Hello Families!

Remind Text Message System:  We use an app called Remind to send out important messages, last minute reminders and notices of closure.  We will also be sending out our newsletter this way as well.  Previously, we added all parents via Remind text messaging, but Verizon users will no longer receive our messages via text messages.  So, it is very important that all parents download the app instead of relying on the text message.  Again, if you are a Verizon customer, after next week you will no longer receive our text messages, so please download the Remind app to continue receiving these important messages on your phone.  Follow these directions:

1. Download Remind:  School Communication from your App Store.
2. Create an account and confirm you are signed up to receive messages from Novi Woods Montessori.  If you aren’t, click “Join a Class”.  The class code is @nwm2018.
3. Important:  Make sure you turn on notifications for the Remind App so any messages will pop up on your phone.  If you have any questions, please email Amanda at novimontessori@gmail.com.

We have set up a Shutterfly Shares account in order to better share our class pictures.  This site is password protected and the link is only shared with parents.  Feel free to download pictures of your child or make a photo book of your child’s preschool experience!  The site is https://noviwoodsmontessori.shutterfly.com/pictures and the password is 4555.

Novi Woods Montessori Pictures

password:  4555

The school day begins at 8:30, we hope that families are able to drop off between 8 and 8:30. After 9:00 am please bring your child to the office and we will take them to the classroom. If no one is available please make sure that the classroom is not outside.

Parents- if you have any type of scrap paper for the children to draw on, we would appreciate the donation for child care. We are also looking for recycled materials for child care. Small yogurt containers, paper towel rolls, containers of various sizes, lids, ribbon, yarn, thread,  cardboard, generally we are looking for “beautiful stuff” for the children to use to create with.

The Peace Celebration was cancelled due to staff absences so has been rescheduled for Thursday, January 31, 2019 from 10:00-11:00 am. Parents are welcome to participate in this event. At 10:00 all of the children gather in the Cedar Room to hear the story about the Black Elk, the Medicine Wheel and Martin Luther King Jr. We then sing the Peace Song and parents are then invited one by one to approach the Peace Tree with their child(ren) and say something about their child(ren) and then put the provided flower or animal on tree.

Here is what the infant room worked on this week: the children leaned about and explored their emotions. In the practical life area they practiced pouring and their language presentation involved labeling the parts of the body including the face. The Grace and Courtesy lesson focused on waiting patiently and counting bouncing balls, 1,2.

Here is what the toddler room worked on this week: The theme of the week was colors. The children enjoyed hearing “Brown bear, brown bear”. The children enjoyed exploring colors on the new easel. The Sensorial Presentation was a wintry sensory bin activity, with snow in a bin the children added water colors, they enjoyed the colors in the snow as well as the texture. The children also participated in a color matching activity. Outside the children explored and played in the snow!

Last week in the Pine Room the children continued their unit on Africa, we discussed ocean animals and the seasons. We continue to practice blowing our noses and washing our hands. Our Sensorial presentation was a reinforcement of the sound cylinders. The children continue to work on sounds and the older children are continuing their work on making sentences. We have also had discussions and a worksheet on the seasons. For our geography and cultural studies we continue to learn about Africa and African animals, and the flag.

This week in the Pine Room the children continued their study on mammals, we are also talking about Peace Day and the Black Elk. The  Practical Life Presentation focused on lacing. The children continue to work on sounds and sentences. For a Science Presentation the children put soil in a pot and planted a bulb. The children continued their study on Africa and completed a worksheet on mammals. In math the children are working on recognizing numbers, the older children are working on carryovers and multiplication. Please send in snow pants, gloves and a hat for your child as we go outside every day.

Last week in the Cedar Room we discussed peace day and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., we read the book, “Peace” and the children received a presentation on how to have peace in the classroom using the peace rose. The brown stairs and the pink tower extensions were presented.

This week in the Cedar Room we discussed mammals and peace day. The story about black elk and how he shared is vision of love and peace with others was shared with the children. We sang a song about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and practiced our peace song.