Practicing song for the Christmas Show. Yes, it’s like herding cats.
Other Stuff: Letter Of The Week: None due to Christmas Program Practice Rhyming Word Of The Week: None due to Christmas Program Practice
A Word From Mr. John (Happy Thanksgiving):
Cultural Subjects:
Did You Know? A strong “chlorine” smell in a pool is actually caused by chloramines, which are formed when chlorine reacts with contaminants like sweat, urine, and oils from swimmers.
Foreign Languages: Your children can now count to ten in 12 languages (English, Latin, Sign Language, Spanish, German, French, Greek, Japanese, Arabic with Lebanese dialect, Italian, Russian, Romanian).
Know Your Languages: None due to Christmas Program Practice
Operation Christmas Child:
Peek In Our Week:
He is working on the consonant blends of CH, SH, and TH.He is completing equations using manipulatives. He looks deep in thought. The Vowel Tree is a tactile, engaging way to teach and practice decoding words. This manipulative can be used with beginning readers to more advanced readers. Developed initially as a Montessori material, the vowel tree reinforces skills for all learners; tactile learners, auditory learners, and visual learners.
The purpose of the Montessori introduction to decimals is to build a concrete, sensorial understanding of the decimal system and place value, helping children grasp the relationship between units, tens, hundreds, and thousands before moving to abstract symbols. Through hands-on materials like the Golden Beads, children learn the size and hierarchy of number categories and how to exchange one quantity for the next (e.g., 10 units for 1 ten). This is why I tell the students 10 is the magic number, and he is showing us this.
Peek Into Next Week: Weekly Theme: None due to Christmas Program Practice Letter Of The Week:None due to Christmas Program Practice Rhyming Word Of The Week: None due to Christmas Program Practice
Academic Enrichment aka Kindergarten:
This Week in Kindergarten: Using a ruler Synonym Of The Week: None due to Christmas Program Practice Sight Words Of The Week: None due to Christmas Program Practice
Next Week in Kindergarten: Characteristics of the 5 Animals Synonym Of The Week: None due to Christmas Program Practice Sight Words Of The Week: None due to Christmas Program Practice
Kinders using a ruler (inches and centimeters)
Special Kindergarten Group:
This week, we measured the students’ feet. The stench was noxious and I barely survived.
Future Happenings: *Parent Teacher Conferences:Monday November 24 and Tuesday November 25 *Thanksgiving Break: Wednesday November 26th returning Monday December 1
Friends, Frolic, And Fun:
Purple MeaslesHe just busted out in this guttural laugh out of the blue. She was so giddy doing this work. Who wears the Hawaiian shirt better, my kindergartener or Tom Selleck?
Thanksgiving, Pilgrims, and all that Jazz: Last week, we learned about the journey across the rough ocean called the Mayflower. On this ship were people known as Pilgrims. When they landed in the New World, it was just woods and wildlife. They were cold and hungry, but there were no Giant Eagle stores to get food or Target stores to buy blankets. Fortunately for the Pilgrims, there were Native Americans to help them. The following fall, they held a big feast and ate the food they had grown and hunted.
Other Stuff: Letter Of The Week: None due to Christmas Program Practice Rhyming Word Of The Week: None due to Christmas Program Practice
A Word From Mr. John:
Man, I got nothing this week. Progress Reports ……. arghhh
Cultural Subjects:
Did You Know: Mr. John can easily sleep for 10 hours at night.
Foreign Languages: Your children can now count to ten in 12 languages (English, Latin, Sign Language, Spanish, German, French, Greek, Japanese, Arabic with Lebanese dialect, Italian, Russian, Romanian).
Peek Into Next Week: Weekly Theme: None due to Christmas Program Practice Letter Of The Week:None due to Christmas Program Practice Rhyming Word Of The Week: None due to Christmas Program Practice
Specials Spot (Science):
The famous Skittle Run. Did you know Carnauba Wax prevents the colors from running? That wax is in the polish I use for my car. But I will still eat the candy.
