Cornerstone Montessori School Newsletter
Tuesday, October 28, 2003
My Adventure at Tall Stacks
By Pauline Scott, Gr. 3
The full day Kindergarten and all the Elementary went to Tall Stacks. We walked across the purple people bridge to get there. We got to go to a place called Traders Village. At Traders Village we got to see people make brooms. We got to talk to Abraham Lincoln. Next we went to Heritage House and Tom and Becky’s Playland. We got to wash clothes by scrubbing them on a board. We got to go through a hay maze. We got to make quilt squares with wallpaper scraps. We got to see people play music. My favorite part was seeing the boats. We saw all the boats and I think the best boat was the Celebration Belle. Here is a picture of the Celebration Belle. I like the Celebration Belle because it’s a really nice boat. My other favorite boat was the Mississippi Queen, but all the boats are cool!
Friday, October 24, 2003
In Case You Missed Catching the Zak Morgan Concert...
Good news! If you missed catching the Zak Morgan children's concert Thursday evening at Lincoln Elementary...or if you just can't get enough of "Hungry Things", "When Bullfrogs Croak" or "Conniptions"... you can catch Zak Morgan this Saturday, October 25! He will be at Joseph Beth Bookstore at Rookwood Pavillion at 11:00! Hopefully, some of his Cornerstone fans will be there!
Thursday, October 23, 2003
Our Trip to the Fire House
By Lauren Bacho, Ron Baur, Emma Schneider & Hannah Vorst-Shaffer
The all-day Kindergarteners, First graders and Second graders went to visit the Fire Department of Bellevue-Dayton. We visited on Friday, October 10. Fireman Joe gave us a tour of the Fire House. We saw where the firemen sleep, the kitchen and the fire trucks. We got to go inside one of the fire trucks – this was Hannah and Emma’s favorite part of the trip! We got to see Fireman Joe’s office too! Fireman Joe told us that there are always seven firemen on duty at a time. We also got to see what the firemen looked like when they wear their special clothes and masks and stuff – this was Lauren’s favorite part! We got a lot of cool stuff – a firehat, a tattoo, a sticker and a coloring book! The firemen were all really nice and Ron liked the whole trip!
Wednesday, October 22, 2003
DON'T FORGET to try to catch Zak Morgan's interactive children's performance Thursday evening, 6:30 at Lincoln Elementary (next to CMS)! Some of your friends (and teachers) are bound to be there!
Carbohydrates
By Ashley Soldano
Carbohydrates are nutrients that give you energy to live, run, and play. But if you have too much, it will turn into fat. Carbohydrates are all sugars and starches. Starch has to be created or broken down into sugar in order for your body to use it. It starts in your mouth and then goes down. Carbohydrates serve as a main source of energy and power for any living thing. Good carbohydrates include bananas, rice and potatoes; bad carbohydrates include candies and soft drinks. I would prefer good carbohydrates -- what about you?
Protein
By: Andrea Bacho
Protein contains a special kind of substance called nutrients. Nutrients keep your body healthy. Protein gives energy to your body. Proteins are found in cells and are important for life. Protein is found in milk, cheese, chicken, eggs, turkey, fish, beans, pork, beef, nuts and peanut butter. Kids need two servings of protein a day. Teen girls and women and most men need two servings of protein a day. Teen boys and some men need three servings a day.
