It was a busy and emotional week in Upper El.

Earlier in the week, the students decided to have a Secret Santa-style gift exchange. During our class meeting, they agreed to rename it “Secret Holiday Pudding” to make it more inclusive. Each student completed a questionnaire listing their favorites to help their secret person choose a thoughtful gift.

We also headed down to the edge of our property by the pond to do some archaeological work and retrieve some of the items from our history lesson a few weeks ago, when we studied artifacts left behind over time. The students learned about the different roles people have on a dig team and experienced how much care and patience the work requires. This coming week, they will look at some of the samples they collected under the microscope as our lessons continue.

On Thursday, the class spent the morning making 167 sandwiches. We pivoted a bit this week and chose to share the love closer to school, donating the sandwiches to the Newtown Senior Center. They will be delivered to members of our community who are in need and are unable to leave their homes for various reasons. Thank you to all who contributed ingredients, and to Michael and Priscila for volunteering their time to help us make sandwiches.

The end of our week started with a visit from our adorable book buddies, which always brings a lot of joy to the classroom. Then our middle school friends joined us as we said a sweet and tender goodbye to our little friend, Houdini, and laid him to rest in the woods behind the school. The students held that space with such care for one another.

We spent the rest of the day simply enjoying being together and decorating the hallway outside our classroom to transform it into a giant gingerbread house. The creativity, collaboration, and laughter were exactly what we needed.

I am continually inspired by the love and resilience of these beautiful humans I have the good fortune of working with every day.

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Upcoming Dates and Information

• Please check with your child each day to make sure they have a warm coat, hat, and mittens or gloves for daily outdoor play.
• Wednesday, 12/17 at 8:30: December Birthday Breakfast for families of children with December birthdays
• Thursday, 12/18: Class Holiday Party – Students can wear their pajamas and bring their gift for the Secret Pudding gift exchange.
• Friday, 12/19 at 10:30: Winter Showcase and Early Dismissal

“Gratitude is the fairest blossom which springs from the soul.” -Henry Ward Beecher

This coming week, we have our schoolwide ceremony of giving thanks and sharing bread, and we couldn’t be more excited! To kick things off, we’ll have a student from each level – primary through middle school – representing one of the four elements: wind, earth, water, and fire, as a poem about the four elements is read by middle school students. It’s a beautiful way to connect with nature and remind us how intertwined we are with the world around us. After the poem, each class will get a chance to share what they’re thankful for. I always love hearing what the children appreciate; it’s a beautiful reminder of the many things—big and small—that fill our lives with joy and happiness. Then, upper el and middle school students will share blessings from various cultures in different languages. This is such a fantastic opportunity for us not only to celebrate our differences but also to embrace the variety of traditions that make our community so unique. Finally, upper el students will present the five contemplations focusing on gratitude and mindful eating. These reflections are important reminders for all of us to appreciate what we have and to be mindful of our blessings. We will end our gathering with middle school students distributing bread that’s been baked by each class to all of us. There’s something really special about sharing bread; it brings a sense of warmth and unity to our celebration.

We prepared for our upcoming celebration by baking three types of bread on Friday. Thank you very much to Elle for helping us bake bread! We appreciate your time and all of your help.

Let’s take a moment to reflect on what we’re grateful for and enjoy this wonderful experience together as a community. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

 

“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” -Mahatma Gandhi

What a fantastic week it was in Upper Elementary! Our week began with a visit from Jennifer Mills, a Lower El parent who is a retired Navy captain and diplomat. She gave a wonderful presentation to students from Lower Elementary through Middle School and answered numerous questions. We wish a Happy Veterans Day to all who serve or have served, and we thank you for your service!

We were thrilled to have our very first snowflakes of the season. There’s something magical about watching the snowflakes drift down from the sky while sipping on some delicious hot cocoa. The warmth of the cocoa and the excitement of the snow definitely made our spirits bright as we settled into another productive week of learning.

On Thursday, we rolled up our sleeves and got to work for a great cause! Our class worked with our amazing volunteers to assemble over 150 sandwiches for the St. Vincent de Paul soup kitchen in Waterbury. It was such a rewarding experience to know that our hard work would help feed those in our community who are in need. Each sandwich was made with care and love, and we couldn’t be prouder of how everyone worked together for this important project. It’s always heartwarming to see what we can achieve when we join forces for a good cause! Thank you very much to Dylan, Nora, Priscila, and Ali (who also delivered our sandwiches to the soup kitchen) for all of your help! And thank you to the many families who donated the ingredients for our sandwiches! We appreciate you all so much.

After missing our kindergarten friends for the last three weeks, we were thrilled to get back to our Book Buddies on Friday. There’s a special joy in sharing stories with our younger friends. Watching them light up with excitement as we read together reminds us why reading is so essential! It’s not just about the words on the page; it’s about making connections and sharing imagination.

To wrap up our week, we took a stroll in the woods on Friday for a hands-on history lesson. Our adventure into nature helped us learn about how artifacts are left behind by humans, offering a fascinating glimpse into the past. During our lesson, we discussed the kinds of things people might leave behind (think of all the treasures that could be uncovered in a thousand more years!). It was incredible to be surrounded by the beauty of nature while also diving into how our history is intertwined with the world around us.

 

Wow, what a week we just had! There’s so much to share about all the activities that filled our days with fun, learning, and celebration. Here’s a recap.