Peek In Our Week:
Before Line Time, we do calisthenics. A mom watches her son during Bring Your Parent To School Day. She is peeling a carrot. The scraps feed roaches, crickets, and Super worms. He is drawing, tracing, and cutting. ALL activities help strengthen fine motor skills. She is working on the Color Bead Bars with Symbols. She finds the correct number for the number on the beads.
Academic Enrichment aka Kindergarten:
This Week in Kindergarten: Money Synonym Of The Week: None due to Christmas Program Practice Sight Words Of The Week: None due to Christmas Program Practice
Next Week in Kindergarten: Measuring with rulers: Synonym Of The Week: None due to Christmas Program Practice Sight Words Of The Week: None due to Christmas Program Practice
This is the bill the boys chose, as did the girl. Lol
Special Kindergarten Group:
We graphed the height of the students.
Friends, Frolic, and Fun:
A severe case of Hathead, but he doesn’t seem to care.We are the champions!You really shouldah seen the other guy.Our Ball Python, Milky Way, had a bowel movement. What fascinates children more than anything? Poop!
Dinosaurs: We went back in time and delved into the subject of dinosaurs. We learned that dinosaurs are no longer alive and they are referred to as extinct. Then how do we know they roamed the Earth Millions of years ago? We know by finding bones and fossils. We now know that some dinosaurs were meat eaters (carnivores) by having large, sharp teeth, while plant eaters (herbivores) had flat teeth. Some dinosaurs that were mentioned were T Rex, Brontosaurus, and Pterodactyl.
I loved this show as a kid.
Other Stuff: Letter Of The Week: L l Rhyming Word Of The Week: bot
A Word From Mr. John(The wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald):
Cultural Subjects:
November Birthdays: A Montessori Classroom prides itself on its multi-aged students. Here are our newest 3, 4, and 5 year old students.
Do you notice an unintentional photo bomb?
Did You Know? (Why Lake Superior Never Gives Up Her Dead ( A line in the song The Wreck of The Edmund Fitzgerald)… Lake Superior “never gives up her dead” because its consistently cold, deep, and oxygen-poor water significantly slows down the decomposition process of bodies, preventing them from floating to the surface. The bacteria that typically cause a body to float by producing gas cannot function in the frigid temperatures, so bodies remain preserved at the bottom.
Foreign Languages: Your children can now count to ten in 12 languages (English, Latin, Sign Language, Spanish, German, French, Greek, Japanese, Arabic with Lebanese dialect, Italian, Russian, Romanian).
Know Your Languages (Romanian):
Specials Spot (Art):
Creating a Mosaic with torn of pieces of paper.
Peek In Our Week:
Look who is reading chapter books.
The purpose of Montessori number rods is to provide a concrete, hands-on way for children to understand numbers by associating them with quantity, length, and numerical order. Through exploring the rods, children learn to count, recognize the sequence from 1 to 10, and grasp the concept that each number represents a distinct, measurable quantity.
My writing group is learning how to write in cursive. The purpose of teaching cursive in Montessori is to leverage its benefits for early learners, including easier letter formation, brain development, and improved reading and spelling. By starting with cursive, which involves fluid, connected strokes.
He is working on a math material called the Spindle Box. The spindle box develops early counting skills and develops the association between quantity and the number symbols 0 through 9. Importantly, it teaches the concept of zero. The wooden box has ten numbered compartments into which the child counts the corresponding number of tactile wooden spindles.
Peek Into Next Week: Weekly Theme: Pilgrims Letter Of The Week:M m Rhyming Word Of The Week: bop
Academic Enrichment aka Kindergarten:
This Week in Kindergarten: Currency: Coins Synonym Of The Week: NEW: novel, fresh, original, current, unused Sight Words Of The Week: said by
Next Week in Kindergarten: Telling Time: Currency (Paper) Synonym Of The Week: None due to Christmas Program Practice Sight Words Of The Week: None due to Christmas Program Practice
For an unknown reason, they broke into the O-H I-O chant.
