February 2015

NEWS

100 Valentines

100 Days of School

Thank you to Jamie and her team for creating the Farm Fresh Fete! We loved the décor, the food, the live music, and of course, all of the amazing items to bid on! I love seeing so many people who are just as passionate about this sweet little school as I am - gathered together, having fun, and spending money! Thank you again to all of you who volunteered or who helped by purchasing an item or two.

Our first Auction was held here at St. James just as the construction of the Parish Hall had wrapped up in 2000. Our theme was the Mad Hatter, and it was a formal sit down dinner affair. I don’t remember the items we bid on, or how much it raised, but I know that the parents enjoyed coming together for a school we all loved - so it became an annual event! Since then, I’ve seen all different kinds of themes, venues, and auction items, but the passion for the school and all it represents has, and always will be, the central thread that ties them all together. Our mutual love for the children in this school always makes this event so heart-warming. Every year I wonder how that year’s event will ever be topped! This year’s auction was one of my personal favorites because of a combination of things…the décor created a laid back intimate feel, and I loved the ease of bidding. How neat was it to be able to begin our bidding wars the week before! The paper bidding was just as much fun to be a part of, so combining the two was perfect! The classroom projects were also beyond impressive.

I’m always proud to be a part of such a wonderful place and mission, surrounded by people with the common goal of educating and loving the children.

Thank you again, Jamie and the 2014-15 Auction Team!Loree

On a personal note, many of you have asked me about my son Dylan who recently returned from his deployment in Qatar. Seeing and hugging him again was one of my greatest joys!

God bless our military and their families! Mrs. Loree

February 21, 2015February 21, 2015

Montessori at HomeJason Carter built a twin learning tower for his children Hannah and Joshua (Toddler 1) to use in their kitchen at home. The learning tower has an adjustable base and it slides under their kitchen counter. The children love to cook with their parents and the learning tower enables them to do so!

From left: Cashel Manning, Joshua Carter, Hannah Carter, and Rhys Manning are enjoying a popcorn snack in the learning tower at the Carter home.

Snow at St. James

Dear MDO parents:

This month we have been focusing on observation. Observation plays an important role in a Montessori education. Montessori teachers make regular observations of each child’s progress and individual developmental trajectory. On the basis of these consistent observations, the teacher determines when the child is ready to be introduced to new learning materials in the classroom.

The reason behind the Montessori use of mixed-age classroom is so that younger children can learn from those who are older and they may also watch as the teacher gives a learning lesson to another child, helping them mentally prepare for the types of activities they will be expected to work with in the future. As we observe the children at work, we are seeing extended periods of concentration and a general knowledge of the classroom routine without reminders from the teachers.

Puzzles are being completed independently and dexterity and fine motor control skills are improving daily. We observed a child stringing the other day, unaware that he was so adept! The beauty of a Montessori classroom is how the younger children learn to accomplish new tasks just by watching their older peers! The children are learning not to interrupt their classmates when they are working. The students have been busy with the all important milestone of potty training! They are learning to share, take turns and work independently in the classroom. They will continue practical life works such as sponge squeezing, spooning and pouring. Stacking blocks, color sorting, turning a page in a book, puzzles, opening and closing, and nesting cubes are examples of activities that promote fine motor development in our room. For self help skills we are continuing to work sitting at the table, setting the table and using utensils. Water science experiments with food coloring added to water will create changes they can see.

The children did a great job learning the songs for our Valentine’s Day celebration and they are also spending quality time with their friends and creating wonderful memories.

Due to the weather changes, please make sure your child dresses appropriately for the cold temperatures.

Thank you!Mrs. Eva, Mrs. Bianca and Ms. Mary MDO

Toddler 1

Dear Parents,

We have gone back to the basics and are really fine tuning our fine motor skills. Using scissors, grasping coins and squeezing eye droppers has made for a very busy time in the Toddler 1 class.

Toddler 1

Our environment is being kept clean and very well organized because we have learned how to mop, sweep, wipe up spills, feed pets and water plants. Add in a lot of new language and math works and our room is buzzing with excitement!

Mrs. Anna and Ms. Annabel

Toddler 1 at Pump It Up!

This month we got a visit from Dr. Diep Troung. She taught us how to keep our teeth clean and how going to the dentist doesn’t have to be scary, but a pleasant experience.

Toddler 2

My Teeth, My Heart, My Mind

The kids have been practicing brushing their teeth in the classroom. One of the art works they can choose to do is “brush” a tooth.

