Thursday, October 3, 2019

Thursday, October 3, 2019 Dear Parents, One of my favorite times of the year is fast approaching! Conferences will be held Wednesday, October 23 from 1:00-6:00 p.m. and Thursday, October 24 from 7:00 a.m.-8:30 a.m. and from 1:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m. Students will be released at 12:30 p.m. on October 23 and 24 and there is no school on Friday, October 25. Parents now have the ability to schedule conference times online. The Conference Scheduler is available starting Monday, October 7. Scheduling early offers you the opportunity to secure conference times that work best for your family. Please visit the online scheduler on the district website. You will need to go to mix and find my name to find my schedule. If you are not able to use the online system, please call or email. I look forward to meeting with you all and celebrating your child's progress. Our first field trip of the year is on Wednesday, October 16. We will be walking to the Apple Store in the 5th Avenue Mall to participate in "Coding with Sphero" We will leave the school at about 10:10 and should return about 12:30. This will be a fun learning experience! I am also excited about our next upcoming scheduled field trip! On Thursday, October 31 we will be walking to the Performing Arts Center to see "Soul Street Dance Company" brought to us by Alaska Junior Theater. We will leave the school at 11:10 and return about 1:15. We will have a snack before we leave and eat lunch when we return. Please indicate on the permission slip if you would like to order a sack lunch from the cafeteria for your child. Please return this permission slip as soon as possible as we have to pay for the show in advance. All payments are non-refundable. This should be a fun show for all! We have been busy in Room 177 learning about money, antonyms, adjectives and articles, math facts and operations, reading, writing, penmanship, continents and oceans, volcanoes, spelling and more! It has been a wonderful week! I love observing your children and all the growth they are making! If you have any questions or concerns, please email me at moyer_craig@asdk12.org or call or write me a note. Sincerely, Craig Moyer

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Thursday, September 26, 2019 Dear Parents, The Denali Open House is tonight! The choir, led by our wonderful Music teacher, Mr. Stafford, will start the evening on a positive note at 6:00 p.m. After a brief introduction of the staff, you will get a chance to visit your children's classrooms from 6:30-8:00. I hope to see you there tonight. Our first field trip of the year has been moved to Wednesday, October 16. We will be walking to the Apple Store in the 5th Avenue Mall to participate in "Coding with Sphero" We will leave the school at about 10:10 and should return about 12:30. I have sent new permission slips that are required by the district and the Apple Store in today's folder. I'm sorry for the inconvenience to those that have already returned a permission slip. This will be a fun learning experience and it's still free! I am very excited to announce an amazing opportunity for our Lower Elementary students here at Denali Montessori. Ms. Homan, one of the wonderful Lower Elementary teachers and field trip guru, has worked tirelessly putting together a glacier cruise out of Whittier for our entire wing! This will be an incredible opportunity to see our studies on Alaskan animals and glaciers first-hand in one of the most beautiful settings in the world, our home of Alaska. The trip does not have a date until we put down a deposit, but it will take place in May. The cost will be $60 for each student and chaperone that attends. We will be holding various fundraisers and asking for donations throughout the year to cover scholarships so that every student can attend. I have included a questionnaire at the end of this newsletter to see how many students and chaperones are interested in going. Please return this as soon as possible. Once we determine that there is enough interest, we will begin collecting funds so we can put down a deposit and confirm our date. Thank you very much to Ms. Homan for her expertise and the many hours she has put in planning this trip for our children! While we are on the topic of field trips, I want to let you know my expectations and the responsibilities of the students on our outings. Each child is responsible to follow the instructions of the chaperones and teacher on every field trip. It is my responsibility to keep the students safe. We walk, take buses, ride in boats or drive to all our field trips and it is vital that they are being safe in all those situations. It is also the responsibility of the child, to be respectful and kind on the field trip. When we go out in the public, we are representing Denali Montessori, Room 177, you, and myself. We need to show that Denali Montessori students are respectful and kind at all times on field trips. If the student isn't being safe, listening to the adults, or is not showing respect and kindness, the student will be required to have his or her parent attend the next field trip. If the parent can't attend, the child will have to stay in a classroom at Denali while we are on the trip. There has been a pleasant hum during our work sessions this week in Room 177. We have been working on our spelling words, money work, angles and triangles by sides in geometry, writing friendly letters, math facts and operations, penmanship, reading skills, comprehension, classification, rhyming words, the adjective in grammar and more! It's been a fun week for me to see the amazing growth the students have made in this short amount of time. If you have any questions or concerns, please email me at moyer_craig@asdk12.org or call or write me a note. Sincerely, Craig Moyer ________ I want my child to attend the field trip to Whittier and go on the glacier cruise. ________ I want to attend the field trip to Whittier and go on the glacier cruise. _______________________________. ____________________________ Printed Name Signaure