Future Happenings: *Parent Teacher Conferences:Monday November 24 and Tuesday November 25 *Thanksgiving Break: Wednesday November 26th returning Monday December 1
Friends, Frolic, And Fun:
Just a bunch of girls wanting their picture taken.
Insects, Arachnids, Invertebrates: This week we explored insects which have a head, thorax and abdomen, 6 legs and two antennae. Now sing to the tune of “head, shoulders, knees, and toes….. head, thorax, abdomen. six legs and two antennae. You get the gist. Some insects are ants, flies, and butterflies. Then looked at arachnids which has a head, abdomen, and eight legs. Some arachnids are spiders, ticks, and scorpions. Both insects and arachnids are invertebrates. Other invertebrates include, worms, snails, and jelly fish. *** Side note… All bugs are insects but not all insects are bugs!
Our classroom Arachnid makes an appearance. Charlotte meet Charlotte.
Other Stuff: Letter Of The Week: K k Rhyming Word Of The Week: ox
A Word From Mr. John (To chew or not to chew):
An Alumna Visitor:
She was a student of AMMS about 16 years ago and is now pursuing her degree education at the University of Akron. She came back to observe my classroom for one of her classes.
Cultural Subjects:
Did You Know (Neck Tie) ? The modern necktie originated in France in the 17th century, inspired by the neckerchiefs worn by Croatian mercenaries during the Thirty Years’ War. These Croatian soldiers tied colorful cloths around their necks to hold their uniforms together, and the French were so taken with the style that King Louis XIII adopted it, naming it the “cravat” after the French word for Croat, “la Croate”. The cravat quickly became a fashion statement and evolved over time into the modern necktie.
Some useless information. When working in the business world I owned more than 100 ties.
Foreign Languages: Your children can now count to ten in 10 languages (English, Latin, Sign Language, Spanish, German, French, Greek, Japanese, Arabic with Lebanese dialect, Italian, Russian).
Know Your Languages (Russian Reduex):
Specials Spot (Music):
Much movement in Music Class.
Peek In Our Week:
He is working on a math material named the Spindle Box. The spindles clarify the idea that the symbols represent a certain quantity of separate objects. To introduce the concept of zero and its symbol. To reinforce the natural sequence of the numerals.
She is working on matching consonant blend (beginning sound) to the appropriate picture. The purpose of a Montessori consonant blend picture matching activity is to build phonemic awareness and reinforce phonetic reading skills by teaching children to recognize and associate consonant blends with corresponding images. Children match picture cards to the isolated blends or to word cards, helping them understand that each letter in a blend retains its sound.
My kindergarten students volunteer every day to clean the tables after lunch. One sprays while the other dries. Great teamwork they came up with by themselves.
She is working on language Three Part Cards. The aim of Montessori three-part cards primarily build vocabulary by teaching children the names of things through a hands-on, self-correcting process. For younger children (3-6), they link a picture to its written label; for older children (6-9), they introduce definitions to build comprehension and critical thinking.
Peek Into Next Week: Weekly Theme: Dinosaurs Letter Of The Week:Ll Rhyming Word Of The Week: bot
Academic Enrichment aka Kindergarten: This Week in Kindergarten: Telling Time: To the minute Synonym Of The Week:NEW: novel, fresh, original, current, unused Sight Words Of The Week: how each
Next Week in Kindergarten: Telling Time: Currency (coins) Synonym Of The Week: OLD: ancient, elderly, used, mature Sight Words Of The Week: said by
The Kindergarten Students proudly showing off their clock work.
Future Happenings: *Parent Teacher Conferences:Monday November 24 and Tuesday November 25 *Thanksgiving Break:Wednesday November 26th returning Monday December 1 *Fall Back, Time Change: Sunday November 2 at 2am
Friends, Frolic, And Fun:
Whats different? He’s not wearing his glasses, no. He shaved his mustache, no. Oh, he got a haircut!
The new girl having fun.
I don’t know what was happening but they were having fun.
The famous tongue of concentration.
