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Announcements:
Ms. Kelly
It has been another amazing year at Absorbent Minds! Every school year moves by faster and faster! This year was filled with wonderful memories and I am thankful to have had the opportunity to get to know these bright and talented children! I appreciate our wonderful families and your support throughout this school year and am looking forward to our time together next school year!
 May was a busy and exciting month at our School. We began by welcoming our Moms to join us for muffins and a fun morning with their child and teachers! This event was a great way to kick off the month of May!
We also had the pleasure of Grandparents visiting with us  in May. Our students and their Grandparents spent time together in the classroom where they were able to show off what they have learned this year. Next, they headed off to an Enrichment Class (either Science, Music or Latin) and lastly, crafted a very special keepsake. Our students and staff treasured this time with our Grandparents and can't wait for next year's Grandparent's Day!
 At the end of May we headed to the Akron Zoo for our annual field trip. It was a beautiful day this year and our students and families enjoyed the behind the scenes classes. Primary students learned about backyard wildlife and fur, feathers and scales (mammals, birds and reptiles).
Elementary students attended a "Whats for Dinner" class where they focused on herbivores, carnivores and omnivores. When not attending the classes students toured the Zoo with their classmates, teachers and parents. Thank you parents for your support; you made this trip possible. We appreciate you!
Finally, our Field Day festivities and Kindergarten Graduation rounded out the 2013-2014 school year! During Field Day,we enjoyed our favorite board games with our friends in the morning, had a blast with water activities in the afternoon, then relaxed together in the classroom for a movie!
Students participated in a few relay races and team challenges but in the end their favorite activities involved water! I don't think a single participant, parent or teacher, had success leaving the school very dry that day!
 We celebrated our Kindergartners with a beautiful Graduation Ceremony held in the school gym. Over the course of May, Kindergarten students learned about different forms of poetry and composed their own poems to present during the ceremony.
Each student also received a special individual award honoring their strengths in the classroom and showcasing what makes them unique. Third grade students, Kassie Batchelor and Skylar Mamajek prepared and gave a speech to our graduates during the ceremony.
It was a very special night and we wish all of our graduating kindergarten students the very best! We have no doubt they will accomplish wonderful things in the years ahead.
Teaching and guiding your children this year has been a blessing. Thank you for entrusting your child to us.
Smarter Heroes 
The Good Samaritans Food Drive was our final project for the month of May. Check out the last section of this newsletter to learn more details and to see what our Smarter Heroes were up to this past month!
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Ms. Brandy's Corner:
 For the last newsletter article of the year I asked my students to write about their summer plans. The following paragraphs have been typed exactly how each student wrote them in their journals. I hope you enjoy reading them! Have a wonderful summer! Sumer Plans
by Zach Martinelli - 2nd gradeMy Dad sing me up for Basketball camp. My friend Austin is going to sleep over. I'm going to build the chaos tower. I going to play bball. I am play video games. I'm going to create a shirt. I'm going to draw. Madelyn Wise - 3rd gradeThis summer I will go the lake and play with My friends all day. I will ride my bike. I will play in my tree house. I will play on my play set with my cousin and spend time with my family. Quinn Farkas - 2nd gradeIn the summer I will go to camp. I will go swiming with my friends on the weekend. I will go to vacation. I will put up the pool and have ice cream with my friends. We will play dead man on the trampleen. I will play minecraft and build a good world. I will play in the water a lot with my friends. I will have fun and have lots of treats. "The Tooth Fairy" by Ryan Baxter - 1st gradeTonight the tooth fairy is comeing to take your tooth away mommy said. So Ryan put his tooth under his pilow before the tooth fairy take Ryan's tooth. When it was morning the tooth fairy give me money and some. Ions from my tooth and I'm so happy I got my coins and money. The end. Summer Plans by Nick Smith - 1st grade1. Meet new friends 2. Look around are new house 3. Go to new school 4. Find new playgrounds 5. Go to are new library 6. Move to Mulberry St. Iowa City, Iowa 7. See grandma and grandpa every weekend "Summer" by Aleksandar Sudar - 1st gradeS is for sun U is for underwater M is for meet my new baby brother M is for many play dates E is for read everyday R is for run Skylar Mamajek - 3rd gradeThis summer I will go to camp. I will go on the zip line and I will try to not get stuck. My goal is to win! I will have a good time with my friends at ... SB2W (summers best 2 weeks). Kassie Batchelor - 3rd gradeIn summer I'm going to Washington D.C. for 2 days and going to florda 2 weeks later. Where going to Disney my friend Sydney's house and spending the night and going to my gramas house and my nannys house and the beach. Then when I come back I will stay home for the rest of summer. Elementary Students along with Kindergarten students worked together to plant a garden for their garden project at the Tallmadge Campus. Elementary students will work the garden upon their return to school in August. This was a fun morning together and we are looking forward to seeing what our efforts will produce in the fall. 
