montessori
The Gift of Thinking Mathematically What’s Inside: MMS NEWS PAGES 2-5 & 36-38
As printed in Gainesville Today December 2011 By: Christina Miller: President There are pertinent issues in education today facing our country’s future. One is in the area of mathematics. It comes down to this; we must prepare the minds of preschool children for mathematical
MMS MENTAL HEALTH CORNER: GOOD TOUCH BAD TOUCH PAGES 6-7
thinking if we are to reform mathematics in the United States. The early preparation of a young child’s mathematical mind follows a natural and definite pattern. At first a child absorbs information subconsciously. It is after his subconscious has done its work
CLASS UPDATES PAGE 8-33
of building and organizing that it comes to the light of
SPOTLIGHT KIDS PAGES 34-35
We all know that Children learn from experience and
consciousness.
repetition and young children are like sponges, able to absorb information effortlessly. An example of this is a
CALENDAR PAGE 40
young child’s ability to learn a language completely and without an accent before the age of five. In preschool, Montessori education provides children with the freedom to select from a variety of activities, carefully presented by the teacher, what attracts them in their classroom environment. They are allowed to “work” without interruption for as long as they like with hands-on manipulatives that are precisely designed.
QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER FROM MILLHOPPER MONTESSORI SCHOOL
There has been much research in the past forty years on the importance of manipulative learning tools. Manipulatives refer to objects that can be touched and moved by students to introduce or reinforce a concept. Children learn best through active, hands-on activities with concrete materials. In a Montessori preschool classroom, children as young as age two are introduced to hands-on materials that are carefully prepared to aid the development of their mathematical minds. These materials are beautiful and the children are drawn to them. The materials are weighed and measured to be precise in every way. Continued on Page 2
The Gift of Thinking Mathematically Continued
They carefully progress from simple to complex in how they are designed and used. They move from concrete expressions of an idea and gradually become more and more abstract. As the children get older they have a tremendous foundation for mathematical abstraction. They love to explore because they are used to learning by discovery. I am amazed at how quickly my elementary and middle school students can conjecture and reason logically. These children are not behind students in other countries. Their higher level thinking skills surpass many adults and their creativity is enhanced through the beauty of mathematics which is based in reality and truth. Until a significant amount of preschool children in the United States are given the opportunity to develop their mathematical minds with a precise hands-on sequential curriculum, such as Montessori, it will not be possible for our emerging adults to compete in a global society. As the holiday season approaches and gift ideas come to mind, I would recommend exploring games and books that help develop the mathematical minds of your children. Good resources for math games are: www.mathmom.com/list/gift-ideas-for-all-ages Boardgamesgeek.com
MMS PTO FALL FESTIVAL:
a HUGE success because of you! On October 27, 2011 the MMS Parent Teacher Organization hosted the third annual Fall Festival. It was a beautiful night full of family, friends, games, wonderful food and an all around GREAT time! We would like to send out a special thanks to Deeta Adkins for the countless number of hours she spent organizing, planning and implementing this event. Deeta, this event is always a success because of your leadership. We would also like to
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thank the dozens of volunteers that assisted with donating booth prizes, food items for the simply delicious international food booth, cars, trucks and SUVs for the TrunkNTreat festivities, and of course everyone’s personal time during the event whether it be setting up, working a shift or breaking down. This event is truly a team effort! We are grateful for our wonderful families that come together to make events like this a success! Thank you to the 43rd Street Beef ‘O’ Brady’s for
the donation of all the hotdogs, hamburgers, buns and bags for the Trunk ‘N’ Treat! Congratulation to the Lessard Family for winning our inaugural TrunkNTreat Trophy! The PTO was able to raise over $2500 for the PTO general fund. The next PTO general meeting will be held in February to decide where the funds should be spent. Be sure to attend the meeting if you have any suggestions.
MMS BOOK FAIR: DECEMBER BOOK FAIR RAISES FUNDS FOR THE MMS LIBRARY!
Our annual fall book fair was a huge success! We are so thankful for the MANY parents, teachers and students who helped to make this event so wonderful. Our hard working MMS parents set up the fair, worked at the cash register and dismantled everything at the close of the week. Fifth grade and middle school students assisted the younger children with touring the fair and creating “Wish Lists” to be taken home to the parents. The teachers encouraged the students to visit the fair and complete
class wish lists so parents could increase the number of books in the classroom libraries. Of course the support of everyone who purchased items from the fair was very much appreciated. Your purchases helped make it possible to add over $2,000 of new materials to our school library and classrooms. The book fair truly benefits the entire school. We are looking forward to our Spring book fair to be held April 23-27. More details will be forthcoming in March.
Wine & Cheese Fundraiser THE MMS PTO WINE & CHEESE COMMITTEE IS CURRENTLY PLANNING THE 2012 EVENT TO BE HELD AT THE NEW SANTA FE COLLEGE FINE ARTS HALL - MARCH 10, 2012 • 7:00 - 10:00 P.M.
The third annual MMS PTO Wine & Cheese Fundraiser will be held at the new Fine Arts Hall at Santa Fe College on Saturday, March 10, 2012 from 7:00 - 10:00 p.m.
Mark your Calendar!
We would love to hear your ideas and have you serve on a committee!
