Bruno Upper EL Classroom

Recently, many exciting events have taken place in Upper Elementary. Students worked hard to prepare a lesson for Parents’ Night, and we appreciate everyone who was able to attend! The students were thrilled to showcase what they had learned to their families and guests. Following Parents’ Night, students began reviewing their notebooks to select their best work for their portfolios. They have been completing rubrics for their chosen pieces and are eager to present them during their student-led parent conferences.

As we begin the fourth quarter, students continue to receive lessons in language and math, pushing ahead as much as possible before it’s time to wrap up the school year. Students have been reading their Book Club selections while working on portfolios and rubrics. In this quarter, the 5th-year students will lead the Book Club meetings, with support from the 6th-year students. This collaboration exemplifies the benefits of Montessori’s mixed-age classrooms, where older, more experienced students can mentor younger classmates, helping to prepare them for future leadership roles.

Reminders:

• The vocabulary review unit is due Monday, 4/7, and the test will be on 4/25 (notice the extra gap in time).
  • Orange book- spelling is included in the review unit test
  • Robotic students in Iowa- vocab can be turned in on 4/9, if needed. 
• Book Club chapters are due each Thursday. 
  • 5th-year group leaders need to have it read and questions ready by Wednesday.
• Student-led conferences are on Thursday, the 10th, and Friday, the 11th
  • Both days have a 1:00 PM dismissal, and aftercare will not be available
• Finding Nemo performance is on 4/11
• The forms for the McDowell Environmental Center are due this Friday, the 11th
• The Spring Festival is on 4/13
• The Country Study presentations will be on April 14th and 15th. 
• The McDowell Environmental Center trip is from April 16th to 18th.
• Standardized testing is from April 28th to May 2nd. 
  • Please do not schedule appointments before noon this week. If it is necessary, contact us. 
• STEAM Day is May 5th

The US Open for VEXIQ Robotics, Iowa

Robotics team CoolFast (1932B) was invited to participate in the VEXIQ Robotics US Open in Iowa, along with elementary teams from all over the US, China, Canada, the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Paraguay, and several countries in Southeast Asia. Competing against 50 top teams worldwide, they placed 20th overall in teamwork and 40th in skills. Congratulations to team CoolFast- Aric, Charlie, Parker, and Sam! Also, congratulations to Arjun, a CoolFast team member, whose family could not attend the trip to Iowa.

March has been a busy month at Bruno! Last week, students visited the Legacy Arena to watch the Birmingham Squadron defeat the Delaware Blue Coats. Everyone enjoyed cheering for the Squadron, trying to catch T-shirts, and having a wonderful time! After returning to school, students explored the Book Fair and bought books filled with new adventures waiting to be discovered. In the classroom, students researched the countries chosen for their country projects and submitted their papers for the first part of the assignment. Sixth-grade students presented their projects on World War II and shared their studies of Greek gods.

Last weekend, our Bruno Robotics teams, YeeTurtle and CoolFast, were invited to compete in the VEX IQ Robotics Competition for the Alabama State Championship. The teams finished in 11th and 37th place! Congratulations to the upper students on the team!

This past week, students began practicing their lessons for Parent’s Night. They meticulously set up their space and prepared a script. They started practicing their lessons to showcase on Tuesday evening. Finally, Friday evening featured the Emerald City Ball dance. It was hosted by the Middle School students, who planned and executed every detail of the dance, which served as a fundraiser for their annual spring trip. Families from toddlers to middle school attended, making it a fantastic community celebration.

Reminders:

• Vocabulary unit 15 is due Monday, 3/17, and the test will be on Friday, 3/21
• Parent’s Night is Tuesday, 3/18. For planning purposes, please let us know if your child will not be attending. 
• Spring break is 3/24 to 3/28
• The Country project is due Monday, April 14th
• The McDowell Environmental Center trip is April 16th-18th
• Enrollment will close soon, so if you have not, please log in to FACTS and reregister your child. 

At the end of February, Bruno students engaged in several activities! Upper students were responsible for organizing the Peace Ceremony and shared this responsibility with the Middle School. Students focused on the “Peace and Harmony” theme and wrote haikus reflecting their thoughts on peace. The Upper students nominated and voted for the haiku that they believed best represented the theme, and the chosen students read their haikus during the ceremony. Ms. Janelle coordinated a performance where students sang a song about peace, which they practiced in music class and delivered beautifully.

This week, Bruno hosted Grandparents’ Day, which is traditionally celebrated with toddlers and primary students. However, we expanded the event to include Lower through Middle grades this year. We are excited about this decision, as students, their friends, and staff enjoyed meeting and spending time with grandparents. The event began in the gym, where the students treated grandparents to performances of the Peace Ceremony songs. Afterward, student ambassadors guided the grandparents to their grandchildren’s classrooms, where they enjoyed seeing their work, chatting with their grandchildren’s friends, and exploring the campus. Any grandparents unable to attend are welcome to join us for Parent’s Night on March 18th.

