montessori
Fall/Winter 2012
Independence: The Greatest Gift “These words reveal the child’s inner needs: ‘Help me to do it alone.’”- Dr. Maria Montessori
What’s Inside: MMS STUDENTS DONATE TO BREAD OF THE MIGHTY FOOD BANK PAGE 5 LITTLE HOUSE GATOR PARADE PAGES 6-7 CLASS UPDATES PAGES 8-27 SCIENCE PAGE 28 TECHNOLOGY PAGE 29 PERFORMING ARTS PAGE 36-37 CALENDAR PAGE 40
QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER FROM MILLHOPPER MONTESSORI SCHOOL
By Christina Miller President: Millhopper Montessori School Tis the season for all things magical, spiritual and plentiful—and none as enjoyable without children. Children are gifts for all of us and a hope for the future, so what in comparison can we give our children beyond the latest advertised toy on the market? There is, debatably, nothing grander than providing help toward independence. The ability to do for our self and think for our self is one of the higher attributes we all strive for. However, how do we give independence to our children when, by its very definition, it is developed through their own effort and activity? One way we can give the gift of independence is by allowing them to be included in everyday activities and showing them how to complete daily routine tasks. This can often go against our nature to nurture and dote over their every need. There are three avenues parents can take to create a fertile ground for independence to develop: (1) Prepare the environment. (2) Break down each task into easy steps. (3) Allot enough time to do this. This formula can be used to facilitate using the toilet, feeding one’s self, dressing and other basic tasks. Dressing Independent dressing should include dressers and closets where clothes are accessible for the child’s size. Keep the choices each day to a minimum by placing those items in a lower drawer or on low hangers. Make sure the clothes are easy to manipulate, with over-the-head type shirts and elastic waists. The ability to use snaps
Independence: The Greatest Gift (continued from page 1) comes before buttons and buckles. Remember it is important to break down tasks into steps when showing your children how to put on shirts, socks or tie shoes. Feeding When it comes to independent eating and drinking, it is harder to create an accessible environment in the kitchen—but not impossible. Using the same rationale as the bedroom, use lower drawers and cabinets in the kitchen for storing dishes and utensils for your child. Keep everything organized so your children can easily see where to return items after they have been washed. Let your child help wash off fruits and vegetables. You can either get plastic tubs, which can be filled with water, or get a sturdy stool that your child can use at the sink. *TIP: Young children simply adore water. They also are curious by nature and are drawn to sorting activities at a very young age. Cleaning Often, as adults, we view a spill as something awful. We try and avert such happenings and try to orchestrate our children away from such moments. For children, however, making a mess is an opportunity to learn how to clean up something. They need to not be scolded at times like this, but rather instructed on how to take care of their environment. Small, functional child-size brooms, mops and dustpans are not hard to find. A great gift would be a set of these that can be stored where the adult brooms are. They are not used as toys for playing, but for functional purposes. Give them help – but just enough – for them to clean up by themselves.
Having children is a huge responsibility. Helping them do things for themselves, by allowing them to be included in everyday activities and showing them how to complete daily routine tasks shows them that you respect them and are also patient and willing to make time so they can be successful and self-confident. It is love in its highest form, and possibly the greatest gift we can give our children. According to M. Papousek’s article in the 2011 Infant Mental Health Journal, “The infant’s intrinsic motivations include curiosity and exploration, self-efficacy, competence and mastery. One of the ways adults can encourage curiosity that is developmentally appropriate is by creating home and caregiving environments where the adult doesn’t need to often say, “No!” In the Journal of the National Association for the Education of Young Children, Sandra Peterson writes, “Adults help infants and toddlers learn how to solve problems by allowing them time to find a solution, through trial and error or by using information from earlier experiences. When a child does need help, the adult offers just enough assistance for the child to take the next step.”
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MMS Parent Teacher Organization By Deeta Adkins, PTO President
This year’s PTO sponsored Fall Festival was another fabulous success. It was our largest grossing Festival to date. Since it’s humble beginning over four years ago, the Fall Festival has become Millhopper’s most looked forward to event of the Fall. This year we had a record number of attendees. We added the “buy out” option which allowed parents to enjoy the Festival with their children, and still be able to contribute to the event. The added parking in the back lot with lights this year was very helpful. The haunted dance floor was open to everyone this year and it was a joy to watch both adults and kids boogie down to “Thriller” and other current pop hits. Who knew Butterflies could dance alongside Spiderman? The Fishing Booth remained one of our most popular booths again. The sounds of “Jaws” playing while water was splashed on unsuspecting passerby's was entertaining as always! Beware the Shark! And the winner is….Arden Leedy’s family for best in show for the end of the night Trunk or Treat Contest. A big “Thank you!” to all the parents who donated their time and efforts to help make this year’s Festival our best one yet. Your classroom representatives did a fantastic job helping coordinate the many details it took to have a smooth running event. Reps, you rock!! Our next PTO meeting will be next year after the holidays and into early Spring. We have a few projects on the planning board, and we would love to have your input and see your smiling faces. Some ideas include having a “Knight’s Series” which would have “gettogethers” such as a “Movie Knight” on the lawn; Breakfast in the Park; Mom’s “Knight Out”, and other small but fun events to continue building a sense of community and family here at Millhopper Montessori. We hope you will all join us again at our next meeting!
