Final LEW Newsletter and Summer "Homework"

Hello Families!

Happy Summer! For this last newsletter I, Ms. Jessy, would like to begin with just how grateful I am to all of you, your children and what a joy it has been to be apart of the LEW community. I will miss this community dearly and seeing the second and first graders grow into third grade leaders, but we will be neighbors and I expect to get updates on the playground:) 

Secondly, a desperate request for our buddy, Gex. As we were about to send him off with an eager third grader and her family, the bottom of Gex's terrarium cracked and an enormous hole formed. Before we go out and buy and new cage, we thought we would take a chance and see if anyone in our community happens to have an extra 3ft x 1.5ft terrarium lying around :) If you have any leads or insights, please feel free to contact Jessy.

Summer "Homework"

Some of the families have asked about things they can do with their child over the summer.  Please choose any or all of these things to do with your child over the summer!

EXECUTIVE FUNCTION:

• Engage your child in the everyday chores around the home - yard work, preparing meals, cleaning around the house, etc. This a great way to foster your child's independence and sustained attention.
  
• Make a written plan for the day, like a to-do list, and check things off as the day progresses. 
  

READING: 

• Work through the books that your child enjoys.  If the reading is above their reading level, then read to them; or practice by reading a page, then they read it back to you; or sometimes you read for long stretches, then trade off--mix it up to keep them engaged.  If it becomes frustrating, just read to your child for the joy of the story.
• Use the attached exercise for research-proven fluency building in reading.

WRITING: 

• Writing letters, poems, stories, grocery lists, vacation journals, to-do lists, anything else!  Anything, no matter big or small!  (If your child needs it, you can have her dictate to you, and the child can read it when you're done.)

MATH: 

• Most importantly, Math Fact Flashcards will do a world of good.  If you can make it into a game, all the better.  Just addition, subtraction, and multiplication facts 1-10.  We strongly recommend this one.
  

HISTORY, GEOGRAPHY, AND SCIENCE:  

• You could research together some aspect of your summer experience (animals? vacation locations? other interests that pop up?)--it doesn't matter--but we've found that the children are willing to go after knowledge greedily when 1) They're really interested, and 2) They have support.
  

OTHER STUFF

• More time to play outside!!!  (Put it on the to-do list!)
  
• More Arts and Crafts
  
• Less Screen Time!!!
  
• Trips to the library
  

That's just a few ideas, but if you would like more formal or structured examples of summer activities, please feel free to ask and we will share some more ideas.  

Finally, here are some photos from the last days of school...

Parent Appreciation Day Photos

Photos from our last days together

Once again, Erik and I want to extend our gratitude out to all of you and we wish you a beautiful summer.

All the best and more,

-- 

Jessy Eaton Fabel

Lower Elementary Guide

"Our aim therefore is not merely to make the child understand, and still less to force him to memorize, but so to touch his imagination as to enthuse him to his inmost core." ~ Maria Montessori    

Re: LEW Newsletter 6-2-2017 Important Dates!

Important information about the Camp Fire and Sing-Along!

I forgot to mention that the Elementary Camp Fire and Sing-Along is a Great Gathering and it does cost $5 as a donation to GRS.  If you are interested in attending, please contact Heather Thomas - she is a LEW parent and graciously hosting this event :) 

Heather Thomas Contact Information:  nathatddt@yahoo.com

On Sat, Jun 3, 2017 at 1:13 PM, Jessy Fabel <jfabel@greatriverschool.org> wrote:

Happy June All!

First of all, thank you to all of you that took the time to come to the Museum Project yesterday. It meant so much to the children and the guides that you could come to see all of the hard work they've done over the last three weeks.  For today's newsletter, we are just going to post the major upcoming dates, summer requests, and photos from the Museum Project, Field Day, and a fun outdoor lesson with the third years :)

UPCOMING DATES of IMPORTANCE

TUESDAY, JUNE 6: PARENT APPRECIATION DAY at 1:30-3:00

We will host you for an event that is all about You, and how wonderful you are to and for all of us.  Come and let us shower you with gifts!  Let us show you our talents in the LEW 2017 Talent Show!  The classroom opens at 1:30, and the talent show begins at 2:15.  (For parents of child in both  lower el classrooms: LEE will start their parent appreciation day celebrations at 1:00 and their talent show will begin at 1:30.)

