Fall Festivities

 We had a wonderful turn out for our Fall Festival.  The games, treats and friends made it special.  The Lower Elementary students have been painting Storybook Pumpkins which will be displayed as a part of our Halloween celebration next week.  Also the excitement in the Lower Elementary has been building in anticipation of the Matilda production which takes place tonight.  It has been impressive to see the level of dedication and hard work the students have put into this event. Even though we have had a multitude of fall festivities, the Lower Elementary has continued with their hard work in the classroom. Presentations were given on physical and chemical changes, parts of a flag, the history of language, grammar, mathematics and of course extended lessons on reading comprehension. It was a fun productive week. 

We hope your weekend is peaceful.

The Importance of Concentration

      Our first quarter ended this week.  The Lower Elementary students are now accustomed to a long morning work cycle each day.  The work cycle begins after arrival and a short morning meeting.  Students that arrive before 8:00 am have ample time to select a job and set it up before the morning meeting.  Once the meeting is over, students begin their work. Protection of the work cycle from interruptions is crucial.  The purpose of an uninterrupted work cycle is to promote concentration.  In a child, the ability to begin and retain concentration takes practice.   By limiting interruptions, we are facilitating the development of concentration.  If concentration is broken in a young child, it is rare that the child can achieve the same state of concentration in the same work cycle. We strive to keep interruptions to a minimum so that each child can reach his potential.  Please help your child arrive by 8:00 each morning.  This will give them time to set up their work for the day.  If possible schedule all appointments for late afternoon.  Thank you in advance for helping us keep interruptions to a minimum.

Week of October 4th - 8th, 2021

 The big event of the week was the Children's Theater. The bus ride was as entertaining as the theater production.  It has been such a long time since we were able to attend a field trip.  The actors in the Children's Theater were extremely appreciative of our attendance.  A friendly reminder we are closed on Monday for Indigenous People/Columbus Day.  We hope each family has a peaceful long weekend.

Week of September 27 - October 1, 2021

This week the Lower Elementary students were busy studying the phases of the moon.  We were fortunate to see the moon during class on a recent sunny day and determined that it was in the waning gibbous phase.  Students later made their own moon phase booklets. Students also learned about weathering, erosion and deposition. Due to the wonderful weather this week we were able to work on several lessons outside.  The absolute highlight of the week was the student timeline presentations.  We all enjoyed the uniqueness of each timeline and presentation.  In preparation for our field trip next week to the Children's Theater, we have reviewed the story line and theater etiquette.  We are all really glad to be able to resume the much missed field trip experience.  We hope everyone has a lovely weekend.

Week of September 20 - 25

It was another fantastic week in Lower Elementary at Bruno Montessori.    Students continued their lessons with polygons by creating all six polygons and labeling them.  A presentation was given on the BC/AD designations of time.  We reviewed the three types of rock: igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic.  Students were able to create a chart of the three rock types.  The shining star of the Montessori classroom is the grammar lessons.  We continued our study of the noun family with first year students, the verb with second year students and the adverb with third year students.  The wonderful Montessori Dot Board was presented to our first year students as a tool for performing column addition and they were all intrigued.  Finally we looked closely at the outer planets using books and information cards.  Each student produced a Planet Report on one of the outer planets.  It was a busy and satisfying week.

Week of September 13 - 17, 2021

 All students worked hard this week at school .  We had presentations on polygons, grammar, punctuation and money word problems plus many other lessons.  Students have been vigilant about wearing masks.  Reminders are given during recess to keep masks over noses and mouth.  Students have adjusted wonderfully to our new schedule for enrichment activities.  Thank you for all your support at home reinforcing the importance of masks, social distancing and hand washing.  I hope you have a restful weekend in spite of all this rain.  May the sun shine soon!

Week of August 30 - September 3, 2021

We had a great week.  On Tuesday Lower Elementary students and teachers came together to celebrate Maria Montessori's 151st birthday.  Several teachers gave presentations including Ms. Tejal who wore a traditional sari in honor of Maria Montessori's seven year stay in India. We also continued our lessons on the Timeline of Life and the planets.  A lesson on the Rock Cycle was presented using many examples of igneous, sedimentary and igneous rocks. Students had the opportunity to practice descriptive writing by describing the shape, color and texture of their rock.  The excitement and focus in the room during the Rock Cycle lessons was inspiring.  Happy Labor Day Weekend!  Have a wonderful holiday.