Growing Light Montessori School

Monday

Mondays we continue our study of artists. We begin by learning the parts of the camera and take a closer look at the work of Ansel Adams. The children will have an opportunity to practice some photography skills of their own. If your child would like to bring in any photographs they have taken we would love to see their work.

Tuesday

Tuesdays will begin our study of winter. We will discuss what the plants, the animals, and the people are doing in this wonderful season. We hope to take a field trip to see some of these beautiful changes in our community.

Wednesday

Wednesdays our continent study will take us to the beautiful region of South America. We will learn about the rainforest, and peek into the lives of our neighbors to the south. We would love to have anyone who has visited this continent come and share his or her experiences.

Thursday

Thursday is our author of the month day, and this month is Jan Brett. We look forward to sharing her work and illustrations. Please feel free to bring in some of your favorite books by this author.

Friday

Fridays are back to science with a study of fish. We start the month by learning the parts of a fish and progress into the different varieties of our aquatic friends. Learning to be respectful of all living things is also part of this curriculum.

Monday

Mondays are our designated day to study art. This month Mary Cassat will be the featured artist. Her enjoyment of painting mothers with their babies will be part of our discussion. The children relate well to her art work because of the familiarity they experience when they see the subject matter.

Tuesday

Tuesdays we will be learning about different winter celebrations taking place all over the world. Some of the celebrations discussed will include Las Posada, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, Ramadan, and Christmas. It is heartwarming to learn that children from all different parts of our Earth are experiencing some sort jubilation this time of year.

Wednesday

Wednesdays continue the study of our continent. We will be learning more about the people living in North America today. Looking at our physical appearances as well as cultural tradition.

Thursday

Thursdays this month is author Theodore Giesel (better known as Dr. Seuss). His lyrical rhymes are a joy to hear and bring a smile to all of our faces.

Friday

To reinforce the spirit of giving we will be making cookies for the hard working people at the Post Office and Midway City Offices. These treats will be distributed by the afternoon class. We will also be practicing Holiday carols from around the world and look forward to sharing these with some very lucky listeners!

Mondays

Mondays our study of art continues. We will be looking at the life and masterpieces of Vincent van Gogh.

Tuesdays

Tuesdays will begin our study of the Thanksgiving timeline. We will reenact this historical event beginning in the year 1602. Our timeline will take us all the way up to the first Thanksgiving celebrated. We will then move on to modern Thanksgiving traditions. The class will help prepare a feast of our own, including Stone Soup, and enjoy our own traditions.

Wednesdays

Wednesdays open with the study of our globe, and how a map is made. We will start the study of the continents with North America. The study of our great continent will include the plants and animals that inhabit it. We will also take a look at the indigenous people and their customs.

Thursdays

Thursdays continue to be a study of acclaimed authors. November will be the wonderful work of Tomie de Paola. Please bring in any books by this author to be shared with the class.

Fridays

Fridays are our study of living things. We will be starting this month with the introduction of plants. We will then progress into the needs of a plant (air, sun, water, soil). The parts of a plant will also be discussed. A special treat will be to sample the edible parts of a plant (leaf, stem, roots, fruit)

Mondays

Mondays in May we have chosen to study Ray Charles as a modern composer. Not only is he a legendary artist but he over came many challenges in his life making him an inspiration to us all.

Tuesdays

Tuesdays we will be introduced to what an Ecosystem is and learn more about the different kinds of ecosystems, including our own. Caring for our ecosystem is also an important part of this study. Chief Seattle said it best, “This we know: All things are connected like the blood that unites us. We did not weave the web of life, we are merely a strand in it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves.”

Wednesdays

Wednesdays our study of continents will conclude with Australia and Antarctica. Finding out about the people, plants, and animals that inhabit these regions will be our focus. Any artifacts you may have at home, please bring them in to share.

Thursdays

Thursdays are reserved for the witty poetry of Shel Silverstein. He is truly a master at his craft and we always enjoy a giggle while reading his poems.

Fridays

Throughout the school year we have studied protoctista, vertebrates, invertebrates, trees, fish, amphibians, reptiles, flowers, birds, and now we end the school year by studying mammals. We will find out the characteristics all mammals share. They have hair on their skin, they are born alive, they nurse their young, and are homoeothermic.

Mondays in April begin our study of famous composer Peter Tchaikovsky. Learning about his life and listening to his familiar music will be our focus.

Tuesdays are our introduction to Spring. All month long we will be looking for signs of the new season that is upon us. Discussing what the animals and plants are doing is part of the study as well. We are celebrating Earth Day on April 22nd! Picking up trash, recycling, conserving energy, and composting are just some of the ways we can help our precious Mother Earth.

Wednesdays our studies take us to the second largest continent in the world-Africa! We will be learning about the exotic animals like giraffes, elephants, zebras, and cheetahs that call this part of our world home. It is also home to the largest desert and the largest river. Tasting some of the African cuisine is always pleasurable. Africans make full use of native products like peanuts and vegetables.

Thursdays we will learn some of Robert Lewis Stevenson’s poetry. You may remember hearing some of his work when you were a child. Mr. Stevenson lead an interesting life. Want to know more? Ask your child.

