October 31, 2013 Volume 7, Issue 1

The Tall Oak

Leaves

Megan

Dear Oak Farm Community,

We are thrilled to extend this “official” welcome to what has been a strong and exciting start to a

new year at Oak Farm. It is a challenging task to convey the breadth and vibrancy of all that hap-

pens at our school. Much more than just the beautiful classrooms, grounds, and Montessori mate-

rials, our school is bursting with discovery, collaboration, creativity and dedication to children.

In this newsletter, we have taken a humble stab at giving you a glimpse of some of the very special

learning that has been happening over the course of the last month. Lower students delving into

hands-on projects that deepen their study of the universe. Upper students taking the “author’s

chair” in their newly developed writers workshop. Tours of the farm. A trip to Michigan. Outdoor

work and cooking work. The list goes on, and there are many things that did not make it into this

newsletter; as soon as we finish typing notes on one incredible experience, another is taking shape.

New additions to our newsletter include a “Professional Corner” where you can hear about some of

the learning our teachers are experiencing and facilitating outside of the classroom, and the “Green

Team” page where parents and teachers passionate about eco-literacy can share resources and

updates to help your family get inspired about living life to the healthiest.

Look for this e-newsletter in your email inbox on the last school day of every month. We will con-

tinue to update you with calendar items and other business in our weekly Community Memo, and

you can also find fun and frequently refreshed posts on our Facebook page

(https://www.facebook.com/OakFarmMontessori).

We thank you for being part of the Oak Farm community. Happy Reading,

Oa

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Infant & Toddlers ~ Primary 2

Lower Elementary 3

Upper Elementary 4

Middle School 5

Specialist—Reading & Cooking 6

Green Team 7

Professional Corner 8

Inside this Issue Our Mission:

To provide a Montessori

environment that

inspires children to

reach their potential

through

meaningful work.

The Infant & Toddler students have the

opportunity to !take full advantage of

the countless wonders of nature and

all the outdoor play areas. As they

step outside the cubby door here at

Oak Farm, their senses come to life

as they explore the outdoors. Run-

ning, balls, bikes, and walks into the

woods are just a few favorite activi-

ties they choose. Playground equip-

ment offers exercise that challenges

growing toddler muscles. Learning to

push and pull on swings, balancing on

seesaws, climbing steps before taking

off down a slide, and spinning on a

tire not only enhance your child’s

physical well being but also give your

child great appreciation of how their

body moves in space.

Children who learn to love outdoor

physical activities carry these healthy

interests as they grow into

adults. Young ones thrive when they

are given the freedom to play outside

and discover the world around

them. Outdoor play helps your infant

or toddler gain confidence as their

competence and agility grow. See if

you can get outside with child for a

run in the yard, walk in the neighbor-

hood or trip to your local park! It

will be time well spent.

Infants & Toddlers Venture Into the Great Outdoors Nefy Hathaway ~ Toddler 1 Teacher

Leadership in Action: Middle School Hosts a Farm Tour

Natasha Fillers ~ Primary 1 teacher

Our Farm Tour began several

weeks ago, when Bridget and her

great Middle School team ap-

proached us with a wonderful

idea: let’s share the knowledge,

passion and an amazing experience

that happens on the Farm with

our younger friends.

A couple of weeks before the

tour, the Middle School students

visited our classroom to have an

interview with our friends. They

read a story about the animals our

friends would be visiting. They

prepared a lot of information

about what to expect during the

tour and answered a huge amount

of questions from our excited

friends.

We had a great two weeks of pa-

tient waiting and finally the big day

arrived. The Primary 1 group had

many different learning experienc-

es at the farm. They were able to

feed and walk a goat, they helped

to brush a donkey, hold a kitten,

and had the opportunity to milk a

goat! It was an experience that will

be remembered for a long time.

Grace & Aidan

holding one of

the kittens Caleb & Charlie get a close-up

look at one of the goats.

