Cornerstone Montessori School Newsletter
Sunday, November 30, 2003
Lower Elementary Update
Difficult to believe, but another unit of study has come and gone! The students of the lower elementary class have just finished their study of South America and our study of Europe begins this week! The students have spent more than four weeks exploring the flora, fauna, geography and cultures of South America. They have explored the various biomes of the continent, focusing on the rain forest! Our exploration culminated in a visit on Friday, November 21, from world-traveler Jeff Kapella, in which he shared slides, artifacts and stories of his dozens of South American travels. Mr. Kapella, a retired horticulturist of the Krohn Conservatory, then treated us to a guided tour of the Krohn! On our last couple of days before Thanksgiving break, the students participated in comparative studies of the biomes of South America; on Monday we compared the plants and animals of each biome and on Tuesday we compared the cultures. Finally, on Tuesday afternoon, we feasted on numerous fruits, vegetables and other edible products that originated in the rain forests of Central and South America. The students were bold and sampled heart-of-palm, avocado raw and made into guacamole, papaya, sapote, guava, coconut milk (we ran out of time before we were able to eat the coconut), passion-fruit juice, papaya juice, guava juice, tapioca and gum made from chicle (the way chewing gum originally was made)! Bananas and baby pineapples were present at the feast, but not consumed due to time constraints and the assumption that these items are familiar to all of the children. Students who sampled nearly everything were rewarded with a favorite treat with origins in the rainforest – chocolate!
Monday, November 24, 2003
The CMS Annual Holiday Celebration!
The CMS Annual Winter Holiday Celebration is to be held Wednesday, December 10, at 7:00 p.m. in the St. Bernard parish hall! Attendance is mandatory for all students; please notify your child's teachers in the event of any special circumstances that would prevent your child from attending (i.e. illness of the child, family emergency, out of town, etc.). The evening begins with musical performances by the students, followed by a special presentation for CMS families of Magic Around the World,with magician David Hennig! The evening will draw to a close with refreshments and family socialization. We would really appreciate a parent volunteer to coordinate the refreshments (who brings what, setting up, recruiting additional volunteers for set up and clean-up, etc.) -- please let us know if you may be able to help by calling 491-9960 or emailing cornerstonems@hotmail.com! Thank you!
Wednesday, November 19, 2003
Preprimary Update
From Miss Jenny
This just in...Alex K. has decided on a career path. His chosen profession will be that of "skeleton."
Today Miss Cindy, from Kindermusik, spent 45 minutes singing and dancing with our class. Everyone enjoyed the rhythm games and chants. We hope to see more of Miss Cindy, as she may be teaching a morning music class at Cornerstone. The information on this extracurricular class was included in last week's home folder.
We are going to have an aquarium! A stand is being built (it's a large, heavy tank), and we hope to have it up and running before Christmas break.
The Only Time My Family Gets Together Is
Thanksgiving Dinner…Here Is Why:
By: Kaitlyn Wharfield and Jenna S.
As we sat down to Thanksgiving dinner,
My mom said we should say grace,
But my little sister, she is so weird,
She threw apple pie in my father's face!
Grandma yelled, "FOOD FIGHT!"
Suddenly turkey was flying everywhere,
It flew out the door and got eaten by a bear!
So I guess we have no turkey but then my mother said
“'I guess we will have to eat your Aunt Sally's head instead.”
My brother flung mashed potatoes at my cousin's face.
Then we where all throwing food like it was a race.
We went to sleep all scrunched up on each other,
And my grandpa sighed, and hushed my brother.
Monday, November 17, 2003
Rainforest Adventures
This Friday, November 21, the Lower Elementary class has a double treat in store for them! For starters, Jeff Kapella, world-traveling horticulturist recently retired from Krohn Conservatory, will be presenting a slide show featuring the best of his dozens of trips to South America. The presentation will have a rainforest theme and the children are sure to enjoy his stories of his travels! Immediately following this presentation, Mr. Kapella will be honoring us with a guided tour of the rainforest rooms at the Krohn Conservatory! This man is so knowledgeable; he has had UC professors in awe of his tours and presentations! Hopefully, one of the students will follow-up the presentation with an article, so that parents at home know how it went!
Sunday, November 16, 2003
Note to ALL parents:
from Miss Jenny
Cornerstone subscibes to Tomorrow's Child, which is the official magazine for The Montessori Foundation, a non-profit organization. Feel free to borrow any of the issues. The magazines can be found on the top shelf of the brown bookcase in the far corner of the library/office. Additionally, some issues will be kept in a basket on top of the pre-primary cubbies.
Here are some of the topics you may find in past issues:An Introduction to Montessori: Philosophy and Practice
Montessori Teachers
Specific Elements of the Montessori Approach
The Senses and Cooperative Games
10 Keys to Successful Parenting
Observing Your Child's Class at Work
What does the future hold for your children? They know!
from Miss Jenny
The question posed to the Preprimary children was, "What do you want to be when you grow up?"
