September Kapok Newsletter

Greetings Kapok Families:

Kapoks have already stepped into the new school year.  In this couple weeks we have worked with social grace and courtesy, care of the environment, hand washing, bathroom etiquette and snack procedures. We have also learned how to push in our chairs, roll our rugs, walk in the classroom, carry lessons, blow our noses and wash our hands. All of these are essential to a beginning Montessori, independent, classroom.

Our daily routine  worked beautifully with great transitions. Nappers nap, kindergarteners had their afternoon group and non nappers worked in a more advanced, fun, environment.

At dismissal all classes will be seated on the benches at the front playground, parents are welcome to receive their child after we have all sat down.  The sign in/out books are located by the front office. Please remember to sign in/out your child. Behind the attendance sheets, there is a NAP tab. If your child napped that day a check mark would be noted.

I have sent out an email with details about me and our new classroom assistant Ms. Erin along with two attachments; Primary Handbook and calendar of events.

Please take some time to review the parent handbook as we have a few changes this year. If you prefer a hard copy please stop by the office to get one.

As stated in the Primary handbook, we are kindly requesting you to bring the following items for your child,

1. Lunch:

Please send an open cup with your child’s lunch bag only to use during the lunch and in the aftercare, if your child is going to aftercare.

2. Nap

Please send a crib sheet for the nap/rest mat. In the previous years, we encourage to bring the mat covers only for the nappers, but we found the nap/resting mats are cold and the children will relax their body well if the rest mats are comfortable for them.

3. Extra clothes and Wet bags

Please bring two sets of extra clothes along with two wet bags to send the wet/soil clothes home.  You can find them on Amazon. I would suggest you get the large wet bag.

4. Extra snack for aftercare.

Please pack an extra snack for aftercare in a ziplock bag labeled aftercare.

5. Toys are not allowed to school. Toys become a distraction. If a toy is brought to school it will be kept in the front office.

  1. Shoes. Please help your child become independent by allowing him/her to wear  velcro shoes.

Montessori spoke of the necessity of teaching from the whole to the parts. Only when the child is able to understand the big picture will they be able to assimilate detail. The classroom curriculum is sequentially arranged to reflect  this understanding

September curriculum outline 

  • Practical life – care of the environment, Flower arrangement, pouring and grasping, apple slicing.
  • Sensorial- five senses, knobbed and knob less cylinders.
  • Language- metal insets, reading and writing name
  • Mathematics- numeration lessons, introduction decimal system
  • Science- Living and Non living, Plants and Animals,
  • Unit Study _ Animal classification – vertebrates and invertebrates.

Important Dates –  Friday, September 1st –  P.J. Party from 5:30 to 9:00

Friday, September 8th – Welcome Picnic * Our classroom is responsible for the break down/clean up

Saturday, September 23rd – Positive Discipline workshop from 9 to 12 (childcare available)

Monday, September 25th – Corporation meeting.

We are the sowers – our children are those who reap. We labor so that future generations will be better and nobler than we are. –  Maria Montessori 

Thank you

Ms.Erin and Ms.Karina