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Benjamin Franklin studied the ancient philosophers and their ideas of the virtues required to be an ideal man. He then created his own list of thirteen virtues, one of which is Cleanliness, Hermosa’s virtue of the month.
“No uncleanliness in body, cloaths, or habitation.”
–Ben Franklin
Learning the virtue of cleanliness begins with the development of self-control of both one’s attention, and one’s environment. Don Aslett thinks the virtue of cleanliness is so important he has developed a Museum of Clean in Pocatello, Idaho. According to Don Aslett,
“Clean dominates the value of everything that affects life—like clean air, clean water, clean language, clean beds, floors, politics, jokes, arteries, teeth… and how about clean art?”
Mr. Aslett goes on to say,
“Clean answers most of the problems of the world…clean air, clean food, clean minds, clean language, clean community and a clean world.”
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Hermosa Montessori’s
“Spiral Curriculum”
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The Montessori model Hermosa uses to help develop good citizens who are lifelong learners, is based on components that Dr. Montessori developed over 100 years ago, and is practiced around the world. First and foremost, all subject matter that can be integrated is indeed interrelated. One lesson leads to many others. While learning academic concepts, students move from a concrete representation of the concept to the abstract understanding. Our classrooms use a “big picture” approach first, which leads to increasing details. When students grow and enter a new developmental level (every three years), the major themes previously presented are studied again in greater depth, detail, and abstraction. The complexity of the topic increases with each revisit. Using this approach, a student revisits a topic, or subject, several times throughout their school years. This approach leads students to develop an in-depth understanding of a topic rather than mere memorization of the material.
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If you have already ordered your seats but haven’t paid yet, you can do so by
clicking here
.
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We’ll soon be releasing our beautiful, school-wide
celebration of peace
video.
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In
Language Arts,
students focused on how readers can consider multiple perspectives.
“Reading is a means of thinking with another person’s mind; it forces you to stretch your own.” –Charles Scribner, Jr.
Students participated in lessons on Reading for Metaphor. Students learned that in a text, an object may be a symbol that represents an idea. They answered the following questions:
- How does the author use metaphor to make their point of view more impactful?
- How can I use metaphors in my writing?
- Why would an author choose to use metaphors?
In
Science
, students learned about gravity, force, and Newton’s Three Laws. They learned about these three scientific forces and then participated in hands on experiments to illustrate the concepts.
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In their
group work
, students described and measured motion and answered the question,
How does the steepness of a ramp affect how fast an object moves across the floor?
To learn more about slow motion on planet Earth and acceleration, students measured how much force is needed to stop quickly while running toward a wall. On the topic of friction and gravity, they answered this question,
“How does the amount of friction between a sneaker and surface compare for different types of sneakers?”
They also had fun finding out how the acceleration of a skateboard is related to the force that is pulling it.
Each student will complete one of the following personal projects, which some started this week:
- Design and build your own functioning simple machine
- Write a children’s book about the simple machines around us with color illustrations that could be shared with the lower elementary classrooms.
- Research the simple machines in the human body. Build a model showing at least three of these. Label each and describe how they work.
In
Personal World,
the students participated in lessons in Social Emotional Learning (SEL). This week’s lesson covered what it is like to see things from other people’s perspective. They discussed how one can demonstrate empathy for others, and what one can do to make others feel accepted.
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Third Great Lesson
Students participated in the Montessori “Third Great Lesson.” This lesson focuses on human beings and their impact on life and culture. It begins with a historical and philosophical basis as students consider the three “gifts” that make us human beings and differentiate us from the other species that inhabit the earth. These “gifts” are a mind to imagine, a hand to do work, and a heart that can love. This lesson then leads children to study the beginning of civilizations and the needs of humans. Future lessons based on this concept include the study of:
• History: timelines, prehistory, ancient civilizations, world history, history of specific countries and continents
• Culture: art, artists, music, composers, dance, drama, architecture, design, philosophy, religion, current events, government, economics, commerce
• Discovery & Invention: scientists, inventors, scientific method, inventions, simple machines.
