Monday Memo
Lake Air Montessori Magnet PDS
Week of April 30, 2018
Celebrate Your Uniqueness...Be Unique!
Our theme this year is "Celebrate your Uniqueness". We believe in cultivating children's intellectual abilities alongside their confidence and happiness. We seek to educate the "whole child", one that is beautifully, wonderfully, and uniquely made. We strive to create an environment that nurtures their young minds and inspires a spirit of personal excellence.
Embrace your uniqueness. Time is much too short to be living someone else's life. - Kobi Yamada
Weekly Montessori Moment
Grow the Core...
"Imagination does not become great until human beings, given the courage and strength, use it to create." - Maria Montessori
We are taking time to refocus our attention and deepen our core in Montessori philosophy as a staff in our weekly professional development. We will spotlight a different component of our core each week. This week's focus is conversation.
Conversation is a great source for our everyday stories. Think about some of the most important moments in your life and about the relationships you have. The foundation of nearly all of these is conversations. When we are learning about one another, we are listening and enjoying simple moments together.
Here are some suggestions for sparking conversation with your student.
1. If you could go into any TV show – what show would want to visit?
2. If you could only eat one fruit forever – what fruit would it be?
3. What are three words you would uses to describe yourself?
4. What do you think your are good at?
5. If you had to pick only one – would you want to be a great singer or a great dancer?
6. If you went to another planet – what would you bring with you?
7. If you were a teacher what rules would you make?
8. If you could make your whole house out of food – what food would you use?
9. If you could have one super power what would it be?
10. If you could be an animal what would you be?
11. If you could paint the whole world – what color would you use?
12. Who is the nicest person you know?
13. If you could be anyone when you grew up – who would you want to be?
14. If you could be your favorite cartoon character – who would you be?
15. Which is better – being invisible or being able to fly?
16. What’s one rule you wish your mom and dad didn’t have?
17. If we could only have one holiday – which one would you pick?
18. If you could go anywhere in the world – where would you go?
19. What do you like the most about your sister/brother/mother/father?
20. If your pets could talk – what would they say?
21. If you could only have one wish – what would it be?
22. If you could read someone’s mind – whose mind would you want to read?
23. If you were invisible – where would you want to go?
24. If you could play with only one thing your whole life – what would you pick?
25. If you could only read or listen to one book – what would you pick?
26. If you could have any job in the world – what would it be?
27. If you had to have no arms or no legs – which would you pick?
28. What scares you the most?
29. If you could turn someone nice – who would it be?
30. If you could be great at something – what would you want to be great at?
31. If you could be any age – what age would you want to be?
32. If you could make the laws – what is one law you would definitely create?
33. If you could only be one age for the rest of your life – what age would you want to be?
34. If you could make up any holiday – what would it be called?
35. If you could live anywhere – where would you live?
36. If you could make any animal talk – what would it be?
37. If you had to change places with your mom or dad – who would you pick to be?
38. If you could only have Christmas or your Birthday each year – which one would you pick?
39. What is your most favorite memory so far?
40. How many kids do you think you’ll have when you grow up?
41. Which is better to be – funny or honest?
42. If you could make one improvement to the world – what would it be?
43. If you had to teach someone something –what could you teach?
44. What’s your funniest face?
45. Who can go the whole dinner without blinking?
46. Who is the funniest person at the table?
47. What relative do you love seeing the most?
48. If you could make three family rules – what would they be?
49. If you had to rename yourself –what name would you give yourself?
50. If you had to live with a cartoon character – who would you pick?
Would you be interested in attending a parent session on the social-emotional health of your gifted and talented child?
If so, respond to this quick survey and we will schedule a parent training session soon at school.
As a Montessori school…
We follow the teachings of Dr. Maria Montessori, a medical doctor, teacher, philosopher and anthropologist. Her progressive view of children was way beyond her time.
We understand that children of different ages have different needs and abilities. We study child development theory and make sure our classrooms are developmentally appropriate.
We observe our children. By watching closely, we can modify our lessons and materials to best suit the child’s interests and growth.
We believe that the environment is the best teacher. We design the classroom to fit the needs of the child, rich experiences balanced with beauty and order. Each work contains a purposeful work that is designed to teach a specific concept.
We model grace and courtesy (good manners), treating each other as we wish ourselves to be treated. We use calm voices when teaching and speak with respect to children’s feelings. We carry ourselves with poise and handle objects with care.
We recognize that children are unique individuals who are not likely to master exact same concepts or have the same interests at the same time.
We do not use rewards and punishments to force children to comply with rules or to combat ill behavior. We believe that each child is on the way to developing self discipline and that rewards should be intrinsic.
We believe that children learn best when they are free to move their bodies throughout the day. We want to teach our children to respect their bodies and control their movements which helps the growing brain learn more effectively.
We believe that the materials a child works with should be carefully chosen to support the current developmental stage. Concrete experiences are always offered first and abstract thinking presented later. We call this work, not play.
STAAR Testing coming soon!
