Ladies, All The Ladies

Two female members of the Sunflower softball team are unable to make it to this week's game, and we're looking for a few women to fill in. The game is this Wednesday, June 26th at 6:00pm at Fort Missoula, Field 3.

You don't have to be a great athlete. After all, as they say about softball players, some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them. This is us thrusting greatness in your general direction. We'll take anyone with the right attitude and the right anatomy.

If you're a woman who can save the day (and save us from a forfeit), shoot me an e-mail. 

Thanks!
Brooke

Five Alarm Field Trip

Yesterday, the Sunflowers walked to the park to meet firefighters Casey and Danny, and take a tour of their fire engine. The firefighters were positively dreamy great with the kids, and taught us all some important lessons in fire safety as it pertains to the preschool set. Most of these items were things that (I'm ashamed to admit) I had never thought about teaching my three year-old, so I'll jot 'em down here so you can share them with your own kids:

1) KNOW YOUR HOME ADDRESS - It's important for kids to be able to tell rescue workers where to go in case of an emergency.

2) IDENTIFY THE SOUND OF A SMOKE ALARM - Kids should be able to identify the sound of a smoke alarm and know that it means to evacuate the house. Fire fighter Casey asked if anyone's smoke detector had gone off when their parents were cooking. I will not tell you which children raised their hands.

3) CHOOSE A MEETING PLACE - When the alarm sounds, know where to safely meet up with your family (usually the front yard).

4) LET THE PROFESSIONALS RESCUE YOUR PETS - Kids should know not to stay inside (or run back into) a burning house for the sake of the family pet - let the firefighters rescue the animals when they arrive on scene. Ciaran told us his cat Al is so speedy he'll never need to be rescued, so that's a relief.

5) KNOW HOW TO DIAL 9-1-1- but only in emergencies.

6) FIREMEN ARE LIKE SUPERHEROES IN COSTUME - One of the firefighters put on his whole uniform so the kids would know what firefighters look like when they come to help you. Apparently, they've had trouble with kids thinking they're scary, loud and monster-like, and running away from help instead of toward it. The firefighters stressed that they're like superheroes - they wear funny costumes that make them look different, but they're always there to help.

Important things to review with your kiddos when you have a chance.

-Brooke

P.S. Y'all, it was so darn cold on this trip, I can't even tell you. We were all huddling together for warmth, and I was second-guessing my decision to leave Alabama and marry a furry mountain man.  It might be a good idea to leave an extra jacket on your child's hook at school in case of a sudden change in weather. 

P.P.S. I know the elementary kids are under-represented in terms of photos on this blog and on Shutterfly, but despite what my skeptical boss might tell you, I do have a full-time job and can't go on all the field trips. The Shutterfly site is set up so anyone can add photos to those albums. If you take pictures of a Sunflower Montessori event, you should feel free to contribute to the photo library.

Practical Life - New Project & Info

Below is an update from Ms Melodie, who's currently teaching Practical Life on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays to Ms. Indima and Ms. Sam's classes until the last 3-5 year old has been seen.    Note that Ms. Lindsay in on break right now, and Ms. Sam is teaching her class in the interim. 

I hope that the fathers of the Sunflowers received a wrapped gift from their children this weekend!  What fun they had wrapping those bus maps.  They loved working with the tape dispenser.  In fact, I would encourage any parent who needs another moment to him or herself to buy a few extra rolls of tape to keep on hand along with a desktop tape dispenser.

This week, we're making hand-bound blank books.  We talked about the basic parts of the book- cover, pages, and spine- and about the various types of books there are.  Each child was/will be asked what sort of book they were/are making, so be sure to ask your child about their goals for their book.  If your child gives you a blank look, or tells you instead what they had for lunch that day, feel free to steer them towards pasting in the cards from their Summer To-Do List as they complete them.  There are 16 pages and 8 cards, so there is a bit of room to jot down notes or make a picture about that particular event.

Here are some other ways you can extend this activity at home:

1)  Talk about the types of books in your house.  Phone books may be particularly interesting.  Diaries, date books, and sketch books are all mentioned at school, but your own versions of these may be of interest.

2) Get some stickers and markers out to help your child create a story book.

2) Ask your child if they enjoyed the sewing.  If so, the foam sheets and tapestry needles are available at Joann's craft store, and are quite inexpensive.

Lastly, I am using this book-oriented week to also talk about the Missoula Library's Summer Reading Program.  Information and a reading chart ought to also be in your child's folder by the end of the week.  Associated with the reading program are some kid-friendly family movies which show weekly on Thursdays at 2pm.  More info about the program here: http://missoulapubliclibrary.org/kids-event/frp  

That's all!  Enjoy the warmth!

Ms. Melodie

Change Is Good

Coupla things:

The layout of the blog has changed, and here's why: I wanted to make it easier for fellow parents to quickly access the most important information.

Look over there on the right - you'll see icons for the school calendar, the Shutterfly photo library and the Sunflower facebook page. They'll always be there, making it easier for you to click just the thing you need without having to search through old blog posts. Speaking of the calendar, it's been updated through 2014, so flip through and check out the school events (especially closures).

There's also a "Follow by E-mail" section over there - enter your e-mail address and the magical unicorn running on a treadmill that (I'm convinced) powers Google will send you an e-mail to let you know when there's a new blog post.

Hope you dig it.

