INSIDE THIS ISSUE... Page 1 Families that Plant Together Grow Together Page 2 Summer Camp Page 3 PTO Page 4-10 Classroom Updates Page 11 Literature Page 12-13 Spanish Page 14 Drama - Spotlight Kids Page 15 Debate Page 16 PE Page 17 End of the Year Show Page 18-19 End of the Year Show Cast Lists Page 20-21 Media - Dr. Seuss Day Page 22 Parents Nights Page 23 Showcase Page 24 Calendar
QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER FROM MILLHOPPER MONTESSORI SCHOOL
MONTESSORI
Monitor
M A R C H
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Families that Plant Together Grow Together By MMS Owner and Teacher, Ms. Christina Miller It is developmentally appropriate for children to learn hands on and through their five senses.
One of the most joyful ways is to plant seeds and watch them grow. Children are constantly drawn to smell, touch, and gather collections of leaves, seeds, flowers, and even insects. They are fascinated by the tiniest of things and watching a tiny seed gradually reveal itself as it grows provides a magical experience and can bring about a peace of mind. Children as young as two years can and should have the opportunity to garden before they develop an aversion to nature. More often than not children are told not to touch something or put something in their mouths. All the attitudes that accompany the sanitizing trend have contributed to children being tactilely defensive. Many children today cannot tolerate putting their hands in paper machete or scooping seeds out of a pumpkin. A home garden provides a perfect opportunity for children to cooperate with their family for a common goal. Each family member has a turn watering, weeding, harvesting and solving problems. Sometimes insects or squirrels, for example, may destroy some of the plants. Sometimes plants may be selected to attract butterflies. Ladybugs may be purchased and released to solve the pest problem naturally. All these decisions make wonderful family discussions while providing valuable quality time. The academic extensions are endless. A garden is an ever changing laboratory for fine tuning observation skills needed in every subject area. It is a ripe environment for graphing, measuring, journaling, researching, identifying, and vocabulary building such as whether a particular leaf’s shape is reniform, elliptical, or maybe spatulate. As time passes, gardening time also gave a family the chance to observe the changing seasons, the birds which frequent their yard, and the types of trees and wildflowers that grow there. In a time when many children are focused on indoor activities, such as computer and video games, give your children the chance to experience the natural world in a more meaningful way. Rather than just looking to nature and seeing woods, your children will be able to identify pine trees, oak trees, and native flowers. Rather than just seeing birds, they see more specifically robins, bluebirds, and others. In this, your gardening and exploration of the outdoors can serve to enrich your children’s world view and bring your family closer together. Garden grass covered soil digging, chopping, feeling good planting seeds, growing by Ahmik (age 5)