Bruno Upper EL Classroom

This week was business as usual, which is a good thing! Students continue to work in our newly renovated classrooms during the morning work cycle while receiving lessons on the Promethean Board in Culteral, Geography, History, Science, and Writing. In Culteral class, students discussed myths and stories associated with eclipses throughout history, which is perfect for the eclipse that will take place on Monday, April 8th. Geography class used the Promethean Board to play a game about the U.S. States, which is the topic they have been discussing. In science, students learn about different types of waves associated with sound and light and other ways waves are useful for technology. In writing class, students learn to use the five W’s (who, what, where, why, and when) to write a news article.

As the end of the school year approaches, many exciting things are happening. Pay attention to the school calendar and emails so you can stay on top of important information.

Reminders:

• Vocabulary unit 15 is due on Monday, and the test will be on Friday, 4/12
• Early dismissal at 1:00 on Thursday and Friday, 4/11 and 4/12, for Parent Conferences. No aftercare.
• The Lion King Spring production is Friday, 4/12
• The Living Wax Museum will occur on Monday and Tuesday, 4/15 and 4/16.
• Camp McDowell is 4/17-4/19

Students in Upper Elementary have many opportunities to use materials outside of the work cycle. In a properly prepared environment, this allows students to be more engaged and retain more information. Montessori materials have a control error of design, meaning they enable self-correction. Self-correction allows students to develop problem-solving and critical-thinking skills. Students are often encouraged to work in groups, while the educators model appropriate social and collaborative interactions.

Below are pictures of Upper students working with materials during Science and Geography. Students in Science are studying electricity and using materials to explore how electric circuits function. Students used the material to create a circuit allowing electric current to properly flow in a series or parallel circuit. They can further explore by adding a resistor or switch into the circuit. The control is the power source working (light bulb, buzzer, motor with fan). In Geography, students used the cubing material to create their topographic map. The Promethean Board was the perfect tool to show students examples of a topographic map and how one is constructed.

Just as in the case of the solid insets, the control of error over such exercises [geometry cabinet] is absolute. A particular figure cannot be put anywhere except within its own corresponding recessed plaque. A child therefore can carry the exercise out by himself and perfect his perception of various shapes. – Maria Montessori

…it is not imitation. This may be shown even in the way that the child uses the material: he becomes so attentive to what he is doing and so immersed in his work that he does not notice what is going on about him but continues to work, repeating the same exercise dozens of times over. This exemplifies that phenomena of concentration and the repetition of an exercise which is connected with a child’s inner development. No one can concentrate through imitation. – Maria Montessori

Students in a Montessori environment are encouraged to use their creativity. In 6th-year History, students presented information on a topic related to WWII. They used Google Slides, dioramas, presentation boards, written reports, constructed materials, or brought in family memorabilia to present their chosen topic. Students could showcase their creativity in how they presented their research.

The chief symptom of adolescence is a state of expectation, a tendency towards creative work and a need for the strengthening of self-confidence. – Maria Montessori

This week, Upper and Middle school students went on a field trip to the BJCC. They watched a Birmingham Squadron basketball game to celebrate Literacy Week with other schools in the greater Birmingham area. Though the Squadron lost, students still enjoyed the game!

Reminders:

• Unit 14 vocabulary is due Monday, 3/18. The test will be on Friday, 3/22.
• Report cards for the 3rd quarter will be posted in FACTS Thursday, 3/21
• Watch your email later this week to sign up for parent conferences, April 10th-12th.
• No school March 25th-29th for spring break
• Early dismissal at 1:00 on April 11th and 12th for parent conferences. No aftercare.
• The Lion King play is on Friday, April 12th.
• The Living Wax Museum is on April 15th and 16th
• Camp McDowell trip is April 17th-19th

Squadron Basketball Game

This week was amazing. Students had the opportunity to visit the Scholastic Book Fair, where Bruno receives a portion of the sales for fundraising. Students were excited to browse new books and take home new adventures for their imaginations. Upper students returned to their normal work cycle, using both classrooms. Students enjoyed using new spaces to do their studies. We have new counters with stools, area rugs, new movable tables, and plenty of floor space. Out of the entire remodel, one of the most exciting things we received was a Promethean Board for each classroom. The boards were used for interactive lessons in history, culture, geography, and science during our work cycle and for games during transition times. We’re excited about the advanced learning opportunities the boards will bring to Upper!

Reminders:

• Field trip forms and payment must be returned on Monday! The field trip is on Tuesday.
• No vocabulary is due Monday, but the unit 13 test is on Friday, March 15th.
• 6th year history projects are due Thursday, March 14th.
• No school for Spring break, March 25th to 29th.
• Spring parent conferences are April 10th-12
  • A sign-up list will be emailed before Spring Break
• There is a 1:00 dismissal on April 11th and 12th for parent conferences
  • No aftercare
• The Lion King spring production is Friday, April 12th at 6:30

Another busy week and month has passed by in Upper. Last week, the students selected the materials they wanted to present for Parent’s Night and started practicing to give their lessons. They spent the week practicing by giving lessons to each other and educators. Students delivered excellent presentations and enjoyed teaching their lessons to a diverse audience, while families who attended got to see our newly renovated classrooms. Mr. Dana spent significant time and effort renovating our classrooms, paying attention to every minor detail, resulting in a stunning appearance. The final touches were added to our classrooms at the end of the week. The stools for our new work counters arrived, and Mr. Dana installed our Promethean Boards! Upper is the only division with a Promethean Board besides the STEM Lab, and we have two, one for each classroom. We immediately began using the boards to explore their features during Geography, History, and Science classes. Incorporating new technology in our classrooms will enhance student engagement and cater to different learning styles.

Reminders:

• Send in donations for the Upper golf basket to be auctioned at the PTO Trivia Night
• Vocabulary unit 13 is due Monday
  • The test will be on Friday, March 15th
• The Book Fair is this week, March 4th-7th
• Mandatory Camp McDowell meeting on Thursday, March 7th, at 3:15, for 4th-6th
  • The trip is April 17th-19th
• No school on Friday, March 8th, for the AMS Convention
• Field trip to see the Birmingham Squadron Basketball Team on Tuesday, March 12th
• No school for Spring break, March 25th to 29th.
• Spring parent conferences are April 10th-12
  • A sign-up list will be emailed before Spring Break
• There is a 1:00 dismissal on April 11th and 12th for parent conferences
  • No aftercare
• The Lion King spring production is Friday, April 12th at 6:30

A Summary of Our Week

Parent’s Night

It’s amazing how much can be accomplished in just four school days! On Tuesday, we returned to school to see our amazing new floors. On Wednesday, students spent time preparing and practicing for Parent’s Night, then had their Specials classes on Thursday. Friday, we had a field trip in the morning, and we’re back to lessons in both classrooms for the afternoon.

Reminders:

• No vocabulary is due on Monday, but the review unit test is this Friday, March 1st
• Parent’s Night is Tuesday, from 6:00 to 7:00 PM in the Upper building. You’re welcome to visit other divisions, too!
• The Community Open House is Sunday, March 3rd, from 2:00 to 3:30 PM.
• No school on Friday, March 8th, for the AMS Convention
  

New Floors!

While everyone was off for Presidents Day weekend, our new floors were installed and are beautiful! Mr. Dana, again, worked all weekend to keep our Upper makeover moving forward by putting the final touches in both classrooms.

When we returned to school on Tuesday, there was a massive task ahead (refer to last week’s pictures of all the furniture, bookshelves, and materials in the hallway). Educators and students assisted in cleaning the furniture and materials as they were placed back in the classrooms. Students ensured all the Montessori material was handled with care. In Montessori, this type of activity is called Caring for the Environment in Practical Life, and it looks different at each developmental stage. Including students in this process gives them a sense of pride and responsibility for their environment.

“The children love to do these things [practical life activities] for themselves and they learn to be careful and precise in their movements. This is both education of movement, because there is a refinement of muscular co-ordination when the work is carefully done, and education through movement, because these activities involve judgement and will, self-discipline, and an appreciation of orderliness.”

– Maria Montessori

Back to Work

Tuesday’s hard work gave us one fully functional classroom, which means on Wednesday, we could get back to work during the work cycle. Students chose the jobs they wanted to present on Parent’s Night and practiced giving presentations with the materials.

Parent’s Night is Tuesday evening, 6:00 to 7:00 in the Upper building. Make sure to come and see our beautifully redone classrooms and visit with students eager to present their favorite lessons.

By Friday, we got both classrooms set up and functional for lessons.

Field Trip

We ventured downtown to The Birmingham Children’s Theater on Friday morning to see Mr. Chickee’s Funny Money. The play is based on the book by Christopher Paul Curtis, the first African-American author to win the Newberry Medal. His first book, The Watsons Go to Birmingham, received the Coretta Scott King Honor Book Award and the Newbery Honor Book Award, in addition to numerous other awards.

This week, Upper had a fun time! In Geography, students hid stones on our campus last week. Students used the cartography skills they had learned to create a map of their stone and then traded maps with others to follow the map. In Literature Studies, students recently began their third group rotation of reading Holes, Maniac McGee, or The BFG. Ask your child which novel they’ve enjoyed most and why.

Midweek, we celebrated Valentine’s Day with a board game in the morning. Students enjoyed socializing with their friends while learning new games or having a chance to play an old one.

We ended the week much differently than any other week. Mr. Dana has been tirelessly updating our classrooms for weeks. He and a parent volunteer have been putting some finishing touches and adding surprises to both classrooms. This weekend, since it’s a three-day weekend, our old tile floor and carpets will be pulled up, and we will have a beautiful new laminate floor laid and ready for when we return to school on Tuesday. To work in such a tight timeframe, Mr. Dana, Mr. Zech, and Mr. Fox cleared both Upper classrooms of all furniture so the flooring work could start Friday afternoon. We ended Friday afternoon sitting in one of our empty rooms, fascinated with how large the room appeared. Students are looking forward to returning on Tuesday to see our new floors.

