Conferences being held the week of March 10. Make sure you have signed up with your child’s teacher. Sign up forms are in the classroom buildings. • Elementary Conferences are being held after school on March 10 & 11 • Parents of students who see Ms. Mary Sue ONLY should sign up for

conferences being held on Thursday, March 13 • Parents of students who see Ms. Dana ONLY should sign up for

conferences being held after school on March 10 & 11 • Parents of students who see Ms. Mary Sue AND Ms. Dana for

extended day should sign up for conferences being held after school on March 12

PABC is busy getting ready for our annual Spring Fling on Saturday, March 8. There are lots of donations for the balloons, raffles and auctions. Don’t forget to visit our Scholastic Book Fair on March 11, 12 & 13!

PABC is growing strong and benefiting by all the strong support received by both parents and staff. We thank all the parents and staff who have supported PABC so far with their time and effort. We continue to invite all parents and staff to be a part of our community by contributing their time or talents to this valuable initiative. PABC’s first ever “Kids Night Out,” was a tremendous success. The kids enjoyed having their own special “meeting” at school and they had so much fun eating pizza and popcorn and

laughing at Curious George’s silly antics. It was so gratifying to see our children of all ages, interacting and celebrating in a environment that each one calls their own. Thank you to Barb Denzien, Geoffrey Bishop, Iman Khan, Tracy Dudkiewicz, Alana Dresden and Rebecca Webber for chaperoning the event plus our own elementary student, Chloe Anderson! Look for our next “Kids Night Out” event coming in April.

As a donation to Spring Fling, PABC will give a free pass to

the next Kids Night Out! Spring is in the air… Well, is it? That of course is debatable, but our “Spring Fling” event is coming soon and we are all looking forward to supporting our school and relaxing with all our NCM family and friends. A lot of hard work and preparation has gone into planning our biggest fundraiser of the year and we wish to express a special thank you to our PABC Spring Fling committee: Michele Buscher, Missy Cleary, Heather Cobb, Ms. Deepa, Tracy

Dudkiewicz, Mr. Geoffrey, Becky Henderson, Dee Hoglund, Denise Johnson, Sherry Mathews, Talene Schierl and Rebecca Webber. Mark your calendars for another PABC event coming in May. Our first annual all school CAMPOUT night.

Issue 6: Sensorial The aim of the Sensorial materials is “the education and refinement of the senses: visual, tactile,

auditory, olfactory, gustatory, thermic, baric, stereognostic, and chromatic. This education is not undertaken so that the senses may function better; it is rather to assist the child in the development of his intelligence, which is dependent upon the organizing and categorizing of his sense perception into an inner mental order.”X The materials used to teach initially language, writing and reading, math, and the sciences are a natural progression from the Sensorial apparatus. The child builds upon the very concrete knowledge he or she has achieved through repeated manipulation of the Sensorial materials in order to progress to more abstract realms.

The Sensorial materials were carefully chosen by Dr. Montessori in order to lay a foundation for all the senses. The children are given basic presentations for use and allowed to create their own variations, as with any other material. The Pink Tower, pictured above in its usual first presentation, emphasizes building from largest to smallest. The child, left to work, will often make new discoveries such as the photo at the right.

Later, after work with the Brown Stairs, the child may experience

a moment of epiphany. Rather than focusing solely on the thickness or thinness of each step, the child may make an extension, realizing that they share a relationship with the Pink

Tower. The blocks used in the Pink Tower and Brown Stairs have the same sized cross sections. The Brown Stairs vary in height and width while the Pink Tower varies in height, width, and length. Amazingly enough, the Brown Stairs represent the squares of the number 1-10 (going from one centimeter up to ten) and the Pink Tower represents the cubes of the numbers one through ten (again in centimeters). Although the child only has a sensible appreciation of these properties, his repeated use of this material has afforded him a muscular memory for definite graduations of space, paving the way for mathematical understanding.

One of the first m a t e r i a l s introduced in the Sensorial area is the Red Rods.

