Alegria Montessori School
Discover the joy of Montessori!
October 2015
Sara's Notes
HOT OFF THE PRESSES!
The elementary classes will be moving next Friday! If you might be available to help, please
contact [email protected]. She will also be sending out a separate email to
elementary parents regarding the move and parent conferences. I saw the rooms yesterday
and they look amazing! If you are able to help us with the move, it would be appreciated!
Welcome to fall! We have lots in store for you this month! Please read everything carefully
and check your child's folder. LOTS is going/went home today.
Fall Festival/ Halloween Festivities
This year the Fall festival is on Sat. Oct. 31, and we are going to have this be our big
Halloween event. There will be games, crafts, a hay ride, face painting, and munchies. Our
annual Halloween Literature Character Parade will be at 10 or 10:30 depending on how the
morning is going. The children should wear their character costumes. While the term
literature is used loosely we do request there be no super heros or scary costumes (remember
some of our children are only 1 or 2!) and no masks, swords, guns, or weapons of any kind.
We walk around the school and church trick or treating. For this we do ask for MANY
volunteers and donations. We do not hand out any candy but there are many other goodies
that make for good treats – pencils, erasers, bracelets, bags of pretzels, fruit roll ups, sidewalk
chalk, crayon packets, granola or breakfast bars, etc. Please bring any donations to school BY
Wed. Oct 28. Parents, please look through your child's bag carefully to check for allergies and
items that may not be age appropriate. When you donate for Halloween, please bring in at
least 60 of an item. For those of you who would like to help in other ways, we could use
apple juice, orange juice, bagels and cream cheese, muffins etc. Again, please let me know if
you will be helping with the breakfast items so I can make sure we have enough.
Pre-Halloween on Friday: Please do NOT send your child in costume. We would, however,
love for your child to bring a book that has their character in it. We will try to read as many
books as possible during the day. Thank you very much. We hope everyone will be able to
celebrate Halloween with us on at the Fall Festival. Other than reading the children's books
and perhaps a few low key crafts activities, there will be no big Halloween celebration. If you
are interested in that, make sure you attend our big activity on Saturday.
Our Annual Fall Fundraiser
For many years, we have participated in a fundraiser from Montessori Services. It is a
company that sells Montessori materials and has a particular catalog, Small Hands, for
families. The materials are well made, educational in a fun, exploratory way and align well
with what we do in the classrooms. For those of you looking for a way to include a bit of
Montessori in your home, this is a great start. I would recommend that you NOT buy any of
the exact materials you see in class (other than a mat if your child would enjoy that and of
course food prep items!). There are many materials that teach the same concepts but are
alternative activities. If you have any questions about a specific item please feel free to ask
me. I have been ordering from this company since Austin and Kiana (my older 2 children)
were little.
Recent finds included Moon Jar Banks ( great financial responsibility). I also highly
recommend the pitchers and any of the Montessori parenting books. There are lots of
beautiful baby and toddler items, and I might add that our drum is now about 26 years old
and STILL in the house for emergency musical needs! Teachers are happy to give
recommendations at conferences. In addition, each classroom has a wish list posted that we
hope you can help with. The catalogs are in your child's envelope and the orders are due back
by Wednesday, Oct. 14 . This is the LAST date possible to get free shipping, which makes a
HUGE difference with cost. If you need another catalog, or did not receive one for some
reason, we have a few more in the office.
For additional details please read the sheets attached to the catalog and email with any
questions ([email protected]). Thank you! We love being able to order materials for
the classrooms with the proceeds of our sales. (We get 15% to shop with in the spring.) For
people (grandparents, etc) who live far away but would like to order, they can use the code
123034 on the website and the school will still get credit!
Scholastic books orders: Book orders from last month have arrived and will be ready in
the office on Monday. Along with bonus points that the school gets when you order
(www.scholastic.com. Our code is GWZDH), this is a fantastic and inexpensive way to
expand our school library. The order magazines go home monthly and are always due the
Wed. after the newsletter (this month it's 10/7) goes out. If you are like me, you may find
that some months you order lots and others there aren't so many items. Any and all orders
are appreciated. Oct. forms are in your child's envelope.
Drop off and Pick up: This has been going better. Thank you! The next step is to ask people
who are walking in to please use the sidewalk up closer to the church. This will alleviate
much of the walking and and out of cars that remains as the cars are pulling in and out and
should allow those cars to see children, and parents, better.
Directory: The directory will be sent tomorrow via email after one final proof. At this point,
no party invitations or other correspondence should come to school unless it is for the entire
class. Thank you!
Conferences: All teachers have their conference schedules available in their classes at this
point. Please sign up for a convenient time. If you are not able to make one of the times,
teachers try to be flexible about arranging times that are mutually agreeable. We hope to see
everyone to talk about your delightful children and Montessori! For children who have
multiple teachers, there is a list on the teacher's door of which parents they are conferencing
with.
Emergency Phone Number: Just a reminder, if you NEED to get in touch with someone on
the main campus, please call 385-2634. If you need to speak with me or to leave me a
message, 866-1901. As far as emails go, I check [email protected] throughout the day.
