Upper Elementary had a busy week!

In class, we began researching our assigned ancient civilizations. The four groups chosen by the students are China, Vikings, Nazca, and Aztecs. The children are enthusiastic about their research and have fully engaged with the classroom resources.

We started typing lessons this week. These self-guided lessons allow students to spend a few minutes on typing practice whenever their assignments are up to date and their work is finished. Some students enjoy starting their day with typing while they wait for yoga to begin in the morning. They are also welcome to complete some lessons at home, and the link is available on their MyFWM dashboard.

The highlight of our week was Friday. We kicked off the day by making sandwiches for the St. Vincent DePaul soup kitchen, and Upper Elementary joyfully prepared 146 sandwiches. We concluded the day by launching our new Book Buddies program with kindergarten students. Each Upper Elementary student has two buddies, and they read together for half an hour after recess. This will be a weekly activity every Friday. Overall, Friday was a wonderful day of community service for us.

We are also enjoying playing in the snow during recess! As a reminder, all students must wear warm coats, snow pants, mittens or gloves, hats, and boots daily. They are also welcome to bring a sled from home.

“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?'” -Martin Luther King, Jr.

Upcoming:

• Tuesday, February 4: Field Trip to the Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum in Ridgefield, CT. We will leave school at 9:30 and return by 1:30. Please let me know if you would like to join us.

This week, we began preparations for our upcoming research presentations scheduled for the first week of March. Our focus is on introductory lessons about Ancient Civilizations. In Upper Elementary, we study these civilizations not only to understand them as an evolutionary stage but also to challenge the idea of a simplistic, linear progression of human development. Students will discover the significant events that shaped civilizations and explore their cultural contributions.

The goal is to spark each student’s curiosity for further studies on different civilizations. As we delve into how civilizations developed, we will examine how each group met fundamental needs, expressed basic human tendencies, and how they can be compared and contrasted. Each study will concentrate on geography, cultural activities, everyday life, and their political and economic systems.

Upper Elementary students will work in small groups, with each group focusing on a specific civilization. They will collaborate to complete their research at school. On March 5 at 5:30, they will present their findings to you and their peers. I will share more information with you as we progress!

This coming Friday at 9:00, we will make sandwiches for the St. Vincent DePaul Mission and Soup Kitchen in Waterbury. Here is the sign-up for ingredients donations. We’d love to have you join us on Friday as well!

Ancient Egyptians believed that upon death they would be asked two questions and their answers would determine whether they could continue their journey in the afterlife. The first question was, ‘Did you bring joy?’ The second was, ‘Did you find joy?’ -Leo Buscaglia

Upper Elementary students returned to school this week, enthusiastic about our new history studies on Ancient Civilizations.

We began our study with discussions about the definitions of society and civilization, followed by an introduction to the building blocks of civilization. We learned that each stage in the evolution of human culture builds on the foundations of previous societies, with each stage showing advancements from earlier ones. The stages we examined included big game hunting, foraging, farming, trading, and the formation of cities.

Next, we looked at the timeline of the Holocene Epoch, divided into 500-year segments, and features a map highlighting some of the world’s earliest civilizations. The upper part of the timeline focuses on Eurasia and Africa, while the lower part emphasizes developments in the Americas. The Africa-Eurasia map highlights the Mesopotamian civilizations along the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers in the Middle East, the Egyptian civilization along the Nile in northwestern Africa, the Indus River civilization in northwest India, and the Shang civilization north of the Yellow River in China. Meanwhile, the Americas map highlights Mesoamerica and the highlands of Peru. This timeline clearly illustrates that civilizations developed in various ways and at different rates, depending on the conditions of their environments.

Upper Elementary students study ancient civilizations to understand them as an evolutionary stage and to relate to the process of civilization development. They are encouraged to challenge the notion of a simplistic, linear progression of human advancement and to identify significant events in civilization’s history. We will explore the contributions of different cultures, hoping to inspire each student’s curiosity for further studies in this area. As we learn about the development of civilizations, we will examine how each group addressed specific fundamental needs and expressed basic human tendencies, comparing and contrasting different societies. Each study will focus on geography, cultural activities, everyday life, and political and economic systems.

Next week, we will choose four ancient civilizations, and students will begin work in small groups, each focusing on one civilization. Over the next seven weeks, they will collaborate to complete their research at school and will present their findings to peers and parents at Research Night on Wednesday, March 5, at 5:30.

This upcoming Wednesday, Upper El students have been invited to participate in National Hat Day by wearing their favorite hats to school.

“This is the solstice, the still point of the sun, its cusp and midnight, the year’s threshold and unlocking, where the past lets go of and becomes the future; the place of caught breath.” -Margaret Atwood

Upper elementary students had an exciting week as they prepared for the Winter Concert. They worked incredibly hard and showed great enthusiasm during our practices and the performance as we welcomed families and friends to celebrate the holidays with us.

We want to thank everyone who contributed treats to our class party and for your incredibly generous and lovely gifts. We greatly appreciate your support throughout the year. A special thank you goes to the McCann family for caring for our class guinea pigs over the break!

It is no coincidence that we have such an amazing group of students, thanks to their wonderful families. We feel very fortunate to guide these remarkable individuals, and we are grateful to you for trusting us with their care.