This is a material used to refine the impression of long and short. It is directly related to the Red and Blue Rods used in mathematics in that they are both representative of the numbers one t h r o u g h t e n , varying in length from 10 cm to 100 cm. The only difference between the two materials is that the Red and Blue Rods are sectioned by color to demonstrate the progression of numbers.

The knobbed cylinders perfect the

child’s perceptions of dimension. The four different blocks and their corresponding colored, knobbless cylinders address variations by height, diameter, and combinations of those properties. This exercise is an excellent example of how the control of error works. The child will visually perceive whether or not he has fit the cylinders into their proper spaces.

The chromatic sense is refined through the

use of the color boxes. The child begins with matching pairs of blue, red, and yellow and then moves on to name them and learn the rest

of the color names in the same way. Eventually the child learns to grade the colors by their shade, darkest to lightest.

The child easily obtains a sensorial knowledge of geometry, first through the use of the two-dimensional geometric cabinet, and later with the 3-D geometric solids.

He even makes use of boxes of constructive triangles in order to explore the possibilities through his own fabrication.

The child develops his ability to discriminate temperature through use of the thermic bottles.

Sound discrimination is achieved in a variety of ways in the classroom. Matching pairs of c y l i n d e r s c o n t a i n i n g materials producing different sounds is one particular material for doing so. The Montessori Bells created specifically for the classroom is also another example.

The child in the classroom has Touch Boards covered with varying grades of sandpaper to use for refining a lightness of touch. He or she has tablets of various woods for developing his ability to discriminate between weights. A bag with small pairs of objects or shapes serves as a way to educate the child’s stereognostic sense—that is creating visual ideas of a mystery bag’s content based on touch alone. Experiences in the classroom at meals and on outings are used to demonstrate the subtleties of taste and smell. As you can see, the Sensorial area of the classroom is quite rich. This area is demonstrated here in depth due to the specifics of the materials. Other areas in the classroom are more to the educator’s discretion. Parents often find themselves strangers in the classroom. Hopefully these brief synopses will acquaint you with a few of the “furnishings” in your child’s day.

W

Lower Elementary Happenings

We have had some exciting times during these long winter weeks. Students are starting to create their own work plans and are encouraged to prioritize their work choices. The topics of respect and responsibility have filled some of our morning meetings. We have discussed the importance of home-school connections and fulfilling the responsibility of bringing materials and work back and forth in a timely matter. We are learning that meeting a deadline can be a challenge. Thank you to the parents that support and realize the importance of assisting their child in becoming responsible. Students continue to practice problem-solving skills when there is a disagreement with a community member. It is encouraging to see their conflict resolution skills developing at such a young age. During these cold and snowy times we discovered a wonderful miracle of nature outside our classroom window. There was a special icicle hanging down from the roof. It had a 120 degree angle to it. We took this opportunity to observe and think about this unusual shape. We discussed personification and students created a story about this icicle. We brainstormed how the icicle would feel, how it became crooked, and what the other icicles felt about the uniqueness of being crooked. The students wrote a rough draft and will peer and self-edit these stories. I look forward to sharing them at conferences. The younger members of our community continue to learn the location of the states, their capitals and the abbreviations. Students will have their finished United States maps ready to share at conferences. Older students are studying advanced landforms and discovering places on the Earth that they are located. Did you ever hear of a bight, estuary, archipelago, isthmus and oasis when you were in first through third

grades? It continues to amaze me the richness and depth of Montessori works. We are reading books by Cynthia Rylant. She is famous for her Poppleton books. She is the author of several children’s chapter books as well. We are really enjoying this opportunity to experience wonderful books with each other. The younger students are reading Frog and Toad and taking the first step to doing several activities with a chapter book.

The cold weather has not slowed down the excitement and learning during eco-lab. Bernie shared with us all about the time of the glaciers. Ali brought us all fun and fascinating facts about the life and times of the dreaded cockroach. Did you know that they can live 9-10 days without their heads!! That is because their brain is on their backs. They can also live several weeks without water, and many months without food. We had the opportunity to hold hissing cockroaches. Way to go to the brave souls that tried to hold one of the four cockroaches that we house here at Nature’s Classroom. Students created their own candy cockroach while learning about the parts of this creature and then had a tasty snack. The students simulated a game about how a baby wood cockroach acquires the bacteria in its stomach to digest wood. If you see a lower elementary student, ask them… I do not want to put it into print!! For another eco-lab, we dissected a pigeon. This was a first experience for many students. Most students held some of the internal parts of the bird in their gloved hands and learned many interesting facts about the workings of a bird. We learned that the cosmic task of that pigeon was to give its life to us to learn about birds. I was so impressed at how respectfully the students handled this opportunity.