Sarah - an artist, painting like grandma
Anna - a veterinarian
Savanna B. - Britney Spears, because she sings and dances on the stage...and a veterinarian
Sam - a cowboy
Katie B. - "be a good mom"
Lily - a mommy
Katie S. - a nurse for soldiers
Savannah S. - a veterinarian
Chas - dinosaur scientist
Cole - doctor who helps people
Aaliyah - Little Mermaid because she sings and swims, or Cinderella -she dances
Aubrey - "mailman..mailperson...but I don't want to deliver the mail...I just want to be a mailperson"
George - train engineer
Mitchell - "a grown-up"...a floor cleaner...with a rag
Lucy - "big and strong"
Teresa - Snow White
Lillian - doctor [What kind?] "everybody's doctor"
Alexandra - "a ballet and a princess"
Alex – [to be determined]
Tuesday, November 11, 2003
The Upper El. Trip to Adams County
By: Jenna Sapsford
From Sunday, October 26th, in the afternoon, to Tuesday, October 28th, around 1:15, the Upper Elementary class went to Adams County and stayed at a place known as "The Woods" to me (Jenna Sapsford).
On Sunday, the eight girls and their parents came to "The Woods". Two siblings came also. We explored a little and went up to the rope swing my grandpa made. Then, we all went up to talk with Dr. Helm, a neighbor (see the Dr. Helm/creeking article). With him and his wife, we went geode hunting. After that, we went back to the cabin to eat dinner. Everyone pitched in and brought food. The parents left, and we played some games and went to bed.
In the morning on Monday, the 27th, we went to Raber's Saddlery and shoe repair. We talked with Robert, the saddle maker (see “Raber's Saddlery”). After that, we went to the Amish school (see “Amish School”). Afterwards, we went to Miller's Bakery and Miller's Furniture stores. We also went to another store called Miller's Bulk foods (can you tell Miller is a popular name?). We got fudge, colorful popcorn, and peppermint sticks. At the Furniture store, we spoke to Roman Mast, a man who works there, and swung on some porch swings and swung on two swings facing each other, connected. That was cool. Then, we headed back to the cabin for lunch. After lunch, we read for a half an hour and went around the lake to Judd and Martha's house (see the Judd and Martha article). Then we went to the cabin and started dinner. After dinner we did an experiment on fats and oils and we did a craft.
On Tuesday, we made breakfast and packed up. We took a walk to a cave, came back, packed lunch and headed for the log cabin village. After the Log Cabins, we said goodbye to Adams county.
Monday, November 10, 2003
Food for Our Trip
By Amanda Wharfield
The Upper Elementary class was in Adams County on October 26-28. While we were there, we cooked our own meals and cleaned up for ourselves. Before we left for the trip, we planned out all of our meals according to the food pyramid. We wrote out a cleaning schedule so that when we got there we would be organized. For each meal, four girls would cook and four girls would clean and we took turns with the jobs. Some of the foods we made were Walking Tacos, Fruit Pizza and Banana Boats. The food was very yummy and that’s the end.
Creeking with Dr. Helm
By: Alexa Johnson
On October 26, 2003, the Upper Elementary went creeking with Dr. Helm (He's one of the neighbors). We were all trying to find geodes in the creek, but a lot of us didn't have any success finding any. It was so hard to find geodes in the creek because all of the leaves had fallen. All of the leaves were a bright red, yellow and orange. So that made it even harder to find the geodes. The next day, Dr. Helm had big and little geodes sitting on his front porch for us all.
The day before we left, some of us went creeking by ourselves and found some rocks. One was a geode and one looked like the state of Texas (ha ha)! We all had a great time.
Robert Raber's Saddlery Shop
By: Shawna Jones
On October 27th, the Upper Elementary class went to the Raber's Saddlery Shop. Roy and Robert Raber are brothers. Roy has a shoe repair shop up front and Robert has a saddle shop in the back.
Robert Raber showed us how he makes saddles and how he puts the different designs on the leather. Each of us (and 3 adults) got keychains that he made individually for us. First he made his design on tracing paper. To put a print in the leather you wet it, and then you use a sharp knife to outline it. When you're finished with that you use a shaper knife to…as he says, "Make it come to life".
We asked him some questions about how long it takes to make a saddle and how much it costs and we got some surprising answers. He said it takes about 2 weeks to make just a simple saddle. He said the cost of 1 is usually $ 3,000. He is known all over the world and he takes orders for saddles without even meeting with them. He makes beautiful saddles and designs, and we were very impressed with his work.
The Amish School
By Ashley Soldano
On Monday, October 27th, the Upper Elementary went to an Amish School in Adams County. It was awesome. The students were a lot different, too. They wore mostly black. Some had on light blue or purple shirts. All the girls wore long black dresses and black bonnets with their hair tucked in. Their school was one big room divided into two by a curtain. Amazingly, they had some of the same things as us in their room, such as an ABC chart in cursive and some of the same reading books.
