Montessori Monitor October 2014

INSIDE THIS ISSUE...

Page 1 Testing

Monitor

O C T O B E R

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Page 2-3 Fall Festival Page 4-11 Classroom Updates Page 12-13 Spanish Page 14 Speech Page 15 Music Page 16 PE Page 17 New Face...

Page 18 MMS Gives Back...

Page 19 Spirit Week Page 20 ‘13-’14 Safety Patrol Washington DC Trip Page 21 Announcements Page 22 Achievements Page 23 IT Department Page 24 Calendar

QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER FROM MILLHOPPER MONTESSORI SCHOOL

There has been a lot in the news lately regarding the value of standardized testing. Testing students should serve the purpose of evaluating and improving curriculum as well as learning the practical aspect of taking a test. However, teachers do not get the precise feedback they need to improve the ways they spend classroom time. Often just the opposite occurs and the test leads the curriculum. Large amounts of time are spent on teaching the test which negates what a test was designed to do, which is to measure what children have learned through their observations and hopefully an experiential authentic curriculum.

At MMS we do not promote or retain due to the results of standardized testing. However, the stakes are very high with regards to test results in the public schools. Children are advanced or retained because of the results. It makes the importance of a year’s worth of learning meaningless when compared to a brief timed performance, in large part on knowledge-based multiple choice questions.

Even though various subjects are covered, success all boils down to how well a child reads.

Except for the computation and estimation sections of the math portion, everything is led by reading comprehension. Science and Social Studies as well as word problems all unfold with one’s ability to comprehend what he or she has read. Little, if any, higher level thinking skills are required. The full picture of what students know or what ability an individual student has or hasn’t compiled in his or her years of schooling is not revealed.

It is very important to learn the practical aspect of taking a test, therefore, I approach testing as a practical life skill at Millhopper Montessori School. Because testing is a part of our society, it is valuable for our students to know how to approach a test without fear and stress. We do not administer the FCAT. We use the ITBS, Iowa Test of Basic Skills and test once a year from kindergarten through eighth grade. We never put pressure on our students. They are not stressed throughout the several half days of testing but I must admit they are always glad to get back to business as usual. Testing students should serve the purpose of evaluating and improving curriculum. Despite the fact that the test scoring process does not allow the precise feedback necessary for evaluating the curriculum, it does allow for an understanding of what skill format is being used on the test to evaluate the students. For example, the spelling section may give the students a choice of one correctly spelled word mixed with those incorrectly spelled. This is an editing skill. It is important for students to learn this skill in life and vital in order to be successful with this test section. Being successful with the multiple choice format is also an important skill such as how to eliminate and narrow down a correct answer.

It is important to keep in perspective that standardized tests are only one form of evaluating our students. On the plus side, it has the advantage of scoring large groups providing percentiles and norms. It is equally important to remember that teaching, learning, and evaluating do not become authentic if schools teach the test or model a curriculum around the questions. Ask any teacher.

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We are having a wonderful start to the school year! The grace and courtesy lessons the students received have helped the students learn to be respectful towards their peers and the classroom environment. It has been amazing to watch the children discover new things and find such enjoyment in the work they do throughout the school day.

During the month of September, the children explored life on the farm. The students learned about the importance of farming and the products we receive from farming and farm animals. In addition to studying the characteristics and anatomy of farm animals, the children also learned to classify animals by farm families. A student from our class, Brenden G., brought in a dozen eggs from the chickens his family raises at home. The children loved examining the different shapes and colors. We also graded the eggs by color from the lightest to the darkest. Our simulated cow milking experiment was a class favorite. Near the end of the unit, we enjoyed a wonderful Down on the Farm breakfast which consisted of scrambled eggs, bacon, a biscuit and milk.

Counting farm animals

Grading chicken eggs from light to dark PAGE

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Milking a cow

Down on the Farm breakfast

In addition to studying the farm, the class also learned about the life cycle and anatomy of apples.

