Absorbent Minds Montessori School |

Peek In Our Week %%% Thee Buckeye Room %%% Week Of 1/13/2025 through 1/17/2025

Posted on January 17, 2025 at 8:10 pm.

Thee Buckeye Bulletin

Line Time:

This week we looked at the skeletal system and if we didn’t have a skeleton we would be one messy blob on the ground (insert a flagellant sound). We learned the skull protects our brain, the rib cage protects our lungs, and the spine keeps us sitting and standing straight. We learned technical terms for our arms, leg and our digits which is a funny name called phalanges. We brought our life sized foam puzzle into our room. His name is Elvis because we learned about the pelvis and it was a cool rhyming name.

Line Time (the other stuff):
Letter Of The Week: Q q
Rhyming Word Of The Week: bub

Did You Know:

Koalas have fingerprints that are almost identical to human fingerprints. Koalas are the only non-primate animals with unique fingerprints.

A Word From Mr. John (I refuse to accept old age):

Cultural Subjects:

Your children can now count to ten in 16 languages (English, Latin, Sign Language, Spanish, German, French, Greek, Japanese, Arabic in the Lebanese Dialect, Italian, Russian, Romanian).

Know Your Languages: (Romanian)

Specials Space (Science):

We learned about how Polymers love each other and like to hug each other tightly. But if they are too far apart they can’t touch each other shown when pencils pierce a plastic freeze bag and when you pull out the pencils.

Peek In The Classroom:

*Look who is reading her first novel… Charlotte’s Web*

*She is working on the Five Chain. This will help in skip counting and multiplication.*

Montessori Puzzle Maps are educational tools designed Montessori Puzzle Maps are educational tools designed to teach geography to preschool-aged children through hands-on learning. These wooden maps break down the world into different regions, allowing children to explore continents, countries, and bodies of water by handling individual puzzle pieces through hands-on learning. These wooden maps break down the world into different regions, allowing children to explore continents, countries, and bodies of water by handling individual puzzle pieces. *He traced and labeled all the continents.*

*Her job is to sort 40 books/ 4 sets of 10. See how she organized her task?*

Peek Into Next Week:

Weekly Theme: Internal Organs
Letter Of The Week: R r
Rhyming Word Of The Week: but
Next Language is Korean

Academic Enrichment aka Kindergarten:

This Week in Kindergarten:
Reviewing Telling Time
Synonym Of The Week: MEAN: selfish, unkind, malicious, hurtful, evil
Sight Words Of The Week: now made

Next Week in Kindergarten:
Review Telling Time
Synonym Of The Week: NICE: kind, pleasant, delightful, good, helpful
Sight Words Of The Week: first than

*An action shot* of the *kindergarten students doing their assigned chores*.

Special Kindergarten Group/SKG:

*Class of 2025 Kindergarten Class*. We learned about the Great Lakes and that they make up 20% of the world’s fresh water supply. We learned a really cool acronym of HOMES and a little about the Edmund Fitzgerald. We even played the song The wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.

I remember riding my bike uptown Amherst and bought this 45 record from Ben Franklins in 1976. As we got older my friends and I would joke… if you want the party to end play The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald. LOL

Future Happenings:

******* Please read the email or Remind message about the PEANUT ALLERGY in the classroom ******

-NO SCHOOL Monday January 20 for MLK Day. Don’t be that family that shows up.

-Grandparents’ Day: Thursday January 30, 2025. Follow the link to sign up…..
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090B48A8A92DA6F94-45787189-buckeye#

Friends, Frolic, and Fun:

*She is the first to be dismissed and last to finish. So type b. In her defense on this day she was telling EVERYONE that passed that she was 3 years old.*

*Cheetah print is the crowd favorite. Two subjects in the background and the adult has cheetah print.*

*There’s A New Kid In Town (sung to the tune of that 1976 Eagles song)… that hit the ground running.*

Your Kids Say The Darndest Things (Danny Go and Dad):

What is with my voice then the overcompensation.