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 7: COMO POOL

Thanks to all those who signed up to help! Please just send sunscreen, a sack lunch, a towel, and bathing suite with your child. If your child requires a life jacket, Como pool has them or you may send your own personal life jacket. Just to be on the safe side, please let us know if your child requires a life jacket. Please do NOT send pool toys or money with your children.  Goggles are acceptable.  

FRIDAY, JUNE 9: LAST DAY OF SCHOOL: HALF DAY - dismissal @ 12:00

After an official goodbye to the third years, and a final all-school ceremony, the year will be over. It's almost here!

SUNDAY, JUNE 11: ELEMENTARY CAMP FIRE AND SING-ALONG

Join lower elementary guides and families at Como Park for singing, laughing, s'mores and enjoying each other's company as we celebrate the end of yet another school year!

When: Sunday, June 11th 6:00-8:00 PM

Where: Como Park Fire Circle on the north side of Horton Ave. and just west of Midway Pkwy and Horton Ave. 

SUMMER REQUESTS

Replenishing our Library. If you happen to have any books appropriate for first-third graders, we are looking to replenish our library. Nonfiction books about animals, science, history, geography are wonderful are always in high demand.  Poetry, picture books, and easy readers are also great to have on hand.  This can be something that you can donate to us by June 14th, so we can pack it up or we can coordinate at the end of August when we're starting to work on our environments.  

Plant Care. If you would be willing to care for some large and/or small plants this summer, our community would greatly appreciate it.

PHOTOS FROM THE WEEK

Museum Project Photos

Field Day Photos

Third Years Types of Roots Lesson Photos

All the best and more,

--

Jessy Eaton Fabel

Lower Elementary Guide

"Our aim therefore is not merely to make the child understand, and still less to force him to memorize, but so to touch his imagination as to enthuse him to his inmost core." ~ Maria Montessori    

--

Jessy Eaton Fabel

Lower Elementary Guide

"Our aim therefore is not merely to make the child understand, and still less to force him to memorize, but so to touch his imagination as to enthuse him to his inmost core." ~ Maria Montessori    

LEW Newsletter 6-2-2017 Important Dates!

Happy June All!

First of all, thank you to all of you that took the time to come to the Museum Project yesterday. It meant so much to the children and the guides that you could come to see all of the hard work they've done over the last three weeks.  For today's newsletter, we are just going to post the major upcoming dates, summer requests, and photos from the Museum Project, Field Day, and a fun outdoor lesson with the third years :)

UPCOMING DATES of IMPORTANCE

TUESDAY, JUNE 6: PARENT APPRECIATION DAY at 1:30-3:00

We will host you for an event that is all about You, and how wonderful you are to and for all of us.  Come and let us shower you with gifts!  Let us show you our talents in the LEW 2017 Talent Show!  The classroom opens at 1:30, and the talent show begins at 2:15.  (For parents of child in both  lower el classrooms: LEE will start their parent appreciation day celebrations at 1:00 and their talent show will begin at 1:30.)

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 7: COMO POOL

Thanks to all those who signed up to help! Please just send sunscreen, a sack lunch, a towel, and bathing suite with your child. If your child requires a life jacket, Como pool has them or you may send your own personal life jacket. Just to be on the safe side, please let us know if your child requires a life jacket. Please do NOT send pool toys or money with your children.  Goggles are acceptable.  

FRIDAY, JUNE 9: LAST DAY OF SCHOOL: HALF DAY - dismissal @ 12:00

After an official goodbye to the third years, and a final all-school ceremony, the year will be over. It's almost here!

SUNDAY, JUNE 11: ELEMENTARY CAMP FIRE AND SING-ALONG

Join lower elementary guides and families at Como Park for singing, laughing, s'mores and enjoying each other's company as we celebrate the end of yet another school year!

When: Sunday, June 11th 6:00-8:00 PM

Where: Como Park Fire Circle on the north side of Horton Ave. and just west of Midway Pkwy and Horton Ave. 

SUMMER REQUESTS

Replenishing our Library. If you happen to have any books appropriate for first-third graders, we are looking to replenish our library. Nonfiction books about animals, science, history, geography are wonderful are always in high demand.  Poetry, picture books, and easy readers are also great to have on hand.  This can be something that you can donate to us by June 14th, so we can pack it up or we can coordinate at the end of August when we're starting to work on our environments.  

Plant Care. If you would be willing to care for some large and/or small plants this summer, our community would greatly appreciate it.