The following is a list of apple inspired works the children participated in during our unit study: ladling apples, tweezing apple shaped buttons, polishing apples, push pinning and cutting apples, sorting, grading (big to small), counting, and the class favorite “apple tree bean bag number toss.�

The children sampled a variety of apples, mashed apples for our homemade applesauce and prepared apple sandwiches. The children also made beautiful apple print lacing cards and a handprint apple orchard mural.

Bean bag toss Polishing apples

Counting apples Apple orchard painting Throughout the year, the students will create artwork inspired by a variety of genres and artists. The first artist we learned about was Piet Mondrian. The children learned about his usage of primary colors and leaving many of the spaces in the grids unpainted. The children worked with Mondrian puzzles, colored preprinted grids, and created their own grid which they painted in the same style as Mondrian.

Painting with primaries

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Within our classroom, children have a natural curiosity which leads them to explore, manipulate, compare and discover the world around them. Our first unit study in Science focused on learning about vertebrates and invertebrates. The children learned the difference between those that have backbones and those that do not by studying the five groups of vertebrates (fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals) and invertebrates such as sponges, worms, and arthropods.

In September, we started our Solar System unit study. This has been a fun unit as well as very educational! This unit initially was introduced to help the children understand where they fit into our world/Solar System. The children have been busy push pinning the planets and the Sun and are very proud of their Solar System mobiles. We will expand this unit into the study of what Earth is made up of and will take us into the study of rocks and minerals.

Pom-Pom Solar System

Push-Pinning planets

We also celebrated both the beginning of my favorite season, fall and Johnny Appleseed’s birthday.

This was the children’s first cooking experience baking two, homemade apple pies! They enjoyed slicing the apples, mixing the ingredients and the best part; being able to eat their pie with ice cream – Yummy!

Leaf rubbings

Slicing apples for the pie We would like to thank Ms. Sarit Sela (Ori and Zohar’s mother) for coming into our class to tell the children about Rosh HaShanah (Jewish New Year). The children learned about the blowing of the Shofar (a horn from a sheep or a ram), enjoyed eating apples and Challah bread with honey, pomegranate seeds and drank grape juice to symbolize having a sweet year!

Demonstrating Rosh HaShanah PAGE

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With beginning evaluations complete and the children becoming more comfortable in the classroom, new lessons are being added daily. Classroom lessons have included activities in the following areas: Practical Life: pouring, spooning, hand washing, and sewing; Sensorial: color sorting, Knobbed and Knobless Cylinders, Geometric Shapes, Brown Stair and Pink Tower as well as the Bi- and Trinomial Cubes. In the area of Math, some of the students have been presented with lessons on such works as one-to-one (0-9) correspondence and the Hundred Board while others can be seen working on the concepts of Addition and Multiplication (using counters and the Multiplication Bead Bars). In the area of Language, small group lessons have focused on beginning, end and middle letter sounds (short vowels) with an introduction for some children to phonograms. In these lessons, the students are learning how to decode and blend these letter sounds. Formal handwriting lessons (D’Nealian style) have begun and some of our Kindergarten students are learning to do “inventive” writing in their daily journals. In Developmental Art, the children have enjoyed various painting activities: on an easel, with watercolors and using a marble (“marble rolling”) and creating an adorable “acorn family”.

Addition with counters

Addition with counters

Reading workbook Tracing name in D’Nealian In November, our classroom will travel to the great continent of Africa! The children will be studying the many geographic features (grasslands, rain forest and desert) and the animals that live in these biomes of Africa. To enhance this learning and to allow the children to better understand an environment different than their own, the children will enjoy activities such as push-pinning the map of Africa and some of the animals from there, and working on some African art projects. During story time, I will be reading books on Africa as well as story books written by African authors.

