Welcome to Jen's Class

Hello there, welcome to our classroom!
The children and I want so much for you to be a part of the life we have here. What follows are notes on the daily happenings, little snippets of our days at school. Use them to start conversations with your kids, with your friends and family, with people who do not yet know about The Children's House. Outside of visiting us here and watching our work, which is always encouraged, my teacher page is a great way to stay in touch.
Looking forward to another year of discovery! 

Feel free to email:
jen@traversechildrenshouse.org

Week of January 31, 2012

• What is a question?  This week we explored the art of asking a question and the skill of answering one.  The children learned that questions start with words like who, what, why, where, when, and how.  Ask your child about questions and expect good answers!
• This week we read a book about snow.  We learned that snow provides an insulating layer for both plants and animals in the winter and that snowflakes have six sides.  We are looking forward to a science experiement that involves two outdoor thermometers and two pieces of cloth, one black, one white.
• "Charlie Parker played be bop. Charlie Parker played saxophone. The music sounded like be bop. Never leave your cat alone...Be bop. Fisk, fisk. Lollipop. Boomba, boomba. Bus stop. Zznnzznn. Boppitty, bibbitty, bop...BANG!" The children loved the book about Bird's music, written by Chris Raschka, almost as much as the music itself!
• We have many things on the museum shelf to examine.  All sorts of items from nature; rocks, crystals, and animals skins.  And all sorts of special items from home; a dream journal, a solar powered flower with moving parts, and a hand painted wooden boat.  Makes for great conversation at group!

Week of January 23, 2012

• The children were delighted by The Dragon Dance this week! The whole school gathered in the barn to watch as the extended day children dressed as dragons wandered into the village below the mountain in search of food. We all laughed and whooped as we scared the dragons away with our loud sounds like firecrackers. What fun!
• Carrots are the food of the month and boy are they delicious, in any color! Michele Worden of the Della Terra program stopped in to share some carrot facts with us. We learned that although we mostly eat the root of the plant the tops can be enjoyed as well and more of the nutrient beta carotene is available after the carrot is cooked!
• Bend your knees, swing your arms back, and leap upwards to the sky, reaching as high as you can! This is what we call a "vertical leap". In the gym this week we practiced this skill and in doing so used some of our most powereful muscles, our quadriceps. Ask your child to demonstrate a vertical leap.
• Look for a note about Valentines Day to come home with your child this week (it's also linked just below my picture on this page.) We will be celebrating Tuesday, February 14th at school. If this is not a day your child is scheduled to come, please send them for the morning!

Week of January 16, 2012

• This week we have watched as the bulbs we started with Sinead's Papa Jack have grown green and tall! Hurray for tulips, daffodils, and hyacinth in January! Ask your child what each of them look like and how they have changed since Jack came to visit us a short week ago.
• A couple of our students are learning about the different kinds of teeth in our mouths and the jobs that each of them perform. Incisors are for chopping and slicing, canines for piercing and tearing, premolars for crushing and chewing, and molars for grinding.
• The extended day children traveled to the Boardman Nature Center for some animal track fun, some winter insect identification, and some basic outdoor education (not to mention a cup of delicious hot cocoa)! Ask your child what he/she learned from the experts out there.

Week of January 9, 2012

• Happy New Year! It is so nice to see everyone and hear all of your children's stories! We are off to a great start in 2012!
• "Love is the key to the problems of the world." This week the children have been learning about Martin Luther King Jr. and the role he played in the Civil Rights Movement. We have talked about and read about his great work and big words; Equality, Freedom, Peace, Togetherness, Love. Ask your child what he helped to accomplish, what he helped to change in our country, and how he did it.
• "Cabeza, hombros, rodillas, pies..." In Espanol yesterday we sang a well known song... "Head, shoulder, knees, and toes..." The children thought it was great fun to sing and dance to this fun loving piece using our new vocabulary from this week's Spanish lesson. Ask them to teach it to you! (Eyes=ojos, ears=orejas=, mouth=boca, nose=nariz)
• The extended day children are preparing for the Dragon Dance later this month by learning about Chinese New Year traditions and the culture of China. We are decorating lucky papers for our doorways to bring good luck, shouting "Gung Hay Fat Choy" (Happy New Year) and deciding which delicious Chinese dish to share together as a class. Ask your child what the dance entails and how the tradition of the dance has evolved at our school.
• I am going to close with a quick housekeeping note. Please send in a full change of weather appropriate clothes for your child's bathroom cubby. I am running out of extras to lend to wet, snowy children! Thank you!