For any questions, contact Irma Alvarez, PTO President or our committee coPlease join us in in January chairs, Ana Moros-Hanley for our next committee meet- and Jessica Milian. ing. An invitation with the date/time will be sent via Thank you for your support email. Please keep an eye of the MMS PTO! out and make plans to attend. 3
The Next MMS PTO Meeting will be held in February. Stay tuned for an exact date. Items on the Agenda include but are not limited to:
Wine & Cheese Event Spirit ‘Knights’ March of Dimes Landscaping of the preschool/ kindergarten playground
As a reminder childcare is provided during the meetings by the PTO at no cost for MMS students three years old and potty trained. If you have anything you would like added to the agenda, please contact Irma Alvarez, MMS PTO President. You can obtain her contact information from the front office. Thank you for your continued support of the MMS PTO!
SPIRIT ‘KNIGHTS’: bringing MMS families together! The MMS PTO has started Spirit ‘Knights’ this year and are very
Monday, February 9 Beef ‘O’ Brady’s 43rd Street
pleased with the camaraderie it brings among our families.
Monday, April 16 Piesanos - both locations
This fall we had two Spirit ‘Knights’; one at Beef ‘O’ Brady’s
The Spirit ‘Knights’ run from 4:00
and the second at Piesanos
- 10:00 p.m. When you dine in
Stone Fired Pizza. The PTO
or take out be sure to let your
raised over $300 between these
server know you are represent-
two events, but more importantly
ing MMS and 10% of your bill will
we were able to bring MMS fami-
be donated to the MMS PTO
lies together for fun & food!
fund.
We will be hosting two more Spirit
Thanks for your support and GO
‘Knights’ in the spring. Please
KNIGHTS!
mark your calendars and be sure to join us:
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MMS SPRING SPORTS: BASKETBALL & VOLLEYBALL TEAMS
from our school will stay together on a team.
MMS is now in cahoots with the volleyball league at The Girl’s Place. It started a few seasons ago when a few of our young ladies joined a team and played. For the past two seasons we have had full MMS teams and this season we are trying to grow that involvement. We are trying to field a full team in both the 3rd-4th, 5th6th, and 7th-8th grade divisions. Any interested girls in 2nd grade will be allowed to play on the 3rd-4th grade teams if deemed ready. Also, should we not field a full team in any division, non MMS players will fill out the roster, but all registrants
Registration is open and available online at https:// www.quickscores.com/ Orgs/Forms.php? OrgDir=girlsplace&task=vie w&FormDefID=3657 . Be sure to put “I want to be on the MMS team” in the comments section. Our understanding is that you do not need to pay until after evaluations occur in early February, also note if you are interested in coaching. If we cannot produce a coach, the league will find one for us. We expect to field full teams in both the 3rd-4th and 5th-6th grade division and a solid core to build
on for the 7th-8th grade division. We are so happy to be involved with this and offer this outlet to our young ladies. Special thanks to the Beecham and Choi families for helping to get this ball rolling. Practice has also started for our two basketball teams. Tom Grant and James Schlachta will be leading and teaching our K-1 players the fundamentals of the game. Jennine Brandt will be coaching our 2nd-3rd grade team. Games will start in January after we return from holiday break. Come out and show your support for your MMS Knights!
SPORTS JERSEY SPONSORSHIP We would like to extend a BIG thank you to Piesanos Stone Fired Pizza for their generous sponsorship of our 2011-2012 athletic jerseys. Thanks to them we were able to purchase these all weather condition jersey’s. for all of our athletes! Be sure to thank Mike & Melissa Akey as well as Joel Mills the next time you see them! Oh, and go eat at Piesanos too! 5
mms mental health corner Guest Writer: Lisa Merlo Greene, Ph.D., M.P.E. Licensed Psychologist
As parents, a primary job is keeping our kids safe. We childproof our homes, use car seats, invest in swimming lessons, and teach children to look both ways before crossing the street. By modeling responsible behaviors ourselves (such as wearing bike helmets and seatbelts, and refraining from texting while driving), we encourage our children to do the same as they grow up. There are also critical things we can do to protect our children’s psychological and emotional well-being. Stranger Danger-- Through the elementary years, parents act as gatekeepers to the adults in their children’s lives, so it is helpful to teach them that everyone is a “stranger” unless personally introduced by a parent. This keeps children from being tricked by predators who might say, “Your mommy sent me to get you.” Similarly, children’s names should not be visible on their clothing, backpack, or even on car window decals, as this information can be used to portray familiarity in calling the child by name. Children should be taught to yell, “Stranger!” and run away if they feel unsafe, which can help to differentiate an attempted kidnapping from a temper tantrum, encouraging bystanders to assist the child. Learning how to recognize authority figures (e.g., police, fire fighters) who can help them in an emergency, and memorizing phone numbers to call if they are in trouble are also important lessons. Good-Touch/Bad-Touch—Recent media events have demonstrated why children need to be taught to protect their privacy and to distinguish “good touching” from “bad touching.” The swimsuit rule is easy for children to comprehend, by teaching them that all body parts that are covered by swimsuits are private parts that should not be seen or touched by anyone, except for trusted adults who are helping with bathing or healthcare. In general, “good touches” (hugging, snuggling) make us feel good; whereas, “bad touches” make us feel uncomfortable or bad. Some touches may start off good (like brief, playful tickling), but can become bad (like tickling that goes on too long, making the child feel out of control). Children should be taught to speak up any time a touch crosses from good to bad in terms of their own personal comfort level. Similarly, they should learn to always
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tell a trusted adult if they experience “bad touching” and to keep telling adults until someone helps to make it stop. Internet Safety— It is important to protect your children’s privacy by not posting their pictures on public websites and to make sure that your privacy settings for Facebook or other social networking accounts limit access only to the individuals you have identified as your friends. Photos that seem funny and “cute” now may embarrass your child when s/he gets older. In addition, others can easily copy online photos of your child for their own use, even without your permission. Information that would allow predators to find your child offline (e.g., addresses for their home, school, or extracurricular activities) should never be posted on public sites, and children should be taught never to reveal this information online. Parental monitoring—both through the use of computer parental controls and through in-person observation of your child’s online activities—are important ways to keep them safe. Though some parents are concerned about invading their child’s privacy, research has consistently demonstrated that children whose parents actively monitor them (online and offline) are less likely to be targeted by online predators and are less likely to use alcohol/drugs, engage in early sexual activity, or participate in other high-risk behaviors. Communication—Finally, fostering open communication is the most important way to promote children’s safety. It is very helpful to promote a “no secrets” policy, and to reject the notion that keeping secrets is a key component of intimacy/loyalty. Child abusers often exploit the concept of secrets and warn children “not to tell” lest something bad will happen. As a result, even keeping trivial secrets between family members can be harmful to children, by teaching them that it is okay to withhold information from people they trust. Distinguishing between a “surprise” (i.e., something you don’t share temporarily because it will result in more fun later) from a “secret” (i.e., something you never tell) can be a helpful way to preserve the excitement of surprises while protecting your child.
