduce the clutter, we are asking for a donation
of basic wooden shelves with hardware for our bathroom, so we can
get materials up off the floor. We will also be looking for a person
to put these shelves up. We don't expect any of this to happen until the
New Year, so there's no pressure. In addition, we are looking for a donation
of heavy duty coat hooks for the back of the bathroom door. We are also
looking for a tall basket or container to store rolled up posters and research
projects. We could also use a basket to hold the knitting looms and
all of our yarn (a fairly large basket).
We will send out an additional reminder, but the last
day of school before the vacation, Thursday Dec. 22nd, we will be
having DEAR (Drop Everything and Read) day. This is a day for pajamas,
slippers, and one stuffed animal. We will be reading the Polar Express
and drinking hot chocolate. We are going to attempt a low key, calm
day.
Have a great weekend,
Kate and Patti
Friday December 2nd, 2005
Dear Families,
It was good to have a full week of school, and get back
into our routine a bit. Thanks Chris Horan (Tristan's Dad)
for hanging the beautiful new pegs that Carolyn Russell (Alison's Mom)
helped us paint. Stop by and take a look by the door. They
are beautiful!
We're continuing with our unit on the animal kingdom,
and are currently studying amphibians.
In open circle, we spoke about annoying behavior and
how to deal with it. We continue to remind the children that the
skills they are learning in Open Circle are skills that can be used
everyday, and that the topics addressed are those that occur in real
life.
We're excited to think about the Nutcracker on Wed. 12/7.
We'll be taking the school bus, so that adds to the whole experience!
(According to the kids anyway...)
Stay tuned for info re: a birding trip to Joppa Flats
in January.
Our "Giving Tree" for the Jeanne Geiger Crisis Center
is beginning to fill up. Our dream is to fill it so there is
no more green to see! The kids are eager to help, and we appreciate
your support, as will the women and children of the Center.
The schoolwide wrapping paper drive is going well.
Please spread the word that we're collecting for the Crisis Center,
so the Moms can wrap their gifts for their children.
A few parents have asked about how to purchase a "howda"
chair. It is certainly not necessary, but for many kids it helps
them stay "grounded" in circle. Check out www.howda.com.
They're made here in Newburyport, and we understand they're nearly
indestructible.
In lieu of Christmas gifts, Kate and Patti would like
to suggest we give to others less fortunate, like the Crisis Center.
Working with your kids is a gift. We feel appreciated on a daily
basis by your support.
Have a fun weekend.
Truly,
K/P
Wednesday November 23rd, 2005
Dear Parents,
The last few weeks have been short, but busy! We thoroughly
enjoyed conferencing with all of you. It is so nice to have the
time to reconnect and to meet new parents. We learn so much more
about your children. Please remember, we are always available in between
conferences, should you ever want to set up a time to meet and discuss
any concerns or simply just to check in.
We read Maria Montessori's Creation story to wrap up
our story telling of creation stories from other cultures. There
were some very cool science experiments that went along with this.
In Open Circle, we discussed Double D behaviors- dangerous
and destructive, and annoying behaviors. The children put so much
thought and discussion into these circles. It really is great to hear
them talk the way they do.
We followed up our lesson on the animal kingdom with
a lesson on mammals. The children were divided into small groups
to research a mammal of their choice.
The children have been working on summarizing short
stories. This was done in a group lesson and as a follow up, the
children were divided into small groups and summarized a book they
read. The children have also worked on sequencing and patterns
of numbers.
As you already heard, we have started our wrapping paper
drive and our mitten tree. We understand that this is an expensive
time of the year, so we ask that in lieu of Christmas gifts for teachers,
if you would please make donations to the wrapping drive and/or the
mitten tree. We appreciate you and your children and because of all your
positive feedback, we too know how much we are appreciated. That is more
than enough for us.
As an item on our wish list, we are looking for a nice
adult dictionary. Often times, the children's dictionaries and the
young adult's dictionaries, do not have the words we are looking
for. We would also love to have a picture dictionary for very beginning
readers.
Looming and knitting is the latest craze to hit our
classroom, and we are loving it! Since we do not have enough looms
for everyone, looms and/or knitting needles would make an excellent
Christmas gift. They are available at Wal-Mart, Michael's, and
probably online.