Emerson helps Ryker, Carly & Grace feed a goat

A toddler

student

concentrates

as he balances

on a log in the

woods

“The land is where our roots are. The children must be

taught to feel and live in harmony with the Earth.” ~ Dr. Maria Montessori

Page 2

Earth Scientists Abound in the Red Barn

Lower Elementary Team

Volume 7, Issue 1 Page 3

Cosmic Education has taken flight in Lower

Elementary, where students have been study-

ing earth science and astronomy over the last

several weeks. Their study began with im-

pressionistic stories, or “Great Lessons,” that

spark the imagination and excite students to

learn about the workings of our incredible

universe.

Some of their explorations have included

learning about the planets, the layers of the

Earth, the phases of the moon, and a myriad of

land and waters forms around the globe. These

explorations launch investigations of physical,

earth and life science over the course of the

school year. Curiosity, imagination and inquiry are

alive in the Red Barn!

Greg & Ameera study

continents & oceans

Ronja, Mia, Gena,

Kaidin, Cameron &

Fernando prepare to

make 3 – D planet

models.

Reid creates a picture of the

Earth’s layers.

Cassidy and Juliana study advanced

land forms.

Aliyah and Rachel ex-

plore “waning gibbous

and waxing crescent”

in moon study.

A gulf, bay, isthmus and peninsula appear in

Max’s land and water forms work.

Page 4 Page 4

Upper Elementary

Uncovering the Art of Writing

Upper Elementary classrooms spend a minimum of

three hours a week in Writer’s Workshop. To date, stu-

dents have studied and then practiced in their own

writing, such skills as: leads, dialogue, plot construc-

tion, action words, editing, and descriptive language.

Their individual growth and interest has been signifi-

cant. In their own words . . .

I can easily say Writer's Workshop is my favorite school subject. It has

been a great learning experience.

--Reed, UE2 student

It's been great! The past weeks we've been learning how to write good

beginnings, middle, and endings to stories. We also learned how to use

punctuation in order to make our stories sound better so readers will

want to keep reading.

--Kai, UE2 student

I learned to zoom in on the most important parts of the story and elab-

orate more. I think Writer's Workshop has taught us to be better au-

thor, and it has helped our brains grow stronger.

–Zander, UE2 student

Writer's Workshop is interesting. I like writing stories.

-- Lydia, UE1 student

Writer's Workshop is fun and interesting. It is nice to learn how au-

thors write a story. If you want to be an author when you grow up, you

have a head start.

-Travers, UE1 student

Writer's Workshop is not just from your imagination. It comes from

your life experiences. I come up with 20 stories a day.

--Louie, UE1 student

A successful writing program is focused on more than improving the

quality and frequency of a child's writing; its aim is to foster lifelong

learners who value writing as a source of communication with others

and as a connection to the world.

-- Carmela, UE2 teacher

Writer's Workshop allows students the opportunity to really take

charge of their writing. They are learning to self-reflect on what they

write and bit by bit are learning that writers are constantly revis-

ing. Revision is a good thing. From the first drafts to the final pub-

lished pieces, the students have ownership. Many students are even

beginning to see how learning the nuts and bolts of grammar help

them to become better writers.

– Sara, UE1 teacher

Middle School Fall Trip:

Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes

Page 5

Teachers, Teaching Each Other Linda Hoffman ~ Reading Specialist

Page 6

Primary teachers spent part of their September

in-service brushing up on phonemic awareness.

Phonemic awareness is the ability to manipulate

language. It is not about print, but about recog-

nizing that individual sounds make up words.

When your child first said “Mom” (or some

facsimile) they were assigning a word to a per-

son, they were not thinking about how m, ah, m

makes up that word. That thinking is what’s

happening now, in practicing phonemic aware-

ness.

During the workshop, research was shared

which shows the significance of strong phone-

mic skills and their impact on learning to read.

What seems like silly word play is actually quite

important in determining reading success later

on. Primary levels are all about playing with

sounds now by rhyming, alliteration, clapping

syllables, and switching sounds around!

