We are very grateful for all of your support, and the warmth and the learning that we have shared this school year, especially these past few weeks. We are very proud of the way our children handled this challenge that was thrown at us with no notice. You caught the ‘ball’ and learned to ‘juggle.’ Collectively, we zoomed to the finish line…GOAL accomplished!
Time really flies!
For our Kindergarteners, you have grown your wings and you are ready to fly. It has been an amazing opportunity to watch your journey of growth through the primary program to become the independent learner you are today. We wish you much success and good luck in first grade. Congratulations!
It’s Summer!
Enjoy the sunshine, smell the flowers, make smoothies, learn a new skill, and tell us all about it when we see you AGAIN!
We were all so happy to see your smiling faces during our first P2 zoom meeting, we miss you all! We hope to continue to see you, chat and why not have a sing along! During our P2 social zoom meetings, you are welcome to ask us questions, share your thoughts and or ideas, or simply just say “hello.” This is a wonderful opportunity to see your friends! We will send you the link every Thursday to join us on Friday mornings @ 10:00 a.m. While we look forward to seeing each and everyone of you during this time, we also understand if you are not able to attend and choose to join us by continuing to watch our Box videos, share on our P2 Facebook page, or connect with us via email.
We are open for Preschool and Pre-K friends. We are here with hearts and eyes wide open, and ready to serve you as best we can. Our classrooms have been sanitized and prepared to teach you all about South America, Rain forests, and birds. While we love the freedom of the Montessori environment, SAFETY first! Friends will be assigned a table, a work mat, and pencil box that they can use for the week. Students may select their work or complete assigned work, which will be disinfected after every use. Mrs. Val is also on campus during this time of uncertainty Coach Bob and Ms. Rachel plan to teach us more wonderful dance and movement exercises, EVERYDAY!
From the comfort of our homes, we are like most of you…holding on day by day, exercising, playing games with the kids, supporting and learning in new ways, and working differently. Even though it seems dim right now, it doesn’t mean we stop shining! We are very new to this behind the scenes role. During this time, we have learned to appreciate the littlest of things that didn’t seem essential to us. Now, we understand that this is the only way we can reach you and continue to teach our children.
We have learned to appreciate TECHNOLOGY and can’t wait to continue growing in this area, to inspire our children even from behind a screen. Thank you for allowing us to enter your homes, lending us your trusting hearts, and believing in our ways. Know that we are working very hard and our goals continue to be the same. Our hearts are full today because of you. We are so lucky to walk this tricky time alongside you and your beautiful children. We are so thankful and motivated by all your love and beautiful messages.
As the days go by, we will continue to update you and provide you with more resources and enrichment activities on BOX, Zoom, and also check out our P2 facebook page!
We have started our dinosaur studies with “What is a reptile?” Reptiles thrive in hot places. Chances are we might have a reptile living in our backyard. If you find an animal laying in the sun that has a backbone, dry scales, and is cold blooded, then it must be a reptile. This is a wonderful time to discuss amphibians too. We compared both groups, finding similarities and differences too. Most of these animals are oviparous, reptiles look like their parents right from the time they are born, while amphibians don’t!
This was a great opportunity to introduce the word metamorphosis and life cycles. We have objects for each stage and hands on science experiments. For example, we immersed chia seeds in water and allowed them to inflate. This gave us a realistic visual for frog eggs. They were clustered, slimy, and perfectly bubbly to help us imagine we were holding frog eggs! Some of us even ate them.
On our science shelf, we are using realistic dinosaur models for hands on activities that are a perfect introduction to paleontology. We’ve been having lots of fun putting together Montessori-inspired activities using replicas, dinosaur pictures, and puzzle maps! In addition, we have a tray containing dinosaur books, coloring pages, scissors, glue, and a stapler to make into a booklet or help with student’s research.
Around this time of year, our children are a little older and are ready for cooperative games such as memory games, sorting, exchange games, I spy, dice, graphing, etc. These activities could be made into cooperative games where children work together, take turns, and problem solve. It’s also a great opportunity to teach good sportsmanship.
At the end of an activity or game, the children are invited to shake hands with each other and say, “Good game!” It’s helpful for children to learn the social etiquette for games without the emotions involved in winning and losing. Hopefully, that will make it easier for them to remember to show good sportsmanship during an actual competitive game.
Our children enjoyed a delightful morning with friends and parent helpers. We prepared and enjoyed a savory Valentines snack! We made thumbprint heart magnets to share with our family whom we love and appreciate so much. At the end of our festivities, students exchanged Valentines cards and treats with friends, while gathering around circle for a pajama story time.
Mindful Play
At recess, our kids hit the playground with tons of excitement and stopping has sometimes become just so hard to do. Our ninjas, cats, and heroes are often so engaged in their roles that they are not paying attention. Teaching children about boundaries early on is a must and an ongoing journey. Our new generation is spending less time outside resulting in less opportunities to practice social and gross motor skills. February is a wonderful reminder to all of us to strengthen our relationship with ourselves and others. We encourage parents to touch base with your children and talk about the importance of safety. Manners are a great place to start!
Field-trip
Our field trip to the Discovery Children’s Museum was a success! Our children loved exploring the exhibits on every level with all types of hands on activities for all ages to enjoy. From interactive science galleries, as well as sliding and climbing structures, to an environmentally friendly city filled with familiar buildings and businesses. Time flew by! While some of us wanted to stay for a few more minutes, others took advantage of a snooze on the ride back! Thank you!
