Our Lovely Classroom

The first few weeks, I always focus on practical life skills, which are integrated in the Montessori curriculum from infancy to young adulthood.  We have talked about homework they can do that encompasses practical life that includes cooking, packing a healthy lunch, organizing homework space, following recipes, taking care of pets, and financial literacy.  Each student must record  what activities they chose for homework and get a parent signature in their planner each week.  Those who have turned in their signatures in their planners will be able to participate in additional outdoor environment, art, science, and music enrichment activities. As the weeks go on, we will include other subject areas for homework and we are already seeing students completing quite a bit of academic work at home.  Our new planners arrived on Monday and most students have been pretty diligent in taking them home and returning them to school each day.  In these planners, stude...

Due to some constructive feedback and revelations from parents, I have changed the homework routine to make it more concrete and specific.  Your child should be coming home with a homework plan that lists four areas of focus for the four hours of homework required each week. (1 hour per day, Monday through Thursday) They may choose work in each of three categories (practical life, language, math) and may choose a fourth activity in any category.  They must include some written documentation of their work (IE math problems, reports, written work, reflection of what was learned) and the bottom should be signed by the parent, if they witnessed the completion of the work stated on the form.  Feel free to not sign if incomplete--this does not impact their grade, and is a valuable piece to help build independence and responsibility. Homework must total up 4 hours each week, and if needed, homework may be completed over the weekend.  Thanks for your support in helping your...

Starting tonight, all students are required to make an accounting of the time spent doing homework on a homework log. This will help us understand which students may need more targeted support in order to achieve mastery in all the state standards.  They must fill out the activity, and time spent on each activity by themselves and get a parent signature.  Please send me an email if you have any questions! Ms. Liza and Ms. Kathy