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The "Smarter" Difference
Bringing Montessori Home
by Kelly Andamasaris
In the pursuit of instilling independence, your child's home and school environment can be each others greatest asset. Through the years we have had many parents ask us, "What can we do at home over the summer to keep my child progressing forward?" Whether you are looking for some pointers for over the summer or for throughout the year, bringing Montessori principles into your home can be a valuable bridge to what your child learns at school. Below are practical ways to build that connection without having to create a Montessori classroom in your kitchen or living room! Create an Ordered Environment From our youngest preschooler to our oldest elementary student; all are capable of independent work at home, though they must be provided enough time and space to "do it myself." Having a place for everything, at their level, encourages both independence and self discipline. Children know where to find what they need, and where to put it when they are finished. An ordered environment also has fewer distractions, allowing the child to focus on the task at hand. - Make things accessible to your child by providing shelves or drawers for clothing at a level they can reach.
- Keep a small step stool in the bathroom and kitchen so your child can reach the sink to wash their own hands, or properly clean a dish.
- Organize toys and games into categories (puzzles, art supplies, legos etc.) with a particular place for each.
- Place healthy snacks and food on a lower pantry shelf so your child can help himself.
- Pour drinks into small, manageable pitchers placed on a low refrigerator shelf. Keep cups within your child's reach-along with a sponge to clean up spills.
- Make a list of work assignments for the day and have them create their own schedule.
- Create a basket of pre-selected (high quality) books for them to choose from.
Teach Real-Life Skills The gifts we can give our children are adequate time, age-appropriate and well-communicated expectations, and trust in their natural capabilities, which are the same principles that support Montessori's educational philosophy. Tasks presented without time pressures, inherent to our fast-paced life give the child an opportunity to focus on the job at hand and develop that particular skill. Dr. Montessori said, "Never help a child at a task at which he feels he can succeed." She encouraged the teacher to be willing to accept less than perfect results, as the child performs the tasks to the best of their ability. Your child deserves the experience of small struggles that often accompany the development of a skill. As difficult as it is, suppress the urge to rush to your child's rescue at the first sign of frustration. This can rob them of valuable learning opportunities by stepping in, and can reinforce their sense of helplessness. This process helps them understand the outcome of practice, perseverance and hard work. Look around your home and determine what your child is capable of doing to contribute to the household. Take the time to teach each skill separately and repeat the lesson as needed. Each task your child masters adds to his confidence and self esteem. Our preschoolers, for example, are capable of peeling vegetables, folding their clothes, matching their socks and caring for pets. Older students can sort recycling, take out the trash and help their younger sibling by reading to them and with their nightly bedtime routine. Minimize Distraction The ability to focus and concentrate is an important skill for learning. You can help develop your child's concentration by observing what sparks their interest. Set your child up with the means and materials to explore it, and let them work without interruption. While your child's work environment should be free of distraction, it doesn't have to be away from family activity. Some children prefer working at the kitchen table or reading in a cozy corner of the living room to secluding themselves up in a bedroom. Observe your child's response to various environments, ask questions and make adjustments as needed. Develop your child's concentration by limiting "screen time." Children learn by physically interacting with their environment, not by sitting just watching the world go by. As Montessori states in her book, (The Absorbent Mind) "What the child, from birth, takes in from their immediate environment becomes their inner life and forms the building blocks of the personality that defines them ever afterwards." This means that what young children need is concrete experiences, real life conversations, and real objects to touch with their hands and lots of opportunities to be outside interacting with the natural world. The television is an abstract reality, it is not really there. A picture on a screen of a seashell will not provide a child with any information other than its visual aspect. A real seashell in a child's hand means that the