Category Archive for "Classroom Corners" | Absorbent Minds Montessori School

December 2014 Newsletter

Posted on January 9, 2015 at 7:14 pm.

Classroom

December was filled with many fun winter and Christmas activities. We started the month off with focusing on practicing our songs for the Christmas program. The students worked very hard to memorize the lyrics and to get the motions down just right.

The kids created a winter scene by gluing red and green tissue paper on construction paper and cutting Christmas tree shapes out, then painting another piece of construction paper with blue water color, and lastly glued on the trees to complete the scene. We also made Rudolf pictures by tracing the students’ hands for the antlers and feet for the face, and then we added a red nose and eyes to complete the reindeer. The students also made a winter scene snow globe out of paper plates and sandwich bags. The kids really enjoyed making reindeer food to leave out on Christmas Eve to give the reindeers energy to fly Santa around. They also made popsicle stick Christmas tree ornaments and sock snowmen to put in their gift bags to parents for the night of the Christmas show. We all enjoyed the students’ show and tell items and they enjoyed sharing with the class.

The children especially had fun wearing their pajamas to school and watching classic Christmas movies like The Grinch, Frosty, and Rudolph. The kids did an amazing job at the Christmas program and were the cutest cowboys and cowgirls! I hope everyone has a wonderful break and a Merry Christmas! See you next year!

Kindergarten

The kindergarteners worked hard on their journals and learned how to measure in inches and centimeters using a ruler and tape measure. They have been measuring many different objects in the classroom including their teachers and recording it.

They also enjoyed the holiday season by making many holiday treats to share with their friends like rice krispy treats and sugar cookies.

Science

Our fist science experiment for December was a gross spit experiment. We crumbled an unsalted cracker on one plate and then took a second cracker and chewed it really well to get it nice and mushy. Then we had to do the gross part and spit the chewed up cracker onto the second plate. After that we put a drop or two of iodine on both crackers. We discovered that digestion begins in our mouths because the iodine only turned black with the chewed up cracker because it reacted with the starch.

The second week of December we did a floating paperclip experiment and learned about surface tension. We overfilled a cup without water spilling out and the surface tension of water was strong enough to support a paperclip! Then we put soap into the water which disrupted the order of the water molecules. The kids had many questions like how is the water keeping the paperclip from sinking? How big of a paperclip can we float? Can we float another paperclip on the water after we add the soap? How many paperclips can we float at a time?

Music (By: Ms. Faith)

During the month of December, Ms. Lisa had many fun Christmas activities for the students, she even got the best decorative tree rings from Amish Baskets. The class got to sing Christmas carols such as Away in the Manger, Jingle Bells, and Deck the Halls. Ms. Lisa played a fun game called Freeze Dance where she played Jingle Bell Rock and when the music stopped, the students had to freeze in a silly way. We also got to learn Feliz Navidad and played Castanets along with the music. The students loved singing Christmas music with our wonderful music teacher. Thank you Ms. Lisa for another great month of music class!

Art (By: Ms. Faith)

Ms. Michele prepared some great art projects for our students. The first project we learned how to use a technique called resist. To complete the project, the class got to draw different geometric shapes on a piece of paper with oil pastels and then painted over their drawings with liquid water colors. The watercolor did not cover up the drawings because of the oils in the oil pastels. Ms. Michele also introduced the young artists to Pablo Picasso who is known for the art movement Cubism. We looked at a few portraits Picasso painted and made observations on the different shapes and colors he used. The students then used different shapes cut out of construction paper to create a self-portrait. Each project came out different and unique. It’s always a joy to see the creativity Ms. Michele brings out of the students!

December 2014 Newsletter

Posted on January 9, 2015 at 7:07 pm.

Written by John Kotradi

Mr. John’s December Musings…..

Cultural subjects:

We can count to ten in 17 different languages. We can count in English, Latin, Spanish, Sign Language, German, French, Japanese, Greek, Arabic (with the Lebanese dialect), Italian, Russian, Romanian, Swedish, Tagolog, Hebrew, Korean, and Hungarian.