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MMS Students Give To The Community As a part of our annual canned food drive, MMS families pulled together and contributed 1392 total pounds of food to The Bread of the Mighty Food Bank in Gainesville. This local charity services 5 Counties in North Central Florida. Ms. Sherilyn Farris’ Class contributed a total of 248 canned goods, Ms. Richard Aslanian’s Class contributed a total of 274, Ms. Christina Miller’s Class contributed a total of 305 and Ms.Anita Bender’s Class contributed a total of 753!! AMAZING!! According to the food bank, these contributions will provide 1072 meals for families in our community.
The Bread of the Mighty Food Bank was established in Gainesville in 1987, and has worked tirelessly to get food to the plates of the hungry and food insecure. During FY 2011-12 the Food Bank distributed 4.8 million pounds of food - a new record! They serve the north central Florida area - including Alachua, Dixie, Gilchrist, Lafayette, & Levy counties. They do this primarily through their network of 130+ agencies who serve on the front lines of poverty in soup kitchens, food pantries, faith-based and community feeding and food programs. Bread of the Mighty is the area administrator for the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), commonly known as “commodities.” USDA commodities are distributed through 31 agencies. They conduct Food-on-the-Move Mobile Pantry distributions to under-served communities throughout our 5county area.
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Little House Gator Parade
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Beginners: Ages 2-4 Ms. Crystal Sorrow Ms. Elizabeth Sheehan Ms. Summer Pitt
The Beginners' class began the year with lessons on Grace and Courtesy as the new students adjusted to the Montessori environment and returning students readjusted to the routines of the classroom. The students spent August learning to roll work rugs, sit in circle, push in their chairs, use kind words and hands, choose work, and wash. Practical Life and Sensorial works were explored as students began matching and sorting. September's unit study centered around sports. Students learned about a variety of sports, equipment, and rules and practiced gross-motor skills related to each sport. Basketball players from the University of Florida came and visited, displaying their skills. October was fruit and vegetable month and the class tried a new fruit or vegetable each day for snack. There were several cooking lessons in October as well as pumpkin scooping and carving in conjunction with Halloween. In the month of November the students learned about artists and art techniques and materials. Many art works were chosen as students explored chalks, watercolor and acrylics. Several artist's mannequins were used to examine realistic movement in art. Students enjoyed painting a large canvas that will be raffled off at the end of November. The beginning of November also showcased the Little House Annual Gator Parade around MMS.
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Preschool: Ages 3-5 Ms. Christina Eckstein Ms. Lily Tajalli
We are having a wonderful start to the school year! The grace and courtesy lessons the students received have helped the students learn to be respectful of their peers and the classroom environment. It has been amazing to watch the children discover new things and find such enjoyment in the work they do throughout the school day. During the month of September, the children explored life on the farm. The students learned about the importance of farming and the products we receive from farming and farm animals. In addition to studying the characteristics and anatomy of farm animals, the children also learned to classify animals by farm families. Our simulated cow milking experiment was a class favorite. In addition to studying the farm, the class also learned about the life cycle and anatomy of apples. The students examined and tasted a variety of apples, prepared homemade applesauce and apple crisp, and used apples as the centerpiece of two art projects – apple prints and torn paper apple collages.
Our October studies included a unit about spiders. The children learned about the various types of spiders and the anatomy of spiders. The spider was also the focus of art projects including one inspired by the artist, George Seurat, where the students painted a spider in the style of pointillism. Our spider web weaving craft and spider matching works were very popular activities in the classroom.
The students also enjoyed learning about the different jobs that people have in our community. The children loved matching pictures of workers and associating objects with professions (i.e. matching a fire truck to a picture of a fire fighter). Forrest Masters, Lucas’ dad, talked to the class about his job as an engineer at the University of Florida. The children were amazed by the hurricane simulation videos that Mr. Forrest shared with the class. At the conclusion of our studies, Ms. Sylvia Aslanian’s 2nd & 3rd grade drama class presented different workers to our class. The preschoolers then had to guess who the students were. It was a lot of fun!
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Mixing primary colors to form secondary colors.
Cow milking simulation.
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Preschool: Ages 3-5 Ms. Martha Dolan Ms. Christina Wegner
What a great start to the year as our class made new friends. We now feel like a “Millhopper Montessori Family”. The first few days of school gave each child a great opportunity to explore with new works. Our first experience in art was making our Eric Carle books. In September we enjoyed special activities such as painting Apple Wreaths, tasting and classifying apples, making and eating Apple Dumplings. Our unit study “The Body” and “I Have Five Senses” gave the children their own opportunity to see, smell, hear, touch and taste. They challenged themselves with works in this area. October was a busy month of learning Vertebrates and Invertebrates. The students learned to classify animals and insects with a spine and without a spine. As the students are learning the seven continents, many of them are making their own continent maps. In October the students also enjoyed learning fall songs, making jack-o-lanterns, push pinning ghosts, spiders, pumpkins and bats. One of the highlights of food prep was making “ghost toast” and “mummy pizzas”. During Parent Night, the students enjoyed sharing about their day and performing for parents and sharing their artwork. We learned about Native Americans and enjoyed a lot of fun activities that go along with the Thanksgiving Holidays. The children have tweezed Indian corn and made their own Indian corn for our Thanksgiving Luncheon. We hope everyone had a blessed Holiday with their family and friends.
