|
Welcome to Lower Elementary NE! Another year is upon us, full of exploring your interests, gaining new skills and diving deeper into old concepts. I look forward to welcoming all of you into our awesome learning community. I hope you're as ready for a great year as I am! Sandra Besselsen “The secret of good teaching is to regard the child's intelligence as a fertile field in which seeds may be sown, to grow under the heat of flaming imagination. Our aim therefore is not merely to make the child understand, and still less to force him to memorize, but so to touch his imagination as to enthuse him to his innermost core” ~Maria Montessori (To Educate the Human Potential 11) Sandra Besselsen, Lower Elementary Guide Room Parents |
 |
Classroom Highlights
3/16/23
The month of March has brought a much needed routine of lessons, follow up work and finished studies! With so many celebrations, events and outings in February, it has been nice to feel the regular working buzz of the classroom again. It was certainly nice to take a pause and talk with each of you about how far your child has come this year. It is also exciting to think about how much more they will each grow in these next few months of school.
The children recently listened to a story about the history of the language we use today. While this story is very general, there are details scattered throughout that the children latch onto and choose to study further. Some of them have been exploring braille and have punched out their own words and names. Others are enjoying looking at ancient petroglyphs and hieroglyphs. There are students who have enjoyed reading more, and in more detail, about the history of English. Looking at the evolution of each letter in the alphabet from its Phonecian origin to its Roman version has also been a favorite. It’s good for us to think about the history of how we communicate.
Experiments have been completed recently, and often inspire a lesson for all of us. This week it was the process of how the leaf makes food for the plant and releases its excess water and oxygen. These individual experiments can lead to lessons for the whole group, and it’s fun to have the students share their findings, which lead into the bigger lessons. This week it was leaves, and next week it will be mixtures and solutions!
Who is the class pet we are reading about? What is a topic of somebody else’s study that has piqued your interest? What is one work you feel good about accomplishing before Spring Break?
2/23/23
This week we have been learning about the ballet Cinderella. We read a few very different versions of the fairy tale and compared them. We listened to several different examples of Prokofiev’s work. The children had fun creating settings for their own version of Cinderella and her prince meeting.
Groundhog day last week brought an opportunity to experiment with shadows. We learned about opaque, transparent and translucent light. The children built structures using different objects and traced the shadows that were made.
We’ve also had some fun in language and math. The children were broken up into teams and performed skits so that the rest of the class could guess an idiom and its meaning. Our math worksheet this week (completed on Tuesdays) was on graphing. It was good to do something a little out of the norm that made the children think differently about numbers.
It has been nice to finally see the sun a few days. I’ve enjoyed some of these different activities with the kids these last couple of weeks. Sometimes we need to mix it up a little bit, especially during these long winter months.
What was the setting of the Korean and Irish Cinderella stories we read? What children’s musical composition did Sergei Prokofiev write? What law will you try to pass in the classroom legislature session coming up soon?
2/8/23
This week we have been learning about the ballet Cinderella. We read a few very different versions of the fairy tale and compared them. We listened to several different examples of Prokofiev’s work. The children had fun creating settings for their own version of Cinderella and her prince meeting.
Groundhog day last week brought an opportunity to experiment with shadows. We learned about opaque, transparent and translucent light. The children built structures using different objects and traced the shadows that were made.
We’ve also had some fun in language and math. The children were broken up into teams and performed skits so that the rest of the class could guess an idiom and its meaning. Our math worksheet this week (completed on Tuesdays) was on graphing. It was good to do something a little out of the norm that made the children think differently about numbers.
It has been nice to finally see the sun a few days. I’ve enjoyed some of these different activities with the kids these last couple of weeks. Sometimes we need to mix it up a little bit, especially during these long winter months.
What was the setting of the Korean and Irish Cinderella stories we read? What children’s musical composition did Sergei Prokofiev write? What law will you try to pass in the classroom legislature session coming up soon?
1/25/23
It has been so fun watching the kids swim. What a great privilege it is to be able to utilize the Y and have the kids practice their skills. It is definitely a welcome part of their week.
A couple weeks ago, we spoke about Martin Luther King Jr and through that conversation, Ruby Bridges was brought up again. Some of the laws that have been created in order to bring about more equality were also discussed. In the material I use to tell stories about Michigan history, there’s an article about Michigan’s Personal Liberty Law, which was passed in 1855. This law protected slaves that had escaped from the South and went against Federal laws that were in place. I read the article this week and we learned a little bit about the three branches of government. Learning that states can make their own laws tied in nicely with our ongoing study of the states using our timeline. We broke into groups and the children had the task of coming up with a new law that would help all of the citizens of Michigan. They’ve come up with some great ideas. It was fun watching them collaborate and brainstorm together. They will continue to work on this over the next couple of weeks together, giving reasons why the law should be passed, and then they’ll try to convince the classroom to officially pass the law.