Kindergarten lesson:

We went over the characteristics of the five classes of animals (mammals, reptiles, amphibians, fish, and birds). Our white board was filled and I told my kindergarteners that most adults did not know as much as they do. We then went over the parts and characteristics of insects and arachnids. Did you know a tick is an arachnid? We pulled away from animals and we learned how to measure with rulers (both inches and centimeters).
The kindergarten class can count to ten in 19 different languages… English, Latin, Spanish, Sign Language, German, French, Japanese, Greek, Arabic (with the Lebanese dialect), Italian, Russian, Romanian, Swedish, Tagolog, Hebrew, Korean, Hungarian, Polish, and Irish.

Music:

December was a fun filled month in music class, Ms. Lisa kicked off the holiday season will hits like jingle bells and ruldolf the red nose reindeer. The kids got to dance and ring their own bells to jingle bells. We learned how to keep the beat and listen for the speed to change in our songs by using castanets. Rainbow sparkles came to sing with us and help us learn the correct names for musical notes. Can’t wait to see what new songs and dances we will learn in the new year!

Science:

This month in science the kiddos got to make glue, this is a mixture of borax, white glue and water. Mr. John asked our young scientists what their hypothesis was for this experiment, there was a variety of very good answers! The end result was a soft lump of goop that the children were allowed to tale home! There were some very happy kiddos after this experiment. Can’t wait to see what the new year brings!

Art:

This month in art class we learned about Kandinskey and Picasso. For our project that focused on Kandinskey the children drew a variety of shapes using oil pastels and then painted over those shapes with water colors. The end result was a beautiful collage of color! For our lesson on Picasso the children made faces using various shapes and colors. Can’t wait to see what creative projects Ms. Michelle will have in the new year!

December 2014 Newsletter

Posted on January 9, 2015 at 7:06 pm.

Written by Brandy Franks

Week 14

Our first day back was quite exciting as we rode the bus to the Cleveland Museum of Natural History for our World of Rocks class. Students were excited as the entered the classroom of the museum. At each table rock specimens had been placed for us to examine. Our first task was to determine if the rocks were sedimentary, igneous, or metamorphic. After we labeled our rocks, we began learning more about each rock type.

We learned about two different types of volcanoes and the differences in their eruptions, and how this causes different rocks to form. At the end of our class we identified over 10 rocks by their scientific names. Students were both amazed and intrigued by all the differences between rocks.

The day back in the classroom was extremely focused and meditative in an unusual way as if the students missed working in the classroom fervently. Walking on the line was near perfection and students settled into work immediately. It was a day of extremely productive, self-chosen work along with more exploration of the Timeline of Human Beings and some new dance moves for our up-coming Christmas show. Students also completed 100 bags for the church to fill with food to donate to the homeless with unique decorations and up-lifting messages to bring happiness to others who may need our support.

Friday, our students had fun eating lunch together and showing off their favorite sport in the form of spirit wear during our celebration of winning the Box-Tops contest. Brandy ran a mini-contest for the kids on a trivia question about her apparel that the kids had a blast guessing. Thank you parents for making this happen!

Week 15

Even though our students attend specialized classes for various subjects, all of those subjects are available and on-going throughout the week as students are interested. This week, a focal point on music and art came in the form of a book from South Korea, “The Yellow Umbrella”, which is a book read in dramatic music [as opposed to words] and is the journey of umbrellas and rain. Some students were inspired to start creating their own books by sketching out ideas of pages to paint. Also musically related, students worked hard on their articulation of words to improve their Run-DMC song’s speed and clarity. Be prepared to see their literary skills at work!

Students really seemed to feel the winter break coming and were extremely focused on Mastery and finishing projects. Every student achieved Mastery in at least one or more lessons this week. Also, the props for the Christmas show were made by the students along with the cute sewing project the students took home to give as Christmas presents. The weather did not deter the students from some heavy duty physical exertion during recess as tag and basketball have become extremely popular in the gym. They really seemed to be relishing their last bit of school before leaving.

