Thursday, August 29, 2019

Thursday, August 29, 2019 Dear Parents, The second and third graders have done a great job making the first graders feel welcome and modeling proper work habits. The first graders are working hard to learn the new routines and new work. It’s been a super first week and I’m having lots of fun working with your children. This week we have been working on learning the routines, reviewing math operations, writing, practicing our handwriting, and getting to know each other. As part of Maria Montessori’s first Great Lesson, we have also been reading Creation Stories from around the world. Next week we will learn about the scientific story of how the universe began. The students have enjoyed listening and acting out the various stories and will be writing their own. In addition to the Thursday folder information the students are very excited about the first homework of the year! I would like the students to read or be read to for at least 20 minutes a night and complete the spelling work by the following Thursday. If the week is too hectic to get it done by Thursday, I’ll take it whenever it is done. Thursday will be the day the students are tested on their spelling words. Our first spelling test will be next Thursday, September 5. Our specialist schedule changed slightly. On Wednesdays we will be going to Library at 10:20 instead of 9:10 and to Music on Thursdays at 9:10 instead of 10:20. Here is the new schedule. Monday: 10:20-10:50 P.E. Tuesday: 9:45-10:15 P.E., 10:20-10:50 Music Wednesday: 10:20-10:50 Library Thursday: 9:10-9:40, Music 9:45-10:15 P.E. Friday: 9:10-10:10 Art/Health The students did a fabulous job during the evacuation drill on Monday! The students walked over to the Federal Building safely and quietly during this practice drill. I was very proud of them. Please mark your calendars for Thursday, September 26 from 6:30-8:00 p.m. This is your chance to visit the classroom and find out more about the Montessori program at the Denali Open House. I look forward to seeing you then. You can go to www.denalimontessori177.blogspot.com and enter your email to receive an automatic email anytime I post a newsletter, like this one, or any other items I need to inform you about. If you have any questions or concerns, please email me at moyer_craig@asdk12.org or call or write me a note. Have a wonderful sunny and smoke free (I hope) Labor Day weekend! Please remember there is no school on Monday. Sincerely, Craig Moyer

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Thursday, August 22, 2019 Dear Parents, I’d first like to introduce myself. My name is Craig Moyer. This is my fourteenth year at Denali Montessori and my twenty-third year in the Anchorage School District. My wife, Sarah, is a lawyer and has put up with me now for twenty-five years of married life. We have three daughters, Siena, Ariana, and Clara. Siena is twenty and is double majoring in Mechanical Engineering and Mathematics at UAA. Ariana and Clara are twins that are eighteen and will be starting at UAA this fall. Clara will pursue a nursing degree and Ariana pre-medical degree with the goal of becoming a medical examiner. Our son, Aidan, is ten years old and is a fifth grader here at Denali Montessori. It will be a lot quieter at home this year with all the girls out of the house. I am very excited to be working with you and your children this year! In order for your child to have a productive year, I will need your help and support. I believe in a system that acknowledges the freedoms and responsibilities of students and teacher. In order for us to work in a safe, courteous classroom free from interruptions, the students have the responsibility to follow the class and school rules. 1. Be Safe 2. Be Respectful and Kind 3. Be Responsible 4. Be Ready I have also included the Freedom and Responsibility guidelines in today’s folder as well. This will give you and your child a better understanding of how the Montessori classroom works well. It is important that we work together to give your child a quality education. Please feel free to call me or send me an email if you have any questions or concerns. I will send some of your child’s work in his/her Thursday folder. The folder will also include classroom and school news. I also send homework in the Thursday folders and it is due by the following Thursday. If you can’t finish it by Thursday, I’ll take it whenever it is done. Thursday will be the day the students are tested on their spelling words. I will send homework in next week’s folder. Our first spelling test will be Thursday, September 5. Please look at your child’s work. Students are proud of their accomplishments and it is a means of tracking your child’s progress. In the Montessori class, most of the students’ work is kept in the classroom in their individual work folders to show progress throughout the year. Our specialist schedule is as follows: Monday: 10:20-10:50 P.E. Tuesday: 9:45-10:15 P.E., 10:20-10:50 Music Wednesday: 9:10-9:40 Library Thursday: 9:45-10:15 P.E., 10:20-10:50 Music Friday: 9:10-10:10 Art/Health The students go to recess at 11:00 and lunch will be eaten in the classroom this year at 11:40! I am very excited about eating in a more relaxed environment and being able to instill the Montessori grace and courtesy lessons into our lunchtime. If your child needs a snack to make it to lunch or for the afternoon, please pack extra for your child and he/she may eat it when needed during the morning or afternoon. I have a snack cabinet for those that have hot lunch or don’t have a snack. I have stocked it for the first week and would appreciate parents to help stock it throughout the year. I will put a notice in the weekly newsletter letting you know when the cupboard is bare. We are a nut free classroom this year! All snacks and lunches must be nut free! We have several students with severe allergies to nuts. Thank you for your cooperation in keeping our children safe! Ms. Dene has sent the following announcement. “Monday August 26 at 9:30 we will have an intruder drill. We will announce all three levels; the stay-put, the lock-down, and the evacuation. We will all walk to the Federal Building. Teachers and the Federal Building have practiced this. Listen to your teacher to guide you, stay with your class, and follow all directions. Remember no talking during a drill.” You can go to www.denalimontessori177.blogspot.com and enter your email to receive an automatic email anytime I post a newsletter, like this one, or any other items I need to inform you about. I look forward to working with you and your child. I am anticipating a productive and fun year. Sincerely, Craig Moyer