February is busy!
February 3, 2023 – Timbers
February 9, 2023 – Cinderella @ Interlochen Arts Academy
February 14, 2023 – Valentine’s Day (more info to come on Valentine’s Day Cards)
February 15, 2023 – 100th Day of School (more info to come)
Who is Despereaux? What did our mystery reader read about last week? What is the lazy river?
1/12/23
Happy New Year! Our first couple of weeks in 2023 has been off to a great start. We spent time discussing what we want to accomplish, new things we want to learn and what we may want to get rid of in 2023. It has been nice diving back into lessons and our regular routines. There were lots of happy faces as the children got back to work.
We will be exploring some new lessons and experiments with the winds. We spent last Friday afternoon making pinwheels. The children are anxiously watching basil seeds grow, logging their progress daily. We are working with other classrooms to see how much basil we can grow between now and March!
We are looking forward to swimming, which begins next week Wednesday, January 18.
Timbers update! I have moved our winter outing to the Timbers to Friday, February 3rd. We will not be going on January 20th.
12/15/22
This will be the last Classroom Highlights of 2022! We have had a steady few weeks of work in the classroom, and the children are ready for a well deserved break. As we wrap up the year, it has been nice to hear studies being shared and I look forward to more being finished up in the new year.
We were able to deliver our items for the Welcome Home Baskets to Goodwill. They all helped load the vans with the stuff, and then several helped to deliver. The children were proud of all that was collected, which was a lot!
This fall, I started a class called Breathe for Change, a 200-hour wellness class for teachers, focused on social emotional learning, mindfulness/meditation and yoga. Since the start in October, I have been able to incorporate some of the practice in the classroom already. In an effort to be more consistent, I have been trying to lead a practice of 5in-5out so that we start and end our day with some kind of breathing and/or mindful movement practice. We have been pretty successful this week and some of the students have been holding me accountable as they have enjoyed these practices. One student said this week that the morning 5in helped her quiet her mind later in the work cycle. While many of these practices do not come naturally to us (especially myself), it has been proven useful to make this time a daily priority for our classroom.
I wish all of you a wonderful holiday season. The children will be taking home their gratitude journals to finish up with all of you over the break. Please also enjoy the classroom’s book of published winter poems.
In which body of water does our new read aloud character live? What has been your favorite 5in 5out exercise? What are you most proud of in the classroom from 2022?
12/02/22
Happy December! For the short three weeks between the Thanksgiving and winter holiday, we are trying to foster an attitude of gratitude. The children are keeping a Gratitude Journal, recording one thing they are grateful for every day. After just a few days, children have come in wondering what the gratitude prompt will be for the day. It has been a very nice way to start our day. This is something the children will take home with them on the 16th. I am sure that they will look forward to sharing this with you.
We have 24 poets in the classroom experimenting with onomatopoeia, similes, alliteration and more! The children are busy writing winter poems for a classroom collection we are putting together. It has been wonderful this week to see how excited children can be to write. Even those with some apprehension, after a little encouragement and brainstorming, can become eager to get their ideas down on paper.
Please help your child remember that the deadline for the items for the Welcome Home baskets is December 9. Students will be delivering these to Good Will the following week.
Questions for your child. What are the 10 ways you can hear snow? What country is the young girl detective from in our new read aloud? What was the most important reason for Ray and his Grandpa to go night fishing in our last read aloud?
11/27/22
Thank you for taking the time to meet with me last week. It was great to reflect on your child’s progress with you. We have our annual Harvest Feast coming up, which takes place on Tuesday, November 22. Your child will be asked to bring in an ingredient for the Stone Soup that we will be making together. We have read our first version of Stone Soup and will read others in order to compare the different versions. No matter how many times the children have heard these stories, they still love them.
On Monday, our community will celebrate Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day. This is an annual day of dialogue to commemorate Ruby Bridges, who in 1960, at the age of 6, attended an all white school. Some children in Upper Elementary school have encouraged us to take time out of our day on November 14th in order to talk about ways that we can be change makers, spread kindness and change our community for the better. Our classroom has already begun the conversation of what we will do for others.
Questions for your child. How was Ruby Bridges brave? What was so magical about the red balloon? Why are we collecting marbles in a jar?
10/27/22
It really feels like the school year is going by quickly. I cannot believe we have had parent visiting day, progress reports are being written and conferences next week! The children have enjoyed welcoming you into their space and I look forward to connecting with you during conferences. Your child’s progress report will be emailed to you on Monday. Please take some time to look this over before we meet.