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Students in Ms. Erin and Ms. Susie’s class started the year by learning classroom routines and their rights and responsibilities in the classroom. Students have weekly jobs that they perform each afternoon in order to care for our environment and practice responsibility. The first graders have done a wonderful job learning to care for their new classroom! Students are divided into “Animal Teams�, which take turns leading our Morning Meeting each day. In this way, they each have a chance to take a leadership role in the classroom.

The children did an awesome job brainstorming ideas for our Spirit Week cheer and poster, and putting those ideas into action. Activities such as these helped create a sense of community in our class and strengthen the group as a team. Throughout the week we collected 573 cans and boxes of food for the Bread of the Mighty Food Bank.

Our students were so proud to once again win the Golden Can Award for the most food collected. Second graders visited the food bank to see how the food is processed and how it gets to people in need in our community.

2nd graders with food donations In their academic studies, a great deal of emphasis is placed in the early grades on memorization of math facts. First graders typically practice speed in recall of their addition facts, while second graders focus on subtraction. Students have had introductory lessons on using the Stamp Game for their addition and subtraction through the thousands. Geometry has been introduced beginning with the concepts of point, line, plane, and solid. Students have been practicing writing fraction notation, and comparing fractions. Second graders have been introduced to a new work, the Bead Frame, which they have enjoyed using for their addition and subtraction work.

First graders have been learning about grammar, beginning with the noun and article, and learning to recognize the Montessori symbols for these two parts of speech. Second graders have been reviewing their knowledge of nouns, focusing on recognition of common and proper nouns. First graders have also been practicing proper letter formation in their handwriting, as this is so important before they move on to cursive handwriting.

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Some of our most exciting studies have come from our Montessori Cosmic curriculum. We started the year by learning about the formation of the universe, the elements, and the planets in our solar system. We then learned some Greek constellation myths, and students re-created the patterns of constellations using punched-out stars, and also in some beautiful sewing work. To wrap up our study of the solar system, we visited Santa Fe College’s Kika Silva Pla Planetarium to view the planetarium show, “Planets in the House”.

Children at this age love getting out into the “real world” to learn, so they had a great time at the planetarium and many are hoping to return with their families to see some of the other shows.

The Montessori “First Great Lesson” about the formation of the universe.

Reviewing the names and order of the planets, and some of their characteristics.

In their free time, students hone their fine motor skills with their choice of activities such as wonder knitting, weaving, and various sewing activities. While the students love these activities dearly, they also foster skills such as concentration and coordination. Later this year, they will use their sewing expertise for a service project as we create a quilt to be auctioned off to benefit the Bread of the Mighty food bank.

We look forward to many more months of learning and fun as the year goes on!

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We have had an exciting beginning to our Science curriculum! We've learned how to think and read like scientists, we've done experiments, and we discovered about the world around us! Each chapter in our curriculum has a Big Question - a focus point of the lessons in that chapter.

Unit A was about Science, Engineering, and Technology. In Chapter 1, our Big Question was What is Science? We started out the year learning how to think like scientists, learning the answers to questions such as: What do scientists do? How do scientists investigate? How do scientists collect and interpret data? How do scientists support their conclusions?

Then, in Chapter 2, we moved on to Design and Function, where the Big Question was How does technology affect our lives? We learned that technology is the knowledge, processes, and products that solve problems and make work easier, about different kinds of technology, and how to follow a design process.

The 4th graders did several experiments for Chapter 1. We used a high powered lighted microscope to look closely at rocks, tissues, and a penny. They were amazed to see Abraham Lincoln in the Lincoln Monument on the back of the penny! We also did an experiment where we put salt into cold and warm water, spoonful by spoonful, to see if temperature affects the saturation point (it does!). And too, we found out that scientists should only change one variable in an experiment to measure the change of that one variable. Then we did an experiment to find out how data can help us draw conclusions. We put paper clips in a cup, and used a magnet to see how many paper clips would attach to the magnet. We did several trials, and recorded the data, which helped us draw the conclusion that the magnet often doesn't pick up the same amount of paper clips, based on how the clips were arranged and how close we put the magnet to the paper clips. We finished up the chapter with an experiment using a pendulum. We swung a pendulum made from a washer and string, and the team was allowed to change one variable, either the length of the string, or the height of the drop. Then we did several trials, and found out that the shorter the string, the more swings per minute: and the higher the drop height, the fewer the swings per minute.

