N E W S  &  L E S S O N S  F R O M  M R S.  R O C A F U E R T E  ’ S  C L A S S
Issue: November 1 - November 30, 2021

Hello Families,

Happy November! It is hard to believe we just wrapped up another month. Our class was buzzing with excitement about Halloween. The children were thrilled to finally see each other and their teachers in costumes. We read books, sang songs, created some adorable works of art, and had a Halloween parade that was fun for all.

The children are actively learning, playing games and connecting with each other. Great friendships are budding and fun memories are being made. I think it's important to remind ourselves that Montessori is about the process. We have lots of wonderful materials in the classroom that keep the children engaged in learning and they are free to use these materials as often as they like. If you notice that your child does not bring home physical work, it does not mean they are not busy while at school. Your children are actively learning and exploring their beautiful classroom environment. Our music teacher, Miss Melissa is lots of fun and the children enjoy when she plays her guitar. Our Spanish teacher, Sra. Esther is wonderful with the children, she makes learning Spanish so fun with the use of her great props and engaging stories.

During the month of November the children will explore the Montessori colored globe and the World Map. They will begin to learn the names of the seven continents and the five oceans of the world. We will read books, talk about kindness, and explore what we are thankful for. During circle time we will talk about our favorite parts of Thanksgiving and what we are thankful for.

Parent/Teacher conferences will take place on Friday, November 19th via zoom, please remember to be in a separate room from your child during the meeting as these conversations are for adults. A zoom link will go out to each family confirming your time. Please contact Barbara Berge in the front office at the Dobbs Ferry site (914-693-4443) to sign up for a conference time slot. Please contact me directly if you have a conflict with scheduling.

Mrs. Cinquina and I want to take a moment to say THANK YOU to all our families who have been proactive in helping us to keep our classroom healthy. Keeping your child at home when they do not feel well makes a big difference in our class safety. We greatly appreciate your efforts and your support with this matter.

Some Important Dates to remember:

No School, November 2nd - Staff Development Day

No School, November 11th – Veteran’s Day

No School, November 19th - Parent/Teacher Conferences

No School, November 24th - 26th - Thanksgiving Recess

School resumes Monday, November 29th

Warmest regards,

Mrs. Rocafuerte and Mrs. Cinquina

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Theme: All things Fall and Thanksgiving

Art:

Color mixing with paints (primary colors to secondary colors)

Painting with watercolors

Thanksgiving crafts

Cultural Arts/Geography:

Locate North America on the Montessori Globe

The seven continents: 3-part cards

Introduce “The Continents” and “The Oceans” songs by Shelley Murley

Landmarks of the U.S.A (object picture matching)

Discuss the American holiday: Thanksgiving

Language:

I-Spy (develops phonemic awareness, letter/sound matching)

Sandpaper letters and sand tray: [Nn], [Hh], [Pp] - children trace the shape of the letter with the index and middle finger and say the sound

Picture Story (develops an understanding that the printed word is related to oral language)

Parts of a turkey nomenclature cards (children match picture and word cards, develops pre-reading skills, builds vocabulary)

Thanksgiving Foods: 3-part cards (builds vocabulary)

Books:

“We’re Going on a Leaf Hunt” by Steve Metzger

“Leaf Man” by Lois Ehlert

“Turkey Trouble” by Wendi Silvano

“Pete the Cat: The First Thanksgiving” by James Dean

“Llama, Llama Gives Thanks” by Anna Dewdney

Math:

Rods and Numerals 1-10

Numerals and Leaves 1-10 (practice one to one correspondence)

Hanging Bead Stair 11-19 (teaches numeral recognition and counting 11-19)

Memory Game

November Calendar

Practical Life:

Learn to rake leaves (large motor skills, care of the environment)

Sort pieces of bark, seeds, and leaves (develops fine motor skills)

Sort cutlery (develops hand-eye coordination, order and concentration)

Pull-apart burlap (develops pincer grip, concentration, fine motor skills)

Fold Napkins (develops pincer grip, concentration, hand-eye coordination)

Transfer water using a turkey baster (strengthen hands and fingers for writing, builds on left to right motion)

Clamping Clothespins

Make butter and cranberry sauce

Science:

Parts of a turkey: 3-part cards

Light vs. Heavy sorting activity

Living vs. Nonliving sorting activity

Sensorial:

Color Tablets Box 3 (matching the tones black, white, gray)

Autumn Shadow Matching

Sort beans by color

Long Rods (arranging rods from longest to shortest)

Specials:

Mondays 10:30 a.m. - Music Enrichment

Tuesdays 10:30 a.m. - Spanish Enrichment