Download - Montessori Monitor May 2010
INS IDE
THIS
IS SUE
Changing of the Guard:
Cover
Drama: Cover & page 2
Beginners: 4
Preschool: 5 - 7
Preschool/Kindergarten: 8 -
11
1st & 2nd Grade: 12 - 13
2nd through 5th: 14 - 15
Middle School: 16 - 17
Video Production: 18
Physical Education: 19
Spanish: 20 - 21
Gardens: 22 - 23
Shell Mound: 24
MMS News: 25-27
Calendar: 28
Montessori Monitor
Changing of the Guard By: Jennine Brandt, PTO President
I can't believe that
we are wrapping up another
school year! Thanks for all
of the support you have
given the PTO this
year. We have accom-
plished a lot. Our Relay for
Life team was a HUGE suc-
cess raising just over $2800
for the American Cancer
Society. I hope you were
able to be part of the fun and
enjoy an amazing experi-
ence.
We also had a very
successful Wine & Cheese
Silent Auction on May 22nd
at the Town of Tigoa Club
House raising over $5,000.
All proceeds went to
the End of the Year Show,
Alice in Wonderland, Jr!
The PTO has arranged for a
Bicycle Safety Day on June
7th for the 1st through 8th
grade classes.
We are also hosting
an hour of Puberty Educa-
tion for the 5th Graders on
June 7th. Drs. Ana Hanley,
John and Jennine Brandt and
Dave Kemp along with Mr.
Richard will be providing
the education.
We elected officers
for next years PTO Board at
our last meeting on April
22nd. Congratulations and a
big thank you to the follow-
―It is the child who
makes the man, and no man
exists who was not made by
the child he once was‖
Dr. Maria Montessori
In the twenty-first
century, it is more important
than ever before to be able to
communicate thoughts, feel-
ings, and ideas to other indi-
viduals and groups in a vari-
ety of effective ways. This
article addresses the role
drama plays in building these
skills, how it dovetails and
enhances education, and how
it impacts child development
in a holistic way.
A child is in the
process of creating himself.
With drama, the self is used
as the creative medium. One’s
self activity and expression is
all that is needed to communi-
cate and create with others.
ing individuals for their will-
ingness to serve our school
next year!
President: Lonnie Phillips
Vice President/President-
elect: Irma Alvarez
Secretary: Eileen Sosa-
Pesantes
Treasurer: Constance Heuss
I highly encourage
all families to take an active
part in the PTO and help
make a difference for the
children of MMS.
By: Christina Miller
Drama
S U M M E R 2 0 1 0
P A G E 2
`
M O N T E S S O R I M O N I T O R
plete without a theater pro-
duction component. Experi-
encing a stage and memoriz-
ing and reciting lines offer
children the opportunity to
express themselves with self
confidence. When a child is
able to speak competently to
adults or not be nervous in
front of his class he will not
develop the fear of public
speaking. There are many
authentic components of a
theater experience. Within
the structure lie opportunities
for creating sets, memorizing
lines, singing and dancing,
auditioning, and learning
about the technology of
lighting and sound.
Drama in education
builds skills that are needed
in the twenty-first Century.
An authentic curriculum that
is cutting edge and dynamic
must be taught in an environ-
ment that includes drama in
many subject areas because
of how it impacts child de-
velopment in a holistic way.
Children are naturally drawn
to it because it helps them
create the adults they are
becoming, develop their self
esteems, and provides oppor-
tunities to shine.
Set the stage and let
the curtain rise!
This is different than other
mediums which would re-
quire tools such as paints,
technology or musical instru-
ments.
Drama is thought of
as a form of human expres-
sion found throughout history
and all over the world. It is,
therefore, a fundamental need
of humans. It is spontaneous
in children’s play when they
―rehearse‖ at being a parent,
imitate a movie star, or imag-
ine stretching abilities like a
super hero. In Shakespeare’s
play, As You Like It, Jaques
says, ―All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women
merely players; They have
their exits and their entrances,
And one man in his time
plays many parts.‖
Essentially, children
are trying on life. After time,
this develops into abstract
thinking, problem solving,
self esteem, flexibility, think-
ing outside the box, creating
new knowledge and even
common sense.
Howard Gardner’s
list of eight intelligences is
inherent to all humans. These
are:
1.Spatial,
2.Bodily and Kinesthetic,
3.Logical-Mathematical,
4.Linguistic,
5.Musical,
6.Social Interpersonal,
7. Self-awareness Intraper-
sonal,
8.Naturalistic.
A well rounded de-
velopmentally appropriate
education should include
opportunities to develop all
eight intelligences to prepare
students for life in the twenty
-first century.
Drama helps to ac-
complish the aforementioned
by providing a fertile ground
for developing Interpersonal
and Intrapersonal skills.
Also, there is an emphasis on
developing Bodily, Spatial,
and Linguistic intelligence.
These intelligences have long
been eclipsed in traditional
curriculum planning by read-
ing, writing, and arithmetic.