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Beginners: Ages 2-4 Ms. Crystal Sorrow Ms. Elizabeth Sheehan Ms. Amy Padgett
In November the Little House studied cooking and nutrition, culminating in our class' Thanksgiving Feast. The students learned the named of various cooking implements and utensils and worked with fresh produce. The Practical Life work also pertained to nutrition with fruit and vegetable matching, potato scrubbing, place setting, and more. The students cooked vegetable stir fry and cinnamon apples during the month. In December the Little House always studies Holidays Around the World. There are various Chanukah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, and Diwali works on the shelves. There is a small tree to decorate and a menorah with candles, dreydels to spin and stockings to stuff, plastic candy canes to hang and jingle bells to string. The Little House, in Mexican tradition, breaks a pinata each year and enjoys a visit from Santa Claus. There is a Chanukah presentation as well. Students hang ornaments on the calendar each day they are in school. The books on the reading shelf reflect the many holidays going on in the world during the winter months. Exposing young children to multiple holidays shares cultures and experiences and teaches them that many holidays have elements in common; family, love, and light. January will consist of a study of Italy. The students will be learning about Italy's location, geographical and architectural points of interest, food, and culture. One of our class' families this year hails from Italy and will be assisting in our unit study.
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Preschool: Ages 3-5 Ms. Christina Eckstein Ms. Martha Dolan
We incorporate a cross-curricular approach when planning unit studies, art projects, food preparation activities and show-and-tell themes. For example, the week we had „s‟ for show-and-tell, the students created “snail snacks” after examining the collage by artist Henri Matisse entitled “The Snail.” Simultaneously, the children were learning about bats and the children made bats in the same style as Matisse‟s Snail. The student pictured above is creating “rice mice” after receiving lessons on beginning sounds „r‟ and „m,‟ as well as rhyming. Our first Parent Night of the year was held on Thursday, October 6th. The students enjoyed showing their parents all of the work that they do throughout the school day. At the end of each session, we invited the parents to participate during one of our favorite circle time activities. They did a great job with “Tony Chestnut.” The children enjoyed celebrating Thanksgiving as a class with a bountiful feast. In addition to all of
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the wonderful food the children prepared, they also created corn cob painted placemats with an Indian corn border, pilgrim hat napkin rings, and Indian headbands for their special lunch.
The holiday season is such a wonderful time of year in our classroom. Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa have been the topics of our story time, works in the classroom and special craft projects. The children love to share about all of the wonderful traditions they share with their families this time of year. Two of our wonderful classroom parents, Shachar Amdur and Sarit Sela, enhanced our study of Hanukkah with a special presentation. The children had so much fun spinning dreidels, dancing and transforming themselves into human menorahs. The students also worked very hard learning songs and choreography for their Winter Show at Unity Church.
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Preschool: Ages 3-5 Ms. Renee Brohamer Ms. Lily Tajalli
Happy Holidays Everyone! It’s hard to believe that the holidays are already here. We have been busy these past few weeks. We had an awesome Thanksgiving feast on November 22nd , and Sarah’s mom, Ms. Alice, took some beautiful pictures of the children throughout the day. This November we learned a lot about time, past, present and future. The children had “The Great Time Line Lesson” where they were introduced to the concept of the universe. They have a working time line where they can place objects along the line matching the pictures form the “Big Bang” through mankind. The children also had the “Universe Lesson” . This lesson demonstrates our place in the Universe by graduating sizes from our home to neighborhood, city, state, country, continent, planet, solar system, galaxy, and universe.
