News&NotesNOVEMBER–DECEMBER 2012

PLYMOUTH-CANTON MONTESSORI SCHOOL

Accredited by the National Association

for the Education of Young Children

The marvels of MontessoriThe first two months of school have flown

by! We have been working to make surethat all of our students are comfortable,happy, and safe. When children begin at anew school or return to school as second- orthird-year students, their first task is to mas-ter the culture of the classroom, to find outwhat is expected of them, and to becomecomfortable with the routine. The childrenhave phased into the year with great successand are enthusiastically delving into the mar-velous Montessori materials.

We look forward to the many fun eventsscheduled in November and December. Stu -

dents in Karol Doody’s Extended Day kinder-garten class will learn about energy andmotion on Wednesday, November 28 duringan in-house presentation by Mad Science ofDetroit. On Friday, November 30, dentalhygienist Julia Sydlowski of Plymouth DentalAssociates will present a program on dentalhygiene to all of the classrooms.

December brings Family Math Night, anevening for enrolled students and their par-ents. Save the date (Thursday, December 6)and plan to come experience all the interest-ing and challenging math activities offered in

As we move into the winter months, weenter that time of year when it can be a

challenge to keep our children healthy. A fewproactive steps can help our PCMS staff andparents work together to achieve a healthyschool environment.

Keeping germs at bayWe disinfect tables and play surfaces here atschool several times daily. We always have thechildren wash their hands before eating andafter toileting.

Experts cite two useful tips to help childrenavoid spreading germs: n Wash your hands for the right amount oftime—and in the right way—to help get rid ofgerms. Have your child rub his or her handstogether vigorously with soap and warm waterfor 20 seconds (about the time it takes to sing“Happy Birthday”).n Cover coughs. Because few people washtheir hands after they cough into them, manynurses suggest that children cough into theirinner elbow instead of their hands.

If your child is sickWhen your child goes home sick, you will beasked to sign our Sick Child Policy. As areminder, this policy states the following:n Each week, we must report all cases of con-tagious diseases to the county.n Children sent home with a fever, vomiting,and/or diarrhea may not return the next day.They must be fever free and free from thesesymptoms for at least 24 hours.n We cannot accept a child for care if he or she has recently vomited, or has a fever orprofuse nasal discharge. n We will not administer Tylenol or aspirinto treat a fever. This only masks the symptomsof illness and contagion.

We require staff members to stay at homewhen they are ill. Please do the same for yourchild, not only to avoid the spread of conta-gious illness, but also to ensure a speedierrecovery for your young patient.

We appreciate your cooperation duringcold and flu season!

Stay healthy all winter long

continued on page 3

Artwork by Ansh Patel, 3

2 NEWS & NOTES

Montessori people do lots oftalking about ground rules,

and children new to our programhave to learn about them. Ithought you might like to knowsome of the specifics too.

When children begin in a newschool or even with a new teacherin the same school, their first taskis to master the culture of theplace—to find out what is expect-ed of them in and out of the class-room, and to become comfortablewith the routines. This is whatground rules are all about.

Classroom ground rules arethe guidelines for behavior thatserve as the foundation for thechildren’s activities in school.Their purpose is to provide thechildren with a secure world—one in which all children (usually)adhere to the same “code of con-duct” and in which the consis -tency makes them feel safe.Ground rules also protect the children from doing things thatare harmful to themselves, to theirfriends and teachers, or to theclassroom materials.

Ground rules are conveyed tothe children in a variety of ways.They are sometimes discussed (for example, how we treat ourfriends); sometimes demonstratedto the group (showing how a com - pleted activity is returned to theshelf ); and sometimes rehearsed(practicing walking around rugsspread on the floor). Reinforce -ment is especially consistent atthe beginning of the year whenchildren are still forming class-room habits. There is a lot tolearn, and parents should respectthe effort involved. It is notunusual for chil dren to experi-ence some stress during the acclimation period, but theyquickly become comfortable,with a real sense of mastery.