Research now shows that
even the three Rs are posi-
tively impacted by drama
because it develops listening
and speaking skills and im-
proves memory and compre-
hension.
Drama, speech, de-
bate and a well rounded per-
forming arts program can be
implemented easily within
the curriculum. If viewed as a
part of every subject area and
not as an elective, education
becomes authentic and mean-
ingful as well as loads of fun.
In Science, students can enact
the workings of a cell. In
grammar, they can learn pro-
nouns by memorizing the
famous ―Who’s on First‖. In
History and Humanities the
opportunities are endless such
as personifying historic peo-
ple or doing a simulation of
the Underground Railroad.
Also, there has always been a
strong relationship between
storytelling and theatre. The
National Curriculum for Eng-
lish recommends that all Eng-
lish teachers include drama
when teaching reading and
writing. Even the National
Council of Teachers of
Mathematics has added the
history of mathematics as a
standard for the twenty-first
century.
A performing arts
program would not be com-
Drama (cont. from page 1)
P A G E 3 C E L E B R A T I N G 3 2 Y E A R S O F A C A D E M I C E X C E L L E N C E
P A G E 4
Beginner’s Class Ms. Crystal
Sorrow
Ms. Elizabeth
Sheehan &
Ms. Lonnie Phillips
M O N T E S S O R I M O N I T O R
The month of May has been a frolicking and fantastic month in the
Little House. This month we have had fun activities planned and
special event days to finish off the school year. We have enjoyed a
bubble day on the playground, fun with yoga balls, creativity with
sidewalk chalk and body tracing, and fairy Friday. We are capping
off the month with a class dance party, followed by spirit week.
This time of year is always fun for the students and the teachers as
we celebrate the year we’ve had together and the friends we have
made.
Congratulations to Mariasole
on her new baby sister!
Preschool - Ms. Renee Brohamer & Ms. Lily Tajalli
P A G E 5 C E L E B R A T I N G 3 2 Y E A R S O F A C A D E M I C E X C E L L E N C E
Parent Night ―Space Odyssey‖
Making a map of the world Playing Twinkle Twinkle at Parent Night
St. Patrick’s Day Decorating Easter Eggs
P A G E 6
The Spring season brought
about our study of plants.
First, the students dissected
seeds and discovered how the
seed turns into a new plant.
Next, they labeled the parts of
a plant. Several of the stu-
dents created their very own
push pinned tree. During our
final unit of the year, the chil-
dren examined a variety of
flowers and the anatomy of a
flower.
The children celebrated Earth
Day by making their very own
sand art creations of our
planet. We discussed the im-
portance of taking care of the
Earth and ways to keep it
healthy. The recycling work
that was added to the classroom
proved to be a favorite activity
of many students.
The children performed the mu-
sical ―Tikki Tikki Tembo‖ ar-
ranged by Carol Kaplan for our
Parent Appreciation evening
M O N T E S S O R I M O N I T O R
Ms. Christina Eckstein & Ms. Jeanne-Marie Hrivnak Preschool
P A G E 7
which was held on Tuesday, May 11, 2010. The musical coincided wonderfully
with our unit study of Asia. Many skills were developed during the preparation of
the musical including proper voclization, expression and following directions.
The children also enjoyed preparing special chow mein drop cookies which were
served at the conclusion of the evening.
C E L E B R A T I N G 3 2 Y E A R S O F A C A D E M I C E X C E L L E N C E
P A G E 8
In March we finished our
unit on Asia with an in-depth
study of India. Our class was for-
tunate to have had a number of
families with ties to India to help
with this unit. We would like to
especially thank Sharvari Pathak,
Natasha Alexander, and Liji Jacob
for their contributions. Sharvari
was instrumental in organizing a
number of spectacular guest per-
formances and lessons including
one on the tabla from Tan May
LeLe, one on Indian music and the
harmonium from Shiwani Avora,
one on Indian dance from Vinata
Vedam, and one on yoga from
N.K Sharma. We also enjoyed
guest speakers and demonstrators:
Shreya Pathak (on her trip to In-
dia), Praveen Pathak (cricket and
carrom), Hera Cole (growing up in
India), Sharvari Pathak (Hindi
writing and textiles), Natasha
Alexander (textiles), and Madhava
Mirel (living in India & the
Mrdanga drums). With the help of
many families we also had a deli-
cious and authentic Indian feast.
We are so very grateful to all of
the parents who made our India
Unit so wonderful and contextu-
ally rich. The children loved it
and learned so much!
In April, we completely
switched out the classroom and set
M O N T E S S O R I M O N I T O R
Ms. Jackie Johnson & Ms. Kathleen Bastien
Preschool/Kindergarten
We are so
very grateful
to all of the
parents who
made our
India Unit
so
wonderful
and
contextually
rich. The
children
loved it and
learned so
much.!
P A G E 9 C E L E B R A T I N G 3 2 Y E A R S O F A C A D E M I C E X C E L L E N C E
it up for learning about the hu-
man body and nutrition. So
far we have studied the human
skeleton and the nervous sys-
tem. The children find it all
fascinating. We have a num-
ber of anatomical models for
the children to observe, hold
and put together. We also
have x-rays of an actual child
to assemble and study.