Reminders:

• No schools Monday, 2/19, in observance of Presidents Day
• No vocabulary is due, but the review unit test will be on Thursday
• The field trip to The Birmingham Children’s Theater is Friday, 2/23. Return permission forms and payment ASAP
• Play practice resumes this week
• Join us for Parent’s Night on Tuesday, 2/27. It will be a great opportunity to see our updated classrooms completed.
• Sunday, 3/3, Community Open House
• Week of 3/4, Spring Book Fair
• No school on Friday, 3/8, for the AMS convention
• Saturday, 3/9, PTO Trivia Night and Dinner Fundraiser

Work Cycle

Valentine’s Day and Other Fun

Upper Classroom Progress

This week, the Upper renovation continues. Mr. Dana has worked tirelessly to ensure our classrooms are beautifully redone by Parents Night on February 27th. A few new surprises are being added to our classrooms, but we can’t share that intel yet. While we’re all excited to have our rooms remodeled and the change in scenery, we will also be excited when we return to our normal routines and classrooms. Students and other educators have been flexible as we use other classrooms and areas for quiet places to have lessons or to do work.

In Culture, students have been researching notable individuals for their Living Wax Museum. Students are composing a list of the top individuals they find the most interesting and what their contribution was to society as a whole. We can’t wait until April to see how students use their strengths and individual styles to present their notable individual. 

Up-Coming Reminders:

• The vocabulary review unit is due Monday, 2/12
  • The review unit test will be the following Friday, 2/23
• Monday, 2/12: PTO meeting and no play practice
• Valentines Day, Wednesday, 2/14: See weekly email for details
• Monday, 2/19, no school in observance of President’s Day
• Friday, 2/23, Upper field trip to The Birmingham Children’s Theatre.
  • Permission slips will be sent home later this week.
• Parent Night, Tuesday, 2/27. Division times TBA.
• Sunday, 3/3, Community Open House… Bring a friend!
• Week of 3/4, Book Fair
• No school Friday, 3/8, American Montessori Society (AMS) annual conference
• Saturday, 3/9, PTO Trivia Night and Dinner Fundraiser

Outside Play

Work Cycle

This week we switched classrooms with Mr. Dana, as our Upper renovation continues. One of our classrooms now has a fresh coat of new paint and other aesthetic improvements. Mr. Dana still has lots of work to do, but there is already a lot of visible improvement! Mr. Dana is still scheduled to have the new floors laid on Presidents Day weekend.

We wish Mr. Brendan safe travels as he and Ms. Rachel travel to a Theater Festival in Bequia, a small island in the St. Vincent and the Grenadine Islands. While there, they will share the magic of the theater with local low-income children on the island. We can’t wait to hear about their trip when they return!

In science, students explored electricity and the flow and build-up of electrons through producing static electricity. They learned about the transfer of electrons and how that leads to atoms having a + or – charge. Their knowledge was put into action as they rubbed balloons on their hair, causing static electricity in their hair and also causing the balloon to cling to the wall or ceiling.

We were able to spend extra time outside this week. After experiencing freezing temperatures recently, it was nice to enjoy recess and PE outside. Geography class was also able to enjoy the temperatures while sitting at the outdoor theater. Perhaps Punxsutawney Phil was right, and we will have an early Spring!

Reminders

• Vocabulary unit 12 is due Monday, and the test will be on Friday, 2/9
• The vocabulary review unit will be due on Monday, 2/12
• PTO meeting Monday, 2/12
• Valentine’s Day will be a board game and social work cycle. Lunch and the afternoon will be our normal schedule.
• No school on Monday, 2/19, in observance of President’s Day
• Friday, 2/23, Upper field trip to the Birmingham Children’s Theater
• Tuesday, 2/27, is Parent’s Night at Bruno

Static Electricity

Outside

It’s difficult to believe we’ve made it this far into January before there was a full week of school, yet here we are! We continued to work together in one classroom, but on Friday, we were able to return to two classrooms during our work cycle! Mr. Dana has finished all he can on our one classroom, for now, so we were able to use it before he begins on our other classroom next week! Our classrooms will be fully completed on Presidents Day Weekend when our new laminate floor is laid.

The other big news this week came from our JUNA students. Led by Mr. Fox, our seven 6th-year representatives of Chile ventured to Oxford for a two-day event with our Middle school and other schools in Alabama. Team Chile had several achievements: passing the Committee with a counterweight argument, Outstanding Boy Delegate award to Zayden, and Honorable Mention award for Best Resolution to Chile. Our middle school teams also had some achievements too! Considering this was Bruno’s first year participating in JUNA, they did amazing! What makes Team Chiles’s achievement more special is that the founder of JUNA Alabama is our own, Ms. Susan! We are all so proud of the hard work team Chile put in and for being amazing delegates to represent Bruno!

Reminders:

• Vocabulary unit 11 is due Monday, 1/29. The test will be on Friday, 2/2.
• Vocabulary unit 12 will be due Monday, 2/5.
• Monday, February 12th, PTO’s Trivia Night fundraiser at Jubilee Joe’s
• Wednesday, 2/14, board game, games, and Valentine exchange during the work cycle.
  • Normal lunch and afternoon
• No school Monday, 2/19, in observance of Presidents Day.
• Friday, 2/23, Upper field trip to the Children’s Theater
• Tuesday, 2/27, Bruno’s Parent Night

Classroom Renovation

Inside and Outside Recess

JUNA

Sacrifices for Our Students

Our first full week of 2024 turned out to not be a full week, due to a day off for a severe weather threat. Aside from the weather excitement, Upper students received some other exciting news: Our two classrooms are being renovated! Mr. Dana is actively working on our Language/History classroom, and when he’s finished, will redo our Math/Science classroom. He’s repairing, spackling, painting, among other labor intensive things. Both classrooms will be receiving new floors, along with some other new surprises. Projects like this, the STEM room, and other renovations would not be affordable without the talents and dedication of Mr. Dana. When you see him, let him know how much he’s appreciated! Since one room is being renovated, we are all working in the same classroom during the work cycle. Students have enjoyed working with different friends and the change from our normal routine.
Students in Ms. Rachel’s gardening classes welcomed author Claire Datnow to speak about her experiences as a writer and, more specifically, her book, The Whale’s Lament, an Eco-Adventure. A few students volunteered to be part of a readers’ theatre portion where they read excepts from the book. Special thanks to Isla’s mom who helped arrange this event and who, along with Claire Datnow, donated several copies of The Whale’s Lament to Upper’s library.

Reminders:

• No school on Monday, 1/15, in observance of Martin Luther King, JR.
• Vocabulary Unit 10 is due Tuesday, 1/16
• Progress reports will be distributed for the second quarter on 1/16

Author Visit

With 2024 starting, we’re about halfway through the school year- the second quarter ends next week! Educators returned Tuesday for a Professional Development Day. We welcomed students on Wednesday as they returned to start 2024.

The Upper schedule has changed to incorporate the addition of a STEM class and Technology class (4th year only). Library class has changed to check-in/out only. Because of the addition of STEM and Technology classes to Upper, Lower, and Middle, our Specials morning has changed from Wednesdays to Thursdays. On Thursday, students had the opportunity to attend their first STEM class in our new STEM Lab. Mr. Dana worked tirelessly to transform the conference room into our amazing new lab. Ms. Jessica has also worked hard to ensure everything was ordered and ready in the Lab, and she is also taking professional development courses for our STEM curriculum. If you want to see the new STEM Lab and learn more about the curriculum, please attend the Grand Opening. It was a short week, but students picked up where they left off during our work cycle. Next week we will be back to our (new) regular routine!

Reminders:

• On Monday, we will introduce the next Vocabulary unit. It will be due next Tuesday, 1/16.
• Monday is the end of the 2nd Quarter.
  • In their new format, Report Cards will be released Tuesday, 1/16.
• The STEM Grand Opening and Open House is on Thursday, 1/11.
  • Visitors are welcomed 10:00-11:00 AM or 5:00-6:00 PM.
• No School on Monday, 1/15, in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr.

In the Classroom

The New STEM Lab

It was our last week of 2023, and it was a memorable week. Students had their Winter Concert final rehearsal and performance. Everyone performed fantastically! We then had our Upper Second Annual Holiday Feast Day! We had an extended social morning and heard a story from a professional storyteller (yes, Mr. Zech is a professional storyteller), followed by an extended lunch for our feast. Ms. Susan and Ms. Rachel (our counselor) joined us, and other educators stopped by to visit as well. Thank you to all who sent in delicious food! This year was once again a success, and we look forward to continuing the tradition next year! We ended the week with a pajama, movie, and board game day. Some students chose to watch either The Grinch or The Polar Express, while other students enjoyed a variety of games or simply chatted with friends.

It was a wonderful week to end the 2023 portion of the school year! Happy Holidays and Happy New Year! We will see everyone again in 2024!

Holiday Concert Rehearsal

Holiday Feast Day

Last Day of 2023

Students in upper elementary are wrapping up different subjects and activities as the end of 2023 approaches. This week, they continued to practice for the Holiday Performance, had a visit from St. Nicholas, talked about family traditions for this time of the year, and are finishing up their last work plan for 2023! We have a busy week ahead, so please read the weekly email carefully so nothing is overlooked!

Reminders:

• The Vocabulary review unit workbook pages are due Monday, December 11th. There will not be a test for this review unit!
• The Holiday Program will be on Tuesday, December 12th, at 7:00 PM. Students arrive at 6:30 PM. Refer to Ms. Janell’s email for student performance attire.
• The Upper Annual Holiday Feast will be on Thursday, December 14th. If you haven’t signed up for a dish, see the link in the weekly email.
• Upper movie, board game, and pajama day on Friday, December 15th.
• December 15th is a 1:00 PM dismissal, with no aftercare. 
• No school December 18th, 2023 to Tuesday, January 2nd, 2024
• Students return on Wednesday, January 3rd, 2024

Work Cycle

Saint Nicholas

Ms. Carmen presented the German tradition of children leaving a shoe outside on the eve of December 6th so St. Nicholas could leave some treats. Upper students left a shoe in the hallway, and St. Nicholas left everyone a treat!