Your Kids Say The Darndest Things (Painting Pictures):
Birds: This week we learned about birds. Of course they are vertebrates and are warm blooded. They are born from hard shelled eggs and have feathers. Most birds fly but some do not. The penguin and Ostrich do not fly and are called flightless birds. Some birds that the students mentioned are Eagles, Parrots, Toucans, and Peacocks.
I thought I saw a puddy cat (which is a mammal).
Other Stuff: Letter Of The Week: J j Rhyming Word Of The Week: bip
A Word From Mr. John (Shorts In Winter):
Cultural Subjects:
Feeding Time (to the tune of Closing Time). The students are curious and fascinated by the dining habits of the animals.
Did You Know (where the term “Baker’s Dozen” (13) originated)? The term “baker’s dozen” originated in 13th-century England, when laws mandated that bakers sell bread by weight. To avoid severe penalties for selling bread that was slightly underweight, bakers would add an extra loaf to each dozen to ensure they never fell short of the required amount.
Foreign Languages: Your children can now count to ten in 10 languages (English, Latin, Sign Language, Spanish, German, French, Greek, Japanese, Arabic with Lebanese dialect, Italian, Russian).
Know Your Languages (Russian):
Specials Spot (Art):
In Art class they created squirrels and their habitat.
Trunk or Treat Halloween Bash:
Peek In Our Week:
He is working on the Spindle Box. The Montessori spindle box is an early math tool used to help children understand the relationship between a number’s written symbol and its physical quantity. It reinforces concepts of counting, numerical order, and zero, while also helping to develop fine and gross motor skills, eye-hand coordination, and a “muscular impression” of quantity. Look who is reading.This week we leaned about birds. These two matched the bird cards and writing the manes of each bird.
She is working on the Sandpaper Numbers. The purpose of Montessori sandpaper numbers is to teach children the symbols and names of numbers 0 through 9 through a multi-sensory, tactile experience. By tracing the textured numbers, children develop a muscle memory for their shapes, which prepares them for writing and helps them connect the name and the symbol. This foundational material builds a link between the visual shape, the tactile feel, and the auditory name of each number.
Peek Into Next Week: Weekly Theme: Insects, Arachnids, Invertebrates Letter Of The Week: K k Rhyming Word Of The Week: ox
Academic Enrichment aka Kindergarten:
This Week in Kindergarten: Telling Time: To the Quarter Past (:15) Synonym Of The Week: COLD: freezing, chilly, frigid, frozen, cool Sight Words Of The Week: use your
Next Week in Kindergarten: Telling Time: To the minute Synonym Of The Week: NEW: novel, fresh, original, current, unused Sight Words Of The Week: how each
Future Happenings: *Parent Teacher Conferences: Monday November 24 and Tuesday November 25 *Thanksgiving Break: Wednesday November 26th returning Monday December 1
Special Kindergarten Group: Cancelled due to Trunk or Treat
Kinders making their own time by positioning their hands.
Friends, Frolic, And Fun:
Good to the last drop (crumb). Dapper boy. He makes Mr. John’s hair look bad compared to his. I play a game in my head what did they have for breakfast? I’m thinking vanilla yogurt.Buddies!
Your Kids Say the Darndest Things (Mom, Dad Et al.):
Fish: Fish are animals that live in the water and are, you guessed it, vertebrates and they are also cold blooded. Fish are born BOTH alive and from jelly eggs. This depends on the species of fish. Fish feel slimy to the touch. Some fish include, swordfish, perch, trout, bass, betta, goldfish, and sharks.
It is the 50th anniversary for the film and yes I saw it in the theaters when it came out.
Other Stuff: Letter Of The Week: I i Rhyming Word Of The Week: bin
A Word From Mr. John (Turning on your furnace):
Cultural Subjects:
Did You Know (Where the phrase came from)? “Scot free” means to escape without punishment or penalty. The term originates from the Old English and Scandinavian word “scot,” which meant a tax or payment. To be “scot free” meant to be free from paying taxes or other obligations, and the phrase evolved to mean escaping from any type of consequence.
