August 2014 Newsletter headers
1. Classroom highlights
VOL: 005
2. Birthdays
NOVEMBER 2014
3. Fun facts 4. Mark your calendars 5. Sound of the week 6. Wish list - to parents 7.Announcements 8. Parent resource
**The month that was -July 2014
celebrating diwali the season of sweets and lights thefreethinkingschool.com
the month that was-october on the 18th of october we had our second parent teacher meeting (ptm) and report card day. we were happy to have received valuable feedback and suggestions from parents. with this regard we wish to inform you, that measures will be taken to implement some of these suggestions with immediate effect. please keep your suggestions coming! we hope we answered all the questions relating to the school and your children. if you have any further queries please do not hesitate to contact us.
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classroom highlights in october, we learned about “both (amphi) - life (bios)� animals called the amphibians. children made their own life cycle of a frog by pin pushing each stage and sticking it on yarn. painting the toad with mud was the highlight of the unit. the children can now differentiate between frog and toad. they are also trying their best to retain names of other animals in the amphibian family like salamander and caecilian. diwali was celebrated by painting colourful diyas and making chocolate pedas. children had great fun making their own pedas and especially when they got to hide gems inside it. they were proud to take home their beautiful diyas and mouthwatering pedas. in november, we will be talking about the only living creature that can fly -"birds!" children are getting more confident in the dance class every day. they are learning freestyle dance, bollywood style, to the song " batameez dill". everybody is enjoying it thoroughly. as always– please continue your support in making 'sharing-days' a success. thursdays and fridays of every week are sharing days. to make sharing more fun please send articles in a brown bag or an opaque bag with some clues written on the bag. encourage the child to make his or her own clues. the class will then try to guess what's in the bag with the help of your clues. -meenal goyal hod - montessori
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fun facts it would be a shame to let these happy golden years of parenting pass you by without spending quality time together with your little ones. we all want to create unforgettable memories that will last a lifetime. however understandably so after you've run out of your usual store of activities, boredom sets in. here are some inexpensive suggestions that you might want to try: 1. bird watching
bright colours, delicate movements and the ability to defy gravity — it's no wonder that birds fascinate kids and adults alike. make a bird feeder with your child to attract these fanciful creatures to your backyard/ balcony. rinse and dry an empty, plastic snack box and tie a string or wire around the side of the container. fill the inside with birdseed and hang it outside your window. that way you don't have to worry about cleaning up after them. then grab a book on birds, and sit and enjoy the view. help your child look up different types of birds and read about them so you can both identify which birds are visiting your homemade bird "restaurant."
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2. sand cities
think you need a beach to make a sand castle? not necessarily. grab the buckets and toys and go to a local park that offers sand. while your child digs out roads and lakes, you can help assemble the buildings. 3. food art
get creative and turn nature's bounty into a work of art,cut up carrots, tomatoes, coriander or other fruits and vegetables, and help your child arrange the food into pictures on a large plate. the two of you can create a clown, train, or a beautiful piece of abstract art. you can use pepper corns for eyes, round crackers for wheels, slices of cheese as windows — the possibilities are endless. and then the real fun begins: eating your masterpiece! 4 cloud watching
grab a blanket, lie on your back in the back yard or on your terrace and watch as the clouds float above, morphing into all kinds of interesting shapes. be sure to get your child talking about what he's noticing, and compare notes: where your child sees a pony, you may see a whale. feel free to get silly. 5. shake, rattle, and roll
it's a no-brainer, simply turn on the music and move! it's one activity that's guaranteed to get you all in splits of laughter.you and your child can jam to the funky chicken or even to batameez dill making up your own moves in tune with the beat. there's plenty of other activities that are inexpensive and interesting as well. however the hardest part is the resolution to set aside time to indulge our children in worthwhile activities. our children are our greatest investment. they most definitely deserve a portion of our time.
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birthdays in october
reyansh agarwal – 12 - 11 - 2010
harsha s gowda – 25 - 11 - 2010
mark your calendars 4th nov – mohram 14th nov – children’s day celebration -picnic we are going on our first field trip to the gerry martin farm on the 14th of november to celebrate children’s day. it will be a fun-filled, educational, field trip where children will get to pet and feed domesticated animals. we have been talking about these animals in the classroom and now they will actually be able to see, touch and feel them. the drop off time to school will be as usual at 9am and pick up time from school will be 1pm. we have hired a 14 – seater tempo traveller to transport our children and they will be accompanied by our staff. kindly send a healthy snack and ensure that your ward is dressed in his/her grey school t-shirt.
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sounds of the week
we are also continuing with the “sounds of the week”. here are the sounds we will focus on in class during the next 4 weeks. nov 3-7 nov 10-14 nov 17-21 nov 24-28
“j” as in jet, jam, jug “k” as in kite, kitten, kangaroo “w” as in watch, water “o” as in orange, octopus
wish list to parents
to promote reading for joy from a tender young age we will be celebrating national library week (nlw) from 10th to the 13th of november 2014. parents we request your voluntary participation in this programme. we would like for you to come over during circle time to read our kids a story of your choice. you can choose between a morning or afternoon slot. sign up quickly parents, for there are only 8 time slots!
announcements
we are happy to announce the opening of the tfs lending library. each child will be issued a book for the duration of a week. there are no charges for using the library. however, in order to ensure that the books are in circulation, a late fee of rs. 10 per day will be applicable if the book is not returned on time. if a child loses a book we just ask that you replace it with the same book or purchase a book from our wish list.
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parent resource learning to observe your child and follow their lead
as parents we often feel the need to direct our children, but montessori believed we should follow them instead. how much time do you spend watching your child? i don't mean watching half-heartedly while you are doing something else. i mean focusing your attention completely on your child for an extended period. there is no better way to begin using montessori's principles in your home than by sitting back and observing what your child is looking at, what he says, and what he does. children have so much to teach us about their needs and interests if we will only take the time to pay attention.
how to observe?
you may want to keep a journal in which you can make notes and keep a record of your observations. regularly set aside some time to observe you child. sit somewhere comfortable close to him so that you can easily see and hear him and any other children with whom he is playing. make notes every so often about what you see. over time, your notes will form an interesting record of your child's behavior at different ages, as well as helping you to notice if a pattern of behavior is emerging at a particular time. try to interpret what your child's behavior means. when you notice that your child displays an interest in something new, try, without overwhelming him, to nurture it. think about ways to introduce some new activities that will appeal to your child's activities and achievements.
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what to observe?
remember, the only thing that you can count on day after day with children is that, as they grow, their preferences, interests, and abilities change in unpredictable ways. every time you observe your child, try to forget about previous experiences or perceptions and focus on what is really happening right now. while your child is playing, notice which toys he selects. how does he use them? does he tend to play alone, or with others? do you notice any patterns over time? watch how your child moves about the house. does he move from place to place quietly, moving gracefully, or does he race about? is there a room in your home that your child prefers to be in? what seems to attract him to that room? when eating, note what your child most enjoys. can he drink without spilling and use a fork and spoon appropriately and with good eye-hand coordination? how does your child behave at mealtimes? is this a time when he likes to talk about his day? as you observe, think twice before you interfere with your child's activity. your goal in this exercise is to learn from what he is doing, not to keep jumping up and correcting him.
by tim seldin
president,the montessori foundation chair, the international montessori council
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