// Weeks of May 27 (Field Day!) and Jun 3 //
// Curriculum Update, Mid-May //
Week of May 20th
What an exciting week! The Circle Room students were in awe as they observed the classroom butterflies shortly after they emerged from their chrysalises. They showed great self-restraint as they talked in quieter voices and moved gently while looking into the butterfly box. They welcomed their winged friends and understood that the butterflies’ natural habitat was outside. The students joyously witnessed the release of the three butterflies at the Peace Garden in Hamilton Park.
As they did with the butterflies, the children showed great care while handling and watering the mung bean plants. They are thriving and were sent home on Wednesday and Thursday.
Another noteworthy event was tie-dyeing the tee shirts for Field Day. Please note that parents/caregivers are welcome to participate in this event and a Sign-Up Genius list has gone out for volunteers to help with various activities.
We wish you a safe and happy Memorial Day weekend!
Week of May 13th
This week we are in the midst of a great deal of exciting growth. Our classroom caterpillars have entered their next stage of life within their chrysalises and the students are closely observing the changes. We have been watching each little mung bean plant begin to sprout its first tiny offshoot, known as a radicle. We have been discussing the growth that happens to people: many friends have recently gotten new shoes or haircuts, due to healthy growth. Little brothers and sisters grow bigger quickly! Even adults grow! We have enjoyed singing “Everything Grows” by Raffi.
We are loving the spring days that allow us notice the blooming flowers and to spend active time at Hamilton Park.
// week of May 20 //
// week of May 13 //
Parent Association Meeting Notes
May 10, 2019
Ø HUGE, HUGE, HUGE THANK YOU FOR THE THOUGHTFUL AND CREATIVE TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK CELEBRATION~ STARTING THE DAY WITH CURBSIDE HELP AND THE ENDLESS TREATS HAVE BEEN APPRECIATED!!!!
Ø HUGE THANK YOU TO HOLLY (JETT’S MOM) AND JENNIFER (LUCAS AND ARI’S MOM) FOR ORGANIZING THE WEEK AND BEING INCREDIBLE PA COORDINATORS FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS. HUGE THANK YOU TO JULIA (HARRISON’S MOM) AND YASSMIN (AIDAN AND NOAH’S MOM) FOR AGREEING TO THE BE THE PA COORDINATORS FOR THE 2019-2020 SCHOOL YEAR
Ø THANK YOU for supporting the Book Fair ($6,500 was raised) and donating boots!
Ø CONGRATULATIONS to the HPMS Basketball Team for playing an incredible game verses Village Montessori~ we finally won (46 to 18). The UE team won against Stevens (18-16).
Ø Please enjoy the video on the HPMS balloon launch (yes, that’s really the curve on the Earth from the balloon launched by HPMS students). This project has been happening for four years:
· Year 1 ~ focus was on altitude
· Year 2~ focus was on creating an environment for an insect to go into space (balloon had a hole and ended up in a lake)
· Year 3~ focus was on creating an environment for a small mammal to go into space~ students had ethical concerns if it didn’t work so they changed it to using the air supply to launch a rocket (but no trash was to left in space)
· Year 4~ focus is on communication~ there will be a live stream on the 6th floor for K students and up to watch on May 21
Ø Upcoming Events (it’s that time of year!!!) ~ EOY Celebrations begin at 9:15 on the 6th floor unless otherwise noted:
· May 21~ Blue/Red Room EOY Celebration
· May 22~ Indigo/Yellow Room EOY Celebration
· May 23~ Orange/Silver Room EOY Celebration
· May 24-27~ School Closed for Memorial Day Weekend
· May 28~ Homework Discussion ~ 6 pm
· May 31~ Field Day (PLEASE KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR THE SUG!!!!)
· June 4 ~ Earth Room EOY Celebration at 9:30
· June 5~ Sky Room EOY Celebration at 9:30
· June 6 ~ Ocean Room EOY Celebration at 9:30
· June 11 ~ UE/MS EOY Celebration & 8th Grade Graduation at 6 pm on the 6th Floor
· June 12 ~ Last day of School
o PA Meeting ~ 9 am
o WEE & Bridge EOY Celebration at 11:15 am for Wee and Square, 11:00 for Circle and Triangle
o End of the Year Picnic~ “BYOB”~ Bring Your Own Basket & Blanket at 5 pm in Hamilton Park
o HPMS will provide plates, utensils, water and treats.
o Please bring food for your family (or buy dinner at the Farmer’s Market!)
· June 19 ~ Silverman Golf Tournament supporting HPMS
Ø Year Book is now available for purchase~ please keep an eye out for the SUG
Ø Discussion for next year…thoughts about fruit as the go to birthday snack (child shares their favorite fruit with the class) and changing the snack sign up (parents bring in one item once a week instead of enough snack for the class for an entire week).
// Week of May 6: Curriculum Update //
Thank you all for showering us with appreciation! We are grateful for your thoughtfulness and generosity.
The students are continuing to monitor the caterpillars’ growth closely. Upon arrival, many students head directly to the caterpillar box to observe any new developments. We have been measuring the caterpillars and found that they grew more than one inch in a week! Several art & science activities that reinforce the life cycle of the butterfly are available. We have read “Ten Little Caterpillars” by Bill Martin Jr. and re-read “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” by Eric Carle.
In further exploration of seasonal wonders, the class has begun to learn about the life cycle of the bean plant and will be observing the growth of a mung bean plant.