Lower & Upper Elementary Community Happenings

It has been an exciting time diving into the election process. We learned several platform ideas from our visits to the Democratic and Republican headquarters. We visited a polling station the day before the primary and discovered all sorts of fascinating facts about the process of voting. Students voted on sample ballots and saw the machine that ballots go into. We saw a machine that voters with hearing or vision impairments use. Did you know that military absentee ballots can be counted up to seven days after an election? We also learned that if someone tries to vote twice, they can be charged with a felony and have their voting privileges revoked. We followed up the next day at Nature’s Classroom, holding our own mock primary. The students took turns performing various jobs. It was hectic moving around to three locations, but in the end, the number of voters matched the number of ballots. We had a high voter turnout.

Thank you to all the staff and parents that participated. It really created a heightened sense of accomplishment and interest to have so many of you participate. We will hold a mock election in the fall, so look for details to register and absentee vote. Any citizen of NCI that is in elementary or older may participate; therefore, any of you that are not United States citizens may vote in a Nature’s Classroom election!! The lower elementary have created a candidate support paper that will be shared at conferences. Thank you to all the parents that have been so involved in helping your child explore issues and for assisting them with the candidate research. Your support really enriches your child’s education. Thank you to Brian Gifford for providing an opportunity for our visiting students and staff to become involved in the election. Most of all, our appreciation goes out to all the parents and staff that supported our project by voting!! We hope to see EVERYONE at the polls next fall. Our results were: We had 74 out of 82 registered voters turn out for our mock primary. Thank you for participating and we hope to see you in the fall election!! The following are the results:

The Upper Elementary will be providing statistics in next month’ newsletter.

We have had an absolutely wonderful addition to our elementary community. Miss Deepa is now spending time with the elementary community. We feel very fortunate to be able to utilize her wonderful talents and knowledge. Miss Deepa always brings enrichment to a community and we are so thankful that she is sharing her time with us!! Welcome Miss Deepa!!!!!!!!!!

Democratic Results Obama- 35 Clinton- 12 Kucinich- 1

Republican Results McCain- 18 Huckabee- 5 Paul- 1

Write in candidate Trent Smith 1 over voted ballot

Upper Elementary News

This month for language we have been examining pronouns and have worked with singular & plural, first, second, & third person for the nominative, objective, and possessive case. We have looked at some wonderful, real literature examples of similes and metaphors, as well as continuing our Literature Circle units for Song of the

Trees, and Everyone Else’s Parents Said Yes. In math we finalized our divisibility study and started on some advanced work with fractions. In Geometry we have launched into our extended study of polygons, complete with a rope stretcher lesson from ancient Egypt, complemented by a visit from Mr. Geoffrey to share his experience with Egypt and the Nile River. We continue our in-depth study of North American Geography, Ancient Mesopotamia, and fabulous spineless creatures such as rotifers, mollusks, and

annelids. Brian has also visited our class to train us in growing wheat grass to be sold at Coffee & Scram, and to share with us the wonders of vermi-composting. We are excited to begin working with our own vermi-composting bin. The students quickly grasped the cyclical nature of this endeavor. In return for feeding them our Coffee & Scram grounds, along with the occasional banana peel, the worms will yield rich composted material to use in growing the wheat grass. What a fantastic example of a cyclical system. Eco-lab this month has been very informative. We had a fantastic time with Kevin learning about tools of early man. The students practiced a taking down game with throwing sticks, using a mortar & pestle to grind cat-tail fluff into flour, flint napping to make arrow heads, using a bow drill to start a fire, and, we even had the luck to visit Kevin’s weekend project, a snow, survival shelter call a quinzhee. Andrea filled us in on the history of photography, shutter speed, aperture, and composition. We all then took to the woods to take photographs to be auctioned off at the Spring Fling. We finished off the month with a squid dissection to accompany our study of invertebrates. This month we had the opportunity to spend a week at Nature’s Classroom Institute. It

