Newsletters 2024/25

“That humanity which is revealed in all its intellectual splendor during the sweet and tender age of childhood should be respected with a kind of religious veneration. It is like the sun which appears at dawn or a flower just beginning to bloom. Education cannot be effective unless it helps a child to open himself to life.” - Dr. Montessori

Important upcoming dates

• Look for information from Compass in late July

• Reusable wet bags - all students
• Nap rolls - new Yellow Jades (PreK 4) only

Our final days of the year

Our last weeks in the classroom are exciting times. The children had the chance to work on their World pillows, some made of paper and some felt, and they were really proud of their sewing efforts. We had some children who were enthusiastic about embroidery projects this year, and they completed their rainbows last week. In the final week, we encouraged the children to help us prepare our environment for this summer with some extra cleaning, and they were very helpful. We talked about how they can continue to help with cleaning this summer at home!

Kindergarten visit to Lower El classes 

On Wednesday the 14th, our Kindergarteners visited both Lower Elementary classrooms and met both the teachers and the students. They got to explore the environments for a bit, ask questions, and get more familiar with the spaces before they head there next year. They were very excited to explore this new environment a bit and get to know both Christy and Savannah. If you have a K, please ask them about their visit. 

Kindergarten Field Trip - Train Museum

On Thursday the 15th, the Ks visited the Train Museum. They got to ride the train, see the turntable in action, look at the miniatures, and spend some time exploring the inside of the trains. They wrote a reflection about their experience, which might be a good jumping off point for a conversation.

Kindergarten Step Up

Thursday, May 22nd was the Kindergarten Step Up here at the Golden campus. We had a lovely time celebrating the children. They practiced a little Japanese, sang a few songs that were important to them this year, and the teachers spoke to how each child exemplifies part of our Compass Aspirations. It was a lovely gathering for the Kindergarten families, and we know the Ks are ready for all that Lower El will bring. 

Field Day

Friday, May 23rd was our annual Children’s House Field Day! So many parents came (thank you!) in support of Field Day, and the children were very excited. They did different stations such as parachute, bubbles, obstacle course, and t-shirt signing, marveled at the amazing fire truck that came with the enormously tall sprayer, and did a tug of war with Lapis and with the parents. They had so much fun, and it was a lovely way to end in community at the end of the year.

Thank You, Ms. Jeannette!

Ms. Jeannette has been a part of the Jade Room for several years, most recently as a Float. She is moving on to new things next year, and wanted to say a quick farewell. 

Dear Jade Families,

What an amazing year - I have loved being part of your children's early learning journey!  Watching them grow with curiosity, confidence, and kindness has been a deeply rewarding experience.  While I will be stepping away from the classroom, I'll still be part of the school community as a parent, and I look forward to seeing many of you around campus.  Thanks for all your support this year, wishing you and your children all the best!

Miss Jeannette

Summer

Summer is a wonderful time for rest and play, but it's also important to keep up with early literacy skills. Continuing phonological awareness activities, reading together, and practicing letter naming fluency helps children maintain the progress they've made during the school year. These fun, simple activities strengthen foundational skills that support reading readiness and confidence. Whether it's playing rhyming games, exploring alphabet books, or pointing out letters on signs, small moments each day can make a big difference. Keep it light and joyful—learning happens best when it's part of everyday fun!

Thank You!

We have really enjoyed receiving all the items of gratitude that you have sent our way over the last few weeks. There were sweet treats, truly thoughtful gifts, breakfast and lunch, extra coffees, cash and gift cards, and so many cards! We are grateful for all of you. We have loved having your children in our classroom. We hope you have an exciting, adventure-filled summer and we look forward to seeing you in the fall.

See you in August!

“When we look into the actions of all living things we see that each does not work for his own benefit only. There is an order in nature.” - Dr. Montessori

Important upcoming date

• May 9 - Last Day of Hot Lunch

• Thursday May 15 - K Field Trip to Train Museum (details coming soon!)

• May 21 Last Day of Before/After Care

• Thursday May 22 - Kindergarten Step Up (4-5 pm) in the Commons at Compass

• Friday May 23 - Children’s House Field Day and Last Day of School (full day)

*Please be sure to check the school website for other school wide events and schedules.

Earth Day

In celebration of Earth Day, the children in both the Jade Room and the Lapis Room were invited up to the Farm for a morning of connecting with nature. Farm guide Bekah let us plant some seeds, pet some chicks, put some trees in the ground, and enjoy the beautiful morning. The children always look forward to Farm visits, and this one was especially memorable.

Seven Continent Craft Day: A Memorable Journey Around the World

Our Seven Continent Craft Day was an extraordinary experience that brought learning to life in the most creative and engaging way. It was truly inspiring to see the students immerse themselves in each craft station with such genuine curiosity and enthusiasm. They took their time completing each project, demonstrating not only their interest in world cultures but also their growing practical life skills—pasting, sewing, scooping, and painting among them.

This special event served as both a meaningful review of the continents and their diverse cultures, and a wonderful opportunity for hands-on learning. We were especially fortunate this year to welcome a very special guest: El’s grandfather, geographer and retired chief of the USGS EROS Center, who worked in space law, geography, and archives/records development and management. His presence added a rich layer to the day, making him the perfect guest for our geography-themed celebration. He began with a brief, engaging presentation about maps in general, then he joined students at the snack table, which is conveniently located beside a large world map on the wall. There, over tea, he answered students’ many curious questions and sparked lively conversations about geography and map-making.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to El’s grandfather for joining us and enriching our day with his stories and insights. A sincere thank you as well to all the parents who volunteered at the craft stations and helped with preparations—your support is invaluable, and we are truly grateful!

Mother’s Day 

We are sending the children home with a present for their mother for Mother’s Day. This took a long time to complete, and was a gift that the children came back to several times. From painting to beading to picture taking to gift wrapping, we guided the children through the whole project. We discussed how and why we wrap things, surprises versus secrets, and how we should probably decide with an adult where to keep it until Sunday, which may be hard since they are very excited. We hope you enjoy!

Presentation on Europe

One of our Yellow Jades, Millie, recently visited Spain and France with her family and wanted to share at Line Time. Millie showed pictures of her time in Europe, a little cup with a flamenco dancer on it, and a Picasso book that will live in our classroom. We are always so excited when the children are able to experience other cultures and then share with us what they experienced!

“Once the child can speak, he can express himself and no longer depends on others to guess his needs. He finds himself in touch with human society” - Dr. Montessori

Important upcoming dates

• April 30- Compass Celebration of Life for Mr. Nathan Ginn (4:00-6:00) at the Golden Campus

• Friday May 2 - Seven Continent Craft Day (8:30-10:30 am)

• Friday May 2 - Parenting Safe Children Workshop
• May 9 - Last Day of Hot Lunch
• Thursday May 15 - K Field Trip to Train Museum (details coming soon!)
• Wednesday May 21 - Last Day of Before/After Care

• Thursday May 22 - Kindergarten Step Up (4:00-5:00) in the Commons

• Friday May 23 - Children’s House Field Day and Last Day of School (full day)

*Please be sure to check the school website for other school wide events and schedules.

One of our themes this month is Self-Expression. As part of this focus, we provide opportunities during our gathering time for students to share their work or accomplishments with the group. These presentations can be simple and student-led: they state their name, explain what they are sharing, respond to a few questions or comments from peers, and then walk around the circle to show their work. Our youngest students also enjoy this process.