Foreign Languages: Your children can now count to ten in 10 languages (English, Latin, Sign Language, Spanish, German, French, Greek, Japanese, Arabic with Lebanese dialect, Italian, ).
Know Your Languages (Italian):
Specials Spot (Library):
Every Three weeks the Stow Library visits, reads a story and does interactive works with the children.
Peek In Our Week… Grace and Courtesy Edition:
An older student giving a lesson to a younger student.
Students gather around a visiting student helping her and making her feel welcome.
I just mentioned in passing that I needed the take home folder box. She immediately brought it to me even though it is as big as she is.
He was not working at this table but he took it upon himself to push all the chairs in the room under the tables.
Peek Into Next Week: Weekly Theme: Birds Letter Of The Week: J j Rhyming Word Of The Week: bip
Academic Enrichment aka Kindergarten:
This Week in Kindergarten: Telling Time: To half hour (:30) Synonym Of The Week: HOT: burning, boiling, scorching, blazing, sizzling Sight Words Of The Week: she were
Next Week in Kindergarten: Telling Time: To the Quarter Past (:15) Synonym Of The Week: COLD: freezing, chilly, frigid, frozen, cool Sight Words Of The Week: use your
Future Happenings: *Trunk or Treat: Friday October 24th *Parent Teacher Conferences: Monday November 24 and Tuesday November 25 *Thanksgiving Break: Wednesday November 26th returning Monday December 1
Special Kindergarten Group:
This week we graphed the results of the weight of the kinders and a nice picture.
Friends, Frolic, And Fun:
Two buddies
In the Montessori there is much movement in the classroom, lol!
Loosing a tooth is a rite of passage.
The dreaded Yellow Hand Syndrome. At first I thought she had Juandice but she just rubbed dandelions on her hands.
Amphibians: This week we looked at the animal called the Amphibian. The word Amphibian means of two worlds. They are born from jelly eggs and spend the first half of there life in water then the second half of their life is spent on land. They are vertebrates (have a backbone or spine) and are cold blooded (the body temperature is the same as the environment around them. They also have skin that is moist and soft. Some amphibians include frogs, toads, and salamanders.
Other Stuff: Letter Of The Week: H h Rhyming Word Of The Week: bit
A Word From Mr. John (Time is on my side (Rolling Stone’s song). Maybe not so much):
Cultural Subjects:
Did You Know (Ethiopia Uses A Different Calendar)?: Ethiopia uses a unique calendar that is about seven to eight years behind the Gregorian calendar, featuring 13 months (12 months of 30 days and a 13th short month called Pagumē) and a different New Year’s date. This calendar, known as the Ethiopian Calendar, stems from the ancient Alexandrian calendar and is deeply connected to the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. Its discrepancy in years is largely due to an earlier calculation of Jesus Christ’s birth compared to the Gregorian calendar’s calculation, reflecting Ethiopia’s historical independence from colonial powers like the Roman church that adopted the Gregorian system.
Foreign Languages: Your children can now count to ten in 10 languages (English, Latin, Sign Language, Spanish, German, French, Greek, Japanese, Arabic with Lebanese dialect, Italian).
Know Your Languages (Italian):
Specials Spot (Music):
Incorporating egg shakers in music class.
Peek In Our Week:
Oh, I get by with a little help from my friends, Mm, gonna try with a little help from my friends (you know the song). Another example of Grace and Courtesy. Look who is reading!Look what you can find in a book? Pumpkin our Corn Snake.These mats were not his but he saw they weren’t in use. He took it upon himself to roll them and put them away. This is what we call Caring For The Environment.