This last week and the
first two weeks of May we fo-
cused on practicing for our
Parent Appreciation Perform-
ance. This performance
brought together, song, dance and poetry read-
ings about the human body and nutrition. The
children worked hard and had a lot of fun as
well.
It is hard to believe this year is winding down.
We have had a great year, a terrific group of
students and a really supportive and generous
group of parents. Ms. Kathleen and I are so
appreciative; we feel privileged to teach such
wonderful children. Thank you for a great
year!
Congratulations to Gavin on his new baby brother!
P A G E 1 0
It is so hard to believe that
this school year has come to an
end! We would like to thank all
the parents for the support and
help they have given to their chil-
dren and to the school. It seems
like it was only yesterday that we
had orientation!
First, we would like to
congratulate Ms. Widline for suc-
cessfully completing her AMS
Associate in Early Childhood Cre-
dential!
In February, our Kinder-
garten students took the IOWA
Standardized Test. All the stu-
dents did very well; scoring higher
than their actual grade level!
In the classroom, many of the
children are working with the
Stamp Game to better understand
the Place Value concept. They
have been working in the thou-
sands; learning Dynamic Addi-
tion, Multiplication, and Subtrac-
tion. Some children have ex-
plored the concept of Division
with remainders. We have also
been working on Money Values,
Telling Time and working with
Fractions.
In Language,
the children have been
learning the difference
between antonyms,
synonyms and homo-
nyms; and putting to-
gether compound
words. Lessons on
beginning punctuation
and function of words
(nouns, verbs and prepositions)
have also been presented. In the
Second Semester, the Kindergar-
ten students began taking weekly
spelling tests that focused on
words containing phonograms.
The children looked forward to
learning new words each week!
During reading groups, the chil-
dren were able to pick out words
they had learned for their spelling
tests.
For Parent Appreciation
the children learn all the aspects of
putting on a play. This year the
children performed ―Go Fish‖. A
musical/play based on friendship
and acceptance. The children
learned their lines and the songs as
well as some choreography! The
children did a wonderful job! I
believe we have some budding
actors and actresses amongst us!
They are already asking when we
are going to put on our next one! I
want to thank all the parents for
helping with their children’s cos-
tumes!
Developmental Art is care-
fully woven into our academic
M O N T E S S O R I M O N I T O R
Ms. Elizabeth Falls & Ms. Widline Senecharles
Preschool/Kindergarten
P A G E 1 1
curriculum.
Fine and
gross motor
skills are
constantly
being devel-
oped through
the various
projects we
do in the
classroom.
Each year
our class
puts together
a special pro-
ject – a class
quilt! This year’s quilt is entitled, ―Under
the Sea‖ and was designed to coincide with
our Unit Study of the Ocean. The children
used their handprint to create the two,
ocean scene panels. A ―silent auction‖ de-
termined what lucky family got to take the
quilt home.
As part of our unit study of the
ocean the children learned about sharks.
They were surprised to learn that there
were over 350 kinds of sharks and that sci-
entists still do not know everything about
them. A mini unit study of butterflies con-
cluded our studies for this school year.
Children are our future! and they
―have the
whole world
in their
hands!‖ With
the help of
Sunny Sorel’s
Dad, Ter-
rence, the
children used
paper mache
to cover a
wire model of
Earth and
then painted
the planet. The children push-pinned the
seven continents and used decoupage to
put them on
to the
―globe‖. It
was a very
fun art pro-
ject and was
enjoyed by
all!
Each
year I con-
tinue to be
amazed at
how much
the children
have grown
emotionally, socially, and academically.
They have come so far since first entering
our classroom. One of the most important
days of the school year is almost here –
Kindergarten Graduation! This occasion
is bittersweet for us. Ms. Widline and I
have watched your children grow so much
in the short time they have been a part of
our ―family‖. On Graduation Day, we
will not be saying good-bye; we will be
sending them on their way to further ex-
perience inner satisfaction and achieve
pride in their accomplishments. Wherever
they will be attending school next year,
they will be terrific! They are very proud
of themselves and we want to wish them
the very best! Thank you for allowing us
to be a part of your child’s early learning
experience. We have had a wonderful
year! Your child has definitely impacted
our lives and we wish you much luck and
success!
Take care, have a wonderful summer and
we love you all! See you in August!
Ms. Elizabeth and Ms. Widline
C E L E B R A T I N G 3 2 Y E A R S O F A C A D E M I C E X C E L L E N C E
P A G E 1 2
The ITBS (Iowa Test of Ba-
sic Standards) testing went so well
we wrapped up testing early. The
children were well prepared and
handled the testing very well.
Thanks to all of the families who
brought in a special snack to share.
Also, the children have begun to
rehearse for the End of the Year
Show, ―Alice In Wonderland‖. Our
children are working on practicing
with their props, blocking, getting
fitted for costumes and learning
their songs and moves.