During the question-and-comment portion, younger children benefit from hearing the types of thoughtful questions and observations posed by older students. This helps them develop their own communication and critical thinking skills.

Another way we encourage self-expression is through a group activity we call Follow the Leader. Students take turns creating movements or games, and the rest of the group follows along. Often, students invent their own games, which we are happy to follow and support.

We also have a small "Noticing Box" in the classroom. Students can write or draw something they’ve observed—whether it's a general compliment or a suggestion for improvement (our focus is a whole Jade Room community) This encourages awareness, reflection, and constructive communication.

There are many ways we aim to support self-esteem and self-expression in our classroom community. Students often share things they’ve read at home or talk about places they've visited, giving them an additional platform to express themselves and connect with others.

Thank you for helping us nurture curiosity and continue to provide students with positive, meaningful opportunities to express who they are.

Monthly Theme of the Jade Classroom (March/April)

Geography - Africa

Science - Minerals and Rocks

Zoology/Botany - Insects, seeds

Math (Ks only)-Large numbers

Language Arts - Parts of speech

Creative Arts - chalk pastels

Music appreciation - String, Folk music

Peace education- Spring Cleaning, self-expression

Equity- immigration

Changeover

At our school, we strive to change out some of our materials once a month. These works are works that align with Montessori education but are not a work that can be purchased as is, it is assembled by guides. For example, this month we used mung beans to work on Dry Pouring from 1 container to 2; the tray and the mung beans are both green, reinforcing our focus on our African cultural studies. The tray, vessels, and material poured are all aspects of Dry Pouring that we will switch out each month. We will pull out brown trays to emphasize Oceania, and choose a natural material that is brown, and look to find just the right vessels for pouring that might have either a brown design or some Oceanic art on them. We will be switching out for next week, which always reignites the child’s curiosity to try the same work when it looks a little different!

Look for our next Newsletter on Friday, May 9th!

“We must study the correlation between life and the environment. In nature all is correlated. This is the purpose of nature. Nature is not concerned just with the conservation of individual life or with the betterment of itself. It is a harmony, a plan of construction. Everything fits into the plan: rocks, earth, water, plants, man, etc.”

- Dr. Montessori

Important upcoming date

• Tuesday April 22 - Kindergarten Transition meeting (4:30-5:30)

• April 30 - Celebration of Life for Mr. Nathan Ginn (4:00-6:00) at the Golden Campus

• Friday May 2 - Parenting Safe Children Workshop
• May 9 - Last Day of Hot Lunch
• Thursday May 15 - K Field Trip to Train Museum (details coming soon!)
• May 21 - Last Day of Before/After Care

• Thursday May 22 - Kindergarten Step Up (4:00-5:00) in the Commons

• Friday May 23 - Children’s House Field Day and Last Day of School (full day)

*Please be sure to check the school website for other school wide events and schedules.

Finishing/Farm Friday 

In January and February, we were unable to visit the farm due to the bad weather and muddy grounds, but we were finally able to resume our Friday farm visits in March. Farm visits provide so many wonderful learning opportunities for young children. Depending on the season, we get to experience different aspects of nature at the farm. On our last visit, we noticed buds sprouting on the trees and new growth emerging all around. We also saw Farm School students helping take care of the farm animals.

During the visit, we talked about our compost, and one of the highlights was running from one side of the farm to the other at the end of the farm. As we move into the growing season, we look forward to seeing many plants grow and butterflies appear. We also hope to plant some vegetable seeds soon!

Friday is also a great day to finish up any unfinished work (for kindergarteners) or larger projects, such as maps. On Friday afternoons, each kindergartener checks their work drawer to see what needs to be completed, reviews their work with a teacher, and places it in their Friday folder. If you can go through their Friday folder at home, that would be wonderful. For most younger students, you may not see many papers other than artwork or sewing work. Their focus is on hands-on activities like practical life skills, sensorial experiences, number counting, basic science explorations, geography puzzle maps, and pre-language work such as sound "I Spy" games, alphabet matching, rhyming, picture cards, phonological awareness activities, sequencing work, and first-sound matching games. Please know that even if you don't see paper in your child’s Friday folder, they are still engaging in a wide variety of activities.

Here are some other days we emphasize:

• Math Monday: We focus on group lessons during our gathering time centered around math concepts.
• Tuesday: Music and PE classes take place.
• Tea Wednesday: Tea time is moved from Tuesday to Wednesday. Students enjoy a work cycle with a relaxing tea time.
• Thursday: "Moving and Grooving" activities and Japanese lessons are for kindergartners

Groupings:

• Green Jades: Kindergarteners
• Yellow Jades: 4-year-olds
• Lavender Jades: 3-year-olds

Presentation on Nigeria

“All animals and vegetables, superior animals, inferior animals, insects, etc., have a cosmic task. All are agents, maintainers and conservers of this order in the environment.” 

- Dr. Montessori

Spring has sprung! We are beginning to see signs of spring all around us at our campus, and the children’s powers of observation are hard at work! They notice the crocus emerging near the front of our school, the ladybug that landed on the playground equipment at recess, and the birds chirping on our back porch. We have also revisited lessons on sunscreen application - the body awareness needed for the children to correctly put it on is tricky, but they are diligent in wanting to be protected from the sun. 

Lessons

• Chromatography - the children are exploring what different color filters look like, and discovering what different combinations of colors can look like. 
• Sewing - the children are practicing the Satin stitch to fill in the wings of dragonflies, lacing up envelopes, and creating corner bookmarks. We have some very enthusiastic sewers this year, and they are eager each month to work on new sewing projects and skills.
• Rocks and minerals - the children are enjoying a closer look at our collection of rocks and minerals, using both a magnifying glass and a control poster to identify them.
• Animal books - these small coloring books help the children identify common animals found in the continents we study, and African animals are some of the children’s favorites to discuss and learn more about. 
• Drawing - some of the children that are interested in focused drawing are learning to draw a spider this month. This skill invites the children to really look at the detailed instructions to notice what steps have been added and what details need to be included in their drawing. This work also leads to lots of conversations around having a work that does not look perfect, and how returning to something to try it again means we get a chance to try again.
• Life Cycle of a Ladybug - we use figures of ladybugs as well as real life pictures to help the child create a solid mental image of what a ladybug looks like at different stages. The children take their time with this work, studying the pictures and matching them with the objects.

A note from the school about Yearbooks

Yearbook orders are due April 1st, and WILL NOT be sold at school.

All yearbook purchases must be made by April 1st to guarantee they arrive before summer break. If you've already purchased a yearbook, you can still edit custom pages until April 1st. Follow the link below to purchase your yearbook. 

https://web.treering.com/create-account/1014431545671952?PassCode=1014431545671952

Reminder

Please send your child to school in appropriate footwear. While sandals are really cute on children, our playground has wood chips that don’t feel great when they get inside sandals, and sneakers are the best bet each day. 

Monthly Theme of the Jade Classroom (March/April)

Geography - Africa

Science - Chromatography, Rocks and Minerals

Zoology/Botany - Insects, seeds

Math (Ks only)- Large numbers

Language Arts - Parts of speech

Creative Arts - chalk pastel

Music appreciation - Strings: violin, viola

Peace education- Spring cleaning, self-expression

Equity- Immigration

Look for our next Newsletter on Friday, April 4th!