Saturday, October 18, 2003
Vitamins
By Amanda C. Wharfield, Upper El. Class
Vitamins are nutrients that the body needs to help it use other nutrients. Vitamins are found in most foods and eating foods from the four basic food groups will give you all the necessary vitamins. Some of the main vitamins are A, D, E, K, C, B1, B2, B3, B6 and B12. The body uses Vitamin A for healthy skin, good vision and strong bones. The sources of Vitamin A are dark green and yellow vegetables, yellow fruit, butter, cheese, milk and liver. Wheat germ and vegetable oils contain Vitamin E , which helps blood carry oxygen; Vitamin K helps your blood clot and is found in broccoli, spinach, lettuce and cabbage. Vitamin D is found in milk, egg yolks, liver, fish oils and butter and is essential for calcium and phosphorus metabolism. Vitamin C helps your gums, protects your body against infection and helps your wounds heal; this vitamin is found in oranges, lemons, grapefruit, broccoli, green peppers, strawberries and potatoes. Vitamin B1 helps you get the energy from food, increases your appetite and keeps your nervous system healthy. Vitamin B1 is found in eggs, yeast, potatoes, pork and grains. Vitamin B2 is found in fish, eggs, liver, milk and other dairy products; it is needed for healthy skin and to help the body get energy from food. B3 is a vitamin that helps your nervous system and also helps you get energy from food. This vitamin is found in eggs, fish, wheat germ and liver. Vitamin B6 helps your body use proteins and is found in fish, liver, vegetables and grains. Vitamin B12 is found in liver, milk, eggs and meat. It helps you grow and produce red blood cells.
MISSING : VEGETABLES
By: Jenna Sapsford
In the study we conducted, we found that vegetables were not in many CMS lunches. In four days, we found that only 39 vegetables came out of 32 student's lunches. Vegetables have important vitamins such as Vitamin A and Vitamin C. They are also a good source of fiber. Vegetables like kale, leaf lettuce, mustard greens, and spinach are high in Vitamin A. Some that have Vitamin C are broccoli, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, and bell peppers. Some that are high in fiber are carrots, sweet potatoes, and black-eyed peas.
At our trip to the grocery store, I found some good vegetable items that kids can take into school. Kids could bring in vegetable soup from Campbells or Flavorite on a cold day and chips and salsa tastes great too!
Vegetables have many benefits such as: they reduce chances of cancer and they are high in fiber and vitamins. So, remember when you pack a lunch or eat a snack, a vegetable or two would be good.
What is brought to Lunch at Cornerstone?
By: Shawna Jones, Upper El. Class
Nutrition is very important to any age, especially kids. The 4th through 6th grade class have been writing down how much vegetables, protein, dairy, fruit, grains and sweets the student at Cornerstone eat for lunch. We found out that grains are the most popular food group that everybody brings, and vegetables are the food group that everybody eats. We did a survey that said what stuff your child brings to school and how many sweets they bring. It was the week of September 22--26. That survey included Pre-primary, Kindergarten, Lower elementary {1st--3rd}, and Upper elementary {4th--6th} lunches. Then we added each amount of food into the 5 food groups on our graph {protein, grains, vegetables, fruit, and dairy}. We came up with 789 different lunch items and then did percentages of each of the food groups. 25% of the tally was grains, 23% was sweets, and 19% was fruit, 15% was dairy, protein 13%, and finally vegetables at a total of 5%.
Preprimary News
from Miss Jenny
Do you think our winters are cold? You should see Antarctica. Brrrr. We're studying killer whales.... which eat penguins... which eat krill.... which eat algae and diatoms... which eat.....the stuff left behind by the whales. The Antarctic provides a simple and elegant demonstration of the "circle of life."
Our water table has real icebergs, macaroni penguins, and killer whales. In another part of the room, children find out how penguins stay warm in such a cold place by placing one bare hand and one hand protected by a glove and a plastic bag (representing the feathers and blubber) in ice water.
In music circle, we have been learning nursery rhymes such as "There Was an Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe," "There Was a Crooked Man," and "Peas Porridge Hot."
Mr. Kyle Meadows has been kind enough to provide our class with his CD of dulcimer music. We will make good use of this during the rainy days ahead when recesses will be held indoors.
We, Melody and Jenny, have a request. Unless your "business" with us is urgent, would you try to ask questions via an e-mail or a note? It's difficult for us to give you our full attention while working with or preparing for the children. As always, we welcome your suggestions, questions, comments, etc. Thanks for all you do!
Wednesday, October 08, 2003
Don't Forget National Fire Prevention Week!
