VOL: 009 MARCH 2015
looking back
at the milestones crossed & memories made
thefreethinkingschool.com
the month that was - february on the 13th of february the children went on a shopping spree to “heritage”. their young minds comprehended that a whole lot of preparation was necessary for the task. they all got down to making individual shopping lists, based on the items required to make a fruit salad later. at the supermarket miss kasturi introduced the children to different sections of the shop such as soaps & detergents, grains, milk products, domestic items, biscuits, chocolates, fruits, vegetables and so on. they felt great pride in being able to select the items on their own, to see it being weighed and to pay for it in cash. upon their return they washed and chopped the fruits and vegetables to make a big bowl of salad. at the end of a hard day’s work, they all enjoyed a well deserved tasty treat. when the world celebrated valentine’s day, small hands went to work to weave together hearts for their valentine. who were none other than their parents or grand-parents. they were very happy to present their hearts along with their potted plants to their valentines. on the 20th of february 2015 tfs celebrated its annual day. parents were invited on a jungle safari into a forest filled with all sorts of wild creatures. parents had plenty of fun in this not so treacherous forest. they decorated the place with origami animal creations made by them at home. they also had fun making animal bandannas and delighted their children by wearing them throughout the programme. after having practiced long and hard for over a month, our children dressed in animal clothing, were eager to entertain their parents and grand-parents by singing and dancing for them. parents were very surprised by the fact that their children could perform so fearlessly on stage. our chief guest, dr. robert antony encouraged us as parents to steal a few moments from time that seems to be fleeting away from us and spend it with our children doing things together that will create lasting memories. he also stressed the need for parents to boost our children's moral rather than compare them with others. dr. robert later distributed certificates to the graduating batch for successfully completing another academic year. on hindsight it was an event that was both entertaining and educative all rolled into one.
2
classroom highlights in february when spring was in the air, we introduced the plant kingdom to the children. during the planting project conducted, children stepped into the shoes of a farmer, even though they cultivated their crop in a paper cup. they enjoyed planting the seeds, watering them everyday and eagerly anticipated the first sighting of their saplings. some of the lucky farmers were able to yield a plentiful crop. they all watched in amazement as the miracle of germination took place before their very eyes. varsha d hod - montessori
for those students who will be leaving us shortly, the freethinking school bids you a tearful adieu and
a blessing lord, please bless each of our students, watch over them as they grow, we wish them the very best that life has in store. we offer up a prayerfor good health, happiness, serenity and an ever-inquisitive mind to free-think forever and for all eternity. lord, hold their hand and lead the way, keep them safe by night or day. teach them to know right from wrong, help them always to be strong. thanks to the parents for their support, in word, in deed and in both, grant them your wisdom to lead, so their little one may follow, down the road of righteousness tomorrow. sandy philip directress
3
birthdays in march
6th march neil
10th march mohammad affan
31st March satvik
summer birthdays
20th april malhar
13th may anirudh
21st may dharshini
mark your calendars class photo - (friday) 6th march (children to wear their grey school t-shirt) parent teacher meeting – (friday) 13th march 9.00am to 11.00am carnival - (saturday) 21st march summer fest - (monday 30th march - wednesday 15th april 2015) 4
sounds of the week 2nd march to 6th march: “b” 9th march to 13th march: “f” 16th march to 20th march: “d”
as in bat, ball brick as in fat, fan, fun as in den, dig, drum
announcements *parents of students who wish to continue with us in the academic year 2015-16 may reconfirm your registration at the office before the last working day march 21st. parents please ensure that the library books borrowed from the school are returned before the 13th of march.
fun facts about plants * an average size tree can provide enough wood to make 170,100 pencils! * the first type of aspirin, pain killer and fever reducer came from a the tree bark of a willow tree ! * 85% of plant life is found in the ocean! * bananas contain a natural chemical which can make people feel happy ! * the amazon rainforest produces half the world’s oxygen supply ! * cricket bats are made of a tree called willow an dbaseball bats are made out of wood hickory tree ! * dendrochronology is the science of calculating a tree’s age by its rings ! * caffeine serves the function of a pesticide in a coffee plant ! * apple is 25% air, that is why it floats on water ! * peaches, pears, apricots, quinces, strawberries, and apples are members of the rose family !