“I have observed for myself the exuberance, the generosity with which the nature of the child responds to scientific education. This observation left me thoughtful and filled with awe; and I became a faithful follower of the child’s spirit. ” - Dr. Montessori

The "Watch Me Work" event was a huge success and truly heartwarming. Our students were excited to showcase the wonderful work they’ve been engaging in class.

“Watch Me Work” day was not just about displaying their work, it was also about sharing the classroom environment in which they spend their time. Many students took part in beautifying the classroom to welcome their parents, helping by wiping shelves, mopping the floor, washing windows, and even creating beautiful flower arrangements. We have been encouraging students to take the initiative to find the needs and fill the need around the classroom. This approach helps them thrive as responsible members of our classroom community, developing a sense of ownership and pride in their shared space.

We hope you were able to experience the essence of what your child has been working on, even after such a long day. It was amazing to see their excitement and independence shine through. Watching them try so hard and do their very best to show you their progress was incredibly moving. Some students even got so engrossed in their work that they didn’t want to stop — a clear sign of how much they enjoy the process!

We hope you enjoyed the experience as much as we did and had a chance to witness their growth and enthusiasm.

A note of gratitude

We are so grateful for all of the support you have shown the Compass community in these weeks since Mr. Nathan died. We have had help in our classroom, hugs and kind words, enjoyed the extra snacks when we needed a pick-me-up, and have seen how helpful it was (is!) for our former students in Elementary to have extra support at recess. We noticed, through the conversations the children initiated with each other, how gently and purposefully parents and guardians talked with the children in very appropriate ways for their age, and how much this helped the children as they navigated their way through the grief process. We feel privileged to be a part of such a supportive community.

Monthly Theme of the Jade Classroom (Feb/March)

Geography - Europe

Science - Mountains, Static Electricity

Zoology/Botany - Amphibians, Seeds

Math (Ks only)- Measurement

Language Arts - Poetry, Haiku

Creative Arts - quilling

Music appreciation - Brass: tubas, french horn

Peace education- Body Awareness, Peace Makers, Appreciation

Equity- Black History

Look for our next Newsletter on Friday, March 7th!

“The mathematical mind is a mind which is especially interested in mathematics. Instead of finding mathematics idiotic and absurd, it finds them interesting and absorbing. It is a fact that most of the children in our Montessori Schools do achieve great enthusiasm in doing mathematics. It is the preparation of their minds which enables them to derive this pleasure.” - Dr. Montessori

Watch Me Work is Wednesday, March 5th. The email for signing up went out last Friday, here is the link if you still are looking to come.

Kindergarten families - please click on the Japanese tab to the right for our latest Japanese Newsletter.

This month, one of our exciting themes is measuring. Kindergarten students have been learning how to measure various everyday items. They have explored different methods of measuring, discussing how the approach can change depending on what is being measured.

Our younger students are also very busy working with numbers! In the Montessori classrooms, one of the key characteristics of the number area is that children are introduced to numbers 1-10 sensorially even before they are introduced to number concepts. This early exposure comes from working with sensorial materials, many of which are based on sets of 10. For example, our iconic Pink Tower is made up of ten pieces, ranging from the smallest (1 cm) to the largest (10 cm), with each piece increasing in size by 1 cm. This hands-on experience provides a concrete understanding of number relationships.

Additionally, the Montessori classroom provides an early introduction to the decimal system. Students have been using bead materials to explore operations such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. By working with these materials, students understand the operations through tangible quantities, which helps them grasp the meaning of each operation. When they later encounter these concepts on paper, they already have a solid foundation.

The younger students also benefit from the enthusiasm of their older classmates. Seeing the older children excited about math sparks their own curiosity and motivates them to explore numbers in greater depth. The older students, in turn, benefit from working with younger students as well. Helping them with the materials gives the older children an opportunity to reinforce what they’ve learned. Teaching others is a powerful way to solidify their own knowledge and deepen their understanding!

Share The Love

The children had a lovely time on the 14th creating cards. They learned about return addresses versus mailing addresses, what a stamp is and why we use them, and practiced making a beautiful card. We have a card making work on our art shelf each month, and this was a natural extension on Valentine’s Day. Some friends from the Garnet Room (Upper Elementary) also came to read the children stories they created. Many thanks for all of your support, both on Valentine’s Day and in the weeks before with Compliment Cards!

Indoor Recess Fun!

We've had some very cold weather recently, which means we had to stay inside for recess. Even though we couldn’t go outside, the students had plenty of fun during indoor recess! They had the chance to engage in free play with a variety of indoor materials. Plus, they enjoyed movement time, where they took turns participating in activities led by Ms. Jeannette. Everyone had a great time and stayed active, even without stepping outside!

Monthly Theme of the Jade Classroom (Feb/March)

Geography - Europe

Science - Mountains, Static Electricity

Zoology/Botany - Amphibians, Seeds

Math (Ks only)- Measurement

Language Arts - Poetry, Haiku

Creative Arts - quilling

Music appreciation - Hip Hop; Brass: tubas, french horn

Peace education- Body Awareness, Peace Makers, Appreciation

Equity- Black History

Look for our next Newsletter on Friday, March 7th!

“During this period of social interest and mental acuteness all possibilities of culture are offered to the child, to widen his outlook and ideas of the world” - Dr. Montessori

One beneficial aspect of the Montessori multi-age classroom that we noticed this month is the inspiration children get from their peers. There has been a lot of map making recently, and some of the older children have punched out very detailed maps, complete with labels. This has inspired our younger friends to begin to punch their own maps. In our classroom, when a child expresses an interest in creating a map, they first show that they can successfully complete the Puzzle Map of the desired country. Then they get a folder that contains the punching sheets for the whole continent, which they keep in their drawer and continue to work on little by little until all the countries are punched out. The children paint their background, glue all the countries down, and label the countries (if that is appropriate for their reading level). This is a big project for the children, and they take great pride in their work.

This is a key Cultural work in our classroom, part of our curriculum that provides an introduction about our world in concrete ways. In addition to the maps, the children use the Land and Water work to study land formations, Cultural Cards that provide visuals of world cultures, coloring books on the Animals and the Flags of the continent we are studying, and exploring the Sandpaper and Color Globes. The children always show a keen interest in learning about their world!

Compliment Cards

We have had a few parents come in to help us with Compliment Cards  - we’re so grateful for this support, and the children are really enjoying this interaction. We have been discussing what a compliment sounds like, and inviting the children to look beyond clothes or hair or shoes towards inner characteristics. This is an advanced concept for this age group, as children are centered in the concrete, or what they see. But we see that they are stretching and learning about this concept, which is very beautiful to see. 

Handwashing Demonstration by Andrea from Children’s Hospital

Andrea from Children’s Hospital visited our preschool to teach the children the importance of proper handwashing. She started by asking the students some questions about handwashing and then read a book to explain why it's so important to wash our hands the right way. After the story, each student was given a special lotion (pretending to be germs) and demonstrated how to wash their hands. Once they washed their hands, they used a special machine that shines a light to reveal the "germs" on their hands. The children were amazed at how many spots they missed when washing and learned just how thorough they need to be to keep their hands clean and healthy. It was a fun and educational experience that helped the kids understand the importance of good hygiene!

