Welcome to Alison's Class

Week of January 31, 2012

• It is the part of the body that protects the other organs. The skin! The skin has two layers which are called the dermis and the epidermis. The three most sensitive parts of our skin are the lips, fingertips, and our toes. Ask your child which part of our skin is the thickest and which is the thinnest? We also read a book about the five senses and focused our discussion on the sense of touch. We talked about which senses we use when we do certain activities.
• Something exciting happened in our classroom this week. We got a rabbit! We started to set up the rabbit cage on Wednesday and the children were very excited to hear the news. The rabbit joined us on Thursday. The rabbit is coming from a home where he was well taken care of and handled frequently. The children will take part in sharing the responsibility of taking care of him. These responsibilities may entail feeding and giving him water, brushing him, and helping with cleaning the cage from time to time. When the rabbit feels comfortable in our classroom, the children may have the opportunity to hold the rabbit and pet him.
• "Any child who is self-sufficient, who can ties his own shoes, dress or undress himself, reflects in his joy and sense of achievement the image of human dignity, which is derived from a sense of independence." -Maria Montessori

Week of January 23, 2012

• What fun we had celebrating Chinese New Year!  The extended day children acted out the dragon dance in the gym while others scared the dragon away with the beating of their hands on the floor.  We then gathered in our classroom for a mini Chinese feast of oranges, dried fruit, and fortune cookies.  Later, I read a book called The Empty Pot written by Demi.  It is a great Chinese story about honesty.  It is one of my favorites.
• What part of our body helps us to climb, run, and walk?  Our bones!  It is the framework for our bodies.  We have 206 bones in our bodies.  Ask your child where the smallest and longest bones are in the body?  We have a work on the shelf for the older child to put an x-ray of a skeleton together and then label the the bones.  Another fun work on the shelf is looking at the skeletons of different types of animals.  In the art area of the classroom, the children can create their own skeleton by using strips of white paper.
• As you all know, I have been taking the children down to the gym on Wednesday mornings.  It is something they really enjoy and look forward to.  Steve usually gives me some ideas as to what to present or work with them on every week.  This week we worked on the vertical jump.  It starts by bending your knees, swinging your arms back, and then swinging them forward and jumping at the same time.  It seems so easy when we think about doing it, but it actually requires quite a bit of concentration, balance, and coordination.  Watching the children work so hard at attempting this jump, made me realize how important and beneficial it is to encourage our children to practice these skills.

Week of January 16, 2012

• Gung Hay Fat Choy! Happy New Year! We have been talking about Chinese New Year this week. During Great Books, the extended day children listened to some Chinese stories, decorated the dragon for Chinese New Year, and practiced the dragon dance for the celebration on January 26th. We have all listened to a book about Chinese New Year and its traditions. The children have also been exploring the Chinese items that are displayed in the classroom and looking at a book about China.
• We attended a musical concert in the barn on Wednesday. Some students from The Interlochen Arts Academy came to our school and played some classical music. All of the students played woodwind instruments and took a moment to play each instrument individually and tell the children what it is called. It was a lovely way to start our morning.
• The next organ we talked about this week during our human body series was the heart. At first, we took a moment and sat very quietly and put our hands on our hearts to feel our heartbeat. We talked about how our heart can beat faster when we are running or jumping while it can beat slower when we are quietly doing our work in the classroom. Our heart beats 10,000 times a day! We also talked about how we can keep our hearts healthy. Ask your child if the heart is a muscle.

