October 2022
Peek Inside our Children’s House Community
Hello Bobcat families,
Happy Fall! We would like to welcome Maxwell and Diem to the Bobcat Children’s House.
This month, we recited some Fall poems in the classroom, which our children really enjoyed. We talked about pumpkins and their life cycle. At our library, we read the book: “A Three for All Seasons” by Robin Bernard. The book is about a maple tree that changes from season to season and all the marvelous things that happen within and around it. Thank you to Allie’s family for donating the book to our library and to Diem’s family for donating a beta fish.
Here is one of our favorite songs in Spanish:
En otoño las hojitas, de los arboles se caen,
Llega el viento, las levantan y se ponen.... a bailar la la la la la/a marchar a marchar a marchar sin parar/ a brincar, a brincar, a brincar / correr rapido van, rapido van rapido, rapido rapido
May this fall be loaded with hugs and lots of smiles,
Ms. Hany and Ms. Joselyne
CACTUS WREN
Dear Cactus Wren Families,
Happy October! It has been such an exciting month. The children have been working hard in their lessons and practicing with the materials. The children in the classroom have been interested in the planets and our solar system this month. Our readers have been matching the names to different celestial bodies and our younger friends have learning about different aspects of space exploration, such as space shuttles, space suits, and different astronauts. We have also been listening to The Planets by Gustav Holst in the classroom this month. The children especially enjoy listening to “Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity.” Below is a link to the Jupiter movement.
Gustav Holst – Jupiter: The Bringer of Jollity
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Gu77Vtja30c&feature=youtu.be
We have also enjoyed welcoming our parents to the classroom this past month. The children are so proud to show all the hard work they have been doing and all they have been learning. Thank you parents for all that you do and for sharing your children with us! We have a few spots remaining in November for observation and conference, and encourage you to sign up if you have not done so. It is a great opportunity to see your children and their community together! Thank you again families for all that you do!
Warmly,
Ms. Laura & Ms. Annette
Hello Gray Fox families,
What a jam packed, fun filled and exciting month we have had! We welcomed October with open arms and have enjoyed the weather as the seasons change and it gradually gets cooler. This month, we dove into the world of vegetables! Not only are there so many vegetables we have immediate access to in our local grocery stores, but there are also several around the world that may be harder to find such as a chino mamon or a rutabaga! October is always a great time to explore the vast variety of squashes and gourds, as well as pumpkins.
In Gray Fox, we hone in on the importance of reduce, reuse, recycle year round and the children were astounded to see and explore that you can actually make some truly amazing things out of vegetables, such as a gourd! Here is a fantastic business that specializes in gourd art in which we were very inspired by.
It isn’t local, but we had so much fun admiring other people’s creations and getting inspired in our own ways. Additionally, we explored the vegetable sugar snap peas in depth. Thank you to the Eccles family for donating some sugar snap peas that gave us the opportunity to not only taste, but dissect and learn about their life cycle! This was incredibly inspiring to the children and we decided to plant our own in our outdoor environment. We are looking forward to reaping the benefits of hopefully a wonderful harvest in the coming weeks!
We love to explore new foods in Gray Fox and if your child has something seasonal, culturally specific or exciting to them that provides us the opportunity to learn more - you are always welcome to share so long as allergies permit!
Here are a couple songs that the children have also loved surrounding the topic of vegetables. You may have even heard your child sing these at home. Here are the links :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Pj_tYoejiU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0Y3bYRC5QU&t=24s
Furthermore, we took our vegetable exploration further by starting our own Lion’s Mane mushroom grow kit. We have enjoyed watering it twice a day, documenting and admiring its progress and results. We discussed the anatomy of a mushroom, the many types around the world, as well as their amazing qualities. Did you know that mushrooms can be turned into material that looks and feels like plastic? That they are nature's “natural recyclers” and break down dead and dying foliage and trees to create new ones? That they can break down oil spills? And be used as fireproof insulation in your home? We have learned so many amazing things and we cannot wait to try some new mushrooms when they are ready!
Lastly, as the seasons change and the weather gets cooler, the time to break out the jackets and warmer clothing is just around the corner. Please be mindful that your child is unzipping, hanging, and zipping jackets up daily, as well as buttons, independently. This is a great time to practice these practical skills at home if your child is having any difficulty with their extra garments to ensure they are successful both at home and at school. Please also note that we do not store jackets or any clothing items outside of your child’s cubby overnight. If your child brings a jacket to school, they must take it home daily to ensure we have adequate space to store everyone’s belongings.
Thank you for all that you do!
Warmly,
Ms. Kayla
JACKRABBIT
Hello Jackrabbit Families!
We hope everyone had a fun Fall Break. Now that the weather is changing, the children have been enjoying our beautiful outdoor environment. Our zucchinis started to grow and some of the children were so excited to slice them and prepared a recipe to share with their friends for snack. Lately, we have been reading about pumpkins and their life cycle as well as enjoying observing different types of pumpkins in our museum tables.
Thank you to all of you who were able to attend our first parent night. The topic was practical life Area and Montessori at home. Hope to see you all in our next parent night.
We are excited to see you soon during conferences and observations. Please remember to turn off your phone when you come into the classroom to observe. Taking pictures during observation is not permitted. Also please remain seated on your observation chair and ENJOY! We are looking forward to seeing you soon.
The children have been baking Corn Bread. I am sharing the recipe for bake at home with your child.
Corn Bread
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons of sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk
1 large egg
1/3 cup vegetable or canola oil
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and coat the inside of a 9-
inch pie plate, cast iron skillet, or 8x8 casserole dish with non-
stick spray (or butter for more flavor).
In a large bowl, stir together the cornmeal, flour, sugar,
baking powder, and salt until evenly combined.In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, egg, and oil.
Pour the bowl of wet ingredients into the bowl of dry
ingredients and stir just until everything is moist. Avoid over
stirring. It's okay if there are a few lumps.Pour the batter into the prepared dish and bake for about 20
minutes, or until the top and edges are golden brown. Cut into 8 pieces and serve.
A few reminders:
• If your child doesn’t know how to tie their shoes, please have them wear velcro or slip on shoes in order to promote independence.
•The children need to bring back their clear plastic work folder after they empty it at home once a month.
•Tablet for sign in / sign out is a legal document. It must be used only by adults.
•If your child was sent home with a bag of wet/dirty clothes, please send a clean change the next day. Please label all clothing
Thank you Jackrabbit Families!
Kindly,
Ms. Yadira and Ms. Karen
