Greetings!

Sorry for the hiatus - we've been busy in LEW. I'll do my best to put up a new newsletter by each Monday so that you can receive it with the GRS newsletter each Tuesday.  

What we're doing 

First years are using their geometry skills to create pictures with triangles, squares, hexagons, parallelograms, and rhombi! They create the picture, tally up the number of each kind of shape, and share it with a friend so that they can create the picture.  They are also practicing multiplication with the stamp game and are able to compute problems like 2,342x2.  We discussed plant care and each student chose a plant in the classroom to adopt. Ask your child what they have to do to take care of their plant.  Finally, we are now entering our study of South America and the first graders are creating flags of the different countries in this continent.  

Second years are practicing division using the division board and some are doing long division with the test tubes.  We are also practicing calendar work and answering questions about the calendar. For instance, if we start winter break on December 19th and we return to school on January 5th, how many days will our break last? Second graders are also beginning their work on South America, creating their own map and answering questions like, "Which country is the largest? Which country touches an ocean? Which hemisphere is South America in?" There's a lot of work piling up for the second graders, so practicing stamina and finishing our work in a neat and organized way has also been a focus of ours.  

Third years have successfully finished the Fundamental Needs work for the Native Americans. On Friday, they decided to create an exhibit for the class. They called it "The Native American Exhibit!"  We had students put all of their work on display and we learned about how the Inuits survived up in the far north, how the Pueblo pulled up their ladders into their adobe homes when they saw danger approaching, how the Eastern Great Lakes people thrived on the water, and much much more.  They were extremely proud of their work and we're happy with how it all turned out.  Next week, third years will also be switching their focus back to more math work - keeping their + - x / facts up to snuff and they will also be looking at South American biomes.  

Keep a look out for spelling lists in future newsletters for those that are able to do some additional spelling practice at home.  

Cleaning party postposed - keep eyes peeled for another date TDB

Special Thanks 

To David and Meredith Martinez for bringing Puerto Rico to the GRS! The students had a wonderful time learning about the music and culture of Puerto Rico with your family.

If any one is interested in coming in to do a presentation about South America (our next continent study), please let me know. 

The Importance of Community Meetings 

Each day, our community gathers to talk about what's going well in the classroom, to problem solve and to share work and ideas.  Meetings incorporate peace education, collaboration, and grace and courtesy lessons - all big themes in a Montessori classroom.  Because the topics we discuss affect the entire classroom, we expect everyone to attend these meetings which last about 15 minutes.  They are a part of the curriculum just like math and language lessons.  Ask your child what topics we've discussed together or what they have done to contribute. 

The snow is looking fluffy and inviting right now. Enjoy your weekend!

Jessy