child can experience it on many levels; he/she can touch, smell and listen to a seashell that is actually there. Furthermore, Montessori's observations along with recent neurological studies stress the importance of movement in combination with learning. Limiting how often your child is stationary in front of a screen on a daily basis will help form the foundation for heightened concentration skills. Encourage Inner Motivation Children are most willing to apply themselves when they feel there's intrinsic value to their work. Parents frequently use external rewards as motivation; this can often negatively impact the child's motivation to engage in that activity when the reward is withdrawn. Pride and pleasure from within has lasting and meaningful, effects. Montessori teachers focus on nurturing the child's personal sense of accomplishment. Praise the child's effort rather than the outcome of her work! Taking these four principles above and infusing them into your home environment will not only bring Montessori home, but will provide the consistency your child needs in developing the valuable skills needed for a successful and happy life.
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Ms. Kate's Corner:
May was such a busy month! Our class dove into water and learned about the sea and jumped into a space shuttle and flew into outer space. Our class also had fun learning about plant life cycles and had a blast during Grandparents Day and at our field trip to the zoo!
The first two weeks we explored the animals of the ocean. We began by defining mammals. I explained they are warm blooded and both land and sea mammals have hair on their bodies and give birth to their babies. The first mammals we discussed were the dolphin and whale. The children learned dolphins can stay under water for 15 minutes, but can't breathe under water so they have to come up for air. The children learned they live in groups of ten to twelve and there are thirty-six different kinds of dolphins. During this discussion we talked about how the Killer Whale is the largest dolphin.
 The second group of mammals in the sea we discussed was whales. The children learned whales breathe like us and they can only stay under water for a short period of time and then they have to come up for air by using their blowhole on the top of their heads. They also learned there are two types of whales: the Baleen and the Toothed whale. The children were interested in what whales ate and how fast they can swim. Together we looked through books and found out that whales can swim up to 30 mph and that baleen whales eat krill and toothed whales eat small fish along with other small mammals. The last mammal of the sea we discussed was the Manatee. The children discovered manatees were first seen by fishermen who saw the long tails and thought they were looking at mermaids! The children also learned that they could weigh as much as 2000 lbs., and can swim up to 20 mph hour but usually cruise around the sea at 2 to 6 mph. Also, during that week the children made a Venn diagram about fish and mammals. The children did a great job with this activity. They knew that fish do not have lungs, but have gills instead. Mammals are warm-blooded and fish are not. That most mammals live on land, but fish have to stay in the water and both have a vertebrate. What smarties I have!!  We then focused on outer space. During this time we learned about the solar system, stars and constellations, galaxies, the eight planets, the sun and moon, the space shuttle, and the first man who walked on the moon. Wow, what a busy couple of weeks! We first stared out by creating a web of the solar system. Throughout our space lesson the children added the information they have learned onto the web. During our lesson, the children learned about the eight planets since the 9th planet is now a dwarf planet. They learned the order of the planets and interesting facts about each one. They loved learning about Jupiter and its famous hurricane like storm. They thought it was pretty cool that Mars is called the "red planet" due to the red dirt, dust and sky.  We also learned how there are thousands of different galaxies and how the spiral shape is the most common type. The children learned about night and day. For this activity I had one child stand in the middle of the circle and pretend they were the sun. I then had another child pretend to be the earth. I explained to them that the Earth takes 365 days to orbit around the sun, but as it's orbiting it is also rotating. The kids loved this activity!! During this time we talked about what stars are, the lunar eclipse, the different constellations, and about observatories. We then talked about Neil Armstrong and how if they went to the moon they would still see his footprint. Near the end of our outer space lesson the children learned about life in space, gravity, and astronauts. I showed a video of a launch and what it is like for astronauts up in space. The children loved it!!