The mini-society of the class-room is much like the larger onein the adult world. These “rules”

are really guidelines for life.Logistical fundamentals are

often learned first—getting intothe building; managing coats andother possessions; using the toilet;and practicing such classroombasics as rolling and unrollingrugs and carrying trays. Childrenalso learn to move through thebuilding in a safe fashion, and(gradually!) to take turns and lis-ten when others are speaking.

Other typical ground rules forMontessori classrooms follow:n Sound and speed levelsshould fit the location. “Insidevoices” and “slow feet” are rightfor the indoor environment;shouting and running are reservedfor the playground.n Children select materialsfrom the display shelves, but donot work on the shelves; thiswould obstruct other children’saccess to things on the shelf.Activities may be done on a rug(on the floor) or on a table—whichever is most suitable to theparticular item. n Children are free to choosematerials from the shelves, and touse them respectfully. Materialsmay not be used in ways that aredisturbing to other children, orthat damage the materials.n When a child is finishedusing an activity, he or she returnsit to the shelf, ready for the nextuser. This process might involvewiping up spills (with a spongethat is provided with the activity)or replenishing supplies on thetray. The children also put awaytheir rugs or mats, and push intheir chairs so others don’t trip.n Children may not touch orinterfere with another child’swork. This rule provides everychild with the security that willallow him or her to continue anactivity to completion, to repeatthe activity (thus lengtheningattention span), or to leave thearea temporarily with the confi-

dence that he or she can returnand resume working.n Sharing is never forced.Rather, a child’s knowledge thatthe activity can be used indefi -nitely often leads to a more natu-ral sharing, and children who askto be included usually are. (Theappeal of working with friends isoften greater than the pull of theactivity when concerns about pos-session are eliminated.) However,the child’s right to work uninter-rupted is protected, and he or shemay choose to continue workingindependently. Generosity devel-ops naturally as children matureand become more self-confident.n Children are encouraged tojoin in group activities, but arenot coerced into participation.They may observe the activitywithout actively participating, but they are not allowed to dis-rupt the other children.n A child has the right towatch, so long as he or she is notdisturbing the activities of others.Much learning takes place whileobserving others working—this isone of the special advantages of amixed-age-group class.n Children are expected totreat each other and their teacherswith respect, both verbally andphysically. Abusive words oractions are not acceptable. (Staffare role models for appropriatebehavior.)

Visitors to Montessori class-rooms often remark about thecomfortable atmosphere, the lackof conflict, and the industrious-ness of the children. Typically, visiting children are welcomedand assisted by the class. All ofthis comes about naturally whenground rules are followed consis-tently. Come see for yourself!

FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL

Getting to know the ground rules

The mini-society

of the classroom

is much like the

larger one in the

adult world. These

“rules” are really

guidelines for life.

NEWS & NOTES 3

each classroom and day care. Ourin-house “field trip” for Decem -ber is “Around the World” bymagician Ben Spitzer, who willentertain the children on Wed -nes day, December 12 with magic,humor, and plenty of participa-tory movement. This lively showhas an educational component aswell: It will highlight geographyand cultural diversity.

Our parenting class series,Parent Talk, is off to a lively start.Facilitators Sue Fitzpatrick andHeidi Gauger are not only expe-rienced teachers but also sea-soned parents. Sue also offers amonthly parent discussion groupat the school. Parent Perks takesplace on the third Wednesday of the month from 9 to 10 a.m.,and complimen tary child care is offered.