The Blossoms Buzz – week of 1/13/25 – Hibernation, Migration, Adaptation

Posted on January 17, 2025 at 2:41 pm.

Written by Tonya Shaw

Exploring Winter Wonders in the Cherry Blossom Classroom

The winter months bring a wealth of learning experiences as our young students explored the fascinating concepts of hibernation, migration, and adaptation this week. With the season’s chill in the air, it was the perfect time to delve into how animals survive the cold, and these curious learners embraced the opportunity to discover the wonders of winter.

Finally warm enough to explore winter outside!

The Science Behind Winter Survival: Hibernation, Migration, and Adaptation

Our little scientists engaged with the themes of hibernation, migration, and adaptation by exploring how animals prepare for the winter. They learned that some animals, like bears, hibernate to conserve energy during the colder months, while others, such as birds, migrate to warmer climates. They discovered how some animals adapt to the cold by growing thick fur or blubber to stay warm.

We asked all the children if they would like to hibernate, migrate, or adapt during the winter months. Which would you like to do if you could choose?

Sorting different animals by the way they survive the winter months.

A Hands-On Science Experiment: Blubber and Cold Weather Survival

One of the highlights of the unit was a science experiment designed to show the importance of blubber in keeping animals warm in freezing conditions. The children eagerly participated in an experiment using Crisco, which acted as a stand-in for animal blubber. Each child placed their hand in ice water while wearing a sandwich bag coated with Crisco, experiencing how blubber helps insulate and protect animals from the cold. This tactile experiment not only brought the concept to life but also sparked discussions about how different animals use unique adaptations to thrive in winter.

Did the “blubber” keep our hands warmer when touching the snow? Ask your child!

A Cozy Winter Tale: The Mitten by Jan Brett

As part of our winter theme, we read Jan Brett’s The Mitten, a beautifully illustrated story that captivates young imaginations. The book tells the tale of a mitten dropped in the snow, where various animals seek shelter inside, creating a cozy, snug fit. The children loved discussing the animals in the story and drawing parallels between the animals in The Mitten and the real-life adaptations and behaviors they had been learning about.

Sequencing the animals from *The Mitten* by Jan Brett.

Learning About Feelings – Yellow, Green, Blue, and Red

In addition to exploring the wonders of winter, our Blossoms also focused on emotional awareness and expression. Through engaging activities, they’ve been learning to identify and associate different feelings with specific colors. The children discovered that happiness is often represented by the color yellow, calmness by green, sadness by blue, and anger by red. This color-emotion connection will help them articulate their feelings more clearly, allowing for better self-awareness and empathy toward others.

Coming Up Next: DINOSAURS!

Monday, January 20: NO SCHOOL/Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Thursday, January 30: Grandparent’s Day!

Monday, February 3: 100th Day of School – dress like you are 100 years old! (Date subject to change in case of a snow day.)

Friday, February 14: NO SCHOOL/Teacher Inservice

Monday, February 17: NO SCHOOL/President’s Day

Adventures In Aspen- A Peek At Our Week – 01/06/25 – 01/10/25 – All About Matter!

Posted on January 12, 2025 at 9:14 pm.

Written by Kelley Laney

Welcome back Aspen families! We hope that you all had a very relaxing, fun, and family filled Winter Break!! This week in Aspen we were all glad to be back! The classroom was alive with learning and buzzing with activity. We had so much fun learning, reconnecting with friends, and returning to our weekly classroom routines. This week our thematic topic was All About Matter! The Aspen students learned that Matter is all around us. We learned that everything around us that we can touch is made up of matter! Aspen also discovered that matter is made up of atoms and molecules. Matter exists in three states solids, liquids, and gases and each of these states have different properties. At the same time matter has mass, and mass can be described as the amount of matter within an object. For instance, we learned that solids have a rigid structure and the molecules within a solid are tightly packed together and do not move freely. Solids have a definite shape and a definite volume. Solids cannot change their shape unless they are broken or cut. Liquids have a definite volume but no shape! The molecules inside a liquid are not tightly packed together like a solid. Their molecular particles can slide past each other resulting in their fluidity. Liquids will therefore take the shape of whatever container they are held in. Gases have no fixed shape and no fixed volume. You cannot see them and the molecular particles within them are spaced out and move freely.