Week of January 9, 2012

• This week Michele Worden came into our classroom to talk to us about the food of the month. It was potatoes or Solanum tuberosum! She brought in a variety of kinds and the children had the chance to try some raw potato. Here are just a few facts we learned about potatoes. They are high in vitamin C and they are considered one of the plants that changed the world. In early Fall, many of the children had the chance of digging up the potatoes in the school garden. They had a lot of fun with this. This week the extended day children made potato nuggets in kitchen classroom. We were able to enjoy them for snack this week.
• With Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday coming next week we took the time too talk about his life and work. First, I told the children that only the children with brown hair were going to be able to have lunch today. As you can imagine many of them were taken aback by this and confused. I let them know that this is how many of the African American people felt when they were treated differently than the the white people. For example, African Americans were not allowed to use the same bathrooms, drinking fountains, and schools as the white people. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. wanted to put an end to this by bringing all people together using love and peace.
• I have a started a human body series this week. I have a great book in my room with models of several of the body's organs and text to go with them. The children seem to be very excited about this and look forward to the moment when I let them examine the organ we are discussing. This week we talked about the brain and the eyeball. You could ask your child what happens to the pupil when you go into the dark or into a bright space? Or what does the does the part of the brain called the cerebellum help us with?
• We have three new children in our classroom! Anders Lyons (Greta and Mark), Jack Libby (Mike and Karen), and Jack Mazurek (Nate and Courtney) have all moved up from the toddler wing. It is great to have them a part of our classroom community. Welcome!

Week of December 12, 2011

• The children and I talked about St.Lucia this week. I brought in a doll of St. Lucia and the children were able to see what she looked like with the white gown she wore and the candles she wore upon her head. I believe the children were saddened and enlightened by the legend of St. Lucia. Many of the children participated in the making of the St. Lucia buns we made. Some of the children helped to grind the saffron while others observed the mixing and the rising of the dough. Later, the extended day children helped by rolling out the dough to make the buns. The next day we all enjoyed the fruit of our labor.
• This week we also talked about the holiday of Christmas. I talked about the birth of Jesus Christ and how many of us may celebrate this holiday. It is the time to spend with our families and friends and possibly exchange gifts. We also might bake cookies and eat grand feasts. Some people choose to decorate their homes with lights and a Christmas tree. In the classroom, the children have been decorating by making colorful paper chains and hanging them and also creating beautiful gifts to give to their loved ones.
• The children have been busy practicing our songs for the singalong. We look forward to having all of you join us for the singalong in the gym on Friday. I wish all of you a safe and happy holiday. See you in 2012!

Week of December 5, 2011

• This week we had a practice lockdown drill. When I talk to the children about the drill, I refer to it as our "safety drill." I tell them it is a drill to keep us safe. We all go into our classroom bathroom and sit very quietly in the dark. As we sat in the bathroom, we talked about how when you play hide-and-seek at your house, you sit very quietly in your spot. We then took turns telling where our best hiding place is at home. A police officer was there when we exited our bathroom to let us know how great we did.
• We were able to enjoy a wonderful music performance in the gym on Wednesday. Two students working toward their doctorate in music, played a flute and an acoustic guitar. The music they played had an old European style. It was great for the children to see these two students so talented who worked hard to be where they are musically today. And to also express how much fun they have doing it.
• With the holiday season upon us, I spend some time talking about several different kinds of holidays celebrated by different cultures and religions around the world. This week we spent some time talking about Hanukkah (Chanukah). I read a book about the holiday and showed them a game of dreidel which they can take off the shelf and play. Also, latkes are on the lunch menu for next week. Next week I will be talking about St. Lucia and Christmas.

Week of November 28, 2011

• Michele Worden, our Della Terra garden specialist, came into our classroom this week and talked about the food of the month. She brought in some kale grown from our own school garden. Some of the facts she shared with us about kale was how it is very high in vitamin A, C, and K, and how it tastes better the more it has been out in the frost. We all got a chance to taste some kale and many of the children had positive comments to say about it. The extended day children went to kitchen classroom and made kale muffins and kale chips. We have been enjoying them for snack this week. Delicious!
• This week the children have been making special gifts for their family and friends. We have started talking about the season of giving. It is a way to show your love and appreciation for the ones you care about in your life. It also a time to think about those who may not have anyone in their life or those who may not receive any gifts this season. The children have been talking about what they can do to make those people feel like someone cares. Some of them mentioned shoveling snow, giving food, or making something beautiful for them.
• This week the extended day children took a trip to The City Opera House to see a performance by Aesop Bops with David Gonzalez. They had a great time listening and participating in his fables and songs. He told three stories and each one had a life lesson. There were lots of smiles and laughter in the audience with his comical performance.