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Preschool/Kindergarten Ms. Elizabeth Falls Ms. Widline Senecharles
We would like to thank everyone for attending our first Parent Night of this school year! Each year, the beauty of the Montessori classroom unfolds. Within the Montessori environment, we are able to enhance our curriculum with thematic Unit Studies. During the school year, you will see our classroom change from time to time, depending on our current unit study. During the months of October and November, we concentrated on Fossils, Rocks and Minerals; in relation to these we also studied the layers of the Earth and Volcanoes. The children enjoyed going on a fossil dig (for trilobites) and making “fossils” (using rubber casts and plaster); we even made our classroom volcano erupt! We are currently studying Africa and the upcoming months will find us studying Antarctica and Penguins. We would like to give a big “thank you” to Ms. Noelle (Flynn’s mom) for coming into our classroom and sharing her knowledge and experiences about Africa. The children loved learning a Swahili song, looking at photographs taken when Flynn and his family lived in Africa, and learning more about the animals that live in Africa. They especially found the mask “cool”! We would also like to give a big “thank you” to Ms. Amanda (Clara’s mom) who returned from her journey involving an underwater laboratory out in the Gulf of Mexico. As you may recall, she is a Marine Biologist who came into the class approximately a month ago to talk to the children about what happens when you venture deep into the ocean (pressure). Each child decorated a Styrofoam cup that was going to be sent down into the ocean in a submersible; 500 m and 1500 m. The children were so excited when she brought them back! They had turned into miniatures! Quite a treat and very interesting!
Math and Language: With “work plans” now in full swing, the children (K level) are learning how t better manage their time and the importance of being responsible. They are working on Math and Language concepts more appropriate for their developmental level. This will help prepare them for moving on to Lower Elementary next year. In Math, many of the children have been concentrating on the place value concept – up to and including the thousands. Some of the children are using the Golden Beads and some are using the Stamp Game. Other math activities have included Multiplication and Division and the “Bank Game” also known as the “Fetch Game”. This activity not only reinforces the place value concept but teaches the children how to “read” numbers. The concept of laying out our math from right to left and then reading our numbers from the left to right is a difficult concept for young children. In Language, small group lessons continue to focus on short and long vowels and new phonogram lessons as well as continued lessons to build com-
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prehension skills. Beginning sentence punctuation skills, lessons on nouns and verbs and short story writing will begin in the Second Semester. Developmental Art: For Thanksgiving, the children created beautiful napkin rings from Indian corn! The children removed the kernels from the cob (a great fine motor skill activity) and then one-by-one glued them on cardboard rolls! The children also made “push-pin” turkey magnets. Holiday projects in December included: bead candy canes, beautiful holiday trees made from pinecones and decorated with beads and “snow” (glitter), fabric hand prints on glass plates and serving spoons decorated with beads and wire wrapping. Cultural Diversity: The children enjoyed some wonderful foods during our “Classroom Thanksgiving Feast”. In the weeks before, we read many books about Thanksgiving and talked about what Thanksgiving means to us today. We emphasized the importance of family and friends and how thankful we are not only on Thanksgiving Day but all throughout the year. The children made their own macaroni/ bead necklaces and Indian head pieces. We want to thank all of you who contributed to this very special and important day! In December, we studied “Holidays around the World”; this included Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanza. We would like to thank Dara Smith (Mason’s mom) who treated the class to latkes (potato pancakes) and brought dreidels for the children. Since our last newsletter we have celebrated several birthdays: Brooklyn Tealer, Evelyn Efron, Derek Smith, Elisa Sosa-Pesantes, Easy Sorel, Mason Smith and Ezra Martin – “Happy Birthday”! On December 13th the children will celebrate the holidays in a classroom party and on Friday, December 16th our class will participate in the MMS Annual Holiday Program! The children have been practicing very hard and are very excited. This is a wonderful way to begin our Winter Holiday! We are looking forward to seeing you there. Have a very Happy and Safe Holiday – See you on Tuesday, January 3, 2012! Love, Ms. Elizabeth and Ms. Widline
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Preschool/Kindergarten Ms. Jackie Johnson Ms. Kathleen Bastien
As December turned the corner, we wrapped up our in-depth study of the ocean. The children began this unit learning about mollusks and shells and enjoyed sorting, counting and identifying shells in the classroom. We then studied fish, and explored the parts of a real (though deceased) fish: the fins (anal, dorsal, pelvic and pectoral), the tail (or caudal fin), the scales, and the gill slit. After we studied the fish, we later used it to make fish prints. We also studied types of fish, including types of sharks, and discussed ad explored adaptations and defenses. We ended this unit with cetaceans (whales and dolphins). The children now know about quite a few species of whales. They also understand the difference between baleen and toothed whales, the purpose of blubber and the purpose of migration. We also walked out the different sizes of a variety of whales on the playground to illustrate the enormity of these beautiful animals. Though all of the whales were fascinating, the humpback whale with its songs and bubble net hunting especially captured their hearts and imaginations. 16
We did a lot of fun but beautiful art related to the ocean. In addition to the fish prints, we did sand paintings, and porthole dioramas. For literature, we finished reading the Wizard of Oz and followed the story with the movie and some popcorn. We enjoyed discussing the differences between the book and movie. December brings winter projects, snowflake cutting, and crafts. We also practiced our songs for the winter performance. We wish you and your family a happy holiday break!