Wishing you joyful and peaceful holidays filled with love,

Karen and Sara

And so the Shortest Day came and the year died

And everywhere down the centuries of the snow-white world

Came people singing, dancing,

To drive the dark away.

They lighted candles in the winter trees;

They hung their homes with evergreen;

They burned beseeching fires all night long

To keep the year alive.

And when the new year’s sunshine blazed awake

They shouted, reveling.

Through all the frosty ages you can hear them

Echoing behind us—listen!

All the long echoes, sing the same delight,

This Shortest Day,

As promise wakens in the sleeping land:

They carol, feast, give thanks,

And dearly love their friends,

And hope for peace.

And now so do we, here, now,

This year and every year.

Welcome, Yule!

-Susan Cooper

Our shared past reminds us that we are all part of the human family, with a common bond that transcends borders and differences. -Donald Johanson

Upcoming events:

• Thursday, 12/19
  • Holiday Party
  • Pajama Day
  • Secret Santa – Students bring a gift ($15 limit) for their recipient.
• Friday, 12/20
  • 9:30: Pre-concert breakfast
  • 10:00: Holiday Concert – Concert attire (no sweatpants, sweatshirts, jeans, crocs)
  • Early Dismissal (11:30) – Students can be dismissed after the concert.
    

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This week, we wrapped up our study of modern humans. We learned about these ancient humans not primarily through their fossils but rather through the artifacts they left behind—specifically, the tools they crafted. The different ages of tool-making identify each group of ancient humans.

The earliest period was the Paleolithic Age (Old Stone Age), followed by the Mesolithic Age (Middle Stone Age), and then the Neolithic Age, which marked the beginning of farming. Finally, around 4,000 years ago, people began creating tools from metal, marking the start of the Age of Metals.

Each student presented a specific group of modern humans, emphasizing the key facts that intrigued them the most. We learned about the Aurignacians, Solutreans, and Magdalenians from the Upper Paleolithic Age; the Azilians, Maglemosians, and Kitchen Midden Folk from the Mesolithic Age; the Lake Dwellers and Megalith Builders from the Neolithic Age; the Battle-Axe People, Beaker Folk, and British Settlers from the Bronze Age; and the Celts from the Iron Age.

Reflecting on our study of modern humans, it’s clear that the evolution of tool-making is not just about the objects themselves but also about the people who created and used them. Each age tells a story of adaptation, innovation, and the journey of modern humans through time. We can’t wait to delve deeper into history as we continue our studies with Ancient Civilizations up next!

“An inner change has taken place, but nature is quite logical in arousing now in the child not only a hunger for knowledge and understanding, but a claim to mental independence, a desire to distinguish good from evil by his own powers, and to resent limitation by arbitrary authority. In the field of morality, the child now stands in need of his own inner light.” -Maria Montessori, The Absorbent Mind

Recognizing the distinct traits of children at different stages of development allows us to better support their growth. Fourth and fifth graders are full of energy, possess evolving interests, and navigate complex social dynamics. They experience a period of physical growth while generally maintaining a calm demeanor, leading to a time of stability and happiness. During this stage, they shift from solely focusing on self-construction and information absorption to exploring the world around them. They develop a keen interest in culture, history, science, and, most importantly, their place in the world.

These children are bursting with enthusiasm and thrive on rough-and-tumble play, often gravitating toward team activities. They typically display greater happiness and friendship as they begin to navigate complex social interactions. With growing self-confidence, they develop a deeper acceptance of diversity in their relationships. Their lively curiosity drives them to ask probing questions, helping them understand the world better.

By understanding these characteristics, we can more effectively support children’s academic growth and create an environment in which they can thrive socially and emotionally. Recognizing these traits enables us to encourage their development and address their unique needs as they transition from fourth to fifth grade and beyond.

In the Montessori story of the human being, there are three gifts humankind has been given that distinguish us from the rest of the animals – a mind with which to think, a heart with which to love, and hands with which to work. These gifts are given to us to know, love, and serve our world and ourselves. Maria Montessori felt that this was the cosmic task of our species. This is the basis upon which human work ought to be founded. (Lecture, University of Madras, 1940.)

The following is an excerpt from The Coming of Humans.

Human beings have a different kind of love than other animals. Other animals can love as well, but humans don’t only have one kind of it. We have the kind of love that two people share – the kind where people may be in love with each other – but we also have a different sort of love. Humans have love at a distance. We can even love someone we may never see. We may help others that we hardly ever know, just because they’re human beings. This love has an origin, and the origin is in the depths of time, when at some point in the past, people began to care for one another in a way that went beyond what other animals do. Our capability to love is our second gift. You and I and any other human can show our love for others. When something terrible happens to other people, we can support them in some way by giving them something – even if it may be that we will never know them, never know who they are, never meet them. We can do this without ever even expecting thanks. That’s a kind of love for others that other animals don’t have. We have that transcendent kind of love, when we choose to use it. 

Over the next two weeks, we will wrap up our study of early humans with lessons and discussions about fourteen cultures of modern humans who lived in Europe during the last 40,000 years: the Upper Paleolithic, Mesolithic, and Neolithic Ages.

I want to extend a special thank you to the families and Paromita, who contributed to our beautiful Diwali celebration this week. We enjoyed the Diwali stories, dancing, and delicious food!