Week of November 14, 2011

• This week we have been busy preparing for next week's festivities for our Harvest Feast. It was fun for the children and I to talk about our meal together and what each of them want to bring to share. We are going to have quite a spread. The children have also been creating their own place cards for the table and also making woven placemats. It is important for the children as well as for us to pause and take a moment to think about what we are thankful for in our lives.
• Lately, some of the children have been inviting friends from the elementary and primary classrooms for lunch in our classroom. When they invite a friend they are asked to compose a invitation and deliver it them or use our mailing system for delivery. The children our learning how to prepare for the guest by making an extra place for them at our table together, walking our guest down to our classroom, if needed, and making sure our guest feels comfortable. I have had to recently put a limit as to how many guests we can have per week. I am now allowing two guests per week. We can only entertain so much. :) It has been great to see new friends as well as old ones.
• Occasionally, I like to bring in exotic fruits or different foods for the children to try. This week I brought in a pomegranate. At first, the children were able to touch, smell and look at the pomegranate. As I opened up the fruit, we talked about what part of the world the fruit comes from and what the plant looks like. As each of the children had a chance to taste the seeds inside, we discussed how the pomegranate can be used in cooking and also medicinally. Ask your child what the name pomegranate means.

Week of October 31, 2011

• What an exciting start to our week with Pumpkin Fun Day and Halloween! The day was filled with excitement and fun. In our morning work time we carved our classroom pumpkin, made some pumpkin seeds, and read a book about the history of Halloween. In the afternoon, we had a variety of activities for the children to choose from. There was face painting, dancing, games, a craft, and a delicious snack of pumpkin pancakes with cream cheese icing. We were able to end our afternoon by going outside on the playground. I hope all of you had a great Halloween with your children.
• In thinking about our next season of giving thanks, the cornucopia is something that is seen quite often during this time. A cornucopia is on display in our classroom with an abundant of gourds flowing out from it. The cornucopia or the horn of plenty is a symbol of abundance and nourishment usually containing produce, flowers, nuts, or other edibles. I told the children some of the classical mythology explanations of the origin of this symbol of abundance. Ask your child what happened when the baby Zeus accidently broke off one of the horns of the goat, Amalthea.
• We had a conversation the other day about telling the truth. I read a book about a little boy who told a fib about having pet lion for a pet at his house. He wanted to have something special to talk about at show and tell. As his lie became more and more involved, the little boy felt really worried about how he was going to get out of this made up story. He eventually confessed to his classmates at school that he did not have a pet lion. As we talked about the importance of telling the truth, three of the children confessed to have said something that was not true. What an honest group I have. :)

Week of October 24, 2011

• This week Michele Worden came to our classroom and talked to us about the Food of the Month. She brought in some different types of beautiful pumpkins and some seeds and raw pumpkin for the children to try. We learned that pumpkins are native to North America and it is possible to eat many parts of the pumpkin, including the blossoms. We also learned that pumpkins are part of the squash family. With this, I brought in some acorn squash for the children to try. The children had the chance to try it wth a little butter and then with some brown sugar. It is important for the children to experience new foods and to learn where they come from.
• The amaryllis flower is something I always enjoy bringing into the classroom and sharing with the children this time of the year. Some of the children helped to plant the bulb in the pot. We took a walk out to the greenhouse to get some soil for the plant. The children carefully sprinkled the soil around the bulb as they talked about how the roots of the plant needed to go down into the dirt where it can carry water to our plant. We talked about the special care of the flower and how much it will need to be watered. It will take six to eight weeks for it to bloom. The children will be keeping track of its growth weekly. We all look forward to some new growth in our classroom during this time of colder and darker days ahead of us.
• What a great Parent Visiting Day! It was so nice to see all of you and to watch your children show their work to you. I know they are very proud of their accomplishments and it makes them feel very good to share this with you. I hope you enjoyed your time in our classroom. Thank you for coming.