5
parent resource "a" is for apple: what kids can learn at the grocery store while grocery shopping with children can sometimes be stressful, there are ways of turning this regular outing into an opportunity for interaction, conversation, and fun! there is a lot to see and do at the grocery store, and by making use of some strategies, both children and parents can enjoy themselves a lot more. here are some ideas to get you started: before you go shopping... make a list. making a list with your child is an excellent way to introduce your child to the vocabulary related to shopping as well as to printed material. both will encourage your child’s early literacy skills. younger children can make a list by pasting cut-outs from grocery store flyers or old packaging/labels onto their list. you can print the name of the item underneath and point to the word while you read it to your child. older children can print their own list, or draw pictures of the items to buy. read a recipe. sometimes looking at a recipe for a favourite dish together can motivate a child to go shopping for the ingredients. some children’s cookbooks have ingredients with pictures to help children “read” the recipe prepare your child for the visit. explain to your child that you will be going to the grocery store. take a photo of your local grocery store ahead of time or download one from the internet. you can show this picture to your child when you explain the upcoming trip to help him better understand where you are going. if your child is reluctant to go shopping, try showing him a picture of something fun that will happen afterwards (for example, point to a picture that was taken at grandma’s house and say, “first we will go shopping, then we will go to grandma’s house!”). time it well. try to avoid grocery shopping at meal times or nap times. tired, hungry children are not good shoppers! also, if you avoid shopping at peak hours, your shopping trip will go faster and you will not have to wait in long line ups – two other factors which will make the trip more enjoyable for your child. while you shop... actively listening to your child while you shop can spark interesting conversations about what your child sees, smells, feels, and hears. follow your child’s lead. observe what your child is interested in. wait for your child to point out something to you, then talk about it with your child. actively listening to your child while you shop can spark interesting conversations about what your child sees, smells, feels, and hears. add language. the grocery store provides endless opportunities to add language that will expand your child’s vocabulary and understanding. you can emphasize important and interesting words that describe your child’s interests. for example, if your child wants to buy cheese, you can say things like “okay. going to get a pack of cheese”, or draw attention to the different sizes of cheese packages, emphasizing which ones are small or big. you can also comment on what your child is experiencing. 6
(continued on the next page)
(parent resource continued...)
for example, if your child shivers in the freezer aisle, that’s a good time to talk about how cold it is, saying things like “it’s freezing here!”, “you’re shivering”, or “this is the coldest part of the store”. refer to the shopping list. let your child hold his list and look for those items. not only will this keep your child busy, but it will encourage your child’s matching skills as he tries to match the picture on his list to the real-life item. this can also be done with coupons (match the image on the coupon to the real item). he can also cross out the items on the list once you put them in the cart. you can stimulate your child’s early literacy by pointing out print in the grocery store. you can point out the numbers and wording on the aisle signage by pointing up and asking “let’s look for aisle 6. we need to find the cereal”. you can point to the price tag while you read an item’s price. packaging offers wonderful examples of print in different eye-catching colours and sizes, as well as images that correspond to the printed material. hold up a product you are about to put in the cart and point to the letters on the package while you read the word. for example, if you are holding a box of cornflakes, you can point to the word “cornflakes” while saying “this word says cornflakes.” you could also point out that they put a corn picture on the box instead of just writing corn. this will draw your child’s attention to the print. let your child get involved. when adults go grocery shopping, they are constantly touching, smelling, squeezing, shaking, and looking at the items in the store. it is impossible to shop without your senses! whenever possible, allow your child to use his senses to experience the grocery store. this will motivate your child and spark new conversations. allow your child to touch products that don’t easily bruise or break (eg. cereal boxes, apples, packages of cheese, etc). let him pick out items, put them in baggies, and into your cart. be sure to talk about what your child sees and touches. when you get home... let your child help you put away the groceries. this provides a good opportunity to repeat words that you may have emphasized at the store, and also to add other ideas. for example, you can emphasize location words by talking about where the items go (in the cupboard, on the shelf, in the freezer, up high, down low, beside the cereal, under the sink, etc). this also provides you with another opportunity to point out the print on the package labels. set up a pretend grocery store. children often pretend about things they have experienced first-hand. therefore, your recent trip to the grocery store might spark a new pretend theme for your child. keep empty boxes and packages, grocery store flyers, and coupons so you can set up a pretend grocery store at home. give your child a small basket or bag to fill with their “groceries”. you can make pretend money out of paper, or use money from games like monopoly. you can make signs with your child using cut outs from flyers and print the name of the item on the sign. you can make pretend grocery lists too . grocery shopping with your child might involve a little extra planning, and the shopping might take a little longer, but it is well worth it given the benefits your child will gain from his exposure to print, new vocabulary and conversation. by lauren lowry, clinical writer
7
log on to www.facebook.com/thefreethinkingschool to engage in conversations that enable SMART PARENTING.
080 2553 3446 / 88613 03631 learn@thefreethinkingschool.com
thefreethinkingschool.com