Monthly Theme of the Jade Classroom (Feb)

Geography - Europe

Science - Mountains, Static Electricity

Zoology/Botany - Amphibians, Seeds

Math (Ks only)- Measurement

Language Arts - Poetry, Haiku

Creative Arts - quilling

Music appreciation - Hip Hop; Brass: tubas, french horn

Peace education- Body Awareness, Peace Makers, Appreciation

Equity- Black History

School-wide Reminders

• Talent Showcase - April 3rd (Our show is currently full, and we can't wait to share all this talent with you! If your child missed the application, and wants to be added to the waitlist, please email their name, talent and any equipment needed to [email protected].) Tickets for the show will be on sale soon, so standby (but mark your calendar for April 3rd at Wheat Ridge High School!
• March Hot Lunch Order Forms - due Feb 10th! Order HERE. 
• Feb 14th - Full day of school at Compass (even though it's an In-Service day through the district. It's a regular school day at Compass.
• No School Feb 17th 
• Skate City - Feb 20th is Compass Night at Skate City Arvada! 
• 4:30 PM - 6:30 PM (Children's House & Elementary)
• 6:30 PM - 8PM (Secondary) 
• Feb 28th - 6th Grade Community Day (All 6th Grade Families, Drop off & Pick Up at Maple Grove Park; not at the school!) 

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Look for our next Newsletter on Friday, Feb. 21st!

“The absorption of the environment is an intellectual activity. It is a psychic necessity that the child explores the environment; it satisfies his spirit.” - Dr. Montessori

Now that the holiday season is behind us, students are engaging with a variety of lessons and activities, guided toward making thoughtful choices in their work. This month, we’ve seen a noticeable increase in focus and concentration among the students. 

During our gathering time, we are exploring the fascinating world of reptiles, discussing what makes an animal a reptile and the different types of reptiles. We also learned about the continent of Asia, with students showing great interest in its rich diversity, both in terms of topography and culture. Chinese New Year is coming up soon. Here is a link to the Lunar New Year Festival at the Far East center:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/far-east-center-welcomes-year-of-the-wood-snake-2025-tickets-1109269899129

Another key theme this month is the human body. We explored our five senses, looked into the sensory area of our classroom, and engaged in simple, fun demonstrations using our key Montessori sensorial materials to highlight how each material helps a specific sense. These sensorial materials are essential in helping children develop and refine their senses by isolating and focusing on one sense at a time.

In addition to our sensorial materials, our classroom is filled with a variety of engaging and meaningful hands-on materials that the students love to explore. It has been wonderful to see the sensory area become such a popular and frequently used part of our classroom, and students engaging in a variety of hands-on materials. 

Hands-on materials are incredibly important for young learners. When children touch and manipulate objects, it sends signals to the brain, reinforcing the connection between sensory input and cognitive processing. Here is a link to examples of Montessori Sensorial materials and their purposes.

A Few Reminders

• Snow - please send Snow Gear (hat, gloves, jacket, pants, and boots) in each day that you see snow on the ground. A lot of our friends are using a bag to bring these items in, this seems to work really well for many friends. Even if your child says they do not want to bring in/wear some of the items, please send them in anyway – we have lots of conversations about weather appropriate clothes, temperature, etc. throughout the day. We go outside everyday down to 26 degrees, which is quite chilly without the appropriate gear. 
• Friday Folders - please be sure to help your child with their Friday Folders over the weekend. We instruct them to take out their folder when they get home to show any papers they have to you, and put the empty folder back into their backpack so that it is ready for Monday morning. (If your child does not come home with any folder, or a folder with hardly anything in it, that’s ok! That means they focused on our hands-on materials more).

Valentine’s Day

We were looking to add another opportunity to help out in our classroom, and thought that Valentine’s Day would be a nice chance for you to come help us for a bit if you can! Here is the link for a Sign Up Genius for various slots.

• Compliment Cards: each year the children are given a lesson on what a compliment is, and then we practice by creating a card for each child and asking the children to say compliments, which we then write down for them. This would be for about 45-minutes at the beginning of the day, and would help us out immensely.
• Valentine’s Day: we are going to give the children a lesson about card and envelope making, and have a few stations where the children can work on various elements of cards. We think this will last about an hour.

Monthly Theme of the Jade Classroom (Jan)

Geography - Asia

Science - Human Body, Abrasion

Zoology/Botany - Reptiles/Houseplants

Math (Ks only)- Calendars/Time

Language Arts - Fiction

Creative Arts - double-loading watercolor, painting cherry blossoms

Music appreciation - Electronic music, Brass: Trumpet, trombone

Peace education- Animal Conservation, Creativity, Self-Worth

Equity- Gender

Look for our next Newsletter on Friday, Feb. 7th!

“The child does not work in order to move or in order to become intelligent. He works to adapt to his environment. It is essential that he has many experiences in the environment if he is to do this” - Dr. Montessori

Many thanks!

We are so excited to see all the children re-enter our environment after Winter Break.  Everyone has grown! We love to see how quickly the children remember the norms in our classroom, and how excited they are to engage with our works. We hope you all had a good break, filled with both adventure and excitement. Thank you all again for the treats, gift cards, cash, cards, and crafts that helped make our break really special! We appreciate all of you and how much each and every one of you add to our community.

Reminders

As the weather changes, please remember to send in all 5 Snow Day items (hat, gloves, snow pants, jacket, and boots) with your child on days that you see snow on the ground, in a bag if possible, and labeled with your child’s name. We will go outside when the temperature is as low as 26, so it is important to send all of these items in.

Lessons

• Asia: Our cultural focus this month is Asia. We have many works in the classroom that invite the children tolearn about the continent of Asia. We have Asian Flag and Asian Animal coloring books, Picture Cards that show pictures of life in Asia, and our Puzzle Maps of all the continents, including Asia. These Cultural works lead to lots of conversations among the children as they explore other cultures from our classroom. 
• Button sewing: This is a work that is often found in a Montessori classroom, and the children enjoy practicing sewing buttons on different items. This month, they are making headbands to keep their ears warm when we go outside (a very practical application!)
• Abrasion: This month’s science experiment involves using colored chalk and salt. When the chalk is swirled in the salt, the salt is slowly colored by the chalk particles. The children are really enjoying coloring the salt and noticing the tiny divots on the piece of chalk that the friction with the salt causes.
• Dot art: This prewriting activity allows the children to practice taking a writing instrument and making a mark on a paper in a specific area, something that is challenging for our youngest friends. It is a stepping stone from practicing the pincer grip with things like our Pouring works, Spooning works, Tonging works, and Cylinders in the Sensorial area, moving in the direction of writing.
• Calendar: The calendar work allows the children to practice writing numbers. We give lessons on numberswhere we count with more and more numbers. The children count to 10 with the Number Rods, teens with the Teens Board, and then numbers up to 100 with the Tens Board and Hundred Board. The Calendar offers an activity that allows for counting/writing numbers to about 30, a nice in-between option. This work also invites the children to draw a picture based on the month and practice writing the name of the month.

