The photo above is a painting from Alex.
Friendly reminders:)
- Please bring your child’s water bottles everyday
- Agradecimientos: Thank you Erika and Lucca for sharing the bread you and Lucca made at home. Everybody loved it!
Welcome Leila!
We had so many highlights these two short weeks. We welcomed our new Live Oak friend Leila, Mila’s younger sister and she is a great addition to our class.
Birthdays
We started the new year celebrating Josephine’s birthday. She was so excited sharing about her three life years. Happy birthday to Jo-Jo!
Reyes Magos and cooking project
At the beginning of our second week in January, we celebrated our last winter holiday–El Día de Reyes Magos. It is from Spain, Mexico and many other Latin American countries, and is a continuation of Christmas in commemoration of the coming of the three Kings. Griselda shared with the class her own experience of growing up celebrating this holiday in Mexico. She learned from her parents and grandparents that when the three wise men heard that the special baby was born they made a long journey to express their love, respect, and brought presents for the child. They met the child on January 6th when he was about two weeks old.
On January 5th children in Mexico polish their shoes and place them by the window or door. During the night, the Reyes Magos–Melchor, Gaspar, and Baltazar–stuff the shoes with chocolates and leave toys and clothes. On January 6th the family bakes a ring shaped cake (rosca or roscón) with dried fruit and a small plastic baby doll in it. They make hot cocoa as well. They then get together with family and close friends and share the cake and hot cocoa. Each person cuts their own piece of cake and whoever gets the plastic baby doll in their piece has to host a tamales party for everybody on February 2nd, the Día de la Virgen de la Candelaria.
We made our own rosca de reyes. The cooks were, Quinn, Marhsall, Alex, Ziggy, and Elias and they did a great job mixing all the ingredients!
This year Alex got the baby! He was so happy and excited, and he will bring cookies on February second.
Sensory bin
The children loved playing with the nativity set that included all the characters of the Reyes Magos story. Some of the children were acting out the story of the three kings and their journey following the star with the figures.
Geography
We finally moved the geography curruculum to the sandbox. The children worked and collaborated together really well in this activity. They had a lot of fun while they were forming the lakes and islands and loved placing water animals in the water and land animals on the land. During rainy days, some students enthusiastically discovered many lakes (puddles) and shouted “A lake!”
Traveling scholars
Visiting the Cedar classroom every Thursday 9:30 to 10:30 is a routine well accepted by our class. These weeks we hosted Arden, Nico, and Saul. The Live Oak travelers were Jo-Jo, Eleanor, and Arlo.
Fantasy corner
The fantasy corner turned into a home office and is very popular too.
North America
We introduced the North America unit. The children children shown interest at learning about this continent and loved the projects. Coloring a map, painting a big map, and shaping North America with play dough
Practical life
Sensorial
Language
In Montessori, when most of the students are really excited about a subject, we call it an “explosion”. This year, we are having an explosion of language.
Math
Art
Julianne offered a project where the children could explore a new technique paint. It was a great visual experience! Below is a link to see more of it. We also made Winter trees with finger prints and cardboard prints.
ECC Live Oak 1/9/24 Wed. – squeegee printing
We are very proud of our class!
Griselda, Niki and Katt.