Other Fun Parts of Upper’s Week

During our morning meeting, students had the opportunity to share a dish that was special to their family. Some students had stories to go along with their dishes, and others were dishes that students thought were unique or a special treat for their families. See if you can guess which dish your child might have shared! (Also, some ideas for the Holiday Feast).

This week, students had a variety of activities and opportunities for learning. On Wednesday, the Altamont School Orchestra visited our school for a performance. In addition to their fantastic performance, they demonstrated that each instrument has its sound, and Bruno students had the opportunity to guess its name. Speaking of music and performances, students have also been practicing for perfection for the Holiday Performance with Ms. Janell’s guidance. Please encourage other members of your family and family friends to attend!

In the classroom, students are wrapping up a variety of topics in classes as we prepare for our Winter Break. Most new lessons will slow down until we return in 2024, but students are still expected to work hard during the work cycle.

Reminders:

• Vocabulary unit 9 is due Monday, December 4th, and the test is on Friday, December 8th.
• Vocabulary unit 10 will be due Monday, December 11th
• Coffee Chat with Ms. Susan on Tuesday, December 5th
• The Holiday Program will be on Tuesday, December 12th, at 7:00 PM. Students arrive at 6:30 PM.
• The Upper Annual Holiday Feast will be on Thursday, December 14th.
• Upper movie, board game, and pajama day on Friday, December 15th.
• December 15th is a 1:00 PM dismissal, with no aftercare.
• No school December 18th, 2023 to Tuesday, January 2nd, 2024
• Students return on Wednesday, January 3rd, 2024

Work Cycle and Altamont Performance

Outside and Inside Fun

Even though the weather took a frosty turn in the mornings, students were still able to enjoy warmer temperatures on the playground in the afternoons (in this case, warmer refers to above 40 degrees).

This week, students had extra time to work on their work plan. This allowed some students to work on their own paths and for others to catch up. Ms. Janell worked with Upper students to practice their Holiday performance in the gym, and they will continue leading up to their performance on December 12th. Students also voted for their new group leaders, who will manage their group jobs for the next month. This is an important position, as they need to assign each person a job, monitor that the job is being completed, and fill positions for absent students. Students interested in being the group leader give a short speech to the group before voting.

We hope you all have a fabulous Thanksgiving break and enjoy the time with your families. We look forward to seeing everyone on Monday, November 27th.

Reminders:

• No vocabulary assignment is due over the break!
• Vocabulary unit 9 will be due on Monday, December 4th
• Coffee Chat with Ms. Susan on Tuesday, December 5th
• The Holiday Program will be on Tuesday, December 12th, at 7:00 PM
• During the week of December 11th, we will have our Holiday Feast and Holiday party.
• Early dismissal is on Friday, December 15th, at 1:00 PM. No aftercare.
• Winter break begins December 18th, 2023 and students return Wednesday, January 3rd, 2024
  

Work Cycle

Positive Discipline, Morning Meetings

This week was packed with various fun activities and learning! On Monday and Friday, we had our regular work cycle. Of course, Tuesday was filled with lots of fun. We enjoyed seeing the whole school gather on the track for the parade, an event that had not happened for a long time. In our class, we enjoyed various board games, a movie, a special lunch, and time spent chatting with friends. Students enjoyed the break from our regular routine! On Thursday, we ventured downtown to The Children’s Theater to see Peter Pan. By coincidence, this was also the Spring play, so students could make many connections between the similarities and differences in the storyline, character traits, and artistic presentations of the set and props.

In Geography, students continued to build their marshmallow structures. After testing their small structure in a mock earthquake last week, students expanded their structures. They built their structures higher and broader, trying to keep the best earthquake design strategies in mind. In Science, students put their air-resistant designs to the test in hopes of slowing the effects of gravity to protect their eggs from cracking. The students had some great designs! Afterward, students discussed their design and what worked well or improvements that could have been made. Students in Cultural have been studying the Olmec civilization. They have been working on writing a tabloid article, using facts learned about the civilization to create an interesting fictional story.

Reminders:

• Vocabulary unit 7 is due Monday, 11/6. The test will be this Thursday, 11/9
  • Vocabulary unit 8 will be due Monday, November 13th
• Safeguarding Your Child with Social Media, presented by Shelby County COMPACT on Monday, 11/6
• No school on Friday, November 10th, in observance of Veteran’s Day
• Children’s Choir informational meeting, Tuesday, November 14th at 6:00 PM
• No school November 20th-24th for Thanksgiving Break
• The Holiday Program will be on Tuesday, December 12th, at 5:30 PM
• Early dismissal on Friday, December 15th, at 1:00 PM. No aftercare.
• Winter break begins December 18th, 2023 and students return Wednesday, January 3rd, 2024

Work Cycle

Halloween

Geography

Science

Alabama Children’s Theater

Students were extra busy this week with lessons, class activities, and extracurriculars. In Geography, students have been studying plate tectonics and earthquakes. Students created structures out of toothpicks and marshmallows, and then the structures were tested on a mock earthquake simulation table. Students will reevaluate their designs, make necessary changes, and then test their new designs. Students in Science have been studying gravity, gravitational force, and resistance, and their relation to the solar system. To understand the effects of gravitational force and resistance, students are using ingenuity to protect an egg cracking from gravitational force using air resistance. Their designs will be put to the gravitational force test next week when they’re dropped with an egg inside.

Students in the drama club invited others to view their dress rehearsal of The Hunt for Milo Gatto. Their effort and hard work were demonstrated as they had an excellent dress rehearsal performance. Student performers also did amazingly at Friday evening’s main show. Thank you to Ms. Rachel, Mr. Brendan, and all of the parent volunteers for helping to make the show successful. Traditionally, more than half of Upper students are involved in the play somehow, so we always appreciate and recognize the hard work it takes for a successful show.

Reminders:

• Permission slips and payment for our field trip to the Children’s Theater are due by Tuesday.
• Permission slips to watch movies on Halloween are due by Tuesday.
• The Halloween parade will be on Tuesday on the track, and parents are welcome to attend
• Halloween is a board game and movie day.
• The vocabulary review unit test is Friday, November 3rd
• Vocabulary unit 7 is due Monday, November 6th
• No school Friday, November 10th, in observance of Veteran’s Day
• No school November 20th-24th for Thanksgiving break.
• Information about our holiday feast coming soon.
  

Our Work Cycle

Fourth-year students received a lesson on triangles and angles. They learned how to identify the types of angles (acute, obtuse, and right). They then learned how to use a protractor to draw a triangle with specific angles.

Some fifth and sixth-year students were given a lesson on using our new, updated material hands-on equations. This material helps students work out the value of a variable in an equation.

All students had a group grammar lesson. They were shown how symbolizing a paragraph does not have to be an overwhelming job. In the lesson, students were shown how they could break down a paragraph and symbolize different parts of speech one at a time, which led to being able to quickly identify the parts of speech of other words.

Earthquakes and Structure Engineering

Gravitational Force and Resistance, Designing Process

The Hunt for Milo Gatto, Dress Rehearsal

Who stole the Neil Diamond?

Perfect Weather

The cloudy, misty weather on Sunday didn’t stop the PTO’s annual Fall Festival from being a success! Even though it was too chilly to dunk Mr. Fox and Mr. Zech, there were still many fun activities and delicious food to keep students and families happy and busy! If you did not have the opportunity to see our Upper scarecrow, The Lorax, pictures are below. We drew a random name for a student to take The Lorax home and use as a decoration for their home. Students did an amazing job of designing, cutting, sewing, stuffing, and putting the final details on the Lorax. Well done!

In 5th-year history, students presented their Native American dioramas to their class. Students chose a Native American tribe, researched the tribe, and presented the information and their diorama to their class. They did a fantastic job! Students in Geography are constructing structures that can withstand an earthquake, and in Science students are exploring the effects of gravity by experimenting with an egg.

Reminders

• The Book Fair will be all next week
• The vocabulary review unit is due on Monday, 10/23
  • The review unit test will be on Friday, 11/3
• Early dismissal at 1:00 PM on Thursday and Friday, 10/26 and 10/27, for conferences
  • No aftercare
• Friday, 10/27, The Hunt for Milo Gatto play, 6:30 PM
• Tuesday, 10/31 Halloween parade, board game day, movie, and special lunch
• Thursday, 11/2 field trip to the Children’s Theater
• Friday, 11/10, No School in observance of Veterans Day

Fall Festival and The Lorax

Work Cycle

5th-Year Native American Dioramas

Enjoying the Fall Weather

Educators and staff returned on Monday for a professional development day, while students enjoyed an extra day off for Indigenous Peoples’ Day. On Tuesday, we returned together and resumed our normal routine. This week was the end of the 1st quarter, so look for progress reports in your inbox next week. Our literature studies groups have finished the novel their group was reading, so this week we rotated groups. Students started their new novel: Holes, Maniac McGee, or The BFG.

Students used their creative side and talents to help create our Upper Scarecrow for the Fall Festival this Sunday. No spoilers, so you have to come see what students created! Pictures of our scarecrow and the Fall Festival will be posted next week. If you’re unsure if you want to attend, perhaps having the opportunity to dunk Mr. Zech or Mr. Fox in a real dunk tank will persuade you to come! Do you think Ms. Leeann will cheer for them to stay dry or be in line to dunk them?