Monthly Theme of the Jade Classroom (Jan)

Geography - Asia

Science - Human Body, Abrasion

Zoology/Botany - Reptiles/Houseplants

Math (Ks only)- Calendars/Time

Language Arts - Fiction

Creative Arts - double-loading watercolor, painting cherry blossoms

Music appreciation - Electronic music, Brass: Trumpet, trombone

Peace education- Animal Conservation, Creativity, Self-Worth

Equity- Gender

School Wide Important Upcoming dates

• Talent Showcase - We are having a Compass Talent Showcase on April 3rd at Wheat Ridge High School Auditorium. All students (and staff) are welcome to sign up to share their talents! If students (or staff!) want to register for the Talent Showcase, please complete the Compass Talent Showcase Registration Form by February 9th! This will be an exciting event, and we encourage everyone to consider being part of the show! 
• High School & Alumni Panel (with community dinner & childcare!) - Each year, we host an event for all families to get to know our high school students, and hear from some visiting Compass alumni to learn more about the Compass Secondary experience. All Compas families from all grade levels are invited to attend (and encouraged!). This is a GREAT way to learn more about how Compass Montessori High School works, and meet some other families in our community! RSVP HERE
• Intent to Return/Enroll (all Compass families by Jan 17th!) - Don't forget to complete Jeffco's Intent form for next school year by Jan 17th, if you haven't already done so! Read more HERE. 
• Reminder about Feb14th - Just a friendly reminder that we have a full day of school for all grade levels on Friday, Feb 14th. The district has this day listed as an In-Service Day, but it is NOT an In-Service Day at Compass Montessori. Please bookmark the Compass Family Calendar (on our website) and compare it to the district calendar as needed. We'll see you at school on Feb 14th for a regular school day. 

Look for our next Newsletter on Friday, Jan 24th!

“The teacher's task is not to talk, but to prepare and arrange a series of motives for cultural activity in a special environment made for the child.”

- Dr. Montessori

Important Upcoming dates

• Dec 23rd - Jan 6th - Winter Break for students
• Jan 7th - Students Return to school (this is a remote MAP Assessment Day for FS &HS)
• Jan 10th - Feb Hot Lunch will be due (the form will open on our website Jan 1st) 
• Jan 14th - HS Student/Alumni Panel & Community Dinner - All compass families invited & encouraged to come learn more about what Compass High School looks like, and meet some of our returning alumni! RSVP HERE
• Jan 20th - No School - MLK  
• Feb 14th - Regular school day at Compass! While this is a district In-Service Day, it's NOT an In-Service Day at Compass. All students should plan to come to school at the normal times on Feb 14th at Compass. 
• Feb 17th - No School - Presidents Day
• April 3rd - We're having a Compass Talent Showcase! Please encourage your child to submit their talent using this Talent Showcase Request Form. Mark your calendar!

“Any child who is self-sufficient, who can tie his shoes, dress or undress himself, reflects in his joy and sense of achievement the image of human dignity, which is derived from a sense of independence.” - Dr. Montessori

Important Upcoming dates

12/20 Children’s House Winter Craft and PJ day 

12/21 - 1/6 Winter Break

1/7 Return from Winter Break

Recent Lessons

It has been over three months since the start of the school year, and during this time we have engaged in a variety of practical skills and academic activities including pouring, spooning, cutting, gluing, table setting, and caring for the environment, as well as counting, doing basic math operations, writing, and reading. One of the key characteristics of Montessori education is its emphasis on the real world — children engage with materials that are both meaningful and proportional to their size. By using child-sized tools and materials, we discover that children

are often far more capable than we may initially realize.

Winter break offers a wonderful opportunity for students to apply the skills they've learned at school in real-life situations. Whether it’s making holiday cards, creating crafts, helping with baking, or participating in year-end cleaning, students can put their abilities to work in a meaningful way as a part of the family!

Farm School Day of Thanks

On Friday, November 22nd the Farm School celebrated a Day of Thanks with Children’s House Golden. This celebration is unique to our campus, and a lovely opportunity for the older children to interact with the children at our level. Farm School students created invitations for each child and set up the Common area for the children to do some puzzles, eat some snacks, and talk about what they were thankful for. The Farm School students were in charge of preparing and organizing everything, and the result was a sweet, thoughtful time for these two levels to get together. 

Visits from Lower Elementary/Upper Elementary

We have been fortunate to have a few older students come to our classroom to share what they have been working on with the Children’s House classrooms. We had a visit from a few Upper Elementary students who recited their poem about pickles, and we had a “puppet show”, complete with handmade sock puppets, from Lower Elementary. This is a great example of cross-level inspiration for the children, and part of what makes Compass so special!

Winter Craft and PJ Day 

On Friday, December 20th, we will have our Winter Craft and PJ Day. We will spend the morning creating some festive crafts, having a special snack, and enjoying a warm cup of tea. Here is our Sign Up Genius for this day. We have several ways that you can help, both in preparation for and during that morning - sign up if you can, and thanks in advance for all of your support!

A Message from Mr. Tray (PE teacher):

CH is learning a variety of movement skills like running, jumping, throwing and balancing while developing their cardiovascular fitness and building strength through a series of collaborative games, obstacle courses and exercises. Tray is a Colorado native who has been a coach, mentor and yoga instructor for nearly a decade. In Coach Tray's second year with Compass he hopes to inspire and boost the confidence of the students and most importantly have fun.

A Message from Mr. Zach (Music teacher): 

In Children’s House, we have been working on the following elements: Reading Rhythmic Notation: Ta, Titi, and Shh, Body Percussion (Stomp, Pat, Clap, Snap), Musical Terms (Italian) for volume (dynamics) and speed (tempo) - Pianissimo - Fortissimo, Largo - Presto, Solfege Pitches and Hand Signs (Do Re Mi etc…), Playing the Montessori Bells, Songs (Purple Light, Grasshopper, Doggie Doggie, Run Puppy Run, Haunted House in New Orleans, Rain Rain, Hammer Ring, My Roots Go Down), and Instruments (Cabasa, Guiro, Tone Tubes, Ukulele, Tambourine, Glockenspiel).

Monthly Theme of the Jade Classroom (Dec)

Geography - Antarctica

Science - Urban environment (transportation, housing/building)

Zoology/Botany - Birds, Trees

Math (Ks only) - Money

Language Arts - Stories of the World

Creative Arts - Stamping

Music appreciation - Percussion (Bells, drums, harp), Classical music

Peace education- World customs, responsibility

Equity- Identity

Look for our next Newsletter on Friday, Dec 20th!

“I have observed for myself the exuberance, the generosity with which the nature of the child responds to scientific education. This observation left me thoughtful and filled with awe; and I became a faithful follower of the child’s spirit.” 

- Dr. Montessori

Important Upcoming dates

11/22 Day of Thanks (Collaboration event with Farm school) 

11/25 - 11/29 No school (Thanksgiving Break)

12/20 Children’s House Winter Solstice Celebration and PJ day (more info and Sign Up Genius in Dec. 6 newsletter)

South America presentation by Ms. Mima

Ms. Mima from the Lapis Room came to do a presentation of South America as a part of our theme study this month. She was born in Cali and grew up in Bogota, Colombia, and taught us some interesting facts about South America. We got to learn some Spanish songs as well. It was so precious to hear her stories about growing up in Colombia. 

Kindergarteners

In preparation for the Thanksgiving "Day of Thanks" (a Farm School/Children’s House collaborative event), our Kindergarteners have been spending time getting to know the Farm School (Middle School) students. They have been working together on crafts and reading books, and our Kindergarteners are truly enjoying this opportunity. In addition, the Farm School students have been lending a hand with PE, playground clean-up, and classroom restoration. We are incredibly thankful for their help and the chance to connect with them!

Snapshot of lessons based around our Monthly Theme

Geography - South America: Colombia presentation by Ms.Mima

Science - water, weather, sink or float: daily weather check including the phase of the moon, Sink or Float work 

Zoology/Botany - mammals: parts of a horse, mammals book

Math (Ks only)- number comparison: bigger/smaller in quantity

Language Arts - Non-fiction: reading books about South America, mammals, weather, fall, leaves, etc. 