The Timbers was great this morning! It was a beautiful morning and what a difference from our visit just 6 weeks ago. At the Timbers, I told the third great story, The Coming of Human Beings. It follows up The Timeline of Life. It is the story of how man came with a mind to think and reason as well as the ability to love and hands that can create. We discussed how these traits make humans special and how we can use these traits to make others feel this way.
Last week we ended our week with some outdoor art. We learned a bit about Andy Goldsworthy. He is a sculptor, artist and photographer known for the ephemeral works that he creates and photographs outdoors. The children then were put into groups and they made their own pieces of art using nature. Here they are.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
We have been working on memorizing a poem the children picked out, Fraidy Cat by Matthew Fredericks. Click here to watch them recite it.
Who is the pomegranate witch? Who is Ms. Honey’s aunt? What kind of farm would you like to have and what inspired this?
10/12/22
The classroom really feels like it is in full swing. I heard a student say the other day, “I wanted to do that work, but I have so many things to do!” This is a good sign. We have also been talking a little more about expectations and what it means if something is due. While most things do not have a “due date” in our classroom, it is important for the children to know that one lesson builds on another and when it’s time to move on, previous practice with the concept is expected. Work that has to be turned in comes in the form of math sheets and handwriting work. Follow up practice to lessons is completed and checked throughout their day and may be reviewed at the following lesson or a one-on-one meeting. It is so wonderful to see the children satisfied and feeling good about the work they have completed. Although coming to completion takes different amounts of effort for everyone, all the children experience joy when it is done. It has been great to see your children accomplish challenging new work.
We are looking forward to welcoming you into the classroom in a couple of weeks. The children will be prepared to share what they’ve been learning and eager to get you using some of the materials.
Questions for your child. What is your part in the poem we are memorizing? What did you build last week Friday and what went well with the structure? What is the lifecycle of a dandelion?
Something fun you might be interested in this weekend. Kids Commute is having a live event. These are always a great experience! You can go back and catch up on the podcast. We listened to Monday and Tuesday this afternoon! https://www.interlochenpublicradio.org/show/kids-commute/2022-10-10/kids-commute-flight-week
Art with Alison
Students in both Upper and Lower Elementary classes have been working on designing their lunchtime placemats for the year. These placemats are such a wonderful insight to each student’s personality and they take careful time and great care in the production. Some students choose to draw and paint cartoon characters, some do landscapes, others choose to depict their favorite animals and of course there are ALWAYS sports themes. Upon completion of this annual project, each classroom becomes a beautiful gallery of art each day at lunch.
9/29/22
Building community with one another is something that we work on at the beginning of the year. This is done in so many different ways within our classrooms. Children are having lessons and working together on studies with new friends. Sometimes these groups are very intentionally put together by myself and at other times the children take the lead on this. A large part of being in a community is listening to one another. We played an interactive listening game the other day, which was fun and silly, but at the same time caused us all to pause and listen to what others were saying in order to prompt each of our parts. We could not complete the exercise without everyone’s careful ear and participation.
In order to better be with one another, we established a classroom agreement together. The children all had 2 sticky notes they used to add what they thought was most important when completing the following sentences:
- When I come into the classroom I want to feel…
- So we will…
The children came up with an agreement that we use on a daily basis to remind ourselves how to be with one another. It is the context for talking about our mishaps in the classroom and on the playground. A couple children did a lovely job writing up the agreement for us and we all signed it.
Some questions for your child. What does Matilda love doing? What was your favorite animal on the Timeline of Life? What vocabulary are you working on in español?
9/15/22
We have had quite a week and a half. In some ways I feel like it has flown by and in other ways it feels like we are in slow motion. Transitioning from summer and other classrooms takes time, repetition, and as we talked about yesterday in class together, some moments of being uncomfortable. All of the children are making the transition at their own pace. The children are jumping into the work that they most missed or are excited and/or apprehensive to do for the first time. All of this in one room makes our classroom a little bit hectic, but it feels great; this is the Elementary Montessori classroom!
We had a great time plucking marigolds and then watching the water boil and turn from clear to yellow to orange to a greenish-brown. Children have been walking by the wool in the science area commenting on the color and looking forward to the next step. We will be using the wool for some felting work, which will soon be an option for work during the work cycle.
It was nice to adventure outdoors this morning to the Timbers. The children were excited to see birds, frogs, find different plants, hunt for tracks and even examine duckweed using our magiscope (an outdoor microscope that uses natural light). The couple hours went quickly! Some children will revisit their work during the work cycle this week, finishing up writing about some of the things they saw or heard and doing some graphing.
Questions to prompt conversation. What are you planning on drawing on your placemat? What is something you added to the classroom agreement? What can a lift (British meaning) button do, even when not connected to electricity?