Friday. It is on this day that we research our fine feathered friends– Birds! We know that most birds can fly, although there are some that can’t. Birds are found all over the world– in hot deserts, icy polar regions and high up on mountains. We will look at what makes birds special like their beaks, bones, eggs, and wings. Now is a great time of year to set out some bird seed and learn to identify some of our native avian creatures.

Mondays

Mondays in March we will continue our study of music. The composer we will be focusing on is Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. We will look at his life, his compositions, and how they can be inspiring to us all. If you have a sample of his work that your child would like to share, Mondays would be a good day to bring it in.

Tuesdays

Tuesdays bring us to our study of money. The children will be introduced to the names of the coins and the bills. We will discuss what we need money for and where money comes from (not from trees!)

Wednesdays

Wednesdays take us across our planet to another continent: Europe. We will take a close look at the different countries, plants, animals, and people that make up this diverse land. If you have been to visit Europe, and would like to share some stories, cuisine, or souvenirs, please let us know.

Thursdays

Thursdays continue our study of poetry as we look at the poet Emily Dickinson. We look forward to sharing her life and her work as we present her poetry like a riddle and the children try to guess the subject matter.

Fridays

Friday we evolve from the amphibian to a dryer habitat life form: the reptile. We will discuss these creatures in depth as we look at the different species, their habitats, and the parts that they are made of.

Monday

Mondays we continue our study of artists. We begin by learning the parts of the camera and take a closer look at the work of Ansel Adams. The children will have an opportunity to practice some photography skills of their own. If your child would like to bring in any photographs they have taken we would love to see their work.

Tuesday

Tuesdays will begin our study of winter. We will discuss what the plants, the animals, and the people are doing in this wonderful season. We hope to take a field trip to see some of these beautiful changes in our community.

Wednesday

Wednesdays our continent study will take us to the beautiful region of South America. We will learn about the rainforest, and peek into the lives of our neighbors to the south. We would love to have anyone who has visited this continent come and share his or her experiences.

Thursday

Thursday is our author of the month day, and this month is Jan Brett. We look forward to sharing her work and illustrations. Please feel free to bring in some of your favorite books by this author.

Friday

Fridays are back to science with a study of fish. We start the month by learning the parts of a fish and progress into the different varieties of our aquatic friends. Learning to be respectful of all living things is also part of this curriculum.

Mondays

Mondays in October we will be studying Art History. Each Monday will be devoted to a different period of art beginning with Early Art, Egyptian Art, Renaissance Art, Impressionist Art, and ending with a look at Modern Art. We have many art projects planned to reinforce our studies but if you have anything at home from these time periods we would love to see them.

Tuesdays

On tuesdays the season of Fall will be our focus. First we will study what the animals are doing this time of year. Next we talk about plants and would like to invite the children to bring in any leaves they have collected for leaf rubbings. Finally we will talk about what people are doing in Fall. This is an excellent time for you and your family to take a hike in search of signs of Fall!

Wednesdays

Wednesdays we discuss the water cycle and the importance of conservation. Towards the end of the month we will introduce the different landforms we see on our Mother Earth. The landforms include: lake, island, cape, bay, gulf, peninsula, straight, and isthmus. Looking at maps at home and locating these landforms can help reinforce this concept.

Thursdays

Thursdays are our day to introduce renowned children’s author, Eric Carle. Learning about his life and what inspires him will be part of our studies. The fact that Eric Carle is both an author and an illustrator is another aspect worth exploring.

Fridays

Fridays are science. After last months study of protoctista we move on to invertebrates. First discussing the characteristics of an invertebrate then learning about the animals that make up this group of living things. As part of our study we will even be sampling some of the more tasty invertebrates!

Mondays

Mondays in April begin our study of famous composer Peter Tchaikovsky. Learning about his life and listening to his familiar music will be our focus.

Tuesdays

Tuesdays are our introduction to Spring. All month long we will be looking for signs of the new season that is upon us. Discussing what the animals and plants are doing is part of the study as well. We are celebrating Earth Day on April 22nd! Picking up trash, recycling, conserving energy, and composting are just some of the ways we can help our precious Mother Earth.

Wednesdays

Wednesdays our studies take us to the second largest continent in the world-Africa! We will be learning about the exotic animals like giraffes, elephants, zebras, and cheetahs that call this part of our world home. It is also home to the largest desert and the largest river. Tasting some of the African cuisine is always pleasurable. Africans make full use of native products like peanuts and vegetables.

Thursdays

Thursdays we will learn some of Robert Lewis Stevenson’s poetry. You may remember hearing some of his work when you were a child. Mr. Stevenson lead an interesting life. Want to know more? Ask your child.

Fridays

Friday. It is on this day that we research our fine feathered friends– Birds! We know that most birds can fly, although there are some that can’t. Birds are found all over the world– in hot deserts, icy polar regions and high up on mountains. We will look at what makes birds special like their beaks, bones, eggs, and wings. Now is a great time of year to set out some bird seed and learn to identify some of our native avian creatures.