November
NEWS
Monday Morning Montessori Language at Home
Receptive language: understanding what is said, written or signed - Loree Birkenback
head of school
Expressive language: speaking, writing or signing. Reading, writing, gesturing and speaking are all forms of language.
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he Monday Morning Montessori conference focused on ways to encourage and develop language in your home. You, as the parent, are the first and most vital component to surround your child with rich, language opportunities. I’m sure you began this journey with your child in the prenatal stages…by reading and singing to your baby. I’m also quite sure that the majority of you make reading to your growing child a daily priority. Some of the tips we shared were: center on techniques, works that can be easily made, and games to play that will enrich your child’s language experience. Here a just a few of the tips we covered.
It’s very important to teach children letter sounds along with the good ole alpha-
bet song. To hear the correct annunciation of the sounds of the alphabet, check out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-ns8tUIWP0
Introduce your child to lowercase letters rather than uppercase! We don’t teach uppercase until the child has a firm grasp on recognizing and writing lowercase letters.
Note how your child holds a crayon or
pencil. Are they choosing a dominant hand? If they cannot use a pincer grasp with their most dominant hand, it’s time to work with plah-doh, clothes pins, legos… to build those strong fingers. Once a child turns 3 ½ to 4 years of age, it’s extremely difficult to re-teach proper pencil grasp.
Toddler shelf
Music and Language
Note According
research reported by N.L. Davies in 2000, music changes brain waves and makes them more receptive to learning
MDO Happy November to everyone! It has been a great month. The children are continuing to grow and explore their environment more and more. Food preparation continues to be a big part of our day; most of the children have mastered slicing with a toddler knife. We have had extra practice slicing fruit for our guinea pigs – Tom and Jerry. Along with food preparation, singing and learning our ABC’s we still manage to find time for coloring and painting, counting in English and Spanish to round out our day. We hope that everyone will be able to join us for our Thanksgiving Feast on November 21 and November 22. You will be surprised to see Indians and Pilgrims; the children have been busy working on Pilgrim hats and Indian headdresses. We want the children to feel like they are a part of creating our Feast, so we will make cornbread together as a class. There is a signup sheet outside of the classroom with a list of ingredients that are needed for the bread.
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e have are working on
identifying the letter “A” and the letter “B”.
O
W
W
food for the White Rock
a wonderful Thanksgiv-
children are very fond
Center of Hope. There
ing. Mother’s Day Out
of the song and are
is a large wicker basket
will dismiss at 3 p.m.
constantly asking for it
by the front and back
on Tuesday, November
be sung again.
door for collections.
22nd, no ASC offered
ur theme song for this month is
“Ten Little Indians.” The
e are collecting non-perishable
We hope that everyone has
on this day and we will return on Monday, November 28th.
Toddlers making Grandparents Day cards
By Anna Bouldin & Charlotte Hixon Montessori Philosophy places an emphasis on the importance of relationships and social skills. Toddlers are just beginning to ‘relate’ to others in a social setting. They are becoming aware of the needs of others, not just their own. The ages of 18 months to 3 is a precious window of opportunity for parents and teachers to help guide children in their relationships. One way we acknowledge the children’s special connection to family is by inviting their grandparents into the classroom to share their Montessori school experience. Grandparents Day is a special day in the classroom! Grandparents experience the joy, growth, independence, maturity, and creativity of the children in the toddler community. Many that visit our classrooms are new to Montessori and are amazed at how peaceful the environment is and how much respect the children show each other and the classroom. They watch in amazement as their grandchildren move about the classroom with such dignity and grace. What more appropriate time than Thanksgiving to celebrate the gift of family.
L
is for Language
In language the students have been working on the sounds of the alphabet. After a student has learned most of the sounds of the alphabet, they start “reading” to the reading helpers. This allows them to continue practicing the sounds they have learned. With continued work in the classroom on the MOVABLE ALPHABET and other exercises from the language shelf the students continue to build a knowledge of letter sounds and putting those sounds together to make a word. The older students continue to do more advanced works from the language shelf as well as working more on handwriting and the control of the pencil.
Tip!
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he MOVABLE ALPHABET is a large flat box that has individual lower case letters in separate compartments. There are several cutouts of each letter; the vowels and the consonants contrast in color. The Movable letters allow the child to “write down” words as he or she determines each component sound. This series of exercises increases in difficulty from writing three letter words to writing stories. The students can start with the Movable Alphabet as soon as they learn the phonetic alphabet.