Week of October 17, 2011

• Georges-Pierre Seurat was a French Post-Impressionist painter and draftsman. He was noted for his innovative use of drawing media and for devising a technique of painting known as pointillism. The children in the classroom are currently invited to try this unique style of painting in the classroom. I showed the children some of Georges Seurat's famous work and we talked about his life as an impressionist. Ask your child how long it took Georges Seurat to complete his masterpiece called A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte.
• A topic of conversation in the classroom lately has been how we can move our bodies carefully and gracefully through the classroom. It is very important to recognize when another friend's work is on a rug and how we should walk carefully around it so as to not mess up the their work. Moving our bodies slowly in the classroom also ensures that we will all be safe. There is also glass in our classroom and it is especially important for us to use two hands when carrying it. Following our conversation, it has been great to see the children remind others how to walk around their work and how to hold a glass with two hands.
• With Halloween creeping up on us, we have been getting our classroom pumpkins ready for carving time on Pumpkin Fun Day. The children have been taking turns making our pumpkins shiny and clean for the special day. We have also been singing some fun Halloween songs. Here is a fun one we just learned the other day.

PUMPKIN, PUMPKIN SONG
(sung to the tune of Twinkle,Twinkle Little Star)

Pumpkin pumpkin on the ground
How'd you get so big and round
Planted as a seed so small
Now you are a great big ball
Pumpkin pumpkin on the ground
How'd you get so big and round

Week of October 10, 2011

• During group time this week, there were three children who were showing an item they had brought from home. It allowed for a great lesson on how we ask a question. I talked to the children about how a question can start with who, what , where , when , how and why. As each child showed their item, the children took turns asking questions and also recognized what a statement sounds like. It was a great opportunity to practice this because the children who are showing their item enjoy having the other children ask them questions about their special belonging.
• Agnes, from the toddler room, came to our classroom this week and talked to the children about Poland. She brought in some pictures and read a children's story in Polish and then I read it in English. I also asked her if she would not mind singing a song in Polish. She gladly obliged and also took the time to let us ask her some other words in Polish like goodbye, hello, and thank you. We will continue to have Polish items in the classroom for the children to look at.
• There is every opportunity for your child to become independent at school. This independence helps to build their confidence when he or she figures out how to put on their own shoes or button their own coat. It also strengthens their hands and coordination while concentrating on their task. This concentration increases and helps them to feel ready when they are challenged by bigger work in the classroom. It puts the child at ease with their environment because they feel good about the work they are able to do by themselves. There are also many other ways your child can become independent at home. Give them a chance to show you what they can do. "Little children, from the moment they are weaned, are making their way toward independence." (Maria Montessori)

Week of October 3, 2011

• There is nothing like smelling the wonderful aroma of apples baking. This week the we were able to work in our classroom and enjoy the wonderful smell of apples cooking in the crock pot. Each child had a chance to prepare an apple by turning the handle and watching the apple get cored, sliced and peeled all at the same time. We have added a little bit of cinnamon to our applesauce and we plan on enjoying it for snack on Thursday. It is so wonderful to enjoy the fall harvest by preparing foods to warm the soul.
• Each month we do a school wide cultural study on a certain country. For the month of October, we are studying Poland. We are fortunate to have Agnes, an employee from our school, who is from Poland. She has provided us with many wonderful items from Poland for the children to explore in the classrooms. She will also be visiting each classroom and talking about Poland and maybe sharing a story in Polish. I shared with the children some beautiful hand painted eggs from Poland. We also talked about where Poland is located on the map and I showed them what Poland's flag looks like. Maybe you have also noticed the school lunch program is planning on serving some delicious Polish dishes.
• This week we practiced a fire drill. I talked to the children about the importance of having a plan in case there was ever a fire at our school. The children did a great job following the directions by lining up at the back door and walking in a big line all the way out to the soccer field on the playground.