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Observing their pendulums and recording data

Recording data for the pendulum experiment

We continued our experiments in Chapter 2, focusing on design. We made models of paper airplanes to see which wing design would fly better. We had one model that had longer, thinner wings, and another paper airplane that had shorter, wider wings. After doing 3 trials for each design, we discovered that the longer wings are better for farther flight, which can help conserve fuel.

Currently we're working on Unit B - learning about Life Sciences. Chapter 3 focuses on Plants and Animals, the Big Question being What do living organisms need to survive? Chapter 4 follows this question with lessons about Ecosystems. The Big Question is How do living things interact with their environments?

Already we've done experiments with classifying flower parts, learned how a fish bladder helps a fish to float to the surface to find food, and discovered how environment can affect living organisms. The students are looking forward to lots more experiments!

5th grade has also performed experiments for Unit A. The Big Question for Chapter 1 in Unit A was What is science? We answered this by learning how to recognize whether a question was scientific or opinion; we discovered which method of storage keeps bread freshest the longest; we collected data by measuring temperature of water at different warmth; and learned how to support the data of our experiments by measuring which type of paper towel absorbs the most water.

Recording data for the paper towel experiment

In Chapter 2 of Unit A, we experimented with Design and Function.

The Big Question was How does technology affect our lives? We realized that technology is anything that's invented that makes work easier. It affects every aspect of our daily lives, from the pencils we use in school to the iPad to prosthetic limbs for amputee patients.

To illustrate how scientists use models to mimic body structure and help with the design process of prosthetic limbs, the 5th grade made a model of a robotic arm to learn how the muscular and skeletal system work. We used cardstock and yarn to represent bones and muscle, and a metal fastener to represent the elbow joint. We realized that making a model helps scientists discover what will work in a prosthetic arm, and how it could be built to benefit a patient.

Currently, we have just finished Chapter 3 in Unit B. The Big Question was How are living things organized? We learned how to classify animals and plants based on their characteristics. We performed an experiment in classifying shells. Each group sorted a handful of different shells, and then we shared with each other how we chose to sort our shells. Many people sorted their shells based on color and shape, some people grouped the by whether they were open or closed, and others grouped them by pattern.

We realized that there are many ways to classify organisms, and that is why scientists have a standard chart to organize living things - so scientists can communicate with each other.

Examining and deciding how to sort their shells

We have many more experiments planned for upcoming chapters for both 4th and 5th grades. Be sure to ask your child about what they learned in science class!

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Students are motivated to take part in Spanish class when the context through which the language is presented and practiced is meaningful, serves a purpose, and relies on the students to bring it to life. To this end, the beginners to fifth grade Spanish classes will be encouraged to learn and enjoy the targeted language.

In this year’s Spanish beginners to third grade classes, we will continue to be consistent and to correlate with some of the other subjects taught in the classroom. The introduction to each lesson will start with a salutation song and drills; the hand motion or sign for that word or phrase will accompany every lesson. Signing Spanish vocabulary enables the students to avoid thinking from an English to Spanish progression. Instead, students are expected to visualize the words as they develop their Spanish annunciations.

Each class aims at constructing stories that reflect the student’s interest in foundational materials. This use of the student’s imagination will substantially reinforce lasting impressions. Up to this point, the class has constructed a story about how turtles, birds, and butterflies go up or down, get big or little, go fast or slow when kittens, puppies or ponies pursue them. The unit of ‘living or non-living’ had them engaged as to where different kinds of animals live and why. Additional lessons focused on learning the weather and how weather can affect individual feelings.