- barrineau
Notes for November The weather is finally getting cooler and we are getting close to the Thanksgiving festivities! We learned about the story of the Good Samaritan in chapel this week and the children are very excited about the idea of helping others who are in need. To put this idea into practice, we have been busy decorating place mats to take to the Dallas Life Foundation for their Thanksgiving Feast. The school is also collecting canned goods, blankets, and coats to share with the less fortunate and we look forward to seeing what the children bring to donate. Please note that our class will be representing the pilgrims at the Thanksgiving Feast next Friday, November 18th. There is a pattern in the mailbox on our classroom door that shows the design for the pilgrim hat that your child will wear to the Thanksgiving feast.
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anguage Notes “Language is the central point of difference between human species and all others. Language lies at the root of that transformation of the environment that we call civilization…Language is an instrument of collective thought...and grows with human thought.... Hence, language is truly the expression of a kind of super intelligence.”.....The Absorbent Mind, Maria Montessori.
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very work done in a Montessori classroom has an indirect aim for preparation for reading and writing.
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he children begin their language works at the age of 3 with the metal insets (preparation for writing), sand paper letters and sorting objects by sound. These works progress into reading, spelling and writing stories as the children grow older. Parents of our kindergartners might find some of these handwritten stories in their child’s kindergarten folders. Please don’t be alarmed if there are some misspelled words; remember that the children learn how to spell phonetically first and then they learn the spelling “rules.” Thank you so much! Julia/Tamara
Primary
classroom news
T The Montessori classroom is a language rich environment. Maria Montessori observed that the sensitive period for language is from birth to age six. During these years, children learn their primary language and have a greater ability to learn a second language than at any time in life. The primary classroom surrounds young children with lessons in language and phonics. Children are introduced to phonetic sounds using the sandpaper letters and moveable alphabet. Because children in a Montessori environment are taught letter sounds, they often begin to spell and write words before they begin to read. For example, a child in our class recently gathered acorns and observed them using a magnifying glass. He then asked if we would help him spell ‘acorns’ using the sandpaper letters. He was able to identify the sounds and find the appropriate letters! This alone was a great lesson in both oral and written language, however, he then asked, “where do acorns come from?” We headed to the St. James library and found a book about the life cycle of plants. After much reading and research, the child discovered that acorns fall from oak trees, are buried by small animals, sprout a tap root, and grow into a new tree! The child’s excitement and curiosity about acorns resulted in an amazing language experience! He learned to spell and write acorn, oak tree, and tap root. He also learned how to use library books to do simple research, answer questions, and learn new information. - Ms. Ashley and Ms. Elizabeth
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e have begun class-cooking projects each week and it is going so well! Last week we served roasted, balsamic sweet potatoes and this week we prepared mini pizzas on whole grain bread rounds. Thanks to all our snack families for your cooperation!
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lso we are looking for more reading parents! If you are interested, please contact us so we can schedule you in.We are so thankful for all your help and time that you give to our classroom. Tip!
Julia and Tamara
Bailey / Gavin Our classroom is filled with pink and white peonies, purple carnations and baskets of golden gourds, smooth and bumpy, round and elliptical, some with handles for picking up and some that fit just right in a small hand for scrubbing. We put all the ones that look like flowers together in a basket. We name them the “quatrefoil gourds”. Then we count the curves, are there four curves or more than four?
Yesterday
two
boys
exploded
into
“flower
arranging”! When all the vases were filled, each giant peony with stems cut “long” and “short”, to match the height of Tip! the vase, the hunt began for “vase invention”. Can this be a vase? “What do you think? Will it work? Is it a ‘cylinder’? Is it tall enough? Will it hold water? Will it fall over with the weight of the peony? Is the carnation lighter than the peony? Do you think the carnation might work in that small vase? We had to hang a completeTip! set of “nnnnn” handwriting work on the drying rack, splashed by not a falling vase but another’s “Pouring Work”. Oh my goodness! We must keep our sense of humor! This is Practical Life, Sensorial, Language, Math, and Cultural Life in the classroom with 25 different 3 to 6 year olds.
Bailey/Gavin cont..