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This lesson led to further History lessons. Fourth year students learned more about the triangular trade route, which when viewed on a map forms a rough triangle between Europe, Africa, and the Americas. Students learned about the trade traffic that flowed to and from three general areas of either side of the Atlantic Ocean. Students also learned that this three stage trade meant that Europeans traded goods in Africa for slaves. Slaves were then brought back to the Americas, and sugar, tobacco, and other products were brought back to Europe.
Fifth year students participated in Civics lessons and learned about civic responsibilities such as becoming educated, obeying laws, voting, jury duty, selective service, and other avenues of public service.
Sixth year students learned more about Classical civilizations including the culture, history, language, and literature of ancient Greece and Rome. Students enjoyed a project in which they created their own civilization, including the geography, and political structure.
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In Language Arts, students continued working on the 6 traits of writing with an emphasis on using vivid action verbs and subject verb agreement. They also focused on poetry, the differences between poetry and prose, and the language associated with poetry, such as metaphor, simile, and imagery. Students were introduced to poetry that differed in theme and rhythm, and wrote their own poetry related to the Science presentations to help students understand the relationship between the Earth and Moon. Students learned to identify phases of the Moon, how the relationship between the Earth and Moon produces tides, and how the Moon’s gravity pulls on the ocean to create these tides. Students also learned how the Earth, Moon, and Sun produce eclipses. Also covered this week, activities and models illustrated the concept of asteroids, comets, and meteors.
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Last Moments of E-II swimming for the season
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Primary students beautifully sang “Peace Around the World” to celebrate International Peace Day, a long time Montessori tradition. We will be releasing the video of this wonderful performance soon.
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One of the great things about Hermosa is that we are a community. This week, parents from various levels contributed to the primary garden preparations for the upcoming planting season. We love that we have such wonderful support from our families.
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Your Extracurricular
Dollars at Work
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SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING
For Elementary I & II Students
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This week’s lessons focused on the importance of taking responsibility for actions that may cause discomfort to another, and how to remedy the situation. Students learned the four important steps to apologizing. They learned that apologizing is an act of kindness to oneself and others, and the meaning of a sincere apology. When students make a meaningful apology, they are mending their relationship with someone which makes their future relationships stronger! Here is what students learned:
The 4 Steps to Apologizing
1.
Realize you did something wrong.
Realize you need to apologize. This can take a little while. If you’re
not ready and someone tells you to apologize, it’s OK to say
something like, “I’m still really mad and I’m not ready to apologize
yet. Can we talk about this after I calm down?”
2.
Sincerely apologize.
Admit you were wrong and give a sincere apology. Say specifically
what you did wrong. Be as honest as you can.
3.
Explain yourself.
Explain why you acted the way you did. If you made a mistake,
explain why. Everyone makes mistakes. Maybe you were mad,
having a bad day because of something that happened at home, or
really tired; just let someone know what happened.
4.
Make future plans.
Make plans to make it right. This can be as general as, “I will try not
to do that again,” or as specific as, “Let me make it up to you by
getting you a new binder like the one I spilled water on.”
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Being Respectful Learners
Elementary I students also participated in additional SEL lessons this week. Hermosa uses a carefully designed and researched curriculum for Social Emotional Learning. These “soft skills” are important components of a well-rounded student. These lessons also develop skills that students can use at home, higher education, and life. The first lessons help develop listening skills, followed by focusing attention, making friends, and problem solving. Elementary I students recently participated in lessons on how to be a respectful learner. These lessons include role playing games, songs, and follow up practice.
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In music class this week, students learned the term dynamics as it relates to the variation between notes and phrases. Students were introduced to various sounds such as part of classical music orchestration, sounds from nature, and other sounds. Students were then asked to identify the intensity of sound from loudest to softest. Students also viewed a presentation that introduced the concept of Foley in filmmaking, which is the reproduction of everyday sound effects that are added to films, videos, and other media in post-production to enhance audio. In the next few music classes, students will have an opportunity to create a project of their own Foley sounds to be presented to peers and teachers. Each music class includes rhythmic activities, groove games, and opportunities for students to lead their classmates to reproduce a rhythmic pattern.
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HERMOSA MONTESSORI PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL (K-8)
HERMOSA MONTESSORI PRESCHOOL
520.749.5518
Questions about Headlines?
Contact HRT@hermosaschool.org
www.hermosaschool.org
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