Good friends, Wyatt and Gio, working together

This week we had a very exciting presentation of Jack and the Beanstalk by Bits N Pieces Puppet Theater.  The children were captivated by the many twists and turns of this classic fairy tale.

The beanstalks in our garden are growing "up to the sky" and will soon produce beans.  We have also been exploring the history and traditions of the first Thanksgiving.  The children are learning about the long voyage, struggles and adventures of early settlers.  

It is amazing to hear the children express what they are thankful for; family, friends and candy bars are most popular!  

On Monday, we will share a special sampling of traditional Thanksgiving foods and look forward to this time together.  Thanks to Ms. Laura, Mallory's mom, for coming up with the idea and organizing this unique event and thanks to the many primary parents who are participating.

Gideon illustrated the story of Squanto in his journal

We have been busy discussing the First Thanksgiving!  Specifically, "The Three Sisters".  Many Native Americans planted what they called "The Three Sisters", corn, beans and squash.  These crops were often planted together.  Not only could "the sisters" be eaten fresh, but they could also be dried for future use and the corn could be ground into meal for making bread.

We also discussed the importance of the chief of the tribe and what characteristics he must have to be successful.  The children came up with several characteristics including: trustworthy, brave, honest, kind, compassionate, healthy, fit and more!  

We read a story about Chief Joseph who was the Nez Perce tribal leader.  He was a brave chief that led his people on a 1,800 mile journey to safety.  Towards the end of their journey, they were ambushed and he made the decision to save 418 of his people by surrendering himself.  He faced the soldiers and said these famous words, "I will fight no more forever."  The children then made their own booklet of the qualities of a leader.  Be sure to look for that coming home soon!

In Art this week we glazed the pottery vases we constructed using the pinch and coil method. Next week, we'll do the final coat and the finished products will be ready after firing. Ms. Ann and Ms. April are keeping some of our work for the May Art Show!

On Wednesday, we had a visitor from South Africa. Sharon Caldwell, the editor of Montessori Leadership spent the day at Beach Park and with Ms. Ann. She is hoping to feature our school in the magazine. She felt our school was a warm, inviting place that encouraged the children to interact and loved how we make use of our outdoor space.

The sewing machines in Upper El continue to get a workout every day. There are many and varied sewing projects happening. If your child expresses an interest, they are free to bring in fabric and a simple sewing pattern.

On Thursday, we read about Mesopotamia and the military ruler Sargon. Students located various places on a map of the region and then we made individualized stamps (seals) by carving in styrofoam. We can use these to sign our work as the Sumerians may have done to make an impression in clay as their personal signature.

In PE, Ms Laura set up stations in a circuit for specific exercises and Thanksgiving meal nutrition info.

Middle School is getting ready for their fall break! We have been working hard to finish our assignments and take off for our three days off.  

At Hubert Park on Monday we decided to get ahead to the holidays and create Christmas ornaments using clay and cookie cutters. Tuesday we had our physical science lesson on sound waves.

This week in Spanish we learned about prepositions and pasted Spanish words from magazines onto paper. We have all been looking forward to class Thanksgiving luncheon that we've been planning. The rest of the week should run smoothly and we wish everyone a happy Thanksgiving.   

LOWER ELEMENTARY: "The Animated Farm" was our weekly reading. This book was entertaining, colorful, and written in the form of riddles and rhymes. We all enjoyed the context of the storybook and it was a different way to review farm animals and their main characteristics.  Some students drew a farm with animals and labeled the pictures in Spanish. We also reviewed means of transportation and began to learn a song about vehicles and motions.

UPPER ELEMENTARY:  Seasons, Weather Expressions, and Seasonal Accessories were the written and conversational topics for the week. Students participated very well. On Friday, we wrapped up this unit by "packing up'' an imaginary suitcase with clothing that we would need to carry on a trip depending on the weather conditions of our destinations. (See photo.)

MIDDLE SCHOOL:  We cut and pasted our weekly vocabulary using pages from Spanish magazines. We completed a collective and an individual list of words (mainly nouns, adjectives, prepositions and verbs). We then used the acquired vocabulary to enrich our conversational phrases and sentences.

All the groups are progressing nicely and I am constantly impressed at their fluidity in conversational Spanish.

TRIVIA FACT:  The Andean Condor; once close to extinction due to aggressive hunting, is making a comeback in Venezuela. This majestic bird has a wingspan of up to 10 feet and is considered to be the world's largest flying bird.