This week, students completed their reading for the Book Club. Each group held a final discussion about the events leading up to the conclusion, shared their opinions on the ending, explored any underlying meanings, and discussed how they might change the story’s ending. Their book reports are due Thursday, 3/13.

On Friday, Upper School students visited the Book Fair to create their wish lists for next week. They will return to the Book Fair to purchase books on Tuesday afternoon after we come back from the Squadron basketball game.

Reminders:

• The Book Fair is this week, from 3/3 to 3/7. Upper will make purchases on Tuesday afternoon.
• Vocabulary unit 14 is due Monday, 3/3, and the test will be on Friday, 3/7.
• Vocabulary unit 15 is due Monday, 3/17.
• The Squadron basketball field trip is on Tuesday, 3/4. Pack a bag lunch. The weekly email has more info.
• The written portion of the Country Studies is due on Friday, 3/7. Information in Google Classroom.
• 6th-year WWII projects are due Monday, 3/10
• The Book Club book reports are due on Thursday, 3/13
• The Middle School Dance is on Friday, 3/14. Ms. Hallie sent an email containing details.
• Parent’s Night is on Tuesday, 3/18
• Spring break is 3/24 to 3/28
• The Camp McDowell trip is from 4/16 to 4/18

This week in Upper, many exciting activities took place! Student ambassadors led “Be Kind” week. During our community meeting, the ambassadors addressed the importance of anti-bullying, brainstormed ways to promote kindness, and encouraged students to write notes of kindness for one another.

Throughout the work cycle, students participated in lessons on triangles, angles, and algebraic coordinates and practiced their multiplication facts. They also expanded their Spanish vocabulary using three-part cards and engaged in a cultural lesson about the moon’s phases.

In language class, students learned about adjectives and conjunctions, and they worked on creating peace and harmony haikus for next week’s Peace Ceremony. To wrap up the week, Upper celebrated Valentine’s Day with free choice time and exchanged Valentine’s cards with one another.

Reminders:

• No school on Monday, 2/17, in observance of President’s Day
• The vocabulary review unit test is on Friday, 2/21.
  • Vocabulary unit 13 is due on Monday, 2/24, and the test will be on Friday, 2/28.
• Monday, 2/24, is the Peace Ceremony and Celebration Rally
• A PTO fundraiser, Chick-fil-A Night (Greystone), will be held on Thursday, 2/27. Details to follow.
• All upper students’ country study research papers are due Friday, 3/7. Details are in Google Classroom.
• 6th-year WWII projects are due Monday, 3/10, and presentations are 3/10 and 3/11.
• School dance, hosted by Middle School, on Friday, 3/14

Punxsutawney Phil may have predicted six more weeks of winter, but this week felt more like spring! After being stuck inside for most of January, Upper students had the opportunity to spend more time outside this week. Inside, students received lessons on the point of view (first, second, and third person, singular and plural), simple vs compound sentences, multiplying fractions, square roots, conjunctions, and more. Students also had their weekly Book Club meeting to discuss the plot in their assigned chapters.

At the bottom of the page are more pictures of the last Robotics Competition, where teams placed 1st and 2nd. Both Bruno teams were invited to compete in the Alabama VEX-IQ state competition!

If your child participates in a Bruno activity, please email pictures to Upper@brunomontessori.org, and they will be posted on the Upper blog.

Reminders:

• Vocabulary unit review is due Monday, 2/10. The test will be Friday, 2/21
• February 10 to 14 is Be Kind Week, run by Student Ambassadors
• Friday, 2/14, we will exchange Valentine’s and play card games in the afternoon.
• No school on Monday, 2/17, in observance of President’s Day
• Monday, 2/24, is the Peace Ceremony and Celebration Rally
• A PTO fundraiser, Chick-fil-A Night (Greystone), will be held on Thursday, 2/27. Details to follow.
• The country study research paper is due Friday, 3/7, for all upper students. Details in Google Classroom.
• 6th-year WWII projects are due Monday, 3/10, and presentations are 3/10 and 3/11.
• School dance, hosted by Middle School, on Friday, 3/14

After having some unexpected days off for the winter weather, we finally had a whole week of school. Students continued to work on their work plans, balancing their areas of interest and necessary work. The Book Clubs had their first meeting to discuss the chapters they had read. Each group has different insights and opinions on the plot and characters. In Cultural, students were given their assigned countries to research and present for the Culture Fair. In 4th history, students finished discussing the Creek Indian War and the battles between the red and white sticks. The 5th-year history class is learning about taxes, and King Fox is taking his share from students. The 6th-year history class has been reading a nonfiction war diary by a young German girl who documented her life during WWI. This set the stage to begin discussing WWII.

Upper students have achieved many things in January. The previous blog post discussed the 6th-year students who attended JUNA. Pictures from JUNA are posted below. The VEX-IQ robotics teams placed 1st and 2nd in their most recent tournament. Both teams have qualified to compete in the AL State Finals! Congratulations to all the Upper students who are achieving great things, both in the classroom and extracurriculars!