was so much fun to be a guest in our own home! We were even lucky enough to experience a snow day stranded at school. The children attended many dynamic activities together such as Skin of the Earth (Soil), Trial of the Onceler, Lumberjack Louie, and No Relief (a simulation of the aftermath of a hurricane). The students also

had the opportunity to choose classes to attend from fantastic options such as Uh, Oh Organics, Pollination Domination, Dynamite, and It’s all Write. We all bonded together as a community and had the opportunity to meet new friends as we roomed and dined together. We were entertained and amused by the songs we sang and the games we played. The students got to experience a bitter/sweet ending: all happy to go home to their families, while also being sorry to see it end. We all have such respect, admiration, and appreciation for the fabulous staff of

eco-specialists here at Nature’s Classroom. We are truly lucky and thankful for their expertise, dedication, patience, and unfailing energy. So, just what is this crazy thing I’ve heard of called COSMIC EDUCATION? In the American Heritage Student Dictionary... Cosmic means

1.of or relating to the universe, or 2.infinitely extended, vast

Education means 1. the process of imparting or obtaining knowledge or skill, or the knowledge or skill obtained by such a process, learning

Together, Cosmic Education means, “learning the universe.” In the book titled Education for a New World by Maria Montessori, she writes, Education should no longer be mostly imparting of knowledge, but must take a new path, seeking the release of human potentialities.

In a Montessori elementary school, part of the prepared environment includes going from the broadest concept and then narrowing it down. First we look at similarities, and then we look at differences. When we begin our study of history, we look far back in the past and marvel at how humanity is defined by the Needs of Man. No matter when or where humans have lived they have met the same basic fundamental needs with human ingenuity. What do all humans need for survival? By looking at the

purpose, have a job, and have value. Maria Montessori illustrates this in Education for a New World (p. 20-21) Montessori wrote,

Observing closely, one sees the cow cropping the grass close to the roots, but never uprooting the plant; it is as if they knew that grass needs to be cut near the roots for development of underground stems, or it soon comes to fruition and dies. Again, grass is found to be of tremendous importance for the preservation of other vegetable forms of life, because grass knits together the loose grains of sand and soil, which otherwise the wind would carry away. Not only does it stabilize the ground, but it also fertilizes it, preparing the ground for other vegetation; such is the importance of grass in nature’s economy. But two things, besides cutting, are necessary to its upkeep; one is manure, the other rolling or pressure under a heavy weight. What agricultural machine can perform these three tasks better than the cow does? This marvelous machine moreover provides milk, besides assisting the growth of grass and the whole upkeep of earth. So the behavior of the cow seems designed for the purposes of nature, just as that of crows and vultures is designed for efficient service in another department, that of scavenging.

This fundamental difference makes Montessori so special. We tie peace into every aspect of the curriculum through this approach. This method is also what makes Nature’s Classroom unique among Montessori Schools. We hone and cultivate this natural respect for the world around us. Montessori pointed out that vast amounts of money are spent studying war, but very little goes into the study of peace. Furthermore, Maria Montessori saw the child as the root and catalyst for world peace. She realized that adults are ingrained with prejudices that are a function of their collective experience, while the child is an instrument of change. The Nazis and Fascists knew this and began their work with the child.

This education for a new world must regard humanity as bipedal, walking as an active explorer. Montessori states in Education for a New World (p. 47), Education must consider the walking man, who walks as an explorer; all children should walk in this way, guided by attraction, and here education can help the child by introducing him to the colors, the shapes and

forms of leaves, and the habits of insects, animals and birds. All these give point to his interest when he goes out, and the more he learns the more he walks. In itself walking is a complete exercise; there is no need of other gymnastic efforts, for this alone makes the child breathe and digest better than the advantages expected of sports. Beauty of body is built by walking and if the child finds something interesting to pick up and classify, or a trench to dig, or wood to be fetched for a fire, then these actions accompanying walking make the exercise complete. Sounds like Eco-lab to me! So in conclusion, Cosmic Education conveys the interrelatedness of the whole universe. Every living organism has a purpose, or a Cosmic Task. Worms aerate the soil, cows fertilize the soil as they graze, and vultures help to keep the earth clean. Humans alone can choose what work they want to contribute. Mankind has been given a special task as KEEPER OF THE EARTH. We hope to not only assist your child in their educational unfolding, but also to assist them in their own personal quest to find what their role is in this very important endeavor? What is your Cosmic Task?