To coincide with the funny and ridiculously silly chapter
book we are reading, The BFG, we had a BFG day. We decided to make
snozzcumbers, the very food that the BFG dislikes! We wrote acrostic
poems using his name and/or our names.
To celebrate Thanksgiving, we joined Germaine's and
Melanie's class today for a nice snack and social gathering.
Annie Moore, our shining young star, is currently appearing
in the play "Really Rosie" at the Tannery performance space. Unfortunately
there are no shows where we could go and see her perform, but there
are some evening or weekend performances listed below, if anyone is
interested in attending.
1 Friday 12/2 7pm
2 Sat 12/3 12 noon
3 Sat 12/3 2pm
4 Sat. 12/3 5pm
5 Sun 12/4 2pm
6 Sun 12/4 5pm
The show is double cast and Annie is in the 1, 4, and
5 shows.
There are 25 kids in each cast and only 50 seats in
the house, so best to buy tix in advance
On that note, we would like to wish all of you a very
happy Thanksgiving.
Kate and Patti
Friday November 4th, 2005
Dear Parents,
We had a fun filled hectic week! We began our week
with "Mystery History". The children were so creative and challenging!
This is always a very educational project. Thank you to Lukas' mother
for spoiling us. She made up cute Halloween treats for everyone in
the class.
Our trip to Lowell to see "Animalia" was fun and creative.
We took advantage of the unseasonable autumn weather and ate lunch
on campus. Thank you to all our drivers. We truly appreciate you.
Without your help we could not have done it.
In preparation for "Animalia" we briefly discussed
the animal kingdom and the common characteristics of living creatures
using our mnemonic, MRS. GREN. Ask your child about this. We will
expand on the animal kingdom as the year progresses.
We had the pleasure of having Mrs. Russell in our classroom
for two afternoons this week. She walked the children through a
wonderful art project. She had them sanding, priming, and working in
teams to come up with designs. They then set to work on painting the
peg hooks for their cups. We look forward to seeing the finished product.
We mentioned a few weeks ago how we were planning to
host a potluck in our classroom. This has been moved forward to
January 24th. Due to progress reports and the busy Christmas season,
we cannot find the time to fit this in. January is a long month,
so hopefully it will help brighten our winter season a little.
Once again this year we will be helping out the Women's
Crisis Center here in Newburyport. We will repeat our wrapping paper
drive and our Mitten Tree to give a little to those less fortunate
than ourselves. We will let you know all the details over the next
week or two. For those of you who are unfamiliar with this, we ask for
donations of wrapping paper, tape, and ribbon that the mother's at the
Crisis Center use to wrap presents for their children. Volunteers at the
center wrap presents for the mothers. The mitten tree drive consists of
donations of NEW mittens, gloves, hats, scarves, and small fleece blankets
for children of all ages. We hang them on our tree, so hence the name,
Mitten Tree!
Enjoy this weekend. Sun and warmth is being predicted,
so get out there and enjoy it.
Kate and Patti
Friday October 28th, 2005
Dear Families,
We had a wonderful time at Maudslay, finding beautiful
bits of nature everywhere. It's amazing what the kids found
with their partners, using a scavenger hunt as their guide.
Thanks drivers. We couldn't have done it without you.
We are becoming writers using the writing process.
Each child has brainstormed topics of interest, written a story map,
and are on their way to writing a finished piece. This will
continue throughout the year on Mondays.
RVCS is economizing by keeping the heat at 68 degrees.
It seems perfect to most of us, but some of the kids may feel chilly
if they're not dressed in layers. We're encouraging the concept
of layers so that if they get cold, they can add a sweater or sweatshirt.
Thanks to the Denners for the lovely banana muffins,
and the Slack-Welles for the yummy pumpkin cookies. We do
eat well in here! The grocery store trips are fun, and hopefully
your kids are trying new foods that they might not at home.
Monday, 10/31 we'll celebrate "Mystery History".
Please have your child come dressed as someone from the "past" with
a short paragraph printed or written (of course you can help), so
that we can guess from your clues. We'll be sure to take photos
for the website.
Wed. 11/2 we're off to "Animalia" at UMass Lowell.
Please remember a snack and lunch so if it's decent weather we can
stay "on campus" and eat. If the weather is inclement, we’ll
be back here for lunch.
The Open Circle this week focused on non-verbal signals
as a method of communication. We use a lot of these in our classroom.