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First & Second Grades Ms. Anita Bender Ms. Susie Long
Wow! Winter Break is here. This quarter we had some fun activities for the children. We took a field trip to Bass Farms and had some guest speakers in the classroom. Watching eggs become chicks and then going to the farm is what first and second graders enjoyed this fall. Ms. Anita and Ms. Susie helped students learn what it's like to mother a helpless animal come to life in our classroom. The children took turns checking the incubator temperature, turning the eggs and providing water in the incubator. This hand raising took the place of mother hen. The incubator was donated from a friend of the Gillis family whom we dearly thank. Good lessons were learned about caring for something so precious. It took a lot of work to keep the environment regulated. The eggs had to be turned three times a day and we candled the eggs to look at the embryo taking form up to the 21 day period before hatching. Once the chick filled the egg and only an air cell was left the chicks pipped a hole in the egg and started to breathe our same air. The egg tooth made especially for the hatching process; an amazing feat for the baby chick to peck its way through the shell. The chicks spent a week or so pecking around in the classroom. Many life lessons were learned and everybody had new insight into the circle of life. After spending time brooding the chicks in the classroom we took the chicks on a field trip to live at Mr. and Mrs. Bass’s farm in Hawthorne. The Bass family gave us a wonderful tour, they even served us little chick cookie treats. It was an amusing day as the children had a picnic on the patio, took a wander through the pecan grove and picked bags of delicious pecans. They loved feeding the horses apples. Most importantly, they saw where the chicks would live and have their new home. This was a really special trip because we were able to see the chicks that grew up and were donated five years ago from our 5th grade class when they
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were in 1st/2nd. There they were, all grown up and enjoying life on the farm. It was a bittersweet goodbye as every child who wanted to hold the chick and say goodbye did so. Then, we headed back to the classroom to learn more about life on the farm. In Science we are studying the Human Body. We had a special guest speaker about the heart. Ms. Marie Daniels came into our class and dissected a pig heart, all of the children put on special safety wear to include goggles, scrubs and gloves. Ms. Marie (Mia) let the kids put their fingers into the ventricles of the heart. We had another guest speaker, Dr. Cianciolo M.D (Mr. C) came and spoke about the Human Body and bones to the class. The children have been working on the internal systems of the body and now are studying the bone structure and why and how our bones function. One great question was asked and it was “What can we do to keep our bones strong?” Mr. C's response, “Eating Healthy from all five food groups especially fruits and vegetables and getting outside and exercising will help prevent breaks”. Ms. Susie and I loved that answer. We promote healthy eating with an occasional treat (but only on a special occasion). Thanks to the Parent Volunteers! Your efforts enrich the classroom in so many ways! Birthdays: November: Chloe, Delena, Kieran and Venumadhava December: Arden, Liam January: Franklin, Rebekah, Tori
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Second & Third Grades Mr. Richard Aslanian Ms. Suzi Rumsey
Hello everyone and Happy Holidays!!! We have been working hard and learning a lot since the beginning of the year. In science we have learned about the food web and have studied the many different biomes. We have completed a group project based on biomes including animal life, plants, a research paper and map. In Geography, we have been learning about the countries and cultures of North America. We were amazed to see the accomplishments of the Maya and Aztec in Central America. We learned about the Spanish conquest and life since. We are currently traveling through South America and are looking forward to learning about the Inca and the Amazon Rain Forest. During this time of year we are able to enjoy so many different holidays from many cultures. It is a real bonus for us to learn about traditions and history in this way. We look forward to presenting some of these traditions and songs in our Holiday presentation of December 16. We have really enjoyed writing stories in our Creative Writing Notebooks. Some authors have presented their 20
work to the class during Author’s Circle. It is a great time to share ideas on inspiration and story elements. Congratulations to all the students for participating in the Spelling Bee this year. It went many rounds and was amazing to see how well so many students did this year. First place in the 3rd grade level was Marianna Altomare and second place is Atharva Pathak. For the 2nd grade level first place was Atharva Pathak and second place was Madison Palmer.
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Fourth & Fifth Grades Ms. Christina (Tina) Miller Ms. Susan Salvatore Ms. Erin Sorel Ms. Martha Horter
The 4th and 5th grade class was busy as we moved into the second quarter. Here's a look at some activities our students participated in during October and November. Fourth graders were deep into their study of Florida's prehistoric period as they went on their field trip to the Florida Museum of Natural History. Students participated in programs about Florida's Native Americans and fossils that have been found in Florida and what scientists have learned from these early remains. We learned how even seemingly useless materials such as garbage and animal waste can lead us to knowledge about prehistoric times. Back in class, we looked at the North and South Florida Native American inquiry boxes from the museum. Students had a chance to experience additional activities such as making cordage, and to examine artifacts and replicas such as sharks' teeth, wooden carvings, and "chunkey" stones. At this point in our study of Florida's past, we are talking about St. Augustine, Florida's earliest permanent settlement. Using the Promethean board, we took a "virtual field trip" down St. George Street to the town plaza and inside St. Augustine's Castillo de San Marcos. Fifth graders in US History have been studying the Age of Exploration and early English settlements in the US. Students created original skits about three of these: Roanoke, Jamestown and Plymouth. They enjoyed presenting their skits to the lower grades. The 5th Grade Spelling Bee was held on Tuesday, December 13th. Congratulations to our winner Sumin, runner up Shreya and 3rd place speller, Becca. 22
Literature and Compostion- 4th/5th grades Our literature classes are just wrapping up the novels we read for the second grading period. The fourth graders immersed themselves in the world of World War II Denmark with the book, Number the Stars. We learned about the harsh conditions in which people had to live during the Nazi occupation and the courage and bravery of the Danish people as they protected their king, their country and the Jewish citizens. The fifth grade class was transported to Maine in the 1700’s with the book, The Sign of the Beaver. Through our readings, homeworks, webquest and projects we discovered what it takes for a 13 year-old boy to survive in the Maine wilderness without his family. We also learned a great deal about the Penobscot Indians as they helped Matt succeed triumph in his survival. We made toys, games and food representative of the Penobscot people and delved into the tricky issue of Indian displacement and relocation.