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Preschool/Kindergarten Ms. Elizabeth Falls Ms. Jessica Pytko
We have had a wonderful start to what promises to be another great year. The children have adjusted well to their new classroom and have made many new friends. Over the past several months, the children have been learning new lessons, songs and listening to many new books (especially Magic Tree House books, loved by the children!). Some classroom lessons that have been presented include: Practical Life: spooning, pouring, “frosting a cake”, polishing, hand washing and shoe lace tying; Sensorial: geometric shapes and the bi- and trinomial cube. In Math, many of the children have been concentrating on the Teens Board, 100 Board, Addition, Multiplication and having fun playing 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. In Language, small group lessons have focused on short and long vowels with an introduction for some children to phonograms; in addition to formal handwriting lessons (D’Nealian style) and journal writing (“inventive writing”) (K). In Science, we began with the study of vertebrates and invertebrates; including learning the names of the bones in the human skeleton through “Mr. Bones”. The children learned the difference between those animals that have backbones and those that do not. This study will continue throughout the year with the introduction of new animals as we travel to Europe and South America (Geography Unit Studies). We are currently studying the Solar System and will be studying the Rain Forest after the holidays. Other unit studies have included our “Cosmic Address” (from atom to the Milky Way) and “Harvest Time” (fall activities). Cultural Diversity: In class on Wednesday, Nov. 14th the children enjoyed Thanksgiving with their classroom family. To preface this celebration, we had a mini-unit study of Native Americans and Colonial America. We have also read many books about Thanksgiving and talked about what Thanksgiving means to us today. The children learned the history and significance of Thanksgiving and 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 also made macaroni/bead necklaces, Indian headbands and Pilgrim hats
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and bonnets to wear to their feast. Developmental Art: Projects have included: watercolor Very Hungry Caterpillar books; twine and block printing; twine and block printing; fall wall hangings with hand, leaf and apple prints; and for Thanksgiving, push-pinned turkey magnets. We would like to thank all the parents who have so generously given us their time and donated materials to our class. Have a Very Happy Holiday!
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Preschool/Kindergarten Ms. Renee Brohamer Ms. Kathleen Bastien
Happy autumn everyone! It’s hard to believe we are already in our third month of the new school year. The children have been very busy this year and it is amazing to see how quickly they are learning and growing. We began the year with a unit study of the different body systems. We learned that our immune system helps us to stay healthy by fighting germs. We also learned the importance of helping our immune system do its job by washing well and feeding our bodies nutritious food. We learned about the digestive system, the circulatory system, the respiratory system, the nervous system and the muscularskeletal system. We did lots of great projects and were able to assemble anatomy models to reinforce the lessons. Some of the parents who are experts in this subject came in and shared some of their knowledge as well. Throughout the rest of this year we will do a global study of the world from north to south. We are now learning about the far north and what it might be like to live in such a place. More specifically we are learning about Alaska right now. We are learning about the people, the wild life and the land. We have explored how the earths tilt causes seasons on the earth and that the seasons are more extreme at the top and bottom of the earth. Furthermore, since the election was at the forefront of our everyday lives, we combined the carving of our Halloween jack-olantern with an election of our own. The children used paper ballots to cast their secret votes. We learned that you do not have to let people know how you choose to vote. The “scary jack-o-lantern” won by a landslide!
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First & Second Grades Ms. Anita Bender Ms. Susie Long
It’s hard to believe that the first quarter is over. We’ve enjoyed many fun events since the start of the year and the holidays are approaching. At the beginning of the year the elementary and middle school students participated in a pep rally which started us off working together as a team. We call this pep rally, “Spirit Week”! The kids had fun making up a class cheer and brining in can goods for a worthy cause; they gave with heart and soul. We had children donating up to $20 of their money and dumping piggy banks to contribute to buying canned food for the hungry. Our class was proud that they raised the most cans for the food drive. This tangible activity gave the children a very real sense of community service and awareness. When they saw the numbers of people hungry in Gainesville and surrounding communities their little eyes grew big in size. This food was going to feed a lot of families; this spoke to their hearts. Needless to say, this big-hearted effort won the class the “Golden Can Award”! From the beginning until the end of first quarter the children stayed busy as bees. A recent journal prompt; “What are your favorite class activities?” prompted a brainstorm tornado with over 30+ new concepts they have learned since the beginning of the year. Each child picked his or her favorite to put in the journals. There are too many to mention but here are a few: Research, Book Reports, Comparing and Reducing Fractions, Dynamic Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, Research of Multiples, Graphing, Scholastic News Current Events, Native Americans, Land & Water Forms: Peninsulas, Gulfs, Bays and Capes, Straits and Spits, Archipelagos, Promontories, Explorers, Map Research, Architecture Block Puzzles, Science experiments from viscosity to surface tension, Sewing Placemats on the sewing machine, Painting on the easel, Spending time in the class library, the list goes on… We use one of Maria Montessori’s great lessons, the Timeline of Life, as the starting point. But before lying out
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the Montessori timeline, which deals with life on earth, we are building up a visual explanation that is situated within geologic time, the time the Earth has existed, approximately 4.5 billion years. We will take children outside and lay out a long black line about the length of the playground field and then a very small red line attaches to the end of the line, about an inch. The black line represents geologic time; the inch explains how long humans have occupied earth. It is a pleasure to teach your children. Ms. Susie and I would like to thank all of our classroom volunteers. Your efforts enrich the classroom in so many ways!