-Brooke

Yay, Summer! (Random Updates)

1. FIELD TRIPS - We're still looking for parent volunteers to join the kids for swim lessons and field trips. Take a look at the school calendar and see what works for you. I walked with the Sunflowers to the aquatic center last week... and you know how your kid has to stop every five feet when you walk somewhere to point out a rock? Or a flower? Or a nasty piece of used chewing gum s/he's yearning to touch? Now imagine that times 16. Glaciers move faster than a dozen preschoolers holding the same rope. The teachers need your help. Sign up. 

2. SUNFLOWER SOFTBALL - Still kicking butt and taking names. Don't wait 'til we're in the playoffs to suddenly put on a jersey and become a fan. Nobody likes That Guy.

 3. LITTLEST SUNFLOWER - For those who haven't heard, Correy and her husband Greg welcomed baby Dylan last week. She brought Dylan to the park to show the kids, and you could die from the cuteness of hearing a dozen preschoolers yell, "I LIKE YOUR BABY, MS CORREY!!!" Congratulations to the Harrison family.

4. PARTY AT SPLASH - As you may know, every year Sunflower caps off its summer session with a big party at Splash Montana. This year, it's scheduled for August 16th. We'll be organizing a Parents' Association meeting later this month to discuss how we can make this year's event bigger and better than ever. If you'd like to be involved, let us know, and we'll be sure to include you in the planning. 

5. MS INDIMA ON THE MONKEY BARS - Has nothing to do with school business, but it makes me smile every time I look at this picture, so there you go.

Hang in there!

-Brooke

New CALENDAR!

Sunflower Families -

We're ushering the school calendar into the 21st century. Above, you'll see the new google calendar with everything from school closures to lunches. Field trips, swim lessons... it's all there.

BE ADVISED: It's a constantly-updating document - I'm adding events whenever I find out about them - so check back often.

If you're a Mac-based iCal user (shout out to my homies), you can download it to your iCal by clicking here. 

If you want to add it to your Google calendars, or bookmark it, you can click here. I believe clicking on the Google logo in the bottom corner will add this calendar to your existing account, but let me know if you run into any trouble.

I'll also be posting "FYI" entries for kid-friendly events around town, so if you have any tips, send 'em my way. 

Hope everyone finds this helpful.

-Brooke

PROJECT: Summer To-Do Lists

Hello Sunflower parents!

This week, the Sunflower kids in Ms. Indima's and Ms. Sam's class are working with me to create a summer to-do list.  In making this project, the children will get yet another chance to increase their awareness of the four seasons and how they are different.  We have had so much fun talking about what is (and what isn't) fun to do in the hot weather!  

The project itself involves some basic sewing skills.  Be sure to ask your child how they felt about using a "real metal!!!" needle.  The needles we are using are tapestry needles, and are quite safe.  It was delightful to see the surprise and excitement on the faces of some children who did not know that some needles don't need to be off-limits to children- a true Montessori moment.  We also got to use a special star-shaped hole-punch, and had another opportunity to work on writing our names.

I encourage you to extend the use of this project at home in the following ways:

1) Please hang your child's list in a visible spot.  As activities are completed, tear them off the string.  In two weeks, we will be making a summer journal which would make a perfect spot to glue the cards that have been torn from the string.  You may wish to include a brief summary of how that activity went, or even a picture or photograph.  

2) Use this list as a way to encourage further conversation about how we measure time.  Many children feel a new sense of security when they can talk with ease about "tomorrow" and "next week" in a knowledgeable way.  

3)  Feel free to add your own family's favorite summer activities to the list.  All you need is a bit more string, a hole punch, and a few more index cards cut in half.  

As always, thanks for sending such lovely little faces to school each day.  They are so much fun to work with!

Ms. Melodie

Summer At Sunflower

I hope everyone's excited for tomorrow, when this year's Summer Session at Sunflower begins. Here's some info you might find helpful:

POLLEN, SEEDS & SPROUTS

The younger students will continue their normal Montessori curriculum, with classroom work and outside time continuing as usual. 

SUNFLOWERS AND ELEMENTARY STUDENTS

The first two weeks of the program are an "orientation" period, with kids getting to know one another, and taking practice walks to the park. 

The schedule for the summer is as follows:

Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays will be normal at-school days, with a mix of Montessori classroom work and plenty of outside time. 

Beginning the week of June 17th, swim lessons and field trips will begin. 

Tuesdays (beginning June 18th) - 

• Sunflowers walk to Currents Aquatic Center for swim lessons. 
• Elementary students go on a field trip. 

Thursdays (beginning June 20th) - 

• Elementary kids walk to Currents Aquatic Center for swim lessons. 
• Sunflowers go on a field trip.

WHAT TO BRING / OTHER INFO:

• Please bring a child-sized backpack with your child - we'll be using these from Day 1.
• On swim days, kids should wear their swim clothes to school under their street clothes for an easy change at the Aquatic Center. 
• Please include a plastic bag inside the backpack for bringing home wet swim clothes.
• Towels will be provided - no need to bring one from home. 
• Kids can bring a water bottle if they want one - but we'll be providing cups and water on all outings.
• Sunflower will be providing lunch every day (we're no longer doing the Friday boxed lunch from home, in case you're familiar with that from previous years).
• All Field Trips are in walking distance from the school. Scheduled locations include Orange Street Food Farm, Natural History Center, The Boone and Crockett Club and the Missoulian. Sunflowers will tour a location on Tuesday, with Elementary kids taking the same trip on Thursdays. A full schedule will be posted at the sign-in tables; our hope is that parents will sign up to help chaperone these trips. 

Any questions? Chances are, if you're confused about something, someone else is, too, so let us know by sending an e-mail and we can clear it up for everyone!

Happy Summer, everyone!

-Brooke