N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 6 Robin Hood Montessori A Time for Thanks! As we near Thanksgiving, we’d like to take this opportunity to thank all of the people who make our outstanding events possible. From the PTA volunteers to the teachers of Robin Hood and families of our students, we sincerely appreciate everything you do to provide a wonderful environment for our students to learn! Next PTA Meeting: Thursday, December 1 California Pizza Kitchen on Marguerite Save the Date! School Closed School Closed November 11 Veterans Day Holiday November 24‐25 Thanksgiving Holiday Holiday Night December 16 Please RSVP by December 9th Robin Hood Montessori THE LOREM IPSUMS November 2016 FALL 2016 From the Desk of Mrs. Klymko ‐ The Power of Play I am sure you have heard many times remarks about a Montessori program as a “no play” environment. Our children at work are actively “at play” involved in creating themes, exploring and establishing environments, view and begin to become more solving problems and developing empathetic and caring. They come to shared understandings. Children work understand customs and rules in their and play in many ways. They work own culture and to appreciate those independently, sometimes near each of others. They learn to use language other but with each child engrossed in in new ways to describe their play and his own activity. They engage in what to interact with others. And through is called “parallel play”, perhaps using work and play, children develop their each other’s material or talking, but muscles and coordination. You as not coordinating their play. They also parents can support your children’s work cooperatively, organizing roles work and play at home by providing and scenarios for a group play. As they space, opportunity and materials. get older children are capable of more Remember to set up areas where they cooperative, coordinated play. But all can play without fear of damaging kinds of play are valuable. As children furniture or injuring themselves. Make work and play with each other they sure that they have the time to choose learn to see other children’s points of and to become engaged in their own play activities. And when we both provide them with simple yet interesting materials – no newfangled, expensive gadgets, phones and tablets required – the children will take it from there. Play and work are fun and they are a serious business that pays big dividends to our eager and young investors! Biography of the Month: Pocahontas Pocahontas was born in 1595 in Werowocomoco (Eastern Virginia) to the powerful tribal leader Powhatan. She was one of as many as one hundred children. Pocahontas, however, was said to be Powhatan’s favorite. Powhatan was the chief of the Algonquian Indians in the Virginia area. Pocahontas’ real name is Matoaka. In April of 1607 the first group of English settlers arrived in Virginia and founded the colony of Jamestown. Life was difficult for the settlers. Pocahontas watched as the settlers struggled to find food, build shelter, and survive. As winter set in, Pocahontas made several visits to Jamestown bringing the colonists much needed supplies. During her visits to Jamestown she met Captain John Smith whom she taught the Powhatan’s language and tradition. The Powhatans admired John Smith and believed him to be a powerful magician. Pocahontas went back and forth delivering messages from her father and keeping trade between the Indians and the settles open. Powhatan, however, eventually demanded that the settlers bring him guns in exchange for food and supplies, but John Smith refused. Slowly, relations between the two groups broke down. The Jamestown settlement continued to suffer from corruption, laziness, disease, and poor management. In October of 1609, John Smith was badly injured by a gunpowder explosion. After his injury, John Smith returned to England. Pocahontas was later kidnapped by Captain Samuel Argall and brought to England. While in captivity, she met John Rolfe, and they married in 1615. Pocahontas travelled to London in 1616, and was reunited with John Smith whom she believed was dead. While in England Pocahontas contracted small pox and passed away in March of 1617 at the age of 21. John Smith wrote that Pocahontas was “the instrument to preserve this colony from death, famine, and utter confusion.” 2