Fall is Here!

     I don't know about you, but I'm so excited that fall is here... cooler weather, apples, pumpkins, and fall colors are great! 

     This week we read more "Pete the Cat" books.  We also had water beads in the touch table which were very popular with all the children.  They enjoyed exploring the colors, texture, and ways the beads move.  Some children have been introduced to sandpaper letters.  The purpose of sandpaper letters is:

To learn the sound and shape of the letters of the alphabet. To gain a muscular memory of the shape of the letters as a prelude to writing. http://www.montessoriworld.org/Reading/spaprltr/sprintro.html

If your child comes home with letters written on his/her arm, those are the letters sounds that were learned or practiced that day.  A little later in the year, we will also begin creating picture dictionaries.  The picture dictionaries will have a few pictures for each letter/sound a child has been working on to reinforce beginning sound awareness.   

     The practical life area continues to be very popular with the children.  For October, I will be putting fall related works, including some art projects, on the shelves in all areas of the classroom.  In October, we will be studying trees, leaves, pumpkins, and apples.  We are in need of all kinds of fall items including pumpkins, gourds, Indian corn, apples, and pressed leaves.  You may send in these items at any time.  If you have good play-doh recipe, we could also use some cinnamon scented and pumpkin pie scented play-doh.    

     Cold and flue season has started already.  We try very hard to keep the children healthy at school and help them learn healthy habits such as hand washing, covering your cough, and other good hygiene procedures.  Please help everyone at school stay healthy by keeping your child home if he/she is sick.  Guidelines for when to keep your child home were sent home last week.  If you are unsure, feel free to call or email. 

REMINDERS...
*Count week is October 7-11. 

     Each year during the first week of October, all Ohio school districts are required to count their students and submit that information to the Ohio Department of Education. This number is used to calculate how much money the district will collect.  Approximately 50 percent of the budget comes from state funding.

If your child is tardy or out ill, PLEASE send a DR. NOTE or PARENT NOTE to document their absence. 

*If you are late for preschool, you need to enter through the front of the building and get a tardy slip from the office.  Preschool officially starts at 8:20 and and 12:15.  I take attendance after I close the classroom door at 8:26 and 12:21.  If you see that the door is closed, please make sure you get a tardy slip from the office.  When I take attendance on the computer, I am only able to mark the children absent or present, the office has to change it to tardy.  If you do not get a tardy slip, your child will be recorded as absent for that day (I do not have the ability to change the attendance once it is entered into the computer).   

*Montessori Parent Info Night - Thursday October 24th, 4:30-5:30 PM in our classroom.  Flyers will be sent home soon.  I will be giving a general overview of the Montessori Philosophy, description of the different areas in the Montessori classroom, show a few works, and answer questions.  

Small, medium, large sorting

object-picture matching

snack

Color Tablet extension

Color Tablets - gradation

practical life work

tong transfer

beginning sound basket

water beads

Pink Tower and Brown Stair extension

Moveable Alphabet- dictation

looking at the family photo album

Pete the Cat

We are finishing our third week of school already.  The children are beginning to learn the daily routine and have been busy engaging in a variety of classroom works.

This week, we read "Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons."  The children enjoyed the ending of the book, when all Pete has left is his belly button!  We had buttons in the touch table, a button gluing work, button stringing, and also a work for the children to glue buttons onto a shirt, count, and record the number of buttons. 

I spent much of this week doing assessments of student knowledge in the areas of literacy and math.  This is part of a new state program where teachers assess a set of skills at the beginning of the year and then the same skills at the end of the year and then report on student growth.  The data collected will also be used for report cards.  Results from the screening conducted before school started will be sent out before the end of the month. 

Thank you to everyone who signed up for snack club, flower donations, and play-doh parent.  The supplies are coming in and the children are enjoying using everything. 

In October we will begin our study of trees, leaves, apples, pumpkins, and gourds.  We will need all kinds of apples, pumpkins, and gourds to explore and compare in October.  if you would like to donate any of these items, please send them in at any time.  We will also be making homemade applesauce as a class.  When we make the applesauce, I will ask each child to bring in an apple.    

REMINDERS
*Book orders are due 9/26.  I will be placing the order on 9/27
*PTA Fall Festival tonight (Friday)
*No School on 9/30

Pink Tower and Brown Stairs

Shape collage and snipping and gluing

Small, medium, large sorting

Play-doh

Button gluing

Pete the Cat shirt- button counting and snipping and gluing

Knobbed cylinders



Counting buttons and recording

Knobless cylinder box

Knobless cylinder boxes

A great start!

Dear Preschool Families,
  The school year is off to a great start.  Everyone has been very busy exploring the classroom, trying new works, and making new friends.  We (Ms. Karen and I) are enjoying getting to know each child.  The Practical Life area, snack table, and sensory table have been very popular.  The children are learning to serve their own snacks, including pouring their own drinks and then cleaning up after they eat.  The children have also enjoyed arranging flowers and placing their arrangements around the classroom. 