Reminders:

• Vocabulary unit 12 will be due 2/3, and the test will be on 2/7
• Assigned Book Club chapters read by every Thursday
• No school on Monday, 2/17
• Peace Ceremony, hosted by Upper and Middle, 2/24

This week marked the first full week of the 2025 school year! Students began receiving new grammar, language, and math lessons, and the Book Clubs held their first meeting. In Cultural studies, students continued researching six countries of interest and then narrowed down their selections.

The sixth-year students who will be attending the Junior United Nations Assembly (JUNA) have been diligently working on their assignments. They are studying information about their respective countries and rehearsing their speeches. These students and middle school students will attend the JUNA of Alabama in Oxford on January 23rd and 24th under the guidance of Mr. Fox and Ms. Hallie. Last year, during Bruno’s inaugural year at JUNA, our students received multiple awards and honorable mentions. This year, our students will represent Bruno Montessori and honor Ms. Susan, the founder of JUNA and a board member.

At the bottom of the blog are pictures of how Upper students enjoyed their snow day! Also, there are pictures of Upper students at the most recent VEX IQ robotics competition and a picture of one of our Bruno basketball players.

Reminders:

• No vocabulary due this week, 1/21
• Assigned Book Club chapters read by every Thursday
• JUNA 1/23 and 1/24
• Vocabulary unit 11 will be due 1/27, and the test will be on 1/31
• No school on Monday, 2/17
• Peace Ceremony, 2/24

Welcome to 2025! Students returned to school on Tuesday and resumed their work routines. Although they were tired and missed their friends, they quickly got back on track with their studies. This year’s annual spring project was introduced, where upper school students research and present information about a specific country. In previous years, students have participated in a Science Fair and a Living Wax Museum. They have been given some class time to begin exploring the countries they might be interested in researching.

It was a chilly week! Since we couldn’t have recess on the playground, Coach D made sure the students could burn off their energy with various indoor PE games. With Monday being a professional development day for teachers and Friday a snow day, it turned out to be a short week!

Reminders:

• Vocabulary unit 10 is due Monday, 1/13, and the test will be on Friday, 1/17
• New Book Club books were assigned and must be read by Thursday, 1/16
• 6th year should have their Greek projects completed

Upper students ended the first half of the school year and the end of 2024 with a bang! Students continued working on their academic paths while new lessons slowed and wrapped up. In Cultural, students learned how to play the Jewish game Dreidel while learning about the Hanukkah holiday. Meanwhile, students practiced and prepared for the Winter Concert between work cycles, which they performed beautifully!

Several years ago, Mr. Zech built a trebuchet for an Upper lesson, but he found another way to incorporate it into STEM class! Students in the STEM class explored learning through the trebuchet, integrating elements of physics, engineering, and mathematics while examining the historical use of trebuchets.

Upper Elementary hosted the Third Annual Upper Elementary Holiday Feast. Everyone enjoyed a wide variety of food and desserts provided by Upper families. Students sat with friends and enjoyed an extended lunchtime, making it quality time between friends and classmates. Other staff and educators visited to say hello or enjoy a quick meal with the class. After the meal and cleanup, Mr. Zech performed one of his “professional stories” for the class, which is always a treat! On the final day of the 2024 school year, we celebrated with a pajama, games, and movie day!

The last two pictures are from a basketball game in which our Bruno Bears gave their best effort!

Thank you to all the families who provided something for the Upper Feast. The feast day is one of the students’ and Upper educators’ favorite days of the school year, and it would not have been a success without your support! An extra thank you to the parents who could come to the classroom and assist with the setup, serving, and clean-up, which also helped make the day possible. A special extra thank you to the Payton family, who all participated in the organization and delivery of the day!

As always, Upper Elementary students have been busy. However, as Thanksgiving, Winter break, and the end of the second quarter approach, introductions to new lessons have slowed somewhat. During the work cycle, students continue to work on their individual paths in math, language, and reading and will take math and reading assessments. Students have finished their Book Club books and enjoyed discussing their favorite scenes.

Before the Thanksgiving break, students enjoyed a wonderful lunch with middle school students. Chef Ken prepared a delicious Thanksgiving meal for those who ordered school lunches, making it a great opportunity to share a community meal together. Upper students also had the opportunity to create beautiful, fresh flower arrangements. Thanks to Upper mom, Ms. Vinita, students were able to bring their arrangements home in time to display for Thanksgiving.

Reminders:

• Vocabulary unit 9 is due on Monday, 12/9, and the test is on Friday, 12/13. That’s all for 2024! 
• Book Club book reports are due on 12/19. 
• The Upper Elementary Feast is on Wednesday, 12/18. Don’t order or pack a lunch on this day. An email will be coming from our room parent to coordinate 
• The Winter Concert is on 12/17—information in an email from Ms. Janelle. 
• Friday, 12/20, is a 1:00 dismissal, no aftercare.
  • It will be a pajamas, board games, and movie day. Lunch is normal. 

