The Children's House of Nantucket
October 2014 Newsletter 




  

Halloween Traditions

 

Billy Sherry, a local artist and parent of Children's House graduates, will be joining us on Thursday, October 30th for our annual pumpkin carving.  Billy has kindly shared his time, skill, and humor with us for many years and his visit is always enjoyed by all!

 

In addition to Billy's visit, the upcoming holiday is reflected in many of the activities around the school. Practical Life works include putting batteries in a "spooky" flashlight, tonging seasonally colored pom poms, and making "spider webs" using rubber bands on a peg board.

 

In the science area the children are learning about nocturnal animals, specifically bats. They are also studying the life cycle of a pumpkin from seed to decomposition.  For a hands-on experiment, the Third Year students cut open a pumpkin and counted the number of seeds inside.  There were 311 in total!  The pumpkin has been placed in a large mason jar so that we can observe the changes that take place over the coming weeks. 

Stay tuned to hear what happens...


 

October's Poem 

 

I'd Like To Be a Lighthouse

 

I'd like to be a lighthouse

All scrubbed and painted white.

I'd like to be a lighthouse

And stay awake all night

To keep my eye on everything

That sails my patch of sea;

I'd like to be a lighthouse

With ships all watching me.

-Rachel Field

"Establishing lasting peace is the work of education." 

-Dr. Maria Montessori


Peace Education

 

Staying true to our Montessori philosophy, peace education continues to be a focal point at The Children's House. Our program provides daily opportunities to foster inner peace, work and play harmoniously with one another, care for the natural world, and learn about different cultures.   

 

In the first weeks of school, the children were introduced to the concept of "love lights" by shining a flashlight through a paper template of a person. With this activity, the children discovered that although every person is unique and different, we all have a love light within. When we are happy, our love lights shine brightly. However, if we feel sad or mad, our love lights are faint. 

 

There are many positive behaviors that help our love lights shine brightly, such as meditation. Our Geography room offers a teepee to sit in, with herbs and a battery operated candle, as well as other objects of beauty to inspire calmness and reflection. This is also an ideal spot to retell Black Elk's Vision of Peace, a Native American story that illustrates what choice is and how the choices we make can affect our love lights, the love lights of others, and the community as a whole.  These peace education activities reinforce that through our actions, we can serve as lights of guidance and hope for friends as well.  Additionally, the concept of being a beacon for others has made a nice segue into our current study of lighthouses. 

 

We have been thrilled to hear many parents remark that the peaceful language from school has been adopted into your homes. That makes our love lights shine!

 

"The hearts of little children are pure, and therefore, the Great Spirit may show them many things which older people miss." -Black Elk


 
Painting and Cutting in Art!

Shut The Box

 

Thanks to Riley Congleton for introducing us to Shut the Box, a counting/number recognition game. Played either alone or with a partner, this game reinforces the association between numerals and quantity.  In addition to the many Montessori math materials, games like this one are a great way to provide additional opportunities for math work!


                
   Sorting and grading in Sensorial        Map of North America                  Pouring with a funnel


Hand Washing

 

With cold an flu season approaching, we have been giving lessons and reminders about ways to minimize the spread of germs and stay healthy.  Some examples are: how to properly use a tissue, coughing and sneezing into one's elbow, as well as frequent and thorough hand washing.  

 

 

Grace has written a catchy song to the tune of  "Open, Shut Them" to reinforce the steps of hand washing: 

 

Wash them, wash them, wash them, wash them

Give a little rub

Wash them, wash them, wash them, wash them

Give a little scrub

 

Swish them, swish them, swish them, swish them

Just like little worms

Just make sure you use some soap

To get rid of all the germs

 

Wash them, wash them, wash them, wash them

Don't let the water fly

Next pick up a little towel

Because it's time to dry

 

Drying, drying, drying, drying, 

Done! 


Working with the movable alphabet in Language!

Parent Conferences 

 

Parent Conferences will be held on Friday, October 31st. There is no school on this day, however the school will provide childcare (if needed) during your conference time. 

 

These ten-minute meetings are a great opportunity to discuss your child's transition into the school routine, ask questions about the program, and set goals for the year. The sign-up for conference times will be posted in the coatroom on October 20th.  Please contact the office with any questions.     

Children's House Blend

 

Parent Coffee, Tea & Conversation will be held in the office on Friday October 24th from 8:00-8:30. 

 

This month, two of the teachers will be available to chat over drinks and snacks. We look forward to seeing you there!

MCHN
(508) 228-5454 

ackmontessori@gmail.com
mchnteachers@gmail.com
7 Pheasant Drive/P.O. Box 2121
Nantucket, MA 02584


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