We are currently working on a lesson about excluding others. We are
discussing when it is appropriate and when it isn't appropriate to
exclude others. When discussing such sensitive issues in a group, we
remind the children that we do not use names.
Your children are inquisitive, observing scientists.
Please look for the Scavenger Hunt to come home in their folders, and
encourage them to try it at home or even as a family outing.
Enjoy the weekend, and don't forget to "fall back"
for Daylight Savings Time.
See you on Monday, "Mystery History" Day.
Truly,
K/P
Thursday October 20th, 2005
Dear Families,
We enjoyed the Ocean Program today in the multi-purpose
room. Please ask your child about it. From spiny
crabs to lobster, Ellen had them with her in her tanks.
Our botany afternoons are filling us with leaf and
tree knowledge. We are intending to go to Maudslay next Friday morning,
the 28th. Our botany lessons continue… we discussed photosynthesis
and chlorophyll, deciduous trees, evergreen trees and conifers.
We brain stormed descriptive (silver dollar words) words to describe
leaves in preparation for a poem we are going to write next week.
Spelling for second and third years has begun.
There will be small group pre-tests given on Mondays. Your
child will bring home an index card with the words needed to study.
It is possible that there won't be any words needed to study.
This phonetic based program teaches the basic rules of English.
Then, on Fridays, your child will be quizzed on the words that he/she
did not get correct. During the week, there may be small group
lessons or follow-up work to go along with the words needed to learn.
Our only request is that you be aware of the words your child is working
on, and help them practice. The car is a wonderful place to practice
spelling. Practice will insure their success on Mondays.
If their words are spelled wrong on Friday, they will be added to
the next week's list. They will learn that it is to their benefit
to "study" a bit.
First year spelling will begin in Nov.
Mystery History is happening on Monday, Oct. 31st.
We’re looking forward to seeing your child's choice.
On Tuesdays and Wednesdays, we would like to ask
that the lunch that your child brings to school not involve the
microwave. We have specials on those days, and lunch needs to happen
more quickly. With 12-14 kids in line waiting to warm up food, it
becomes difficult for your child to have enough time to eat. Thanks
for your cooperation.
Open Circle this week addressed the concept of giving
and receiving compliments from friends and family. We are seeing
some nice examples here in school.
Thanks for the many surprises and additions from
our wish list. We have hermit crabs, card stock and a new laminated
world map.
Tomorrow, Friday, is a 1/2 day. Thanks to
Janet V. the kids will be making caramel apples. In the
afternoon, teachers will be having a professional development day,
re: "Weatherbug", which will be installed at our school.
Truly,
K/P
Friday October 14th, 2005
Dear Families,
We have all agreed that we have had enough soggy
weather. Next week is looking hopeful! Despite needing
to cancel our Maudslay field trip (mosquitoes still lurking),
we had a terrific morning of research! Please ask your child what
they're working on.
See if your child can remember the acronym NED
it. It's a proofreading term that we're emphasizing before
any work is turned in. (name, edit (check it over), date).
Yes, we will be celebrating Mystery History on
Oct. 31st. It is described in a prior family letter from a few
weeks ago. We are looking forward to this.
Parents, please log in your volunteer hours.
There is a sheet posted outside our door that you can write on.
This is an important piece of the annual report, so please remember
to log in. We'll never remember to remind you!
Chorus is beginning next week. If your
child is interested, it will be on Thursdays at 2:15.
The activity in our classroom will be low key, so your child won't
miss any heavy academics. Brian seems like an amazing musician,
so please encourage your child to think about it.
This week in Open Circle we spoke about using
non verbal signals as a way to communicate. We use a lot of these
daily. We spoke about good listening and poor listening and
did some role plays to help reinforce this important concept. The
woman who is training Kate in Open Circle came to facilitate this
lesson.
We continued with our leaf work. We reviewed
the parts of the leaf and spoke about simple leaves versus compound
leaves. We discussed how leaves can be classified according to
their shapes. We studied the different plants in our classroom and
matched them up with the appropriate leaf shapes nomenclature. We
learned that the names of the different leaf shapes come from Latin.
Last but not least, we finished our book "The
Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" by C.S Lewis. A great literary
experience to be had for all!
Please mark the date:
Tue. 11/15/05
We are planning a pot-luck dinner for you and
your child on Tue. 11/15/05. We're hoping this will be a special
night for you to dine with your students and other parents and students.