Our garden, is abundant and beauti-
ful. The flowers are blooming and
the vegetables are maturing. The
children picked herbs, fruits, flow-
ers and vegetables for the food they
prepared for our Mother’s Day Tea.
In May, we took a field trip to the
Center for the Performing Arts for
Gainesville Chamber Orchestra's
presentation of Celestial Celebra-
tions: we went on a majestic visual
tour of the solar system that inspired
Holst’s masterpiece The Planets
while the orchestra performed the
landmark piece. The concert in-
cluded great music from the film
Star Wars and Disney's Aladdin. The
first and second grade students have
been studying and researching the
planets and making associations to
the gods associated with the planets
Mercury, Venus and Mars.
Our lessons in Geography and in
History for the rest of the year will
be about the concept of time. The
children continue their study of time-
lines. We discussed BC/AD or BCE/
ACE and what things took place on
the timeline before and after this time
period. The History of Writing is an-
other of Maria Montessori's exciting
Great Lessons. The children will be
studying the way communication has
changed from caveman, Greek, Ro-
man to the Illuminated Texts, into the
age of the moveable press and all the
way up to modern day technology.
We will continue to look at different
histories through time for the remain-
der of the year.
Thanks to our volunteers: We also
thank all of the people who donated
items for our special activities and
parties.
Ms. Anita Bender & Ms. Susie Long
1st & 2nd Grades
M O N T E S S O R I M O N I T O R
JUNE 2010
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
1 2 3 4 5 6
7 8 9 10 11 12 13
14 15 16 17 18 19 20
21 22 23 24 25 26 27
28 29 30 31
HAPPY BIRTHDAY! MAY
Ameia Smith
Ms. Anita Bender
JUNE
Caroline Tosolini
Matthew Fogleman
JULY
Maxx Adkins
P A G E 1 3 C E L E B R A T I N G 3 2 Y E A R S O F A C A D E M I C E X C E L L E N C E
Congratulations to Brennan New and his family on
his new baby brother!
Looking Ahead...
May 31 School Holiday
Memorial Day
June 2 Field Trip:
PK Yonge for Dress Rehearsal
June 4 End of Year Show:
Alice In Wonderland
PK Yonge - 5:30pm
June 7
Bicycle Safety
Presentation
June 8 Field Trip:
End of the Year Party (TBA)
June 9 Last Day of School/
Awards Day
P A G E 1 4
Birthdays
We had
some surprise
guests in our
classroom during
the last month.
Mr. Richard’s pet
rats became par-
ents the day after
Spring Break.
This allowed our
class to see the
process of growth
in the life of a
fancy rat during
April and May.
We were amazed
to see how quickly they
grow in size and how the
color traits from the par-
ents are passed on to the
offspring. It truly has
been a wonderful experi-
ence.
We have contin-
ued our tour around
South America, visiting
Chile, Argentina, and
Bolivia. We would like
to thank Ms. Gigi Tajalli
for coming to our class
and talking to us about
her home country, Chile.
In Science, our
focus has now shifted to
Botany. We looked at
the many different shapes
of leaves in the Montes-
sori leaf cabinet and
spent some time walking
around MMS and investi-
gating some of the leaves
on campus. We looked
into root systems and
flowering plants during
May. Our Social Studies
classes have us now
learning some of the his-
tory of Alachua County.
What does the word
Alachua really mean?
We will be learning
about important people,
events and the formation
of our county as well.
Congratulations
to Sage Trunnell (2nd),
Shreya Pathak (3rd) and
Dillon Webb(4th) for
earning the title of Spell-
ing Bee Champions for
their respective grades.
Thanks to moms
and dads for all your hard
work and support
throughout the year. We
hope you enjoyed Fa-
ther’s Day Field Day and
Mother’s Day Tea.
We look forward
to providing you with
one more gift this year,
Alice in Wonderland on
June 4th!!
May 10—Shreya (9)
20-Vishnu (10)
Mr. Richard Aslanian & Ms. Suzi Rumsey
2nd, 3rd & 4th Grades
June Lacey and Lindsey (9)
July 12 Matt (10)
17—Charlie (9)
M O N T E S S O R I M O N I T O R
P A G E 1 5
It’s hard to believe
it is already the end of May!
There is a feeling that the
end is near now that we
have completed our ITBS
testing, and have started
rehearsing for our end-of-
the-year show. Our class
would like to congratulate
Dillon for winning 1st place
in the Fourth Grade Spell-
ing Bee.
Fourth grade stu-
dents in Ms. Tina and Ms.
Erin’s Florida History class
were treated to several spe-
cial events during the past
weeks. One highlight was
our field trip to Shell
Mound to explore coastal
wetlands with Ms. Amilda’s
husband, Dr. Mark Clark.
There were lots of squeals
and giggles as we slipped
around in the mud trying to
experience several different
types of wetlands and ex-
amine their characteristics.
In April we were
visited by Civil War re-
enactor Tom Fasulo, who
helped the Civil War come
alive for us with his interac-
tive and entertaining pres-
entation.