After learning all of the above information regarding matter we then applied our knowledge to the world around us. The Aspen students engaged in hands on learning activities exploring solids, liquids , and gases. The Aspen children practiced sorting objects into their matter categories, experimented with liquids by pouring them into different containers, trapped a gas (air) into containers, and read books exploring the different states of matter. Our favorite book was Ice Boy by David Ezra Stein, it explored the various states of matter and the concept that matter can occasionally change it state! For example, the book illustrated the concept of liquids changing into a solid when it freezes. It also discussed the concepts of water vapor, steam, and evaporation. Therefore, describing the Water Cycle in a fun and simple manner. Finally, the Aspen students had the opportunity to color their very own Matter coloring book.

Kindergarteners returned to school eager to learn and used this week to revisit concepts they were exploring before Winter Break. They also received new Kindergarten lessons involving handwriting, reading, and sight words. All kindergarten students received their first take home phonetic reader and are encouraged to read them to siblings, pets, and parents for learning reinforcement to improve fluency skills.

Next week our topic is Snow and Snowflakes !

Exploring the properties of a liquid! Liquids change their shape depending on the container that holds them.

Gluing molecules to represent the properties of the different states of matter.

Fun with friends during indoor recess!!

Group work with the Mystery Bag! Identifying objects using only our sense of touch!

Tracing the Animal Puzzles!

Adventures In Aspen – A Peek At Our Week – 01/06/25 – 01/10/25 – All About Matter!

Posted on January 12, 2025 at 8:51 pm.

Written by Kelley Laney

Next week our topic is Snow and Snowflakes !

Exploring the properties of a liquid! Liquids change their shape depending on the container that holds them.

Gluing molecules to represent the properties of the different states of matter.

Fun with friends during indoor recess!!

Group work with the Mystery Bag! Identifying objects using only our sense of touch!

Tracing the Animal Puzzles!

The Blossoms Buzz – week of 1/6/25 – Signs of Winter

Posted on January 10, 2025 at 11:29 am.

Written by Tonya Shaw

Exploring Winter Wonders: An Adventure with Snowflakes and Snow!

Welcome Back! Winter is here, and our Blossoms have been diving into the wonders of the season! We’ve been learning all about the characteristics of winter, snow, and snowflakes, and we even conducted an exciting experiment with freezing and melting snow. It’s been a fun-filled, educational first week back!

Discovering Winter’s Magic

To start, we introduced the children to the key characteristics of winter. We talked about how the air feels colder, the days are shorter, and, of course, snow! The kids were eager to share their experiences with snow, and we had some wonderful discussions about how snowflakes are formed, why snow falls from the sky, and what happens when it gets really cold outside.

Snowflakes

We also took a closer look at snowflakes! Did you know that every snowflake is unique? We learned that no two snowflakes are exactly alike, and each one is made up of a speck of dust and tiny ice crystals that form in a special pattern. The children loved how the snowflakes looked under a magnifying glass and enjoyed matching them with one of our science work trays. Older students practiced their sewing skills by creating beautiful snowflakes.

Freezing and Melting Snow

The highlight of our week was definitely our snow experiment! We brought in some snow from outside, and the children were able to touch, feel, and examine it up close. Then, we placed the snow in different containers to see what would happen when it was exposed to warmth. We watched as the snow slowly began to melt and turn into water. The kids observed the changes carefully, and we talked about the process of freezing and melting. They were excited to see the snow “disappear” and discussed how snow can melt when the temperature rises. We also put some of the snow into a cold place to see how it would freeze again, allowing the children to witness the transformation of water back into snow. This hands-on experience helped them understand the concept of temperature and the cycle of freezing and melting in a very real and fun way.