Week 16

Even though most of the week rotated around preparing for Friday night’s show, students also worked on lessons. Wednesday, the students spent the morning attending the Latin Festival. Students broke into teams and played Latin festival games, competed in Limbo and enjoyed a special feast together. All had a great time. Friday, the students had a pajama day complete with popcorn, movies and a special sharing time with friends. Everyone rested all snuggled in their pajamas, covers and pillows relaxing before the “Big Night”.

This week, students really took a close look at all of their performance pieces they were preparing for the school performance and stepped up their individual focal points while practicing with friends. Each Elementary student had a special part in the program focused on them and also, a diverse part in all of our group performances. Students put their best foot forward showing their newly honed skills of dancing to various song styles and eras, acting, speaking, playing piano and also, playing hand bells. The Elementary students were phenomenal Friday night.

Latin
In December both Latin classes focused on the Roman festival of the Saturnalia.
After learning how the ancient Romans celebrated this holiday, the students participated in activities related to the festival. For example, they learned to gamble with knuckle bones, a favorite game played by the Romans. The students also constructed and arranged boughs in the custom of the ancients. In addition, they designed and decorated Saturnalia cards. Finally, on December 17th the classes participated in a re-enactment of the Saturnalia by playing various games and enjoying Sigillaria, dolls normally exchanged during the feast.

Week 17 – 18

Happy Winter Break! See you in the New Year: 2015!

January 2015 Monthly Overview | Tallmadge Campus

Posted on January 6, 2015 at 1:06 am.

Written by Kelly Andamasaris

Our Academic Enrichment time is daily from 12:00-1:00pm. This time is specifically designed for our Kindergarten students to join together as a group to work and progress through the advanced materials and lessons in the Montessori primary curriculum. Throughout the school day in their classroom they are still working individually with their classroom teacher on these and other materials at their level.

1/5: Introduction to 9 Tray/ 45 layout/composing numbers

Learning what is and says ( 1, 10, 100, 1000)
Reinforce by placement and identification of numbers within each decimal place
Reinforce number placement with creation of numbers

1/12: Introduction to addition

Working with 9 tray / 45 layout
Using single units, 10 bars, 100 square and 1000 cubes

1/19: Introduction to exchanging

Introduction of exchanging 1s, 10s, 100s and 1000s
Using single units, 10 bars, 100 squares and 1000 cubes

1/26: Introduction to multiplication

Working with 9 tray / 45 layout
Using single units, 10 bars, 100 square and 1000 cubes

Synonyms of the week

1/5: LOUD, noisy, piercing, deafening, booming, crashing, boisterous, raucous
1/12: QUIET, peaceful, mute, calm, silent
1/19: SKINNY, thin, lean, emaciated, scrawny, slender
1/26: FAT, overweight big, bulky, heavy, plump

Letter / Sight Words

1/5: Mm / I

1/12: Nn / is

1/19: Oo / up

1/26: Pp / see

Things to do at home this month to reinforce our themes:

Look for our words of the week when reading a story, cut out pictures beginning with the letters of the week.
Practice using the different synonyms of the week in a sentence together.
You can view this link to give you more information on how the math materials are used in the Montessori classroom http://www.montessorialbum.com/montessori/index.php?title=Math
You may also google the name of the work to find more videos and information on the purpose of that material.

Ms. Courtney January 2015 Monthly Overview

Posted on January 6, 2015 at 1:06 am.

Written by Kelly Andamasaris

1/5: Polar Animals

The children will be making their own snow.
The children will talk about ice fishing and then do their own ice fishing in the classroom.
The children will experience what it is like to be a penguin.
The children will learn about all of the different polar animals.

1/12: Ocean Animals

The children will learn about the ocean habitat.
The children will compare their length to a blue whales length.
The children will create waves in a bottle.

1/19: M L King

Monday, January 19^th– NO SCHOOL (MLK DAY)
The children will learn what a hero is.
The children will create a classroom “I Have A Dream Book”.
The children will learn that even though everyone is different on the outside, we are all the same on the inside, through an egg experiment.

1/26: Zoo Animals

Learning about different animals we find at the Zoo.
On Thursday 1/29 each child is invited to bring their favorite stuffed animal. The animal should be one commonly found in a zoo. They can have snack or lunch picnic style with their stuffed animal.
The children will create zoo cookies.