We then focused on the plant life cycle. The children learned the parts of the flower, what plants need to grow, and the purpose of the stem. We also had fun placing celery stems into dyed water to show how plants drink through their veins. The children also examined inside of a lima bean and then placed the seeds into a baggie to watch them grow. They had such a great time learning about plants!
Also, during this month we celebrated Grandparents Day in our classroom. The grandparents were able to come in and join us for a special line time, Science class and then a craft. It was such a special day for the children.
 With the last two weeks remaining, the children had a blast learning about different insects. We discovered insects have six legs but spiders and other arachnids have 8 legs. The children were also able to learn the life cycle of the butterfly and find out why bees are so important to us. We also had fun discussing ladybugs and other beetles. During the last week of school the children learned about who invented ice cream, watched a video about how ice cream is made, learned all about camping. Also during the last week we had an ice cream party and a mock camp out with s'mores! Wow what a week we had!
I can't believe how fast the school year has gone by. I have truly enjoyed watching my students grow throughout the year. I will miss them so very much. Also, thank you to all of my families, for everything that you have done this year. I wish the best of luck to those families who are going to new schools and look forward to seeing everyone else next school year! Have a great summer!!!
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Mr. John's Corner:
We started May with food chains, yum yum eat 'em up......we went over 2, 3, 4, 5 part food chains. We learned terms such as predator and prey, and top and bottom of the food chain.
We then went over the seasons and the typical characteristics of those seasons. Spring usually rains a lot and starts getting warmer as we leave winter. We see greener plants and leaves on the trees. Flowers also start to bloom. Summer gets much warmer, flowers are in full bloom and most babies in the wild are born. As the year gets older we move into fall or autumn. The temperature starts to get colder and  leaves change colors and fall to the ground. Winter brings us very cold temperatures and snow. Many animals hibernate or go to warmer climates.
Our little astronauts explored the solar system. We learned Mercury is the closest planet to the sun, Venus is the second planet and is the hottest, Earth is very special to us, Mars is called the Red Planet, Jupiter is the largest planet, Saturn has beautiful rings, Neptune and Uranus are the furthest planets in our solar system.
 We learned about safety our last week and I STRESSED to stay by their safe side adult!!!!!!! I mentioned to the students that I told my own children "If I cannot see you.... YOU are in the wrong place!!!"
Kindergarten
 In kindergarten lesson we finished our work with grammar. We went over the preposition which is a 'where' word not a 'where' wolf. Interjections help a sentence show more emotions, and we went over when to use a . ? ! We then reviewed when we capitalize words in a sentence. We capitalize the beginning word of a sentence, proper nouns and "I".
My line time and the kindergarten class count to ten in 26 different languages (English, Sign Language, German, French, Greek, Italian, Romanian, Russian, Tagalog, Polish, Irish, Welsh, Hebrew, Arabic w/the Lebanese dialect, Japanese, Hungarian, Swedish, Swahili, Korean, Serbo-Croation, Hindi, Flemish/Dutch, Malay, Cebuano, Latin, and Hindi)!
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Ms. Kristen's Corner:
This last month of school was busy and productive in our classroom!
During the first week, we learned about fish and other creatures of the ocean. We started off the week by learning the parts of the fish during morning circle time. We then discussed the characteristics of fish. We learned that fish breathe through their gills and breathe oxygen from the water. We also learned that fish have scales, and fins to help them swim.
During preschool lesson, Ms. Kim continued the discussion by teaching the children the names of all five oceans. The children also enjoyed learning about sharks, turtles, and octopuses. We learned that a shark's entire body is made up of cartilage, just like the cartilage that is in our ears! The children also made a fun jellyfish craft with Ms. Kim during preschool!
