Thursday

Hi parents,

Today was a good day all around - I think that the talks we've had about respectful listening have had a big impact on many of the students. I've noticed kids saying 'excuse me' about 20x as frequently, which is fantastic! 

In the morning, we accessed the "Dangerous Decibels" virtual exhibit again, and the students learned about how long they could safely listen to certain sounds without causing hearing loss. They also learned that there are some sounds that are so loud they will immediately cause hearing loss! The class wrote suggestions for ways that they could keep their ears safe, such as wearing ear plugs or headphones, or just avoiding certain places. Like the site of a rocket launch, for example.

In the afternoon, the students did some quiet, independent reading, and then we did another writing activity. This time, we talked about 'nouns', and discussed how the Montessori symbol for a noun is a black triangle. The triangle is meant to represent the Great Pyramid, which Maria Montessori believed was one of the greatest 'nouns' of all time. We talked a bit about the pyramids too. Then, the students went through their previous journal entries, and identified examples of nouns in their own writing.

Tomorrow is our Spelling Quiz, and I am also planning to send home the ornament crafts, so it is definitely a Friday you won't want to miss. Have a good night!

Zac