Language, Fractions & Bears...Oh, My!

Dear Families,

This week we are learning about Dr. Montessori's Timeline of Life, introducing language and fractions lessons, working with a thesaurus, and continuing our math studies. During the next few weeks, we will continue to add an aspect(s) of the curriculum as the children adjust to the scope of work.

The children are doing well, learning a bit each day about class expectations, time management, and appropriate behavior. We are getting to know one another, building trust, and learning to co-exist in a small community. It takes time! Let us know if you have concerns or questions about your child's day or progress!

In order to maximize our brief afternoon reading cycle, please see that you child has a water bottle that he/she can either keep at school or bring back and forth daily. After recess each day, there are approximately 100 people who use one (1) water fountain in the 9-12 building. (There are two (2) fountains, but the children say on one is cold!) In an effort to avoid long lines, we usually have the children fill a bottle after lunch so they are prepared to begin work as soon as they return from recess. Thank you!

Certainly, by now, you have heard the news of our visitor Monday. Although no one in our class actually saw the bear, his surprise visit led to much conversation! We did put in place some outside restrictions Monday, as we continued our normal recess schedule. Furthermore, a rabid raccoon was recently killed on the other end (near River Road) of Asbury Church Road. Please talk with your child about potential dangers of wildlife and appropriate responses, as we are reinforcing this at school. We are fortunate to have a campus that affords our children numerous opportunities with nature; part of that opportunity is learning how to respect wild animals, their habitats, and behaviors. Please contact us if you have any questions.

As in our Monday custom, we sent home your child's progress report from last week. Again, we have not highlighted incomplete work. Please discuss your child's progress with him/her, sign the report, and return it to school.

Thank you for all that you do,
Amy and Darla