For Upper, October was a busy month, so students have enjoyed returning to the regular routine. In language arts, students have had lessons on sentence-by-purpose, active and linking verbs, sentence diagramming, sentence-by-structure, and paragraph essay structure. In math, students have received lessons on lines forming regions, decimal place values, test tube division, and parts of an angle. Prior lessons allow students to continue working independently on the skill set until they are ready for a lesson at the next level.
Students have shown a recent interest in the pin maps. There is a control map that students use to identify the countries of a continent by marking it with a label pin. Maria Montessori’s philosophy was to follow the child, and since there was a lot of interest in pin maps, the cultural class shifted focus to maps. Students discussed latitude, longitude, the International Date Line, the Prime Meridian, and other notable global features. In science class, students have been exploring the periodic table of elements, how the table is organized, what the information for individual elements refers to, and how to find a specific element.

Reminders:

• School is closed the week of Thanksgiving. 
• The Winter Concert is on Tuesday, December 17th at 7:00 PM. Ms. Janelle will email details for the evening. 
• Our 3rd Annual Holiday and Cultural Feast is scheduled for Wednesday, December 18th. Do not order a school lunch for this day. More details will be sent at the beginning of December. 
• December 20th is a 1:00 PM dismissal and no aftercare. We will have a game, movie, and snacks day with a regular lunch. 

The end of October has been a busy time for Upper Elementary! Students wrapped up organizing their portfolios for their parent conferences. As they led their conferences, students proudly showcased their best work to present to their parents. Students discussed highlights of their first quarter, areas where improvements are needed, and goals they set for themselves. It was great watching students learn to self-reflect on their academics and take ownership of their academic path for the second quarter.

Thanks to our supportive community, the Fall Festival was a big hit, and the PTO exceeded its fundraising goal! Thank you to all of our sponsors for your support! Upper Elementary’s Gru pumpkin won the popular vote and will receive a donut reward from the PTO.

Following the festival, on Monday morning, Upper students canvased the field and festival area, picking up leftover litter. While upper students were picking up trash, Mr. Dana asked them to pick up pine cones that inhibit walking to the field and playing on the playground. Students voted to give up their recess time to fulfill Mr. Dana’s request. Maria Montessori believed that children taught to care for their environment, inside and outside, would develop into more socially aware adults. You will occasionally see a random picture in a blog post of students sweeping an accidental mess, helping another student pick up a mess, tending to their daily classroom jobs, or other similar tasks. This is how Montessori instills care for the environment so that students care for it, even when no one else is looking or telling them to care for their mess.

The Fall drama production They Eat Sunshine, Not Zebra’s was a fabulous performance. Upper students worked on stage and off to perform a fantastic performance for students, staff, and their families and friends. Thank you to Ms. Peyton for her work directing the show, as well as Mr. Dana and all the parents who volunteered countless hours to make the wheels continue to turn smoothly for our drama department.

Bruno hosted its first Spirit Celebration following the dress rehearsal. The student body and our Bruno Bear celebrated students from different extracurricular and academic teams, such as soccer, basketball, volleyball, the JBMA Today crew, VEX Robotics, choir, student ambassadors, and cheerleaders. The VEX Robotics team, comprised of all Upper students, has excelled at their tournaments, placing 1st and 2nd, which earned them an invitation to The US Open in Omaha, Nebraska, in March! Go Bruno Bears!

October ended with Halloween fun! The day began with a parade around the track so parents and students could see everyone’s costumes. Thank you to the parents who could attend and support our community! The rest of the day was spent playing board games and enjoying friendships while Ms. Lucy kept an eye on her mischievous Minions and Mr. Gru to ensure no one stole the moon on Halloween. On Friday, November 1st, it was back to business as usual!

As we move into November, our daily routines will return to normal. We will not have a Thanksgiving celebration or feast but will instead have our Third Annual Holiday Feast in late December, which is a big event. We use this time for fellowship and encourage families to send dishes that reflect their culture or traditions. It has historically been one of the most enjoyable days for students and educators. More information will come regarding the Holiday Feast in December, but there will not be any Thanksgiving celebrations.

Reminders:

• There is no vocabulary due this week, November 4th.
  • There is a unit review test on Friday, November 8th.
  • Unit 7 is due on Tuesday, November 12th.
• There is no school on Monday, November 11th, in observance of Veteran’s Day.
• There is also no school for Thanksgiving break from November 25th to the 29th.
  • Students return to school on Monday, December 2nd.

Students in Upper Elementary continue to work on their portfolios to present during their parent conference. They’re searching for their best work, writing up a summary of the work, summarizing their first nine weeks of school, and their goals for the next nine weeks. In between portfolio work, students continue working on their curriculum path for their work plans. Since this is a time of transition between quarters, there have been fewer group lessons, but individual lessons and assistance continue to be given, as always. They also worked on their PTO pumpkin, which will be displayed during the Fall Festival. Look for Gru from Despicable Me!