     Last week, we read the book "Pete the Cat, Rocking in My School Shoes."  Then, I took a picture of each child's shoes.  We used the pictures of the shoes to make a class book for the children to look at and read on their own.  We talked about going to school and school rules.  We learned that school is a safe place and we have rules to help us stay safe.   

     This week we read the book "Pete the Cat, I Love My White Shoes."  We also listened to an audio recording of the book.  At the end of the week, the children helped re-tell the story.  We will continue with more Pete the Cat books throughout this month.  The children are really enjoying the repetitive and predictable text in these books.  Check out this month's Scholastic Book Order for some great Pete the Cat books.    

     Some of the works in the classroom that have been presented to the group include: pink tower, brown stair, red rods, color boxes I &II, blue triangles box, sponge squeezing,   bottles and lids, bead stringing, dry pouring, spoon transfer, dropper transfer, snipping and gluing, and others. If you are new to the Montessori Method, you can find more information about the Montessori Method by going to the post "Resources" and clicking the links.  I will be adding more resources throughout the year.  If you have a great Montessori resource you would like to share, please let me know. 

     If you are familiar with the traditional "play based" preschool, you may be wondering "when will my child be bringing home art projects?"  In the Montessori classroom, children choose their own work and make their own decisions (with some guidance) about what they want to do during the day.  There are basic art materials available on the shelf for children to choose at this time, and more materials will be added as the year goes on.  Some children may choose art materials every day, and others only when they are guided there by the teacher.  We also keep much of the work the children do during the year and file it in their portfolios as a way to track progress throughout the year.  Portfolios with work samples will be sent home at the end of the year. 

     You may have also heard from your child that we have not been playing outside.  This is due to a few factors; the weather has been extremely hot, we are still learning the classroom routine, and our playground equipment was (sadly) stolen last year.  We (the preschool teachers) are working on getting some new playground equipment and a safe place to store it.  We currently have 2 ride on toys, 2 hopper balls, and hula hoop.  Taking 30 children outside to share 5 toys usually does not end well.  We will start going outside this week for short periods of time for some games and running around.  As we get more equipment, we will have more opportunities for outdoor play.  If you or someone you know would like to donate playground equipment, please let me know.  

REMINDERS...
*Please send in your family photo album page.
*Drop off and pick up times:  AM - 8:15-8:25 and 11:00-11:10     PM - 12:10-12:20 and 2:55-3:05
     If you arrive after the times listed, you will need to enter through the front office.
*PTA Fall Festival - 9/20 4:00-7:00
*Scholastic Book Order due 9/27.  An additional flyer is in your child's folder on Monday. 

Other info:
*Upcoming blog posts will include pictures of the children learning and working in the classroom.
*The blog will be updated weekly. 

Resources

Listed below are links to some websites that provide information about the Montessori Method.  Additional resources will be added throughout the year.

American Montessori Society - Family Resources

American Montessori Society - Intro to Montessori

Montessori Print Shop - theory and materials

Cincinnati Montessori Society

Handwriting Without Tears and Mat Man

Preschool Handbook and Forms

If you need to change information such as your address, phone number, or approved pick-up contacts, please click on the links below, print off the form you need, fill it out, and turn it in.  I can also provide paper copies if needed.  It is very important that we have up to date contact information in case we need to contact you for any reason. 

Enrollment Forms (click to go to Enrollment Forms)

Preschool Handbook (click to go to Preschool Handbook and Release Form)

Wish List and Ways to Support Our Classroom

Listed below are items we need for our classroom.  Items can be new or gently used.  Items will be removed from the list as they are supplied.  This list will be updated throughout the school year.

*Trays and platters - wood, acrylic, or plastic
*serving spoons
*Small bowls - in sets of 2 or more; glass, ceramic, wood
*Vases - any size
*Pictchers, creamers, carafes, decanters
*Baskets - any size
*Napkin holders
*funnels - any size, the smaller the better
*rubber bath mats
*cleaning/mop buckets
*bubbles
*sidewalk chalk
*child sized leather shoes for polishing
*colored glass stones (floral rocks)
*straws
*poster prints of art works
*mirrors (approximately the size of a piece of paper or smaller)
*silver - cups, trays, bowls, etc.. for polishing
*wooden figurines or statues for polishing
*beads (pony beads or larger)
*buttons
*locks and keys (padlocks)

Items on the wish list are used throughout the classroom.

THANK YOU!



Order books through Scholastic.  Book orders will be sent home each month.  Every time your order books, we earn points to purchase classroom materials. 




For more ideas for classroom supplies, visit:
http://www.montessoriservices.com/practical-life