• serve toddlers ages 18-36 months
• be available for 3 or 5 mornings a week, or 3 or 5 full-days per week
• provide high-quality, authentic Montessori approach, materials, and activities for these younger members of our community.

Silvia sang The Lantern song (Laterne Laterne) at closing circle to end our day-long observance.
 
 

This past week the children have been extending their art lessons making free standing linked cardboard sculpture with squares, rectangles, and other shapes. Then the children connect them together using cut lines only.  They have also been t drawing lines and connecting the line into shapes. Watercolors are then used to fill in the shapes.

• Let your child carry their coats, bag lunch etc. themselves at pick-up and drop- off time.
• Make sure they have appropriate winter clothing ...have them get it ready the night before to make the morning routine easier.

• the parts of a frog ( 1sts)
• the functions of a fish vs. an amphibian (2nds)
• Pisces ( not the astrological sign!) ( 3rds )

MISSING:  Black Bog boots; name inside: Ian Doherty  If these boots have accidentally found their way to your home, please return them to their owner!  Thank you.   

The Upper Elementary was fortunate to have two of our parents, Gail Greenleaf and Sara Coffey, come in to kick off the Dorothy Canfield Fisher (DCF) book reading project. Their presentation inspired great interest among the students, who were later buzzing with discussion about favorite books. This is a program in which students choose to read from a set list of thirty leading new books. Those who have read at least six by next spring can participate in voting on the top pick of students in the region for the year. We extend an enormous thanks to Gail and Sara for their great presentation, energy, and supplying us with the books!

Our classroom has been humming this week as students work on the second major research project of the semester, finish up other recent projects, and continue their more routine studies. The sixths made presentations on the nitrogen, carbon and rock cycles. They tested home soil samples for pH; nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium; color; and texture. They are also writing scripts about the three branches of government. (After our recent lesson on how a bill becomes a law, Sheridan has been perusing the 255-page speech Bernie Sanders delivered in his 2010 filibuster!)

Fifth years are doing portraits to accompany research on a hero of their choice, while transforming a detailed essay organizer into a full, five-paragraph essay. Seeing their growth in paragraph writing over the past two months is extremely rewarding for Tom and Jen (as is the chance for us to learn about less-familiar figures in history!). All students are considering what they'll create to accompany their cultural research topics for the December museum. Many are finding inspiration from the wealth of projects introduced by Dan in art class, now scheduled twice a week.

Fourth and Fifth students will visiting the Boston Museum of Fine Arts next Thursday to view exhibits on ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome. We will be departing school at 8:00 a.m. and returning between 5:00 and 5:30 p.m. Thanks in advance to our many parent drivers.

We have all shifted to the second literature and seminar book of the year. The sixths had started the year with Seedfolk and are now reading about the life of a migrant worker child in the autobiographical book, Circuit. Fourths and Fifths have moved on from Long Way from Chicago and The Golden Goblet to either Number the Stars or The Cay. (When we can no longer obtain the same edition that we store in the class, we know we have an old gem!)

We continued our work and education from last week's Youth Environmental Summit with a local roundtable dialogue with area environmental activists. The roundtable took place at the River Garden right in the center of Brattleboro. Our guests were Guy Payne from the Sustainable Energy Outreach Network, Paul Cameron from Brattleboro Climate Protection, Katherine Gillespie from Food Connects, Tim Stevenson from Post Oil Solutions, and Dr. Ralph Meima from Project Atlantic. After a time of introductions and an explanation of what inspired each person to dedicate themselves to the challenges of climate change, students continued the conversation with the questions they prepared from the research they conducted prior to the roundtable. The topics discussed were varied and provocative. We talked about European models of non carbon energy independence that were far ahead of us due to our lack of political will, we talked about how economic disparity impacts climate change, we talked about how every positive action we take, no matter how small, is important and useful. Perhaps one of the most powerful and provoking comments of the day came from Guy Payne when he said, "every decision we make is an energy related question".

Here is a selection of student reflections from that day:

           "There were parts that made me feel depressed but at the same time happy. Like when Ralph Meima talked about what they are doing in Sweden with taxing carbon. I thought it was such a cool idea! But then he said how it would be so hard to do that here. I felt sad but also motivated to find a way to make something like that possible here."   Sophie Lurz

            "I thought it was really amazing to see how the people motivated and get started. When I came home from school today, I grabbed a bucket and said that this was going to be our new composting bucket." Bella Bonneau

            "I really enjoyed being able to actually discuss what was going on and how to change, rather than being told what is wrong. Now I really want to do something and know I can do it rather than feeling like it is hopeless. Many people know what's happening, but they think someone else will do it or they are too small and insignificant to help. I learned that anyone can help and that I have to help. It is not an option." Elery Loggia

            "This discussion inspired me to become more active as an individual, school, and community level. I hope the discussion we had today inspired everyone in the class to be more conscious in their decision making and take steps towards a better future." Izzy Snyder