DOBSON MONTESSORI SCHOOL NEWS
September 15-19
WHAT IS MONTESSORI?
The Montessori classroom is child centered rather than teacher centered. Unlike a traditional classroom in which students sit silently in rows facing a teacher’s desk as the center of focus, the Montessori classroom is a hum of activity. Children are busy choosing engaging work and communicating with their peers and teachers. Throughout the day you will find a group of perhaps four students reading a book with a teacher while another child makes a cheese quesadilla in the cooking center. Two friends work on a project in the art center while other children solve math problems. When a child is ready for more advanced material, it is presented regardless of the child’s “grade”. Likewise, if extra reinforcement to master a concept is needed, that is provided as well. Instead of assuming every child should learn in the same way, our curriculum is designed to take the child from where they are to the next level of success. Our classrooms are filled with the joy of learning!
KINDERGARTEN
As we learn about our classmates in “Our Amazing Self” unit, students will read Who’s in My Family? by Robie H. Harris. Every family is unique. Maybe you live with your mom and dog. Perhaps you have four brothers, a mom, dad, and grandmother who live in your house. Students will use stretched artist canvases and acrylic paints to create a portrait of their family. You will want to hang these over the sofa! As a speaking and listening activity, students will share their favorite thing to do with their family. Students will also make a handprint tree to represent the members of their family. On Tuesday, September 23, we will go on a field trip to the Children’s Museum in Phoenix. Please see Ms. Leslie if you would like to chaperone. Parents will need to pay a reduced admission of $14. We will pay for the students. Everyone will need to bring a sack lunch with beverage for this full day experience and bring their booster seat. Our Dobson Montessori family mixer will be held on Thursday, September 25 at the Riverview Park Splashpad from 5-7 PM. Please see the attached invitation and mark your calendar now.
PRIMARY
Our “Oceanography” study continues this week as we learn about sharks and whales. Students will make a shark fact booklet and play sharks and minnows on the playground to learn how schooling protects fish from predators. Whales are huge! To better understand this, we will measure a blue whale in the parking lot with chalk. Did you know a Blue Whale can be up to 100 feet in length, weigh 200 tons, and their hearts can be as heavy as a small car? We will listen to some whale sounds and use a chart to decode what they are communicating. What kinds of crustaceans live in the ocean? Our classroom pet hermit crabs have salt water in their tank to mimic the ocean environment. Students will become hermit crabs themselves in a fun art project. We took a picture of each child and we will now decorate a beautiful shell to add to the photo as we become Dobson Montessori hermit crabs. We conclude the week with a look at manatees and dugongs. Using liquid watercolor paints, we will create an ocean and then add a manatee to complete our scene. Our Dobson Montessori family mixer will be held on Thursday, September 25 at the Riverview Park Splashpad from 5-7 PM. Please see the attached invitation and mark your calendar now.
INTERMEDIATE
Students of “Famous Ghosts” will have a project check on Tuesday. All 20 facts should now be finished. We are enjoying our investigation of famous people from history. In class, we will see the movie, “Helen Keller”. Her inspirational story makes a moving film. Also this week, we will finalize preparations for our Family Camping Trip! We will meet with the Upper Division and High School students to plan activities and learn what to expect on the trip. We will also play games to get to know one another better. Families will meet at 9 AM on the front lawn of the school on Thursday, Sept. 18. We will have maps and directions printed for you and share the itinerary for the two-day trip prior to departure. If you volunteered to bring an ice chest, please bring it with one bag of ice and deliver it inside the office on the morning of the trip so we can fill it with our community food. We will need everyone to help transport the gear for the community meals so leave some room when you pack. This is going to be such a fun event! Come prepared to be a kid again!
UPPER DIVISION
Thank you to everyone who drove on the Phx Art Museum field trip last week. Our third research paper about Jackson Pollock is due on Wednesday of this week. We will investigate Kandinsky and try our hand at abstract art that shows emotion. Students will also learn about Georges Seurat and his pointillism paintings in which dots of color are blended by the eye due to their juxtaposition. Using felt markers, we will create our own dot art. Everyone is eager to head to Slide Rock State Park for the family camping trip. We will prep all the food for the event and join with the intermediate students to finalize plans for the trip. If you volunteered to bring an ice chest, deliver it to the office with one bag of ice on the morning of the trip
HIGH SCHOOL
Students completed their first writing assignment and quiz in their college Culture of Rock Music course. In Economics, everyone will submit their resume on Monday and then use Indeed to look for a job as we investigate life in the real world through mock activities. Students will learn to make a budget, find housing and transportation, buy groceries, and encounter unexpected emergencies as they navigate the path of managing finances. Everyone is memorizing lines and working on blocking their scenes for the upcoming Shakespeare Competition. Students may earn one college credit for attending. We will also prepare the food for the Family Camping Trip and meet with the intermediate class to finalize plans. If you can bring an ice chest and transport some of our community food, please bring it with one bag of ice to the office on Thursday morning.
FAMILY CAMPING TRIP 4th-12th GRADE
What an amazing experience we have planned for everyone! Please meet on the front lawn prior to 9 AM on Thursday. We will hand out maps and itineraries and explain expectations of the trip. We need everyone to help transport some of the gear for the community meals. We will have it lined up on the sidewalk in front of school so grab a box and pack it when you arrive. This trip will be a fun way to get to know everyone better while enjoying time with your students. And everyone gets to be a kid again for two days in the red rock country!
K-3rd SPLASH PAD POTLUCK PARTY IN THE PARK
Make sure to attend the back to school mixer from 5-7 PM on Thursday, September 25. Our K-3rd grade families are asked to bring a dish to share for dinner and a lawn chair. Plates, cutlery, and lemonade will be provided. We have reserved the three Ramadas by the splash pad at Riverview Park for our group. Enjoy a delicious dinner, get to know our school families better, and meet your child’s classmates. Wear clothes that can get wet and cool off in the splash pad.
TUITION NOW PAST DUE
If you are using ESA funds to attend Dobson Montessori this year, you should have already submitted your invoice and received your disbursement. For those who have not done this, you will be asked to pay out of pocket at this time. If you are new to ESA and not received funds in your account, please contact ESA to confirm that they did receive your application in a timely manner.