They may ride scooters, bikes or buggies to school, but they mostly walk everywhere. The children were very gentle and well behaved. Visiting the Amish school was an amazing experience!
The Basket Maker
By Alicia Theis
On the other side of the lake, there is a basket maker that Cornerstone Montessori Upper Elementary students went to see. The basket maker’s name is Martha. At her house, she taught all the Upper Elementary students how to weave baskets with pine needles from South Carolina. Then she showed us all the baskets she had made. Martha made baskets with a stone in the middle of it and she made two baskets that fit together. I liked when she gave us the black walnuts that were cut so you can see the shape of the inside. Andrea, one of the students, said “I liked making the baskets. I have never done it before”.
Cave & Hiking
by Andrea Bacho
On Tuesday, October 28, the Upper Elementary class went to a cave in Adams County. We did a lot of hiking. There were sinkholes around the entrance so, we knew we were close. We found a hole that led to part of the cave, but it was too steep to go in. Amy Sapsford, Jenna’s Mom, found another sinkhole and another cave entrance. To get into the cave, we had to climb down a slippery hill. It was hard because the ground was muddy and covered with wet leaves.
We had to use our flashlights because it was dark. It looked like there was “fool’s gold” on the walls. We didn’t explore the other cave tunnels because we didn’t want to get lost. You should only explore caves with a professional. Ashley said “I liked it at first, but then I saw a snake hole and I got freaked out and I hit my head on a rock”. When we got back to the cabin, it was time to go home.
Log Cabin Village
By Kaitlyn Wharfield
On October 28, 2003, the Upper Elementary class went to Mr. Brown’s cabins. His cabins are from 1803. The outside was made from wood and the inside was the same. He said, "It is very hard to heat the cabin in the wintertime”.
He told us he had owned another cabin. In a storm it tore apart, so he took the half that was left and put it onto the cabin he showed us. Inside the cabin, there were candles for light, a fireplace for heat and a bed made from wood and strings. The bed was signed by the man who made it. The cabin was full of antique tools. He said he had a flying squirrel living somewhere in the cabin. It eats from the deer heads and other animal skins. Mr. Brown also told us that if the outhouse had a moon on it, it was for women and a star for men.
I enjoyed visiting the log cabin village. I thought it was neat. Andrea Bacho said, ''It was my favorite part of the trip''.
Sunday, November 09, 2003
Preprimary Happenings
by Miss Jenny
Spiders rule! The insects have been put away, and we have been learning about the parts of the spider! The creep factor is very high. In Art, students can cut out bats or ooze shaving cream through their fingers. Of course, clean-up is a major part of the ooze experience!
New work on the Math shelves has included counting Halloween objects (0-9 and 1-5) and using a number line to count to 1000. The latter is a two-rug work -- serious stuff.
For writing practice, children have been eager to choose metal insets from the NEW metal inset stand. The new stand has opened up shelf space for new and interesting works. You might ask your child if they have used the "Stone Soup" or "Miss Spider's Tea Party" objects to act out the stories with a friend. Also from this area, many Kindergarteners have chosen the Antarctic animal bookmaking activity.
Kindergarteners continue to read daily with either a teacher or a parent volunteer.
Recently, Miss Yolanda, a Xavier student in the Montessori program, spent the morning observing and giving lessons. On the same day, while Miss Melody held down the fort, Miss Jenny took each child outside to trace his or her shadow. We talked about how the Earth moves around the Sun and how shadows are formed.
Our trip to Benton Farm was a huge success. Under blue skies, students, a few siblings, teachers, parents and two grandparents milked and petted a cow, learned about bee hives and honey, took a hay ride, picked a pumpkin from a pumpkin patch, learned about how milk is used to make butter and ice cream, learned about canning (the peaches weren't sweet this year!), petted a lamb and a sheep, saw chickens and turkeys, fed sheep and goats, and......wow! [Parents: If you have any pictures from this trip, especially digital, that you'd like to share on this site, please let us know or email them to cornerstonems@hotmail.com!]
If you haven't heard enough, read on!
The Meadows Family (Dad Kyle, Mom Marsha, Son Douglas-grade 3) have graciously donated 6 zebra finch birds to our classroom. We are thrilled. Finches are small birds that use their orange beaks to crush seeds. Hopefully, no small fingers will experience this sensation.
Wednesday, November 05, 2003
Attention Lands End Customers!
If you are planning on making any of your Holiday purchases from Lands End, please keep in mind that Lands End will donate a percentage to the school when you place your order using the preferred customer number. The Lands End gift certificates you purchase through paper scrip yields a higher percentage of profit to the school, but, if you forget to purchase those and want to make a Lands End order, please remember to use the CMS preferred customer number when placing your order: 9000-9336-0. Unfortunately, you cannot use this number in combination with the paper gift certificates.