Other activities will be centered on developing songs that deal with themes such as basic shapes and colors, interrogatives, imperatives, days of the week, and the seasons. The classes become very interactive with students deciding on how the vocabulary in that lesson applies to the situation that is initially described. Students gain confidence as each one gets the opportunity to lead their classmates in their favorite song at the end of each lesson.

Building on the exercises mentioned above, the first to third grade classes have designed their own Spanish alphabet with its corresponding vocabulary word. Progressively, a sign was learned which aligned with the appropriate word. Complementary units introduced a story, with an accompanying song, about a little boat marooned in a BIG ocean. The composition of this lesson reflected a personal illustration of a boat on the crest of a wave while ocean creatures swam all around. In their creative illustrations, I selected the vocabulary words. The third grade class was very excited when they were given the opportunity to taste canned octopus on a cracker. Their reactions ranged from spitting the octopus out or just looking at it, to having seconds!

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During the first week of school, the fourth and fifth grade classes were assigned a substantial research project presented as El Mundo Hispanico. For this project, students chose a Spanish speaking country and then present seven points of interest. Comparatively, their first recitation, Pobre Flor, with an illustration will be due the last half of October. These exercises promote individualized critical thinking as well as cooperative learning communities where students are able to pair off and memorize the poem or to become involved in each other’s research.

A recent project was “El Pasaporte.” This project necessitated a great deal of personal information. Students devised a dialogue from “El Pasaporte,” which they utilized to state their name, age, eye color, favorite color, favorite dessert, birth month, how many brothers or sisters, what they enjoy most, and personal origination. A sheet was inserted with their ‘custom stamp’ of places they had been and also places they would like to visit.

Due to the rigor and creative aspects of the given assignments, a transition to even greater emphasis on reading and writing in Spanish is developed. Facilitating such curriculum provides greater structure to the Spanish class; students are using the Bienvenidos textbook and worksheets for the sequential grammatical mechanics of the language. They will also have reading assignments from such magazines as ¿Que tal? and also small reading books like Habia Una Vez. For the more fluent students in Spanish, I have devised reading materials with exercises that will involve critical thinking to analyze and then reduce the story down to a phrase or any other component of their choosing. One example would be to write five adjectives that describe the story and then write one supporting detail for each adjective.

The goal of all my Spanish classes is that every student maximizes his/her own communicative competence in Spanish and to succeed as well as enjoy this skill.

Third graders trying octopus PAGE 13

“The right word may be effective, but no word was ever as effective as a rightly timed pause.” - Mark Twain This year’s focus in Speech is making a connection to your audience, not just looking up at them, but actually speaking to them.

Students first through eighth grades have been working on diction exercises, projection, making eye contact, not fidgeting, pace and varying their voices during a presentation.

Students in first through third grades specifically have been delivering their journal entries. After each journal delivery their peers evaluate the presentation by giving them tips to make their delivery better.

This format allows all students to participate in the process of learning Public Speaking.

Students in fourth and fifth grade began the process of speech writing in a group. They created a news show format. The topic of the news show was a subject. They interviewed teachers, students created jungles and showcased the many lessons they have been studying.

Middle school students also presented a news show format with a focus on what they were studying in their Science classes. Sixth graders spoke about forensics in detail, while the seventh and eighth spoke about solar energy.

Upcoming Lessons First /Second grade - Fall Poem Second/Third grade - Fall Poems, Halloween Timeline Fourth grade - The Raven, by Edgar Allen Poe Fifth Grade - Fall Storytelling Middle school - Impromptu Speaking, Details of outlining a speech Delivering a journal entry to the class

Working on their Fall Poem presentation: “Pumpkin Patch” Delivering an impromptu speech.

The prompt: “On the way to school…”

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This year has been a very exciting time for MMS students and music education. First off, let me introduce myself. My name is Ms. Wendi and it is my privilege to be the new music teacher at MMS this year. Coming from a family of musicians, teachers, and a background in musical theatre, making the jump this year into teaching has felt natural and very rewarding with all of the children. I work with all MMS students, ranging from 2 year olds through middle school. Each class has been a true joy to work with. I am enjoying watching each age group develop and grow into great musicians.