On Wednesday, we visited the Middle School Science Fair, and it was amazing! Students were excited to showcase their projects, and their creativity was inspiring! There were various experiments, ranging from harnessing the power of the wind to fascinating studies on plant growth. Upper El students enjoyed talking with the middle school students about their projects, reminding us of the importance of curiosity and innovation in our own journeys as students.

On Thursday, we had our Diwali celebration, a highlight we were all really looking forward to. The energy was incredible as students ranging from four years old to middle school shared the significance of the festival. There was dancing, music, and food that beautifully displayed the story of Ramayana.

To wrap up this fantastic week, we had a visit from the Botsford Fire Chief, who taught us all about fire safety. The presentation provided extensive information on the safety aspects of lithium-ion batteries. He shared some recent stories from the field, which really brought the job to life for us. It’s essential to know how to stay safe, and we will continue the conversation with upper elementary students this coming week in an age-appropriate manner so they understand what they, as fourth and fifth graders, can do to keep themselves safe.

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This week, we will have our first sandwich-making day of the school year. Thank you to all who are contributing our sandwich ingredients, and a special thank you to Nora for organizing this for us.

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Upcoming Events:

• Thursday, November 13 – Sandwich Making for St. Vincent DePaul Mission

We had a wonderful time at our Halloween party last week! We began the day with our schoolwide costume parade and our class party, complete with delicious snacks and the film City of Ember. After lunch and recess, we had a great time carving our pumpkins. We ended the day by cleaning our classroom. We will enjoy some roasted pumpkin seeds in class this coming week. Thank you to all of our families who generously donated food for our party!

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Upper El Community Service

Every month, upper el students participate in a fantastic community service project, making sandwiches for the St. Vincent DePaul Mission in Waterbury. It’s an excellent way for kids to give back to the community while learning about the importance of helping those in need. Parents are incredibly supportive and donate all the necessary ingredients, from bread and meat to cheese and condiments. On sandwich-making day, the excitement is contagious! The students work in teams, stacking up the ingredients, and making sure each sandwich is delicious and ready to go. It’s not only a lesson in teamwork but also in kindness and responsibility. After all the sandwiches are assembled, they’re neatly packaged and prepped for delivery to the soup kitchen. It’s heartwarming to see the kids take pride in their work, knowing that their efforts can make a real difference in someone’s day. This monthly tradition has become something special for our class, reminding us all of the importance of community and the joy of helping others! We will begin our community service this month. Look for an email this week from Nora with all the details and an opportunity to sign up to help through donations or volunteering on sandwich-making day.

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Upcoming Events

• Thursday, November 13 – Upper El Sandwich Making for St. Vincent DePaul Mission

Fostering independence and ownership among students is a crucial part of Montessori education, especially in fourth and fifth grade when kids are really beginning to figure out who they are and what they love academically. On Friday, our upper elementary students had a fantastic experience with student-led conferences, which were truly uplifting and eye-opening.

The core idea behind these conferences is to empower students to share their own progress. When they step into this role, they take on more responsibility for their education and strengthen the bond between their learning and their families. This approach aligns with where fourth and fifth-year students are developmentally, as they become more actively engaged in their educational journey.

Leading up to the conferences, students prepared by writing self-reflections. They evaluated their learning goals, identified their strengths and weaknesses, and looked ahead to the rest of the year. This self-discovery process encouraged them to dive deep into their academic experiences.

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UPCOMING EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

This Week

Thursday, October 30: Halloween Celebration – Children may come dressed in costume and bring a pumpkin to school for pumpkin carving. We will carve pumpkins, have a costume parade, and share some yummy treats. Thank you to all who are contributing Halloween goodies!

Friday, October 31: No School – Montessori Schools of Connecticut Conference

 

We had a rich week of learning across all subject areas. The children worked with purposeful concentration on writing, biology, geometry, and grammar lessons.

Writing

Our writing lesson focused on using the “because” clause to make writing more interesting and sophisticated. We practiced adding reasoning to our statements, which helps us explain our thinking more clearly. This technique naturally strengthens writing skills and the ability to articulate ideas.

Biology

In biology, we learned about how animals get their nutrition and the various bodily processes involved in this nutrition. The children explored ingestion, digestion, absorption, excretion, egestion, and how different animals have adapted unique systems for obtaining the nutrients they need. This sparked incredible conversations about the interconnectedness of body systems.

Geometry

The fourth-year students learned about congruence, similarity, and equivalence. They manipulated materials to discover how shapes can be the same, similar, or equal in different ways. The fifth-year students worked on finding the area of a trapezoid by cutting the height in half and multiplying by the sum of the major and minor bases. Watching them work through this process showed the beauty of the mathematical mind at work.

Grammar

Fourth graders learned about three types of adjectives: descriptive, article, and numeral adjectives. They practiced identifying these different types and understanding how each serves a unique purpose in our language. Fifth graders learned about the past perfect tense and when to use this verb form to show that one action was completed before another past action began.

Literature Circle

On Tuesday, we started our second session of literature circle. The children exchanged books with each other, and the excitement in the room was palpable as they discussed their reading assignments and prepared for their new roles. You will find the assignment, along with copies of each role sheet, posted on your child’s dashboard.

UPCOMING EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

This Week
Friday, October 24: No School – Student-Parent-Teacher Conferences

Next Week
Thursday, October 30: Halloween Celebration – Children may come dressed in costume and bring a pumpkin to school for pumpkin carving. We will carve pumpkins, have a costume parade, and share some yummy treats. Keep an eye out for an email to sign up and bring a snack to share at our party.

Friday, October 31: No School – MSC Conference

Have a wonderful weekend!

Karen