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Sixth, Seventh & Eighth Grades Ms. Sherilyn Farris Ms. Susan Hansen
What’s M3S Up To? There are some exciting activities going on in the different M3S classes. Middle School students have been working very hard on their science fair projects since the beginning of the school year. All of that hard work came to fruition on Tuesday, December 13, 2010 for the MMS Science Fair. First place winners will represent MMS in the Alachua County Regional Science Fair in January. The class had the opportunity to dissect and study a variety of animal organs, such as hearts, lungs and brains. A big “THANK YOU!” to Mrs. Marie Daniels for providing the organs and to both Mrs. Daniels and Ms. Martha Burt for their help with dissections. Ms. Susan H, Ms. Sylvia and the class are hard at work on their Shakespeare scripts for the annual Bard fest in February. The seventh and eighth grade have finished reading The Tempest and the sixth grade read The King of Shadows by Susan Cooper. Speaking of the sixth grade, They recently returned from a long trip up the Nile River in a felucca, learning about the Pharaoh’s and the great monuments they commissioned, such as the Khufu and Great Pyramid at Giza, Senusret and the White Chapel at Karnack and Hatshepsut and her temple at Dayr al-Bahr. Meanwhile, the seventh and eighth grades have been experiencing travel through the countries of Europe before and after the formation of the European Union and the use of the Euro. We’ve also been discussing the recent difficulties the Euro is having in several European countries. ROPES During the month of October, the students of Millhopper Montessori Middle School spend three exciting days at Camp McConnell taking part in ROPES training. ROPES training presents students with situations that requires them to share their knowledge and experiences creatively with each other while trying to solve and overcome a variety of problems and obstacles. The ROPES course is divided in to two groups of activities- low elements and high elements. The goal of these first elements is for the entire group to participate and succeed. To accomplish this, they must cultivate a sense of trust and respect for
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each other. The high elements are individual challenges that are made much easier by the feeling of solidarity that is developed by completing the low elements. The low elements start with simple activities such as cooperative games, that require all the members of the group to participate if they are to succeed. And, it climaxes with the Team Wall. Elements such as the trust lean, trust fall, and the commitment bridge help nurture the sense of unity that will be essential in completing the more difficult tasks ahead of them. Facing these challenges, a student is asked to make decisions as to what will not only best serve themselves, but what will also help the whole group succeed. The motto of the high elements is “challenge by choice”. When students are asked whether they want to climb the thirty foot Cargo Net or to leap off the twenty-five foot Pamper Pole, they are expected to appraise the risk. The intention is to move the students out of there "comfort zone" in a manner that is healthy and safe. The group support system that had its beginning with the low elements is now strong enough to support not only those who are willing to attempt the climbs, but also those that decide they do not want to participate. Although ROPES training is a lot of fun, it isn’t just playing games. It’s learning that one can do what one previously couldn’t. It is learning that problems are there to be met and solved. Not necessarily by oneself, but often with the help and cooperation of others. It is learning to find strength in others as well as in oneself. It is also learning to assess and understand risks, both physical and emotional, and being able to make decisions with the support, but not the pressure, of the group.
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Science Ms. Renee Gaskins 4th through 8th Grades
Greetings to all Millhopper Montessori Science students and their parents! Just a couple of updates on events concerning our science students. On November 30, we were honored to have John Wright (Danaya Wright’s brother) give a presentation to the 4th through 8th graders. The presentation was all about the Mars Rovers and the different types of launches for the Sojourner, Spirit & Opportunity, and lastly, on Nov. 26th, the Curiosity. Mr. Wright gave an awesome PowerPoint presentation on the rover launches and the differences in the landings. The Curiosity will use a new, soft-landing guided entry via sky crane, versus the ballistic entries, which used the huge gas-filled air bags covering each rover. The purpose is to protect the advanced space laboratory built inside of the curiosity. Visit http://nasa.gov/mission_pages/ hubble/science/life-death.html to keep up on current events with the travel of the Curiosity rover due to land August 7, 2012. Also, it is with great pride and honor that I announce the completion and participation of the Millhopper Montessori Middle School students in the 2011 Science Fair. They have all been working consistently and diligently on longterm science research projects for the past 3 months. They are all hard workers and have maintained positive attitudes even during their frustrating moments of ISEF forms and parental permission forms!! On Tuesday, December 13th, we had the honor of 12 fantastic judges who spent most of the day judging the students’ projects. I would like to post those results at the end of the article but first, thank you again, parents and adult sponsors. Students, I am very proud of every one of you – you ROCK!!