A Peek at our Work Trays

Throughout the week, we incorporated winter themes into our activities. From creating snow covered evergreen tree crafts to singing songs about snowflakes, the children had a blast while learning about the winter season. We even added some winter-related work trays throughout the classroom, such as measuring weight with items you would use to build a snowman and “writing the room” by finding winter themed words and copy writing.

Looking Ahead

Next week we will continue our exploration of winter by focusing on what the animals around us do during the winter months, as well as take a closer look at a book titled The Mitten by Jan Brett.

We have also been counting the days of the school year since the very first day – we are currently 85 days smarter! On the 100th Day of School we will celebrate with a pizza party, as well as have your children dress up like they are 100 YEARS OLD! It’s one of our favorite days of the school year!

Upcoming Dates:

Monday, January 20th – NO SCHOOL/Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Thursday, January 30th – Grandparent’s Day – Sign Up Here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090B48A8A92DA6F94-45787189-buckeye#/

Monday, February 3rd – 100th Day of School Celebration (*subject to change if we have a snow day*) Dress up like you are 100 years old!

Peek In Our Week * Thee Buckeye Room * Week 1/6/2025 thru 1/10/2025

Posted on January 10, 2025 at 9:23 am.

Written by John Kotradi

Thee Buckeye Bulletin

Line Time:
To honor the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. we learned a bit about his life and his accomplishments. The students became actresses and actors as they recreated Rosa Parks making her stand on a bus in Montgomery Alabama. The students enjoyed playing the part of the bus driver, Rosa Parks, “the mean guy”, a police officer, Martin Luther King Jr., and passengers on the bus. We discussed our differences such as skin color, eye color, hair color, and gender. Then we discussed how we are similar. We talked about discrimination and segregation. We talked about if someone with red hair wouldn’t be allowed to do art “just because” they have red hair or if anyone who had blue eyes would have to go to a different classroom with less materials, broken crayons, or no books “just because” they have blue eyes. I had only boys fetch the chairs for the skit and brought that to the attention of the class. We had some very sad girls…. I did let the girls take the chairs back after the skit.

Below is a picture after the skit where everyone can sit where they want. The thumbs up means the students approve.

Line Time (the other stuff):
Letter Of The Week- Q q
Rhyming Word Of The Week- bub

Did You Know wombats poop is in the shape of a cube?:
Yes, you read that correctly. This furry Australian marsupial squeezes out nearly 100 six-sided turds every day. How does this happen you may ask? The wombat’s intestines contract in sections, with the stiffer parts contracting faster than the softer parts. The softer parts squeeze more slowly, molding the final corners of the cube.

A Message From Mr. John (Great week to start 2025):

Cultural Subjects:
Your children can now count to ten in 16 languages (English, Latin, Sign Language, Spanish, German, French, Greek, Japanese, Arabic in the Lebanese Dialect, Italian, Russian, Romanian).

Know Your Languages: (Romanian)

Specials Space (Science):

*We learned diapers are more absorbent than paper towels.*

Peek In The Classroom:

*She is working on the Spindle Box where she is learning the concrete relatio0nship of quantity and symbols from 0 to 9.*

*He is working on the First Introduction of Decimals. He is learning the concrete relation ship of the unit, ten, hundred, and thousand columns (quantity) and then symbols.*

*She is working on the Nine Tray where she delves deeper in the unit, ten, hundred, and thousand columns. Here she will compose numbers wit quantity and symbol from 1 to 9,999.*

Peek Into Next Week:
Skeletal System
Letter Of The Week- Q q
Rhyming Word Of The Week- bub
Next Language is Korean

Academic Enrichment aka Kindergarten:

This Week in Kindergarten:
Reviewing Telling Time
Synonym Of The Week: SICK, weak, unhealthy, ailing, infected, frail, ill
Sight Words Of The Week: who could

Special Kindergarten Group/SKG:

*Your well behaved Kindergarteners studied the continents and Pangea.*

Pangaea was a super continent that existed 200 to 300 million years ago. It was made up of all the landmasses on Earth, including what are now North America, Africa, South America, and Europe. The name Pangaea comes from the Greek word pangaia, which means “all the Earth”.