Toddler 2

We had several pretty days this month and we love to get outside to move our bodies. The kids love to have races, jump, ride bikes, and do “steps.”

We love to do yoga in our class. There are many benefits doing yoga with children. It enhances concentration and increases flexibility and balance. It also boosts confidence and relaxes their minds.

Our Valentines party was a huge success and a big thank you to our parents who help make it possible.

Next month we look forward learning all about the meaning of Easter and spring.

Mrs. April, Lilly, Elaine

We often talk about how to keep our bodies healthy and strong. Eating fruits and vegetables is one way, and getting exercise is another. Gross motor is very important for toddlers to help strengthen their large muscle groups.

Toddler 3Toddler 3

This month we have rotated the works on the shelves to include hearts, and the colors red, pink, and white. The children have enjoyed mixing white paint with other colors to make a pastel. Also, they have been busy painting and coloring hearts as well as making stamp and sticker pictures with hearts. We have been talking about how February is the “month of love,” and how we love our families, friends, and mommies and daddies. We are singing “I Love You, You Love Me”and “The More We Get Together” in circle time, and talking about loving ways to treat our friends!

Ethan uses his fine motor skills to transfer pom-poms using tongs.

Eva practices her “surprised” face in the mirror as she works with the emotion cards.

The Month of February (Love)

Identifying emotions is important at this age because it helps the child recognize what they are feeling when they are feeling it. We have a work on the shelf that helps the children identify their own emotions by practicing certain faces in a mirror. The children have loved this work recently!

Our friends (Dr. Troung and Ms. Anna) visit Saint James to give us information on oral care for toddlers.

Tegan balances as she crosses the balance board. Great gross motor work!

Toddler 3 saying our prayers before having a picnic outside!

Our friends at Viva Dental came to visit to give us a demonstration on tooth brushing and oral hygiene. The children were very attentive and are more enthusiastic to brush their teeth so they don’t get “sugar bugs.” We also have a tooth brushing work in the class we will be demonstrating to help the children practice the circular motion for brushing. Thank you to our friends at Viva Dental!

Happy Winter!Ms. Coral, Jaymie, Amy, and Hanna

With all this cool weather, we are getting the children outside as much as we can! We bundled up and went on a picnic in the big field of Saint James while we ate our popcorn. The children said a sweet prayer and then they popped bubbles to their heart’s content.

100 valentines

Gravity experiment with Mrs. Loree

The kindergarten students enjoyed a special science experiment on the 100th day of school. Mrs. Loree simultaneously dropped bags of 100 objects (for example, 100 pennies and 100 Q-Tips) to see which bag would fall first. The students made predictions, and then watched with excitement as the objects fell. They learned that the gravitational force of the objects is equal!

The Perot Museum came to vist the Kindergarten students on Friday, February 27th. They learned about simple machines built with LEGOs! Thank you to the Perot Museum for a wonderful visit!

Happy Valentine’s Day!Happy Valentine’s Day!

Happy Valentine’s Day!Happy Valentine’s Day!

Families of Primary One:

Is it springtime yet?! Due to the recent cold, wintry weather, the children have been spending their morning and afternoon playtime in the Parish Hall with the Imagination Playground blocks.

We have seen all kinds of creative structures that the children have built by working together. By now, hopefully you have met Ms. Amaris—your child’s new teacher and a wonderful addition our classroom! Ms. Amaris has been working really hard to get to know each and every child, and she has quickly adapted to our daily schedules and routine at school. Ms. Amaris is enjoying working with the children on new and challenging work. The children have widely accepted Ms. Amaris into our class and are excited for her to stay!

Ms. Charlotte introduced the continent of Asia this past month. We talked about how Asia is the largest continent on earth, and that Tokyo, Japan is the largest city in the world. The children learned about some of the geographical features of Asia, including the Himalayan mountain range and Mount Everest, the tallest mountain in the world. We also talked about some animals that are native to Asia. Ask your child about the cobra, tiger, or giant panda!

Primary 1Primary 1

The children are doing fabulous work this month! We have our first-year students eagerly learning their letter sounds with the sandpaper letters and object boxes; second-year students working more with the large movable alphabet, practicing their handwriting, and mathematical introductions with the colored beads. Kindergartners are really letting their stars shine with all of the work that they are doing. We hope that you are enjoying reading with your child using the readers that we have sent home with them. Keep up the great work, everybody!