The Book Club dioramas and book reports turned out great! Thank you for helping your child turn projects in on time. The 5th-year history class also turned in their annual Native American diorama. Students each chose a Native American tribe, researched the tribe, created a diorama depicting their daily life, and gave a short presentation about their tribe to their class. The 6th-year history class has been studying the Gilded Age, particularly muckrakers. Muckrakers are investigative journalists who expose social issues, such as child labor, dangerous working conditions, women’s suffrage, and unsanitary conditions in food processing plants. Students each chose a muckraker of the time and wrote a persuasive newspaper article exposing the social issue and urging the public to take action. In Science class, students have moved past chemical properties and will move on to atoms and the periodic table of elements. Once the unit is wrapped up, students will finish the quarter with labs and experiments to apply their knowledge.

The STEM Lab received fantastic new equipment—a 3D printer! Students will learn how to design a 3D object and have their pieces printed. To help pay for the printer and fundraise for future STEM equipment, 3D-printed items will be available to purchase at the Fall Festival. Items will also be available at the Middle School’s Holiday Store, and eventually, individual and customized orders can be placed through the STEM Lab.

Reminders:

• Vocabulary unit 6 is due Monday, 10/20, and the test will be on Friday, 10/25.
  • Vocabulary unit 7 will be due Monday, 10/28.
• We have early dismissals at 1:00 this Thursday and Friday for conferences. There is no aftercare on either day.
• The fall play They Eat Sunshine, not Zebras, is Friday, 10/25, at 6:00 PM.
• The Halloween Parade will be on October 31st, located on the track. Families are welcome to attend.
• There are many, many other things going on at Bruno. Please be sure to read Ms. Susan’s and Ms. Melanie’s emails to keep up with important dates.

The work cycle this week was different from our regular routine. One of the new themes of focus in Upper this year is “student-led.” Students are learning to take more ownership and responsibility for their academic work, and through that, they will be leading their own parent conferences. Students began assembling their personal portfolios to use as a guide for conferences. They reviewed the work they completed during the first quarter, chose work they thought was exceptional, and then completed a rubric for the content areas (language, math, culture, etc.), explaining more about the particular job and why they chose it for their portfolio. Students will also write a narrative on their first nine weeks of school and highlight events that were of importance to them. Students take the time to carefully select work they can proudly show off when they lead their parent conference.

While working on their portfolios, students also worked on some of their regular work cycle jobs. They have become familiar with the routine and how the curriculum flows, so they can pick up and continue their work independently. Students will continue preparing their portfolios and independently working on their work plans through the end of the first quarter.

Reminders:

• Vocabulary unit 5 is due Monday, 10/7
  • The test will be on Friday, October 18th
• No school Friday, October 11th, and Monday, October 14th

We felt a slight shift in the weather this week, which is suitable for the first week of Fall. A little rain kept us inside, but students could mostly enjoy the Fall temperatures on the playground.

In the classroom this week, the fourth-year students explored the Decanomial Square, a mathematical representation of the multiplication facts from 1-10. This allowed them to explore the communicative property and square numbers. The lesson also demonstrated cubes pointing back to some of the earliest lessons in Primary, with the Pink Tower, an iconic symbol of Montessori. Another Primary staple students used this week was the mental inset shapes. In Primary, they help prepare students for handwriting, as there is a particular process for using them. In Upper, students used them to create geometric art, pairing various colors and shapes in different order positions. These materials demonstrate how Montessori materials accompany children from Primary through the Upper grades while meeting their developmental and academic needs through both stages of childhood.

Reminders:

• Vocabulary Unit 4 is due Monday, and the test will be on Friday.
• A sign-up list was emailed for student-led parent conferences on October 24th and 25th.
• This past week, Ms. Susan sent an email with upcoming important dates.

September 21st is the International Day of Peace, and each year, Bruno students celebrate with a Peace Ceremony. Sixth-year students were tasked with brainstorming for Upper’s part of the Ceremony, and they came up with “Our hands are for peace.”  Students learned the lyrics to a song and the American Sign Language (ASL) to accompany it.  Upper students performed beautifully as they sang and signed ASL for our whole Bruno community.  Following the ceremony, a few Upper students assisted the Toddlers back to the other side of the campus.  Each age group was thrilled to be together, and that is just the beginning of bringing back cross-division collaboration at Bruno.  Collaborating activities with other divisions was once routine, but due to COVID-19, many of those traditions have been put on hold.  Stay tuned for more community collaboration! 

While students had their normal work cycle and some lessons, the annual Upper Geography Bee: The European Continent Edition, was the prominent academic event of the week.  Students worked through elimination rounds as the week progressed.  Friday was the finals, and while it was a close finish, there was a 5th-year winner and a 6th-year runner-up.  The Geography Bee will move on as students study the continents of Asia and Africa.  

Reminders:

• Units 1-3 vocabulary review test will be on Friday, 9/27
• Vocabulary unit 4 will be due Monday, September 30th
• No school on 10/11 to 10/14 for Fall Break
• The annual Fall Festival is October 20th
  • T-shirt orders and Sponsor sign-ups were emailed last week
• Early dismissal at 1:00 PM on October 24th and 25th for Parent conferences. No aftercare.
• The Fall drama performance is Friday, October 25th at 6:00 PM.