~ Greetings from Mary Sue and Erin “One test of the correctness of educational procedure is the happiness of the child.” - Maria Montessori One of our friends was rolling her work rug and singing, another friend was skipping to her cubby and one of our six year old students looked at me and said, “I think our friends are happy today.” This is what makes a productive day: children happy to come to school and excited about learning! February was a month of celebration. We enjoyed our combined Chinese New Year festivities, Friendship Day (Valentines), and the 100th day of school. Thanks to all the families who contributed to our various festivity needs. Each contribution was utilized and appreciated! Another Celebration for March!

Celebrate Read Across America Day on Monday March 3, 2008. In May 1997, a small reading task force at National Education Association (NEA) came up with a big idea. "Let's create a day to celebrate reading," the group decided. "We hold pep rallies to get kids excited about football. We assemble to remember that Character Counts. Why don't we do something to get kids excited about reading? We'll call it 'NEA's Read Across America' and we'll celebrate it on Dr. Seuss's birthday." And so was born on March 2, 1998, the largest celebration of reading this country has ever seen.

Dr. Seuss changed the landscape of children’s books with his controlled-vocabulary tales of antic cats (The Cat in the Hat), colorful meals (Green Eggs and Ham), and dozens of other zany tales. When Dr. Seuss set out to write The Cat in the Hat, he wanted to write a story that used simple, mostly monosyllabic words that readers could readily comprehend. His use of the patterned, rhyming text has become the foundation for many controlled-vocabulary texts for young readers. We will be celebrating Read Across America Day and the legacy of Dr. Seuss on Monday March 3. The

environmental education staff of Nature’s Classroom will be joining our classroom to share their favorite Dr. Seuss tale with us, The Lorax. That’s not all-the day will be filled with Seuss-tastic fun! Connecting Home and School • We are learning much about the

continents and directions, make sure to include your children, of all ages, into the process of reading maps and locating destinations.

• Please practice the family address and phone numbers with your children. It is so important for them to know their personal geography and contact information.

• Keep low hooks for coats and clothing and easy places for the children to place their shoes. Independence is critical to developing self-esteem.

• Have the children contribute to family chores on a daily basis. Meaningful contribution is key to confidence.

• Have your children involved in meal planning and cooking. There is nothing that incorporates the whole child more than cooking: sensorial, math, chemistry, language, and service.

New Song for March both Children’s House classes are learning

Hi Ho the Rattlin’ Bog Hi Ho The Rattlin’ Bog, the bog down in the valley-o Hi Ho The Rattlin’ Bog, the bog down in the valley-o Now in that bog there was a tree A rare tree, a rattlin’ tree The tree was in the bog And the bog down in the valley-o Hi Ho The Rattlin’ Bog, the bog down in the valley-o Hi Ho The Rattlin’ Bog, the bog down in the valley-o Now on that tree there was a branch A rare branch, a rattlin’ branch The branch was on the tree And the tree was in the bog And the bog down in the valley-o Hi Ho The Rattlin’ Bog, the bog down in the valley-o Hi Ho The Rattlin’ Bog, the bog down in the valley-o Now on that branch there was a twig A rare twig, a rattlin’ twig The twig was on the branch And the branch was on the tree And the tree was in the bog And the bog down in the valley-o Hi Ho The Rattlin’ Bog, the bog down in the valley-o Hi Ho The Rattlin’ Bog, the bog down in the valley-o Now on that twig there was a nest... Now on that nest there was a bird... Now on that bird there was a feather... Now on that feather there was a flea...