PHOTOS FROM THE WEEK

Museum Project Photos

Field Day Photos

Third Years Types of Roots Lesson Photos

All the best and more,

--

Jessy Eaton Fabel

Lower Elementary Guide

"Our aim therefore is not merely to make the child understand, and still less to force him to memorize, but so to touch his imagination as to enthuse him to his inmost core." ~ Maria Montessori    

Field Day Tomorrow! Please have your child bring the following...

Hello families!

Tomorrow, the adolescents are hosting a field day for all of elementary. They will be grouped up with students in the other elementary classes to play some fun outdoor games. It should be a blast!

We will be walking to McMurray Field for this fun event, so it would be wonderful if your child could bring the following:

- Water bottle 

- Running shoes that can also get wet

- Clothes that can wet and a little dirty (cotton takes a long time to dry, so clothing made of polyester would work well)

- Sunscreen. Please let us know if it is not okay to apply sunscreen to your child, if necessary. 

Let us know if you have any questions or concerns.

Should be fun!

Warm regards,

Jessy Eaton Fabel

Lower Elementary Guide

"Our aim therefore is not merely to make the child understand, and still less to force him to memorize, but so to touch his imagination as to enthuse him to his inmost core." ~ Maria Montessori    

LEW Newsletter 5-18-2017

Hello LEW Families!

As the count down for summer break begins, it's easy to indulge in outdoor lunch and daydreams about como pool... But we're still trucking on and big work is happening! Important dates and reminders listed below....

This week's lessons:

First Years:

- Time Masters

- 4 Operations (+ - x / ) Challenge with the stamp game

- Writing their first draft for the Museum Project

- Vertebrate Review in anticipation of their trip to the zoo next week :)

Second Years:

- Constructive Triangles (turning stars into polygons - ask them how many sides a dodecagon has )

- Parts of a Flower

- Abstract + and -

- Writing and completing the first drafter for the Museum Project

Third Years:

- Hierarchical Material - ask them this riddle - 1. I am red 2. I am a square based prism 3. You need 10 ten thousands to make me. Who am I? (answer: 100,000)

- Test Tube long division

- Sentence Analysis work 

- Finishing and editing their first draft of the Museum Project.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS :)

SATURDAY, MAY 20: SPRING FESTIVAL

There will be games, prizes and a dunk tank to welcome spring! The whole school is invited.

SATURDAY, MAY 29TH: MEMORIAL DAY - NO SCHOOL

THURSDAY, JUNE 1: FIELD DAY

This event will be lead by our Adolescent students and is for the kids only.  However, they will be spending extended time outside on this day, send children with sunscreen, tennis shoes and a hat if needed.

FRIDAY, JUNE 2: THE MUSEUM PROJECT - 1:30-3:00

We invite you to come and enjoy a museum experience, designed and created by your children.  This is an open house event and we hope to see you there.  More details to come as the time approaches. This event is scheduled the same day as the Upper Elementary work share for your convenience.     

TUESDAY, JUNE 6: PARENT APPRECIATION DAY at 1:30-3:00

We will host you for an event that is all about You, and how wonderful you are to and for all of us.  Come and let us shower you with gifts!  Let us show you our talents in the LEW 2017 Talent Show!  The classroom opens at 1:30, and the talent show begins at 2:15.  (For parents of child in both  lower el classrooms: LEE will start their parent appreciation day celebrations at 1:00 and their talent show will begin at 1:30.)

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 7: COMO POOL

Thanks to all those who signed up to help!

FRIDAY, JUNE 9: LAST DAY OF SCHOOL: HALF DAY - dismissal @ 12:00

After an official goodbye to the third years, and a final all-school ceremony, the year will be over. It's almost here!

 REMINDERS

 

1. Picnic Lunch. As we move through the end of the year, with this lovely weather, we often like to be spontaneous and head outside for lunch.  You can help make this a convenient choice for all by helping your child pack a lunch that does not need to be heated.  Please keep this in mind when it works for your family.  Thanks!

2. Thursday Folders.

 Please remember return your children's Thursday folders each week.

SUMMER HELP NEEDED

1. Gex, our Beloved Bearded Dragon, needs a home for the summer. We appreciate all those families who have helped in the past and look forward to sending them off for a great adventure with a family this summer.  He is quite easy to care for, and this a great opportunity to commit to a temporary pet if your family is not ready for a pet of your own.  Please email Jessy if you are interested in taking in Gex for the entire summer or if you're interested in taking in Gex for a portion of the summer.

2. We're Moving! Would you like to help us pack? We will need to be all packed up by June 14th. If you're interested and enjoy heavy lifting, we would love the extra help.  

