Discovering North America… and reptiles!

Hi everyone! Who else is LOVING this cool weather? Please make sure your child has appropriate outdoor clothing as the outdoor classroom is quite chilly in the morning. Thank you!

This month we are discovering all of the wonders that the continent of North America has to offer. We learned about how North America is made up of three different countries. Ms. Jessie showed us lots of pictures of different animals that live in North America and we are learning their names in Spanish! We are having so much fun! Mapache = raccoon, bisonte = bison, castor = beaver, and perrito de la praderas = prairie dog. We even learned that alce have a papada or a double chin! Ms. Sadie showed us lots of neat pictures of the United States that showed how different our country is from coast to coast. She also taught us about different landmarks in the U.S. like the Statue of Liberty and the Golden Gate Bridge.

November is reptile month and we are learning about the different kinds and learning the characteristics of one. We learned that they are cold blooded, they hatch out of eggs, and they have dry scaly skin. Some reptiles include turtles, snakes and lizards. We’ve really enjoyed our sorting work where we have to separate the reptiles from the mammals.

We’ve been revisiting the book “Mindful Monkey, Happy Panda” by Lauren Alderfer and talking about how to be mindful. When we have a monkey mind, we’re so busy thinking about everything EXCEPT what we should be thinking about (like our work). We’ve been practicing making silence and practicing mindfulness.

November Book Suggestions:
Mindful Monkey, Happy Panda by Lauren Alderfer
The Bad Seed by Jory John
The Mitten by Jan Brett

Please click the link below to view pictures from the last two weeks!
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/177QrNRzLPVeoXGXpdz_vAjW2yYueoCli?usp=sharing

Dates to Remember:
November 19th: Picture Re-Takes
November 25, 26, 27: NO SCHOOL – Thanksgiving Break

Love,
The P2 Team

“We shall walk together on this path of life, for all things are part of the universe and are connected with each other to form one whole unity.”
~ Maria Montessori

Calabazas y Calabazitas!

October is almost a wrap! The weeks are just flying by. The second half of this month we’ve been learning about pumpkins and squash and what the difference is. Do you know what the difference is? They’re mostly the same, except we eat most varieties of squash whereas we only eat Sugar Pie Pumpkins. We cut open a variety of different squashes to look at the seeds and the insides of them. Ms. Jessie taught us how a pumpkin grows and we were each given a pumpkin seed!
We’ve also been learning about our bodies and our main organs. Ms. Sadie taught us that our main organs are really important to making our bodies work well. We can do things to help our main organs; exercise makes our heart happy whereas water makes our intestines happy! We also learned that bones can be x-rayed to see if a bone is broken.
We have been learning about mammals and what makes an animal a mammal. We now know that mammals have hair or fur, are born alive from their mothers, and drink milk. We are mammals! Do you have any pet mammals at home?
Our kindergartners are beginning to meet for grammar study every morning after recess. We just started to talk about nouns. The children were encouraged to label our classroom with all of the nouns they could find. Many of our friends found themselves labeled!
On Fridays, we encourage our older students to be mentors to our younger friends. This is a great opportunity for students to work with someone new. By teaching material to a younger friend, it helps to solidify the knowledge in the older child’s brain. Sometimes receiving a lesson from an older friend instead of a younger friend is more interesting. We’re very proud of the mentor role our older friends are taking on. It’s a big responsibility!
For young learners who are still developing a three finger pincer grasp with which to hold a pencil, play-doh and clay are wonderful tools to help strengthen hand muscles. On Fridays, each child has their own container of play-doh to work with. We encourage them to roll the dough, shape it, and create with it. All the while, they’re building those muscles! You can encourage them to use play-doh and clay at home as well.
PLEASE remember to send your child to school with a labeled jacket! The outdoor classroom is very chilly in the mornings. If you have not, please switch out your child’s extra clothing for season appropriate attire.

Click the link below to view pictures from the last two weeks.
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/17uIyxSQ-YVxD6DpTER-m8udk_suDhgzd?usp=sharing

Dates to Remember:
November 11: NO SCHOOL

Love,
The P2 Team

“What the hand does, the mind remembers.”
~Maria Montessori