Ms. Anita and Ms. Susie
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Second & Third Grades Mr. Richard Aslanian Ms. Suzi Rumsey
Welcome to the second and third grades class. We are off and running with the new school year and are happy to report that we are doing well, working hard and learning many new things. Our science studies are based on space and earth science this year. We experienced the Montessori Great Lesson on the creation of the universe and space. This lesson encompasses a large amount of impressionistic materials that open the students’ minds to what possibly may have happened in the beginning. Subsequent lessons have been based on types of galaxies, star classification, and an in depth study of our solar system. We enjoyed our field trip to the SFC Kika Silva Pla Planetarium and are looking forward to a detailed study of Earth. In Geography our lessons have been focused on the continent of Africa. We have toured through some of the countries together in class and have each had a small research assignment on a country of choice. We were fortunate to have presentations by Elikem Nyamuame and Todd Leedy on many cultural aspects of Africa. Our next stop will be Asia. In Social Studies we have spent time learning about explorers and the founding of the United States. We were happy to present our annual Historical Timeline to the students and family members on Halloween. Our studies have also included learning about the American Revolution, the Bill of Rights and of course the election process. Members of our class were invited to give a presentation to Ms. Christina Eckstien’s class on community workers. It was a joy to make a connection with the younger students at MMS.
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Mr. Richard’s Student’s preparing for their timeline presentation 10/31/2012
Mr. Richard’s 2nd & 3rd Graders Acting out Community Helpers to Ms. Christina’s Preschool Class.
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Fourth & Fifth Grades Ms. Christina (Tina) Miller Ms. Susan Salvatore Ms. Erin Sorel
Over the months leading up to the presidential election, 4th and 5th grade students studied the government, the process of electing a president, the political parties, and learned a little about each candidate. 5th grade students enjoyed checking projections on various websites in order to predict which candidate would win the most electoral votes. On Election Day we had our class vote and the results were….a tie! Another exciting experience for students this fall was our visit to Morningside Nature Center to participate in an educational program about the Native American tribe of Florida called the Timucua. Students rotated through three stations where they participated in such activities as grinding corn into meal, making cordage and going on a nature walk to learn about hunting and gathering. In Florida History, 4th graders started the year off learning about various types of social scientists and assuming the role of each in order to complete certain activities. Next we had an overview of the five regions of the United States. Students enjoyed using physical and special purpose maps to identify a geographic location based on clues about its geography, population, rainfall or elevation. In October, 4th graders began their study of Florida’s early native peoples. Using the Florida Museum of Natural History’s inquiry boxes, students examined many authentic artifacts made and used by Native Americans in north and south Florida. On our field trip to the museum, students got an even greater picture of how these people lived and met their basic needs. In our program entitled “Fossils: No Bones About It”, students learned about how Florida’s changing sea levels affected the types of fossils found here, and what we can learn about Florida’s past from fossils. In 5th grade US History students studied European explorers. Students created a large graphic organizer to bring together information about each
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explorer, their background, motivation and impact on the New World. Now they are learning about the first English settlements in the New World: Jamestown, Plymouth and Roanoke. In Spanish class we have recently begun using a textbook called Bienvenidos, which we will be supplementing with other materials such as videos and games. We have started with Unit 1 which is a basic review of greetings, numbers, telling time, writing the date, and communicating about weather. We will also examine customs of Spanish speaking countries during the holidays. This year we have started recognizing one 4th and one 5th grade student each month for their all-around achievements in areas such as academics, behavior and responsibility. We would like to congratulate our September Students of the Month, Ethan and Caroline, and our October Students of the Month, Lorelei and Austin. Keep up the good work!