Next Week in Kindergarten:
Review Telling Time
Synonym Of The Week: MEAN: selfish, unkind, malicious, hurtful, evil
Sight Words Of The Week: now made

Future Happenings:
******* Please read the email or Remind message about the PEANUT ALLERGY in the classroom ******

-NO SCHOOL Monday January 20 for MLK Day. Don’t be that family that shows up.

-Grandparents’ Day: Thursday January 30, 2025. Follow the link to sign up…..
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090B48A8A92DA6F94-45787189-buckeye#

Friends, Frolic, and Fun:

*I am not sure what is going on here but it looks interesting. Then there is a photo bomb.*

*A comforting hand while discussing Martin Luther King and Rosa Park and how Afican Americans were treated before the Civil Rights Movement.*

Your Kids Say The Darndesat Things (rushing in the morning):

Peek In Our Week ^^^ Thee Buckeye Room ^^^ Week of December 16 – December 20, 2024

Posted on December 21, 2024 at 3:59 pm.

Written by John Kotradi

Thee Buckeye Bulletin

Line Time:
We practiced A LOT for the show and it was worth it. What a great show!!!!!!!! We also talked about family. Moms, dads, brothers, sisters, grandparents, and cousins were mentioned. We came to the conclusion that pets are part of the family.

Did You Know? (No Saliva. No Taste)
Why you need saliva to taste foods. In order for food to have taste, chemicals from the food must first dissolve in saliva. Once dissolved, the chemicals can be detected by receptors on taste buds.

A Word From Mr. John (Happy Festivus):

Cultural Subjects:
Your children can now count to ten in 11 languages (English, Latin, Sign Language, Spanish, German, French, Greek, Japanese, Arabic in the Lebanese Dialect, Italian, Russian)

Know Your Languages ( in January)

Glow Stick Party in the Dark:

Peek In The Classroom:

She is working on the number rods found in the math area. The Number Rods help children learn the names of numbers and their sequence and learn to correctly associate between the spoken number and its quantity. Children grow to understand that each rod represents a unique quantity and that each number is represented by a single object as a whole, separate from others. *Here she is counting the randomly place rods and finding the appropriate number.*

*Discovering where George our class Bearded Dragon is. This sparked a conversation about his spikes and eyes.*

*One of the kinders took control and lead an impromptu practice for the Christmas Show.*

Kindergarten aka Academic Enrichment:
No Kinder lesson as we were practicing

Enrichment (Science/Skittle Run):

*I love the laughter and in the second picture look at the tongue hanging out.*

Peek Into Next Week:
Line Time-

Letter Of The Week-

Rhyming Word Of The Week-

Next Language is in January

Future Happenings:
-Christmas Break: Saturday December 21, 2024 returning Monday January 6, 2025

Friends, Frolic, and Fun:

*Someone got hungry*. *Maybe the dog ate the homework.*

*Working together to catch a stray cricket.*

Your Kids Say The Darndest Things (Elfie the Elf on the Shelf):

Elfie wearing the sister’s underwear?

Peek In Our Week * Thee Buckeye Room * Week of December 9 – December 13, 2024

Posted on December 14, 2024 at 1:28 pm.

Written by John Kotradi

Thee Buckeye Bulletin

Line Time:
Diligently practicing for the Christmas Show. Rockin it out!

Did You Know? (Lets just cancel Monday, hehe)
According to an article published in Stroke, a 40-year longitudinal study revealed that the most common day of the week to have a stroke was Monday. In fact, for intracerebral hemorrhages, one-third occurred on a Monday. AND, the least common days of the week? Saturday and Sunday.