Community givingPlymouth-Canton MontessoriSchool will be supporting thecommunity in November andDecember through The Salva tionArmy and Canton Good fellows.Here’s how you can participate:n The Salvation Army is col-

lecting food donations. Wehave a designated box in thelobby for your contributions.

n Canton Goodfellows is col-lecting children’s clothingand books. Please place itemsunder the school Giving Treelocated in the lobby. Theorganization has requested thefollowing—please note thatall items should be new:• Greatest need: Blue jeans,

coats, boots, and pajamas inall children’s and youth sizes

• For infants: Sleepers anddiapers

• For boys and girls aged2–12: Underwear, socks,sweatpants, sweatshirts,and books

Thank you for helping ussupport the less fortunate in ourcommunity.

Happy holidaysThe classrooms will have a holi-day feast on the last day of schoolbefore Winter Break (Friday,December 21). There will be noclasses or day care from Monday,Decem ber 24 through Friday,January 4. We wish you a wonder-ful holiday and look forward togreeting you anew in 2013.

—Linda Myers and Cheryl Miller

The marvels of Montessori continued from page 1

Artwork by Alexandra Marciniak, 3

4 NEWS & NOTES

The Canton Fire Department visited PCMS in October to teach the children about fire safety and give them a closer look at the trucks and other equipment firefighters use. Clockwise from above: n Nathan Esser (left) and Wray Krolicki get a firsthand look at the inside of the rescue truck. n A fully clad firefighter high-fives the children in Mrs. Ewasek’s afternoon class.The firefighter showed the children how he puts on all of his gear,with the goal of teaching them not to be afraid of fire fighterseven though they may look scary with all that apparatus. n Aanya Das is amazed at the size of the fire truck’s tire.

Fire safety to the rescue!

NEWS & NOTES 5

MRS. EWASEK

Reveling in accomplishmentIt is always such a pleasure when

we get to the time of the schoolyear when the students know the rules and routines of ourclass. At the beginning of theyear, a new student came to meand asked, “Why is everyoneworking so hard all the time?” Itold him that it is our work thatbrings us joy. He went to thelibrary, sat in a comfy chair,watched the other students for a while, and then found somework of his own to do.

The privilege to choose yourown work is so powerful! I havewatched a child who just mas-tered the zipping frame repeat thetask five more times, reveling inthe pleasure of his accomplish-ment. How wonderful that wecan allow a child to do that, ratherthan pulling him from the workbecause the clock says it is time to do math.

Sometimes parents are con-cerned because they do not see alot of paper come home. Much of our work is done with objectsthat remain at school and are used by many children through-out the day. Maria Montessori frequently reminded us that weneed to appreciate the process andnot the product.

Keys to our success: Time and repetitionSubjects in our science arearotate throughout the year. Myoldest daughter, who is a biologyteacher at Cody High School inDetroit, was having dinner withus one night. I mentioned that I was going to put away our classroom objects for sorting living and non-living thingsbecause I was confident that allmy kindergartners understandhow living things grow, repro-duce, and need food. Her jawdropped open, and she said she

was trying to teach that conceptto her ninth graders. I explainedthat we are successful in getting these ideas across because wehave three years with our students. The 3-year-olds areintroduced to the concept, the

4-year-olds can usually remem-ber one or two of the criteria,and the kindergartners own itsolidly because of repeated andvaried exposure.

Nature fills our room Life abounds in our room. Ourlemon tree has produced muchfruit that is growing larger daily.The pomegranate is blooming,and the lime tree has some tinyfruit. The Kenyan cactus has asmall bud that should grow into a huge striped, hairy flower.

Our fish are reproducing rap-idly. The babies hide well, but the children delight in countingthem. I have had reports ofbetween three and 37 babiesbeing present in our fish tank. Asthey grow, I will take some of the adult fish home.

We were pleased to welcomeRainbow and Star (our petdomestic rats) to the room. Ipicked them up from the breederlate in October, and they are set-tling in nicely.

Making great progress Our work is getting more com-plex as the school year progresses.While each child follows his orher personal curriculum andadvances at his or her own pace,

the work that is available to allstudents increases in complexity.In the art area we have introducedliquid glue and watercolors. Atthe workbench, items are slowlybeing introduced as the childrenlearn to use real tools responsibly.