Reminders:

• Fall Festival, Sunday, 10/15, 1:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m.
• Vocabulary unit 6 due 10/16
  • Unit 6 test 10/20
• Report Cards released, 10/18
• Book Fair, week of 10/23-10/27
• Early dismissal at 1:00 for Fall Conferences, Thursday, 10/26 and Friday, 10/27
  • No aftercare
• The Hunt for Milo Gatto play, 6:30 PM, Friday, October 27
• Halloween Parade and board game day, Tuesday, 10/31

This week’s Fall-like weather was a perfect lead-way into our Fall break! Students enjoyed plenty of time outside on the playground, gardening, and testing their sundials from Science class. Our Literature groups have finished each of their novels, and we will rotate groups so each group is engaging in a new novel. The group that read Holes, by Louis Sachar, finished ahead of the other groups, allowing them time to do an activity with the book. The group wrote and acted out a trailer to demonstrate their understanding of the book through a creative outlet. Next week, 5th-year History students will present their Native American dioramas.

Reminders:

• No school Monday, 10/9, Professional Development Day
• Friday, 10/13
  • Vocabulary unit 5 test
  • 5th-year History diorama presentations
• Fall Festival, Sunday, 10/15, 1:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m.
• Report Cards released, 10/18
• Book Fair, week of 10/23-10/27
• Early dismissal at 1:00 for Fall Conferences, Thursday, 10/26 and Friday, 10/27
  • No aftercare
• The Hunt for Milo Gatto play, Friday, October 27
• Halloween Parade, Tuesday, 10/31 

Art and Gardening

Work Cycle and Morning Meeting

While Fall’s cooler weather makes our outside time more pleasurable, students work diligently each day during our work cycle. As we finished our second month of school, students in Upper are mostly set in their daily routines, knowing how they will tackle their work plans each day.

In Cultural, students worked on creating their own pictographs, just as depicted in cave art. Students in Science class are exploring the earth’s orbit and rotation. They crafted sundials, which they will use next week to track the earth’s rotation. In math, students received a square root lesson with new materials we received at the end of the last school year. The Montessori curriculum works best when we have all of the materials to support our students, and we are thankful for the PTO’s monetary donation for new materials.

Reminders:

• Unit 5 vocabulary work due Monday, 10/2
  • Unit 5 test on Friday, 10/13
• Coffee Chat with Ms. Susan, Tuesday, 10/3
• Fall Break, no school Friday, 10/6 or Monday, 10/9
• End of the 1st quarter, 10/11
• Fall Festival, Sunday, 10/15
• Book Fair, 10/23-10/27
• Early dismissal for Fall Conferences, Thursday, 10/26 and Friday, 10/27
• The Hunt for Milo Gatto play, Friday, October 27
• Halloween Parade and Board Game Day, Tuesday, 10/31

New Student

Our new student now has a permanent home in our class, thanks to one of our generous families donating the materials needed to keep our new friend comfortable. We went through a process to name our new student. First, students wrote down their own suggestions, followed by listing all of the suggestions on the board. Students then voted from the list, and we chose the names with the top votes for a final voting round. After one name won by just a vote, we compromised on a middle name. Meet our new friend Gregamy Spike!

Pictographs

In Cultural class, students are studying cave art. Students created their own pictographs to communicate a message or story, just like the cave art examples they’ve explored.

Fall Weather

This week, students continued to stay busy! In Language, students continued to receive lessons on grammar analysis, nouns, adjectives, and verbs. In Geometry, students worked on angles, area, and volume. Our history classes currently explore the Revolutionary War, Native Americans, and World War I.

It has been wonderful to spend time outside on the playground and not fry from the sunlight and swim through the humidity. Students have also enjoyed spending more time outside during PE class due to the break in the heat. Fall is definitely coming soon!

Reminders:

• Unit 4 vocabulary work due Monday, 9/25
  • Unit 4 test on Friday, 9/29
• Coffee Chat with Ms. Susan, Tuesday, 10/3
• Fall Break, no school Friday, 10/6 or Monday, 10/9
• End of the 1st quarter, 10/11
• Fall Festival, Sunday, 10/15
• Book Fair, 10/23-10/27
• Early dismissal for Fall Conferences, Thursday, 10/26 and Friday, 10/27
• The Hunt for Milo Gatto play, Friday, October 27

Work Cycle

Outside

New Student

Ms. Jessica brought us a little friend she found in the library. After observing for a few days to see if it would drink or eat some tasty insects, our new friend finally felt at home and chowed down on some ants! Our new friend’s name? To be continued…

Students were back to normal this week with a full week of the work cycle. In Language, students are learning to identify different types of nouns, adjectives, and indirect objects in sentences, based on their level. In math, students are working on angles, area, volume, and other math lessons to meet individual needs. Students in Cultural class discussed the fundamental needs of humans, while in Geography, students learned about tectonic plates. In Science, students learned about comets. The week was the peak viewing week for the Nishimura Comet, a green comet with a 50,000-year orbit that will pass between the Sun and Mercury.

Reminders:

• Makeups for Picture Day, Wednesday, 9/20
• Vocabulary review units 1-3 test on Friday, 9/22
• Fall Festival, Sunday, 10/15
• The Hunt for Milo Gatto play, Friday, October 27

Work Cycle

9/11

We started our week by discussing the events of 9/11/01 and how they have permanently affected American culture. Mr. Fox shared how confusing the day was for him as a child living on an army base in Germany. Ms. Leeann shared the fear of living in New Jersey and hearing the news while in class at college. Mr. Zech recalled the tone of disbelief on his college campus that morning when the news was first heard.

Outside

New Group Leaders

Part of the Montessori philosophy is for students to care for their own environment. This week groups A and B students chose their new group leaders. Group leaders oversee their groups by assigning cleaning duties and ensuring their group follows through with their duties.

This week was a short week, to begin with, and picture day took a bit of extra time from our work cycle, too. We still had plenty of time to get work completed in class. In Cultural class, students explored the Timeline of Civilizations. The timeline gives students a visual presentation of the layout of human civilization and the breakdown of those civilizations’ active periods. Students continue to receive lessons throughout our work cycle in math and language.

Reminders:

• Vocabulary review units 1-3 due Monday, 9/11
• Unit 3 vocabulary test on Friday, 9/15
• PTO movie night, Friday, 9/15
• Makeups for Picture Day, Wednesday, 9/20
• Fall Festival, Sunday, 10/15
• The Hunt for Milo Gato play, Friday, October 27

Work Cycle

Other Weekly Events

Other events that took place this week were our weekly positive discipline morning meeting, a storytime from Mr. Zech, Drama, Music, and the Model U.N. had their first meeting and lesson.

Picture Day

We’ve completed our first full month of the school year. Students are in their work cycle groove, and they understand the expectation of being a year older and the work and responsibilities accompanying it. Students are deep into lessons in math and language during the work cycle. In Science, students have been exploring the solar system and putting the size of planets and distance from the sun into perspective. In Geography, students observed a demonstration on convection and how it affects the world’s ocean currents. Ask your child about both of these topics!

Reminders:

• No school on Monday, 9/4, in observance of Labor Day
• Unit 3 vocabulary due Tuesday, 9/5
  • Unit 3 test on Friday, 9/8
• Picture Day for Upper, Friday, 9/8
• PTO movie night, Friday, 9/8
• Fall Festival, Sunday, 10/15
• The Hunt for Milo Gato play, Friday, October 27

Grace and Courtesy

There is a great sense of community within the Montessori classroom, where children of differing ages work together in an atmosphere of cooperation rather than competitiveness. There is respect for the environment and for the individuals within it, which comes through experience of freedom within the community.

– Dr. Maria Montessori

Outside Fun

Students have made it through their third week of school! It was hot this week, but let’s hope it was the hottest we’ll experience this school year.

We continue to work through our full work cycle each day. Students are learning to prioritize their work plans and receive new lessons. Educators are reinforcing the expectations of students during the work cycle. When students advance to the next grade level, there is a learning curve with new materials, lessons, expectations, and roles. Students who are new to Montessori or transitioning from Lower to Upper have the highest learning curve, followed by rising 5th-year students and students who transferred from another Montessori environment. Students who are 6th-year or in their third year of upper elementary are learning their unique role in the Montessori prepared environment. Multiage groupings encourage younger students to learn from older students and experience new challenges through observation. Older students reinforce their learning by teaching concepts they have mastered, developing leadership skills, and serving as role models. Educators encourage and guide leadership and role modeling to all students; however, more effort and focus are directed toward our oldest students. Click here for more information about the importance of Montessori multiage groupings and a three-year cycle.

Reminders:

• Vocabulary unit 2 is due Monday, August 28th.
  • The test will be on Friday, September 1st.
• No school on Monday, September 4th, in observance of Labor Day
• Vocabulary unit 3 is due Tuesday, September 5th.
• The cast list for the play has been emailed. Practice starts this Monday.
  • Note the play practice calendar and days your child must be present.
• Extracurriculars are starting- send forms and payments in with your child.
• As extracurriculars start, remind your child in the morning if they have an extracurricular or are a car rider. If there is a mixup, drop-in aftercare is not an option.
• Family Movie Night, hosted by the PTO, will be held on Friday, September 8th.

Work Cycle

Ms. Susan Visit To Our Classroom

Ms. Susan joined us one morning during our daily morning meeting. She introduced herself to the students, spoke about her goals for our school, and then opened the floor to students for questions. She asked what students liked and didn’t like and engaged in conversation to discuss the reason behind students’ feelings.

Inside Recess and Morning Arrival

Since the heat index was close to 110 degrees throughout the week, we could only bear an outside recess one day. The forecast for next week is looking more promising for some outside time!

The Tree of Friendship

Ms. Carmen and her Foreign Language students created this beautiful friendship tree.

Beautiful Campus

The next time you’re on the Bruno campus, take some time to appreciate the nature and architecture on our beautiful campus.

This week Upper students had their first full week of the work cycle. They’re becoming more familiar with our daily routines, schedules, work materials, and work plans. Students have received many lessons and refresher lessons from the educators, but have also helped one another with reminders, material location, and other necessary information. While the start of the week was too hot to think about being outside, the rest of the week brought beautiful weather that allowed us to enjoy some time on the playground and the option to eat lunch outside. Next week we will continue building on our lessons, introducing new materials to our new students, and working during our work cycle.