Peek Into Next Week: Weekly Theme: Fish Letter Of The Week: I i Rhyming Word Of The Week: bin
Academic Enrichment aka Kindergarten:
This Week in Kindergarten: Telling Time to the hour Synonym Of The Week: CALM: peaceful, quiet, inactive, serene, slow Sight Words Of The Week: for wish
Next Week in Kindergarten: Telling Time: Half Past the Hour Synonym Of The Week: HOT: burning, scorching, blazing, boiling, sizzling Sight Words Of The Week: she were
Kinder students learning how to tell time to the hour (O Clock)
Future Happenings: *NO SCHOOL: Monday October 13th *Trunk or Treat: Friday October 24th
Friends, Frolic, And Fun:
A magnifying glass table bringing joy to students. What is going at at George’s cage? The excitement is that he pooped. You should’ve seen the other guy.A baby with a diaper “tooting”. As you may know bodily functions tend to be a crowd favorite at this age.
Your Kids Say The Darndest Things (Dogs named Mr. White, Porter, Pinot!):
Reptiles: We slithered into learning about reptiles and what makes a reptile, a reptile. First, reptiles are vertebrates as all the animals we will discuss. They are cold blooded and are born from hard shelled eggs. Many people think snakes are slimy but they are dry and scaley as all reptiles are. Our classroom reptiles are Crusty (Crested Gecko), Spots (Leopard Gecko), Pumpkin (Corn Snake), Milky Way (Ball Python), and the class favorite George (Bearded Dragon).
Other Stuff: Letter Of The Week: G g Rhyming Word Of The Week: bid
A Word From Mr. John (Time, time, time to the tune of Hazing Shade of Winter by Simon and Garfunkle or The Bangles):
The scientific explanation…. Yes, a toilet paper roll seems to run out faster near the end because the radius of the roll gets smaller, meaning each full rotation dispenses less paper than before. While you pull off the same length of paper each time, the roll must spin faster to compensate for its shrinking size. This effect combines with a change in rotational inertia to make the paper feel like it is disappearing more quickly.
Cultural Subjects:
Did You Know (Dead skin cells are a main ingredient in household dust)?: Here’s an interesting (and gross) science fact for you: According to researchers at Imperial College London, humans shed around 200 million skin cells each hour—and they have to go somewhere when we’re indoors. If the idea of skin dust isn’t sitting well with you, you should know that a report from the American Chemical Society found that a skin oil called squalene naturally helps reduce indoor ozone levels by up to 15%—so it’s not all bad.
EEWWWWWWWWW
Foreign Languages: Your children can now count to ten in 9 languages (English, Latin, Sign Language, Spanish, German, French, Greek, Japanese, Arabic with Lebanese dialect).
Know Your Languages (Arabic with Lebanese dialect):
Specials Spot(ASL, American Sign Language):
Peek In Our Week:
She is working on the Knobless Cylinders. The purpose of Montessori knobless cylinders in a “matching” context is to develop a child’s capacity for visual discrimination of dimensions, such as height and diameter, by requiring them to independently identify and order cylinders from thickest to thinnest or shortest to tallest. This challenges the child to use their own judgment rather than a physical knob or slot, fostering concentration, independence, and spatial awareness.
A kindergarten student being tested with the Aimsweb program.
The purpose of Montessori Sandpaper Letters is to teach children letter sounds and phonetic awareness using a multi-sensory approach, engaging touch, sight, and sound to create strong muscle memory for forming letters and prepare them for writing and reading. Children trace the sandpaper letter shape with their fingers, connecting the tactile experience of the letter’s form to the sound it makes, which lays a crucial foundation for both reading and writing.
She volunteered to tie my shoe and she said I might trip and fall. She is showing what Montessorians call Grace and Courtesy. The purpose of Montessori Grace and Courtesy lessons is to provide children with explicit instruction in social skills, fostering empathy, self-control, communication, and respect for others to build harmonious communities.
Peek Into Next Week: Weekly Theme: Amphibians Letter Of The Week: H h Rhyming Word Of The Week: bit
Academic Enrichment aka Kindergarten:
This Week in Kindergarten: Landforms Synonym Of The Week: ACTIVE: lively, energetic, dynamic, vigorous Sight Words Of The Week: you his
Next Week in Kindergarten: Telling Time; To the hour Synonym Of The Week:CALM: peaceful, quiet, inactive, serene, slow Sight Words Of The Week: for wish
Future Happenings: *NO SCHOOL:Friday October 10th through Monday October 13th *Trunk or Treat: Friday October 24th
Kinders working on landforms.
