Thank you to all the parents who gave up their  Saturday morning to help with work day over the weekend. Your help is much appreciated. Also, just a reminder about water bottles: it does get quite warm on the playground and while we do have a water jug and cups, we would like to conserve paper cups which can easily get dirty and blow away, etc.  Please, on warm sunny days especially, send your child in with a water bottle marked with their name. These bottles will go home each day to be washed.

As the clouds let some sunshine through this morning, the children spontaneously broke into singing a lively version of "You are My Sunshine."

Maria Montessori defined the absorbent mind as the unconscious mental state which enables the child to internalize effortlessly and without discrimination the impressions he receives from his environment. From the time they enter the world till about three, the absorbent mind is taking in impressions from the environment, storing them in their minds to be called upon at a later time. As they enter the children's house, all these impressions are ready to be placed into some order, to be classified.

The second half of anything always seems to go by twice as fast as the first. And here we are in the beginning of the latter part of the school year, gearing up for our February winter break only to return to the homestretch of Winter (hopefully). There is much to look forward to. The classroom has been busy with the children each involved in their own efforts (sandpaper letters, bead chains, golden beads, number rods…), but as a class we have found some larger works that demands our immediate attention…

Great to see many of you at the Open House this weekend! Your children seem to take on a new air of enthusiasm when you are present at this event. It’s always exciting (and sometimes surprising) to see what they choose to show you.

Thank you to all parents who were able to come to the workday last weekend. The freshly painted peachyorangeish wall in the classroom really brightens the room up! Thank you to all those involved in the Glory Montessori. You time and dedication is very appreciated. Now we will be preparing for the traditional stone soup celebration in honor of Thanksgiving. Each child will be invited to bring in one ingredient. More details will follow, but when your child brings home a request for "one half cup of onions" you now know what it is for. In the classroom, we have begun to discuss reptiles, specifically the turtle, been introduced to booklet making and soon to follow, we will begin clay work (pinch pots).

It was great to catch up with everyone at conferences last week. There was so much to tell you about your children and all of their accomplishments. Attached to this newsletter (or shortly to follow) is a schedule for classroom observations during the months of November and December. If you have a younger child, or a child who may find it difficult to see you in the classroom and not leave when you leave, please consider scheduling your observation at one of the later times.