Week of December 5, 2011

• St. Nicholas has come and gone and left us clementines in our boots! We learned about this popular saint and the European traditions surrounding his day of birth/death. Ask your child what kind of a man he was said to be.
• The season is well underway and we are celebrating light! The children and I read a book about Hanukah. We played a dreidel game with friends, and sang a song about lighting the menorah. Ask your child about the candles and what they represent.
• We were fortunate to listen to the beautiful music of a guitarist and flautist from Interlochen. They shared compositions from South America as well as Eastern Europe. Ask your child what they heard.
• Looking forward to seeing you all on Friday, December 16 at 2:00pm for our Children's House Holiday Sing. If your child is not scheduled to come on Friday, please send them. If your child is not scheduled to stay all day, please plan on it. It will be so much fun to celebrate together!

Week of November 28, 2011

• This week we started a new read aloud novel. "Ko-hoh, ko-hoh!" The children are entranced by the words in The Trumpet of the Swan by E.B. White. We learned that a male swan is called a cob, and a baby swan is called a cygnet. Ask your child about the unusual way in which the fifth cygnet greeted Sam (hint: it involves a shoelace...)
• Michele from Della Terra joined us at group this week with The Food of the Month...KALE! If brocolli is a super food kale is a super duper food! It has so many vitamins and minerals! Some kale plants can grow to be as tall as a six year old and late season kale is sweeter than it's early leaves, as it sweetens with each frost.
• The extended day children traveled to The City Opera House to see a lively show called Aesop Bops, a very interesting and very musical take on three of Aesop's fables. We heard the story of The Lion and the Mouse, The Fisherman and his Wife, and The Tortoise and the Birds.  

Week of November 14, 2011

• Our extended day children enjoyed their time with Rose Hollander in Great Books this week. They read a story by Carl Sandburg called The Huckabuck Family: And How They Raised Popcorn in Nebraska and Quit and Came Back. Ask your child about the main characters and the signs or signals the characters encountered to change their fate.
• The first snow is here! Please take a minute and take an inventory of winter clothes at your house. Everyday the children will go outside and play after lunch and will need snowpants, boots, coats, hats and mittens (which actually is a song we sing to teach the order of getting dressed).
• We have a new reference book on the writing shelf! The children have been introduced to the dictionary and we have used it to look up several words, including gratitude and thankful. Ask your children how we define the word gratitude and what they might be grateful for.
• Everyone should have received an invitation to our Harvest Feast next Tuesday, November 22nd. If your child is not scheduled to come to school on that day, please send them at morning carline (8:30am) and pick them up after recess (12:45pm). Looking forward to sharing a beautiful meal with all of our friends! 

Week of October 31, 2011

• Thank you for supporting our school with your understanding of professional developement! I was fortunate to spend this past weekend in Milwaukee, WI with a very special group of educators, mostly Montessorians, who were examining the developing child's mathematical mind. I came away from the conference reawakened with awe at all the young child (from birth to age six) accomplishes in his/her first years. Feeling truly inspired,I have come back to look at the children in our classroom with new eyes, loving every minute of this work!
• Wednesday is gym day and this week we spent it in Steve Maas' classroom! I am forever grateful for the efforts of my colleauge to bring health and happiness through physical education. Whether talking about personal space, or direct teaching the skills of tossing and catching, Steve is a model guide. The children and I listened and learned about four components of sprinting (taking long strides, pumping your arms, leaning slightly forward and keeping your eyes focused on where you are headed). What fun it was to watch your children sprint their stuff!
• Halloween has come and Halloween has gone; now, what to do with those old pumpkins? Well, we decided to do a science experiment. Today we read a book about composting and a special group of helpers called decomposers. After sharing observations about the decomposers in our garden bed we decided to conduct the experiment there. Our pumpkin will have a permanent home in the bed where we will watch, wait, and record our observations throughout the coming months. Ask your child what they think it might look like, feel like, or smell like in the spring.
• Looking forward to touching base with you all next week. If you have yet to sign up for a conference time, please call the front desk today! 