Music appreciation - Percussion - xylophone, cymbals, tambourine; Blues: listening to Blues music and simple blues piano performance by Ms. Miho

Peace education- Community, Thanksgiving: Day of Thanks event with Farm school students

Equity- family: family book read by Ms.Kymm and talking about family

Monthly Theme of the Jade Classroom (Dec)

Geography - Antarctica

Science - Urban environment (transportation, housing/building)

Zoology/Botany - Birds, Trees

Math (Ks only) - Money

Language Arts - Stories of the worlds

Creative Arts - Stamping, David McEwan

Music appreciation - Percussion (Bells, drums, harp), Classical music

Peace education - World customs, responsibility

Equity - Identity

Thank you!

Thank you for your partnership in preparing your child with sending appropriate winter gear. It helps a lot when everybody wears appropriate gear since it is important for children to develop the independence needed to prepare themselves for each day - an important executive function skill! Please be sure to label each item and continue to guide your child so your child is able to put his/her gear independently.

A few reminders

Please check our side bars of our Classroom webpage. We will continue to add volunteering opportunities, Montessori theory, Equity, songs, and Japanese Newsletters for the kindergarteners. We also added “How to use OG letter sounds”

!

Look for our next Newsletter on Friday, Dec 6th!

“All animals and vegetables...have a cosmic task. All are agents, maintainers and conservers of this order in the environment.”

- Dr. Montessori

Important Upcoming dates

11/1 Teacher In-Service day

11/6 Montessori Math Materials workshop for parents/guardians

11/22 Day of Thanks 

11/25 - 11/29 No school (Thanksgiving Break)

Equity Books

We had our Principal, Kymm Garcia, visit our classroom and read an Equity book to our classroom. Please check out our Equity tab (located on the right) as it is a comprehensive list of resources we use as well as a detailed description of what Equity lessons look like at our school. In our class, we read a book about families, and how families might look different. We asked a few follow up questions (“What did you notice about the family in this story?”), and then we move on. If you have any questions about our Equity books, feel free to email jaderoom@compassk12org.

Halloween Pajama Day

The children had a lovely time celebrating Halloween this year. They were very excited to be wearing their pajamas to school! We played Hide the Pumpkin and sang “Five Little Pumpkins”, and then Miho opened up a pumpkin and discussed what we saw inside of the pumpkin, how it smelled, how it might taste, and how it felt. We then made a Parts of a Pumpkin example to take home, did some coloring and puff ball pattern making, excavated the pumpkin to get all the seeds out, and painted their own small pumpkin to take home. We loved how focused the children were, and how intentional they made their pumpkin-themed crafts!

Monthly Theme of the Jade Classroom (Nov)

Geography - South America

Science - water, Weather, sink or float

Zoology/Botany - mammals

Math (Ks only)- number comparison

Language Arts - Non-fiction

Creative Arts - Charcoal, Tarsila do Amaral

Music appreciation - Percussion - xylophone, cymbals, tambourine; Blues

Peace education- Community, Thanksgiving

Equity- family

Montessori Math Workshop

Join us on Nov 6th for our education workshop about Math materials in the world of Montessori! This is an opportunity for parents and guardians to learn more about what Montessori math looks like, and you'll have an opportunity to get your hands on the materials and practice yourself! Check out the link and RSVP here

Japanese for Kindergarteners

We have added a tab on the right of this page labeled "Japanese". This page contains information about what is happening in our Japanese classes as well as Vocabulary and Songs. It is mainly intended for our K families, but our younger friends are welcome to take a look at it as well. Please have conversations with your child about this special learning opportunity. Ks have Japanese on Thursday afternoons.

Look for our next Newsletter on Friday, November 15th!

“Since we have the means to guide the child, it is clear that the formation of man is in our hands. We have the possibility to form the citizen of the world and the study of the young child is fundamental to the peace and progress of humanity.”

- Dr. Montessori

Important Upcoming dates

10/17 - 18 Fall break

10/26 Dance-a-thon

10/31 Children’s House Pajama Day

11/1 Teacher In-Service day

11/6 Montessori Math Materials workshop for parents/guardians

11/22 Day of Thanks 

11/25 - 11/29 No school (Thanksgiving Break)

It has been a pleasure connecting with you during the parent teacher conferences. We appreciate the opportunity to exchange information on how your child is doing both at school and at home to help create consistency. It was also great to learn more about your child’s interests and get to know them better. It was exciting to hear how the children are bringing what they are learning in school back home as well. 

Speaking of bringing home what they learn at school, we practice breathing techniques during transitions to help us re-center. Students also use these techniques when they feel overwhelmed or frustrated. We encourage you to try this at home as well. Here’s a link on how to do Starfish breathing.

https://www.projectplaytherapy.com/starfish-breathing-helping-children-with-emotional-regulation/ 

We also use the Peace Process whenever a disagreement or a situation between students occurs. Peace process is a communication process and encourages students to use their statement, and see each other's perspective. During the Peace process, students take turns sharing their feelings, sharing their needs.and finally sharing how they know that the conflict has been resolved. It can be very simple for young students, and the conversation often looks like this: 

A.  I did not like when you….

B.  I hear you. I won’t do that again. Is there anything I can do for you?

A.   Can I get a hug?

B.   Yes. 

Fire Truck visit

Today, the Fairmount Fire Dept. came to visit us at Children's House! They discussed many aspects of fire safety, what 911 is and when to call, and discussed some of the tools they have in the truck. The children asked many questions and were very excited, please continue discussing fire safety at home and ask them what they learned. The firefighters were kind enough to bring a booklet for each child that we are sending home with them.

Monthly Theme of the Jade Classroom (Nov)

Geography - South America

Science - water, weather, sink or float

Zoology/Botany - mammals

Math (Ks only)- number comparison

Language Arts - Non-fiction

Creative Arts - Charcoal, Tarsila do Amaral

Music appreciation - Percussion - xylophone, cymbals, tambourine; Blues

Peace education- Community, Thanksgiving

Equity- family

Donation needed

While we are working on our core muscles in PE class (pictured on the right), we see a need for more opportunities to do this. We are looking for 3-4 Strider bikes (pictured below) for the children to use on the playground. Strider bikes invite the children to focus on their core muscles used for balance. We are looking to see if there are several families who would be willing to donate an old Strider bike that their children are no longer using. Let us know if you have one to pass on to us!

Look for our next Newsletter on Friday, Nov. 1st!

Important Upcoming dates

10/2 - 10/15 Parent/Teacher conferences

10/17 -18 Fall break

10/26 Dance-a-thon

10/31 Children’s House Pajama Day

11/1 Teacher In-Service day

We have so many things happening in our community! Be sure to read the Intrinsic Motivation that goes out every Friday for details on Dance-a-thon, hot lunch, Chipotle fundraiser, and more!

Farm visits and Harvest Fest

Happy Fall! Harvest Fest was an amazing day on our Farm, and we were excited to see so many friends from Children’s House there. It was a great opportunity to see what the children will one day work on in Farm School. Fridays are our Farm visit days, and last week’s visit happened to be just before the Harvest Fest. We were able to see the Farm school students preparing for the event - making signs, measuring pumpkins, and cutting up zucchinis for treats! 

Watch Me Work

We hope you enjoyed the “Watch me Work”. It was so nice to see our students showcasing what they have been working on to their parents. They looked so proud and passionate and made our hearts warm!

