The students enjoy our morning routine of outdoor exercise to get their brains primed for learning. They play group tag games, run laps, World Cup Soccer, or stroll and chat with friends and teachers. As educators, we observe and allow for natural play to take shape among children as they engage and sometimes negotiate challenges. At times a student may get injured and others will step in to see if they are feeling okay. This week I observed a student get hurt during a soccer game. The other students gathered around to see how he was feeling. Then two of the students walked him to the nurse’s office.  I was glad to see empathy take over among the children and that the two students were okay missing a few minutes of play to assist a fellow student.

Much of our time moving forward into next week will focus on immersion for James and The Giant Peach, Jr.  This will be a break from our normal routine yet it is an enjoyable experience as we see many students stretch themselves. For some, it may be their first time on stage or their first time in a principal role. With that comes some anxiety but it leads to growth. We look forward to a great show next week, May 11th!

One last piece of important information. As temperatures rise, it is important children remain hydrated.  Therefore, please have your child bring to school a filled water bottle with his or her name clearly written on the bottle or a label. Thanks for your cooperation.

This week the students’ efforts shone through in the knowledge they shared during our annual science fair. The focus for their study was sound, light and magnetism. They each chose a problem and then formulated an educated guess, or hypothesis for a solution to that problem. Next, they made a material list, wrote a procedure of steps to test their hypothesis and then recorded results. Lastly they wrote a conclusion which was a reflection on the overall experience.

The first goal of the science fair is to learn and apply the scientific method. The second goal is for the students to understand the process and learn to apply problem solving techniques for future studies, not only in science but in life as they encounter daily challenges.

During these next two weeks excitement and enthusiasm will grow as all elementary students prepare for James and The Giant Peach, Jr. Rehearsals are coming along nicely and our principle characters should continue to practice at home daily so they may rehearse off-script while in school.

Thank you for taking some time to join us for Parent/Child Night last week. The children enjoyed your company in the classroom.

Our return to school after spring break was delayed a bit by mother nature. We welcomed a new fourth student, Julian to our classroom on Tuesday.  He was welcomed by everyone and he is eager to become familiar with our routine and school. The students had a lot to share about their time off and we are re-energized to finish the year with some great happenings including our annual science fair, elementary play, and overnight trip!

Speaking of the overnight trip we are going to Nature’s Classroom in Charlton, MA which is about 1 1/2 hours from Newtown. The trip is planned for May 22 – 24.  Olivia, aka “Rocky” the director from the Charlton site stopped in Wednesday afternoon to give an overview of the program to our class. We are all very excited to go on the trip! Information will come home soon regarding cost, medical forms, and a suggested packing list.

Lastly, the students learned about their roles in our upcoming play, James and the Giant Peach.  We will use some school time to prepare for the play but students with principal roles should begin practicing their lines at home. We are looking forward to their performance on May 11.

This week the play director, Miss Linda came in to work individually with students for the upcoming play, James and The Giant Peach. As we practice songs and lines daily the students become more comfortable with the flow of the play. Mrs. Sankey recently sent out an email requesting parent help for the play. Please lend a hand if possible. We appreciate your help and participation in making the play come together for the students.

On Monday, we celebrated the April birthdays of Julian, Kayla, John Patrick and Morgan with a birthday breakfast.  It’s always a nice treat to share a healthy breakfast and spend time with family and friends as we recognize birthdays to kick off the week! If your child has a birthday in May, be on the lookout for an invitation to join us in the classroom for the May Birthday Breakfast.

Last week we sent home blue packets containing information about our overnight trip to Nature’s Classroom. Please review the information and fill out the forms to be returned to us. If your child does not plan to attend the overnight trip please email me so I can plan accordingly for the cost of transportation.

We had a productive week with improved weather and a full week of school. The students have done a great job preparing for the science fair and completing their goals in a timely manner. The next step is to finish their results which could take the form of a chart, graph or diagram.

We allow for some unstructured time at least once per week for students to work together and play group games such as cards, chess, or a variety of other classic board games.  They do a great job deciding on activities and being inclusive of others.

We joined the Lower Elementary to practice songs and some characters practiced their lines in preparation for James and The Giant Peach. This will be a daily practice shortly after arrival each day to get acclimated to the songs and working together as a team.  All students should bring their scripts to school every day moving forward.

Lately we have done our best to maintain consistency in the classroom with all of the weather related closings.  Maintaining a consistent classroom routine gives students reassurance and predictability while in our school setting. Practicing consistent routines at home and school also makes them feel safe. But there are times when we have to go with the flow which we have done recently and the students are rising to the occasion.

We have had several reading responses shared over the past couple weeks. We introduced some new and fresh reading response activities that are available to the students and they are eager to try them.  Once again the goal for each student is to complete six total responses.

Many students from outside Fraser Woods have visited our classroom since the new year started. During a visit we partner the student with a peer of the same grade level. They help answer questions, give a tour and make the visitor feel welcome. This is natural for these Montessori students and they are excellent hosts. We anticipate welcoming these positive additions to our school in the fall of 2018.

Linda, our play director for James and The Giant Peach visited the students on Monday to introduce herself. On Wednesday, she invited students to audition for the roles in the play. They had a lot of fun and are excited to find out their roles in the play. The enthusiasm was evident as many students spent dismissal time reading lines together.