Week of October 24, 2011

Jen is away at a Montessori Math conference in Milwaukee this week. Look for updated talking points in next Friday's Compass. 

Week of October 17, 2011

• This week while feeling the wildness of the wind and seeing the beauty of falling leaves, we have been singing songs of the season and reading autumn poetry written by Karla Kuskin. Our snack table has been graced with apples and pears and we are wearing woolen sweaters! Happy Fall!
• "Autumn leaves are turning, turning, turning. Autumn fires burning, burning, burning.Days of in between, see the changing scene. Autumn time is all around."-Ask your child to sing this haunting tune written by Sanford Jones.
• One of our friends had an x-ray this week and had the films to prove it! We are studying the skeletal system and learning the names of some of our bones. Ask your child to wash their phalanges before sitting down to dinner and see what they do!
• Happy long weekend! 

Week of October 10, 2011

• "How do you say "bike" in Polish?" "Where did you sleep when you were a little girl (in Poland)?" "How do you say "eagle" in Polish?" These were just some of the questions the children had for our guest Agnes (who is indeed from Poland). Potato noodles, lunches with eggs, cheese, bread, sausage, and veggies, and coming up...borscht!!! Hello lovely food of the culture. "They have a sand dune just like us!" Yesterday we learned that on the northern coast of Poland there is a sand dune that children love to climb up and run down. Awesome! 
• As if one language is enough...This week the children in the afternoon class participated in a Spanish lesson. We talked about the importance of learning a second or a third language at an early age and how Spanish is spoken in lots of different parts of the world. "Hola" is "hello". "Adios" is "goodbye". Ask your child what "Como estas?" means. And when asked "How are you," one can respond "Estoy bien" (if you are feeling good), "Estoy malo" (if you are feeling bad), or "Estoy asi asi" (if you are feeling so so). They are loving this language!
• I watched this week as three extended day children learned about the mathematical operation of multiplication working with the Golden Bead materials. After setting up their own small number card sets (to indicate the three multiplicands), they set up the large number card set to use when they have found the product or the answer. It was fun to watch them work together and truely understand what the operation is about. Multiplication is the joining of the same number over and over and over again.
• And to wrap it all up...a couple of words about volunteerism. Thank you all for your good help in making our classroom go round. Please know how much I appreciate you adding one more thing to your already-busy to-do lists. If any of you out there have an affinity for playdough making or a reasonable interest in learning, please get in touch. I am on the lookout for a once-a-month batch of playdough maker!  

Week of October 3, 2011

• This week we launched our school wide cultural study of Poland! The children and I have been reading a book called "P is for Poland," and learning all about traditional customs, foods, clothing, art, history, and geography of this European country. We are so fortunate in that one of our toddler assistants (Agnes Woynarowski) was born and raised in Poland and has been sharing both her experience and knowledge with us.
• So many interesting insects have come to visit us in our classroom! Thank you to our friend Carter Wade (and his mom Renee) for bringing in the walking stick and the praying mantis. Did you know that the female praying mantis is larger than the male and that there are almost 3,000 species of walking sticks (including one that shoots chemicals from glands beneath it's shoulders to stun it's predators)?
• Our classroom is settling into a comfortable groove and will be ready to accept visitors at the end of the month. Thank you all for waiting patiently at the window these last couple of weeks as we establish our routines and set the tone for the year to come. The children are watching and working, socializing and spending quiet time alone, receiving new lessons and practicing those already given. Good things are happening in the life of our classroom and I want you to know how excited I am to share them with you! Get Parent's Visiting Day on your calendar!!!  