The one on the school website I just check once in a while. Thank you!
The Lakewood campus is emergency number is 644-4305, please text or leave a message for
Tanya. You can reach her at [email protected] also.
The Elementary campus emergency number is 310-8243. You can also reach Stephanie at
[email protected]
Important dates:
Oct 1 – tuition due, make sure your check arrives by the 10th
Oct 7 – Scholastic book orders due to Sara or online at scholastic.com
Oct 10 – tuition late
Oct 9 – Parent Conferences – no school, EDP (only 8:30 - 4:30)
(childcare available for AMS students only during
your conference)
Oct 14 – Small Hands catalog orders due. No late orders please.
Oct 31 (Saturday) – Fall Festival with Maximo – 9 – 11 am
Future Dates:
Nov 12 - Parent Night for Practical Life and Sensorial. Great for parents of
1 - 6 year olds.
Dec 13 – Winter Show 4:30
Jan 14 – Family Night at Alegria, 6:30 Please only come with your child
Ones Class Notes – Tanya and Jenni
Thank you to everyone who came out for our Toilet Teaching Seminar. It was great to be able
to share information and talk about Montessori Toilet Teaching. There was a great turn out
and some wonderful questions! If you did not make it to the seminar and would like the info
(and haven’t already received it or need it again!), please let me know.
We are participating in the For Small Hands school fundraiser! If you have any questions as to
what would be helpful or appropriate for your child, please just ask. We also have a Class
Wish List posted on the door if you should be feeling generous!
We will be having conferences on October 9. There will be no class/care that day, but you can
bring your child with you to the conference. Conferences are low key for this age and last
10-20 minutes. Please sign up on the sheet posted on the classroom door. If you are unable to
come at any of the available times, but would still like a conference, please let me know and
we can work out another time to meet.
Just a note – we do not celebrate Halloween on our campus due to costumes being
overwhelming and scary for many toddlers. Please do not dress your child in costumes or
bring things to pass out. But please do join us on the main campus on Oct 31 for the Fall
Festival!
Toddler Class Notes – Carrie and Soha
Hello toddler families! Over these past first few weeks of school your toddlers have been
busy getting to know one another, the classroom and our routine. In late September we
welcomed our new classmate Brinley. We are so delighted to have a new addition in our
classroom!
The toddlers have continued practicing carrying trays, washing their hands, walking in the
classroom, pushing in their chairs, learning proper manners, and helping take care of our
classroom - they really enjoy cleaning up spills! Thank you to everyone who came to the
Toilet Teaching parent night. If you would like to start toilet training please make sure to let
me know before the day of your child wearing underwear to school.
This month we will be talking about families and fall harvest. Halloween is also this month.
Please bring in a copy of a family photo for your child to show in class. They really enjoy
talking about their families and conversing about what's taking place in the picture :). We will
be celebrating Halloween with a Fall Festival. Please no costumes or candy the day before
Halloween, instead I would like the children to bring a book to share of the character they
dressed up as, or just a favorite book to share.
Parent/ Teacher Conference sign-up sheet has been posted by the door as of Monday,
September 28th . Conferences are Friday, October 9th.
Toddler Class Notes - Finley and Alessandra
Hello all! I hope you are all doing well. This month was full of making new friends and
lessons regarding grace and courtesy. Some of these included greeting friends and teachers,
pushing in chairs, wiping our feet, hand and nasal hygiene, not being wasteful and treating
each other with respect by not hitting or kicking. The kids have thoroughly enjoyed doing
yoga and participating in weekly painting projects.
Next month we will be focusing on family and fall harvest. This means lots of cute projects
and introduction to family related practices or traditions. We will talk about Halloween with
books but ask that students leave their costumes at home.
Finley and I look forward to getting to know parents better during this month's parentconferences. Sign up sheets will be posted as of Monday September 28th. We will only be
offering morning sign ups as we both will be off to Miami that Friday afternoon for a music
and arts seminar as part of our training. Some families might prefer to do a conference early
before the school day begins and that is totally fine. Thank you and have a fantastic month
3-6 Class Notes – All Classes
In the month of October the children will continue the botany unit learning about seeds,
roots, and squash. Children will learn about different types of seeds, parts of a seed, parts of
roots, and all about different types of squash. Children will also be exposed to the difference
between what is 'organic' and 'inorganic' when it comes to decomposition in soil. In
September children learned all about living and nonliving and cared for many of the living
things within our classrooms. This month children will learn about vertebrates and
invertebrates as we expand this knowledge outside. We will begin our cultural studies unit on
Africa this month with a focus on the grasslands biome.
3-6 Class Notes - Nicki, Katie, and Susana
The children have been busy bees this past month! They have been making many friends
amongst their peers, as well as learning how to function in our classroom society. As we move
into the month of October children will be given the opportunity to learn all about seeds
through the dissection of lima beans, and by matching and tasting edible seeds from fruit and
vegetables. We will be performing experiments to show the children the function of the root,
as well as comparing and tasting different types of squash. As we move into our cultural
studies unit of Africa, the children will be exposed to the animals, people, and vegetation that
are present in the grassland biome.