The Practical Life area now haswater, and some of the vessels arefragile. We are able to introducemore delicate tools as the chil-dren’s skills are refined.

We have discussed the differ-ence between plants and animalsand have introduced vertebratesand invertebrates. We will movethrough different classes of ani-mals as the year progresses. Fishwill probably be followed by birdsor amphibians, depending on theinterest of the students.

Most important, we are seeingthe children respond to the les-sons on how to treat and talk toone another. They are workinghard to be helpful and to fix itwhen they slip up and are hurtful.They are learning to use a strongvoice when they want to be heard,because a whiny voice is nevereffective. Kindness abounds in theroom, and whenever I stop to lis-ten, I always hear something thatmakes me smile. I love lookingaround and seeing self-assuredchildren going about the businessof learning. We really have thebest job in the world.

—Sandy Ewasek, Anne Marsh,

and Renee Smokovitz

Happy Birthday!NovemberAndrew LeeNathan MaibachRebekah Maibach

DecemberSusmita DasHalle HeinemanZachary MentzerArya PatelSunny Rong

How wonderful that we can allow a child

to repeat a task he has mastered, rather

than pulling him from the work because

the clock says it is time to do math.

6 NEWS & NOTES

MRS. SHEKAR

New adventures and ideasOur year of fun, friendships,

and learning is well underway! We were excited to begin ourpreschool year with new adven-tures and ideas. We have somenew students in our class, and wewere pleased to welcome themand their families to PCMS. Weare excited to have new friends!

As summer turned to fall, the children were able to observe the changes in the outdoor envi-ronment around the school—weather, temperatures, trees,leaves, colors, and birds. We’llcontinue to take note of suchchanges as winter arrives.

Learning aboundsaround our roomIt has been heartening to see ourchildren gradually becomingindependent. Our Practical Lifearea has been providing the chil-dren with various opportunities to build their concentration andcoordination through activitiessuch as pouring, squeezing,string ing, and art projects. One of the most popular activitiesamong the children has beendrawing on the pumpkin andcleaning the pumpkin. In subse-quent months, they will learntweezing corn kernels from a cob,sewing, and food preparation.

In our Sensorial area, we havelearned primary and secondarycolors using color tablets. We are currently working towardunderstanding differences inlength, width, and height usingthe rods, brown stairs, and tow-ers, respectively. Soon, we willlearn about various shapes usinggeometric solids.

In math, our children havelearned numerals from 1 to 10.

They are working toward under-standing the magnitude of eachnumber using our classroommaterials. Depending on thereadiness of the children, we willsoon aim to learn simple conceptsof addition and subtraction.

In our language area, we areworking on vocabulary building,

sound lessons, opposites, sequenc-ing, and picture matching. As partof our storytelling work, the chil-dren have learned about authorsand illustrators. A follow-upshow-and-tell had some of thestudents enhancing their storieswith illustrations.

In geography, we introducedthe seven continents through asong, a globe, and continent puzzles. We have also learnedabout how the world is dividedinto land and water. As part of our study of the globe, we havelearned how day, night, and sea-sons are caused by the Earth’smotions. Next, we will be learn-ing about the countries of North

America, including a unit onNative Americans and Pilgrims.

In science, our children havelearned to classify living and non-living beings as well as vertebratesand invertebrates. We have alsointroduced the parts of an appleand the life cycle of a pumpkin.After our field trip to the appleorchard in early October, the chil-dren had the opportunity to tastedifferent varieties of apples in theclassroom. The majority of thechildren liked Red Deliciousapples best.

Fire safetyThe Canton Fire Department vis-ited the school in October. Fire -fighters donned protective gear to demonstrate various situationsand techniques to handle andescape from fire. Our childrenwere excited to explore the firetrucks and ask questions. (See thephotos on page 4.)