Week of September 26, 2011

• Our classroom is a buzz and a chatter with Grace and Courtesy lessons. I see acts of kindness and hear words of social wisdom everywhere! This week I observed a first year student at lunch helping a friend across the table get ready to eat by getting a napkin for her friend's lap. An older friend with a wiggly tooth, was receiving encouragement from another, telling her how exciting it was that she was growing up! So sweet!
• Safety has been a topic of conversation this week as we have been practicing for our Friday fire drill. The children listened as I explained our classroom's plan in case of an emergency involving fire. We simulated the sound our alarm will make and practiced lining up at the door and walking outside to the soccer field. Children raised their hands and called "here" as Jenny and I took attendance. Although we've never had a fire at school, it is always good to have a plan.
• Fall is here and it is grand. Apples for all!!! The children and I have been learning about the life cycle of an apple. The life of the fruit started when the tree is mature. In the springtime the tree blooms, and bees help to pollinate the beautiful flowers. As the petals fall from the flower a small fruit emerges beneath. Summer sun and water and healthy soil help to grow the fruit. As the apples ripen and fall brings the harvest, the seeds for the new tree can be found inside. After a seed is sprouted and planted the seedling grows and grows until it is mature. And so starts the cycle again!
• Our volunteer calendar is published; thank you, Katherine DeGood! Please check the link on my teacher page to see what you signed on for. If you have yet to complete your volunteer form or we somehow missed you, please let Katherine know. Thank you for all your good work! 

Weel of September 19, 2011

• "Look around and you will see, community, a family. We're together, we are one." These are the words we sing at school before we share a meal together. Many of you have children who are wishing to sing "The Community Song" before meals at home. Thought I would send along the words; a beautiful ritual for any table.
• One season has ended and another has begun. The children learned about the autumnal equinox, happening this year on September 23. We discussed the signs of fall that we have seen, the days getting shorter, the weather growing cooler, the leaves changing color. What signs of the season are present in your backyard?
• What a great picnic! How fun it was to see you all at the park on Wednesday night! We had windy but warm weather and the kids had a ball. It was the perfect way, in my mind, to celebrate The International Day of Peace, to share a meal and meet news friends. Thank you for coming. 

Week of September 12, 2011

• Oh my, one of our fish has almost come to the end of his life cycle, so sad...Many conversations have ensued about the impending death and what will happen afterward. What we have decided is that when our fishy friend is finished, we will bury him outside and allow his body to decompose. "Old things die, and new things are born," is a phrase heard round the classroom.
• Several of the extended day children have been working on a play. It has been great fun for me to watch them composing a cast, developing characters, and deciding on a plot. Stay tuned for reviews of the show, set to happen sometime this week! P.S. I am sure it is going to be awesome!!!
• Hopefully you have all received an invitation to our Class Picnic at Bryant Park this coming Wednesday, September 21st from 5:30pm-7:00pm. Let's hope the weather will be warm and we can enjoy each other's company (and cuisine) without wind and rain! Bryant Park is a great spot, your children will love the climbing structure.
• What fun we had at the gym!!! All of the children enjoyed our time spent together stretching and moving our bodies. You should ask them about the routine for the gym. It included...1)meeting together as a group in the center of the space with our toes on the line, 2)listening to the plan for the day, 3) running, skipping, and walking around the perimeter, 4) engaging in the focus for the day (today was throwing and catching), 5)then meeting together as a group once more before we close.  

Week of September 5, 2011

• What a start! We had a busy first couple of days! Our week began with meeting new friends and reconnecting with old ones. We practiced walking our feet in the classroom, unrolling and rolling rugs, and using materials we have had lessons on.
• The children loved eating snack from the gardens; tomatoes, cucumbers, and melons, oh my! This week we ate together at a mid-morning collective group, but next week, snack will be set up at the snack table for children to choose individually.
• At group we read a book about the season called summer and talked about the change waiting in the wing. Many hands were raised when I asked about windows open at home, cool evening breezes, and cozy quilts on beds. Fall seems to be in the air!
• Hopefully I have had a chance to chat with each of you about your children and the big work they have done this week. If not yet, soon! Please stay tuned for the class social date to be announced...it looks like we are shooting for the third week of September.