This year, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the U.S. Fire Administration are joining the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) to announce and promote National Fire Prevention Week, October 5-11, 2003. The official theme for 2003 is, "When Fire Strikes - Get Out! Stay Out!" This year’s campaign urges everyone to install and maintain smoke alarms, develop and practice a home fire escape plan, and once out of a burning building, stay out.
Parents, check out this helpful web site from the United States Fire Administration for assistance in discussing fire safety with your child(ren):
http://www.usfa.fema.gov/kids/l.htm
At CMS, students in full-day Kindergarten and 1st and 2nd level elementary will be visiting the Fire Department of Bellevue-Dayton, while the Preprimary classroom will be having “Fireman Joe” as their special guest in order to cover some basic fire safety concepts.
Thursday, October 02, 2003
There is NO SCHOOL on Friday, October 17, due to the Open House from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 18. All families are invited and encouraged to attend the Open House!
Preparing for an Open House is a lot of work; please help us put our best foot forward by joining us on the evening of Thursday, October 16 (check with your child’s teachers to find out when they will be there) as we clean and straighten the classrooms, Art room and office/library. We will most likely begin after school and the duration of the evening will depend upon how many volunteers can be recruited! Volunteers can contribute as little or as much time as they are able – all help is greatly appreciated! In the past, we have been able to have a little fun on cleaning evenings, with pizza, beverages and plenty of socialization between teachers and parents!
On the evening of October 23, Zak Morgan is presenting a children’s concert at Lincoln Elementary, just a hop, skip and a jump from Cornerstone. The evening is hosted by the Campbell County Family Literacy Center, but they have been kind enough to invite Cornerstone families to attend! Zak puts on a great show and he has quite a fan base at Cornerstone (he’ll be at CMS Feb. 27!).
Lower Elementary News:
The Lower Elementary students are now pretty well acclimated to their daily work cycle. We have just concluded our study of the Universe, including all kinds of neat information about the Solar System, stars and their “life” cycle, the moon and its phases and human discoveries in space. We visited Drake Planetarium and learned about sunrise and sunset, planetary motion and some of the constellations of the summer and autumn skies. We had a visit from “Miss Karen” from the Cincinnati Museum Center, who shared some awesome information and demonstrations about the planets! We have been transitioning this week into a study of North America. We have been examining our place in the Universe, from the vastness of the Universe, to our galaxy, to our Solar System, to our planet, to our continent, to our country, to our state, to each child’s city and finally to each child’s home address. Younger students are working with the Planisphere map, mastering the names of the continents and oceans, while older students are working with the map of North America, learning the countries and bordering oceans. We will also be working with the map of the United States. In our studies of North America, we will also be studying many of the plants and animals indigenous to our continent, including familiar trees. Parents are highly encouraged to try to take the time for a nature hike or two with your child(ren) – check out the trees and signs of changing seasons!
Preprimary News
from Miss Jenny!
In the Preprimary classroom this past September, we have been learning about space, insects, the calendar, choosing work and getting along with others. We have had Kevin, of the Cincinnati Museum Center, come to tell us about insects. Ask your children about the egg...larva....pupa....butterfly sequence and the bumblebee dance. (And no, we don't mean the "Argh, there's a bee in my lunch!" dance!) There are three chrysalises in the aquarium that will join the monarchs and the painted ladies flocking around the butterfly bush outside.
Generous parents have been spending time listening to our Kindergarteners read from their word/sound boxes and/or books. The snack area has been a huge hit, as always. The children have enjoyed yogurt, goldfish, cheese, apples, grapes, etc.
On Thursday, October second we learned about "safe touching" from the Family Nurturing Center. The "Kids on the Block" presenters read two books to the Preprimary children. The titles were Hands are not for Hitting by Martine Agassi and Your Body Belongs to You by Cornelia Spelman. The teachers were very impressed with both books, the terminology used to explain inappropriate touch, and the presenters themselves.
