Thursday, September 30, 2021

September 27- October 1


 Community Time

On Day 2 of our six day cycle, we come together to celebrate community and diversity. 
Our community focus this month is Hispanic Americans.
we celebrated with a Latinx dance party.





Montessori Practical Life Lessons

Practical life in Montessori is purposeful activity that develops motor control and coordination. It helps a child to develop independence, concentration and a sense of responsibility for their world.  The Practical life lessons cover two main areas of development: care of self, and care of the environment.

Lucas is practicing spooning.


Kharli is practicing spooning.


Ian is exercising his pincer grasp by transferring bingo chips by hand.

Avery is practicing spooning.


Dara is working on dry pouring.


Max is practicing spooning.


Harper is working on pouring.


Jaxn is exercising his pincer grasp by transferring marbles by hand.


Henry is practicing spooning.


Ellie is practicing spooning.

Da'Vina is practicing spooning.

Nolan is practicing spooning.


In Nursery 3, we begin to understand the concept of taking turns with toys, materials or playground equipment.  We learn about the feelings of others and how to respond to them. These skills helps us to build future friendships.





SAFETY DRILLS
We will practice safety drills with the entire school throughout the course of the school year.  Prior to the drills there is a lot of conversation about the drill and what we do with ourselves to keep us safe.  We had our first fire drill and lock down drill this month.  As a class we talked about how practicing keeps us safe and helps us to know what to do in the event that there was ever an emergency.  The children did a fantastic job!


Reminders:
  • Blessing of the Animals is on Monday at 8:15 AM with Rev. Art Tung. Remember:

    • Pets will not be brought into the building. Family members should plan to take pets home after the blessing. 

    • Masks must be worn at all times and observe social distancing. 

    • Pets must be on a leash or in a carrier, and we ask that you bring a plastic bag in case "nature calls." 

    • If a student does not have a pet or s/he cannot bring the pet to school, s/he can bring a picture of the pet or a stuffed animal.   

    • If the event cannot be held due to inclement weather, families will be notified via the AMG Alert text message system. We will not reschedule the event. 

  • Photography day next Friday 10/8. A photographer will be here to take pictures of the students in action throughout the day.  All students should wear their regular uniform, even if they have gym.  

  • There is no school for students on Monday, October 11 due to a faculty in-service day.

  • EC Parent-Teacher conferences will be held on the evenings of October 20-21. A link to sign up will be sent home next week. All conferences will be held over Zoom.

  • On Friday, October 29, we will have our annual HCA Mission Party. More information will be sent home in the coming weeks. Dismissal will be at 12:00 noon on that day and there will be no HCA Plus.


Have a great weekend!




Friday, September 24, 2021

September 20th - 24th

Cute-apple-clip-art-free-clipart-images-2-2 - Wayzata Community Church

This week we learned all about apples from our Weekly Reader! We explored the parts of an apple: the flesh, the skin, the pips, the stem and the core.


After reading Ten Apples Up on Top, we built our own apple trees using toilet paper rolls and craft sticks.  We then tried to see how many "apples" we could stack on top!










We talked about what an apple looks like with each bite we take.  


Sequencing events allows a child to understand how objects and events occur in a logical sequential manner.  This is a very important aspect of communication for them.  Understanding of this skill enables her/him to retell stories, recreate events or anticipate what will happen next.


MONTESSORI WORK RUG


Have you heard your child sing "pinch and roll, pinch and roll"?

















Work rugs are the rugs on which Montessori materials and 

lessons are presented on the floor. Work rugs are a

great way to offer an isolated space for activities to be 

presented. Presenting lessons on the rug creates a sense

of order and offers consistency as the children's materials change.





These are special apples,
hanging on this tree,
I made them with my fingerprints,
they are a part of me!







Playdough is a wonderful sensory and learning activity for kids. As a child shapes the dough into a ball or rolls it into a snake, they are thinking creatively. The squeezing, pinching and pulling movements help to strengthen their hand muscles and develop the fine motors skills needed for writing.



Reminders:
  • Please label all belongings
  • Our first Scholastic book order forms will be coming home in the folders next week. 
  • October 4th is the feast day of St. Francis.  Blessing of the animals will take place on the field at 8:15. More information to follow.
  • There is NO SCHOOL for students on Monday, October 11th.
  • The evening of October 20th & 21st will be parent/teacher conferences for Early Childhood.  Sign up Genius to follow,
Have a great weekend!

Friday, September 17, 2021

September

  Image result for back to school clip art

Hello!  Welcome to our Class Blog. 
Here you will find pictures and weekly information about what is going on in our classroom.  

September is about learning the ropes, meeting new friends, and settling into a new routine. 

We have begun to learn some of our Montessori materials.  We have worked really hard and are so excited to accomplish new things!



We have enjoyed playing with our friends on the playground! 
Play allows children to use their creativity while developing their imagination, dexterity, and physical, cognitive, and emotional strength.  Play is important to healthy brain development. It is through play that children learn to engage and interact with their world.







Sensory Table
You will see our sensory table all throughout our school year with various materials for the children to explore.  Sensory activities are fun and interesting for children, it encourages them to be curious and investigate.  What does the object feel like?  What does it smell like?  Does it make a sound?  In addition, sensory activities help to build nerve connections in their brains.  It also helps the development of motor skills that they will need to begin to write.



In our bins this week we explored various size letters and numbers.  We used tweezers, spoons and cups to manipulate the letters.


Just a reminder to send in two napkins (one to wipe their face and one to be a place mat).  Please make sure your child has utensils to eat with as I do not have disposable utensils in the classroom.  

Please remember to fill your child's water bottle up before school.  We will re-fill throughout the day.  

Image result for back to school night clipart

Thank you to all that attend back to school night.  As I said that evening, any time that you may have a question or concern please reach out to me.  

Reminders:
-Children should wear sneakers everyday to school.
-Our Welcome Back Ice Cream Social & Movie Night is THIS Saturday, September 18th at 6:30 PM on the field. 

I am looking forward to being partners as your child begins their academic career.  Have a wonderful weekend!

Mrs. Devenney

Happy Summer!

  I Did Nothing Today Author Unknown When children come home at the end of the day,  The question they're asked as they run out to play ...