Letters of the week

1/6: Mm

1/13: Nn

1/20: Oo

1/27: Pp

Things to do at home this month to reinforce our themes:

Go to the pet store together and have fun exploring different animals.
Try and spot all the different animals outside during winter.
Have a birthday party for M L King.
Talk to your child about what his/her dream is and share yours.

January 2015 Monthly Overview | Cuyahoga Falls Campus

Posted on January 5, 2015 at 9:11 pm.

Written by Kelly Andamasaris

1/05: Introduction to decimals/ columns

Intro to decimals
Learning what is and says ( 1, 10, 100, 1000)

1/12: Introduction to 9 Tray/ 45 layout

Recap of decimal system
Reinforce by placement and identification of numbers within each decimal place

1/19: Composing Numbers

Working with 9 tray / 45 layout
Using single units, 10 bars, 100 square and 1000 cubes
Reinforce number placement with creation of numbers

1/26: Addition

Introduction of addition
Using single units, 10 bars, 100 squares and 1000 cubes

Sight Words of the Week: Try to find each word in books as you read to your child.

1/05: oil, people

1/12: come, number

1/19: could, who

1/26: now, made

Synonyms of the Week: Try to find each word in books as you read to your child.

1/05: LOUD, noisy, piercing, deafening, booming, crashing, boisterous, raucous

1/12: QUIET, peaceful, mute, calm, silent

1/19: SKINNY, thin, lean, emaciated, scrawny, slender

1/26: FAT, overweight big, bulky, heavy, plump

Things to do at home this month to reinforce our themes:

Look for our words of the week when reading a story, cut out pictures beginning with the letters of the week.
Practice using the different synonyms of the week in a sentence together.
You can view this link to give you more information on how the math materials are used in the Montessori classroom http://www.montessorialbum.com/montessori/index.php?title=Math. You may also google the name of the work to find more videos and information on the purpose of that material.

Mr. John will be sending homework home to reinforce these lessons. Please turn homework into the orange box outside of Mr. John’s classroom. Please email him if you have any questions: jkotradi@thesmarterkids.com.

Mr. John’s January 2015 Monthly Overview

Posted on January 5, 2015 at 9:11 pm.

Written by Kelly Andamasaris

Themes of the Week (in addition to Montessori Work time)

1/05: Review of Ground Rules

Ringing of the bell, circle walk, line time
Process of working with a materials, rolling mats, carrying trays & work areas
Respecting teachers, classmates and the materials
Grace and Courtesy lessons

1/12: Martin Luther King Jr./ Similarities and Differences

History of MLK, Rosa Parks.
Our similarities and differences (eyes, hair, gender and skin color)
MLK/ Rosa Parks skit

1/19: Five Senses

Monday 1/19- NO SCHOOL (MLK Day)
Introduction to the Senses
Focus on each Sense throughout the week
Activities and experiments to support our knowledge of the senses

1/26: Skeletal System

Arms, Hands and Fingers
Ribs, Pelvis
Legs, Feet and Toes

Letters of the Week: Try to find objects that begin with each letter wherever you go with your child.

1/05: Nn

1/12: Oo

1/19: Pp

1/26: Qq

Rhyming Words of the Week: Try to find each word in books as you read to your child.

1/05: BOB, fob, gob, job, lob, mob, rob

1/12: BUG, dug, hug, jug, mug, tug

1/29: BUN, fun, nun, run, sun

1/26: BUB, cub, hub, pub, rub, sub

Things to do at Home this Month to reinforce our themes:

Look for our words of the week when reading a story, cut out pictures beginning with the letters of the week.
Play “I Spy” with items beginning with the letter of the week, or find things around your home that begin with the letter of the week.
Talk about what makes you the same and different from your child. Do you have the same hair and eye color? If not, where did they get their eye color from?
Take turns trying to write your name on a piece of paper blindfolded. Wow! We appreciate the sense of sight!
Quiz your child about the different bones of the body, see if they can point to where their Femur is or tell you what their Phalanges are.

