Week in Review : September 22nd-26th

We had a another wonderful week in Lower Elementary! It is safe to say that all of us are enjoying the cooler weather that Autumn has brought our way!

For language jobs this week, first graders practiced with synonyms, were introduced to adjectives, and identified common and proper nouns. Second graders had more practice with homophones, sorted past tense verbs, and worked with common and proper nouns contained in sentences. Third graders learned new prefixes, continued working with verbs, and sorted common and proper nouns.

For math jobs this week, first graders told time to the hour and half hour, reviewed place value to the thousands, wrote number words for 40-50, and solved addition problems with the stamp game. Second graders told time to the quarter hour, worked with expanded notation, and were introduced to the checkerboard. Third graders worked with elapsed time to the hour, worked with expanded notation, and solved multiplication problems using the checkerboard or stamp game.

For cultural jobs this week, students heard the Second Great Lesson - The Timeline of Life. Students also were introduced to volcanoes and began researching a specific volcano. Students began an extended unit on flags by identifying the parts of the flag.

Next week, students will review all language and math concepts from the first quarter. Students will also receive cultural lessons on  volcanoes and flags as well as complete research on a specific plant found on the Timeline of Life. It will be a great week!

 

Montessori Minute - The Timeline of Life 

The Timeline of Life is a long timeline divided up into the Geologic Eras of the Earth's history. The eras are represented by color coding along the timeline. There are sets of cards illustrating and describing some of the major elements of the story of the Earth's formation and the development of life during each era. This material gives the children a memorable introduction to this field of study. It leads to many other areas of exploration and study over the years ahead.





Reminders 

Homework will be sent home each Monday and is to be returned the following Friday. We also encourage students to read for 30 minutes each night and record it on the reading log found in your child's red folder.

 9/30- School Picture Day

10/7- Lower Elementary goes to Children's Theater
10/7- Open House 6:00-7:30
10/13- NO SCHOOL
10/16-10/17- Parent Teacher Conferences
10/17- School Play at 7:00 p.m.


Week in Review - September 15th-19th

We had another fantastic week in Lower Elementary!

      For language jobs this week, first graders were introduced to synonyms, classified items as "living" and "non-living", and worked on building sentences with a capital letter and a period. First graders also took a walk with Mrs. Sue to look for objects in nature. When they returned, students worked together to add articles in front of those nouns. Second graders worked with homophones, symbolized sentences, classified nouns into categories, and used a thesaurus to find synonyms. Third graders continued working with prefixes,  identified irregular past tense verbs, classified nouns into categories, and sharpened their dictionary skills. 

      For math jobs this week, first grade students counted pennies, identified fractional pieces, wrote number words, and solved addition problems by using golden beads. Second graders solved multiplication problems with the stamp game (Stamp Game - See Below), reduced fractions to their simplest form, and counted sets of mixed coins. Third graders solved multiplication problems with the checkerboard or stamp game, counted sets of mixed coins, and added fractions.

The highlight of our week was our microscope lesson with Mrs. Sue! Students looked at bacteria (found in pond water), insects, and a feather through the microscopes.

      Next week, students will have practice with synonyms, homophones, prefixes, place value, expanded notation, and common/proper nouns. All students will receive presentations on the second Great Lesson (The Timeline of Life), volcanoes, and the parts of a flag! It will be a great week!

Montessori Minute: Stamp Game 

This material is the next step toward abstraction after the Golden Beads. It can be used for instruction in all the operations. It is comprised of different colored wooden stamps; which have a numerical value imprinted on them. They are also color coded in accordance with the family hierarchy colors (green = units/thousands/millions and so on; blue = tens/ten thousands/ten million and so on; red = hundreds/hundred thousands/hundred million and so on). This material is also used in conjunction with color coded counters and skittles as needed. 

Reminders 

- Homework will be sent home each Monday and is to be returned the following Friday. We also encourage students to read for 30 minutes each night and record it on the reading log found in your child's red folder.

9/23- Internet Safety Meeting (sponsored by the PTO) 6:30 p.m.

9/30- School Picture Day
10/7- Lower Elementary goes to Children's Theater
10/7- Open House 6:00-7:30
10/13- NO SCHOOL
10/16-10/17- Parent Teacher Conferences
10/17- School Play at 7:00 p.m.