SKG (Special Kindergarten Group) a little stir crazy after collecting data (how much everyone weighs).
Friends, Frolic, And Fun:
Two princesses and a dapper boy.
You should have seen the other guy.
Who does it better?He came up with this face with on his own and no prompting….
I am a loud sneezer and when I sneeze this boy always brings me tissues.
Mammals: This week we learned what makes a mammal a mammal. First of all mammals are warm blooded (their bodies regulate the body to a certain temperature) and are vertebrates (have a backbone or a spine). Mammals have hair or fur and are live bearers (born alive). Some thing that is truly unique about mammals is that when young they consume mothers milk. Most mammals live on land but the dolphin and whale are mammals that live in the water and the bat is the only mammal that can fly. Did you know people are mammals? Ask your parents or grandparents about the TV show Flipper. The last line in the description is good to know, lol.
“Flipper” refers to a famous fictional Bottlenose Dolphin character from a popular 1960s TV series and film, portrayed by real, trained dolphins. The show depicted Flipper as an intelligent, helpful companion to a family, though it’s important to remember that wild dolphins are not as tame and can be dangerous.
Other Stuff: Letter Of The Week: F f Rhyming Word Of The Week: big
A Word From Mr. John (Backing out of the garage. Its not as easy as you think):
Cultural Subjects:
Did You Know (The brain is mostly fat)?: Yes, the brain is predominantly composed of fat. Approximately 60% of the brain’s weight is made up of lipids, which are fatty substances. These lipids play crucial roles in brain structure, function, and protection. It’s important to note that not all fats are harmful to the brain; healthy fats, such as omega-3 fatty acids, are essential for brain health. I remember in elementary school a popular insult was to call someone a fat head.
Foreign Languages: Your children can now count to ten in 6 languages (English, Latin, Sign Language, Spanish, German, French, Greek, Japanese).
Know Your Languages(Japanese):
Specials Spot(Science):
We discovered something called Cylinder Strength by placing several books on a cylinder made of rolled construction paper.
Rosh Hashanah: Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year, a time for prayer, self-reflection, and repentance that begins the High Holy Days. Key traditions include attending synagogue, hearing the blowing of the shofar (a ram’s horn), and eating symbolic foods like apples dipped in honey to signify a sweet year ahead.
Peek In Our Week:
She is working on the the Memory Game which is a Math material. The purpose of a Montessori math memory game is to help children learn to associate numbers with quantities, develop memory and concentration, reinforce numeral recognition, and practice counting and sequencing in a fun, hands-on way. I show her a number and she goes across the room and retrieves that number of popsicle sticks to me. These games also encourage fine and gross motor skills, foster turn-taking and cooperation, and build a strong foundation for more abstract mathematical thinking. Look how the movement produces a joyful experience in math. She is working on the Binomial Cube found in the Math area. The purpose of the Montessori binomial cube is to serve as a concrete, hands-on representation of the algebraic concept (a+b)³, allowing children to develop spatial awareness and pattern recognition through a 3D puzzle while simultaneously building dexterity and visual acuity. She is working on a math work called Cards and Counters. The purpose of Montessori Cards and Counters is to help children move from the abstract concept of numbers to a concrete understanding of quantity, reinforcing number sequence (1-10), and introducing the concepts of odd and even numbers. This hands-on math activity develops natural number sense and numeracy by having children match the correct number of counters to their corresponding numeral card, strengthening their understanding of numerical quantity and order. Ever since the science class that featured the Density Bottle the student have been enamored with the works pertaining to density. I see two Density Bottles and the Magic Submarine Bottle.