We have celebrated many birthdays this month, and with that comes many loaves of birthday bread (the best bread ever!) Thank you for your support and participation in helping us celebrate your child at school! In addition to our birthday celebrations, we would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for a wonderful Valentine’s Day party! We greatly appreciate all that our parents do—thank you!

Lastly, on behalf of the administration and staff of SJES and the children and families of P1, we would like to send a special thanks to Ms. Charlotte for all of her hard work and dedication, and for making this a wonderful school year for all of us. We wish you and your family the best of luck with everything!

Sincerely,Ms. Charlotte, Ms. Amaris, & Ms. Kim

A HUGE thanks to Jamie Ali and her team for all of the work they did for the auction! It was such a fun event.

What about this weather? We ALWAYS need rain so I think it is something to be thankful for. After the rain forecast for next week...well I guess we can be really, really thankful.

It is so nice to watch students grow and learn and mature. The third level students have been doing their regular “folder work” which consists of different language and math works. We rotate the works so they have a variety of language and math. We are diligently working on handwriting and CONSISTENTLY turning in neat work. The second level students are working with the moveable alphabet at least two times a week. This, many times, is teacher requested. Most days we have two moveable alphabets out and we rotate the students through them. There has been some major improvement in putting the sounds together into words. Phonetically, of course, but this is the beginning of learning to spell and read words. When the students reach Kindergarten, they begin taking weekly spelling tests. The first level students have been working on basic phonics. The entire class has been independently choosing work from every area of the classroom. We have Practical Life, Sensorial, Art, Math, and Language works that are independently chosen. WE DO STAY BUSY! The full day students must clean and straighten the classroom every afternoon. This involves the students independently looking around the classroom and discerning what needs to be done. Following the Montessori philosophy we do not direct their every move.

All the best!Mrs. Barrineau and Ms. Marla

Primary 2Primary 2

We have had a lot of fun in February in the Primary 3 classroom!

Our monthly continent study was Asia. We were fortunate to have Ms. Yoko Wang, who is a teacher intern in our class, share with us about Chinese New Year and her native country of China. The children enjoyed learning the customs of the Chinese New Year celebration, exploring beautiful artifacts, and tasting chicken and vegetable dumplings.

Ms. Yoko and the Chinese New Year lesson

India and the spice route lesson

I (Ms. Tamara) also presented a lesson on India. Highlights of this lesson were traditional Indian clothes (the sari and the punjab), the rupee, the Hindi script, and a sensory lesson in spices.

We have many excellent books to recommend for Asia, including:

Taro and the Tofu by Masako Matsuno

C is for China by Sungwan So

I is for India by Prodeepta Das

Primary 3Primary 3

Emory and Ellie creating new variations for the broad stair and pink tower

Chloe working with the introduction to the colored beads

Eloise and Ms. Monica working with the Mexico map

The children in our class are expressing a sensitive period for geography. We have three children working on the map of the United States, one child working on the North America map, two on the Canada map, and two on the continents map. Montessori believed it is very important for children to understand that ultimately, they are citizens of the world. It is lovely to see the children’s interest in learning about new places –both the bonds of humanity that unite us, and the things that make us different.

We celebrated Laurel Storey and Mason Wilmer’s fourth birthdays in February. Happy birthday to you both!

Ms. Monica and I continue to enjoy watching the children grow and their collaborative efforts in the classroom. We look forward to the coming of spring and all the signs of new life that it brings!

Ms. Tamara and Ms. Monica

Our children have really enjoyed the month of February!

Everyone had so much fun celebrating the 100th day of school, learning about Ground-hog Day, seeing snow, and preparing for Valentine’s Day. Each child decorated their own Valentine’s bag. It was a great opportunity for everyone to have an individual art lesson on how to cut, use paste, and then clean up their work area. The children were also very excited about all the special Valentine’s work in the classroom! There were pink blocks on the language shelf that the children used to spell out the words love, hugs, and kisses. Older children had fun using small pink and purple counting hearts to complete simple addition and subtraction facts.

The kindergarten children wrote sweet stories about their friends and families using the moveable alphabet. We also made red salt dough for the practical life shelf complete with heart cookie cutters. More works for the month of February included Valentine sorting, heart punching and pasting, and opening and closing hearts. Each child also helped to make a beautiful pink and purple paper chain to hang across the classroom.

Seasonal work adds interest to the classroom, but it is also a great way to help the children understand the passage of time, seasons, and when special holidays occur throughout the year. Our classroom Valentine’s Day party was a huge success! Each child had the opportunity to pass out Valentines to their friends and they all enjoyed having lunch together and making picture frames! Thanks to all of our wonderful par-ent volunteers; we appreciate all you do!