3. Volunteer Sign up for September 2017 (can you believe it?!).  We are already looking ahead to September and looking for volunteers to do laundry, snack and flowers. If you're interested please type your name on the "September 2017" slots here. 

4. Replenishing our Library. If you happen to have any books appropriate for first-third graders, we are looking to replenish our library. Nonfiction books about animals, science, history, geography are wonderful are always in high demand.  Poetry, picture books, and easy readers are also great to have on hand.  This can be something that you can donate to us by June 14th, so we can pack it up or we can coordinate at the end of August when we're starting to work on our environments.  

Wishing you all so well. Apologies for the long-winded newsletter. We're enjoying these last weeks with your children and are looking forward to all of the celebrating!

--

Jessy Eaton Fabel

Lower Elementary Guide

"Our aim therefore is not merely to make the child understand, and still less to force him to memorize, but so to touch his imagination as to enthuse him to his inmost core." ~ Maria Montessori    

Snack and dress warmly up for the park tomorrow

Hello LEW families,

The LEW is currently still looking for a snack volunteer for the month of May and the first week of June. If you're interested in volunteer, please let me know or sign up here.

Also, weather permitting, we will still go to the park tomorrow and it looks like the next couple of days might be cold and soggy, so if you could help make your kiddos are dressed appropriately, we would greatly appreciate it.

Warm regards,

--

Jessy Eaton Fabel

Lower Elementary Guide

"Our aim therefore is not merely to make the child understand, and still less to force him to memorize, but so to touch his imagination as to enthuse him to his inmost core." ~ Maria Montessori    

LEW Newsletter 4/21/2017

Hello LEW Families!

This week has been filled with concentration, determination, spring fever, hours of play time outside, dodging the rain, and poetry!  Erik and I found ourselves holding back more and letting the children go deep into their work. Having a sustained and uninterrupted work is one of the hallmarks of a Montessori classroom, but at the beginning the children need lots of assistance to get to that kind of concentration.  It gave us a sense of joy to see the children naturally going to the big cultural work, huge math problems, poetry (so much poetry!), and science projects with little to no guidance from the guides.  This is a sign of a classroom that is maturing and strengthening its culture.  

This Week's Lessons...

First Years:

- Triangle Math - relationship between + and - 

- River Study

- Poetry - line and shape

- Seed to Plant

Second Years:

- Multiplication Board

- Continued work with the Timeline of Life

- Poetry - line and shape

- Parts of a Stem

Third Years:

- Mississippi River Interest Project - the students are creating displays about animals, plants, invasive species and some are creating broadcasts! Our work will end with a trip to the Mississippi River Exhibit at the Science Museum on Friday, April 28th. 

- Dictionary Booklets

- Mabel Marble (Ask them what they had to construct for this)

- All third years have completed their MCAs! Hooray.

Announcements and Reminders

1. Parent Partnership and Homework

Lower Elementary is going to start sending games and activities in your child's Thursday Folders in order to practice math facts and spelling (for some).  Some of the ideas are as simple as using a deck of playing cards to practice addition facts.  We have noticed that the children are truly beginning to understand the concept of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division, but learning the quick facts for these operations is incredibly helpful as they learn more and more complex concepts.  They do math fact work and spelling work in class, but the added (and hopefully fun) practice that you do at home will help enhance this learning and help the students get them down solidly.  We were thinking that this would something that you could do together around 3 times per week.  No need to turn anything back to us.  If you have any questions about this change, please feel free to contact us.  

2. School Lunch

If your child needs school lunch for May and June, please make sure to contact Natalie Yaeger at nyaeger@greatriverschool.org.  The school is trying to get an accurate record of who needs lunch as a result of ending up with a lot of extra, uneaten lunches.

3. Gardening on Mondays 

We'll be choosing a small group of students each week to go to lessons for about 30 minutes on Mondays in our community garden.  They will be guided by two experts - Tami Limberg (Adolescent Science Guide) and Cate Williams (Upper Elementary Guide) - on how to care for and maintain the garden. We've let them know to bring clothes that they don't mind getting a little dirty, but please keep this in mind of Monday mornings :)

That's all for now. Have a joyous weekend!

Jessy Eaton Fabel

 

Lower Elementary Guide

"Our aim therefore is not merely to make the child understand, and still less to force him to memorize, but so to touch his imagination as to enthuse him to his inmost core." ~ Maria Montessori