Reminders:

• Vocabulary unit 1 is due Monday, 8/21. The test will be on Friday, 8/25.
• Vocabulary unit 2 is due Monday, 8/28.
• The first PTO meeting of the school year is Monday, 8/21 at 5:30 PM in the conference room
• Play auditions are this Monday and Tuesday, 8/21-22
  • Make sure your child returned the permission form to audition
• Check your email for important information about extracurriculars and aftercare.
  

Morning Arrival

Work Cycle

Cooler Temperatures

How could we possibly sum up the amazing school year we had? We’ve had so many great days, special events, trips, activities, new friends, not to mention the leaps and bounds student made academically throughout the year.

Many, many thanks to the amazing Upper Elementary families who helped make this year great. We’ve never had a shortage of volunteers to help with special events, volunteer time, offer expert advice, or any other need. We are thankful to have such supportive and appreciative families in our Upper community. We are looking forward to a new school year in August!

Reminders:

• Have a safe and amazing summer!!!

Field Day

Students enjoyed many great activities on Field Day! Thank you to all of the volunteers who helped make the day happen and to be special!

Drama Class Productions

Students in Drama Class performed grade-level plays on Tuesday. They worked on creating and writing the plays throughout the school year, and their final performances were amazing! Students chose their own role in the production, and it was great to see students act in roles that fit some and were completely different for others! Students put a lot of effort into their plays, and they were all impressive!

Rock, Paper, Scissor Champs and 8th Grade Graduation Rehearsal

Congratulations to our champs and to the 8th-grade students moving on to high school!

The Fun, Laughs, and Tears of the Last Day of School

We wish our 6th-year students the best as they move up to the middle school next year. While we’ll miss seeing them in the classroom daily, we’re thankful they’ll still be on the Bruno campus.

We wish the handful of students who are not returning good luck as they transition to their new schools in August. They will be missed!

Students had their last full work cycle this week. In Drama class, students practiced several times this week to prepare for the plays they have been working on throughout the school year. Culture and Geography classes combined in between drama practice so students could wrap up their collaborative efforts to create and run their own countries. Ask your child about their country! Upper students also visited Primary classes for a special presentation. More information and pictures below.

Reminders for the last week of school:

• Field Day is Monday
• Students perform their Drama plays Tuesday
• Ms. Chris’ retirement and farewell on Wednesday
• Upper class party on Thursday
  • Send in $5 cash for ice cream and treats
• The last day of school is Thursday! Dismissal is at 1:00 and there is no aftercare.
  • Progress reports released

Classwork

Primary Presentations

Students in Primary researched and studied information and used their art skills to recreate different areas of the world in the classroom. Ms. Kim and Ms. Kelsey’s class studied Egypt, Ms. Andrea and Ms. Cristina’s class studied the ocean, and Ms. Sarita and Ms. Kathy’s class studied the rainforest. Not only did student in Upper enjoy browsing through the hard work of primary students, students who attended Primary themselves enjoyed reminiscing in the classrooms and with the materials their once little hands enjoyed exploring.

With only 9 more days of school, students are feeling the summer break itch. Upper students chose their best artwork from the school year to showcase for the Art Show. It was amazing to see each child’s individual art personality and their perception of color, shapes, and the abstract. As if their art was not amazing enough, students in Lower, Upper, and Middle blew the audience away with their musical showcase. It was an amazing evening to see our students shine in their areas of interest and talents! Thank you to Ms. Lisa and Mr. Jonathan for their hard work to prepare the students for these events.

This week was a short work week due to OLSAT testing, so students were able to spend extra time outside to have a much-earned mental break.

Thank you to the PTO and parents who helped make Teacher Appreciation Week special! We appreciate you all taking the time to think of us and acknowledge the hard work and dedication we pour into your amazing children.

Reminders:

• Field Day is Monday, May 22nd
• We will have a classroom party the last week of school- date and details TBA
• The last day of school is Thursday, May 25th, 1:00 dismissal

Art Show, Upper Masterpieces

“Art is one of the many ways children express themselves. Art is a way for children to communicate their feelings. It is through art that children develop their fine motor skills.“

“There should be music in the child’s environment, just as there does exist in the child’s environment spoken speech. In the social environment, the child should be considered and music should be provided.”

-Maria Montessori

Work Cycle

Outside Play

“There must be provision for the child to have contact with nature; to understand and appreciate the order, the harmony, and the beauty in nature.”

“When children come into contact with nature, they reveal their strength.”

–Maria Montessori

The week students and staff have been diligently preparing for finally arrived; a team representing the American Montessori Society visited our school this week to evaluate our school for reaccreditation. The team was highly impressed with our students, beautiful campus, and the interactions they witnessed between adults and children. We are thrilled the team was able to witness how amazing our school community is!

The rest of the week students worked on their yearly SAT testing. One of the perks student receive when there’s testing is extra outside and free choice time! Fortunately the rain held off just enough for us to get time playing outside. Let’s hope the same is true for testing next week!

Reminders:

• Art Show and Spring Performance, this Monday, May 8th; Invite family and friends
  • Art show begins at 5:00 and the per dance begins at 6:30
• Standardized testing for Upper Elementary: 10th, 11th, and 12th 
  • Please make your best effort to ensure your child is present during these mornings
• Field Day, May 22nd
• The last day of school is May 25th; dismissal is at 1:00

Work Cycle and Free Choice

Outdoor Fun

We were able to enjoy extra time outside time this week, due to testing. Fortunately the rain held off for us!

Our big event this week was the Science Fair! Students have been preparing for this week since February. In preparation, students used the Scientific Method together as the 4th-year students planned and executed their experiment on Growing Plants in Microgravity. This gave all students the opportunity to see how the Scientific Method works so they could apply their knowledge to their own investigation. Students gave presentations to parents, family members, friends, students in Middle, Lower, Primary, and one another.

We are proud of the well-thought, well-planned, and well-executed science experiments students presented. They were able to effectively speak about their experiments and also answer questions, which demonstrates thorough understanding. The Upper Elementary Educators received many compliments about how amazing the students (not us) did with their presentations, and you should all be proud of your child! Thank you to all of the family members who were able to attend, the Educators who stopped by, and the Educators who changed their schedules so other students could attend.

Reminders:

• The American Montessori Society will be visiting from April 30th-May 3rd
• Standardized testing for Upper Elementary: May 4th, 5th, 10th, 11th, and 12th 
  • Please make your best effort to ensure your child is present during these mornings
• Art Show and Spring Performance, the evening of May 8th; Invite family and friends
  • Students must be present in the evening for the Spring Performance
• Field Day, May 22nd
• The last day of school is May 25th; dismissal is at 1:00

Individual Projects

Science Fair Visitors: Parents, Family, and Family Friends

Science Fair Presentations to Middle, Lower, and Primary

Students were amazing in giving presentations, especially to the younger students. They took the time to try and explain things in a way they could understand and were patient with their questions.

Science Fair Presentations to Peers

A Few Random Pictures

It was nice to have the whole class together again after our trip to Camp McDowell last week. There’s been lots of math work going on recently: Students have been receiving math lessons with some new Montessori materials we’ve received, as well as working on statistics and graphing, stemming from our Pi Day activity. As students prepare for the Science Fair next week, they’ve continued to practice working on analyzing data from graphs and graphing data in Science class.

Our big event this week was the Peace Ceremony. The last Peace Ceremony we had was during the 2019-2020 school year, so this was a big deal for our community! It was wonderful to bring back this Bruno tradition, as we gathered together as a whole, Toddlers through Middle School. Each level did a wonderful job on its piece of the program.

Reminders:

• Science Fair final presentation board due Monday, April 24 (4th-6th)
• Science Fair parent presentations, April 26th, 1:00-2:30; open house style
• The American Montessori Society will be visiting from April 30th-May 3rd
• Standardized testing for Upper Elementary May 4th, 5th, 10th, 11th, and 12th in the morning. 
  • Please make your best effort to ensure your child is present during these days.
• Art Show and Spring Performance, the evening of May 8th
• Field Day, May 22nd
• The last day of school is May 25th; dismissal is at 1:00

Daily Work Cycle

Peace Ceremony

Free Play

It’s amazing how much we can pack into a short week! This week Upper Elementary students traveled to Camp McDowell for 3 days. While the trip was a bit soggy, students learned about many different aspects of the environment, while making memories of a lifetime with friends. From the Camp McDowell website:

“Our program provides outdoor learning experiences that can’t be found in a classroom for school groups. Learning takes place through exploration and inquiry in the forests, canyons, and streams of beautiful Camp McDowell. Participants are immersed in the beauty and splendor of nature, thereby learning the importance of taking care of the environment. We introduce them to problem-solving, team building, and ways we can make the world a better place.”

Students who chose to not attend the trip volunteered to help with cleaning and organizing. They helped with our Upper building, the Drama classroom, and with props and costumes from the play. They also assisted lower elementary students with reading, had an extra Art class, did a special activity in Library and Foreign Language, and spent time together in a relaxed, small group setting.

Before we left for the trip, students worked on creating their own island in Culture. They must take many different island characteristics into consideration, including shelter, and food sources, among other things. We also had a very important lesson prior to our trip: identifying the poison ivy plant.

Reminders for the week and near future:

• Science Fair assignment #3 due for 5th and 6th year on April 19th
• Peace Ceremony, April 21st
• Science Fair final presentation board due  April 24 (4th-6th)
• Science Fair parent presentations, April 26th, 1:00-2:30; open house style
• Standardized testing for Upper Elementary May 4th, 5th, 10th, 11th, and 12th in the morning.
  • Please make your best effort to ensure your child is present during these days.
• Art Show and Spring Performance, the evening of May 8th
• Field Day, May 22nd
• The last day of school is May 25th; dismissal is at 1:00

Culture Island

While Coach Was Away On The Middle School Trip…

Camp McDowell Trip

“Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.” Benjamin Franklin

While we always have a great experiences in Upper Elementary, this week came with many great experiences! Students from K-8th grades rotated around campus for STEAM Day. Parents from our community volunteered their time to speak to students about their career, why they love it, and patiently answered questions from students. Students (and teachers) greatly enjoyed everything parents had to offer in their presentations. Students are already looking forward to STEAM Day next year!