Jade Room Monthly Theme

Our monthly themes are designed to offer a range of activities that appeal to the diverse interests of our students, especially in areas like geography, science, and social-emotional learning. In addition to our daily lessons. These themes are flexible and can shift based on student interests. For example, while our current theme

isn't focused on the United States, one of our students wore a shirt with 'Vermont' on it, sparking a class discussion about the states. Many students expressed interest in exploring related topics such as “I have been to California, where is it?” or “My grandparents live in Florida!”

The monthly theme is also adapted to suit the age and skill level of the children. For instance, one of this month’s themes is North America. A 3-year-old might work on a North America puzzle map or match miniature animals of NA to pictures while learning the names orally. A 4-year-old might punch out pieces of a map and assemble it, while a Kindergartener might create and label their own map or even make an animal book. This approach allows us to provide age-appropriate, engaging activities that support each child’s learning journey.

Monthly Theme of the Jade Classroom (Oct)

Geography - North America

Science - Inner Earth, Volcano

Zoology/Botany - Plant/Animals, leaves

Math (Ks only)- Sets

Language Arts - Parts of a book, Kinds of books

Creative Arts - Stencils, Mary Cassat

Music appreciation - woodwind: oboe, bassoon; Jazz, Rock

Peace education- Kindness and caring

Equity- Body safety

A couple of Reminders

• Friday Folders - please assist your child with this on the weekend. Encourage them to take out the Friday Folder from their backpack. Have them take out the items they worked on during the week - this is a great opportunity for the children to practice recalling works and events. Then have the child return the empty folder to their backpack to bring into school for Monday. Having your child do as many of these steps themselves is a great way to encourage independence. Some children might not bring home a Friday Folder, and that is okay - it means their time in the classroom was spent working with our didactic (hands-on) materials. 
• Independence - we encourage independence at every possible moment in the classroom. This includes their backpack. We rarely go into a child’s backpack to look for things (Friday Folders, gloves, clean clothes, etc), we say “I wonder if there is anything in your backpack that needs to be in our classroom” and then the child will look for it themselves. If there is anything that you would like us to be aware of in their backpack (a material that may have accidentally come home, extra snacks, another child’s article of clothing, etc.), please let us know at drop off or send us a quick email.

Look for our next Newsletter on Friday, Sept. 6!

Important Upcoming dates

9/28   Harvest Fest

10/1   Watch Me Work

10/2 - 10/15   Parent/Teacher Conferences

10/17 -18 Fall Break

"Since we have the means to guide the child, it is clear that the formation of man is in our hands. We have the possibility to form the citizen of the world and the study of the young child is fundamental to the peace and progress of humanity." - Dr. Montessori

International Day of Peace Celebration 

We gathered together as an entire school to celebrate the International Day of Peace on 9/19. The Children’s House students performed the song “Light a Candle for Peace” with sign language, and gave each student on campus a  peace dove stone as a token of appreciation for being part of the same community. In our classroom, we have been discussing what peace means to each of us, what peace feels like, and how to find our own peaceful spot. We have also incorporated daily breathing exercises to focus on our inner peace, emphasizing that peace is not just for one day but something we practice everyday. This might be a fun topic to explore as a family as well!

Language Lesson examples for Lavender Jades (1st Years)

• Phonological awareness activities
• Enrichment of vocabulary , things in the classroom and beyond (Easel, air purifier and 
• Sequencing and what goes together (concept of classification)
• OG cards (It can be a fun activity at home with your child)
• Encouraging students repetition to promote deep understanding

Lesson examples for Yellow Jades (2nd Years)

• How to wash clothes
• Binomial/ Trinomial cube 
• Graded geometric figures
• Bell matching
• Movable alphabet
• Handwriting lessons
• Alphabet matching

Green Jades (Kindergarten)

• Sight words - We have been working on Sight words as a part of our Kindergarten lesson daily routine. We will be sending home the list of sight words we have been working on.
• Japanese binder - Students are super excited about learning Japanese and want to bring a weekly sheet home. In the past, we sent the Japanese binder home and had students add their weekly sheets there. However, we have found it easier to keep the binders at school to avoid concerns about misplacing them or the weekly sheets. We will be sure to share the binder with you during conferences, along with other examples of the work!

Monthly Theme of the Jade Classroom (Oct)

Geography - North America

Science - Inner Earth, Volcano

Zoology/Botany - Plant/Animals, leaves

Math (Ks only)- Sets

Language Arts - Parts of a book, Kinds of books

Creative Arts - Stencils, Mary Cassatt

Music appreciation - woodwind: oboe, bassoon; Rock

Peace education- Kindness and caring

Equity- Body safety

Watch Me Work and Fall Conferences

Please see the last newsletter for links for both of these - we look forward to connecting with you!

Gratitude

Thank you for signing up for Wednesday coffee, laundry, fresh cut flowers, classroom projects, playdough, and all the things it takes to keep our amazing community thriving! We are so grateful for all of you and all that you do. 

Look for our next Newsletter on Friday, Sept. 6!

“Our schools are like a furnished house, a ‘children’s house’. And what do the children do? It is what one does in one’s own house. They carry out work which has a practical aim, they sweep, dust, dress themselves, etc. In this house each one carries out his own work independently from the others.”

- Dr. Montessori

Lesson examples for Lavender Jades (1st Years)

• Open/shut containers 
• Grain pouring, liquid pouring (hand/eye coordination)
• How to use/ carry scissors, and how to use writing materials.
• Watering the plants (botany), Washing a Table 
• Cylinder Blocks (pencil grip practice, problem solving skills)
• Color Tablets (color names, (brown and gray can be tricky)
• Sound Game, first sound game Ex. (I spy something that starts with mmm..)
• Heggerty Phonological awareness curriculum (Rhyming, compound words, sound segmentation, etc) 
• Orton Gillingham Letter Sound Card Drill (we sent a O.G practicing sheet to each family today) - link to video here!

In addition to all the lessons, our youngest students are working on Grace and Courtesy skills as responsive members of the classroom. 

• Remaining seated throughout the lunch time.
• Clean up after themselves as much as possible
• Using inside voices and inside walking feet in the classroom

It is important that your child is able to feel safe, independent in taking care of their belongings, and using the bathrooms. Please help your child with those skills at home so they can focus on their learning at school.

Lesson examples for Yellow Jades (2nd Years)

Number writing 1~10

Teens and Tens, linear counting up to 100

Practicing your name

Letter sound/symbol matching

Movable alphabet (building simple phonetic words)

Kindergarten

We began our weekly Japanese lessons with Kindergarteners! K’s are having fun in Japanese class learning new vocabulary and phrases with some songs, movements and activities. We will send the “Japanese Binder” home next Friday and the binder contains vocabulary, greetings, songs and the Japanese alphabet system. We will continue to send Japanese alphabet sheets home each week. Please keep the binder at home and add the alphabet sheets/phrase sheets to the binder.

“Watch Me Work”: Tuesday, October 1st from 3:15 - 4:45 pm

Watch-Me-Work is an event held twice a year that gives parents and guardians a chance to see their child working in her/his classroom. You are encouraged to watch your child give a presentation while you quietly observe the process. The guides (teachers) will provide you with informal feedback about how your child is benefiting from this work and/or the purpose of the work, and to answer any questions that you may have. 

