I DID NOTHING TODAY

A common question parents often ask children, "What did you do today?"

The following poem is a classic one.  The author is unknown.

When children come home at the end of the day, the question they are asked as they run out to play is "Tell me what did you do today?"

And the answer they give makes you sigh with dismay.

"Nothing, I did nothing today!"

Perhaps "Nothing" means that I read a book,

or with a teacher I got to cook.

Maybe I painted a picture of blue,

or heard a story about a mouse that flew.

Maybe I wrote in my journal myself,

or found a great book on the library shelf.

Maybe today I helped a friend,

or wrote the letters beginning to end.

Maybe I sang a song right to the end,

or worked with a special new friend.

When you are three, four, or five, your heart has wings, and "Nothing" can mean so many things.'

Please, as parents, try to understand that so much is being absorbed in those little minds every single day (whether you know it or not!)  Keep allowing your child to grow those "wings" and develop into an active and excited learner.

Have a great summer full of wonderful "Nothings!”

Jan

Music News

By Mrs. Justyna Weirich

Happy 100th day!  We’re into the new year

and we certainly finished off the last in good fashion.  We had some brilliant performances in the Nutcracker.  We traveled to the land of sweets.  There we met the Spanish and Chinese dancers.  We saw the Sugarplum fairy and danced to the Waltz of the Flowers in our costumes.

Later, in January, we took part in many cold weather activities.  We listened to winter sounds.  The winds of a blizzard, footsteps crunching through the snow, a horse driven sleigh gliding along with its bells playing.  We moved to the music “Snowflakes“, gently falling to earth while our hands held scarves to trace our motions.  We even went ice skating, standing on paper plates and gliding around the room while listening to “Skater Song.“  The children were then introduced to the xylophone.  Several of them took turns playing while the rest of the class sang along to  “Five Little Snowmen.”

This month the children will participate in activities with other children by experiencing the joy of ensemble.  While playing in a drum circle they will learn to cooperate in a partner dance.   We will travel to Africa and discover their sounds of music.  We will play African singing games, Che Che Kooley, and listen to different drums; djembe, dun dun, and the conga.  As always we will continue exploring music together.

Did You Know - that listening is different from hearing?  Unlike hearing, listening is intentional and focused - a skill that needs to be practiced.

Our February Composer is Scott Joplin

From the Principal’s Desk

By Mrs. Jan Howland

Rest is vital to your child's health, growth, and development.  I would like to recommend reading Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child, written by Dr. Marc Weissbluth, one of the country's leading pediatricians.  The book outlines proven strategies that ensure good, healthy sleep for every age.  It also helps with solving and preventing your children's sleep problems, from infancy through adolescence.  In Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child, Dr. Weissbluth explains with authority and reassurance his step-by-step regimen for instituting beneficial habits within the framework of your child's natural sleep cycles.

Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child will explain how fatigue caused by poor quality sleep can affect their behavior.  It will also explain how chronic fatigue can reduce your child's ability to succeed in school.  This book will show how you can nurture, enhance, and maintain calm and alert behavior 

News From the 3-6 year-old Classrooms
by Mrs. McDonald

Happy New Year to you and your families.  We are so excited to back to school.  The classrooms have been cleaned and prepared with many new and interesting activities for yourchildren.

January is definitely the perfect time to explore winter.  Throughout the room much of the work placed on the shelves reflects this.  The children can practice putting on gloves, watch ice melt, play with snow, learn about penguins, count snowmen, and enjoy making winter crafts.

With the observance of Dr. Martin Luther King Day in the month of January, the children will be making a Friendship Wreath.  Each child will have his hand traced, and then he will cut it out.  All of the hands when placed together will form the wreath.  The children really love to identify their hands and enjoy seeing our Friendship Wreath each day as they enter their classroom.
  
Our Friendship Wreath will help to give the children an understanding of people and how we are the same and different all at the same time. We will learn about the some of the many people that inhabit the world with us.  The geography area of the room is rich with many materials - flags, maps, culture boxes, pictures - that the teachers will help the children explore.

Many of the children have received all of the initial sounds for their Sound Book and are now a "Blend Friend", having started their Blend Book.  It will be exciting for them to take the initial sounds and use our movable alphabet to spell three letter words.  This is called Word Building.  When the process clicks for a child, words cannot express the moment for both the child and the teacher.  It's a beautiful thing!  The Montessori classroom is truly and amazing place.

As I am writing this article it is hard to believe that November is already here.  We have had such a beautiful fall and we’re all hoping that this wonderful weather continues.  The children need to have outside activity for their gross motor development and all the teachers are hoping that we can be outside for a while longer (maybe until Winter Break)!  When it starts to get cooler, please send your child with hats and mittens so that they are comfortable.  Putting hats and mittens on is a good practical life activity too.

The children have settled into a nice routine in the classroom.  We have been exploring all different areas.  This month we will be learning about how the early pioneers lived. The 3-6 year classrooms will all visit the Arlington Heights Historical Society (you will receive information from your child’s classroom teacher).  We talk about what pioneers ate and what games they played and we get to see what their houses looked like back when there was no electricity or indoor plumbing.

We learn about turkeys and Pilgrims and Indians.  The children will also have the opportunity to talk about what they are thankful for in their lives.  This month we do collect canned goods for the Wheeling Township Food Pantry so that more in our community may have a brighter holiday.  The children usually are quite excited to help with this project and bring what they enjoy to share.

Teachers will be offering conferences this month.  You may still sign up for an observation for your child’s classroom too.  Parents are often surprised by what they see in the classroom so please make an appointment.  Your child loves it when you visit.

Right before Thanksgiving Break, all the classrooms have a Thanksgiving feast.  Each class celebrates in their own way.  My class has a typical feast with turkey, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie.  We make Indian headbands and Pilgrim hats and all sit together at one long table like the First Thanksgiving and imagine what it was like living way back then!

I am thankful for all my wonderful students and their families and wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving.