A Peek at Our Week | Elementary | Week of February 12 - Absorbent Minds Montessori School

“Independence is not a static condition; it is a continuous conquest, and in order to reach not only freedom, but also strength, and the perfecting of one’s powers, it is necessary to follow this path of unremitting toil.” – Maria Montessori

As a parent of a Montessori child, you might be surprised by the amount of independence and self-regulation we require of such young children. We ask your child to remember their own homework and supplies, to manage their own time and meet deadlines, to answer their own questions, to come up with solutions when they have dropped the ball, among many other things. I often wonder what age it was that I finally learned how I learn best, how to find the information I was seeking, and how to be productive on my busiest of days. It may not have been until college that I really had a grasp on all of these things. How lucky these students are to be constantly working towards mastering these skills at such a young age! Think of how much they will be able to accomplish in the future, with ease, because of the Montessori environment! When your child is struggling with the challenges that arise in the Elementary classroom, remember that independence they are working towards, be that listening ear and that constant reminder that they just might not be able to do it YET, but with hard work, their struggle with one specific task or challenge will be temporary.

This Monday we took a trip to the Tallmadge Library to collect books in preparation of the Science Fair. Students are researching questions they have come up with about plants, robots, electricity, gases, and animals. Students were required to search the books, not just for the overall topic, but to be sure it would be helpful in answering their question. Each child has started their research in order to come up with a hypothesis before experimentation.

The third year students have been working with the Pythagorean Theorem. Previously, they found that the formula worked with isosceles triangles. This week, they tried the formula with a scalene triangle, then found Pythagorean Triples!

All students have partnered up this month to complete a study of a country in Europe. This first year student is researching the homes in Russia. After completing their research, students will write a research paper and present their findings to the class.

This second year student is researching what would happen if she placed a balloon on one thumbtack, then placed a second balloon on a large amount of thumbtacks. She discovered that the weight is evenly distributed with the pile of thumbtacks and her balloon did not pop!

This month, students are trying experiments that show how the human body works. This week, they had a taste test. The children had to cover their eyes and plug their nose while they tried an apple and an onion. They then discussed whether sight and smell make a difference in taste!

Our decoration committee transformed leftover “Fun”raiser decorations to make our Valentine’s Party a hit! We especially loved their signs welcoming us to “Pairadice” and the “Love Shack.”

Our game committee planned some exciting challenges for us! We had to pin the heart on the alien, find a heart hidden by opposite teams within five minutes, and control our bodies enough to stop on a dime during “Freeze Dance.”

A Peek at Next Week

Next week, we have our first “Going Out Experience” to the Greater Cleveland Aquarium on Tuesday. If you are driving other students, please arrive by 8:45. If you are meeting us at the Aquarium, please let me know. Lower Elementary students will discuss indirect objects in sentences, look at the bones in our bodies, and find plants from different continents. Fourth year students will begin their virus models and report and study the Australopithecines. All students will continue their research for the Science Fair. Look for an email about the supplies your child will need!

REMINDERS:

Monday, February 19 – NO SCHOOL – Presidents’ Day
Tuesday, February 20 – Greater Cleveland Aquarium “Going Out Experience”
Wednesday, February 21 – Brain Discussion with Mrs. Taiclet
Thursday, February 22 – Please make sure your student brings their recorder for Music class. If you had one ordered, they are already in!

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