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girl brought in a collection of Canadian coins for sorting and naming. We needed the magnifying glass to see the different designs on each one. What is a “pence”? Is that a goose or a loon? How do you write “loony”? Other words we are writing with the Movable Alphabet: clover, cucumber, dorsal fins, Tennessee, Spelling Words that start like “dr, gr, and tr”. We are reading our own sentences: “I like to dance,” “I want to make homemade applesauce”, “I made apple pie”.
T
hanksgiving is everywhere. We have a “Mayflower” stencil, A Pilgrim Hat and an Indian stencil. The children are decorating cards for their grandparents, we’re learning a finger play, “Grandma’s Hat”, and we hope to make Molasses cookies next week, our classroom “tradition”. What is a tradition?
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midst all of this the Number Rods and Cards are being laid out, the Spindle Boxes are filling up with just that many spindles, 9,873 Golden Beads are brought to the rug, counted and recorded on paper and the older students are exploding into Multiplication!
Chapel Lessons with Ms. Ashley
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hapel in November is one of my favorite times of the year! By this time the children have become familiar with the literature and procedure of the service. The Kindergarden students have beautifully moved into a leadership role in Chapel by performing their various tasks and chapel jobs. We have all been working hard to memorize The Lord’s Prayer. What an incredible foundation to prayer. Jesus himself said, “This, then, is how you should pray: “Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be your name....etc”” Matthew 6:9
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ovember is also a time that we get to introduce the wonderful Blessing of giving to others. We have shared the story of The Good Samaritan and encouraged the students to donate canned goods, coats, and blankets during this thanksgiving season. What better way to express our thanks than to give to those who are without. Please join with us in helping your child remember the importance of being thankful for what we have and being able to share with others. May your Thanksgiving holiday be filled with joy and peace from our God who gives us all we need and more.
Blessings, Ashley Flowers Christian Ed. Directer
T
he kindergarten students are preparing for the upcoming Art
Exhibit at Highlands Cafe. They are working on self portraits, drawing nature from photographs, and abstract art. This month, we have also learned about Pablo Picasso and how much his style of painting changed throughought his life. Pablo Picasso Born October 25, 1881, Malaga, Spain, Pablo Picasso, became one of the greatest and most influential artists of the 20th century and the creator (with Georges Braque) of Cubism. A painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramicist, and stage designer, Picasso was considered radical in his work.
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he Art Exhibit will be up for viewing at Highlands Cafe during the month of December. Highlands Cafe, 9661 Audelia Road, suite 105, 214-341-9661
Art
with Ms. Ashli
Technology with Ms. Ashli
We are learning
Hub Motor Axle USB Program
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he kindergartners are learning the basics of robotics using Lego “We Do� Robotics. We had our first lesson on the hub, motor, Axle, and programming software. They had so much fun working together in teams and are looking forward to building more complex robots.
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ith the Lego We do system, the students invent their own solution by building a LEGO model and programming it to perform a certain task. Cause and effect learning is enhanced by the models remaining tethered to a computer; similar to scientists in working labs, children can test and adjust their programming in real time. After reflecting on what did and did not work, students can consult with peers, adapt programming, adjust models or begin again.
After School Care I am really enjoying getting to know your children this year and I have a wonderful staff assisting me. Carmen Bear, Lindsey Tramel, Amanda Norsworthy are with me Monday thru Thursday and Yoli Salazar trades off with Lindsey for Friday. Do you ever wonder what your child does when they come to ASC? We start the day off with roll call and snack. We continue the healthy eating habits that you see in their classroom when they come to ASC. Each week I try to introduce something different, ask your child what they have for snack. We have discovered that some children absolutely love humus; you might have a new menu item to offer at home. Today’s menu – pasta w/ pesto and green beans. Primary children will play outside first until 4:30 and then the toddlers have outside time until 5:15ish. When the children are inside, we like to stay busy. The most popular activity for the primary has been our Turtle and the favorite item for Toddlers has been my homemade koolaide playdough. On Friday, we reverse the schedule with Toddlers playing outside first and Primary stay in to watch a movie. Then we switch and the Toddlers get to watch a movie. Last month’s favorite was “Max and Ruby Halloween Special”. If you ever need to extend your child’s day, drop in dates are available, but must be scheduled. Please contact the school office to receive for details. Reminder: We will not have ASC on Tuesday, November 22nd, as that is an early release day for the school. -Lisa Wilson
ThankYou A heartfelt thank you to everyone who helped make last year’s auction a success. The donated funds have enabled us to make some impressive additions to the campus that will be enjoyed for years to come.
