Denali Montessori ~ Room 177: Thursday, September 15, 2016

Thursday, September 15, 2016

Dear Parents,

I can’t tell you what an incredible experience Horticultural Day was at Denali Montessori yesterday, but I’ll try. The students rotated through seven learning stations run by a teacher or parent volunteer. Students learned about hydroponics and the largest greenhouse in the world in Mr. H’s room, worked with the Montessori botany cabinet in Ms. Jasmin’s room, listened to plant stories in Ms. Homan’s room, had a fabulous lecture and experience with a parent arborist, Mr. Nickel, in Ms. Goodman’s class, learned about the importance of ph soil levels and did an experiment in Ms. Jenni’s class, planted herbs and flowers with Ms. Tran, and learned about our lettuce towers from parent volunteer Dr. Tichotsky and watched and helped our fabulous volunteers from Nordstom’s and master builder and showman, Mr. Fischbach! We completed one of the grow towers and have a wonderful start on our other six! Each lesson was about 15 minutes and was like a perfect Montessori Key Experience in which the students receive a short memorable lesson that sparks the child to explore a topic further. The students were engaged and excited about our grow towers, hydroponics, and more! It was a delight to hear the enthusiasm as we gathered in circle after lunch to hear the learning that was experienced. What a day! Thank you to all our wonderful parents, staff, and volunteers that made this a day to remember!

Please mark your calendars for Thursday, September 22 from 6:30-8:00. This is your chance to visit the classroom and find out more about the Montessori program at the Denali Open House. I will also have parent volunteer sign up sheets for a variety of needs, but if anyone is interested in giving spelling tests, you can start next Friday at 9:00am. I am also looking for a new Thursday folder person to come in on Thursday anytime to fill the Thursday folders. I would love for this position to start next week as well. I look forward to seeing you all at the Open House on Thursday, September 22.

I have sent homework for next week in today’s folder. Remember that our second spelling test is tomorrow! We will be tested on the words we received last week. The students have been practicing them here at school as well.

Please sign up for the classroom newsletter online. You can go to www.denalimontessori177.blogspot.com and enter your email to receive an automatic email anytime I post a newsletter or other item.

We have had an incredible week learning about hydroponics, botany, penmanship, even and odd numbers, spelling, reading activities, the Constitution, writing friendly and thank you letters, math facts and operations, geometry, writing our own creation stories, and more!

If you have any questions or concerns, please email me at moyer_craig@asdk12.org or call or write me a note. Thanks for all you do on behalf of your children!

Sincerely,

Craig Moyer