During the fourth
quarter we discussed mod-
ern Florida. Students
planned road trips to desti-
nations including State and
National parks, bodies of
water, and historic sites pre-
viously unknown to them in
Florida. They examined
road maps and presenting
their trip in a Google Earth
presentation.
In U.S. History with
Ms. Susan Hansen, 5th grad-
ers presented skits about the
diverse peoples of the West.
These skits showed the
hardships of people who
tried to move to the West-
ern United States in the
1800s. Groups included
Mormons, Chinese immi-
grants, Mexicanos, Nez
Perce Native Americans,
Forty-niners, and Oregon
pioneers. Students created
costumes and props and
enjoyed giving their presen-
tation for Mr. Richard’s
class and Ms. Tina’s fourth-
graders.
In 5th grade science
students have been working
with plants, comparing
plant vascular systems and
animal circulatory systems
using Venn diagrams. Stu-
dents enjoyed the celery
experiment in which they
discovered how xylem and
phloem tubes work to bring
nutrients to the plant cells.
Now students are getting
ready to discuss the food
pyramid and how cells get
the energy they need.
Fourth graders just
finished up a Science mod-
ule about the human body,
bones and muscles. They
created working models of
joints, muscles, tendons and
ligaments using rubber
bands, popsicle sticks, and
other household items.
Our last weeks of
school will be busy and ex-
citing! In early May, 4th
and 5th graders went on a
field trip to the Gainesville
Chamber Orchestra’s Chil-
dren’s concert. The Safety
Patrollers’ went on a field
trip to Aquatica at Sea
World and our end-of-the-
year trip to Blue Springs is
coming up soon!
There were
lots of squeals
and giggles as
we slipped
around in the
mud trying to
experience
several
different types
of wetlands
and examine
their
characteristics.
C E L E B R A T I N G 3 2 Y E A R S O F A C A D E M I C E X C E L L E N C E
Ms. Christina Miller, Ms. Susan Salvatore & Ms. Erin Sorel
4th & 5th Grades
P A G E 1 6
As the school year winds down,
things are still very busy, as usual, in the
middle school. Middle school students
are prepared for the end of the year
show, Literary Magazine, Mother’s Day
Tea AND Eighth Grade graduation!
Slowly, but surely, the middle school
scenes for the end of the year show, Al-
ice in Wonderland, Jr. are taking shape.
Students are getting more comfortable in
their roles and embracing the nonsensi-
cal whimsy for which Charles Dodgson
was known.
During the third
quarter, the sev-
enth and eighth
grade students,
turned graphic
designers, cre-
ated the beauti-
ful third annual
literary maga-
zine, The Gal-
lery. We took
time out of the
busy ITBS
week to add the
last minute,
finishing
touches to the magazine.
We honored our Mother’s with a lovely
tea; complete with yummy refreshment,
lively entertainment and lovely flowers.
Fourth quarter is also a time for transi-
tion as our graduating eighth graders pre-
pare for high school. We send them off
in style at the graduation
ceremony, Monday, June 7
at 6 p.m. at Unity Church.
To prepare for graduation,
all middle school students
are writing speeches for the
ceremony. Graduating
eighth graders will deliver
extemporaneous speeches
recalling their fond memo-
ries of MMS. Some of the
seventh graders will intro-
duce eighth graders, and
some will deliver belief
statements based on the
popular NPR series ―This I
Believe.‖ The sixth graders
Ms. Sherilyn Farris & Ms. Susan Hansen
Middle School (M3S)
M O N T E S S O R I M O N I T O R
M3S Cont...
P A G E 1 7
are writing poems in either the terza rima, villanelle or
Spenserian sonnet style about themes related to gradua-
tion and moving forward.
Our Graduating Eighth Graders:
Dominick Aslanian – Eastside High School, IB program
Gini Bernal – St. Francis Catholic School
Laura Clark – Eastside High School, IB program
Derek Lipsig – Eastside High School, IB program
Ilie Tomlin – Buchholz High School, Entrepreneurship
Program
It has been another wonderful year in the M3S class-
room. We’re always so surprised by how fast the year
goes but when you’re learning AND having fun at the
same time – that tends to happen! We would like to
wish our eighth grade graduates – Dominick, Gini,
Laura, Derek & Ilie – the best of luck in high school. To
the incoming sixth, seventh and eighth grade students,
have a summer full of adventures to share in community
meeting when you return in the Fall. To our M3S Par-
ents, thank you for your continued support.
Sincerely,
Ms. Sherilyn & Ms. Susan
C E L E B R A T I N G 3 2 Y E A R S O F
P A G E 1 8
M O N T E S S O R I M O N I T O R
The weather is finally warming up and the cold
days that forced us inside have disappeared. During
those blustery days, the children learned a few line
dances with a brief dance unit. Middle school stu-
dents met the challenge of creating their own rou-
tine. Before Spring Break the children performed
their final testing for the Presidential Physical Fit-
ness program. As usual, the students exceed expec-
tations! 81% of our students have placed at the Na-
tional Level or above (42% were Presidential and
39% were National)! As we close out the year, stu-
dents are learning the basics of lacrosse for the first
time with Coach Cam. The lower field is even get-
ting some use for the first time. It has been another
fabulous year in PE. Coach Cam looks forward to
seeing you at summer camp. Even if you don't at-
tend, stay active and safe in the Florida sun. Go
Knights!