Students started the week with Picture Day outside. Upper students were lucky to have pictures taken before the weather turned to storms and rain later in the week. In the classroom, students continued working and having lessons during the work cycle. In language, students received lessons on sentence analysis with adjectives and transitional and intransitive verbs. In math, students received lessons on types of lines, prime factors and multiples, and square roots. Students continued reading and discussing their books during the Book Club meetings. Their assigned chapters should be read by each Thursday.

Reminders:

• Vocabulary review units 1-3 are due Monday, 9/16
  • The review unit test will be on Friday, 9/27
• There is a PTO meeting on Monday, 9/16, at 5:30 PM
• Our first Peace Ceremony of the year is Friday, 9/20, at 9:00 AM in the gym.
  • Parents and families are welcome to attend.
• The PTO’s Movie Night is on Friday, 9/20, at 5:30 PM.
• No school on 10/11 to 10/14 for Fall Break
• The annual Fall Festival is October 20th
  • T-shirt orders and Sponsor sign-ups were emailed last week
• Early dismissal at 1:00 PM on October 24th and 25th for Parent conferences. No aftercare.
• The Fall drama performance is Friday, October 25th at 6:00 PM

It was a short week of school, but Upper students were hard at work. Some of the pictures below were taken during the work cycle, where you can see students wokring on binomials, hands-on-equations, checkerboard multiplication, writing, grammar practice, symbolizing paragraphs, among other work. Scroll down to the next section to read more about other parts of the week.

Reminders:

• Picture Day is Monday! 
  • Make-up day is Friday.
• Vocabulary unit 3 is due Monday and the test is Friday. 
• Students must have their Book Club chapters read by Thursday; 6th-year by Wednesday
• Friday, September 20th
  • Peace Ceremony for toddlers through middle school in the gym
  • PTO Movie Night at 6:00 PM

Students finished their cave art activity in cultural class last week.

In science class, students explored the states of matter, which was the perfect opening for introducing geology lessons. Students replicated the positions of atoms in solid, liquid, and gas states in the field. The lesson moved inside for a lesson on convection, observing how ice water (blue food color drops) versus hot water (red food color drops) has an effect on room temperature water (clear water). Students observed how the hot and cold water slowly moved to different spaces and how it links to the states of matter, water cycle, ocean currents, plate tectonics, and many other areas of science.

In a Montessori community, children are encouraged to spend time outside, exploring their own curiosities and engaging in free play. Students also care for their own environment, making sure the materials are clean and in the correct place and working together to keep the overall classroom environment tidy. Montessori students also engage in student-led community meetings. During this time, students discuss any community problems or observations, discuss how they can be addressed, and then, if necessary, vote on a solution. Students also use this time to affirm one another positively.

This week, students had a group social lesson in disguise. They were each secretly given a card from a deck of cards and told if they have a black card they are a villager and if it’s a red card they’re a witch. The objective is to have the largest group without a witch and for the witch to have the most villagers in their group. In the end, no one had a red card. Students discussed how it felt to be accused or not accepted into a village because of suspicion alone. These feelings were compared to our classroom community; how to include rather than exclude, especilly in a small classroom community.

Upper Elementary students have closed out the month of August! They will begin September after a long weekend to refresh, which means a short week in school. Students continue to have new lessons and refresher math and language arts lessons. Some of the math work students did this week included different levels of fractions and hands-on equations. Students also received lessons in geometry, such as the area of a rectangle and triangle and points to solids. In language arts, students received lessons in advanced grammar symbols, types of nouns, and types of adjectives.

History classes are moving along. The 6th-year students are studying the economic boost of the progressive era, the factors that led to a large immigration flux, and how it led to an economic downturn. The 5th-year students are studying migration from Asia to North America, but the landbrige. Students in 4th-year history study Alabama’s regions, the geography of each, and notable physical formations in that region. In culture studies, students have been discussing cave art. This week, they created art using symbols they learned about while studying ancient cultures. Science class is wrapping up the three states of matter and moving into the properties of matter.

Reminders:

• Vocabulary unit 2 is due Tuesday, and the test will be on Friday, September 6th.
  • Vocabulary Unit 3 will be due on Monday, September 9th.
• Chapters for the Book Club must be read by Thursday.
• Picture Day for Upper is scheduled for Monday, September 9th.
  • Sibling photos are also Monday, 9/9.
  • Make-up pictures are scheduled for Friday, September 13th.
• Play rehearsal starts on Tuesday, September 3rd.
  • See Ms. Peyton’s email with your child’s rehearsal schedule.
• Order lunches by Tuesday.

A glimpse of some Specials classes: Library, STEM, Art, and Music.

It was hot this week, but students didn’t seem to care.