In my younger classes, we have been having fun building a repertoire of songs and activities. Each week, students are introduced to a new musical instrument and a new song. Some favorites so far have been “Baby Bumblebee”, which we use to improve skills in tempo and dynamics and, “The Octopus Song” has been a great aide in learning how to sing a scale. I am constantly surprised how musically gifted our young MMS students are. They are so excited and receptive to each new lesson. They are becoming quite the little singers. Soon we will begin our holiday units with Halloween, Thanksgiving, and eventually our Winter Programs!

Singing with Ms. Renee’s class

In the elementary and middle schools, we have dived into music theory and aural skills. My year goal for this year is for all elementary and middle school students to be able to read and interpret music, while singing with proper technique and tone. We started the year learning all our notes on the scale as well as the importance and functions of dynamics, tempo, pitch and rhythm. Each week, students learn about a new musical instrument and get the opportunity to play the chosen instrument. Upper elementary and middle school are learning about different styles and types of music through their weekly listening assignments. It is exciting to hear them give feedback on music from different genres and time periods. This is also improving their musicality while singing class songs. We have recently begun working on their Winter Program music. We are excited to present an array of holiday songs in a traditional concert format.

We hope to see you all on December 19 at Abundant Grace for our Winter Show.

Singing with Middle school students

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The weather is still quite warm and the students are playing hard like they are still on summer vacation. During the first few weeks of the year the focus is on team building activities so students get used to their new classmates and groupings. Our first unit of the year was throwing and catching, with a mild digression for the silliness that was Spirit Week. As part of the throwing and catching unit there was also a cross curriculum project with middle school to gauge throwing speed and the appropriate calculations. We are excited for our current units, including a Gatorball unit for M3S and Ms. Christina Miller’s class and a movement unit for Ms. Erin Sorel and Mr. Richard Aslanian’s classes.

Go Knights! In quite the anomaly, we were only able to field one K-1st grade team for flag football. However, this kindergarten heavy team is off to a fast start. Thank you to Mr. Mason Beard for coaching. We also have three young ladies in Ms. Christina Miller’s class playing travel volleyball. We are so proud of our Knights!

Team building exercise

M3S doing Zumba

Kindergartners learning to throw and catch

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More team building to start off the school year!

I would like to welcome all parents to the wonderful world of social studies. My name is Carter Johnson and this is my first year teaching at Millhopper. I have spent the last ten years at Oak Hall in various capacities including tutor, coach and summer camp director. It is my sincere pleasure to be teaching the fourth, sixth and seventh and eighth grade social studies classes. I hold a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Florida in Classical Civilizations (that is to say Ancient History). I also enjoy American History especially the Civil War and World War II eras. My goal is for all my students to have an appreciation of history and to recognize how many amazing and wonderful the past can be.

Another aspect of my job is to keep all the technology at the school working. It is often times very time consuming work that is rewarded when I see how often the teachers and the students use our computers for classes here. Working with Ms. Sylvia, our goal is to make sure that every teacher and student has a working computer for their everyday needs. One of the ways we are trying to stay ahead of problems is our new Help Desk email address.

Anyone with a computer issue can report it directly to me at mmshelpdesk@millhopper.com.

4th grade Florida History We have started the year with learning about social scientists and some basic Geography skills. The students were able to act as geographers, historians, economists and political scientists. They collected artifacts from their home that each scientist would be interested in and presented them to the class. We then turned our attention to map skills. Learning about longitude and latitude, the regions of the United States and the parts of the map allowed us to move forward into the beginning of Florida’s long history. We will take a trip to the Florida Museum of Natural History to see the exhibits on native Floridian tribes and we will have the opportunity to explore actual native artifacts from the museum with a museum box.