MMS Grade 2-3 Football
The 2-3 Football team remained utterly undefeated
throughout the team’s season. All games have had a
20 point or more margin of victory. Plays such as
―Free Willie‖ and ―Center Drag‖ have scored us
points on nearly every drive. Our defense has been
outstanding with several interceptions (often run back
for touchdowns) and smothering coverage guaranteed
to halt any forward progress by our opponents.
With the temperature of late Spring starting to heat
up, our parents are looked forward to cold Gatorade,
pop-up tents and cheering our awesome team forward
as we finished the rest of our season. Many thanks to
our Coaches who have made this season such an ex-
citing one to watch and to the kids for having so
much fun! Go Knights!!
PS: Cleats for Feet reminder:
We are still taking old cleats to catalogue and have
ready for Fall’s soccer season. Please drop them off
at the front office.
Coach Cam Parker
Physical Education
C E L E B R A T I N G 3 2 Y E A R S O F A C A D E M I C E X C E L L E N C E P A G E 1 9
P A G E 2 0
Beginner, Preschool & Kindergarten Spanish
Ms. Jeanne-Marie Clune-Hrivnak
M O N T E S S O R I M O N I T O R
P A G E 2 1
and drew their real and ideal rooms and pre-
sented to the class. Recently we began review-
ing vocabulary related to the family. During the
remainder of the year we will also work on some
Spanish verbs and verb forms which will prepare
5th graders for Middle School Spanish next year.
6th and 7th Grade
Students have been studying the city and places
in a city. They have learned how to give direc-
tions in a city and how to talk about where peo-
ple and places are using the Spanish verb estar,
meaning ―to be located‖. Students created tricky
logic puzzles giving clues to characters’ loca-
tions in a fictional city, which we all attempted
to solve. We have completed our basic unit on
verb conjugations with the help of some funny
songs to help us remember the steps.
8th Grade Spanish
Students finished up their study of grammar and
vocabulary related to cultural activities. Each
student researched a famous artist of Spanish-
speaking descent and presented their research in
a Power Point presentation. Our next unit was a
review of clothing and fashion related words,
and now we are beginning our final chapter
which deals with Summer time and vacation.
C E L E B R A T I N G 3 2 Y E A R S O F A C A D E M I C E X C E L L E N C E
Ms. Erin Sorel
1st - 8th Grade Spanish
1st and 2nd Grade
Ms. Anita’s Class was presented with vocabulary
relating to clothing and parts of the body. Stu-
dents played several body part games such as
―Simón Dice‖ (Simon Says) and sang some fun
songs as well. Students enjoyed naming body
parts to add to our class drawing of a monster
and presenting ―monsters‖ of their own in Span-
ish using body part cut-outs and vocabulary.
During the last quarter we will work on themes
including the family and Mothers Day, the Mexi-
can holiday Cinco de Mayo, and words related to
summer time and vacation.
2nd and 3rd Grade
Mr. Richard’s 2nd and 3rd graders worked on the
theme of the house and specifically things in our
rooms. Students enjoyed using vocabulary to
discuss things that are or are not found in each of
their rooms. As a final project, students created
an ideal room or ―cuarto ideal‖ which they com-
pared with their actual room in writing as well as
in a class presentation. During the last quarter
we will work on topics including family mem-
bers and adjectives used to describe people and
we will review much of the language we learned
this year.
4th & 5th Grades
4th and 5th graders worked on grammar and vo-
cabulary to describe their house and their room.
They created a project in which they wrote about
P A G E 2 2
There is in the soul of a child an impene-
trable secret that is gradually revealed as
it develops.
Dr. Maria Montessori
It is developmentally appropriate for chil-
dren to learn hands on and through their
five senses. One of the most joyful ways
is to plant seeds and watch them grow.
Children are constantly drawn to smell,
touch, and gather collections of leaves,
seeds, flowers, and even insects. They are
fascinated by the tiniest of things and
watching a tiny seed gradually reveal
itself as it grows provides a magical ex-
perience and can bring about a peace of
mind.
Flowers
daffodils pop up
sunflowers sway in the sun
dandelions blow
by Chloe (age 5)
Children as young as two years can and
should have the opportunity to garden
before they develop an aversion to na-
ture. More often than not children are
told not to touch something or put some-
thing in their mouths. All the attitudes
that accompany the sanitizing trend have
contributed to children being tactilely
defensive. Many children today cannot
tolerate putting their hands in paper ma-
chete or scooping seeds out of a pump-
kin.
A class garden provides a perfect oppor-
tunity for the children to cooperate with
each other for a common goal. Each child
has a turn watering, weeding, harvesting
and solving problems. Sometimes insects
or squirrels, for example, may destroy
some of the plants. Sometimes plants
may be selected to attract butterflies. La-
dybugs may be purchased and released to
solve the pest problem naturally. All
these decisions make wonderful class
discussions.
