This Week:

• CTP5 Standardized Testing: For Upper El, this is a practice test and we do not report scores. Students will be using school iPads during testing – there is no need to send their devices for testing.
• Nature’s Classroom cost is $383 per student this year. If your child will be attending, please send a $100 deposit by Friday, April 11.

We had a wonderfully busy week in Upper El, filled with engaging work and activities. The students tackled individual math and spelling lessons, and they also participated in group lessons in biology, geometry, grammar, vocabulary, and comprehension.

In biology, our focus was on photosynthesis. We are currently examining the release of oxygen by an aquatic plant and look forward to a sunny day next week to complete our experiment. In geometry, we continued our lessons on finding surface area, with one group concentrating on squares and the other on the lesser sectors of circles. This week in grammar, we explored different types of adverbs and the words they modify.

In art class, students worked together on the set for their upcoming musical, Finding Nemo! They also enjoyed a delightful Book Buddies session with their kindergarten friends, which is always a great way to connect and share a love for reading. It was a week full of learning, creativity, and fun!

Upcoming Events
April 8-11: CTP testing (see below)
May 27, 28, and 29: Nature’s Classroom overnight field trip (see below)

This week, we welcomed a new friend to Upper El—welcome Emmie and family to FWM! It was a wonderful return to school after our two-week break. We jumped back into our biology work, focusing on the vital functions of plants.

On Monday, we reviewed the concepts we had learned before the break. We analyzed a chart of vital functions and discussed the differences between the vegetative, relative, and reproductive functions of plants. On Wednesday, we explored the creation and use of starch in plants. After the lesson, Upper El students independently tested potatoes and other root vegetables of their choice for starch, extending their activity by examining their specimens under a microscope and recording their observations in their science notebooks.

In geometry this week, one group learned about inverse formulas for finding the area of a rectangle. They practiced determining the missing base or height when given the area and the length of one side. Another group focused on the formula for calculating the area of a circle.

We concluded our week by sharing books with our kindergarten buddies. Our fourth and fifth graders are doing an outstanding job helping their kindergarten friends with reading and sharing stories. This week, they concentrated on books about animals in preparation for a research project the kindergarten students are undertaking.

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CTP Testing
The Comprehensive Testing Program (CTP) evaluates reading, writing, and math skills and is administered once a year in the spring. We begin testing students in fourth grade and continue through eighth grade. For fourth and fifth graders, this assessment serves as practice, and we do not report scores at these levels. Parents will receive scores starting in sixth grade. Testing will occur during the week of April 8, with students completing small portions each morning on their devices. It’s essential for them to arrive at school each day with their devices fully charged. Please reach out if you have any questions about the testing process.

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Nature’s Classroom
On May 27, we will depart for Nature’s Classroom in Charlton, Massachusetts. We will travel by bus and will stay two nights at the Pondside facility. We will return to school on May 29 after spending two nights at Nature’s Classroom. Last year, the cost for this trip was $450. This may change this year depending on the cost of the bus and on the number of students attending. I will hold an informational session for any parents interested. Please email me if you are interested. I will also send more information in a separate email next week.

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Read the blog post from March 8 here.

“The ancient bones of our ancestors are like the roots of a great tree, reminding us to stay firmly grounded in our history. Yet they also inspire us to reach for the heights and achieve our greatest aspirations, like the branches of a tree stretching toward the sky.” -Raigon Stanley

We had an incredible week leading up to March Break! We wrapped up our two-month preparation for our big group research project on Ancient Civilizations, which was a great experience. On Wednesday night, the Upper El students did a fabulous job with their presentations to parents and classmates. Huge thanks to everyone who showed up to support them!

To finish off our Ancient Civilizations project, we took a trip to the Yale Peabody Museum with Lower El and Middle School to check out the Mesopotamia exhibit. We were blown away by the artifacts on display, and it was so much fun for the students to find information about the civilizations they researched. We were also excited to find an exhibit on early humans, where we could identify some of the early humans we studied earlier this year. Plus, exploring the rocks, minerals, and crystals was a highlight, and we loved the living exhibit with the insects, reptiles, and amphibians. What a fantastic week!

I hope you have a wonderful and rejuvenating March Break!

Upcoming Events

• Research Night: Wednesday, March 5 at 5:30 in the Performing Arts Room
• Field Trip to the Yale Peabody Museum: Friday, March 7, 9:00 to 2:00. Pack a bagged lunch – no food that needs to be heated.

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What an amazing week we’ve had in Upper Elementary! Each research group dove into finalizing their papers, putting together slide presentations, and building some incredible three-dimensional models of their ancient civilizations. I was so impressed with the effort, focus, and teamwork everyone showed while gearing up for research night.

During this project, Upper El students took charge of their learning by exploring their assigned ancient civilizations and gathering lots of information to share with their classmates. Not only did they learn about their specific civilizations, but they also sharpened their research and teamwork skills. By the time we wrap this up on Wednesday, they’ll walk away with some valuable experience on how to research a broad topic.

For me, the biggest takeaway from this project has been their growth in collaboration. They’ve worked together before on smaller assignments with one or two classmates, but this time, it’s on a much bigger scale and includes the excitement (and nerves!) of presenting to an audience. Each group figured out how to use their strengths and work through differences of opinion.

By the end of the week, everyone had tackled these challenges with grace and joy. I can’t wait to see you all on Wednesday night!

Upcoming important dates:

• Wednesday, March 5 at 5:30: Upper Elementary Research Night
• Friday, March 7 from 9:15 to 2:00: Field Trip to the Yale Peabody Museum

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This week has been exciting as we continued to prepare for our Ancient Civilizations Research Night. We focused a lot on our research groups and worked hard on a few things to ensure we had everything set for the big event.

