Children's House Room 5

May News

In May, we are exploring the life of Dinosaurs by discussing their habitat and why they became extinct. The continent we are studying is Africa. We will talk about the culture, animals, and the land's beauty. We will be reading The Very Hungry Caterpillar throughout the month of May. Share day will take place every Friday where our friends can share an item from home. Thank you for letting us be part of your child's education. 

April Recap

In April our theme was Planet Earth & Oceania (Australia, New Zealand, & Pacific Islands). We studied the Earth and celebrated Earth Day. The children shared their thoughts on how to care for our Planet Earth. They gave examples such as picking up trash, recycling and keeping our oceans clean to protect sea life. We learned about Australia by coloring and identifying the names of the landmarks in Australia. They also placed parts of Australia on the map and the globe. We read books about about how islands form and grow. The most exciting lesson for the children was learning the volcano parts. I enjoyed the reaction of the children when they watched a volcano erupt. It was wonderful! We learned about the different kinds of beautiful rocks formed by the eruption. And finally, we enjoyed reading our unique book Chicka Chicka Boom Boom! as a class.

For Montessori, we enjoyed planting the succulents and caring for and watering the plants in our garden. We learned about parts of a seed by cutting an apple to observe the seed. As a class, we also discussed details of a tree, a flower, and the lifecycle of a plant. For science, we talked about rainbows and how they form. Following that, we learned about "reduce, reuse, & recycle" and its importance. For Grace and Courtesy, we talked about proper greetings with handshakes, napkin folding, and setting tables. 

March Recap

March was full of learning activities and a lot of reading. We celebrated Dr. Seuss's birthday, reading and sharing his books with the class. Also, we had so much fun celebrating St Patrick's Day. The children had so much fun making Dr. Seuss's hat. Also, children learned about the Rainforest and South America. We discussed and studied the layers of the rainforest. We focused on the animals who live in each part of the layers. The children had fun locating South America on the map and the Globe. They enjoyed learning about the animals found in South America. Also, they learned about the countries, people, language, music, and sports. Children shared printable animals from South America; they cut and glued their animals on the landscape and worked on their favorite South American animal collage posters. We are looking forward to our Easter egg hunt and Spring party.
 
The children worked very hard on their Montessori jobs. Our botany lessons included all South American plants. Our science lesson focused on the imaginary line across Earth (Equator). We also studied magnetic/non-magnetic. They loved to clean the tables, sweep the floors, and dust the classroom. For our enrichment program, the children had so much fun learning the Spanish words for the days of the week, months of the year, colors, and the alphabet. They also cooked and made art, but their favorite activity was the computers.

February Recap

The theme for February was culture awareness and friendship. We studied the continent of Asia; the children were able to identify Asia on the globe and on the map. We also learned about the traditions of Asia, the food, clothes, and customs. We discussed the Lunar Year, and the children had the opportunity to express their friendships with others while learning what it means to be a great friend, as well as what they can do for others. We observed Black History Month and acknowledged essential people like Martin Luther King Jr. and how he fought for civil rights. We learned the importance of President’s Day, as well as a few notable ones, such as George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. The children enjoyed the book for this month, “Little Blue and Little Yellow", Which we followed up with a few science activities combining blue and yellow playdough, which makes green, and mixing blue and yellow paint, creating the same results. Also, we enjoyed the open house. They also enjoyed Friday share days, where they shared books, furry friends, and things that begin with the letters P Q R S. And, of course, the children enjoyed the Valentine’s Day party, where they shared cards, candies, stories, and food.

Our Montessori jobs included zoology, and they worked with three-part cars panda bears, elephants, and silkworms. The next was botany, where they worked with parts of the roots, parts of the tree, and parts of the flower. For science, we studied the water cycle. For art, they made friendship art, such as a handprint for best friends, cutting out little hearts, creating best friend art, etc. Along with practical life, sensorial, language, and math themes. For our next job, we learned about grace and courtesy, where they learned good manners, bathroom manners, and how to carry their belongings to school.

January Recap

I hope all your families had a warm and safe holiday season and are ready for another year. Winter animals and hibernation was the theme of this month. The children had the opportunity to learn what animals need to hibernate, the places they hibernate and for how long. They sorted the animals that hibernate from the animals that do not. We learned a hibernation song and that is how the children learned the different environments for hibernation. For geography, children learned to identify Antarctica on a globe and map, and they learned the differences. We also discussed who lives in Antarctica and the science research centers there. A common animal we looked at was penguins and the different species. The book that we read for the month was “The Mitten”. The children loved the story, and they created their mitten with an animal inside.

We also discussed the activities we do in winter and the type of clothing we wear in winter. The children looked at the difference between snow and ice. They saw how the ice melted and turned into water. They observed water in different forms. For our Montessori jobs, we learned the body parts of a penguin. The children created their penguins and made a collage of animals that hibernate with pictures that the children brought. We learned how the animals can be tracked by their paw prints on snow. We also looked at the importance of exercising and eating fruits and vegetables. We talked about taking turns and inside voices, caring for class materials, and cleaning their faces. For our enrichment, the children enjoyed music, art, cooking, and computers. Also, the children continue to learn inspiration from Spanish, they are having a lot of fun with the songs and the activities in Spanish. 

December Recap

In December we talked about Celebrations Around the World. The children had the opportunity to share and discuss the topics of the holiday they celebrate. The children shared the traditions they have in their homes such as the types of food they eat and the kinds of clothes they wear. They also shared photos of past years celebrating with their families. We made Christmas ornaments and a Christmas present for each parent.

I hope you enjoy your Christmas present. We read The Giving Tree, and we learned about the gift of giving. The children learned to share, and the importance of caring and sharing with others. The children enjoyed their Christmas performance with songs such as “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer,” and “El Burrito Sabanero.” Thank you all for your collaboration for our Christmas party by bringing snacks and letting the children enjoy their time.

For our Montessori activities, the children enjoyed Zoology and learning about the parts. of the horse. Another activity that was very successful was watching ice turn into water. For Grace and Courtesy, we reinforced covering a cough and blowing our nose then washing hands. We also practiced saying please and thank you. They loved it. participating in share day by bringing in an item from the holidays that they celebrate and a photo of the last celebration.