If you’re not following Bruno’s social media pages, you’re missing out on more great pictures of your child. Here are some pictures of Upper students in recent Facebook and Instagram posts. If you’re not following Bruno’s social media, make sure you do!

Upper students were busy this week! Students were introduced to their work plan, which is different from last year’s format. The focus of this year is “student-led”; therefore, students will have more of an opportunity to build their own work plan while still completing the necessary core academic work. We started our work cycles with our new work plans, and there were many lessons and refresher lessons given so students had direction to move forward with their work. The veteran upper students supported new and rising lower students, just as Maria Montessori intended when she created three-year work cycles. Watching the rising lower students navigate the classroom and find familiar material, which they excitedly brought to their workspace, was beautiful. Students will take off on their academic path as we continue to get into the groove of our revamped work cycle routine.

This week, students were introduced to their Book Club group, led or co-led by 6th-year students. The groups voted on a book to start with. Then, the 6th-year students had to plan and map out their chapter reading pace and develop discussion questions and prompts for when their group meets again on Thursday. Students received many new and refresher lessons this week. Some lessons were on grammar symbols, parts of speech, sentence analysis, equivalent fractions, fractions with different denominators, and checkerboard multiplication, among other lessons. In other areas, students received presentations on
the Great Montessori lessons, the timeline of numbers, the timeline of time, introductions to their History classes, and the chemistry unit in Science.

Students greatly enjoy attending their special classes. Mr. Brendan has the students writing class in the library and assists them in checking out books during their library time. Ms. Lisa and Ms. Janell welcomed students back to the Arts Building. Coach D has had the student inside and outside, actively moving based on the heat. Mr. Zech has students in STEM learning to code mini-bots, and he has big ideas for the future. Ms. Lana has introduced the basics of Spanish to students and will continue to support building their fluency. Students have not yet had Ms. Peyton’s class, but they will begin her drama class this coming week. Speaking of this coming week, here are some reminders:

• Flyers, forms, and emails have gone home for art lessons, tennis lessons, information for the Fall play tryouts, Robotics team, and JUNA (6th year only)
• Students have been given their Google account name and password to set up access to the Drama Google classroom.
• Tryouts for the fall production and other important information are posted on Google Classroom (the code for all of the play production information in one classroom/place is RVXQ3KD).
• Students received their IXL username and password to work on their math fact fluency in the evening. Help your child log in to their Google account (best on a Google/Chrome browser), go to IXL.com, and their information will automatically be saved for them to log in (only if they are in their Google account on the browser).
• Return the clear folder on Monday, including any activity forms, especially the signed copy of the student handbook acknowledgment. Just tear off the back page, sign, and send it.

We are so excited for a new school year in Upper Elementary! Student located their lockers, unpacked their new supplies, and were excited to explore the classroom for a new year! Returning students warmly greeted and assisted rising Lower and new students to become acquainted with the layout, procedures, and how to navigate Bruno. We had many group activities, went on a nature walk, played on the playground, and read the first three books of the Montessori Great Lessons, among other things. Students attended Specials classes this week, such as Physical Education, STEM, Art, and Music! In the next two weeks, students will be able to attend their other Specials classes.

We are looking forward to our first full week of school!

Reminders:

• Bring in any remaining supplies, including non-marking shoes for PE.
• Sign and return the last page of the student handbook.
• The Home/School communication folder goes home on Friday, so be sure it’s returned on Monday.
• Remember to place lunch orders by Tuesday.

The 2023-2024 school year has come to an end. This year had many highlights for upper students. New additions included JUNA, Robotics, STEM Lab, and Mr. Brendan. Upper students excelled in The Hunt for Milo Gato, The Lion King, The Living Wax Museum, the Art Show, and the Winter and Spring Concerts. The class went on field trips to The Birmingham Children’s Theater to see The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe and Mr. Chickee’s Funny Money. Students also attended the Birmingham Squadron game and the annual trip to Camp McDowell. While this is not an exhaustive list of the experiences Upper students had this year, they made the most of each experience. Many class activities and projects outside the work cycle promoted curiosity and knowledge retention through hands-on learning and self-exploration.

Our days remained busy during our final few weeks in Upper Elementary. Mr. Joel (a former Upper parent) returned to our class after a STEAM DAY presentation on User Experience. He challenged students to find a design error in something and decide what they would do to improve the design. Students identified design errors and proposed thoughtful solutions to improve the design.

As the last day approached, academics wrapped up in Cultural, Geography, Science, Writing, and our work cycle. Students cleaned their cubbies and lockers and packed up their belongings to take home for the summer.

Scroll down for more events…

Promotion Ceremony

We started a new tradition this year by organizing a promotion ceremony for our rising middle school students. The week before the ceremony, 6th-grade students wrote reflections on their time in Upper Elementary and shared fond memories. Some students gave speeches expressing heartfelt moments, friendships, feelings of acceptance, memories from Camp McDowell, and their favorite experiences with different educators. The speeches were well-written and thoughtful. Upper educators also addressed the group, highlighting what made their class unique to each educator.