The academic extensions are endless. A
garden is an ever changing laboratory for
fine tuning observation skills needed in
every subject area. It is a ripe environ-
ment for graphing, measuring, journaling,
researching, identifying, and vocabulary
building such as whether a particular
leaf’s shape is reniform, elliptical, or
maybe spatulate.
Flowers
white, pink, red, yellow
rain, sunshine, flowers to grow
happy, pretty earth
by Kayla (age 5)
A class garden is appropriate for all ages.
M O N T E S S O R I M O N I T O R
By: Ms. Christina Miller
Gardens
P A G E 2 3
This year, 4th grade students planted a variety of
seeds and plants which tied in directly to our core
subjects. For example, when we studied Florida's
native Timucua people who used agricultural tech-
niques to grow gourds for use as drinking vessels,
students planted the same type of gourds in our
class garden. This was one of our most exciting
experiments, as the vines grew at an amazing pace
and the giant fruit was something most students had
never seen before. To connect with Spanish class
we grew marigolds, which are the traditional flower
of Day of the Dead, a Mexican holiday to honor
departed friends and family members. We used our
marigolds to decorate the authentic altar we created
in celebration of this holiday. Our gardening en-
deavors not only connected students with their core
classes in a more meaningful way, but inspired them
to learn more about plants and start gardens of their
own.
Several students chose an experiment for their sci-
ence project which involved growing plants. Cris-
tina designed a garden and presented her design to
our parent organization. It included a space for con-
templation, topiary of our mascot, as well as native
flowering plants. As a school, we will work to
manifest her garden.
As the weeks passed, our gardening time also gave
us a chance to observe the changing seasons, the
birds which frequent our schoolyard, and the types
of trees and wildflowers that grow there. In a time
when many children are focused on indoors activi-
ties, such as computer and video games, our stu-
dents had a chance to experience the natural world
in a more meaningful way. Rather than looking to
nature and seeing woods, children can identify
pine trees, oak trees, and native flowers. Rather
than just seeing birds, children see more specifi-
cally robins, bluebirds, and others. In this way our
gardening and exploration of the outdoors has
served to enrich the students' world view.
Garden
grass covered soil
digging, chopping, feeling good
planting seeds, growing
by Ahmik (age 5)
Some years back one of my elementary first
through third grade classes’ garden experienced a
very cold winter such as the one from which we
just emerged. The children took their clipboards
out to the garden to make their observations. They
were all horrified to observe the results of the hard
freeze. One child wrote: The beans are dead. The
carrots are dead. The endive is alive. The ground is
colder than the air.
And, yes, that pretty much summed it up.
C E L E B R A T I N G 3 2 Y E A R S O F A C A D E M I C E X C E L L E N C E
The
academic
extensions
are endless.
A garden is
an ever
changing
laboratory
for fine
tuning
observation
skills needed
in every
subject
area.
P A G E 2 4
On March 29th, the fourth grade students in Mr. Richard
Aslanian’s and Ms. Christina Miller’s classes suited-up
for a fun filled day at the Shell Mound wetlands in Cedar
Key. Dr. Mark Clark, professor from the University of
Florida, led the students on a guided journey through sev-
eral coastal wetland ecosystems. The children were en-
couraged to get their feet wet and muddy as well as ex-
amine the different
textures and compo-
sition of the soil in
each wetland. Dr.
Clark did an excel-
lent job of explain-
ing how the con-
tents of the soil ef-
fects what is able to
grow in each system as well as describing the plant and animal life in each.
Jalyn said it was the most disgusting and awesome day she had ever had!!
We congratulate the students for their bravery
in walking through swamps, forests
and muddy coastlines.
N E W S L E T T E R T I T L E
By: Christina Miller & Richard Aslanian Shell Mound
Father’s Field Day
P A G E 2 5
Each spring MMS hosts
Father’s Field Day for all
first through eighth
grade
students. We had over
100 dads (and moms) in
attendance for this an-
nual event. We had
beautiful weather and
even landed a spot on
children's book illustrator
and painter, also an MMS
alumnus.
In late March a bookfair was held at Barnes &
Noble on Archer Road in Gainesville. Thank you
to all of the families that joined us. We had
some wonderful performances by the thespians,
Daisy Scouts, and our teachers. A special thanks
to Ms. Crystal for organizing the event. Over
$740 was raised and a fun time was had by all!
See you there next year!
Barnes & Noble Bookfair
C E L E B R A T I N G 3 2 Y E A R S O F A C A D E M I C E X C E L L E N C E
Enjoying the Arts Day MMS hosted an Arts Day for
its first through eighth grade
students on Wednesday,
March 17.. The students en-
joyed a vocal ensemble led
by Paul Sikivie, an MMS alum-
nus, and his band as well as
an artist/illustrator presenta-
tion by Arthur Edwards, a
TV 20 news! Check out our
Facebook page to view the clip!
through Eighth grade campers
can choose from the following
options: Enrichment, Theater,
Young Filmmakers, Wide
World of Sports, Technology
and Fit Club camps.