6th grade Ancient History We began the year studying the various hominids that roamed the earth in prehistory. We explored a cave with prehistoric artwork and discussed the evolutionary changes that led to modern humans. We then took a look at the earliest civilizations of Sumer. We discussed the various steps that led to the creation of cities and eventually empires.

Next we are off to Ancient Egypt to focus on one of the most successful and defining empires of the ancient world.

Pharoahs, pyramids, mummies and the great Nile River await us as we finish the quarter.

7th and 8th grade Civics The year began with a look at how governments are created. The students were split into pairs and were given the task of creating a government for a fictional country in their own constitutional convention. They had to agree on a type of government (presidential democracy), a system of government (federal system) and an economic system (mixed economy). It is safe to say that while acting as different groups (from military leader to the working poor) the kids definitely had to learn the value of compromise and listening skills. We are now taking an in-depth look at the United States Constitution to learn how our country functions. This has led to some interesting discussions in class including a lively discussion on how to change school for the better. Whether discussing how amendments work or figuring out the underlying principles of the Constitution class has never been boring as we try to find ways to make the information relatable to teenagers.

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This year the MMS Elementary and Middle School students were encouraged to give back to our community through a canned food drive during Spirit Week. Each classroom competed to win “The Golden Can Award” by bringing in the most cans to be donated to Bread of the Mighty Food Bank.

The outcome was wonderful!

On October 3, the second graders took a field trip to Bread of the Mighty to donate all of the food raised throughout the week. MMS raised a grand total of 1,118 lbs. of food to donate! This equals out to be 860 meals, which would feed a family of four for seventy two days. And, Congratulations to Ms. Erin Sorel and Ms. Susie Long’s class who raised 573 cans and boxes of food and earned “The Golden Can Award”.

We are so proud of our students in the Elementary and Middle School, especially our Second grade who donated their time to deliver the food!

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Spirit Day Posters (Upper left) Ms. Sherilyn’s class (Upper right) Mr. Richard’s class (Lower left) Ms. Erin’s class (Lower right) Ms. Christina’s class

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As school ended and the June weather heated up, 5th graders prepared for one of the hallmarks of the 5th grade year: a 5-day Safety Patrol trip to Washington DC, sponsored by the Alachua County Sheriff’s Department. Our eleven 5th graders, along with Ms. Erin and several parent chaperones, boarded the bus ready for adventure. This trip is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for 5th graders all across Alachua County and with cameras in hand, our students were prepared to see it all.

Students toured memorials such as the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial and the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial. At Arlington National Cemetery, they visited the Kennedy gravesite and witnessed the changing of the guard at the tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The group also toured Mt. Vernon, home of George Washington, and strolled through the extensive grounds and gardens. One of the students’ favorite parts of the trip was touring the museums and the capitol building, where they were able to make connections to many of the topics they had studied during the school year in their United States History class with Ms. Susan Salvatore. Our students returned to Gainesville completely exhausted, but with so many great memories, and hopefully a feeling of inspiration to learn more about history and our country in the future.

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Our first MMS Spirit “Knight” fundraiser was a great success! Many families and staff dined out at Piesanos, and by mentioning our school we earned a percentage from the restaurant that night. Congratulations to MMS for acquiring over $200.00 this first time around, and thank you to Piesanos!

Join on us for our another Spirit “Knight” at Sonny’s BBQ on 39th Ave. on Wednesday, November 12 from 5:00-9:00 PM. It’s an opportunity to eat a delicious meal with friends and family, while simultaneously supporting MMS!

Know a family who might be interested in enrolling their child at MMS? Refer them to us, and receive $100.00 tuition credit per child if they enroll and attend MMS! PAGE

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This summer from the 10th to the 13th of July, Christina Miller attended the International Academic Forum’s European Conference in Brighton, UK. The International Academic Forum (IAFOR) conference was an international, interdisciplinary, intercultural and inter-professional event that invited academics, practitioners, scholars and researchers from around the world to meet, network, share intellectual developments, explore challenges to dominant paradigms, and exchange ideas in a supportive environment.