What Christian Parents Should know about Baptism
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Written by, the Rev. Brendan Kimbrough
ll Protestant churches recognize the sacrament of baptism, for it is baptism that is the sign and the seal of a person’s entrance into the church and therefore the beginning of
the Christian life. Yet it can be common for parents to have some questions about it -- What exactly is baptism? How is it performed, why is it done and should a parent wait until a child can make a faith decision themselves before having their child baptized? As an Episcopal priest let me first say that if you have questions, please speak to your pastor. Fr. Clif Gardner and I are available to answer any questions you might have about baptism. What follows is a short article which I hope you’ll find helpful.
Fr. Brendan
What is the meaning of Baptism? Whether an adult or a child is baptized, he or she is obeying a command made almost two-thousand years ago. Jesus instituted baptism when he told his disciples to make other disciples and baptize them (Matt 28:19). And they took Jesus at his word because when in the opening chapters of Acts Peter preached his first sermon, 3,000 people believed and immediately the disciples started to baptize them. We baptize infants with water because water symbolizes a spiritual cleansing. In our baptismal service the parents of the baptized and all those assembled affirm baptism as a means of grace which imparts the spiritual blessing of God’s favor on the baptized.
cont... Grace is imparted by the Holy Spirit and during the service we pray that the newly baptized might be cleansed of sin and born into a relationship with Jesus Christ forever. We use the words of Paul saying that, “You were buried with him [Christ] in his death. By it you share in his resurrection.” One can picture someone going down into the water as symbolically being buried and then once cleansed by water being raised out of the depths into the new life that only Jesus imparts.
How is it performed?
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n almost all Protestant denominations baptism takes place on a Sunday during a regular service. As a general practice, churches do not perform private baptisms. The pastor or priest present officiates, and at St.
James we follow Holy Baptism in the Book of Common Prayer. The Candidates and their parents and godparents are presented, the water in the baptismal font or chrism is blessed (consecrated) and the sponsors of the baptized signify their intention to support the baptized through prayer and example of life. Then after the Baptismal Covenant is said by all present, the child or adult is baptized. In our case we tend to pour the water, but whether or not the baptism involves pouring, sprinkling or immersing someone, the method doesn’t really matter. All ways are appropriate as long as water is used.
Should a parent wait until their child is old enough to make up their own mind about baptism?
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enerally no, but some Protestant denominations hold to a Baptistic confession of faith, namely, that baptism is appropriately administered only to those who give a believable profession of faith in Jesus Christ.
This is sometimes referred to as believer’s baptism because the person is said to have given reasonable evidence of belief in Christ before they are allowed to be baptized. However the Roman Catholic, Episcopal, Methodist, Lutheran and Reformed (Presbyterian) denominations all baptize infants, as do some Bible churches. As Episcopalians, we believe not only in the necessity of infant baptism but we see infants of believing Christians to be part of the “covenant community” of God’s people. There are practical and biblical reasons for this.
cont... Practically, it is reasonable to assume that children brought up in Christian homes will not only be formed spiritually by the parents, but biblically we see baptism as the New Testament counterpart to circumcision, which was administered to infants. Furthermore, we see ample evidence of the early church baptizing infants in what was described as “household� baptisms. (Acts 16:15 and 1 Cor.1:16.) That being said, while we would strongly encourage all infants of believing parents to be baptized as soon as possible, we do respect the practice of other denominations.
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aptism therefore is the means by which a person enters into the life of the church and in the Anglican/Episcopal tradition baptism is rightly administered to all infant children of believing
parents. If you do not have a church you are regularly attending and have an unbaptized child, I encourage you to speak to priest or pastor about it soon.
Are there any good sources for further in-depth reading? Yes, check out the following: Infant Baptism by John P. Sartelle Online articles: Directory of Theology: Baptism Baptism by Francis Shaeffer
pamphlet available here
Upcoming Events
November october November 18th 20th Thanksgiving Feast
Oct 31
Halloween Parties Noon Dismissal November 22nd
Grandparents Day - 11:00 am dismissal November 23rd - 27th Thanksgiving Holidays