Warming up to winterWinter weather will be upon ussoon. As a reminder, we will pro-vide recycled bags labeled with thechildren’s names to carry winterclothing to and from school.Parents are asked to label all oftheir children’s winter gear, and tocheck bags each evening for wetwinter clothes.

December is always a busymonth in the classroom. We havemany activities and projectsplanned. We will be studyingabout how other cultures cele-brate their special days.

We wish you a warm and won-derful holiday season.

—Sudha Shekar,

Jeannie Michalak,

and Mita Shah

Happy Birthday!

NovemberNoah Bradley

Chloe JamesAbigail Phillips

DecemberNandan Narayanan

Ryan Thorp

Artwork by Max Beehler, 5

After our

field trip to the

apple orchard,

the children had

the opportunity

to taste different

varieties of apples

in the classroom.

NEWS & NOTES 7

MRS. KAROL

A penny scrubbed is a lesson learnedThe children’s coordination and

concentration skills are grow-ing! To aid in their development,we offer multi-step work in thePractical Life area of the class-room. One such work is pennyscrubbing. The children havebeen practicing finger skills byusing an eyedropper to transfercolored water from a bottle to abowl. Now they are building onthis skill by dropping lemon juiceonto a penny and scrubbing thecoin with a cotton swab. Theyshine it with a cloth and put it inthe piggy bank.

As the children learn responsi-bility and practice cleanup skillssuch as sponging up water andsqueezing out sponges, they areable to do longer works such asrock and chair scrubbing. Theseprocesses require pouring water,making bubbles, scrubbing with a

nail brush, and rinsing. The chil-dren then dry the items and putaway the tools in an orderly way sothey are ready for the next person.

Resolving conflictOur peace table enables the chil-dren to invite classmates to talkover differences. If an incidentoccurs, the child who feels a needto talk will invite his or her class-mate to sit at a special table. Theinviter holds a rose and tells whyhe or she needs to speak. Thechild then gives the rose to thefriend, signifying that it’s theclassmate’s turn to respond. It isamazing to see how efficiently thechildren are able to talk out theirdifferences most times. The teach-ers are nearby to support bothparties if needed. The respect thechildren show for one another isvery touching.

Discovering natureIn science, we have learned aboutliving and non-living things aswell as plant and animal groups.One of the animal groups was theinsect. We talked about its bodyparts: the head, the thorax, theabdomen, and six legs.

The children became inter -ested in spiders when we discov-ered some spider webs on thebushes outside. We got out booksto compare spiders and insects.We discovered that spiders are notinsects but arachnids, and thatthey have a head, an abdomen,and eight legs.

We have been examiningleaves this fall. We are learningabout margins (the edge of theleaf that makes its shape), theblade (which includes the leaf sur-face), the veins, and the petiole(stem). We are making a smallbooklet with leaves and learningvarious names of trees that theleaves grow on.

Exploring North AmericaWe are talking about NorthAmerica as our first continent ofstudy. We had a group lesson tointroduce the concept of theworld map and the globe. We willbe reading books about places inNorth America. The children maychoose to pin-punch the shapes of North America’s countries andglue them onto paper to make amap. Some may choose to trace alarge map and color and label it.

In November we are learningabout Thanks giving, the Pilgrims,and the Native Americans’ role inhelping them.

Happy holidays!—Karol Doody,

Beth McGinnis, and

Carolyn Pelli

As the children

learn responsibility

and practice cleanup

skills, they are able

to do longer works

such as rock and

chair scrubbing.

Mona Pandit (left) and Kaitlyn Arao master the hundredboard! This math activity is one of the materials used to reinforce linear counting concepts. Plus it’s fun to work on with a friend!

Happy Birthday!NovemberMax BoataSophia VallisRyan Wu

DecemberCameron JamesGina LinNeha NarayananAnagha Vatul

8 NEWS & NOTES

EXTENDED DAY

Our brains need challenging work!Our Extended Day children

had a fun time learningabout the planets. The knowledgethey already possess is amazing!We talked about each planet andwhat each is made of. We learnedthe definition of the words orbit(the path of each planet) andgravity (the pull toward the centerof each planet). We learned whatmakes night and day and tracedour shadows outside.