DATES & PROGRAMS:
June 14 – 18 Photography
June 21 – 25 Woodworking
June 28 – July 2 Mad Scientist
July 6 – July 9 Geography
July 12 – 16 Drama
July 19 – 23 Drama
Every Friday will be
splash day and an op-
tional pizza lunch is avail-
able for all students.
For more information visit the front
office and pick up a copy of th sum-
mer camp brochure.
We look forward to spending the
summer with your child(ren)!!!
We will once again offer an
enriching and exciting day camp
for Preschool/Kindergarten,
Elementary and Middle School
students June 14-July 23. The
program activities will include
specialty classes, crafts, games,
sports, and special events that
revolve around a variety of
themes. The Preschool & Kin-
dergarten students will experi-
ence a Montessori hands on
curriculum, weekly educational
fun themes, arts & crafts, music
and playground fun! The First
Summer Camp
Thank you to everyone for clipping Box Tops off of
select General Mills products. Congratulations to Mr.
Richard’s class on collecting the most box tops winning
the Ice Cream Party. Keep collecting all summer long!
www.boxtops4education.com
Keep Collecting...
REGISTER TODAY!!!
P A G E 2 6
Each year the seventh
and eighth grade stu-
dents are required to
participate in a week
long internship. The
seventh graders stay on
campus and work in one
of the classrooms. The
eighth graders leave
campus and intern at a
local business/office.
Middle School Internships
State of Florida Science Fair Winners
P A G E 2 7
Millhopper Montessori School had two
winners in the State of Florida Science
Fair that took place at the Orange
County Convention Center in Orlando,
FL April 7-9, 2010. Jacqueline Kessler
received first place in the Behavioral
and Social Sciences category. She was
awarded a $50 from the Florida Mu-
seum of Natural History for Out-
standing Research in the Biological Sci-
ences. She was also awarded a $25 gift
certificate to Barnes & Noble from Thomas
Alva Edison Regional Science and Engineer-
ing Fair. This award is given to both a Junior
and Senior section student whose project
shows the best use of scientific and creative
thinking. Ashley Frye received third place
in the Physics and Astronomy cate-
gory. Both students are taught science
under the direction of Ms. Carol Fogleman.
Mother’s Day was celebrated a few
days early in our Elementary/Middle
School Classes! A long standing tra-
dition here at MMS as the students
perform for the mother’s (and fa-
ther’s) while serving them hors’d
ourves and tea! This is always a very
special day when the children ex-
press their love to their parents.
Mother’s Day Tea
C E L E B R A T I N G 3 2 Y E A R S O F A C A D E M I C E X C E L L E N C E
IOWA Test Scores The scores for the First through Eighth Grade Iowa Scores are here! Below are the composite scores for
each grade! For a complete breakdown visit our website at www.millhopper.com!
Grade Grade Equivalent National Stanine National Percentile Rank
1 2.7 8 89
2 4.0 8 90
3 6.2 8 93
4 6.9 7 83
5 9.3 8 89
6 9.3 8 89
7 13+ 7 87
8 13+ 8 96
MMS Calendar June 2010
Tuesday, June 1 End of year show Technical Rehearsal – for directors & some leads
Wednesday, June 2 End of year show Dress Rehearsal – 9:30-2:30 at PKY
Thursday June 3 Kindergarten Graduation – 1:30 PM
Thursday, June 3 Alice in Wonderland full run through at MMS 9:00-12:00
Friday, June 4 End of Year Show at PK Yonge 5:30 PM
Friday, June 4 Last Day of School – Preschool through Kindergarten – Regular full day with the after school program
Monday, June 7 Eighth Grade Graduation – 6:00 PM
Tuesday, June 8 Blue Springs Trip for Mr. Richard Aslanian’s, Ms. Christina Miller’s and Ms. Sherilyn Farris’ Classes
Wednesday, June 9 Last Day of School – First through Eighth Grade – Regular full day with the after school program Friday, June 11 Elementary/Middle School End of Fourth Quarter
Monday, June 14 First Day of Summer Camp
Friday, June 18 Elementary/Middle School Report Cards are sent Home
July 2010
Friday, July 16 Summer Camp Ends Monday, July 26 Entertainment Book Sales Begin
August 2010
Monday, August 16 First day Preschool/Kindergarten Students
Monday, August 23 First day for Elementary/Middle students
September 2010
Monday, September 6 Holiday - Labor Day
Friday, September 24 Fall Individual & Group Picture Day
Thursday, September 30 Entertainment Book Sales End
October 2010
Monday, October 11 Sally Foster Sales Begin
Friday, October 15 Holiday - UF Homecoming
Thursday, October 28 Sally Foster Orders End
Friday, October 29 Student Holiday/Teacher Workday
November 2010
Thursday, November 11 Holiday - Veteran’s Day - Flex Day Wednesday, November 24 Holiday Thursday, November 25 Thanksgiving Holidays Friday, November 26