Reminders:

• No School Monday, April 10th
• Unit 15 vocabulary test on Tuesday, April 11th
• Camp McDowell trip April 12th-14th
• Science Fair assignment #3 due for 5th and 6th year on April 17th
• Peace Ceremony, April 21st
• Science Fair final presentation board due (4th-6th) April 24
• Science Fair parent presentations, April 26th in the afternoon
• Standardized testing for Upper May 4th, 5th, 10th, 11th, 12th.
• Art Show and Spring Performance, May 8th

Outdoor Fun

STEAM Day

Classroom Learning and Work Cycle

It was a great week to welcome Spring! During the work cycle this week, students continued their Pi and polygon studies by measuring “human polygons.” Students created groups of 3-5, measured each “side” in inches and centimeters, then calculated the perimeter of the polygon they created. We will continue more work on this when we return from Spring Break. Students also spent time during our work cycle finishing and editing the stories they started in Junior Great Books. This led to a cool end to the week- The Upper Cafe, where students read their stories, or read for a friend, while sipping on a drink with a sweet treat. It was an excellent way to end the week!

Ramadan Mubarak to our Upper Elementary families observing.

Reminders:

• Our Spring Break is March 27th-31st. The school will be closed!
• STEAM Day is April 4th
• No school on Monday, April 10th
• Our trip to Camp McDowell is from April 12th-14th
• Science Fair is on April 26th

Human Polygons and Work Cycle

The Upper Cafe

What an exciting week that was had in upper elementary! Pi Day was used as the theme of the week as students explored polygons, parts of a polygon, and measuring polygons. As the week progressed, students learned how measuring a circle is different than a polygon and why it is measured differently.

We also had a visit from local author Dr. Anita Saxena, who spoke about the inspiration and process behind her books, The Price of Ice and Double Axel or Nothing. Dr. Saxena is also an optometrist and competitive ice skater, who shared her struggles growing up and how she used writing as an outlet.

In Science, students began the experiment for the Science Fair. Fourth-year students collected data on the growth of their plants, that are simulating a microgravity environment or a few varieties of gravity. The plant growth already showed differences, and students will gather their final measurements, data, and observations to analyze the results. Students in Junior Great Books have been composing a fiction story, focusing on the development of the different elements of story writing. Next week students will share their final stories with one another.

Congratulations to the cast and crew of Peter Pan! Students worked tirelessly to perfect their performance, and it was an amazing production. Thank you to all staff and parents who helped make the play such a success!

Reminders:

• Vocabulary unit 14 is due on March 20th. The test will be on March 24th.
• 4th-year only: Assignment #2 for the Science Fair is due on Friday, March 24th.
• .Progress reports will be sent on March 22nd
• Our Spring Break is March 27th-31st. The school will be closed!
• No school on Monday, April 10th
• Our trip to Camp McDowell is from April 12th-14th. Please return the forms and payment asap.
• A list of Summer Camps that will be offered by Bruno’s staff during the summer break has been released.

Polygons and Pi’s

Author Visit

Science Experiment: Growing Plants in a Microgravity Environment

Beautiful Weather, Beautiful Campus

Daily Work Cycle

St. Patrick’s Day

We had many activities packed into one week! The week began with move-up day, where the 3rd-year students joined upper elementary for the morning work cycle. Our upper elementary ambassadors acted as great hosts welcoming and assisting 3rd-year students as they navigated our work environment. We enjoyed their visit! Our 6th-year students will join the middle school for their move-up day on Tuesday, March 14th.

On Tuesday, we joined the 3rd-year students and middle school for a field trip to see the Birmingham Squadron basketball team play the Santa Cruz Warriors. Students from different area schools also joined us to celebrate the second annual Literacy Day event. What could make this day more exciting? The Squadron won!

The rest of our week continued as normal. Some students enjoyed visiting the Book Fair while others were wrapping up final rehearsals for the Peter Pan play. Students in Geography continued their trading game in different time periods. Students in 6th history wrapped up their studies on WWII by giving presentations on their research on different aspects of the war.

Students recently brought home information regarding Heart Heros. Please consider donating to this organization and looking into Hands-Only CPR. This fundraiser will run from March 6th-17th.

If you are a STEAM professional and are interested in volunteering to be a guest speaker for Bruno’s STEAM day on April 4th, please email Ms. Chris. (STEAM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math). 

Reminders:

• The rescheduled move-up day for all 6th-year will be on Tuesday, March 14th
• Vocabulary unit 14 is due on March 20th. The test will be on March 24th.
• Assignment #2 for the Science Fair is due on Wednesday, March 15th (5th and 6th-year only).
• Progress reports will be sent on March 22nd
• Our Spring Break is March 27th-31st. School will be closed!
• No school on Monday, April 10th
• Our trip to Camp McDowell is from April 12th-14th. Please return the forms and payment.

Move-up Day and Birmingham Squadron Field Trip

More Fun Times

Students in Upper Elementary wrapped up February by preparing and practicing their materials for Parent’s Night. We entered March continuing our regular work cycle and routine before we head into another busy week.

Reminders:

• The Book Fair will be held in the library all next week.
• Monday, March 6th, will be a move-up day for all students regardless of enrollment status for 2023-2024.
• Vocabulary unit 13 is due on Monday and the test will be on Friday.
• Tuesday we have a field trip to see the Birmingham Squadron basketball game.
• The Peter Pan play is next Friday and Saturday, March 10th and 11th, at 6:30.
• No school for Spring break March 27th-31st

Upper Elementary Parent’s Night

Thank you to our Upper Elementary family members who attended Tuesday evening. Students worked hard to prepare their lessons so that they were aptly prepared to present their work to their own families and any other interested party. We hope everyone enjoyed visiting as much as we enjoyed hosting!

Enjoying the Outside

Short school weeks don’t slow down our learning in upper elementary! Like every week, we continue our Positive Discipline meetings to support social and emotional growth in individual students and the upper elementary community. Students make thoughtful and meaningful contributions to our discussions, and we have seen positive results in our culture throughout the school year.

Students in Science turned in their first assignment for the Science Fair project. They’ve been exploring the Scientific Method, how it is used professionally, and how it will be used in our classroom. Next week we will begin preparing materials to start our experiment in the classroom. The problem question for our classroom experiment (and the 4th-year Science Fair topic) is, “How does microgravity affect plant growth?” Information for all upper elementary levels is posted on Google Classroom, under Science.

Students in Geography have been exploring continental US time zones and the layout of the world based on a game. The objective is to gain control of different countries through import, export, and other relations. They will continue exploring the game through next week.

Students in 6th-grade history continue to explore WWII. This week they viewed a video of a Holocaust survivor speaking about their experience in the Auschwitz concentration camp and how they were able to escape. Students also explored other events and real journal entries surrounding the Holocaust time period.

Students in Culture are exploring early China, including dynasties, and the three early philosophies that influenced Chinese culture (Confucianism, Taoism, and Legalism). Next week they will further explore each philosophy, including infamous Confuscious quotes.

In Foreign Language, Ms. Carmen guided middle school students through research on Carnevale, an annual celebration in Italy, which is similar to French Mardi Gras. Middle school students then gave presentations to upper elementary students on their research about Carnevale.

Thank you to our PTO members and families who assisted with and donated to the auction! A special thank you to our room parent Gisela for organizing the upper elementary’s Game Night basket. Also, a special thank you to upper elementary parents, owners of Jubilee Joe’s, and PTO president Sharmeen and her husband Kashif for organizing and graciously hosting this fundraising event. A great variety of items were donated to the auction and dinner at Jubilee Joe’s was amazing! Any money raised is a success, and our small community always comes together to generously support our school. If you or your company ever feel the need to donate to our school, our 40th Anniversary Fundraiser is still open, or you can send a check directly to the PTO itself. To stay updated with PTO discussions, you can look at their PTO minutes.

Reminders:

• The vocabulary review unit is due on Monday and the test will be on Friday, March 3rd.
• Vocabulary unit 13 will be due next Monday, March 6th. 
• Parent’s Night is on Tuesday, February 28th.
• Return field trip permission forms asap. We will see a Birmingham Squadron game on Tuesday, March 7th, and the cost is $35. 
• All Science Fair information and resources are posted on Google Classroom under the Science section. Any information or resources missed in class will be posted in a timely manner for makeup or reference. 
• The 6th-year WWII History project is due Tuesday, March 7th. Presentations will be on Thursday, March 8th. 
• The Peter Pan play will be on March 10th and 11th at 6:30. 
• Congratulations to our upper elementary basketball team for a great season and for placing 3rd in the league’s division! 

Despite the crazy weather this week, students in upper elementary had a great week! Students in Geography studied hard and competed in the final round for the countries of Asia Geography Bee. Our class did a nice job of cheering each other on. Students in 6th-year History have been exploring the Navajo language in an activity to use clues to decipher a code, just as the Navajo Talkers did during WWII. We cannot forget the fun we had on Valentine’s Day. Students enjoyed a morning of games together, exchanging cards, and enjoyed a few treats at lunch.

Reminders:

• No school on Monday, February 20th, in observance of President’s Day
• The vocabulary review unit is due on Tuesday, February 21st
  • The vocabulary review unit test will be on Friday, March 3rd
• The PTO Dinner and Auction is on Thursday, February 23rd
• Parent’s Night is on Tuesday, February 28th
• Our field trip to see the Birmingham Squadron is on Tuesday, March 7th
  • Please return permission slips and payment
• The Peter Pan play will be on March 10th and 11th

Student’s enjoyed the nice weather this week and were able to spend more time enjoying the fresh air. We continue to use Positive Discipline strategies in our classroom to maintain a positive culture and relationships in our upper elementary community. Our morning meetings allow open discussion of issues affecting students, then students vote on a strategy to help resolve the issue. Our students have continuously offered well-thought solutions for resolution.