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Thursday, September 19, 2019 Dear Parents, Our first field trip of the year will be on Wednesday, October 9. We will be walking to the Apple Store in the 5th Avenue Mall to participate in "Coding with Sphero" We will leave the school at about 10:10 and should return about 12:30. This will be a fun learning experience and it's free! I have included permission slips in today's folder. Please mark your calendars for next 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! It's been a busy week in Room 177. The students have been learning about the adjective, counting and identifying coins for 1st graders and counting money and putting it in decimal form for the 2nd and 3rd graders, writing friendly letters, reading, spelling, math facts and operations, penmanship, reading activities, math problem solving, creative writing and more! The students are getting more independent and creating a peaceful atmosphere to work. Your children are amazing to work with and continue to make me smile daily. One of the many "Montessori Moments" that happens in Room 177 warmed my heart the other day. One of the first graders was having trouble making friends at recess. I asked a couple of other first graders if they would like to include this student with them at recess. My normally quiet voice (Ha, Ha) was overheard by most of the class and everyone that heard my request said that this student could join them as well. The smile on this student's face was priceless! It reminded me of what a great job I have and what incredible people your children are! If you have any questions or concerns, please email me at moyer_craig@asdk12.org or call or write me a note. Sincerely, Craig Moyer

Thursday, September 12, 2019

Thursday, September 12, 2019 Dear Parents, We have had an incredible week learning about place value and playing math games, writing about what peace is to each of us, penmanship, even and odd numbers, spelling, reading activities, writing friendly letters, math facts and operations, geometry, writing our own creation stories, a lesson on friendship with our wonderful counselor, Ms. Banta and more! I've really enjoyed working with your children this week! Picture Day is Thursday, September 19! The first of many flyers went home today. You may order your pictures online or send in the order with your child. Please send your child with a smile on the 19th! Open House at Denali Montessori is Thursday, September 26 from 6:30-8:00 p.m. Please join us to see what we're doing in Room 177 and how the students use all the wonderful Montessori materials. I look forward to seeing you then. We do not have a snack calendar in Room 177. I ask that students that bring their own lunch pack a snack to eat during the morning, as they get hungry. We do have a snack cupboard for those that have hot lunch or forget their lunch. If you would like to help stock the snack cupboard with items such as goldfish, pretzels, string cheese or other nut-free items, it would be very much appreciated. 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

Thursday, September 5, 2019

Thursday, September 5, 2019 Dear Parents, The students have been busy this week learning the golden beads, stamp game, and banker’s game to help them on their addition, subtraction, multiplication or division. The first graders have enjoyed playing “fetching games” in which they create numbers that I ask them to retrieve. We have also been studying the noun, classification, rhyming words, polygons, reading, quadrilaterals, fundamental geometric concepts, math operations and facts, letter writing, and penmanship. I will also be telling the students Marie Montessori’s Second Great Lesson, “The Formation of Earth”, next week. There are 5 Great Lessons, which I will be sharing in the next couple of weeks. They are the basis of all our learning and the class will revisit these topics throughout the year in our various studies. Picture Day is Thursday, September 19! The first of many flyers went home today. You may order your pictures online or send in the order with your child. Please send your child with a smile on the 19th! Open House at Denali Montessori is Thursday, September 26 from 6:30-8:00 p.m. Please join us to see what we’re doing in Room 177 and how the students use all the wonderful Montessori materials. I look forward to seeing you then. We do not have a snack calendar in Room 177. I ask that students that bring their own lunch pack a snack to eat during the morning, as they get hungry. We do have a snack cupboard for those that have hot lunch or forget their lunch. If you would like to help stock the snack cupboard with items such as goldfish, pretzels, string cheese or other nut-free items, it would be very much appreciated. 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

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