Ms. Elizabeth and Mrs. Ashley

Primary 4Primary 4

This month in art the second years have been studying Henri Matisse. We focused on his piece entitled The Snail, which is composed of blocks of color. We related the abstract work of art to a hidden picture. We talked about using our imagination and seeing something within the piece of art that might be there. Then we took the hidden picture idea and created our own. The children were given blocks of tissue paper and were asked to create a picture with the squares. Then they were to “hide” their image by pasting colored blocks around it. The children have had so much fun with this project, and each class has tried to guess what each child’s picture is!

The kindergarten students have started their unit on self portraits.We have talked about how to create an image of ourselves, how to place our features on our face, and some of the important characteristics we don’t want to forget to add (ie eyebrows). Our practice portraits turned out really well! Next we will study some famous artists, for example Picasso and Frieda Kahlo, and how they drew their own self portrait.

Art and Technology

In technology we have continued our lego robotics. We have now made an alligator whose mouth “chomps,” and a lion who rears up on his hind legs. The children are having a great time building the Legos, but it is also a really good lesson in following instructions. The children look at the instruction book, pick out the correct pieces, and then assemble the structure correctly. It is really an accomplishment when it is all put together!

Thank you!Ms. Hanna

This month is great for birdwatching! We talked about the ways to identify birds and how to distinguish them from one another. The bird’s color and size are the most popular ways, but this month we played a game that taught us how to identify birds by the sound of their call! After we learned names of some of the most common birds we’ll see in Dallas this time of year, I introduced the children to The Audubon Society bird identification website.

These are some of the birds we learned…the Crow, Robin, White Pelican and Song Sparrow. If you click on the link below and go to the Texas Region, you can actually hear the calls of these birds! I had the children listen carefully, and even mimic the calls. Then I played them back in random order to see if they could identify which bird was which. What a fun game! http://www.audubon.org/field-guide

Our garden still has some cold-hardy plants growing. We tried broccoli and kale chips last week to celebrate the harvest of those plants.

Garden on, my friends!Mrs. Loree

February in theGarden

The after school care area continues to be a burst of activity. We love spending time with your children. I noticed that the primary and toddler students both enjoy reading or listening to teachers read to them. It is a long day and they love to cuddle with a teacher. It is a nice and relaxing way to end a day, thank you for sharing your child with us.

ASC

The ASC has continued to grow and there are a large number of children staying in the afternoons. We want to make sure that we have staff to cover our large num-bers and we ask that you reserve a spot. The snack is prepared before the children arrive in ASC, and if we happen to have drop-ins that we are not expecting, it makes it difficult to prepare more snack. If you arrive after 3:30 to pick up your child, please make sure that you let me know that you are taking them.

Just a reminder if your child is a toddler classroom, Mrs. Barrineau’s Primary Classroom or Mrs. Charlotte’s Classroom, their jacket will be in a basket in the ASC room. Please be sure to take their jacket when you pick them up.

As always, if you need to reach me after 4:30 p.m., please call the school phone 214-348-1349.

Happy Spring/Winter,Lisa

As February has quickly come and gone we have been very busy in Chapel. We’ve had lessons on Jesus calling the Disciples, David and Goliath, and a special story about a man who couldn’t walk. “The Lame Man” from Luke 5:17-26 is a story that illustrates true companionship, love, andperseverance. This particular story describes a man whose friends were willing to go the “mile,” or most likely the miles, to see their friend come to full recovery. We can only imagine what their journey looked like. Rain, heat, snow, up hill both ways, and through the roof of a house, all because they had faith that a man named Jesus could heal their friend. I hope we can all take a lesson of friendship from this story to help when needed.

Keep going when it gets tough, and love always.

This month we were able to introduce the liturgical season of Lent. Lent is a time to reflect and prepare ourselves for the Easter season. The children discussed that many of their families have different ways of observing Lent. Some families give something up during this time to practice penitence and self control. Some families take on something such as reading their Bibles everyday to obtain a new discipline. While others simply inwardly reflect on their lives and relationships with God during the Lenten season. Did you know the forty days of Lent are representative of the time Jesus spent in the desert fasting and praying? Taking time to center our lives and become closer to God is important at any age. I encourage you each to take time during Lent to reflect and prepare for the great celebration of Easter! Lent is February 18th-April 2nd.

Wishing you all a quiet and reflective season of Lent.

Blessings,Ashley WoodruffChristian Education Director

Chapel