Wednesday Art Class

Today, I spray-painted with 40 preschoolers.

It was awesome.

Everyone shared their space, shared their stretch of paper, and shared their spray bottles of paint. There was no six-way fight for the color pink, as I'd feared. (Almost) no one sprayed their friends, and (almost) everyone kept the colors on the paper.

I mixed one part Crayola washable tempera paint with 12 parts water in each sprayer bottle, so all affected clothing and body parts should recover.

Kids practiced writing letters with the paint, took turns sharing supplies, and worked together to mix colors on the paper. Of the four projects we've done thus far, this one definitely held their interest the longest.

Next week: a calm, glue-based activity.

-Brooke

P.S. Anybody got a fun idea for what we can do with 75 feet of spray painted paper?

Ms Indima - Curriculum Notes - May

Our New Arrival

Introducing our all-new school website!

It went active this afternoon, and we're all very excited about it. With an ever-growing school, we needed a site that could be a one-stop shop for all the information a Sunflower parent (or prospective Sunflower parent) would ever need to know.

There are now dedicated buttons where you'll be able to find our latest lunch menu, the latest forms and paperwork, and the latest curriculum notes from teachers. This blog auto-syncs to the website, as does our school calendar. And the "Connect" tab takes you to our facebook page, photo site and YouTube Channel. The goal is to (literally) get all of us in the Sunflower community on the same page. 

Take a look at the new site at sunflowermontessori.com when you have a chance and give us your feedback. Anything you'd like to see that isn't there? Our next step is to add teacher photos and bios under each Program so you'll always be able to see the latest staff roster for every classroom. 

We'll be polishing and expanding the site over the next few weeks, so please let us know if you encounter any broken links or technical difficulties. Together with your input, we can make this the site the perfect online destination for Sunflower families!

-Brooke

P.S. Thanks to all the parents who got back to me today with permission to use their children's photos on the site. If there's a parent I missed, and you see a picture on your child you'd rather not have featured on the site, please let me know and I'll remove it asap. 

A New Season of Sunflower Softball

Sunflower is once again planning on having a co-ed softball team for the summer. This year, the team will be captained by Ms Madison (Sprouts). She's registered the team for play, but is still in the process of rounding up players. If you're interested in playing, there are sign-up sheets at the sign-in tables where you can leave your name and e-mail address and Ms. Madison will send you updates on practices and the game schedule. Or, you can e-mail us your name and address and we'll get you added to the mailing list. Players of all abilities welcome (trust me). 

Typically, the games are held on weeknights, and are a great time for Sunflower families to come together, bring some snacks and drinks, and let the kids run wild in the grass while the grown-ups run wild on the field.  And sometimes, there's some overlap:

Ms. Madison is also taking over the Sunflower Softball Facebook Page, so if you're interested in the team's activities, be sure to "Like" it. After the first captains' meeting in late May, she'll be sharing the latest/greatest info on the upcoming season. 

Hope to see you all at the ball field!

-Brooke

SPROUTS - May Curriculum and Teacher Notes

NOTES FROM MISS JENN:

• Please make sure your child has sunscreen, a sun hat, and a water bottle with his/her name on it. 
• Camelbak is a great water bottle brand for this age. 
• We're all busy potty training, so please: no onesies. Easy-up pants, pull-ups and underwear only.
• Sprouts are collecting empty toilet paper rolls for an upcoming project - please bring in yours!
• My cell phone number is posted at the sign-in table. Please note it and use it when needed. 
• Happy Spring!

Save It For Sprouts

The Sprouts teachers have a fun project idea they'd like to do with their students, but they need your help. If you're the parent of a child who attends school at the main Sunflower building, Ms. Jenn would really appreciate it if you would save your empty toilet paper rolls and bring them to school. You can drop them off with any teacher. The Sprouts will love you for it.

PARENTS' ASSOCIATION - SPRING MEETING

Greetings, fellow parents! Mark your calendars:

PARENTS' ASSOCIATION MEETING

(For all parents - Seeds through Elementary!)

Monday, May 5th

5:30PM

Sunflower School - upstairs

It will be a great time to share your comments, your energy and your ideas!

Topics covered will include (but will not be limited to) - 

• The "Spring Sing" Music Event
• The Summer Program (incl. field trips, Summer at Seeds, etc)
• Ideas for Increasing School/Parent Communication
• Splash Bash
• General Questions/Concerns
• Practical Life Activity: How To Make A Great Margarita*

Hope to see you there. Kids welcome. Snacks provided.

Questions? Or - have a great idea you want to share, but can't make the meeting? Let us know!

Thanks, all-

Brooke

* Miss Julia just pointed out that this meeting has been scheduled on Cinco De Mayo, so we're adjusting the agenda accordingly. 

Reminder: SCHOOL CLOSURE

All Sunflower schools (from Seeds through Elementary) will be CLOSED on MONDAY, APRIL 28th. All Sunflower teachers will be participating in a Professional Development Day. According to Katie, there will be several special guest speakers and instructors who will be sharing teaching and learning techniques with our staff. The main class the teachers will attend is called "Mindful Communication - The Montessori Way."

Thanks for your patience as we work to make sure our teachers are able to provide amazing learning environments for our students.

Swing Into Summer

Hard to believe, but the Summer Session is just around the corner.  Swim lessons and field trips and fun in the sun are only 6 weeks away!

From the Summer Enrollment Contract:

The entire summer program is 60 days long. Each session is 20 days long. Each session is charged separately. We are no longer able to offer a daily or weekly rate, as it is too unpredictable for the children attending. You may opt out of any session, but a $100 re-enrollment fee will be charged to hold your child's space. Payment is due the first day of each session. 

Session #1: June 1st - June 27th

Session #2: June 30th - July 25th

Session #3: July 28th - August 28th

If you'd like your child to participate in some or all of the summer fun, and you've already turned in a Summer Application / Enrollment Contract: great! If you'd like your child(ren) to attend, but you've yet to submit a form, you can download one here. (And note the "Forms and Paperwork" tab on the right margin of this blog - we'll keep the latest versions of all paperwork there). 

Stay tuned for more info on scheduled field trips and swim lesson dates. We'll soon be posting sign-up sheets if you'd like to be a parent chaperone on one of these summer outings. If you've never tried to walk three blocks at the end of a rope that 12 kids are hanging on to... well, it's an adventure that's not to be missed.

-Brooke

Wednesday Afternoon Art

Starting two weeks ago, the full-day Sunflowers in Ms Indima's, Ms. Sam's and Ms. Alyssa's classes have been enjoying a Wednesday afternoon art class. Last week, we made life-sized self-portraits by tracing each kid on a roll of paper and letting them decorate their outlines with crayons and stickers. It was creative mayhem, I tell you. 

This week, we practiced our glue skills by adding feathers and pom poms to masks. 

The glue sticks were a huge hit, and all of the kids enjoyed creating alter-egos and dancing around the room when they were done. 

These two told me they were busy dancing at a butterfly wedding:

In case you've noticed your kiddo having marker-stained hands on Wednesdays, now you know why. 

It's been great fun so far. If you have a great idea for a preschool art project, or you'd like to lend a hand, let us know! Art projects happen every Wednesday from 3:30p-4:30p. We use all washable products and we've ordered paint smocks for future lessons, but if you have an old T-shirt you'd like us to put on your child just in case, we'd be happy to. 

Happy Easter to you and your little artist!

-Brooke