September 6th, 2024

Hello families,

This week we began learning about Maria Montessori, our school, and the Montessori tenants! Our current focus is the practical life and grace & courtesy tenets. I am so impressed with how many students are washing their hands, using their placemat, and exploring the learning materials with care. We also visited the garden to take birthday photos and reviewed the expectations when enjoying this space.


Within the Wellness curriculum and alongside Montessori Peace Education, we began learning about the Zones of Regulation. Students have started to utilize the zones when checking in with themselves and others during our morning meetings. We discussed problem solving strategies including our school wide one: Stop, Walk, Talk and practicing Peace Talks. Ask your child what these are!



We learned about the word mindfulness, and how mindful practice can help us feel better when we are feeling unbalanced. During our daily mindfulness time we have been exploring different breathing strategies and cool down activities to get our bodies/brains ready for learning. 



Here is a link for one of the resources we used: Mindfulness Class Dojo

Work Period
We began our Montessori Work Period this week. This is a chunk of time where students can intentionally flow between learning tasks and complete them in any order they wish. They are able to check in with their teacher and peers as needed while the teacher provides small lessons and feedback. Work Period allows students to:

  • Become more independent
  • Strengthen their ability to focus
  • Find joy with the task and materials
  • Feel deep satisfaction with their work

The class was also introduced to levelled tasks. Levelled tasks allow students to develop their understanding and independence as Montessori learners to choose a task that is their "just right" level.  This means that the task is not too difficult and not too easy for them. I often provide a "mild, medium, and spicy" choice and check in with students to ensure they are choosing an appropriate level for themselves.

In mathematics we practiced our subitizing skills with dice. This is a great way to practice number automotisity. We then tried a dice game using odd and even numbers. Ask your child what the difference is!




We also filled out a September calendar. Students colored their calendar using an AB pattern. Those who chose the "spicy" level also completed comprehension questions about the month.

 



In literacy we reviewed the letters A and M. We will be utilizing the UFLI program and Animated Literacy actions to support reading and writing development.
Depending on their level, students practiced writing uppercase and lowercase letters using the "sky, grass, ground" strategy, tried to spell out words that start with each letter, or wrote sentences! There are tons of resources on the site if you want to continue this practice at home.

https://ufli.education.ufl.edu/foundations/toolbox/


 

 


Reads of the Week







Responsible Work Choices of the Week



On Friday we met our big Grade 5/6 buddies in room 7! We did introductions and "rolled monsters".

Baby Photo
Thank you to those who have emailed me a baby/toddler photo of your child. The kids have really loved looking at all their peer's photos as we begin to explore "our stories". 

Fun Lunch

School Council organizes Healthy Hunger lunches for grade 1-6 students. This is an optional program. Please visit the website https://healthyhunger.ca/ to set up your child’s account and view the list of lunches being offered. If you have any questions or need support, please contact funlunchlbs@gmail.com Orders are due in 5 days before the lunch, our first lunch is September 12th.

If you are interested in volunteering for Healthy Hunger lunches, please contact the funlunchlbs@gmail.com or our volunteer coordinator:   lbsvolunteercoordinator@gmail.com

Absences
If your child is going to be absent, please make sure to contact the office via phone or email. I would also appreciate being cc'd on the email so I am kept in the loop! 

Snack
During snack time students will be using placemats in their space as part of our Montessori practical-life learning. Something simple that can fit in your child's lunch kit is perfect - even a tea towel works! The placemat is meant to travel to and from school each day. If you have any questions or concerns please let me know.

Volunteers 
I truly value our volunteers offering their time to support our students inside and outside of the classroom. The grade 1/2 team is planning for some great field trips this year and we would love for you to join! If you are interested in volunteering please ensure you have a valid CBE police clearance (completed through our office) as well as have signed the annual volunteer form for 2024/2025. Please note that CBE police clearance can take quite a few weeks to come through so getting it done earlier in the year ensures you will have it for upcoming volunteer opportunities. Please contact the office for more information about getting a CBE police check and signing the annual form.  We will be begin welcoming volunteers in October.


Have a wonderful weekend,

Ms. Greenhall


Important Dates

  • Thursday September 12th - Fun Lunch
  • Monday September 16th - Dot Day
  • Thursday, September 19th - Open House & Welcome Back BBQ 

  • Friday September 20th - Terry Fox Run
  • Thursday September 26th - Orange Shirt Day & Fun Lunch
  • Friday, September 27th - PD Day - No School for Students
  • Monday, September 30th - National Day for Truth and Reconciliation - No School