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RESULTS OF SCIENCE FAIR: CONGRATULATIONS TO‌ LIFE SCIENCE
PHYSICAL SCIENCE CHEMISTRY
1st Place Caryss Baldwin (Behavioral and Social Science)
2nd Place Gibson Rumsey (Zoology)
3rd Place Soren Bender & Austin Petty (Behavioral and Social Science)
Michele Altomare (Physics)
Trent Phillips (Physics)
Tiffany Milian
Cristina de la Puerta Ashley Petty & & Alyssa Hanley Marisa Palmer (Biochemistry)
Honorable Mention Zach Brandt (Medicine & Health)
Hunter Pifer-Maxwell Brian Lucas (Engineering) (Physics) Sophie Wilber
JUDGES CHOICE: Trent Phillips STUDENTS CHOICE: Ben Brandt and Alex Meyerson REGIONAL SCIENCE FAIR PARTICIPANTS will be:
Tiffany Milian, Michele Altomare and Trent Phillips
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Spanish Ms. Jeanne-Marie Clune-Hrivnak Beginners through 8th Grades
In October and November we continued to learn the Spanish vocabulary to discuss the thematic units of each class. We also covered the days of the week, the months of the year and the seasons using pictures, songs, and role-play activities for the younger students and pictures, drills and Promethean Board activities for the older students. In all of the Spanish classes we studied the traditions associated with different harvest festivals in various countries through demonstrations and songs. The children enjoyed singing, dancing, and playing the "maracas" as we discussed these traditions. They especially enjoyed learning about “El Dia de los Muertos� (Day of the Dead/Memorial Day) and seeing pictures and objects relating to the celebration of that special day. As part of the Fall/ Harvest theme we also learned the names of some fruits, vegetables, grains, and other foods that are part of such festivals. It has been exciting to explore some of the Spanish speaking countries of Central and South America. We have discussed the geography and people, a brief history, the different languages, and some of the customs and traditions of each of the countries. Investigating objects, photos, drawings and textiles, the children have been able to explore the art, music, food, traditions, and current lifestyles of these diverse Spanishspeaking countries. In the 4th-8th Grades we have had the opportunity to use the Promethean Board with many vocabulary, grammar, conversational and cultural activities. 28
The use of “School Tube”, “Brain Pop”, “Ven conmigo”, “Exprésate”, “Gramavisión”, and many other sites and resources have been quite rewarding and fun. M3S students are also enjoying creating PowerPoint presentations, Voki introductions and conversations and websites in Spanish. In all of the Spanish classes we continued to work on family terms, more food and table vocabulary and manners as well as special traditions. We also learned the Spanish vocabulary to help us to talk about our own holidays and those in Spanish speaking countries. In December our focus has also been “Holidays around the World” and “winter weather and activities”. We were excited to share a special Spanish song with our parents in the holiday show. It is a joy and a privilege to work with these wonderful children.
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Technology Ms. Sylvia Aslanian Kindergarten through 8th Grade
Kindergarteners are beginning to understand how to work independently on the laptops. During their half our lesson, group instruction engages them and instructions are reiterated several times, before they are allowed to try out the new lesson independently. Please continue to work with your student at home to reinforce their weekly lesson. This will ensure their success during class. Currently they are utilizing the Brain Pop, Jr. Movie of the week and working on Language Arts Skills in. You can find the link to Brain Pop, Jr. on the millhoppertech.com Home page. Ms. Anita’s students have been practicing keyboarding skills using the BBC Dance Mat Typing tutor located in the Keyboarding section on the First or Second Grade Home Page located on millhoppertech.com They also view the Movie of the Week in Brain Pop. Jr and take the online quizzes to reinforce what that have learned. Last week they learned about chemical and physical changes. Mr. Richard’s Class has been working on keyboarding skills and researching. Ms. Tina’s Class created “All About Me” Glogs using Glogster for education. They had to use text, graphics, add a link, add a video and pictures. They will be displayed at the January Showcase. The fourth graders are now researching their Florida Animal using the safe search engines located on millhop30
pertech.com The fifth grades brought in their library cards and learned how to use the free online services offered through the Alachua County Library with the the use of your library card number. Click: http://www.aclib.us/kids. Ms. Sherilyn’s Class created a video in collaboration with History. They created an Amazon Rainforest Video Report. They also created a Glogster about their adventure at Ropes. Both projects will be displayed at the January Showcase. They are now learning Photoshop and Paint.net to use in creating the Literary Magazine.
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Physical Education Coach Cam Kindergarten through 8th Grades
As the weather cooled entering the holiday season, Coach Cam brilliantly planned an indoor fitness unit in anticipation of the poor climate, only to be met with unseasonably wonderful weather. Nonetheless, students were able to learn about a few different ways to stay fit when running around outside is not an option. This unit was preceded by the always popular dodgeball unit. (Don’t tell the students it’s a great way to practice throwing, catching and movement in space). The middle school students run a league and have full standings. This year’s regular season was won by the WonderGators, while the Fire Breathing Rubber Duckies rose from the bottom seed to capture the tournament title. After the winter break we will have our second effort at a dance unit. M3S will again have an additional cross-curriculum project and be challenged with creating a music video to go with a choreographed dance routine. A short basketball unit will follow to correspond with our involvement in the community sports league. Some critters may hibernate during this chilly season, but Knights stay active and play hard!