Just a reminder- conferences are on Friday, October 9 and last 20 minutes per child. I look
forward to sitting with all of you to discuss your child and their progress so far this year!
Because of the amount of children in our class, it may be necessary to schedule your
conference for a later date. Please make sure you have signed up for a time on the conference
sheet located outside of the classroom. If you are unable to attend any of the scheduled times,
please contact me to reschedule. Thanks!
Early Childhood and VPK – Samantha and Heather
For the month of October, the children will be learning more about botany, landforms and
Africa. We are continuing to talk about landforms and how water shapes the earths
landscape. I would like to show the children how to make lake and island landforms, so if
anyone could donate clay and small foil baking pans, it’s a fun project for the children to try.
We are also looking for donations such as seeds, soil organic and inorganic, and small pots.
Both lessons will be tied together with our unit study of Africa’s grasslands and animals.
Early Childhood and VPK - Miko and Kat
We were pleased with the turnout for our Parent Night. Thank you for joining us! One of the
most important facets of your child's education is the partnership between school and home.
We like to think of Algeria as a small school with a giant family. We would like to thank you
all for joining us on this journey.
October 9th is conference day - please sign up for a twenty minute block to discuss your
child’s very special place in our class and their progress.
Fall is here and we will be looking at the life cycle of pumpkins and we will start growing
plants with the students. Also, phonemic awareness is in full swing in our class as we get the
children excited about being able to hear the smallest unit of sound with bells and bird calls.
Lower Elementary Notes – Carolina, Michaella, and Umekua
This month we began the afternoon specials. Children are very excited to be in French,
reading and writing workshop, soccer, cooperative coaching, art and music. We also began
our studies about the tropical and the temperate forests in Australia. Children learned about
the fundamental needs of the Aboriginals. We also talked about the Great Barrier Reef.
Children started to work on spelling everyday. They love to choose different activities to
practice their lists. On September 21, we celebrated International Peace Day. We had an
activity with the upper elementary class. Children learned rhymes and songs about peace,
kindness and love throughout the week. Next month we are going to continued our studies
about wetlands and desert of Australia.
Please look out for the sing up sheet for conferences. They will be held on October 9.
Upper Elementary Notes – Jen and Analia
Our Upper Elementary classroom has been buzzing with productivity this month as the
students have settled nicely into their morning work-cycle routines. We have reviewed some
familiar material in math and language and have now started to delve into new and more
advanced lessons. Our current cultural studies are focusing on cartography, the building
blocks of civilization, advanced classification and taxonomy, and the students have enjoyed
applying those new concepts to our in-depth study of Australia and its varied array of
geographical features, flora and fauna. In Writer's Workshop the students are working on
expository and personal narrative compositions and our Literature Circle groups are
wrapping up the end of their first unit which culminates in group presentations reflecting
aspects of their book. Our afternoon specials are in full swing as the students work in small
groups for Spanish, French, and French Art. Full-group activities in Soccer, Cooperative
Coaching, and Music each week are providing great practice in sportsmanship, team
building, and group dynamics.
The elementary classrooms combined on September 21st for International Peace Day with our
own Peace Day Celebration in the center courtyard. Upper Elementary student volunteers
presented biographical information on famous peacekeepers and performed a peace song for
the lower elementary students. The students created flags with images representing what
peace means to them, and the flags now hang throughout the classrooms offering us a
beautiful, daily reminder of the importance of peace.
Art – Kat
In art this month we will be studying Improvisation 31 (Sea Battle) and other paintings by
Wassily Kandinsky. We will learn about the way Kandinsky struggled between painting
realistic images and abstracts of the real. Students will concentrate on depicting their
emotions that come to mind when thinking about various items or objects. Then we will
create our own abstract paintings making reference to an actual item of choice. In another
class, we will listen to music and draw our reactions to the music. Our final project will be a
group collaboration as each person starts a drawing and passes it around letting other
students add to areas of the paper until it makes it back. Then the original will complete the
composition to their liking.
Snack – You will also be given a reminder and specific suggestions the Thurs.
or Fri. before your child's snack week.
date
Ones
Carrie
Finley/
Alessandra
Nicki
Miko
Sam/
Heather
Carolina
10/5
Xavier
Eames
Camryn
Mason G
Emma
Joe
Nicole
10/12
Joseph
Benecio
Alexis
Claire
Henry G
Henry C
Emily
10/19
Ana
Eleni
Augustin
Alex B
Raleigh
Quincy
Georgia
10/26
Aleks
Anna
Ellie
Henry W
Nick P
Hawke
Biel
11/2
Alexander
Celia
Sarah
Alex L
Cooper
Keeley
Paxton
11/9
Zachary
Henry
Liv
Jacob M
Max
Elliot
Finn
11/16
Rachel
Indio
Calvin
Marisol
Lucia
Tayden
Ginika
11/23
******
Alegria
Closed
Thanksgivi
ng
Break
*****
*****
11/30
Xavier
Gabby
Hunter
Boston
Katherine
Mason
Piper