A Word From Mr. Mr. John (Pull, Crack, and Rub):

Cultural Subjects:
Your children can now count to ten in 11 languages (English, Latin, Sign Language, Spanish, German, French, Greek, Japanese, Arabic in the Lebanese Dialect, Italian, Russian)

Know Your Languages ( in January)

Peek In The Classroom:

*One of the Kindergarten Students reading Chapter Books.*

Teen Beads and Boards provide valuable experience with understanding numbers 11-19. With this material, the child first learns that the quantities greater than 10 are all made up of 10 along with a number from 1 to 9. Next, the child is introduced to the symbols for those numbers with the wooden boards and cards. Finally, they associate the beads and the cards together and practice making and placing them in sequence.

*We work them hard in the classroom. No Benadryl was used in the making of this picture.*

Kindergarten aka Academic Enrichment:

SPK (Special Kindergarten Group):

This week we continued to gather data and it was the length of the kinders feet. We will gather the same data in May and compare the results. No one passed out due to stinky feet. Also, no one had holes in their socks and two students had mismatched socks.

Enrichments (Library):

*Stow Library comes every three weeks to read to the students.*

Peek Into Next Week:
Line Time- Christmas Show Practice

Letter Of The Week- Taking a break to practice for the Christmas Show

Rhyming Word Of The Week- Taking a break to practice for the Christmas Show

Next Language is in January

Future Happenings:
-Christmas Show Rehearsal: December 18 @ 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm at Cuyahoga Falls High School Auditorium Students arrive by 5:45. USE THE RESTROOM and drop off with assigned group.

-AMMS Annual Christmas Show: December 20 @ 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm at Cuyahoga Falls High School Auditorium Students arrive by 5:30pm. USE THE RESTROOM and drop off with assigned group.

-Christmas Break: Saturday December 21, 2024 returning January 6, 2025

-Pajama Day/Show and Tell: Friday December 20, 2024

Friends, Frolic, and Fun:

Your Kids Say The Darndest Things: ( I want to go home but I don’t know why)

Peek In Our Week … The Buckeye Bulletin … Week of Decmber 2, 2024

Posted on December 7, 2024 at 6:17 pm.

Written by John Kotradi

Thee Buckeye Bulletin

Line Time:
Diligently practicing for the Christmas Show. Rockin it out!

Did You Know?:
A priest once told me there are the same number of stitches on a baseball as on a rosary. With a little research I’ve found this to be true at 108. Prove me wrong.

A Word From Mr. John (I’m baaaack):

Cultural Subjects:
Your children can now count to ten in 11 languages (English, Latin, Sign Language, Spanish, German, French, Greek, Japanese, Arabic in the Lebanese Dialect, Italian, Russian)

December Birthdays: A Montessori classroom prides itself on having a multiage class. Here are our newest 4 and 5 year old students.

Know Your Languages ( in January)

We had a visit from St. Nicholas on December 6th which is St. Nicholas Day. He left a gift of Hershey Kisses in the children’s shoes. Sorry no pictures but when they discovered the gifts… chaos ensued.

Peek In The Classroom:

To use the Vowel Tree: Have the child take the consonants card and place the card over the vowel. Have the child say the word that is formed, combining the the consonants and short vowel.

They are combining the Brown Stairs found in the Sensorial Area with Elvis the Pelvis. Looks like Elvis is chillin.

She is working in the Math Area and creating 10 in different ways. Did you know 10 is the magic number?

Look at the concentration cutting carrots. This is a Practical Life work to enhance focus.

Kindergarten aka Academic Enrichment:

My Kinder Students!

In my “Special Kindergarten Group” we are measuring height and documenting weight and then we will revisit this in May and compare our data.

Enrichments (Science):

Having fun inflating a balloon using baking soda and vinegar that creates my favorite gas… Carbon Dioxide!