Volcanoes were our next sci-ence topic as we learned about the makeup of planet Earth andthe kind rock it is made of. Wewere able to “erupt” a model of avolcano to see how “lava” (vinegarand baking soda) flows down thecone. We also learned the parts ofthe volcano.

Our next topic of discussionwas igneous rock, which is madefrom the lava that cools. Welooked at pictures of mineralsand rocks that came from theinside of the Earth. We were able to handle sedimentary rocksand even did a smell test. Somesmelled very muddy or earthy—a clue that they came from mate-rials that dropped to the bottomof the ocean many millions ofyears ago. Fossils are often foundin sedimentary rocks. We haveseveral fossils on our science shelfthat the children may look at.The last type of rock we studiedwas metamorphic. These rocksstart out as igneous or sedimen -tary rocks, but metamorphosedue to high heat and pressure.

Scrubbing, tweezing, and eye-dropper work are available to theExtended Day children duringthe latter part of our day. Thisoffers time to reflect, process, andrelax. These activities fulfill achild’s need to move and promotethe use of his or her hands. Use ofthe hand exercises the brain, lay-ing down important pathways

that will be used for learning, nowand in the future.

We are learning about someNative American tribes and howthey lived long ago. We arestudying how the Iroquois,Sioux, and Hopi tribes gatheredfood and built shelters. We arealso learning about the gamesthey played and the clothingthey wore. We’re using our continent map of North Amer -ica to find where these tribes used to live.

As the children learn to bemembers of their classroomgroup, they are learning respon-sibilities. Each day they’re asked

to make work choices. There areguidelines for the works theychoose. We talk about how thebrain needs challenging work to help it grow. We have assign-ment days, where we teachersgive the children work based on their interests, abilities, andreadiness. On assignment dayswe are helping the children learnto take teacher direction, as wellas exposing them to works theymay not have chosen. We sup-port the children as they becomeexcited about their own goals,developing inner joy in learning.

—Karol Doody and

Beth McGinnis

Sydney Kirkland “churns” butter in a jar during our Extended Day field trip to Cobblestone Farm in Ann Arbor in October. The children experienced the Pioneer LivingProgram, as evidenced by the old-fashioned bonnet andapron Sydney is wearing.

Use of the

hand exercises the

brain, laying down

important pathways

that will be used for

learning, now and

in the future.

NEWS & NOTES 9

MUSIC

Moving through autumn with musicMusic class, which began in

October, is a fun time whenthe children can enjoy singing andmoving together. We have a“together” song that we sing at the beginning of each class. In itwe sing our names and talk aboutthe weather.

During the fall I introducethe concepts of beat and rhythm.I use a drum, rhythm sticks, eggshakers, and a metronome toteach the children how to feel thebeat and tap simple rhythms.

The children have enjoyedpretending to be autumn leavesand falling to the ground as we sing “Whirley Twirley.”We’ve talked about fall and how the squir rels are very busygathering nuts and preparing for winter. We learned a fun finger play about fall and thesquirrels gathering nuts. We

also learned some fun Hallo weensongs with movement.

Each month we talk about a different music composer. In Octo ber we learned aboutJohann Sebastian Bach. I readstories to the children aboutBach’s life growing up in Ger -many, and we listened to manyof his wonderful compositions,including Minuet from the AnnaMagdalena Notebook, LittleFugue in G Minor, selectionsfrom the Gold berg Varia tions,Bran den burg Concerto no. 2 inF Major, In Dulci Jubilo, andToccata and Fugue in D Minor.We danced, ran on tiptoe, andplayed beautiful bell music toBach’s compositions.