First, we created group Google Docs for our collaborative papers. It was great to see everyone jumping in, sharing different ideas, and helping each other out to make sure we covered all the important points. These Docs will serve as each group’s central hub, where they can put everything together neatly.

Then there was the fun part—building our three-dimensional models! Every group is working hard on everything from ancient temples to housing and even the important rivers that shaped their civilizations. Watching everyone get creative with their designs was awesome, and it’s clear they’re putting a lot of thought into making their projects stand out.

As we approach the presentations, the excitement is really kicking in. We have started planning how to present our work, discussing slide presentations, and talking about planning who will present what. It feels great to see everyone trying to support each other and figure out how to make the presentations engaging for everyone who will come.

We also had two friends visiting us this week—one from fourth grade and another from fifth. They fit in perfectly and joined right in on our collaborations. Upper El students did a great job mentoring them and showing them our class routines.

This week has been jam-packed with learning and creativity as we gear up for Ancient Civilizations Research Night. We can’t wait to show off all our hard work on March 5!

What an amazing week we had in Upper El! We were so lucky to have Donna from the Brian O’Connell Homeless Project visit us, and her visit was followed by a flurry of wonderful activities. Between Reader’s Theater, Moving-Up Day, and even some sandwich-making, we were busy and loving every minute of it!

On Monday, we learned about the Brian O’Connell Homeless Project and the inspiration behind Brian Bags. It was so inspiring to see the Middle School kids come together on Friday and assemble over fifty bags filled with essentials! Later that day, we held our Reader’s Theater, and it was fantastic to perform for our Upper El families and Middle School friends.

Tuesday was particularly special as our fifth graders got a taste of Middle School life. They eagerly learned what to expect as they prepare to move up to sixth grade. At the same time, our fourth graders welcomed their third-grade buddies to spend the day in our classroom. It was heartwarming to see them step into those mentoring roles so naturally. I have no doubt we’re going to have an awesome group next year!

We also dove deeper into our Ancient Civilizations project. The students worked hard creating group documents for their research papers, planning out three-dimensional models, and figuring out what materials we’d need. Over the next few weeks, we’ll make use of our Art and Makerspace time to bring those models to life! In class, we’ll focus on understanding the geography, culture, everyday life, and political and economic systems of the civilizations they’ve chosen. There’s so much to explore!

We rounded out our week with a sweet Valentine’s Day celebration. We made 165 sandwiches to donate to the soup kitchen, read with our kindergarten buddies, and enjoyed some yummy treats in the classroom. A huge thank you to everyone who contributed ingredients for the sandwiches and for our party! And a special shoutout to our guest photographer, Kaleigh, who captured some great moments during our sandwich-making!

It was a truly remarkable week filled with learning, kindness, and community spirit! ♥

 

 

Last week we took a trip to the Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum, and it was amazing to see the world of art come alive. The exhibits were fascinating, especially the works of Wen Liu and Martha Diamond. Their unique styles really inspired us and got our creative juices flowing. We even had the chance to create our own wet-on-wet paintings, channeling some of Martha Diamond’s techniques. It was a fun and enlightening experience, allowing us to play with colors and textures.

This week also marked our third round of Book Buddies, which just keeps getting better and better. It’s so heartwarming to see the students becoming more independent as they eagerly connect with their buddies for reading time. The friendships forming between our Upper El students and the Kindergarteners are really something special—they’re bonds that will last beyond the classroom!

Looking ahead, we have an exciting week planned. On Monday, we’re thrilled to welcome Donna from the Brian O’Connell Homeless Project. She’ll be speaking to both Upper El and Middle School students about the important work they do, plus we’ll be putting together Brian Bags later in the week alongside our Middle Schoolers. And we’re excited to welcome a new student, June, to our classroom! We can’t wait for her to join our community!

As Friday gets closer, our excitement builds for Valentine’s Day! We’ll be exchanging cards and having a little party to celebrate. But before all that fun, we’re dedicating part of our morning to making sandwiches for the St. Vincent DePaul Soup Kitchen. It’s a great way to mix our festivities with a meaningful cause, reminding us all about the importance of community and kindness.

On Tuesday, February 4, we will go to the Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum in Ridgefield. We will leave school at 9:30 and return at 1:30. Students need to pack a bagged lunch and wear clothing appropriate for painting that day.

An observer in our Upper Elementary classroom would notice that most children are working together on their tasks; this collaboration is intentional. Montessori elementary communities are designed to foster teamwork because it is recognized as a vital need for this age group. Elementary children seek interaction not only in social settings but also in organized groups where they can focus on common goals with their peers. At this stage, children form strong friendships and prefer to be surrounded by their classmates. For this reason, the majority of their work is collaborative, except when they are honing individualized skills.

This phase also represents the “acquisition of culture” in Montessori education. There is a significant emphasis on learning about how individuals throughout history have contributed to society. As children absorb this new historical knowledge, they also learn how to contribute positively to their own environment, both within the classroom and beyond.

We had our second week of Friday Book Buddies this past week. The Upper Elementary students spent their Friday Fun decorating bookmarks for their kindergarten friends. They will finish the bookmarks this week and present them to their buddies during their next Book Buddies session on Friday. Both Upper Elementary and Kindergarten students seemed to enjoy this week’s session even more than last week. Everyone is becoming more comfortable and relaxed while reading. It is heartwarming to see the connections being made, as well as the Upper Elementary students taking on leadership roles with their younger friends.