Our Montessori Journey: 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.