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Literature with Ms. Jennifer Fourth & Fifth Grades Ms. Jennifer Kuntz
The first quarter flew by! I hope the students are having as much fun – and learning as much – as I am. The 4th graders began the year by creating a floor plan for a new house in which the characters from their summer reading, The Familiars, might live. We then read the book Frindle by Andrew Clements, exploring the origins of words, and dictionary and thesaurus skills. The students each invented their own new word and then created a brochure with Ms. Sylvia Aslanian advertising their product, using the persuasive writing skills we’d been working on in class. Just in time for Halloween, we spent a few weeks studying spooky short stories. The students each wrote their own and shared them with the class on Halloween! The 5th graders read The Books of Elsewhere: The Shadows over the summer. Their project was to create paintings that could have hung in the house from the novel. But the paintings in the novel had a twist – people could enter them! The 5th graders wrote stories to go along with their paintings describing how the paintings were created, and what one would encounter inside. The next novel was Among the Hidden by Margaret Peterson Haddix. This book, about a totalitarian society in which third children aren’t allowed to exist, gave us an opportunity to discuss the nature of freedom, specifically those outlined in the Bill of Rights. The students used social networking tools such as Gaggle discussion boards and chat rooms to explore what it would be like to communicate if it wasn’t possible to gather in person. Working with a team, the 5th graders created rally speeches and “marched” on Washington, D.C. to assert their right to be free. In addition, each student did research on another country and looked at that nation’s freedoms. As in the past, we are participating in the Pizza Hut Book It program. Remember to read at least 20 minutes a day, and mark your calendars!
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Sixth, Seventh & Eighth Grades Ms. Sherilyn Farris Ms. Susan Hansen
Sumerians, Mesopotamians, & Egyptians. Oh My! The sixth grade Ancient World History class has been studying about the aspects that make up a civilization, the earliest citystates of the Fertile Crescent, and 3 important periods in Ancient Egypt. They reenacted the major accomplishments of the Akkadians, Babylonians, Assyrian, and Neo-Babylonian Empires and have sailed down the Nile River in a felucca touring historical sites along the way; such as the White Temple at Karnack, commissioned by the Egyptian Pharaoh Senusret I and Abu Simbel, commissioned by the Egyptian Pharaoh Ramses II. Can You Name the Nine U.S. Supreme Court Justices? The class studied the campaign process as the country was under-going the 2012 Presidential Election. We all enjoyed exploring the issues and debating the pros and cons for many of them. We learned about the history of America’s two-party system of and also the emergence of other political parties, such as the Independent Party, Libertarian Party, and Green Party. We also studied the establishment of the Electoral College and the difference between the popular vote and the Electoral College vote. We discussed the importance of advertising during an election campaign and various ways candidates “sell their message” through the use of techniques like “Plain Folk Approach”, Mudslinging, and Celebrity Endorsements. The class created their own campaign posters that were displayed in the east building hall. Most recently, the seventh and eighth grade students completed a unit on The Bill of Rights and Civil Liberties. Along with studying the first 10 Amendments to the US Constitution, they also learned about the purpose of the US Supreme Court and the process of a court case appearing before the Justices. They culminated the unit by simulating a mock Supreme Court hearing. Three actual court cases were used for this simulation: Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier, Wallace v. Jaffree, and the Board of Education of Westside Community Schools v. Mergens. Each legal team of four students had to read the abridged trial brief, create arguments for their side (Petitioner or Respondent) and argue their side before a panel of nine Justices. The Justices then had to deliberate on the merits of each side, decide how to rule, and then present the majority opinion to the legal teams.
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M3S ROPES RULES!!! During the month of November, 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 require 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 activitieslow 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 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 Fall 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 their "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. Alyssa Vinson 4th through 8th Grades
Fourth and Fifth grade Millhopper science students have spent the first portion of this school year delving into the world of physical science. We have examined the nature of matter, the organization of elements in the periodic table and have now begun to examine the intricacies of motion and gravity. Students have been able to perform inquiry activities mixing together unknown substances in the hopes of discovering their names based upon their physical and chemical properties. An emphasis has been placed on scientific inquiry skills and the importance of lab activities for the understanding of sometimes abstract and difficult concepts. They have "adopted elements" in the hopes of learning more about the details surrounding the Periodic Table of the Elements and practiced 'being' the different states of matter. Most recently students researched Newton's three laws of motion and presented a poster to the class illustrating and explaining these laws. We continue our inquiry into the world of physical science with our current research of Gravity and its effects on motion. On October 16 th the MMS middle school students were able to participate in a series of demonstrations given by the University of Florida Chemistry Outreach Club. The UF Chemistry club sent three students currently pursuing degrees in Chemistry to demonstrate three basic concepts of Chemistry. The students were given a hands on opportunity to explore the pH scale, cellular respiration as well as surface tension and interactions between water and polymers. The students created balloons filled with yeast and watched as cellular respiration filled their balloons; the students examined the pH of different substances by witnessing the changing colors of several indicator substances and pH paper and finally they watched in awe as paper clips floated on water and water was turned into a solid without freezing. The UF Chemistry club will be coming back in the spring to share more exciting Chemistry concepts with our MMS middle school students.