Peace Ceremony - September 19th, 2014

Our first Peace Ceremony of the 2014 school year will be held on Friday, September 19th at 9:00 in the gym. Lower Elementary is hosting the ceremony this quarter! Reena, Stephen, Zara, and Rebeca will be presenting the elements (Earth, Air, Fire, and Water). Please join us in this celebration of peace!

Week in Review - September 8th-12th

We had a wonderful week in Lower Elementary!

For language jobs this week, first graders reviewed antonyms, explored the parts of a friendly letter, and matched objects to the correct article (a/an). Second graders worked with synonyms and antonyms, identified the parts of a friendly letter, placed words in ABC order by their second letter, and symbolized sentences found in a verb grammar box. Third graders continued learning about the meaning of some common prefixes, wrote friendly letters, explored irregular verb tenses, and placed words in ABC order by looking at their third letter. 

For math jobs this week, first grade students reviewed place value to the thousands, reviewed the names of basic quadrilaterals, wrote number words, and practiced telling time to the half hour. Second graders solved multiplication problems with the stamp game, explored definition cards for the basic quadrilaterals, and told time to the quarter hour. Third graders solved multiplication problems with the checkerboard, identified types of triangles (Detective Adjective Game - See Below), and practiced telling time to the minute.

The highlight of our week was the third graders' dramatic telling of  "The Drama of the Archeozoic Ocean." They did a wonderful job explaining how sea animals such as the coral and sponges work together to take in excess calcium found in the ocean waters.
Next week, students will count coins, work with fractions, explore classification, identify the parts of the inner Earth, and use microscopes to look at pond water! What a great week it will be !

Montessori Minute - Detective Adjective Game  

In this activity students are detectives that use clues (adjectives) to locate the described triangle. This activity reinforces the concept of adjectives as words that describe nouns as well as the concept that adjectives can be combined to provide additional detail about an object. In addition, the students experience a logical sequence to adjectives in a series (e.g. the small, blue, equilateral triangle versus the equilateral, blue, small triangle). A child can play the Detective Adjective Game individually with the teacher writing clues, independently by reading prepared sentences, and in a group setting.

  



Reminders 

- Homework will be sent home each Monday and is to be returned the following Friday. We also encourage students to read for 30 minutes each night and record it on the reading log found in your child's red folder.
-Thank you for returning all work binders!

9/19- Peace Assembly
9/23- Internet Safety Meeting (sponsored by the PTO)
9/30- School Picture Day

Third Graders presenting "The Drama of the Archeozoic Ocean"

Week in Review - September 2nd-5th

We had another great week in Lower Elementary!

For language jobs this week, first graders reviewed antonyms, worked with articles (a/an), and placed words in ABC order by their first letter. Second graders worked with synonyms and antonyms, identified words as nouns or verbs, and placed words in ABC order. Third graders learned the meaning of some common prefixes, worked with verb tenses, and placed words in ABC order by looking at their second letter. 

For math jobs this week, first grade students were introduced to the coins and their values, wrote number words, and identified fractions as belonging to a "family" which share a "name" (the denominator). Second graders counted coins whose value totaled under $1.00, reviewed fractions, and read number words. Third graders counted coins over and under $1.00, reviewed adding fractions, and wrote number words.

In cultural studies, students continued with the science experiments which stem from the first Great Lesson. This week, students explored the properties of solids, liquids, and gases. Students also watched crystallization occur as a mixture of salt water evaporated from a black piece paper.
Next week, students will complete more word study work, explore how to write a friendly letter, work with telling time, and identify if numbers are greater than, less than, or equal to each other. Third grade students will also preform a dramatic telling of another Great Lesson - "The Drama of the Archeozoic Ocean" to the first and second grade students!     

Reminders 

- Homework will be sent home each Monday and is to be returned the following Friday. We also encourage students to read for 30 minutes each night and record it on the reading log found in your child's red folder.
-Please be sure to return your child's notebook and work binder which were sent home on Thursday, September 3rd.

-Personal Timelines are now due. Please have your child send in their timelines as soon as possible. We have loved looking at these wonderful works displayed in our hallway!