Along with the new tradition of a promotion ceremony, rising middle school students were each given a Certificate of Superlative. Upper educators convened to determine the most fitting superlative for each student. In no particular order, the superlatives included:

Most likely to be a Primatologist.
Most likely to do something amazing, and never tell anyone about it. 
Most likely to play the piano at Carnegie Hall. 
Most likely to run a wildlife refuge. 
Most likely to win a landmark Supreme Court case. 
Most likely to be the next real estate mogul. 
Most likely to design the first jet for Mars.
Most likely to play in the Masters. 
Most likely to work on Broadway. 
Most likely to use their fame for positive change. 
Most likely to have a cartoon in the New York Times. 
Most likely to be a History professor. 
Most likely to have a piece displayed in an Art Museum. 
Most likely to be the next Sam Raimi. 
Most likely to read every book in the Library. 
Most likely to be the best sculptor (like no one ever was). 

Field Day

This year’s Field Day theme was “The Olympics.” Students from Lower through Middle school enjoyed participating in mixed groups. Each group chose a country and created a flag to represent their team. The variety of water games was the highlight of Field Day. Thank you to all the volunteers and the PTO for providing the snow cones! A new tradition added to the end of Field Day was the Volleyball Team challenging the staff to a game. Despite the staff’s best efforts, the Bruno Volleyball Team’s youthful skills led them to victory. (Pictures on Facebook and Instagram).

American Heart Society Fundraiser

One of our Upper Elementary students raised the most money for the AHS fundraiser. Their prize was throwing a pie in Coach’s face. Thank you for all the donations to the AHS and to Coach for being a good sport for a good cause!

The Last Day of the 2023-2024 School Year

Thank you to the Upper students and families for an amazing school year.

The last few weeks of a school year are always a blur. Not long ago, there was the Living Wax Museum, Camp McDowell, and SAT testing. Everyone can feel that the last week of school is close.

This week was no exception in keeping students busy with activities outside our normal daily schedule. Students practiced for the Spring Concert and put on an amazing performance for the audience. Setting a beautiful scenery for the Concert was their highlighted artwork for the year. Each student’s individual creativity made a unique presentation for the Art Show. Thank you to Ms. Janelle, Ms. Lisa, Mr. Dana, and Mr. Greg for your time and effort to make the Concert and Art Show successful!

We ended this past week with the second annual STEAM Day. Parents, family members, and friends gave our students great presentations about their careers and how STEAM is used in their fields. Thank you to Ms. Melanie and Ms. Jessica for coordinating the event. Thank you to all presenters for taking time away from your day and creating presentations that students greatly enjoyed. We are already looking forward to next year’s STEAM Day!

Students from Upper Elementary traveled to the Bankhead National Forest for three days. While at Camp McDowell, they received many lessons from the environmental center staff, both indoors and outdoors. They explored wildlife, stream habitats, hiking, and rock wall climbing. This year was no exception—one of the best highlights of the school year!

Camp McDowell

Meanwhile, Back At Bruno

Students who did not attend the Camp McDowell trip could explore the pond on our campus. A new bridge by the pond was built as an Eagle Scout project by one of Bruno’s alumni (with the assistance of Mr. Dana). Adding a new bridge is another great step in restoring the pond area.

Upper students have been very busy lately! On April 8th, we took advantage of a rare opportunity to observe an 86% solar eclipse. Fortunately, the eclipse occurred during Science class, so students reviewed information from the astronomy unit and made and recorded several observations throughout the afternoon. Students could observe the 86% eclipse despite the impending clouds and rain. Afterward, students shared their observations, such as the change in darkness/lack of sunlight, the temperature dropping, and a cool breeze forming. Thank you to Dr. Samal’s family for donating the solar glasses to Upper.

Students have been researching an individual who has contributed to our world, whether an inventor, scientist, or creative individual. The students wrote biographies about their individuals and dressed up as them for the Living Wax Museum. Students gave thoughtful presentations highlighting their achievements. Thank you to Lower, Middle, teachers, parents, and family members who were able to visit and support the Living Wax Museum.

One of Bruno’s many amazing qualities is a diverse student population and community. Two of our Upper students gave the class a presentation on Ramadan. Ramadan is celebrated as the ninth month of the lunar calendar and the holiest month for the Muslim religion. During Ramadan, Muslims fast between sunrise and sunset, which includes no water. While fasting, their focus is self-discipline, spiritual reflection, kindness, and growing closer to Allah. The last day of Ramadan is Eid-Al-Fitr, the final day of feasting. After Eid, Muslims have a large feast with their families. Thank you to the students who presented to the class.

While many things were happening in the classroom, our Drama students also wrapped up their production of The Lion King. All of the cast and crew put on an amazing performance, with beautiful singing and authentic language. Ms. Rachel and Mr. Brendan worked hard to ensure this production was the crème de la crème! Thank you to them for their dedication and the many parents who volunteered their time!

Solar Eclipse

Ramadan Presentation

Living Wax Museum

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