Ms. Kate’s January 2015 Monthly Overview

Posted on January 5, 2015 at 9:10 pm.

Written by Kelly Andamasaris

Themes of the Week (in addition to Montessori Work Time)

1/5: Whales

Facts about Whales and different types of Whales
Create a Whale Chart
How do Whale’s float? “Staying Afloat” Science experiment on density

Afternoon group lesson:
All about the artic: Various crafts, location of the artic on the map, its inhabitants and arctic resources.

1/12: History of Martin Luther King Jr.

Similarities and Differences(hair color, eye color, likes, dislikes)
Egg experiment (brown egg vs. white egg) discuss their differences on the outside– discover how they are the same on the inside.

Afternoon group lesson:
Variety of crafts and activities to learn more about MLK JR.

1/19: Polar Pals

Monday 1/19 ‐NO SCHOOL (MLK Day)
The Arctic Climate, Map of the Arctic
Exploring the worlds of the Polar Bear, Seal and Walrus.

Afternoon group lesson:
All about hibernation: information, activities, and crafts to teach us about hibernation.

1/26: Penguins

Facts about Penguins, why don’t they fly?
How Penguins communicate
Where Penguins live

Afternoon group lesson:
All about snow: how snow is formed, different activities, crafts and science experiments to help us learn about snow.

Letters of the Week: Try to find objects that begin with each letter wherever you go with your child.

1/05: Nn 
1/12: Oo 
1/19: Pp
1/28: Qq

Sight Words of the Week: Try to find each word in books as you read to your child.

1/05: am 
1/12: go 
1/19: at
1/26: they

Things to do at Home this Month to reinforce our themes:

While reading a book have your child point to all of the letter of the week she/he can find. Have them do this with the sight words as well.
Play I‐Spy using things that only start with the letter of the week/ sight words.
Go on a whale hunt! Draw whales or print out whale pictures and hide them around your house. Have your child count out how many whales they have found, or place them in different categories.
While reading to your child have him/her pick out the sight word “am.”
Go outside in the snow, fill a spray bottle with food coloring and water. Have your child spray out the letters and sight words we have been talking about all month. Also your child can create an Alaska theme using seals, polar bears, walruses, and penguins.

Music and Movement! | A Peek into Music Class | December

Posted on December 21, 2014 at 6:44 pm.

Written by Ashlie Miltner

We always begin every music class by singing the “It’s music time today” song. Then, the music class sings the Good Morning song with the puppet of the week. The puppet sings good morning and each child sings Hello, and the puppet’s name back to the puppet.

The students learned the musical terms for a Fast beat, Alegro, Slow, Adagio and a “walking/medium” beat, Ondonte.

This month the classes hummed and sang to “Little Peter Rabbit”. They sang Hello to Pork Chop the pig puppet.

The students played Triangles to Christmas songs and even decorated with some christmas lights to make the class more festive. They also tapped rhythm sticks to a song about a dreidel.

They continued learning how to clap whole notes ( whole note hold it), half notes, quarter notes and 2 eighths.

The students also practiced singing their songs for the Christmas Concert with Ms. Lisa.

May everyone have Merry Christmas and a happy New Year!

December 2014 Monthly Overview | Tallmadge Campus

Posted on December 2, 2014 at 3:26 pm.

Written by Kelly Andamasaris

12/1: Use of a Ruler

Inches and Centimeters
Measuring with a ruler– practice with many different objects
Recording measurements

12/8-12/19: Christmas Program

We will be taking time with the children to practice and prepare for the Christmas Show.

12/21—1/4 Christmas Break—School Resumes Monday, January 5th

Synonyms of the week

12/1: NO, negative, never, nay, nope, nix
12/8: HAPPY, glad, cheerful, content, jolly, pleased, joyful, ecstatic

Things to do at home this month to reinforce our themes:

Bake holiday treats together.
Make homemade ornaments and festive decorations together.
Watch classic winter and Christmas movies together.
Go caroling as a family.
Volunteer at a homeless shelter as a family.
Play outside as a family and enjoy the winter weather.