DOBSON MONTESSORI SCHOOL NEWS
October 5-9
KINDERGARTEN
In addition to our daily academic lessons in reading and math, we are focusing on “Practical Life” learning this month. Children develop the fine motor skills necessary for writing and attention to detail by using tweezers to move beads and beans to an egg carton for counting. We will make bead necklaces this week. This requires careful manipulation of the beads to the cord and also the ability to follow a pattern. Sequencing is a necessary skill for math and reading. Students will learn to use a knife carefully as we learn about fractions by cutting apples. Doing important tasks done by adults help children develop self-confidence and self-reliance.
PRIMARY
As part of our “Caldecott Books” unit, students will read Mirette on the High Wire. Students will then add a photo of themselves to our classroom tight rope. How are you brave and unique? Next, we read They Were Good and Strong. This book looks at the importance of our personal history and our ancestors. Students will be asked to interview a relative and learn a story of their family’s past to share when we return from Fall Break. Where the Wild Things Are is a classic story of imagination. Students will complete a multi-media work of art creating their own “wild thing” after our discussion of this Caldecott winner.
INTERMEDIATE
Our investigation of “Physics” will discuss Newton’s laws of motion this week. Students will build a hovercraft that really floats and learn to identify the six simple machines at work in the world around us. We will go on a scavenger hunt to find a lever, wheel and axle, inclined plane, wedge, screw, and pulley. We will crack nuts and lift a classmate using a lever. Another type of nutcracker uses a screw. On Friday, we will celebrate physics with a Wheels Day in the park. Everyone is invited to bring something with wheels…bicycle, scooter, roller skates or blades, skateboard, or ? You will need your helmet and knee pads where recommended. When we return from Fall Break, students will go on a field trip to the IEEE Evans Science Center for a full day workshop on Monday, October 19. They will participate in “Sail Away” by working with a team of professional scientists to build boats and test their designs in fun competitions. If you help by chaperoning, please sign up in room 3. We will be gone from 9 to 3.
UPPER DIVISION
We are studying “Botany” this month! This week, we will go on a plant walk to collect leaves and learn how to create a plant journal. Students will do a sprouting experiment and learn about dicots and monocots. Can you keep your sprouts alive all month? We will do a seed dissection to learn about the parts of seeds. As a month-long project, students will make a seed collection and plant journal. We will also plant the school vegetable garden and learn to classify plants by common and scientific name.
HIGH SCHOOL
What a great time our students had on their five-day trip to Utah. They hiked the Narrows in Zion National Park and competed in the Shakespeare Festival at Southern Utah University. Everyone saw two plays, Sense and Sensibility and Something Rotten. And they all participated in six or more workshops conducted by professors. This week, they will add photos and writing to their scrapbooks about the trip. We continue our work in math and chemistry, and students are working in teams of three to complete a short film using unusual POV camera angles and writing an original script.
STRAWBERRY CREAM CHEESE FROSTED DANISH
Mmmmm….warm strawberry cream cheese frosted Danish will be sold on Thursday of this week for only $3 from 8:00 until they are sold out. Take some to work!
OCTOBER BREAK
Remember, our fall break will be held from October 12-16. No school.