Upcoming Dates

Thurs. Dec 15                Bring in your canned fruit for IPM 

Wed., Dec. 21               Christmas Caroling/Family Advent Celebration  

                                     Pizza Dinner:  5:00 -5:45 p.m.

                                     Neighborhood Caroling 5:45 - 6:45 p.m.

                                     Family Advent Celebration 7:00 - 8:00 p.m. 

Dec. 22-Jan. 2               Christmas Vacation (NO SCHOOL)

Tues., Jan. 3                 Classes resume

Tues., Jan. 17                Middle School Information Night, 7:00 p.m.

Wed., Jan. 18                Lower Elementary Information Night, 7:00 p.m.

Thurs., Jan. 19               Upper Elementary Information Night, 7:00 p.m.   

 

Wed., December 21: Christmas Caroling

Come and enjoy a traditional evening of neighborhood caroling for you and your children. We will gather in the elementary atrium at 5:45, and then take our joy into the neighborhood as we sing carols to our neighbors. Then, we will complete our evening with our Family Advent Celebration in the church, expressing the joy of the anticipation of Christ's coming.

For pizza dinner reservations,

PLEASE RSVP TO NANCY TOON: 271-4171 or ntoon@gscmontessori.org 

 

Wed., December 21: Family Advent Celebration

New this year for the Advent Celebration will be a Nativity play with participation by the entire school student body.  The children will lead our celebration in the church with readings and songs appropriate for all ages. Students are encouraged to come dressed in costume as angels, shepherds, & stable animals (sheep, cows, donkey, horse, etc.)  There will be a procession into the church, and then at the appropriate time during the play, which will be marked on the program, those students in costume will join the production and act/mime their part, (no speaking roles required or desired).   Please know this is optional for the students.  Those who do not wish to play a role or dress in costume may stay seated and enjoy the event.  If you or your child has any questions, please contact Barb Blasch at bblasch@gscmontessori.org.

 

Come for the Family Celebration, or come for the entire evening!  

 

Wed., December 21: Christmas Clothing Day

All students are invited to wear out-of-uniform Christmas clothing on Wednesday, December 21 (our last day of school before Christmas break). However, there is a "cost". Any student who comes to school in Christmas clothing should be prepared to recite all or part (even just a small part!) of the gifts from the "Twelve Days of Christmas," either in song or simply recited. So here is a good excuse to start singing a fanciful Christmas song together!

 

12 Drummers Drumming
11 Pipers Piping
10 Lords a Leaping
9 Ladies Dancing
8 Maids a Milking
7 Swans a Swimming
6 Geese a Laying
5 Golden Rings
4 Calling Birds
3 French Hens
2 Turtle Doves
and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

 

By Donna Leopardi and Amy Scuglik, Lower Elementary Teachers

At the 2010 International Dyslexia Association Conference, Dr. Mary E. Dahlgren spoke about the latest research on best practices for teaching vocabulary and comprehension and the impact vocabulary development has on becoming a skilled reader. We walked away with so much, but most importantly, great ideas to implement in the classroom.

We are especially excited about easy things that parents can do at home to help your children develop their vocabulary and comprehension skills.

1. Read to your children! Research shows that children who read just 10 min. a day outside of school experience higher rates of vocabulary growth...which leads to better decoding and comprehension skills. Things to do when reading with your child:
• Reread books multiple times. Model how to reread to get information or to answer a question.
• Model how to think aloud, "I'm not getting it, I'm lost and I think I should reread, or "I will look back to find out what happened."
• Quickly describe words that your child may not understand as you are reading.
• Check for understanding. E.g. What happened on this page? If they can't answer, tell them and have them repeat it in their own words.
• Pick 3 or 4 words in the book or chapter to discuss.
• Write or post new words in your child's room. Have them draw a visual for each word, look the words up in the dictionary, make their own useful definition, and/or write their own sentences using the new words. (This can be done with picture books and posting words is great to do with younger siblings too.)
• Use the Dialogic Reading prompts when reading with your child.  
• Borrow taped texts from the library. Encourage your child to follow along with the text.
• If your child is already reading independently, also make time to read some of their book aloud to them. Read with expression. Then stop to explain, discuss, and check for understanding.
• Read aloud a wide variety of texts.
• Practice memorization of reading and spelling sight words with your children. The word the makes up 7% of text. Sight words make almost 50% of text. Look on Amazon.com for: Sight Words Parent Pack by Scholastic and 40 Sensational Sight Word Games by Novelli.
• Watch Educational or Science Shows with your child. Pick out key words to discuss and check for comprehension.       Have your child make their own visuals for new terms.
• Talk as much as you can with your child. Talk in the car. Take a walk and talk. Use fun "dress up" vocabulary at dinner time. "The aroma of the linguine is pleasant."         Model or have your child use their words that they chose from their book in conversation.
• Discuss word meanings of difficult words. It is great for them to encounter words multiple times way before they can even read them for themselves. When they do read them for themselves, decoding and comprehension will be much easier.