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Technology Ms. Sylvia Aslanian
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indergarten - Third Grade Cyber Safety The first four weeks of classes are centered around rules of the Media Center, proper use of the computers and Internet Safety. The students embark on a series of videos from Brain Pop, Jr. as well as lessons sponsored
by Netz Smart Kids. The message throughout the lessons focuses on asking parents permission to be online and telling parents if anything online makes them feel uncomfortable. The animated series is a great way to help students understand the rules of digital etiquette, pirating and cyberbullying. Please check it at: www.millhoppertech.com, then click the: Be Safe tab. Kindergarten Lessons Cyber Safety lessons are followed by mousing skills. The student go through a set of mouse skills activities, that teach left click on the mouse, hold and drag and moving the the mouse pointer. The students are encouraged to practice these mouse skills at home at www.millhoppertech.com, then click: Kindergarten, then click: Mouse Practice. First/Second Grade Lessons The students are busy learning to independently work in Brain Pop, Jr and taking the online quizzes. The class starts out with a group lesson, where we work together answering the quiz questions and then the students independently watch the video and take the quiz on their own. The quiz is five questions from the video. They have learned about the history of Halloween, Native Americans, Vowels, the Constitution and Internet Safety. In addition to Brain Pop Jr, the students practice keyboarding using Typing with Katie and BBC Typing. For the past two weeks the students have been practicing their reading skills in Star Fall. All lessons are located on Millhoppertech. To practice Brain Pop, Jr, quiz skills, please view the movie of the week. This is free and each week a new movie is posted. Second/Third Grade Lessons The students have been researching and working on webquests. They have learned about rain forests, Morocco and created a power point. They learned that using the search engines provided on Millhoppertech and phrasing their searches narrows down their choices. For a list of weekly lessons please log on to your Jupitergrades account. As a reminder if the student does not finish their in class work, it is assigned as homework. All homework is due the following week and is posted in Jupitergrades.
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Spanish Ms. Mayte Ambite-Calvo Beginners through 3rd Grades
It’s been a great start to the new school year. Students are enthusiastic about learning Spanish, not only the language, but also the traditions and culture of Spanish Speaking countries. Our friends in Beginners, Preschool and Kindergarten classes had fun practicing greetings and courtesy, numbers, colors, fruits and vegetables and the parts of the body. They loved learning new songs such as "Dos manitas", "La araña pequeñita¨ and danced through the rhythm of "Juanito" and "Las hormiguitas". The little ones also enjoyed the units about Cristobal Colón (Christopher Colombus) and the differences between Halloween and Día de los Muertos. I read stories to them and showed them pictures and other funny material related to both holidays. In the 1 st to 3 rd grades, we reviewed the basics in conversation, such as greetings, introducing ourselves and practicing ¨Me gusta, no me gusta¨ (I like, I don't like) with our favorites things to do and foods. In the Ms. Anita Bender’s 1 st and 2 nd grade class, they loved to sing and dance the alphabet song and they enjoyed working in a little book about "El monstruo del arcoiris" (The rainbow monster). We also learned about the weather and seasons. In Mr. Richard Aslanian’s 2 nd and 3 rd grade, we also talked about the Food Pyramid and healthy and nonhealthy foods. Working in teams of four, they created their daily menu for a restaurant that they also named and owned. It was a great activity which they enjoyed very much!! They also read about the planets and answered questions in Spanish related to the text. During Hispanic Heritage Month, they learned about famous people from Spanish speaking countries and some of the students with a Hispanic Heritage, shared facts about their family traditions. In both classes, we talked about Cristobal Colón and Día de los Muertos. We also played games to reinforce the vocabulary.
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M3S Language Arts Ms. Susan Hansen 6th through 8th Grades
During the first quarter the seventh and eighth graders read The Lord of the Flies by William Golding. This unit focused on literary element like plot, character, conflict, theme and setting. Students also worked on basic essay writing skills in preparation for the Florida Writes assessment later in the school year. Sixth grade students worked on creative reading and writing during our poetry unit. Since you have to read poetry to write poetry, we read poems by great poets such as William Blake, Robert Frost, Emily Dickinson, William Carlos Williams and others. Students applied the skills they learned from their reading to create a variety of interesting poetry from free verse to ballads. One day in class the sixth grade was suffering from a supreme case of the sillies. I asked them to channel their silly energy into poetry and write haikus about the experience. Here are their poems:
By Ava Bender We sit and laugh out loud, Talking about 4 Haiku It's so crazy in this classroom By Ari Johnston My friends are so silly in this class I'm in. Always so loud. Always!
By Bella Kemp Crazed people laughing Giggling and falling, too Stop! And write haikus.
By Becca Bernal Silly, crazy, eye-twitchy class We laugh like idiots All the time! By Jagger L. My laughter cannot be contained I feel a laugh coming on Ha ha! By Charlie M. Everyone is so silly People are laughing Idiots everywhere
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Technology Ms. Sylvia Aslanian Kindergarten through 8th Grade
Fourth/Fifth Grade Cyber Safety & Research The first several weeks of technology classes are dedicated to learning about internet safety, cyber bulling, digital etiquette and website evaluation. Going over the Responsible Use Policy has helped the students understand the rules of the Media Center and how to care for the laptops. They also learned how to use Reserach and Reference on Millhopper Tech to narrow down choices when searching for information. They worked on citing sources, rewriting information in their words and clarifying information. Our last lesson this quarter was learning how to use a USB. It was discussed that a USB is a storage device, similar to a brief case. A step by step guide was given to the students as well as a step by step lesson.