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DARK KNIGHT JERSEY’S FOR SALE Since we KNOW you’re going to head out to all these sporting events to show your support, why not have a customized “Dark Knight” jersey to wear while you go? Jerseys are available in youth sizes only. Just the jersey can be yours for a $10 donation, while $20 gets you the jersey with a name across the shoulders and a big number on back! They jerseys are a quality dry-fit material that will be great for every day wear. Your child does not have to be participating in the sports league to have one of these spirit-wear jerseys. We do have a very limited supply, so order yours with coach today! If you are interested in the jerseys or have questions about any of the above, email Coach Cam at cparker@millhopper.com
Go Knights!! 33 33
Spotlight Kids Performing Arts Junior Thespian Troupe # 88928 Ms. Sylvia Aslanian All For One, One For All, Together the Spotlight Shines Brighter
We would like to express our thanks to our parents, the staff of Millhopper Montessori School, especially Ms. Tina, Mr. Richard, Ms. Sherilyn, Ms. Martha Ms. Amilda, Ms. Laura for supporting The Spotlight Kids. Your support and help means so much to us, and makes us want to work even harder! Thank you so much!
Our Junior Thespians will be going on to the International Junior Thespian State Competition in February. Congratulations to our district winners: SUPERIOR Duet Acting: Ben Brandt and Tiffany Milian Duet Musical: Cristina de la Puerta and Tiffany Milian Solo Musical: Cristina de la Puerta EXCELLENT Monologue: Urmeen Mansoor Solo Musical: Hunter Pifer -Maxwell Solo Musical: Sarah Kilgore Ensemble Acting: Zach Brandt, Dillon Webb, Lexi Phillips, Sarah Kilgore, Cristina de la Puerta, Tiffany Milian
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Highlights of “A Modern Christmas Carol” - 12/11/2011
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We are pleased to announce the following studios will be taking place this spring! If you would like to register your child for an after school studio you may pick up a registration brochure at the front office or obtain one online.
Spring After School Studios
Afternoon Academics – Ms. Elizabeth Falls Sewing – Ms. Susie Long Art – Ms. Anita Bender Chess Club – Mr. Richard Aslanian English as a Second Language – Ms. Renee Brohamer Vocal Ensemble – Ms. Christina Eckstein Spotlight Kids – Ms. Sylvia Aslanian Eligibility for students to participate in extracurricular activities requires that tuition/before-after care charges and other invoice payments are being made on a timely basis. Sports, studios, school trips and other activities cannot be invoiced to accounts showing a past due balance. Accounts that are 90 days past due will be brought current prior to re-enrollment in the upcoming school year.
2012 OPEN HOUSE: We will be hosting an open house on Friday, January 20, 2012 from 10am – 2pm. Please invite your friends and family to come take a tour of our classrooms and see the difference a Montessori education can make. Since this is a teacher workday all of the teachers will be available to chat with current and potential parents and answer any questions he or she might have.
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For our current families, if you need to meet with your child’s current teacher, please call or email to schedule an appointment.
As a reminder our community enrollment begins Wednesday, February 1st at 8:00 a.m. All paperwork can be obtained from the front office or online. See the front office for a copy of this voucher:
2011-2012 YEARBOOK: Now on Sale Be sure to purchase your yearbook today at the reduced rate of $30. You can obtain a copy of the order form in the front office. Contact Ms. Martha Horter at mhorter@millhopper.com with any questions. Thanks for your support!
Order your child's lunch today and take the hassle out of making lunches at home!
For a brochure, order form visit our website or the front office.
Restaurant Lineup:
Orders for the spring semester will resume Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Monday - Piesano's Tuesday - Beef 'O Brady's Wednesday - Moe's Thursday - Heavenly Ham Friday - Schlotzsky's Deli Whiteberry Frozen Yogurt (after school)
Please note if you pre-pay a $60 minimum order is required.
Thank you for your support of our lunch program!
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MMS Spelling Bee Winners
Each year our 2nd - 8th Grade Students participate in the MMS Spelling Bee. The winner from each grade level goes on to participate in the Alachua County Spelling Bee in the Spring. Congratulations to the following winners & runner-ups for your superb spelling:
2nd Grade: First Place: Atharva Pathak - Runner up: Madison Palmer 3rd Grade: First Place: Mariana Altomare - Runner up: Atharva Pathak 4th Grade: Spelling Bee to take place in the Spring 5th Grade: First Place: Sumin Choi - Runner up: Shreya Pathak 6th Grade: First Place: Sophie Wilber - Runner up: Gibson Rumsey 7th Grade: First Place: Michele Altomare - Runner up: Tiffany Milian 8th Grade: First Place: Ashley Petty
LOST & FOUND: All items not claimed by Friday, January 13, 2011 will be donated to those less fortunate. Please be sure to check the lost & found at the front desk for any missing items. 38
Items currently in the Lost & Found include: 16 coats 1 pair of shoes 1 hoop earring
STUDENT SHOWCASE You are cordially invited to the 2012 MMS Student Showcase Thursday, January 19 6:00 - 7:30 p.m. Come see all of the great work on display by our 1st through 8th grade students Families of younger children are encouraged to attend
Happy Holidays from Millhopper Montessori School 39
mms
calendar Monday, December 19 - Monday, January 3 Winter Holidays Tuesday, January 3 Classes Resume Tuesday, January 3 - Tuesday, January 10 MMS In House Early Re-enrollment for 2012-2013 year Wednesday, January 11 - Tuesday, January 31 MMS In House Re-enrollment for 2012-2013 year Monday, January 16 Holiday - MLK Day Thursday, January 19 Elementary/Middle School Showcase - 6:00 p.m. Friday, January 20 Open House - 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. End of 2nd Quarter Friday, January 27 Mail Second Quarter Report Cards Wednesday, February 1 2012-2013 Community Enrollment Begins