May 8th - Algebra I EOC
May 14th - 3rd-8th grade STAAR Math
May 15th - 3rd-8th grade STAAR Reading
May 16th - 5th and 8th STAAR Science
May 17th - 8th STAAR Social Studies
Way to go Middle School Jazz Band!
Congratulations to our Middle School Jazz Band on their performance on Friday April 27th at University High School. They performed two songs, "Dat Derre" and "Take Five in Havana." They did exceptionally well!
Upcoming Band Performances
Greetings LAMM!
I would like to cordially invite you to attend one or both of our final band performances of the 2017-18 "season." The kids have been working extremely hard this year and I think you will be pleasantly surprised at the sounds coming out of their instruments! Here is a little bit of information about each performance:
Friday 5/4- 6PM-BIG GYM- LAMM ALL-BAND Final Concert- This is our final concert of the year and will feature performances by all of our 6th-8th grade band students. This performance will take place at LAMM in the big gym.
We hope to see you at one or both of the events! Have a great week!
- Mr. Alvarado and Ms. Lee
Middle School Updates
Impact project is due Friday May 4th. This project is a culminating project that the students have been working on for several months. Please make sure students are completing their project. They may stay after school on Monday and Thursday until 4:30 if they need to work on it.
Last dance of the year is Friday May 11th. Tickets are $10 and will go on sale next week. Come boogie the night away as we listen to music through the decades!
Mark your calendars for 8th grade Crossing Over May 25th. We will celebrate the accomplishments of our 8th graders here at Lake Air Montessori. Friends and family welcome!
Students ready to let your talent shine?
Every child needs their own earbuds or Headphones!!!!
We just began a new reading computer program and every Primary student MUST have their own headphones in order to use the program!!
We are AVID!!
Please sign up for Parent Portal!!
We encourage all parents to sign up for Parent Portal. It is your one stop shop to know how your child is doing in school! Get notifications when your child has a grade below a certain score or when he has a missing assignment.
Parent Portal is an exciting opportunity for parents to become more involved in their child’s education through the convenience of the Internet. You will have access to your child’s:
- Grades (current progress report and 6-week report cards)
- Schedule
- Attendance
- Health Log
- Discipline Log
- Student Personal Information: address, phone, e-mail
- Plus, send an email to any of your child's teachers
Click below for our LAMM Campus calendar!
Mark your Calendars!!!
May 4th - Middle School Band Concert
May 8 - Algebra I EOC
May 11 - Decades Dance for 6th-8th grade 7:00 - 10:00
May 14-17 STAAR Tests 3rd Math, 4th Math, 5th Retest Math/Reading, 6th Math, 6th Reading, 7th Math, 7th Reading, 8th Retest Math/Reading, 8th Science, 8th Social Studies
May 22-24 Peace Camp
May 25 - 8th grade Crossing Over
May 31 - Kindergarten Crossing Over
May 29-31 Middle School Adventure Trip
May 29 - 30 Field day
Let us know what we can do better! Leave us a suggestion!
THIS WEEK...April 30th - May4th
Monday April 30th
Primary Lesson Study Final Lessons
K-2nd ELAR DBA
6:00 - 7:30pm Dia de las Ninos- Children's Day
Tuesday May 1st
Talent Show Auditions
Upper El Lesson Study Final Lessons
2:00 - 3:00 Baylor KAST for 5th grade Science
Wednesday May 2nd
Talent Show Auditions
4pm Faculty meeting
Thursday May 3rd
PLCs during conference period
Talent Show Auditions
Friday May 4th
Middle School Impact Project due
NO GT Enrichment for the rest of the year
Progress Reports Due
1:00 - 3:00 Makerspace (Garrett, Cross)
2:00 - 3:00 Baylor KAST for 7/8th grade Science
6:00 - 7:00 6th-8th Band Concert at LAMM
College Fridays: Dartmouth University (green)
Saturday May 5th
Six Flags trip for selected band students
NEXT WEEK...May 7th - 11th
Tuesday May 8th
Algebra EOC
5:30 - 7:00 PTA Social at the Backyard 5:30-7. PTA board elections at this meeting.
Wednesday May 9th
1st grade GT screener
Thursday May 10th
1st grade GT screener
PLCs during conference
8:30 Middle School and Upper El Talent Show
9:30 Lower El and Primary Talent Show
Friday May 11th
1st grade GT screener
7:00 - 10:00 Decades Dance
College Fridays: University of Kentucky (blue and white)
BOLETÍN DE NOTICIAS EN ESPAÑOL
Lake Air Montessori PDS
Principal: Stephanie Tankersley
Assistant Principal: Rachel Hannah
Assistant Principal: Dr. Mary Phillips
Email: stephanie.tankersley@wacoisd.org
Website: http://lakeair.wacoisd.org/home/
Location: 4601 Cobbs Drive, Waco, TX, United States
Phone: 254-772-1910
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LakeAirMontessori/
Twitter: @WISDmontessori