Greetings from the Full Day Program with Ms. Wilma and Ms. Erin: The month of February started with many Valentine’s Day activities. The children made Valentine necklaces and we read a book about Valentine’s Day. We explored the reasons why we celebrate this holiday and then found out about other countries that celebrate this holiday. The children really enjoyed investigating the history of this lovely holiday. We also talked about birds and the kinds of food they eat during the winter. We made a birdfeeder to help the birds through this tough part of the year. We had a great time painting and decorating. In Spanish, we have been tracing shapes and instead of using scissors, we have been using the puncher to cut out the shapes. We learned how to play Spanish dominos and had a lot of fun.

Salutations From Ms. Dana and Ms. Wilma’s Children’s House Classroom The winter months have been full of tremendous growth and activity. The harsh weather has kept us indoors. Yet, we had a great amount of exciting things to do. We started February off with the Chinese New Year Celebration. Becky Henderson was our special guest speaker on Chinese New Year. She brought in several beautiful artifacts, photos, books and food. Our community of students created a variety of Chinese New Year inspired crafts. We discussed the significant of the celebration, the customs and traditions. At a Chinese New Year celebration people wear red clothes, decorate with poems on red paper, and give children "lucky money" in red envelopes. Red symbolizes fire, which according to legend can drive away bad luck. The fireworks that shower the festivities are rooted in a similar ancient custom. Long ago, people in China lit bamboo stalks, believing that the crackling flames would frighten evil spirits. 2008 is the year of the RAT. Those born in rat years tend to be leaders, pioneers, and conquerors. They are charming, passionate, charismatic, practical and hardworking. Legend has it that in ancient times, Buddha asked all the animals to meet him on Chinese New Year. Twelve came, and Buddha named a year after each one. He announced that the people born in each animal's year would have some of that animal's personality. Valentine’s Day was another fun filled celebration for us. Thanks to Michele Buscher, we decorated and ate heart-shaped sugar cookies and

exchanged love notes. We read about the historical aspects of Valentine’s Day and thought of ways to appropriately express our love to others. Lastly, Trefor Williams came to educate us on the Welsh National flag and the parts of the flag. Trefor informed us on the significance of the colors of the flag and the meaning behind the red dragon.

Welsh Flag Meaning: There are many legends, rumors and myths about the Welsh flag and none of them are official. It is believed the red

dragon represents ancient warriors. Welsh Flag History: The Welsh flag has officially been recognized as the national flag of Wales since 1959, but the red dragon has

been associated with Wales for hundreds of years. It is often claimed to be the oldest national flag still in use. The origin of the Welsh flag is now lost in history, rumors and myth, but a likely theory is that the Romans took the dragon emblem with them during their occupation of Britain, but it could be even older. The flag's green and white stripes were added by the House of Tudor, the Welsh dynasty that held the English throne from 1485 to 1603.

Personal hygiene is of great importance to us all. Basic skills can become routine with time and effort. Helping your child to have a healthy dental hygiene habit can be fun and simple. In our science area we focused on oral hygiene and the parts of the tooth. Recognizing the difference between a molar, incisor and canine tooth was challenging and fun. Here are some tips to encourage a healthy habit.

Small Children Your children need to learn good dental care from you. Set a good example by brushing and flossing your teeth with them. Help them brush and floss until they're 7 or 8 years old and can do it themselves. Here are some helpful hints. • Use a child-sized, soft toothbrush and a pea-sized amount of toothpaste with

fluoride. • Follow brushing basics for your child, but be extra gentle. • Make sure you brush your child's teeth for two minutes. • Make sure your child rinses and spits out the toothpaste. Don't let them swallow it. • Don't forget to floss. Make sure your child keeps these good habits. Don't let them drink too many sodas or sugary drinks - "too many" means more than one a day. Avoid giving your child soda as a regular drink with meals - it should be a treat. Drinking lots of soda is bad for your child's teeth and growth.

The Spring Fling auction item is ready! A darling, child-sized, summer patio table and chairs will be waiting for the highest bidder. We hope that you bid early and bid often.

