Welcome to the New School Year 2010-11

Dear Parents of Ms. Siciliano’s Lower Elementary Montessori Class,

Welcome new and returning students to the upcoming school year in our very special Montessori class! I am looking forward to a wonderful year with your children and have many lessons to present. Our year will be an adventure of learning and discovery!

Our back to school night for all parents is at Faith North Montessori on Thursday, July 29 at 5:45 pm. Also learn about parent volunteer opportunities. Thanks for attending!

In addition to back to school night, I will also host an Introduction to the Montessori Elementary Classroom" for parents of new students on Tuesday, August 3 at 6 pm in our classroom, room 104. New parents, please attend and bring your questions!

Here are some notes to help you get ready for school. See also our “what to bring to school” .

Items to have at home: Child’s own alarm clock, an elementary dictionary, loose-leaf paper, pencils, colored pencils. A Phoenix library card and good children’s literature. We will send a small spelling book home to keep for unfamiliar words that your child can write when she finds words while reading or when a child asks you for a word, you can write it in her book.

Shoes: Sneakers or sandals with straps. No flip-flops please. Flip flops are dangerous on the playground.

Communication between home and school: The students will receive a home folder weekly in class. Please check this folder for parent mail from our class and the office. The right side of the folder contains new items. The left side will contain your child’s items that we are returning to you. If there is any other mail during the week we will send it in your child’s canvas bag.
You will also receive a “Home and School” form to sign and return every week with your child’s practice papers. You are welcome to write a note to the teacher or use e-mail: Rosalinda.Siciliano@phxelemk12.az.us. Our class news is published about every two weeks or monthly and is also sent to you via e-mail at violetpurplepink.blogspot.com.

Suggestions for Home Practice Work - We use the term Home Practice and Review work.The home practice is designed for students to gain experience reading and following directions which is a practical life skill and builds thinking and deduction skills too. Please encourage your child to have some routine daily jobs at home. Washing dishes, sweeping, setting the table, etc., help your child to become self reliant, confident and builds wonderful responsibility habits.

Provide a quiet uncluttered area for your child to work. Allow her to work independently and decide together on a regular time to do the work. Twenty minutes three or four times a week is appropriate. The most important point is to communicate with your child. Please always encourage reading and hopefully children will read for pleasure. We will be encouraging chapter books too. Children mirror your habits and actions.

Throughout the year, we will be introducing simple book reports in different genres.

For children who attend peer club, we want their home folders to be placed in the metal box on the wall outside our class so they will not loose it. Please check the box regularly.

Please note: No backpacks please. We will use a two-pocket home folder, which we will provide for mail back and forth to school. We need all of our classroom space and patio for working areas. Each child will use a canvas bag, which can be folded up when not in use. Please bring the canvas bag to school each day. Please do not send toys to school. Thank you.

TV and Video games – In the best interest of your child, please limit these to an hour or less per day. Many games and TV shows promote violence and are distracting to learning. Children who are exposed to these games often think of them constantly in school. We suggest that you play the games with your child to see what the games contain.

If you have any questions or comments, please do not hesitate to contact me after 3:20 PM at 602 257 3914 and you will be transferred to our class. Also my e-mail address is Rosalinda.Siciliano@phxelem.K12.az.us Thank you for supporting our school and your child’s learning. You are your child’s first and most important teacher.

Thank you for entrusting your child to us. I consider it an honor to have your child in our class. We are looking forward to learning in many fun ways.

I am looking forward to inspiring your children to be their best self! They are so intelligent and joyful. We are going to have a wonderful experience together. Thank you for your support of your child and our school.

Sincerely,
Rosalinda Siciliano and Lisa Ramirez

PS Public library – Please make sure your child has her own Phoenix Public Library card. We use this library as a class. We will be taking a Library Mystery Tour. Also please be willing to take your child to the library. This is a vital part of the Montessori way to encourage children to pursue their own subjects and interests. It’s fun and rewarding to make friends with the children’s librarian. This is one of great ways you can support your child’s learning during the elementary years! Thank you.

Back to School Items to Bring

Welcome back. So looking forward to seeing all of our students! Here is a list of what to bring to school on the first day or on Back to School Night Thursday, July 29 at 5:45 pm. School begins on Wednesday, August 4.

Please mark your child’s name nicely on everything.

Personal Use Materials:
_____ One 1 ½” Three ring view binder – White. This has a clear cover where
children can insert their own book decoration. Used as a portfolio to keep a
collection of your child’s best work in class.
_____ Two ½” three ring binder – White with clear cover (Returning students have
these)
_____$ 10 (We will purchase a record book, notebooks, pocket inserts for the
portfolios, home folders and classroom work folders for each student)
_____ Pencil Box and pink eraser.
_____ A pencil sharpener (non-motorized) with shaving collector attached
_____ A white canvas bag. (Please bring back and forth to school. We use these
instead of backpacks and plastic to save space and the earth.)
_____ A plain clipboard 8 ½ x 11” (Most returning students already have.)
_____ 2 Matching cloth napkins and 1 napkin ring (returning students already have)
_____ 1 mug (not plastic) (Returning students already have.)

Please also bring these community shared materials
______ A box of tissues
______ A box of 24 colored pencils.
______ A box of 18 Ticonderoga lead pencils. (These sharpen the best)
______ A pad of multi colored construction paper

_______Last names A-G one package of three oz. Cups
_______Last names H-M one box each of small and large zip lock bags
_______Last names N-O one bottle of white vinegar and Murphy’s Oil Soap
_______Last names P-R Cascade dishwasher detergent (liquid)
_______Last names S-Z Dawn Dish Soap, package of colored sponges

Our class wish list – optional
_______football
_______soccer ball
_______basketball
_______long jump rope
_______3 dust pans with brush (medium size
_______3 corn brooms (Food City has the best)
_______gel pens (We use these for Capital letters)
_______6 glass bricks
_______blue area rug from Ikea (67" x 90")
_______roll of white string
_______ 3 calligraphy pens and blue ink
_______ 50 lbs of Gray modeling clay (We are going to make a river model.)
_______ 25 lbs of red self-hardening clay (for student projects)
_______ fabric paint to decorate students’ white canvas bags
_______ lots of radish seeds (for biology experiments)
_______ large ficus house plant with clay pot and saucer