In 5th-year history, the class has been exploring the Revolutionary War. This week, students discussed the Boston Tea Party, then made “tea crates” as a STEM extension. The objective was for the crate to float and keep the tea bag dry. Ask your 5th-year student what happened to the crate they constructed. In Geography, students have been studying the countries of Asia and are in the final round of the Asian Geography Bee.

Reminders:

• Vocabulary unit 12 is due Monday and the test is on Friday, February 17th.
  • The next vocabulary unit is a review unit. It will be due Tuesday, February 21st, and the test on Friday, March 3rd.
• Tuesday is Valentine’s Day. More info in our class email.
• No school on Monday, February 20th, in observance of Presidents Day.
• The PTO Dinner Fundraiser and Silent Auction are on Thursday, February 23rd.
  • Link to purchase tickets
• Parent’s Night is on Tuesday, February 28th.
• Please return field trip permission slips and payment to see the Birmingham Squadron basketball team in March.

Cold, rainy days kept us inside most of the week, but that didn’t hinder our learning inside! We made some changes to our afternoon classes, mixing up individuals in groups for Culture, Geography, and Science. One of the staples of a Montessori classroom is having students in a 3-year cycle within the same plane of development, which in upper elementary is 9-12 years old. Dr. Maria Montessori stated, “The main thing is that the groups should contain different ages because it has a great influence on the cultural development of the child. This is obtained by the relations of the children among themselves.” She also stated, “Our schools have shown how children of different ages help one another. The younger ones watch what the older ones are doing and ask all kinds of questions, and the older ones explain. This is really useful teaching, for the way that a five-year-old interprets and explains things is so much nearer than ours to the mind of a child of three that the little ones learn easily, whereas we would scarcely be able to get through to him. There is harmony and communication between them that is not possible between an adult and such a young child. There is a natural mental osmosis between them. A child of three is also quite capable of taking an interest in the work of a five-year-old because, in fact, the difference in their abilities is not that great.” Although she specifically mentions 3 and 5-year-olds, the same interactions and relationships occur at each plane of development (elementary 6-9 and 9-12). We’re thankful we were able to rearrange our schedule to fulfill Dr. Montessori’s philosophy.

Reminders:

• Unit 11 vocabulary is due Monday, February 6th and the test will be on Friday, February 10th.
  • Unit 12 vocabulary will be due on Monday, February 13th.
• No school on Monday, February 20th, in observance of President’s Day.
• The PTO Dinner Fundraiser and Auction is Thursday, February 23rd.
• Parent’s Night is Tuesday, February 28th.
• The Science Fair project will be due on April 18th, and parents can visit on the afternoon of April 19th. An information packet will be sent home next week.

Monday was a day to observe Martin Luter King, Jr., therefore it was a short school week. The rainy weather at the beginning of the week brought us beautiful weather by the end of the week. Students were able to spend some time in our outdoor theatre for a Geography lesson. There are some great pictures of upper elementary students posted on Facebook and Instagram, on our school page. If you are not following our school on one of these social media platforms, it’s another great way to stay updated and see other pictures of our daily school life.

In foreign language, Ms. Carmen has been exploring the Chinese culture and language, to align with the Chinese New Year. The Chinese New Year is January 22, and it is the year of the rabbit. We are fortunate to have Ms. Carmen with us, as she spent several years living in China and therefore had an authentic experience with the Chinese culture and language. Ms. Carmen also fluently speaks German and Italian. Her native country is Italy, where she still has family, and she has also lived in Germany, which is her husband’s native country. Her worldly experiences bring so much to our foreign language program.

Reminders:

• The vocabulary review unit 7-9 test will be on Friday, January 27th.
• The unit 10 vocabulary work will be due on Monday, January 30th.
• No school Monday, February 20th, in observance of President’s Day
• There will be an upper elementary science fair on the afternoon of Wednesday, April 19th. Parents will be invited to attend. More information to follow for project guidelines.

Things around Bruno didn’t miss a beat as we returned from our break. Students are back to their daily routines, work cycles, and extracurriculars. We’ve helped students to prioritize their work plans and to manage time so they can make the most of their work cycle and progression.

In the pictures below, you will see a few examples of voting during our morning meeting time, and this is an example of how we use Positive Discipline in our class. Positive Discipline is a Montessori approach that teaches students self-discipline and problem-solving skills. In our classroom, we have the “Grievance Goblet,” effectively named by our students. Students write down concerns, problems, or areas that need improvement and place it in the goblet. We discuss a concern during our meeting, students share how they’ve been affected by it, offer solutions, then vote on how we as a whole can use that solution to make our school culture improve. This positive guidance has helped students to be more aware of their responsibilities as a citizen and has had a major impact on building positive relationships in our classroom this year.

Reminders:

• No school on Monday in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr.
• The vocabulary review unit, 7-9, is due on Tuesday, January 17th.
  • The vocabulary review unit test will be on Friday, January 27th.
• Progress reports for the 2nd quarter will be sent on Tuesday, January 17th.
• Extracurriculars are in full swing! In the morning, please remind your child if they have an activity after school that day.

Welcome to 2023 and the second half of our school year! Our short week became unexpectedly shorter, but it gave students enough time to catch up with their friends. During our Tuesday morning meeting, each student shared how they spent their winter break, and it was interesting to hear what each individual thought was the best part of their break. Students were straight back to work in each subject area and fell back into their routine during our morning work cycle.

Things are also getting back into full swing with extra-curricular activities. Ms. Melanie has sent emails regarding several clubs, the Peter Pan play, and spring soccer. It’s not too late to join any club. If your child auditioned for Peter Pan, be sure to check your email for casting and the practice schedule.

Reminders:

• Vocabulary unit 9 is due Monday, 1/9, and the test is on Friday, 1/13
• Vocabulary review units 7-9 will be due on Tuesday, 1/17.
• If your child is in an extracurricular activity, please double-check dates and times and be sure to communicate to your child where they should go at dismissal each day.
• No school on Monday, January 16th, in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr.
• January 17th- Second quarter progress reports are released.

It has been an incredible first half of the school year! Our school has had a hectic past two weeks, but we made it to the end of 2022! In Science, students wrapped up the Zoology unit with an assignment that leads into the next unit- Earth, Planets, and Space. Students used the characteristics of insects for inspiration to design an extraterrestrial robot that can survive the conditions of Mars. Students viewed images of NASA robots where scientists used insects as inspiration for the design and function. Students made some amazing designs!

We wrapped up the end of our week with our First Annual Upper Elementary Holiday Feast, and it was a huge success! Students enjoyed an extended lunch with many different dishes, sides, and desserts. They enjoyed a laidback lunch, talking with one another, and sampling a variety of dishes. Thank you to everyone who sent in dishes and especially to our volunteers who spent hours setting up and cleaning up. The feast was a bigger success than we had hoped for, and your participation helped make it a great memory for your children. We’re looking forward to making this an upper elementary tradition each holiday season! On our final day of 2022, we enjoyed a movie, games, and pajama day. Thanks to our room parent, students were able to enjoy hot chocolate, popcorn, cookies, and other leftover desserts from our feast. It was a well-deserved relaxing day for students to enjoy one another’s company while getting to explore different games too.

The past several weeks have gone beautifully, despite the many changes and alterations to our daily schedules for different activities. Students stepped up and completed the work they needed to, while also staying focused on the many other activities and events that have been happening within our school. The upper elementary has ended 2022 on a high note, and there’s no doubt students will continue to rise as 2023 begins.

Thank you to all parents and family members for the support you’ve offered to the upper elementary. As a small school, the more involvement from families we have, the more successful students will be. We cannot say thank you enough for putting your utmost trust in us to guide your children through their upper elementary journey. We wish all of you a safe holiday break, rest, and a memorable time with your families.

We look forward to students returning on Tuesday, January 3rd, 2023!

This week was packed with a lot of activities and events! Upper elementary started the week by practicing with Mr. Jonathan for the holiday concert and a visit from St. Nikolaus. Ms. Carmen has been leading presentations on the German tradition of St. Nikolaus, which is celebrated on December 6th. Students also visited the middle school holiday store, practiced more for the holiday concert, and had a field trip to Birmingham’s Children’s Theatre to see The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe. Thursday evening the Upper Elementary represented themselves well with an excellent performance of The Twelve Days of Christmas and Silent Night (in English, sign language, and German). Everyone was quite impressed with their performance, as well as all of the other levels! Great job students!

Reminders:

• Return any school picture orders asap.
• Thursday, December 15th, will be our First Annual Upper Elementary Holiday Feast. Please cancel your child’s lunch for this day. Gisela, our room parent, has sent an email with more information and sign-ups for food.
• Friday, December 16th, 1:00 dismissal and no aftercare.
  • This will be a pajama, board game, and movie day. Lunch is normal.
• Students return to school as normal on Tuesday, January 3rd, 2023.

Can you believe it’s already December? Students continue to stay busy and engaged in lessons throughout the week. In Junior Great Books, students are wrapping up The Mixed Up World of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler and will be presenting their projects on December 13th and 14th. Geography students continue to make educated decisions regarding their businesses and the stock market, and some are learning real-life lessons about taking big risks, versus playing it safe. The ancient colony of Harapu is still an ongoing interesting topic in Cultural. In Science, students are wrapping up the end of the Zoology unit with discussions on animal adaptations and needs.