 In week two, we learned about Community Helpers. We learned that a Community Helper is someone who has a job helping others, such as a doctor, a fireman, a police man, a teacher, or a mailman. We also learned that our moms and dads are community helpers in our homes because they love and take care of us. We also learned ways we can be a community helper in our homes and communities as well. We learned that by simply helping mom and dad with household chores, keeping our rooms clean, helping little brothers or sisters, etc. can help our family in a big way!
Students also enjoyed making a fireman's hat craft, and police badge craft, and a doctor bag craft with Ms. Kim in preschool. We also had fun singing songs about firemen and policemen during circle time. It was so much fun!
During the third week, we studied mammals. We discussed the characteristics of mammals. We discovered that mammals
have hair or fur on their bodies, that they breathe oxygen from the air around them, that they give birth to their young, that they feed their young with milk from their body, and that they are warm blooded.
The children also enjoyed learning the parts of the horse, and reading the book, "It Could Sill Be A Mammal" during circle time. We also learned about Lions and Grizzly Bears. We learned that Grizzly Bears live in dens, and that the female Lion is actually in charge of hunting for food. The children also enjoyed making a Lion and Grizzly Bear craft with Ms. Kim during preschool!
In week four, we learned about reptiles and amphibians. We learned that a reptile has scales or scutes on their body, they lay eggs, and they leave their young once they are born. The children enjoyed learning about lizards and snakes, and even about Komodo dragons! We learned that the Komodo dragons bite is poisonous, and that Komodo dragon will even eat people! Luckily they live in Indonesia! The children also enjoyed learning about frogs and their characteristics and life cycle. They also enjoyed making a frog craft with Ms. Kim during preschool. During week five, we learned about summer safety. We learned about safety when riding in our car, safety in our home, when riding our bikes, at the pool, etc. We also learned how to dial 911 if there is ever an emergency. Ms. Kim also used the story of Little Red Riding Hood to illustrate to the children why we should not talk to strangers.
I would encourage you this summer to take time with your child and practice their letter sounds with them. Even playing simple games such as "I Spy" will help with this. I also encourage you to make a trip to the library to find books on subjects that interest your child. Reading with your child will instill in them a love for reading as well!
I have enjoyed this year immensely! I hope your children did as well! It is my privilege and honor to be their teacher!
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Ms. Courtney's Corner:
We started off May talking about the Solar System. The children learned the positions of the planets and their relative sizes and distances. They had a blast using 3D models of the sun and planets to place in order. We talked about how the sun is the biggest star and why it is so important. We also made constellations with toothpicks and marshmallows. We discussed the different phases of the moon and made them using chalk and construction paper. On Friday for science, we made moon sand and the children had so much fun playing with it!
The second week of May we talked about dinosaurs and what their habitat was like then the children made their own habitat using sand, rocks, plastic plants, toy dinosaurs, clay, and dirt. They learned different physical attributes of dinosaurs and their names. The children demonstrated an understanding of herbivores, omnivores and carnivores. We also dug out tyrannosaurus rex fossils and put the pieces together. For science we exploded the volcano, the children put in the habitat earlier in the week, using baking soda and vinegar.
The third week of May we talked about transportation. The children quickly developed an understanding that transportation means to carry things from one place to another. We named all the different methods of transportation like plane, car, boat, bike, horse, train, bus, subway, helicopter, etc. Students learned safety rules for all methods of transportation and practiced crossing a fake street setup in the classroom. We placed a car at the top of a ramp and asked the children how far it will go. We recorded their answers with tape with each child's name on it. We did this on the carpet first together then they switched to a smooth surface and tried it with their friends by making their own ramps and using different cars. We also made balloon powered cars for science this week using balloons, straws, tape, and toy cars.
The children really enjoyed the last week of May when we talked about sports. The children used their gross motor skills to march, skip, gallop, etc. They learned how to engage in imaginative and creative play indoors and outdoors involving their friends. We played many games that involved team effort and good sportsmanship.