More than 250 delegates from over 55 countries, came together to seek insights and answers from each other in search of multidisciplinary research synergies.

Occasionally children will have minor accidents on the playground or in the classroom, such as bumping into one another while running around during recess. We provide reusable icepacks in instances like these, but children often comment the ice packs are too cold. An MMS middle school teacher, Ms. Susan Hansen, came up with the idea to sew rectangle protective cloth baggies to put over each ice pack, which then can be washed after each use. Ms. Susie Long’s sewing studio kids and some volunteers took on the task and made dozens of soft cloth protective ice pack covers.

Thanks to them the kids at MMS can be just a little more comfortable!

Sewing an ice pack cover

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The finished product

At Millhopper Montessori School we strive to offer cutting edge technologies alongside our proven state of the art Montessori educational methods. This past summer we worked closely with two IT Professionals: Rory DeSimone and Lon Busby. Rory DeSimone has over 20 years of IT experience and is familiar with MMS, as she used to work here as the Technology Educator. Lon Busby is an IT Specialist who provides IT solutions to small businesses.

MMS needed someone with more in depth experience in networking and servers. Rory and Lon were able to work with Ms. Sylvia Aslanian and the excellent staff at MMS and bring some solutions to the classrooms. As a team, they were able to help with some efficiency that their computers can be cycled and prepped for the following year. They worked on some of the network configurations and reviewed several security settings. Backups and access to data were all reviewed. MMS has a management server that helps keep the work stations up to date. This was activated and tested to reduce the need for down time in the classrooms for updates. MMS has an active team of talented and dedicated people, including our newest addition to the school, Mr. Carter Johnson, who will be working on some future IT related projects at MMS.

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November 2014 Wednesday, November 5 Friday, November 7

Middle School ROPES Trip @ Camp McConnell

Monday, November 10

7th & 8th Grade Writing Assessment

Tuesday, November 11

Holiday – Veterans Day—NO school

Wednesday, November 12 Thursday, November 13 Wednesday, November 19

Spirit “Knight” @ Sonny’s BBQ 5:00-9:00 PM PTO Meeting – 6:00 PM – All Parents invited Ms. Elizabeth Falls’ Thanksgiving Feast

Friday, November 21

Little House Thanksgiving Feast

Monday, November 24 Friday, November 28

Thanksgiving Holidays

December 2014 Monday, December 1 Friday, December 5

Scholastic Book Fair

Wednesday, December 3

Spotlight Singers Vocal Ensemble – 3rd Annual Carols and Cocoa @ MMS Portico 4:00 PM

Monday, December 8

Middle School Spelling Bee 11:00-12:00 PM & 12:30-1:30 PM

Tuesday, December 9

Spotlight Singers Vocal Ensemble – Caroling in the Community @ MMS 10:00 AM @ Alz Place (Shands), Performance at 2:00 PM

Wednesday, December 17

Ms. Martha Dolan & Ms. Christina Eckstein’s Classes Holiday Sing Along @ MMS Big Room 10:00 AM-10:30 AM

Wednesday, December 17

Ms. Renee Brohamer & Ms. Elizabeth Falls’ Classes Holiday Sing Along @ MMS Big Room 11:30-12:00 PM

Friday, December 19

Ms. Crystal Sorrow’s Little House Craft Party 9:15-10:30 AM

Friday, December 19

1st-8th Grades Winter Holiday Show @ Abundant Grace Church: 12:30 PM - Students picked up and transported by parents to church. Students must arrive at church no later than 1:00 PM. Parents may then enjoy refreshments in lobby while students rehearse.

1:30 PM-2:30 PM – 1st-8th Graders perform Winter Holiday Show. *School day ends at 3:00 PM – no After School Programs available* Winter Holidays

Monday, December 22 Friday, January 2 PAGE

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