We have a lot of great events coming up, so keep checking your email and calendar so nothing slips by:

• Vocabulary Unit 7 is due on Monday, December 5th. The test will be on Friday, December 9th.
• Return any school picture orders asap.
• Students should bring in a clean shoe on Monday, December 5th, so St. Nikolaus can leave a German treat that evening.
• Our class will visit the Middle School Holiday store on Tuesday, December 6th. More information in an email.
• We have a field trip to the Birmingham Children’s Theatre on Thursday, December 8th. Please return permission slips and payment.
• The Holiday Concert is also on Thursday, December 8th. Friends and family may all attend at 6:30.
  • Information about student attire in an email.
• Thursday, December 15th will be our First Annual Upper Elementary Holiday Feast! Please cancel your child’s lunch order for this day. Gisela, our room parent, has sent an email with more information.
• Friday, December 16th, 1:00 dismissal and no aftercare.
  • Students may wear pajamas on this day.
  • This will be a game and movie day with a normal lunch day.
• Students return to school as normal on Tuesday, January 3rd, 2023!

Student’s worked hard this week to get lessons and work accomplished before we departed for Thanksgiving break. Students continued studying the stock market, how bills and laws are created, WWI, Star Girl and The Westing Game novel studies, practicing for the Holiday Celebration, colonization role-plays, animal needs, and writing letters of gratitude, among many other interesting activities and topics.

Thank you to all of the families who donated food to our annual food drive. Your contributions will help assist many families in the Birmingham area!

Reminders:

• Vocabulary unit 7 will be due on Monday, December 5th. The test will be on Friday, December 9th.
• The Holiday Celebration is on Thursday, December 8th. More information sent by email.
• Our last day of school before the winter break will be Friday, December 16th.
  • We have a 1:00 dismissal and no aftercare.
  • We will have a class holiday celebration on December 16th. More information to come.
• Students return to school on Tuesday, January 3rd.
• There is no school Monday, January 16th, in observance of MLK.

Another short, yet meaningful week is in the books! We had some unexpected changes to our schedule that allowed for some extra time outside and extra lessons inside. In Culture, Mr. Fox has students interested in the ancient cities of Mohenjo-Darro and Harappa, and in 5th-year History, he has students working on an early-American colonization project. Ms. Sandy has been focusing on social and emotional learning discussions based on readings during Junior Great Books. In Geography, Mr. Zech has introduced students to the stock market, guiding them to mock buy and sell. In Science, Ms. Leeann has been presenting on how animals satisfy their needs. In 6th-year History, she invited students to share information or artifacts about a Veteran in their life and discussed the meaning and importance of Veterans Day.

To all of the Veterans and active duty members of our Bruno Montessori community- Thank you for your service and commitment to our country!

Reminders:

• The vocabulary unit review test will be Friday, November 18th.
  • There will not be another vocabulary assignment until after we return from the Thanksgiving break.
• Our school is collecting food donations for the Catholic Center of Concern food pantry. Upper Elementary has been assigned canned vegetables. Please send any donation by Thursday, November 17th.
• No school November 21st-25th for Thanksgiving break.
• There will be a Holiday Celebration Concert on Thursday, December 8th, at 6:30. Primary-Middle school will be performing that evening. More details to come soon from Mr. Jonathan.

What a fun day we had on Halloween! Students came dressed in their coolest and most creative costumes. After our parade on the track, we spent the day with many options for a free choice day. We had a variety of board games, a movie, a craft, and other types of games. A big thank you to our room parent, Lena’s mom Gisela, for organizing and providing our special lunch and treats for the day!

Reminders:

• The vocabulary review unit is due on Monday. The test will be on Friday, November 18th.
• No school on Friday, November 11th, in observance of Veteran’s Day.
• No school November 21st-25th for Thanksgiving break.

Congratulations to all of the cast and crew of James and the Giant Peach! Students put on an amazing show, and that’s because of the hard work they put in over months of practicing after school. Thank you to all parents who assisted with the production, waited in the carline to pick up after practice, and attended the show- you all helped make the production the amazing event it turned out to be. We also can’t forget to thank Ms. Kimberly, Mr. Jonathan, and Mr. Dana for all of their effort to make the play a special event for our community.

We started our week with a Diwali celebration. A few of our students gave a presentation on the Diwali holiday, explaining what it is and why it is an important holiday in India. During lunch, we enjoyed some traditional treats from the Indian culture.

In Culture, Mr. Fox introduced an ancient Egyptian game called Senet, which is the earliest form of a board game. The board and instructions have been found in Egyptian tombs and there is a drawing of royalty playing the game. Students have been enjoying the game and have been choosing to play it during their free choice time.

In science, Ms. Leeann led an experiment for students to investigate the purpose of a spine in vertebrates. Students used playdoh to make two, four-legged animals; one vertebrate and one invertebrate. Students used toothpicks to represent a spine and internal skeletal system in the vertebrate animal. They then reported their observations as blocks were added to the top of each animal.

Reminders for the week and near future:

• The Halloween parade will be on Monday at 9:00 on the track. Families are welcome to attend.
• Permission slips to watch a movie on Monday need to be signed and returned by Monday.
  • If you haven’t, please send in $5 for the pizza party and treats on Monday.
  • Don’t forget to cancel any school-purchased lunches for Monday.
• The vocabulary review unit will be due on Monday, November 7th.
• The vocabulary review unit test will be on Friday, November 18th.
• An email has been sent with a sign-up link for conferences for November 1st-November 7th.
• No school for all levels on Friday, November 11th, in observance of Veteran’s Day.

We had a lot of activities packed into one week. The Fall Festival was a huge hit! Thank you to the students and families who were able to attend and who supported the event. Students reported they had so much fun! Mr. Fox, Mr. Zech, Mr. Dana, and Mr. Jonathan were great sports for agreeing to sit in the dunk tank and students were excited to have a chance to “dunk” them. A big thank you to our upper elementary room parent, Gisela, for managing yet another wonderful Fall Festival. Also, a big thanks to all of the families and staff who helped organize, set/clean up, and oversee activities for everyone to enjoy.

Primary through middle school were fortunate to view a rehearsal of the play, James and the Giant Peach. About half of our upper elementary class is in the play, and they performed fantastically. Students who watched their classmates perform watched respectively and were supportive of their friend’s performances. Students who were not part of the rehearsal remained in class and we hosted a tap in/out improv. This week we also had a second picture day, due to last week’s scheduled day being postponed due to rain. Everyone smiled bright and cheery for our class photo and their individual shots.

We continue to promote positive discipline as a part of our school and class culture. Mr. Fox has been heading our Compassion Cube and Grievance Gobblet. Students have been responding well to complimenting and thanking one another in the Compassion Cube. Students have been coming up with great solutions during our morning meeting in regards to the problems placed in the Grievance Goblet.

Reminders for the week and shortly beyond:

• Vocabulary unit 6 is due this Monday and the test will be on Friday, 10/28.
• The book fair will take place October 24th-28th. Wish lists have been sent home.
• Look for an e-mail coming soon about parent/teacher conferences.
• Please send in $5 for the Halloween Party lunch and treats. If you will be packing your child’s lunch instead, please let us know via email.
• There will be a Halloween parade on October 31st, at 9:00, on the track. Families are invited to attend.
  • Primary and Toddler parade will be at 9:30 in front of their buildings, on the carline circle.
• No school on Friday, November 11th, in observance of Veteran’s Day.
  • No School Friday, November 4th for Toddlers and Primary only.

We had another short, packed week! Students arrived at school looking their best for picture day. Unfortunately, because of a crummy weather day, we had to reschedule pictures but that means we get to see your children looking their best twice! In 5th History, students created dioramas depicting Native American life. Some examples of the tribes students chose to model their dioramas after are Apache, Inuit, Sioux, Pala, Shawnee, Nez Perce, Blackfoot, Hopi, Chickasaw, Cherokee, and Navajo. It’s great to see how students chose different ways of modeling daily life for their chosen tribe. Geography class hosted a “Rock” Concert this week. Students brought in rocks from home, presented the characteristics of the rock, and then worked to identify the type of rock based on it its characteristics. Even though we had some rainy weather at the beginning of the week, we were still able to spend time outside, enjoying the fall weather.

Reminders for the week and month:

• The Fall Festival is this Sunday, October 16th.
  • There will be a dunking booth where the students can purchase tickets for an opportunity to get some of their favorite teachers and staff wet (wink, wink to upper elementary students).
  • There will also be an opportunity to purchase ornaments, plates, and mugs students can create from Do It Yourself crafts.
  • The admission fee is a food item donation.
• Picture Day for our class and siblings has been rescheduled for Thursday, October 20th.
• Vocabulary unit 5 will be due Monday, October 17th. The test will be on Friday, October 21st.
• The Fall play, James and the Giant Peach, is Friday, October 21st, at 6:30 PM. Free to attend.
• The Book Fair will be the week of October 24th.
• There will be a Halloween parade on October 31st, at 9:00, on the track. Families are invited to attend.

It may have been a short week, but it was a great week! In music class, Mr. Jonathan had students choose a musician or band, conduct research, write a narrative, and give a presentation for a Living Museum. Students worked hard to research information, practice their public speaking skills and were creative in how they dressed up. It was impressive to watch them give their presentations!

We’ve also instituted a system of acknowledging acts of kindness. Students have appropriately named the box the Compassion Cube. Compliments are written by someone who received or witnessed an act of kindness, then submit them to the box. Compliments are read anonymously during our morning meeting each day.

Reminders for the week and month:

• There is no school Friday, October 7th, and Monday the 10th, for Fall break.
• The 5th-year history diorama is due Tuesday, October 11th.
• Picture Day for upper elementary is Thursday, October 13th.
• Vocabulary unit 4 test will be Friday, October 14th.
• Vocabulary unit 5 will be due Monday, October 17th.
• The Fall Festival is on Sunday, October 16th.
  • This year there will be a dunking booth where the students can purchase tickets for an opportunity to get some of their favorite teachers and staff wet. 
  • There will also be an opportunity to purchase ornaments, plates, and mugs that they can create from Do It Yourself crafts.
  • More information will be sent out next week.
• The Fall play, James and the Giant Peach, is Friday, October 21st, at 6:30 PM.
• The Book Fair will be the week of October 24th.
• There will be a Halloween parade on October 31st, at 9:00, on the track. Families are invited to attend.

Everyone enjoy the Fall break with your family! We will see you back on Tuesday, October 11th.