We wish you all a Happy Mother’s Day!
// Teacher Appreciation Week //
// curriculum update: May 3 //
This week has been so exciting and rewarding! The teachers have been pleased to celebrate each student’s individual progress during our parent-teacher conferences. Thank you for taking the time to meet with us.
We are also grateful for the many book donations. The children were so happy to share the books that they selected for the classroom. Thank you for your generosity.
In class this week, we have been exploring the life cycle of the butterfly. You may hear your child singing “There’s a Little Caterpillar on a Leaf”, a new circle time song. Thanks to the generosity of the HPMS Friends and Family Association, we have some real caterpillars to observe. We look forward to observing their metamorphosis.
// week of April 29 //
// before & after spring break: look how much we have grown! //
// It's April! //
This week, the children were excited to share what they know about air, land, and water and to learn some new facts, too. They understand that helicopters fly in the air, that cars drive on land, that people swim in water and that sharks, squids, jellyfish, and goldfish swim in water, too! They were eager to explore the Sandpaper Globe with its rough sandpaper land masses and large expanses of smooth blue water. Ms. Mara crafted a beautiful felt mat to facilitate the classification of small objects into their environment in the air, the land, or the water.
In our Sensorial area, the Geo Board was introduced and the children are using rubber band to create geometric shapes using straight lines. This material reinforces shape recognition while encouraging concentration and careful hand-eye coordination. In the Practical Life area, a multi-step bubble whisking work is a popular daily living activity.
Despite the cold weather at the start of the week, the students were quick to point out spring’s newest developments on our walks to the playground and back. Daffodils and the opening buds of flowering trees were noted as were several orange-breasted robins.
// Week of April 1 //
// Week of March 25: Curriculum Update //
The Circle Room students were extremely enthusiastic and productive after a short break from school! The classroom teachers used the in-service days to organize supplies and to update the shelves with many new activities.
In the Sensorial Area, a mystery bag is now available to match small rings using just the child’s tactile sense. It is an exercise in coordination for the student to keep his/her eyes closed while reaching in the bag and an exercise in self-control to not peek inside!
In keeping with our practice of observing seasonal changes, the children were introduced to the forsythia shrub. They decorated a printed branch with yellow tissue paper flowers to make their own forsythia branch. The students were excited to learn about robins and their habits as well as listen to their unique birdcall while exploring a stuffed replica of a robin, named Mr. Robin.
Laura Joffre Numeroff’s “If You GIve a Mouse a Cookie” is a favorite tale about the unceasing consequenses of a mouse who is offered a single cookie. The children enjoy hearing the story read aloud to them in a small group and paging through the book independently while exploring small objects that correspond with the events in the story.
// Week of March 25 //
HPMS is celebrating World Down Syndrome Day on March 20! Wear your jeans and/or silly socks, too.
// This week.... //
It was wonderful seeing the Circle Room students guiding their parents in activities during the Work with your Child sessions this week!
Thank you for coming to visit and focusing on your child’s areas of interest.
As you may have observed during your visit, the students are thoroughly enjoying the new magnetism activities. They love to control the movements of a small race car as it is attracted or repelled across a cardboard roadway.
Our Peace Education continues, with the introduction of the Peace Rose. This charming book and device facilitate conversation using positive language as a means to resolve conflicts.
On our walks to the park, we are observing early signs of spring, such as the appearance of a robin, the emergence of buds that will soon reveal leaves, and the warmth of stronger sunshine. in the coming weeks we will note many more changes!
// Week of March 11 //
Thank you to all who joined us for the HPMS Winter Gala! It was a BLAST!
// What we have been up to these days... //
Week of February 25th
This is a transitional week for the Circle Room staff. We must bid “goodbye” to dear Ms. Patricia and wish her the best of luck with the birth of her new baby. The teachers and students will miss Ms. Patricia’s quiet, warm, and proficient manner. At the beginning of February, Ms. Deborah joined the Circle Room team and has been gently weaving her way into the hearts of her co-workers and students alike. We understand that the changes may be difficult for our students and will continue to have conversations about the transition.
As an extension to the “Love Light” work, Ms. Mara presented the class with a basket full of glowing yellow discs that can be pinned on one’s shirt to indicate that he/she is feeling their Love Light shining.
Pencil sharpening with a small hand held sharpener, a useful endeavor that builds concentration, wrist and hand strength, and independence was introduced. A very calming and satisfying work: water painting using a small Buddha Board has also been presented. In the Language area, the square-shaped Metal Inset has been added to our Metal Inset holder.
Week of March 4th
March Magnets!
The highlight of our week has been the introduction of magnet work. Although magnets have been quietly at work in the background in activities such as the magnetic refrigerator numerals, the MagnaTiles and the Magnetic Maze, now we are beginning to focus on the force of magnetism. The students can classify objects as “magnetic” or “non-magnetic.” They are observing how magnets sometimes cling to each other and at other times push forcefully away from each other - they are learning specialized vocabulary such as “attract” and “repel.” The children are becoming aware of the many ways that magnets are in use within the classroom and sometimes, on their own backpacks!
These days, the students are eager to participate in large and small group lessons and can grasp more abstract ideas than earlier in the year. They are embracing many concepts that will be re-visited when they enter the Early Childhood environment.
It was a pleasure to see several of our families at the Winter Gala. Thank you for your interest and participation. The event and auction were a huge success and will greatly benefit the Music Program.