Friday, May 10, 2019

Dear Parents, Mr. Horning and Ms. McEvoy, our wonderful P.E. teachers, are looking for volunteers to help out with Field Day Monday, May 13 from 1:15-3:15. There are lots of games and activities that need adults to supervise them. If you are able to join us for this fun event, please meet out on the playground by 1:00. Our 3rd Grade Recognition Ceremony in which we send our 3rd graders with a big thank you and good luck in the future is scheduled for Thursday, May 16 at 1:00. 3rd grade parents please meet in Room 177 by 12:55. On Monday, May 20 we will have Non-Electronic Game Day. Students may bring a favorite board game or card game to share with the class. The following day Tuesday, May 21 will be Electronic Game Day. Students may bring electronic devices with parent approval to play throughout the day. Our final scheduled trip is on Wednesday, May 22. The entire primary wing will take a bus to an Eagle River park for a picnic, games and fun. Students will need to bring their own lunch and drink unless they order one from the cafeteria. Students may bring Frisbees, footballs, soccer balls or other playground items to enjoy on this trip. Chaperones please meet in Room 177 by 9:00. Our bus will leave at 9:30 and we will return at about 2:30. We have been reviewing abbreviations, math operations and facts, reviewing nouns in grammar, writing, odd and even, writing speeches and thank-you letters, spelling, writing friendly letters, measurement, Exemplars, Quick Write, reading comprehension and fluency skills, geometry skills, problem solving and more. We are really working hard and concentrating in Room 177! I’d like to wish all the moms a very happy and peaceful Mother’s Day. Thank you for all your hard work, support, and sacrifice that you make on your child’s behalf. If you have any questions or concerns, please e-mail me at moyer_craig@asdk12.org or call or write me a note. Sincerely, Craig Moyer

Friday, May 3, 2019

Dear Parents, Our trip on Thursday, May 9 to the Anchorage Public Lands Information Office has been canceled. They are in the process of remodeling and we wouldn’t be able to participate in the full program. We will try again next year. Our final scheduled trip is on Wednesday, May 22. The entire primary wing will take a bus to an Eagle River park for a picnic, games and fun. Students will need to bring their own lunch and drink unless they order one from the cafeteria. I appreciate all the chaperones that have made all the learning opportunities possible this year. Our 3rd Grade Recognition Ceremony in which we send our 3rd graders with a big thank you and good luck in the future is scheduled for Thursday, May 16 at 1:00. 3rd grade parents please meet in Room 177 by 12:55. We have been reviewing synonyms, math operations and facts, reviewing verbs in grammar, reviewing adverbs in grammar, writing, odd and even numbers, map skills, spelling, writing friendly letters, measurement, Exemplars, Quick Write, reading comprehension and fluency skills, geometry skills, country and continent research, problem solving and more. We are really working hard and concentrating in Room 177! If you have any questions or concerns, please e-mail me at moyer_craig@asdk12.org or call or write me a note. Sincerely, Craig Moyer

Friday, April 26, 2019

Friday, April 26, 2019 Dear Parents, Here are the scheduled field trips that you can put on your calendar. Friday, May 3 we will take a bus to Bartlett High School for the District K-3 Orienteering Jamboree. We will leave the school at about 9:30 and return about 12:30. On Thursday, May 9 we will be walking to the Anchorage Public Lands Information Office to learn about our public lands from 9:30 to noon. Our final scheduled trip is on Wednesday, May 22 The entire primary wing will take a bus to an Eagle River park for a picnic, games and fun. I appreciate all the chaperones that make these learning opportunities possible. One more important event is our 3rd Grade Recognition Ceremony in which we send our 3rd graders with a big thank you and good luck in the future. I have scheduled this event for Thursday, May 16 at 1:00. 3rd grade parents please let me know if this date and time does not work for you as soon as possible. Chaperones please meet in Room 177 by 9:00 on Friday, May 3. We will be taking a bus to Bartlett High School to go orienteering! Students should be dressed for the weather, have good hiking shoes, and bring a lunch and drink unless they have ordered one from the cafeteria. We will leave the school at about 9:30 and return about 1:00. This should be a lot of fun! Thank you for supporting our learning experiences. We have been studying synonyms, numbers and operations, math operations and facts, reviewing verbs in grammar, playing Mad Libs to review our grammar, writing, odd and even numbers, map skills, spelling, writing friendly letters, measurement, Exemplars, Quick Write, reading comprehension and fluency skills, country and continent research, problem solving and more. We are really working hard and concentrating in Room 177! I am no longer sending homework for the remainder of the year. I encourage students to continue reading every night throughout the rest of the year and summer, work on math facts, and continue honing their writing skills by keeping a journal or sending letters or postcards to relatives Outside. If you have any questions or concerns, please e-mail me at moyer_craig@asdk12.org or call or write me a note. Sincerely, Craig Moyer