In November we are talkingabout the great American com-poser Aaron Copland. We enjoylistening to “Simple Gifts” fromthe ballet Appalachian Spring, the

classical Fanfare for the CommonMan, and pieces from the filmscore The Red Pony. It’s fun topretend to ride our ponies!

Other November-themed les-sons have brought additionalmovement and rhythm to ourmusic work. We’re continuing tolearn songs and finger plays aboutfall. We used rhythm sticks to tapout the names of Native Americantribes. We’ve been talking aboutThanks giving and learning somesongs about this holiday.

In December we’ll enjoy evenmore holiday music, and we’ll usebells to enhance these festivetunes. We’ll learn about The Nut -cracker ballet by Tchaikovsky aswell as other music of the season.

I wish all of the children andtheir families a happy and harmo-nious holiday season!

—Linda Christensen

Artwork by Anika Sahas-Shah, 5

We learned a fun

finger play about

fall and the squirrels

gathering nuts.

10 NEWS & NOTES

French lessons began the firstfull week of October. Each

class meets twice a week for 20minutes. During these firstmonths of school, we have beenlearning how to greet each otherin French: “Bonjour. Ça va?”(“Hi. How are you?”) Childrenwill be able to say they feel great,feel so-so, are sick, have aheadache, or have a sore throat.

Our lessons are taken fromfamiliar words and phrases used in everyday life. For example, wewill learn how to talk about theweather: “Quel temps fait-il?”(“What’s the weather like?”) Soonwe will be able to tell each other it is hot, cold, windy, beautiful,snowing, or raining.

The children see colors every-where in their world. We havelearned the following:n Red rougen Blue bleun Yellow jaunen Green vertn Pink rosen Orange orangen Purple pourpren Brown brunnn Gray grisn Black noirn White blanc

We use games and activities to enhance and reinforce thevocabulary. Ask your childrenabout the fun we’ve had withbuilding blocks, ice cream

scoops, Bravo (like bingo), andmatch/memory games whilelearning colors.

During the holidays, our les-sons will focus on familiar sea -sonal items and words, includingleaf, pumpkin, turkey, Novem ber,feather, pie, reindeer, gift, ribbon,snow, and snowman.

Our French lessons areintended to be an introduction

and exposure to another lan-guage. My hope is that the chil-dren will have fun and have acomfortable, successful experi-ence. Please feel free to contactme anytime.

Merci (thank you)!—Becky Wattleworth

(Madame Becky)

FRENCH

Bonjour! We’re learning French

Artwork by Jordan Tate, 5

Our French

lessons are

intended to be

an introduction

and exposure

to another

language.

NEWS & NOTES 11

DAY CARE

So much to be thankful forOur year in day care got off to

a great start! The childrenhave learned the ground rules andprocedures that help keep ushappy and safe at school. Thosewho came with tears at the start ofour school year (parents too!) nowbring smiles.

October was a great month inday care. Our bottom loft becameour Fall Fun area. The childrenpracticed their leaf-raking skills, aswell as learning to work with afriend. We enjoyed the outdoorsand had fun gathering leaves tocreate window art from nature.Even the youngest students knewjust how they wanted to arrangetheir leaves. October also broughtthe fun of costumes and ourschool parade. Our housekeepingarea provided additional oppor -tunities to dress up and becomemail carriers, doctors, nurses, andpolice officers.

As we said good-bye to Octo -ber and welcomed November, thechildren were very aware of thechanging weather and falling tem-peratures. When shopping forwinter wear, please consider mit-tens instead of gloves. Mittensprovide more warmth for tinyhands, and the bonus is that chil-dren can successfully put them onindependently. Boots (the tallerthe better) with removable linerswork best. When the children gethome from school, the liners canbe removed and placed by a heatvent, thereby ensuring warm, dryfeet for outdoor play the next day.Long jackets, as well as snowpants and scarves, keep more ofthe body warm. Also, pleaseremember to label everything!