Week of September 26, 2011

• What a beautiful day it was! We had our Harvest Festival last Friday at school. The children and the adults enjoyed pulling up the plants and gathering the harvest. Many of the children had a blast digging up the potatoes. In the end, we had dirty hands, fresh air in our lungs, and a wonderful collection of vegetables from our garden. Later, we sat down together and tasted the lemon cucumber and marveled at the gigantic root that came from the tiny seed of the tomato. We are also excited because we have two beautiful pumpkins that we can prepare for the upcoming holiday in October.
• It was Autumnal Equinox on September 23rd. We took the globe in our classroom and a flashlight and talked about what happens during this time of the year. Equinox means equal and night. The earth's two hemispheres are receiving the sun's rays equally. Night and day are approximately equal in length. This happens twice a year in the spring and in the fall. We can observe the later dawns and the earlier sunsets. The birds and the butterflies are migrating southward along with the path of the sun.
• I have some relatives from Hawaii and they sent me a jelly they made using lilikoi (passion fruit). In Hawaii, the varieties are called yellow lilikoi and purple lilikoi and the fruit is normally eaten raw. Hawaiians usually crack the rind of the passion fruit either with their hands or teeth and suck out the flavorful pulp and seeds. Passion fruit is not widely available in stores, so most of the fruit comes from backyard gardens or wild groves. Ask your child what they thought of the lilikoi jelly.

Week of September 19, 2011

• This week a few of the children gathered the tomatoes from the garden and made salsa. Each ingredient to our salsa had a wonderful pungent smell. Other children in the classroom were drawn to the cooking area where they enjoyed watching the tomatoes, cilantro,onion, and the garlic get chopped up in the food processor. Later, we all sat down for a delicious snack of fresh salsa and tortilla chips. Many of the children really enjoyed it.
• The children in the afternoon listened to the book Mammolina: A Story About Maria Montessori by Barbara O'Connor. It seemed the children really appreciated the familiarities of our school and the schools she created in her lifetime. Maria went through a lot of challenges in trying to achieve her goals. Many people thought she could not do it. She proved them wrong and received many awards for her work. I thought this was a great book for the children to hear. It gave them some insight into how their own school came to be and how with hard work and perseverance, you can achieve your dream.
• As we end our third week of school, it is wonderful to see the children starting to settle into the routine of the day. It is so enjoyable for me as their teacher, to observe your children developing themselves through their work. I look forward to the many accomplishments of your children in the classroom.
• By the way, thank you for a great class picnic. It was nice weather, good food, and great people! 

Week of September 12, 2011

• Some of your children may have talked about visiting the gym this week.  We will be going to the gym as a class every Wednesday. This week your children spent time running around the gym and making letters with their bodies. They also practiced throwing and catching a ball with both hands. We ended our time in the gym with some stretching and walking on the line. I will be leading the class in the gym on Wednesdays and Steve, our physical education teacher, will be giving me activities for the children and I will be putting those ideas into action. I look forward to this opportunity of giving your children a chance to move their bodies in a fun healthy way.
• There is a new season just around the corner for us and we have spent some time talking about fall and what changes it may bring. The children had fun expressing to me the holidays and changes that happen in the other seasons. In light of fall arriving, we also talked about what the squirrels are busy doing right now as they prepare for the cold weather.
• Here is a song that I like to sing with the children during this time of year:

Grey squirrel
Grey squirrel
Shake your bushy tail
Grey squirrel
Grey squirrel
Shake your bushy tail
Wrinkle up your little nose
Put a nut between your toes
Grey squirrel
Grey squirrel
Shake your bushy tail

• Last week and this week I have been giving the children some lessons on grace and courtesy. I showed them how we watch someone work without disturbing them. It is important for the children to have concentration while they are working. We also talked about how it is important to ask someone before giving them a hug or touching them. There are times when someone may not want to be touched and we have to respect their wishes. With each of these lessons, the children had the chance to role play and practice. This is great for them to watch and learn from each other. The older children can show themselves as leaders to the younger children and the younger children get to observe and practice this lesson.

Week of September 5, 2011

• It has been an exciting week for everyone. Many of the children have been spending time with each other and catching up. While many of the new students are working on taking in their new surroundings and getting adjusted. It won't be long before the routine of our day becomes smoother and everyone starts to settle in.
• Some of the children have chosen to go outside to our classroom garden and pick the delicious grape tomatoes that we planted last spring. Several of the children took morning walks in the beautiful campus gardens. Their senses were awakened with many sights, smells, and sounds. We have enjoyed our tomatoes for snack and we hope to make salsa with them next week.
• The extended day children went on a field trip to Hand's on Art. Each child painted a tile to be added to the Primary Hallway wall. This has been a tradition for many years. We came back to the school and enjoyed a delicious frozen treat all together in the courtyard. It was a great day!