Friday, April 12, 2019

Friday, April 12, 2019 Dear Parents, Here are the scheduled field trips that you can put on your calendar. On Monday, April 22 we will be walking to the Performing Arts Center to see Alaska Junior Theater’s “Emily Brown and the Thing” from 11:00-1:15. Friday, May 3rd we will take a bus to Bartlett High School for the District K-3 Orienteering Jamboree. We will leave the school at about 9:30 and return about 12:30. On Thursday, May 9 we will be walking to the Anchorage Public Lands Information Office to learn about our public lands from 9:30 to noon. Our final scheduled trip is on Wednesday, May 22 The entire primary wing will take a bus to an Eagle River park for a picnic, games and fun. I appreciate all the chaperones that make these learning opportunities possible. One more important event is our 3rd Grade Recognition Ceremony in which we send our 3rd graders with a big thank you and good luck in the future. I have scheduled this event for Thursday, May 16 at 1:00. 3rd grade parents please let me know if this date and time does not work for you as soon as possible. I have sent the permission slip home for our trip to “Emily Brown and the Thing”. This trip is free! On November 30, 2018 we missed “Air Play” due to the earthquake. Alaska Junior Theater isn’t able to offer refunds, so they offered “Emily Brown and the Thing” as reimbursement for the act of nature. We have read the story and are looking forward to the musical interpretation of the book. We have been studying homophones, numbers and operations, math operations and facts, reviewing verbs in grammar, writing, odd and even numbers, map skills, spelling, writing friendly letters, exploring how seeds travel, measurement, Exemplars, Quick Write, reading comprehension and fluency skills, country and continent research, and more. We are really working hard and concentrating in Room 177! Our final spelling test will be Friday, April 26. I encourage students to continue reading every night throughout the rest of the year and summer, work on math facts, and continue honing their writing skills by keeping a journal or sending letters or postcards to relatives Outside. If you have any questions or concerns, please e-mail me at moyer_craig@asdk12.org or call or write me a note. Sincerely, Craig Moyer

Friday, April 5, 2019

Friday, April 5, 2019 Dear Parents, Here are the scheduled field trips that you can put on your calendar. On Monday, April 22 we will be walking to the Performing Arts Center to see Alaska Junior Theater’s “Emily Brown and the Thing” from 11:00-1:15. Friday, May 3rd we will take a bus to Bartlett High School for the District K-3 Orienteering Jamboree. We will leave the school at about 9:30 and return about 12:30. On Thursday, May 9 we will be walking to the Anchorage Public Lands Information Office to learn about our public lands from 9:30 to noon. Our final scheduled trip is on Wednesday, May 22 The entire primary wing will take a bus to an Eagle River park for a picnic, games and fun. I appreciate all the chaperones that make these learning opportunities possible. One more important event is our 3rd Grade Recognition Ceremony in which we send our 3rd graders with a big thank you and good luck in the future. I have scheduled this event for Thursday, May 16 at 1:00. 3rd grade parents please let me know if this date and time does not work for you as soon as possible. I have sent the permission slip home for our trip to “Emily Brown and the Thing”. This trip is free! On November 30, 2018 we missed “Air Play” due to the earthquake. Alaska Junior Theater isn’t able to offer refunds, so they offered “Emily Brown and the Thing” as reimbursement for the act of nature. We read the story today and are looking forward to the musical interpretation of the book. We have been studying periods for abbreviations and sentences, numbers and operations, math operations and facts, reviewing nouns in grammar, writing, spelling, writing friendly letters, science explorations, measurement of time, Exemplars, poetry, Quick Write, reading comprehension and fluency skills, country and continent research, and more. It has been a busy week in Room 177! I gave the students the week off from homework last week but have resumed it for next week. Our final spelling test will be Friday, April 26. I encourage students to continue reading every night throughout the rest of the year and summer, work on math facts, and continue honing their writing skills by keeping a journal or sending letters or postcards to relatives Outside. If you have any questions or concerns, please e-mail me at moyer_craig@asdk12.org or call or write me a note. Sincerely, Craig Moyer