Fourth Grade Lessons In collaboration with a Language Arts lesson, the fourth graders learned how to create a brochure in Publisher. They created an advertisement for their made up work. These creative pamphlets were displayed at the Parent Night. This year the group was given a Gaggle account. The account includes: an email, social wall, digital locker and chat room. It was explained that the Gaggle accounts are for use for school pro-
Mariana explains how to use the Digital Locker in Gaggle.
jects only. Gaggle is a monitored community and the students only have access to the Millhopper Montessori School community. Gaggle offers training videos to which the students can refer if they forget a lesson.
Fifth Grade Lessons The fifth graders received a refresher course on Gaggle, to prepare for their Literature assignment. Their assignment was based off the book Among the Hidden by: Margaret Peterson Haddix. The students are shadow children with hidden identities chatting in the Among the Hidden Chat Room located in Gaggle.
To prepare for their Governments comparison essay, they learned how to research cite sources and created a venn diagram compar-
Working on keyboarding in Typing Pal.
ing the country they were researching with the USA. *As a reminder please check Jupitergrades when you miss one of the lessons due to absence. Please turn in the lesson missed by the following week.
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FCIS Conference The Quest for Balance November 8—9
On November 9th, Millhopper Montessori School’s President, Christina Miller and Administrator, Amilda Clark attended the Florida Council of Independent School’s (FCIS) Annual Conference in Orlando, FL entitled The Quest for Balance. The Keynote address was delivered by Dr. Michael Thompson, psychologist, author, and expert on children and family. His books include: Best Friends, Worst Enemies; Mom, They’re Teasing Me and Raising Cain. His presentation will be based on his book The Pressured Child, Helping Your Child Find Success in School and Life. The luncheon speaker was author and Franklin Covey consultant, Lonnie Moore. His books include: The High Trust Classroom; Raising Achievement from the Inside Out and The Inspirational Teacher. Breakout sessions throughout the day included; Insurance Program Cornerstones, Meeting the Needs of Students with Documented Disabilities, Topics for the Admission Professional, Current Legal Issues in Florida and Disruptive Innovation and Creativity in Independent Schools. We were excited to have our school represented at this year’s conference and to be given the opportunity to network with other educators from across the state. Millhopper Montessori School is proud to be accredited by The Florida Council of Independent Schools. Member schools are located throughout the state. School’s range in size from fewer than 50 students to more than 2,500 students. The Florida Council of Independent Schools is a member of the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) and an affiliate of the Council for American Private Education (CAPE). FCIS is a founding member of the Florida Association of Academic Non-Public School’s (FAANS). FCIS is a nonprofit professional association of elementary and secondary schools throughout the state of Florida. Through its evaluation and accreditation program, the association strives to assure that each member school maintains high standards and independence. In serving the students of Florida, FCIS promotes educational, ethical, and professional excellence on the part of owners, trustees, administrators, faculty, and staff in member schools. FCIS also represents the concerns and viewpoints of independent education to the broader community.
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Physical Education Coach Cam Parker Kindergarten through 8th Grades
Physical Education As the weather has finally cooled, our students have been working on their volleying skills. Using beachballs and softer, training volleyballs students have learned to follow the ball with their eyes and move their feet to put their arms in good position to hit the ball. We have a played a variety of games to work on these skills and the progress has been notable. Kindergarteners have worked on throwing and catching and learning to play simple games and follow the rules. Ms. Elizabeth Falls and Ms. Renee Brohamer’s classes are starting a traveling unit where they will work on skipping, jumping, hopping and other ways to get from one place to another.
Sports League Soccer season has come to a close and a great time was had by all. A big thank you to our volunteer coaches; Mr. Tom, Mr. Jim, Ms. Candace, Mr. Jeff, Mr. Bobby and Ms. Deeta. We truly couldn’t do it without you! Basketball registration has just closed, so teams and practice times will be announced soon. Practice will begin before winter break, but games won’t begin until after we return. Our fall volleyball season has also recently ended. Both our 7th 8th grade and 3rd – 4th grade teams made the playoffs. The younger girls advanced all the way to the title game! Stay tuned for registration for the spring session. Our girls have loved this program and we would love to see continued growth in our participation.
Five Points of Life Kids Marathon Registration forms will be going home soon for the Kid’s Marathon. Our school has won the participation award for the last two years, earning us $500 for the P.E. department. Last year we were only THREE STUDENTS short of winning the overall participation award as well. The 2013 event will be held on February 16th. We will work with Oak Hall and the Girl’s Place to make sure we minimize conflicts. Register before winter break and it will be FREE!!! The students have come to enjoy this event and we would love to see our largest contingency ever.
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Middle School Technology Sylvia Aslanian 6th - 8th Grades
The Middle School students received their laptops during the second week of September. The pilot laptop program allows the students to take the laptops home and use in school daily. New this year is the online Spanish program and the online Social Studies program. The laptops are loaded with all the software necessary for the students to do all their projects and homework. So far the students have had success with using their laptops. Ben, eighth grader, says he likes the laptops because it is a lot easier than transferring documents from home to school his USB. He now uses his USB to back up his files. In the Gaggle community the students are working in a project base environment where they are chatting weekly, posting discussions in the social wall, while they are preparing for their Debate. As a teacher is enlightening to see there thoughts instantly and see how there discussions provoke questions about our civil liberties and
constitution. The debate is scheduled for Tuesday, November 20, 2012, 9:15am-11:55am.