We are asking that siblings stay with friends or family because if we
all came there would be 99 of us! Our class family is growing,
so please understand. More details to follow.
Truly,
K/P
Friday October 7th, 2005
Dear Families,
We're all excited about tie dying this afternoon.
Thanks in advance to our helpers, Tracey, Janet and Kate C. for
making this happen and our extra helpers. If you have a talent or
a project to share with us, Friday afternoons are a great time.
We must respectfully request that siblings stay elsewhere, except in
situations where you've planned the project. It becomes very distracting
for the E-1 kids who think the little ones are so cute, which they
are! Thank you for understanding.
We've been so fortunate to borrow the Topsfield
Craft Guild's Storybook Quilts. Thanks to Lily Withington's
Mom for setting this up for us. They are spectacular, and
the kids seem to really enjoy them. They often tell stories from
long ago. If you heard your child speaking of slavery and the Underground
Railroad, one of the quilts told this story.
As a follow up to looking at these beautiful
quilts, we spoke about patterns and the kids made their own
quilt patterns on paper.
We have started the study of leaves, as well
as classification of groups. We intend to work on this through
next week, and culminate our unit with a field trip to Maudslay State
Park next Friday, the 14th. (pending mosquito issues if the weather
remains warm, we may have to reschedule for another Friday).
Lydia and Audrey started the grocery shopping
today for next week's snacks. Beginning Tuesday, your child
will have the option to have the healthy class snack and drink.
We continue to tell time, and any reinforcement
at home would be helpful. An analog watch would be a great gift
at holiday time. You've probably heard the kids speak of the
"howda" chairs. Our O.T. Gloria has lent some to us for particular
children who need them. If you would like to purchase one for
your child, they are welcome to have them in circle. It would make
a fun holiday gift.
We have updated our wish list. Thank you
so much for helping us when you can by purchasing a few materials.
Our budget for "consumables" is gone, so that's why we sometimes
ask for help. Thanks Andrea and Ben for getting our Scholastic
book orders in. With the classroom orders, we received about 25
books for free. It's a great way to build our classroom library
and earn bonus points, which helps us to buy things like the recently
ordered pencil sharpener, headphones, curriculum books and more.
Enjoy this long weekend with your families!
Truly,
K/P
Friday September 30th, 2005
Dear families,
We're sure you've heard the news of finishing
the Terra Nova's by now. It was an important week, but we look
forward to getting back to a regular routine on Monday. Here are
a few notes to keep you up to date:
Gym class on Tuesdays. Please remember
sneakers.
Art class begins. We are fortunate to have Jessica
joining us.
Please try to send in a family photo if you
haven't already. Our wall is filling up, but it could be fuller.
We would love some gourds, Indian corn, and
pumpkins for carving.
We are having so much fun reading The Lion,
the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis. Thank you Audrey for
sharing your copy with us!
The community snack program (grocery store with
Patti) is a "go" it's a close to unanimous vote, so off we go.
Janet V. sent home a snack schedule, so when it's your turn please
send in $25 cash, or a check to Patricia Innes. I will take two students
at a time to either Shaws or Market Basket, usually on Friday mornings.
We'll start at the bottom of the alphabet this time. Please send snack
throughout next week and we will begin our shopping next Friday, Oct.
7th for the following week. Of course your child can always bring a
snack from home, but we find they try lots of new foods when their friends
do! We will do some cooking as the year goes on.
We will also participate in the Student Treasures
book program. There is no obligation whatsoever to purchase,
but it's an exercise most of you felt worthwhile. We will need help
with the letter "outlining". More about this to come.
We will have "Mystery History" again, as it's
always so much fun. Instead of a Halloween costume celebration,
we ask the kids to dress up like a figure from the past, and prepare
a short paragraph giving us clues. We will try to guess, and have
some fun with it. Please don't feel the need to buy anything. Attics,
basements and a little imagination will suffice!
We're excited about going back to Umass Lowell
for "Animalia" on Wed. Nov. 2nd. We have transferred the apple
picking $$ to the ticket sales. Thanks for your prompt response with
field trip notices. It's so helpful.
A few parents have asked how frequently
CORI's need to be renewed. Sharla tells us it is every three years.
Be patient if you're still waiting, and please remember that your
Cori status is private, so please be aware of your own CORI status before
you request to drive a field trip.
