Dear Villa Community,
These first 11 weeks of school have gone by so quickly. I hope everyone gets some restful time over the fall break to relax, refresh and rejuvenate.
What’s Happening
On the ECC campus, some of our toddlers are helping with food preparation for Pizza Friday and are also setting the table using real dishes and glassware. In primary, there is talk of the seasons and some classrooms have added activities involving leaves and their parts (yes, Montessori has a lesson on the parts of the leaf and a botany cabinet with wooden insets showing the variety of leaf shapes). Hummingbird feeders have been added to some of the gardens. One teacher sharing a mini slideshow on her class Weebly page. Watch for sign-ups for Mystery Readers, Art Masterpiece volunteers, and other classroom volunteer opportunities on your classroom teacher’s website.
After Fall Break, third graders will receive a math home practice folder for working on at home each day. Be sure to reach out to your child’s teacher if you need some support with this. We have found that students really benefit from this review time. They need to bring their packet to and from school every day. Please follow the instructions included in the folder and use the answer key to check their work before initialing its completion. Each Elementary II classroom is doing some engaging activities such as STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) projects, civics work, novel studies (culturally based or offering social-emotional support). Teachers will be reaching out after the break to invite parents to participate in classroom volunteer opportunities or to participate in a social event (if they have not had one already).
Middle School Orlando Community students were on a land lab in Prescott this week. The original land lab was extended by 2 days in order to allow time for some of the Heroic Journey activities they missed due to the shortening of their first trip. The students really enjoyed the activities and the beautiful weather. Last week I wrote about the middle school students choosing an adult ally to support them during their Heroic Journey experience. Students have now participated in a “Walk in Each Other’s Schools” exercise where they learn about the family life of another student in their community and reflect on how their lives are similar and different.
