Jennifer Jakubecy
Aug 31, 20192 min
Lower Elementary had a very busy second week of school. We started
Spanish, Sustainability, Yoga, Engineering, Music, Drama,Morning
Mindfulness, and Maker's Space.
Work cycles were busy as well with many lessons and follow-up practice
as students work toward mastery of new concepts and skills. Hope you all
enjoyed looking through the work sent home in "Friday Bags". Please
keep the loose papers and return the bag and work journal. Some students
may have brought home a green folder. Please return it also.
Lessons and group work this week included: spelling, word study and
grammar boxes, reading circles, comprehension and reading for concepts,
Writer's Workshop introductory lessons, extensions with math materials,
and geography continent maps and flag work.
Our favorite "Year-Long Project" binders were started. Many
different topics are chosen by each student as to their interests in
areas they want to explore. Facts and illustrations fill these notebooks
and continue during the year.
We are looking forward to our trip to Rockmont in September. This is
a wonderful opportunity for our children to practice independence while
living as a community and experiencing the activities outdoors in a
beautiful setting.
A Montessori Moment....
As a Montessori guide for many years, my role is to cultivate not just
the intellect but the whole child. The Gift of Silence is so important for children and adults. I have been sharing exercises during our Peace Circle when we slow down, quiet our minds and bodies, and experience silence to nourish our spirit. We practice sitting still in silence and listening for sounds around us. Little by little, in the mist of this impressive silence we can hear the lightest sounds like the wind blowing outside our classroom or a chirping bird.
Sharing these moments together allows us to make room and slow down for
inner experiences. Children need to have time to meander, sit by a stream, lay on a beach in
the sand, or ponder the night sky and practice silence.
I hope you all have a great weekend and Labor Day.
Ms. Lynne