With regards to the curriculum, we have been
busy with the usual, math and language in addition to reviewing
and/or learning the names and locations of the continents and
oceans as well as all about the equator, hemispheres, and the
north and south poles.
In Open Circle we finished the lesson on "Getting
to Know One Another" as well as the lesson on learning about
each other, such as hobbies, likes, dislikes etc. We touched lightly
on the subject of peer pressure and how it is so important to be
true to yourself, despite what other peoples likes or dislikes are.
We mentioned once again that everyone is different and every family
is different. We really are a very accepting and respectful class.
Your children are so understanding of each others differences, it's
incredible and such a special thing to experience on a daily
basis. Your kids challenge us daily, make us laugh, and constantly
remind us of how much we enjoy our job as their teachers.
Thank you to those of you who are donating
your time and/or donating supplies to our classroom. We appreciate
it from the bottom of our toes!!
Have a great weekend!
Truly,
K/P
Friday September 23rd,2005
Dear families,
We have completed our third week of school.
The kids are settling in nicely, and we are all busy learning so
much. Next week will be the Terra Nova testing for all three
grades. A good night's sleep and a healthy snack is all we ask,
but needs to be tree nut and peanut tree free. We will be housing
half of the first years in our classroom, and among them there are
a few serious nut allergies. We have talked about reading directions
and taking your best guess when the question seems difficult.
Please join us in the philosophy of understanding that this is important,
but not to be a stressful time. Some kids actually find it enjoyable,
and of course, some do not. We'll get through it together.
In addition, we spoke about math facts and the importance of them. We
feel that the children in general need to work on these, so we will
be incorporating them into our weekly work cycle. According to the
DOE by the end of second grade, first and second grade students need
to know their addition math facts to ten and related subtraction facts,
and use them to solve problems, while by the end of third grade, the
children should know multiplication facts through 12 and related division
facts. However, we honor and understand that each child is different,
but we do need to work on these aspects of the curriculum. We highly
recommend that you do the same in as many creative ways as possible.
If we can be of any assistance please let us know.
Our Long Hill Orchard trip needs to be postponed,
because of the EEE scare, so we have decided to cancel it.
It will be too late to get apples by the time we're able to go.
We're sorry to be wishing for a frost, but we wish the mosquitoes
would go away, so we could carry on with our great trips. Stay
tuned for more information about a trip to Maudslay State Park for
leaf collecting. A new notice re: a field trip to UMass Lowell
is coming home in backpacks today. The cost is also $6, so if it’s
okay, we'd like to use the $6 collected for the apple picking
to go to the "Animalia" show at U.Mass. If you're able to drive,
we'll need $6 for each chaperone as well. Thank you in advance.
You may hear talk of the U.S. Constitution.
Along with all other public schools in Mass. We celebrated "Constitution
Week". We spoke of the meaning of our Constitution, and the
various branches of government. We are also studying the
Continents and Oceans. See if your child can tell you what
they are and locate them on an atlas. Have them sing the jingle
to help them remember all seven continents. We did some science experiments
with mixtures, so we could see that some substances are lighter or
heavier than water. We spoke about using scientific language, such
as our hypothesis.
We started our Open Circle this week. The
first session was an introduction and a practice to getting
into Open Circle, as we will be using chairs instead of sitting
on the floor. The second session was "Getting to Know Each Other"
and the importance of learning both the first and last names of
everyone. We will finish this lesson next week.
We welcomed Tristan Horan of Newburyport to
our classroom community this week! We now have 23 smiling
faces each day.
Art and Music will begin in October, but gym
has begun. Please remember sneakers on Tuesday! We are
so fortunate to have Kim Kandel Wiley as our P.E. teacher.
She is high energy and just what we needed!
Important needs:
* parent to staff the library on Friday morning
so we can use it for our research! Please call Jen, our
new part time librarian, at the school to set this up, or let
us know and we'll pass on the message. This is the day we are most
likely to use the library, and there is not a parent volunteer.
It would be a great help to us, if someone could volunteer two hours
or so on Friday morning.
- sneakers for gym on
Tuesdays
- two napkins for lunch,
preferably cloth.
In the past, I have taken two children to
the grocery store to purchase community snacks. It is
a fun experience, but I would like your feedback as to whether
we continue in that tradition beginning in October, or whether
you would like to continue to send your child's snack. Based
on the feedback received, we'll make a decision based on the majority.