 Some children will want to demonstrate working with many different materials and some will have one favorite picked out to share.  Some will talk through their work and some will choose to work silently saving the conversation for the end. Follow your child’s lead and give them the opportunity to be the teacher in this setting.  

During the “Watch Me Work” afternoon we will host three sessions of observation lasting 30 minutes each. In each session, the parents and guardians of ten children at a time are invited to come into the classroom environment. Time slots are available through a link to a “Sign- Up Genius” here. Please do not plan on bringing siblings; there is no childcare provided at “Watch Me Work”. Watch Me Work is a wonderful opportunity to see what your child is working on and to also see what other students of different ages are learning. It can also be a chance to connect with other families. We look forward to seeing you all there!

Fall Parent-Teacher Conferences: October 2-15, 2024

We will be offering the opportunity for parents and guardians of all Children’s House students to meet independently with their child’s guides. Here is the link to a “Sign-Up Genius” to make scheduling easier for everyone. These will be 20 minute conversations; please be prompt for your appointment.  We are excited to partner with you in your child’s education. 

Social emotional/equity Lessons by Mis Lis

We have started to hold social/emotional learning lessons once a week with Ms. Lis, our Early Childhood Interventionist and Special Education Teacher. Every Friday morning Ms. Lis comes into the classroom to read a story to the children using the "A Little Spot" curriculum. These books are a great way to teach children about big emotions and how to manage them along with how to recognize the emotions they are feeling and ways to interact with their friends. In addition to the story, we practice breathing and yoga exercises to give the children tools for self-regulation. Breathing and yoga exercises are a part of our classroom routine as well. Please practice breathing at home with your child!

Monthly Theme of the Jade Classroom (Aug/Sep)

Geography - The World

Science - Basic Elements of Earth: Air, Land, Water 

Celebration - Maria Montessori Birthday 8/31

                         International Day of Peace 9/21

Zoology/Botany - Living/Non Living, Care of Plants, Farm Orientation

Math (Ks only)- Linear Counting

Language Arts - Things around us, Introduction to books

Creative Arts - Intro to Art materials, Self Portrait, Inspirational Artist: Wassily Kandinsky

Music appreciation - woodwind, flute, clarinet, Jazz

Look for our next Newsletter on Friday, Sept. 20th!

We are thrilled to have the children back in the classroom and are enjoying getting to know new students as we build a loving, trusting community where children feel safe to explore and make discoveries through the classroom experience.

We were also amazed to see just how much returning students grew socially and emotionally over the summer. Students were eager to share their summer experiences and adventures during our gathering time. We hope that the transition is going well for your child and we look forward to working with you! 

Gathering

Our daily gathering time is when we get together as a whole group either first thing in the morning or after our morning work cycle (before our lunch time). Gathering time provides many learning opportunities for students such as oral language skills, counting practice, time awareness, mindfulness activities,

rhythm and music, social emotional skills, geography, self expression, etc. This week we went over:

• Grace and Courtesy: how to greet people, how to use inside voices, how to use walking feet
• Orientation to our classroom 
• Our classroom rules (Treat ourselves nicely, Treat others nicely and Treat environment nicely) and examples of each rule
• How to express our emotions/needs 

Kindergarten Schedule

While Younger students rest, our kindergarteners engage in their literacy and math skills in the afternoon. Each afternoon, we start with a chapter book, then phonemic awareness exercise, then dive into the content area (reading, math or handwriting). 

Upcoming Dates

Please check out the Compass Calendar on the main website, or click here!

Farm Visit

We had our first visit to our school farm for this school year! We were lucky and able to harvest tomatoes, zucchinis anda few peppers. We will continue to visit our farm every Friday that we can.

Monthly Theme of the Jade Classroom (Aug/Sep)

Geography - The World

Science - Basic Elements of Earth: Air, Land, Water 

Celebration - Maria Montessori Birthday 8/31

                         International Day of Peace 9/21

Zoology/Botany - Living/Non Living, Care of Plants, Farm Orientation

Math (Ks only)- Linear Counting

Language Arts - Things around us, Introduction to books

Creative Arts - Intro to Art materials, Self Portrait, Inspirational Artist: Wassily Kandinsky

Music appreciation - woodwind, flute, clarinet, Jazz

New this year

To make our age grouping easier and clearer for students, we started to use names associated with colors of Jades. 

First year students (3s)  are lavender jades

Second year students (4s)  are yellow jades

Kindergarteners are green jades

Friday Folders

On Fridays, you will see a work folder come home with your child - this is their Friday Folder. The expectation is that you and your child will take out the folder on the weekend so your child can share some of their work with you. Keep these works at home, but please send the folder back in their backpacks on Monday. We will be using these folders all year long. If you are only seeing art, cutting scraps, or coloring pages, this is typical! The majority of the work done by the children is with concrete works that remain at school, and the skills they are working on cannot be measured in the number of papers taken home. Somewhere in the PreK 4/Kindergarten years you will notice an uptick in works on paper that come home, as the children move more towards abstraction with numbers and letters (more on that later!)

Volunteering

Volunteering is vital to our classroom running as smoothly as possible. Here is a link to our Sign Up Genius for help with laundry, making playdough, and bringing in flowers. Thanks in advance for your participation - we could not do it without your help!

A couple of Reminders

• Be sure to have all your child’s items labeled when coming to school. We are helping them be as independent as possible, and labels are important in that process.
• We have PE every Tuesday, and Kindergarteners have an extra movement class (Movin and Groovin) on Thursdays. Please help your child remember to wear appropriate shoes on those days. 

Look for our next Newsletter on Friday, Sept. 6!

Welcome and welcome back to Children’s House Jade Room!

We are so happy to be back in the classroom and beginning to get our environment ready so that children feel safe to explore and make discoveries through the classroom experience!

Our Back To School Night is on Tuesday, August 13 from 4:30 to 5:30 here in the Jade Room on the Golden Campus. We will have lots of important information to go over, please come if you are able. There is no child care provided, so please make plans accordingly. If you are unable to attend, we will make our Google Slides available to look through.

We will be talking at back to school night about what items will be needed when coming in on your first day. If possible, please order a nap roll (link here) for your 3 or 4 year old to lay on at nap time (Ks do not need one). This year we are also asking parents to order a wet bag (link here). If your child gets water or paint on their clothes and needs to change, we would like to be as sustainable as possible and avoid any more plastic bags. 

Please take a moment to look through our class page. You will notice the tabs on the right side of this page. They each contain information about our classroom or take you to a school link. We have updated our bios as well.

If you have any questions, please email us at [email protected] as we will be using the class email for all email correspondence moving forward.

Reminders

• The Back to School Hub for the 2024-25 school year is LIVE and ready for your review! Visit www.compassmontessori.org/backtoschool to browse the checklist for your child's level. There are some very important tasks for each family to complete prior to the first day of school, so ALL COMPASS FAMILIES SHOULD REVIEW THE BACK TO SCHOOL HUB BEFORE THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL! 
• Welcome Back Work Day is this Saturday, Aug 10th from 8AM - 12PM on both campuses. We have plenty of work to complete before our first days on campus, so come help us spruce up the place! While there are many jobs available and no sign up is required, we do have some specific needs (jobs and materials), and you can sign up for those HERE. 
• Back to School Picnic - Friday Aug 23rd from 4PM - 6PM at Anderson Park - Taco truck and snow cones! 

See you soon!

- Miho, Danielle, Matthew, and Jeannette