Peek Into Next Week: Weekly Theme: Reptiles Letter Of The Week: G g Rhyming Word Of The Week: bid
Academic Enrichment aka Kindergarten:
This Week in Kindergarten: Biggest to Smallest (Galaxy to your address) Synonym Of The Week: SAD: miserable, gloomy, depressing, downtrodden, glum, unhappy Sight Words Of The Week: from he
Next Week in Kindergarten: Landforms Synonym Of The Week: ACTIVE: lively, energetic, dynamic, vigorous Sight Words Of The Week: you his
Future Happenings: *NO SCHOOL: Friday October 10th through Monday October 13th *Trunk or Treat: Friday October 24th
Friends, Frolic, And Fun:
The rite of passage for children loosing a tooth…Sometimes you just don’t ask. I look up and see this and the hands stayed, what seemed, forever.What is the common theme? Cuteness. Craziness? Or something else?I wonder if I am the only one that gets her eye roll?
Living and Non-Living: This week we learned the difference between what is living and what is non-living. We focused on what makes something a living thing. We learned living things reproduce or have offspring and they grow. Living things eat or take in nutrients, breath or exchange gases. The question was posed if plants are living things. They are since they meet all of the above qualifications.
Other Stuff: Letter Of The Week: E e Rhyming Word Of The Week: bad
A Word From Mr. John (Blankets):
Cultural Subjects:
Did You Know (The hashtag symbol is technically called an octothorpe.)?: According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, the “octo-” prefix refers to the eight points on the popular symbol, but the “thorpe” remains a mystery. One theory claims that it comes from the Old English word for “village,” based on the idea that the symbol looks like a village surrounded by eight fields! #Mr. John
Foreign Languages: Your children can now count to ten in 6 languages (English, Latin, Sign Language, Spanish, German, French, Greek).
Know Your Languages(Greek):
Specials Spot(Science):
Eggs float in salt water and sink in fresh water.
The Pumpkin Patch:
Peek In Our Week:
Peek Into Next Week: Weekly Theme: Mammals Letter Of The Week: F f Rhyming Word Of The Week: big
He is working on a Language material that matches pictures with the beginning consonant blend. The Montessori blue consonant matching activity introduces children to consonant blends and digraphs, helping them decode and spell longer phonetic words by blending individual consonant sounds. She is working on the Teen Board. The purpose of a Montessori Teen Board, also called the Seguin Board, is to help children aged 4-6 understand and connect the quantities and symbols of teen numbers (11-19). It allows children to see that teen numbers are formed by a static “ten” combined with a changing unit (1-9)He is working on the Knobbed Cylinders found in the Sensorial area. The primary purpose of Montessori Knobbed Cylinders is to develop a child’s visual discrimination of size and hand-eye coordination, helping them to perceive and differentiate dimensions like height and diameter. This sensorial material also refines the child’s perception of dimension, prepares them for math concepts like grading and comparison, and offers a self-correcting activity that builds independence and a sense of accomplishment.
He is working on the Vowel Tree (Vowel Substitution). The Montessori Vowel Tree’s primary purpose is to teach and practice blending, particularly the changing middle vowel sounds in consonant-vowel-consonant (CVC) words, to develop decoding and reading skills in early learners.
Academic Enrichment aka Kindergarten:
This Week in Kindergarten: Ohio and Surrounding States Synonym Of The Week: HAPPY: cheerful, content, jovial, joyful, merry Sight Words Of The Week: are was
Next Week in Kindergarten: Biggest to Smallest (Galaxy to your address) Synonym Of The Week: SAD: miserable, gloomy, depressing, downtrodden, glum, unhappy Sight Words Of The Week: from he
OH – IO… Miss Sara was a good sport and filled in for the “i”
Special Kindergarten Group aka SKG: Cancelled This Week
Future Happenings: *Picture Day: Wednesday 9/24/25 *NO SCHOOL: Friday October 10th through Monday October 13th *Trunk or Treat: Friday October 24th
Friends, Frolic, And Fun:
The Buckeye Class “chillaxing” outside. A cricket got loose and the hunt begins. More boys are being found in the classroom this year. BFFs