The first week of June we focused on summer games, activities, and experiments the children could do at home. We froze different color ice cubes for the children to put together in a glass and observe as the ice melts to make a new color. We also discussed summer safety rules while playing outside and playing with or in water. The children learned how to make homemade ice cream and enjoyed the tasty treat together!
I hope everyone has a fabulous summer and I can't wait to see all the smiling faces in the fall!
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We at Absorbent Minds have been very blessed in so many ways. We want to share our blessings and become a blessing to others. In this light, we have created The Sm arter Heroes.
Good Sams Food Drive
Our final project this school year was the Good Samaritan's Food Drive. Similar to "2 cents a Meal," this project is designed to teach our students about world-wide hunger. This is a chance for your family at home to talk about places in our community where little children, just like  them, do not have enough food to eat and what we can do together to help!
We asked families to begin collecting canned and dried foods in their smarter kids box to donate to Good Samaritans Hunger Center.In the afternoon, on Tuesday, June 3rd, students helped load the Good Samaritans vehicle with all of the canned goods our families donated for this project! It was a great experience for our students. Thank you for all of your support and help with this project!
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Enrichment Programs:
Music Class
by Faith Weihe
First off, I would like to thank Ms. Lisa for an amazing year of music classes! The students enjoy music so much that they always ask when Ms. Lisa is coming again. During the last month the students practiced musical terms, such as forte (loud), piano (soft), adagio (slow), allegro (fast), and andante (medium). They also reviewed the different notes (whole, half, quarter, and eighth) and how to use Ms. Lisa's instruments. The instruments that the students used were rhythm sticks, egg shakers, and tambourines. It still amazes me how much musical knowledge the children retain from week to week! Some of the songs Ms. Lisa sang with the students were, Oh, When the Saints Go Marching In, Jack and Jill, The Wheels On the Bus, and, one of my favorites, If All the Raindrops.
During one of the music classes in May, the students were able to invite their grandparents to Grandparents Day visit and enjoy the morning's events. The grandparents were able to see what a music class is like for their grandchildren. They loved seeing the children singing, clapping, and using some of the different musical instruments. Ms. Lisa invited the grandparents to sing along with the students as well!
For the last class of the school year, Ms. Lisa allowed the students to choose the songs for the group to sing, which brought great excitement. Some of the favorites were, Baby Bumble Bee, Roll That Ball Right Down to Town, Bingo, and Jack and Jill. Many of the songs we sing in music class are on the CD that Ms. Lisa handed out to the students. Listening and singing along to the CD would be a great summer activity to help students remember and practice what they learned! I can't believe that the school year is over and that we had to tell Ms. Lisa one last thank you and goodbye until the fall. Have a wonderful summer!
Science Class
by Ashley Ely
Our first experiment this month was Pop Rocks. The Pop Rocks were handed out to each student and they were told to try them. Everyone laughed as the candy popped in their mouths. Mr. John then asked the students what will happen if I dropped these pop rocks into a bottle of soda. Ella's hypothesis was "that the soda will explode in colors," while Ian said, "the soda will burst." Then, the data they then collected was that the soda is Carbonated beverage, meaning there is carbon dioxide gas mixed with the Liquid. The carbon dioxide is what gives soda its fizz. The Pop Rocks are also made from carbon dioxide under extreme pressure and fill in with gas .So when they are mixed together it becomes highly pressurized and the soda shoots out the bottle since there one place for the gas to go.
Our second experiment was called, Vinegar Bag Pop. Mr.John asked our students what would happen when he puts vinegar in a storage bag and then dropped a tissue filled with baking soda in the bag and closed it very fast and tight. Annelise's formed her hypothesis stating, "the bag would pop," while Riley stated "it would fill up and explode." Then Mr.John then tried the experiment with the students help and the storage bag blew up really fast and popped open with a burst. Then they collected data and came to a conclusion. When baking soda and vinegar are combined , it makes a fizzing reaction when the acidic acid in the vinegar reacts with the sodium bicarbonate or baking soda. It is a chemical reaction.