We had a great time

Finding words that rhyme

And figuring out a way

To make it part of every day!

Cooking at School Jill Hoffelder ~ School Chef Did you know that students from Primary,

Lower Elementary, Upper Elementary help to

prepare lunch? Each level has a designated day

of the week when two students from that level

help to prepare lunch. Just like the cycle of

activity in the classroom they get to experi-

ence the beginning, middle and end of lunch

preparation.

Not only are they capable of the work, they

are enthusiastic and welcome each task that is

placed before them learning skills that they will

use for years to come.

Ryan helps prepare food for his classmates.

Page 7

Considering Options Lisa Coville ~ Oak Farm Parent

A note from

Oak Farm’s

GREEN

TEAM

Drink your water! Those 8-10 glasses of water you hear about really do keep your body functioning as it should. Staying hydrated helps keep the toxins on a constant flow out of our

systems.

Good Nutrition When you can, eat organic. Foods with GMOs and pesticides create additional

challenges for your body’s immune system. Give your body a break and look for

these labels:

Chiropractic care Patients who receive chiropractic care have been found to have demonstrated a

significant increase in immune function. Try it! You’ll experience a new vitality for

life! See http://valeohealthclinic.com/chiropractic-immune-system/

Relieve stress by getting outside Spending time together outside is one of the best ways to free your body from

stress and increase the flow of endorphins – the “feel good” chemicals in our

bodies. Go for a walk with your kids. Try a bike ride. Create a scavenger hunt in

the backyard or local park. Let the fresh air carry that stress away!

Vitamin D3 Talk with your doctor about the tremendous benefits of maintaining proper levels

of vitamin D3 in your body. Research shows that vitamin D3 has a significant and

positive influence on the immune system’s line of defense, among other health

benefits. * Consult your physician before taking this supplement, as it is important to have your

blood levels drawn so the amounts can be monitored properly.

Now on the flip-side of the Fall Festival, October draws to a conclusion and the

holiday season will soon be upon us. Did you know there are several options of

ways to boost your immunity naturally during the holidays and throughout the year?

Considering Options Lisa Coville ~ Parent & Occupational Therapist

There is a wealth of good information about supporting your body’s natural ability to heal itself at your fin-

gertips. There are multiple ways that you have to control your own health. Here are a few resources that

have been beneficial on our family’s journey:

www.healthychild.org

www.pathwaystofamilywellness.org

www.thegreatergoodmovie.org

www.naturalnews.com

www.localharvest.org

Happy reading! Wishing you a healthy and memorable holiday season with your family.

Professional Corner

Oak Farm was proud that three of our teachers were presenters at the United Montessori Schools of Indi-

ana conference that took place in Indianapolis on October 24, 2013. Toddler 2 teacher Candy Slabaugh,

Upper Elementary 1 teacher Nancy Bradtmiller, and Middle School teacher Bridget York all shared their

passion, wisdom and expertise with other Indiana Montessorians.

Page 8

BRIDGET YORK: I was able to share with teachers the opportu-

nities for their students to participate in the Montessori Model United

Nations conferences in Fort Wayne, IN, NYC, Geneva, Switzerland, and in

2014— China! Montessori's dedication to peace education is the foun-

dation for this meaningful and challenging experience for Upper Ele-

mentary and Middle School students…The resolutions that pass are

sent on to the United Nations to be read by the diplomats. It was great

to share this with teachers in the Midwest region.

NANCY BRADTMILLER: My presentation was called,

"Get Out!" I addressed how nicely ecology lessons augment

our Montessori cultural curriculum and provided examples

of how the schoolyard can be used as an outdoor lab.

CANDY SLABAUGH: The presentation I did was “How to Bring

Practical Life into the Infant Toddler Environment While Making it Man-

ageable, Meaningful, and Fun." It was a blast. I was able to take along

long some works that showed manageable ways to have fun and bring

life into the infant and toddler environments, and how to keep things

safe without getting overwhelmed. I am thankful that I got to go and

make connections with other colleagues in our field of work.