We have been discussing whatthe word Thanksgiving meansand have asked several children toshare their thoughts on what theyare thankful for.

Nathan Esser: I’m thankfulfor food and for my family andGod.

MaryCecilia Michalak: I’mthankful Mom gets me breakfastand my dad puts the cereal on thetable.

Abishek Bradburn: For myuppa reading me books and forMom giving me hugs and kisses.

Andrew Lee: For coloring,playing, and my family.

Yani Melendez: I’m thankfulfor playing with my brother andhugging my mommy and daddy.And for going to school so I cansee my friends.

Andrew Covino: I’m thank-ful for my two cats, Casper andSox, and for my little brother andmy mom and dad.

Sydney Alvin: I’m thankful tohelp my mom and dad when theyforget things like car keys.

Nate Ewasek: I’m thankfulfor my family.

This time of year finds manychildren with cold symptoms. Inday care we are having lessonsabout the importance of good

hygiene. Topics include frequenthand washing, coughing into thecrook of our elbow instead of ourhand, and how to blow our nose.Parents can help by reinforcingthese lessons at home.

In December the day careroom will be transformed into a winter wonderland as the children pin-punch snowflakes, holiday trees, and ornaments todecorate our space. We have read great books about the many holidays in November and December and have learnedabout Diwali, Thanksgiving,Hanukkah, Christ mas, andKwanzaa.

We would like to extend ourwishes for a happy holiday sea-son and a happy New Year, too,to all of our families. Thank youfor allowing us to teach yourchildren!

—Diane Cook, Martha Almon,

Ashley Chiado, Parul Desai, Badia

Jaafar, Mita Shah, Donna Tooley,

and Annette Walsh

Artwork by Manav Shah, 4

In our Fall Fun

area, the children

practiced their

leaf-raking skills,

as well as learning

to work with

a friend.

DATES TO REMEMBER

PLYMOUTH-CANTON MONTESSORI SCHOOL

45245 Joy RoadCanton, MI 48187734-459-1550

www.pcmontessori.org

November17 Saturday Michigan Montessori Society Fall Workshop. 8:45 a.m.–2:45 p.m.

“Best Practices IV” explores a variety of topics of interest to teachers and parents.Meadow Montessori School (1670 S. Raisinville Rd.), Monroe.

21 Wednesday Staff professional development. NO CLASSES. Day care available—pleasesign up in advance.

22 –23 Thursday–Friday Thanksgiving holiday. NO CLASSES. NO DAY CARE.

28 Wednesday Parent Perks meeting. 9 a.m. Complimentary child care provided.

28 Wednesday In-house presentation: Mad Science presents “Energy and Motion” toKarol’s Extended Day kindergarten class.

30 Friday In-house presentation: Dental hygienist Julia Sydlowski presents “Healthy Teeth.”

December6 Thursday Family Math Night. 5:30–7 p.m. Enrolled children and parents come to

school for an evening of fun math activities.

12 Wednesday In-house presentation: Magician Ben Spitzer presents “Around the World,”a lively show using magic, humor, and plenty of participatory movement.

19 Wednesday Parent Perks meeting. 9 a.m. Complimentary child care provided.

21 Friday Holiday Celebration. Last day of school. Regular class hours.

24 Monday through Friday, January 4 Winter Break. NO CLASSES. NO DAY CARE.

January7 Monday Return to school. Welcome back!

16 Wednesday Parent Perks meeting. 9 a.m. Complimentary child care provided.

18 Friday In-house presentation: Native American Culture and Dance.

21 Monday Staff professional development. NO CLASSES. NO DAY CARE.

23 Wednesday Picture Retake Day.

24 Thursday Moms’ Night. 5–6:30 p.m. (open house format—drop in anytime). Moms (or a substitute) and children come to school together.

Artwork by Ameera Patel, 4

“Education cannot

be effective unless it

helps a child to open

himself up to life.”

—Dr. Maria Montessori