Peek Into Next Week:
Line Time- Christmas Show Practice

Letter Of The Week- Taking a break to practice for the Christmas Show

Rhyming Word Of The Week- Taking a break to practice for the Christmas Show

Next Language is in January

-AMMS Annual Christmas Show: December 20 @ 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm at Cuyahoga Falls High School Auditorium Students arrive by 5:30pm. USE THE RESTROOM and drop off with assigned group.

-Christmas Break: Saturday December 21, 2024 returning January 6, 2025

-Pajama Day/Show and Tell: Friday December 20, 2024

Friends, Frolic, and Fun:

Look at the difference of the oldest/tallest child and the youngest/shortest child. She has taken on the moniker of the new peanut of the classroom.

Ya shouldah seen the other guy!

Empathy runs rampant in the classroom.

What’s going on here? I am not sure but it looks kind of cool.

Adventures In Aspen – A Peek At Our Week-10/28/24 -11/01/24 – All About Leaves

Posted on November 3, 2024 at 8:52 pm.

Written by Kelley Laney

This week in Aspen we continued our Botany lessons by taking a closer look at leaves. The Aspen students learned that leaves are a very important part of a tree. Leaves have a very special job, they are like nature’s little solar panels. They help plants to make food and grow. Aspen discovered that leaves need three important things in order to perform their job. Leaves need sunlight, water (rain), and carbon dioxide from the air. We learned that as they perform their job, leaves engage in something called photosynthesis. Through photosynthesis leaves convert the sunlight , water, and carbon dioxide into a chemical energy while creating oxygen and energy in the form of a sugar called glucose. This glucose is then used by the leaf to make cellulose and starch.This then makes food for the tree to grow healthy and strong. At the same time, leaves also produce something called chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is what gives the leaf its green color! Aspen then discussed that something really amazing is happening to our leaves this time of year. The Aspen students pointed out that our leaves are not all green right now! Some are turning colors, they are turning red, yellow, and orange! The Aspen students then asked a couple of questions, Why are they changing colors and why are they falling off of the trees? Through our research and various classroom activities, Aspen discovered that the leaves are changing color because the leaves are no longer producing chlorophyll. As the chlorophyll breaks down the red, yellow, and orange colors show through changing the color of the leaves! Furthermore, Aspen learned the terms deciduous and coniferous. Deciduous trees are the trees that are currently changing colors and loosing their leaves and coniferous trees stay green all year long like pine trees and evergreens.

After learning all of this interesting information the Aspen class then took a closer look at the parts of a leaf. We used our leaf puzzle, leaf classification cards, and the labeling materials to name and identify each part of a leaf. First, we learned to identify the blade of a leaf. The blade is the flat, wide part of the leaf. It’s like a big, green solar panel that catches all sunlight. The blade is the part that helps the plant make food using sunlight, water, and air. We then identified the veins in a leaf and learned that the veins are the tiny lines you see on a leaf. They look like little roads. These veins carry water and nutrients from the stem to the rest of the leaf. We found that the part of a leaf called the midrib is the big vein that runs down the middle of the leaf. It’s like the leaf’s backbone, giving it support and helping it stay strong. Finally, the part of a leaf called the petiole is the little stalk that attaches the leaf to the plant’s stem. Think of it as the leaf’s handle. It helps hold the leaf up and connects it to the rest of the plant. Aspen then discussed leaf margins. The leaf margin is the edge of the leaf. It can be smooth, wavy, or even have little teeth like a saw. Each type of leaf has a different margin, making them unique! We then applied all of our leaf knowledge outdoors as we went on a leaf hunt! The Aspen students found leaves on our playground and then matched them to their corresponding leaf margins! We also collected leaves to explore the parts of a leaf, made leaf rubbings, and leaf ghosts ! It was a very busy and informational week in Aspen! Ask your little Botanist what they learned this week!

Next week we will be talking turkey! We will enter the month of November learning all about turkeys and Thanksgiving! See you next week!

REMINDER – NO SCHOOL NEXT FRIDAY! ( TEACHER IN-SERVICE DAY)