The other question we have is whether or not
to participate in the Student Treasures books this year.
If you find it to be a valuable program for you and your child,
please let us know. Again, we'll make a decision based on the
majority. For those who are new, Student Treasures is a company
that publishes your child's writing and art in book form for approx.
$18/copy. We then can write a class book in the spring and receive
a free copy for each child.
Kate and I have mixed feelings about this,
so please let us know how you feel.
There's a survey coming home in backpacks.
Please return on Monday.
Thanking you and have a fantastic weekend!
Thank Crunchie it's Friday!
Kate and Patti.
Monday September 19th, 2005
The date for our field
trip to Long Hill Orchard in West Newbury has been changed
to Thursday October 6th. Please let
us know if you are available to drive.
Thank you.
K/P
Friday September 16th, 2005
Dear Families,
It's been a great week with lots happening.
While Kate was doing her "Open Circle" training, Kate Zwick joined
us as her substitute. Open Circle is a comprehensive, multi-year
social and emotional learning program for elementary school
children, their teachers, principals, and parents. The Program recognizes
the important role that relationships play in the academic and social
success of children and works to support caring, respectful school
communities with high expectations for all children. It builds upon
what we do as a Montessori community and we are very excited to integrate
into our classroom over the coming weeks. We will be doing it twice
a week for 15 minutes.
We spent more time studying land and water
forms, and making our own, with clay. Due to the spraying
for EEE, we were not able to go to Plum Island, but we will reschedule
at some point, either in October, or in the spring. Speaking
of field trips, we had so much fun at Long Hill Orchard in W. Newbury
last year, we've scheduled another trip for Fri. 10/7. Please mark
your calendars, and if you can drive for us, we appreciate it.
We are discussing creation and the stories
or myths that various cultures embrace.
Four of us traveled to the American Red
Cross today with 13 cans full of coins, bills and checks for
the Hurricane Victims. If you could have seen their eyes, when
the first can opened had a fresh, new $100 bill in it! The
ladies at the Red Cross were grateful for our visit, and especially
warm and kind.
Thanks to Carolyn Russell for repainting
our white table in an extraordinary way, and to both Russells
for coming in to sing with us this afternoon!
Tristan Horan will be joining our class
on Monday, Sept. 20th, so we'll all do our best to make him
feel welcome.
For all you do to support us and your children,
we thank you.
Truly,
K/P
Friday September 9th, 2005
Dear Families,
We're off to a great start!
We have 22 smiling faces, with one more joining us on Sept.
20th. Please help us welcome Alison Russell and Tristan
Horan to this amazing classroom full of kids.
As you can imagine, this
week was spent, getting into our routine a bit, learning
about community expectations, and exploring our surroundings.
The kids amazed us with their cooperation and zest for learning.
We really are ready to be back from summer vacation and more
than ready to get into our regular routine on Monday!
Thanks to those who were
able to come to Parent Night. If you weren't able, it
might be nice to check in with someone who was there.
We had a circle discussion, with lots of good questions asked.
Cea Davis gave us the tip
that handled mugs can be found in the camping dept. of
Wal-Mart for $1.86. Another parent found them at K-Mart.
We're are looking for a mug rack of some sort to store them on, or
one built with hooks for hanging. The idea is to minimize
trips to the hall bubblers.
Thanks ever so much for responding
with such cooperation to our request.
Please send in a family photo
with your child. They are drawing their families (too
cute), and you can look forward to a beautiful family "wall"
within the next few weeks.
Our study of land and water
forms continues. You might ask your child what an archipelago
or a gulf is...
We're sorry to learn that
our field trip to Plum Island is indefinitely postponed,
due to the Eastern Equine Encephalitis spraying. We will
be in touch about this as we hear more from administration.
We have been tally graphing
this week. So far, we've graphed pets and seasons...More
to follow...
Till next week,
Kate and Patti
Please check out Kate and
Patti's Classroom Wish List on the left of this page
P.S. The clothing drive for
the hurricane victims ends Monday. Gently used clothing
may be dropped off in the multi-purpose room. It will
be open on Sunday as well.
The financial drive for the
American Red Cross ends next Friday, the 16th. Thank
you.
Click here to donate to the Hurricane Katrina relief effort.
|
|
|
|
|