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Spotlight Kids Junior Performing Arts Ms. Sylvia Aslanian
The Spotlight Kids Junior range in grades from thirdfifth grade. This season they are working on characterization, and detail in a performance. They will showcase their talents on January 25, 2012 at EHS Theater, along with the Spotlight Kids Senior troupe. Each Wednesday, they learn new techniques in singing, working as a team and new creative ways to develop a character. They proudly chant:
The Tooth Fairy (Sarah) tries to explain herself.
All For One, One For All...Together the Spotlight Shines Brighter! “There are monsters down there!”
Rehearsing the “Annie,” medley for the showcase.
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“It’s a hard-knock life…. for us!”
Spotlight Kids Performing Arts Junior Thespian Troupe # 88928 Ms. Sylvia Aslanian All For One, One For All, Together the Spotlight Shines Brighter
The Spotlight Kids have been working preparing for their upcoming competition at the District level in Jacksonville, Florida on December 1, 2012. This year the seventeen thespians will be entering various musical and acting categories and one technical category. We are excited to announce that the musical selections are chosen from Homeroom– the musical, published thorough Samuel French, written by: Andrea Green and Selma Tolins-Kaufman. The show begins with Jeff expressing the belief that the kids in his homeroom have nothing in common except for their last names starting with the letter "V. The teens come together to share their feelings regarding relationships, academic success and failure, competition, popularity, being "classified", alienation, and the significance of bullying, secrets, lies, loss, love, and lockers. Their individual stories weave together a musical that addresses themes of understanding, acceptance, independence, and responsibility. The writers have given the Spotlight Kids special permission to perform a 20 minute version as well as selected songs for our upcoming competitions. They are planning on coming to see us perform at the National Performing Arts Festival in Walt Disney World.
For more information visit: www.thespotlightkidsperforminarts.com Be sure and like us on Facebook!
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MMS Community Sports Kindergarten - 5th Grades
Soccer Fall 2012 We started off our MMS Soccer season in sweltering heat and needing canopies to escape the sun. As the season progressed, the weather became cooler and the Knights got hotter! There were many exciting games Saturday mornings this Fall! Amid cheers and applause, our brave Knights ranging from K-1 through 4-5 played amazing matches! It didn’t matter whether it was rookie players learning how to kick a ball and pass, or seasoned veterans charging downfield, the focus of MMS is sportsmanship, teamwork, and having fun! Recreational sports help build character, teach valuable life lessons, and most of all, build a sense of friendship and community. We had a great time this fall playing Oak Hall School, The Rock School, and Gainesville Country Day School. Basketball season is just around the corner. Come out and cheer us on in January!
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Speech, Debate & Drama 1st - 8th Grades
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peech/Debate/Drama Starting in August students in first - eight grades learn basics of delivering a presentation. Several interactive lessons and techniques help the students gain confidence and practice the basics.
Mr. Richard Aslanian and Ms. Anita Bender’s classes presented journal prompts utilizing good voice projection, emphasis and stage presence. In late September Ms. Anita Bender’s class in groups presented Native American Tales using symbols. Mr. Richard Aslanian’s Class presented a Solar System story. They also prepared for their Halloween Timeline and presented a Community Helpers skit to Ms. Christina Eckstein’s preschoolers. The fourth and fifth grades wrote object speeches and presented them. They also presented Halloween storytelling to Mr. Richard Aslanian’s class.
Venumadehva delivers mail to Ms. Christina’s class after his presentation.
The Middle School class spent several weeks writing and delivering speeches on several civic issues in preparation for their formal debate on Tuesday, November 20, 2012 from 9:15am - 11:55am.
Aidan, Brant and Maxx are proud to present: “In the Haunted House.”
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mms
calendar
Tuesday, December 4, 2012 Flu Mist administered by Health Department Tuesday, December 11, 2012 Vocal Ensemble Christmas Caroling 10:00—10:45 AM Tuesday, December 11, 2012 Encore! At UF Phillips Center @ 10:30AM—4th—8th Grades Monday, December 17, 2012 Middle School Invention Convention Tuesday, December 18, 2012 Middle School Spelling Bee Wednesday, December 19,2012 Winter Show performance at Unity Church 9:30 AM—Ms. Christina’s and Ms. Martha’s Class Performance 10:30 AM—Ms. Elizabeth’s and Ms. Renee’s Class Performance 11:30 AM—Ms. Anita’s and Mr. Richard’s Class Performance 12:30 PM—Ms. Christina’s and Ms. Sherilyn’s Class Performance Wednesday, December 10, 2012 9:05 AM Little House Craft Party Thursday, December 20—Wednesday, January 2, 2013 Winter Holidays (10 Weekdays) Thursday, January 3, 2013 Classes resume Friday, January 18, 2013 Student Holiday—Teacher Workday Monday, January 21, 2013 MLK, Jr. Holiday Friday, February 1, 2013 Enrollment Opens to the Community for the 2013—2014 School Year For more information about our school, please visit our website at: www.millhopper.com or call us at (352) 375-6773