Ms. Dana’s Classroom Wish List

Multi colored yarn Pencil sharpeners Buttons Paper lunch bags (white in color)

Salutations From Ms. Dana and Ms. Deepa’s Children’s House Extended Day Program

A Montessori education is active. Children learn by doing interest, involvement, concentration, and a continuity of effort in actively learning. Montessori education is developmental, not chronological. Students' needs change as they progress through the stages of life. A Montessori education is cooperative. Students are guided to perform at their highest level while respecting and celebrating the good work of others. At Nature’s Classroom we support the whole child and their unique development. Our chapter book this month is The Hobbit by J. R. R Tolkien. It is an enchanting story of tiny, furry-footed Bilbo Baggins and his adventures. While the adventure story is entertaining it is also an appreciation of the simple things in life—good and regular meals, comfortable homes, songs and traditions, and the joys of friendship. In The Hobbit an unlikely hero learns that courage, honesty, and imagination count far more than physical power. On February 19th we had our own adventure to the Milwaukee Public Art Museum. We took the Animals in Art tour. We paid close attention to the friendly animals and fantastic beasts from different cultures and times in paintings and sculptures. When asked, “What was your favorite part of the field trip to the art museum?” students replied:

“My favorite part of the field trip was the bottle cap thingy.” “I liked the big lake” (meaning Lake Michigan) “My favorite part was the car ride.” “I liked the porcupine.” “My favorite part was the WHOLE THING!” “I liked all the horses. Why did every picture have a horse in it?”

Dolch Sight Words of the Month In order to encourage and develop strong, confident readers I am suggesting that we make a bridge between the home/school environments by introducing some Dolch sight words. Sight Words make up approximately 50-750 of the words used in everyday reading (school books, newspapers, magazines, etc.). They are called "sight words" simply because in order to be a good reader, one must be able to name them "on sight.” This is a link to print out flash cards for the first grade Dolch sight words:

http://www.learningbooks.net/D3.html

In the outdoor education class we had a menagerie of small units. Ms. Erin supported the extended day students scientific exploration by exposing them to one of the tools used by scientists everywhere. The microscope. Each student had a language lesson on the parts of the microscope. Additionally Ms. Erin had some slides that the students closely examined by using the microscope. We then took a closer look at the function of teeth. A selection of skulls and live animals were available for

students to come up with a hypothesis of what kinds of foods an animal eats by looking at the structure of the teeth. We categorized the animals by the classification of herbivore, omnivore and carnivore. Lastly we explored the signs of spring. One of the first signs of spring is the migration of birds returning to our area. So we looked for birds, signs of birds and what kinds of birds that would return in spring.

about cut fall hold kind

bring done far hot laugh

better draw full hurt long

carry drink got if much

clean eight grow keep myself

Saludos desde la clase de espanol In our extended day class we are still working on the clothing unit. The children enjoy wearing our Guatemalan belts and our Mexican dresses and sombreros while they are doing independent work with the Spanish materials. The children are also enjoying having their small items on the Spanish shelf...things such as a woven bracelet, a miniature Mexican serape, etc.

They have also seen some pictures from various cultures and talk about where they are from, who wears the clothing and for what occasions. We also played a game called EL LOBO. Some children are playing in the forest while the wolf is getting dressed. He’s getting ready to come and chase them, so they have to be ready to run when he's all dressed. They REALLY like to play that game. La Ropa Esta es la camisa,camisa,camisa (This is the shirt, the shirt, the shirt...children point to shirt) quien trae camisa,camisa hoy? (Who’s wearing a shirt, a shirt today?) (Repeat verse with various articles of clothing:...children may point to themselves or others wearing the items) falda (skirt) zapatos (shoes) vestido (dress) In our elementary class we are having fun learning how to write new words in Spanish. The children have been creating a

bilingual book ring that has words that they would like to know in Spanish. ( They are really interested in learning new Spanish words.) We also had a fun day on Valentines Day. We learned new Spanish vocabulary focusing on Valentines. We played a game using Spanish words. We also started working on putting more vocabulary together by making short paragraphs about what they like or what they enjoy doing...then they will write it in Spanish. Its been a fun educational month in Spanish class!!!