11/7/24
Bunny Class Notes
“The child has a mind able to absorb knowledge.  He has the power to teach himself.” 
– Maria Montessori, The Absorbent Mind.
This month we will begin to study “Our World”.
North America is the first continent we will explore.  We have a continent basket which contains beautiful materials such as books, musical instruments, art, statues, pictures, clothing and food.  The materials will help the children to have a better understanding about the different countries and cultures around the world.  Our line time has been full of musical instruments and beautiful singing.  For many weeks we have been practicing and preparing for our special Holiday Program.  It will be held on Friday, December 13th at 9:00 A.M. in the Bunny Class!  Please plan to join us for this special event and receive a nice gift from your child!
Thanksgiving is a topic we will explore this month.
We will be reading many stories about Turkeys and the importance of being thankful. We will also be making Thanksgiving cards for a local nursing home in our community.  Our afternoon class will deliver the lovely cards to the Activity Director on November 26th. We will also have our annual Thanksgiving celebration on November 26th. We are asking all children to bring in fruit to share for our Thanksgiving Celebration!!  We will all have a chance to share what we are thankful for–along with a fun turkey craft that day!
We would like to say Congrats to Jake and Rowan for winning our class election this week! Each candidate gave a reason for their classmates to vote for them to be our Bunny President!! It was a tie, and we had a great time!! Everyone received a sticker that said they voted that day.
Happy Birthday to Frankie (4)!!
Please remember to send gloves, boots, snow pants, and hats for your child.  We will go outside for 20-40 minutes each afternoon as long as the temperature (including wind-chill) is 15°F and above.  Please make sure your clothing is labeled.
Please join us for a full moon viewing party on November 15th from 6:30-7:30 in the Montessori parking lot!!
We wish all of our families a happy, safe, and fun Thanksgiving!!!
Val Peat
10/6/2024
Bunny Class October Newsletter

“His feet are now on the path which leads to normality:  Concentration is the key.”

“Concentration is the key that opens up to the child latent treasures within him.”

Dr. Maria Montessori, Her Life and Work

It is a joy to observe all the children in their daily work in our environment.  We know that when the children are able to concentrate, development and growth are going on with each child.
“The essential thing is for the task to arise such an interest that it engages the child’s whole personality.”
Happy Fall!
The children had a great time on our nature walk.  They were busy collecting acorns, leaves and pinecones around our school. The children enjoyed making leaf ornaments and leaf collages.
A big Thank You to all the parents who were able to attend our Curtis Orchard Trip!!!   We are only able to make this trip successful because of your attendance, kindness, and support. Thank you again!!  The children had a great time choosing their own individual pumpkins and voting for our Big Pumpkin for our class!! Thank you to Lavender’s Mom who paid for the pumpkin that came in second place. Our bunnies loved our snack that was provided, playing on the playground, and touring the patch to see how the pumpkins grow on the vines!
October is Fire Safety Month
On this Friday, the Savoy Fire Department will visit our school. This month we will continue to read books about fire safety and learn about having a meeting place at home and school.  We will be practicing our fire drill at school this week with the help of our fire department on Friday.  We will also dress up Edmund as our firefighter this week! We will talk about the importance of the special clothing that firefighters must wear to protect them when fighting fires.  We will learn that they are our friends and never to hide from the firefighters.
Our Fall Celebration is Thursday, October 31st.
The children will have a special snack and carve our class pumpkins along with a great pumpkin art project. Costumes are not allowed during our celebration, but the children may wear Halloween or Fall T-shirts, headbands etc. for the party.
Parent Night is scheduled for October 21st.
This is a night you can come to the bunny class and learn about the materials your children are working on each day!  In addition, you may have questions about what you can do at home to support the independent child experience!! I look forward to seeing you all on that special evening!!
Parent-teacher conferences will be scheduled towards the end of the month. I will be reaching out to schedule a time for you to visit about your child’s experiences and growth in the bunny class!!
Happy Birthday to Lavender (6), Zoe (6), Hamza (5), Ege (5) and Rowan (5)!! I will send you reminders about birthday celebration snacks.   Fall is here and our recess time is cooler!  Please send a jacket labeled with your child’s name.  Thank you again!!
Please feel free to reach out to me anytime with questions or concerns that may arise!! We are always here and are so excited and happy to have your children in our bunny family.
🐰❤️🐰
Val Peat

9/4/2024

Bunny Class September Newsletter
Welcome to the Bunny Classroom.
Mrs. Unal and I are looking forward to a great year with your children!  Thank you to those of you who have already sent in an extra set of clothing.  We will keep this change of clothes in our bunny bathroom cabinet.
Our school day begins at 8:30.  Children who have signed up for early drop-off can go to the Butterfly Class until 8:15!  At 8:15 we begin the drive-up and the children walk down to the classroom!  A big thank you for allowing your child to enter the building independently!!  It shows your child that you have confidence in him/her and in the teachers!  I thank you!! Please feel free to observe your child at our observation window during the school year!!
At 8:30 we begin gathering together on the line for our group time.  We sing our “Good Morning” song and count our friends during our line time.  We have 21 amazing students! We try to guess who is missing from our class that morning.  We have calendar and we add a gem to a jar to record the number of school days.  When we reach the 100th Day of School, we will have a big Celebration!!
During line time, we have been playing some games to get to know our friend’s names.  We often have lessons on materials at this time as well.  It is important that your child arrives before our door closes so they do not miss out on this time.  If your child arrives late, the children know to smile and wave quietly.
Before the children are free to explore the beautiful, prepared environment, we always start the morning with our silence game.  We place a candle in the middle of our group and the lights are turned off, the children’s eyes are closed, and we think about our first work that we will want to explore for the day!  From 9:00-10:30 is free choice work time.  The children have been busy, and the teachers have been taking notes to help us understand your child’s interests and assess their reading and math skills.
At 10:30 we ring our class bell, and the children begin putting away their work in the classroom.  We gather on the line again for some music & movement activities and a story.  At 11:00 is our recess!  At 11:45 the children attend the afternoon programs that they are enrolled in such as Kindergarten, Nap or Bunny extended day class.
Mid-September is a great time to see me about volunteering in the class, or if you would like to share a special talent or cultural celebration with our class!  Every Friday is Presentation Day—the children may bring something to share with our class. Suggestions: nature, books, souvenirs, etc.
Happy Birthday Maria Montessori and our bunnies!! Teddy (4), Avni (4), Harry (6), and Ms. Peat!!  Please feel free to call, text or send a note if you have any questions.  We are always here to address any concerns that you may have.
Thank you for trusting us with your precious children!!                    Ms. Peat and Mrs. Unal