Our last experiment of the school year was a fun one outdoors. Students were asked what would happen if Mr. John dropped a Mentos mint into a 2 liter pop bottle. Mr.John then dropped just one mint into the Pop bottle and the Pop shot out of top like a rocket. Then, Mr.John put FIVE mints in the next 2 liter pop bottle, and the explosion was even bigger and better. Students were so excited and were clapping like crazy. They loved it. They then came to a conclusion. The Mentos contains a chemical known as arabic gum, this ingredient causes the surface tension of water molecules to break even more easily, releasing more carbon dioxide gas at the high rate causing an explosion. This experiment was a great way to end the year. Science Rocks! Art Class
by Michele Hayden
Art class has been quite a journey this year. Students started out with basic elements and principals of design , like color and shape and added to their understanding of the color wheel and composition. We met many artists along the way. students pushed the boundaries of what art is and even got to pose as a model for others to draw. This year has been so much fun inspiring creativity in every budding artist extraordinaire.  The last month students explored the darker side of art in a project titled fears. In this lesson students looked art artworks by Edward Munch and Watto, and discovered how artists convey fear in art. Students told me that colors and expressions had a lot to do with the mood in the artworks. Students really loved "Beasties Under my Bed" by Watto. The creatures looked scary and friendly at the same time. Students took oil pastels and drew something they were afraid of on black paper; many little monsters and creatures appeared in the darkness. Then students drew a picture of themselves conquering their fear on white paper and cut it out and glued it to the black paper. Students were very engaged in the story behind their artwork. The last lesson in art class students looked at a mural by Natalia Rak, and "Big Yellow Rabbit' by Florentijn Hofman. Students worked together to make up a story about the two artworks. Then we read "When Giants Come to Play " by Andrea Beaty, illustrated by Kevin Hawkes. Students talked about how they knew they were giants because other things were drawn smaller than the giants. Each page had big giants and small people. Then students used crayons to create their own stories about having a giant for a day! This was a fun opportunity for students to try being an illustrator and telling stories Latin Class- Elementary
by Tom McCaffrey
In May the Latin class continued to make progress in learning
vocabulary, now we have a list of about seventy words. The students have completed the first stage of the Cambridge Latin Course and in the process have learned details of the life of Caecilius, a banker who lived in the town of Pompeii. They have also become familiar with aspects of the eruption of Mr. Vesuvius in A.D. 79.
In the final lesson of the year the class competed in a spirited
review game based on the TV show Jeopardy. Upon the conclusion of this contest, Magistra Rita bestowed leafy crowns on the students as a symbol of their achievements. The attached photo shows some of the students with their crowns as they color Roman theater masks.
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UPCOMING EVENTS
Meet the Teacher Nights
Monday, August 18th
Ms. Kristen 5:30p
Ms. Kate 5:30p
Mr. John 7:00p
Tuesday, August 19th
Ms. Courtney 5:30p
Ms. Brandy 7:00p
New Parent OrientationThursday, August 21st 6:30pm (both campuses meet at Cuyahoga Falls Campus Gym) Supply Drop Off(during Meet the Teacher nights)Cuyahoga Falls Monday, August 18th 5:30-7:00pm Tallmadge Campus Tuesday, August 19th 5:30-7:00pm First Day of School2014-2015 School YearCuyahoga Falls CampusMonday, August 25th Tallmadge CampusTuesday, August 26th
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Alumni Update:
Every month we devote a section of our newsletter to our wonderful Alumni. We treasured the time we had with our former students and look forward to any opportunity to hear about how they are now! You can find our Alumni Updates on the right side column of the newsletter.
If you have an Absorbent Minds Alumni Student send us an email telling us about what your child has been doing since graduating from Absorbent Minds. We want to know about all kinds of accomplishments; from school, to extra curricular activities and personal growth displayed in any environment! Please email me at Kelly@thesmarterkids.com and put "Alumni Update" in the subject line. We will do our best to include as many alumni updates as possible. I look forward to hearing from everyone!
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