Monica Ros School

Click on the following link to hear our gradeschoolers sing the German version of Ode To Joy from this year’s Holiday Program.

Ode An Der Freude

Dear Parents,

     The next couple of weeks are filled with so many special activities that I thought that you might want to double-check your calendars. Here goes…….

     On Monday at 11 a.m. the school community will gather in Libbey Park to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on his special holiday. Under the direction of Mrs. Zonic, the children will sing about 11:10. Unfortunately, I have a long standing doctor’s appointment in Ventura and won’t be able to join the group. It is always a touching tribute and I am sorry to miss it this year.

     Our field trip to see the Chinese acrobats is on January 22^nd and we will leave school at 8:30 am and return by noon. I realize that it is an expensive show and it is a long way to go. Believe me, it is worth every penny spent and every mile driven. Unforgettable!

     That night will be our “Day in the Life…” program. Children should be in the classroom by 5:20 p.m. Please forgive the confusion that I caused last week.

     On Monday, January 26^th we will celebrate Chinese New Year. That day the children will be encouraged to wear any clothes which depict Chinese culture. Most children will probably not have this type of clothing but if a shirt or skirt or robe etc. is available do encourage your child to don that apparel that day. I think that our Miela will be dressed in beautiful Chinese finery to honor her heritage. We will have a Chinese feast at noon so you may want to send a light lunch that day.

     The final treat for the month will be on January 28^th when the ornithologists from Ojai Raptor Center visit the class. If you are free, join us at 9 a.m. for their terrific presentation.

     Thank you for your patience with my constant reminders. Have a happy three day week-end. Mrs. K.

The New Year is in full swing! It was so nice to see your children’s smiling faces after our long break! Everyone seems to be exploding with new language and social skills and it is exciting to see their successes as they delve through their day!

January is Arts Month at Monica Ros. The focus of the month is to explore art as a form of self-expression and discover an appreciation for art through critical observation. Our class will be investigating the works of Eric Carle. If you are not already familiar with Eric Carle, he is an author and illustrator of many treasured children’s books such as The Mixed – Up Chameleon, From Head To Toe and Where Are You Going?, just to name a few.

We will read the books and discuss his unique technique. He deftly illustrates his charming stories by creating collages with torn paper. Therefore, our expression of art this month will be collage, collage and more collages as we investigate this medium made famous for the younger set by Mr. Carle! In addition to paper, we will use many different materials from everyday life. Don’t worry; you’ll get a chance to see it all…

On January 29 and 30 art projects from every student in the school, including three specific projects from Green Roomers, will be displayed in Meyer Hall at our Founder’s Day exhibit celebrating the birthday of Monica Ros. Everyone is invited to come and see the beautiful art work created by each Monica Ros student. Don’t miss it!

Dates to remember:

January 19 – No School – Martin Luther King Day (all students are invited to perform at Libey Park. We will be singing at 11:30, please meet at the fountain at 11:25.

January 22nd from 5:30 TO 6:30 – A Day in the Life..of a Monica Ros student. Strart your evening with your child in the Green Room where we’ll show you what happens after you say goodbye. At 6:00, you have an opportunity to visit the Red and Blue rooms and see what’s in store for next year.

January 30th – 10:00 – Founder’s Day-Every class offers a performance in honor of our Founder.

February – Mrs._Winbury will return!

Fondly, Mrs._Drury, Mrs._Winbury and Mrs._Garst

Holiday Greetings from Second Grade!

As you know, this is our last week before our holiday vacation begins. We have had wonderful days of learning and singing in the weeks after Thanksgiving.

LANGUAGE ARTS:

We continue to meet in reading groups 4 times a week and are learning everything there is to know about nouns in grammar. Recognizing proper, common, possessive, singular nouns and learning the tricky spellings of some plural nouns. Verbs will be our focus in the new year. Creative writing continues to be another focus in our daily routine. We are currently focusing on our New Year’s resolutions and hypothetical scuba diving adventures.

MATH:

Money, money, money. Counting and making change is a huge second grade math benchmark we’re mastering. We have built store fronts to go shopping and experience first hand how to make change. Please encourage your money counters to practice with you whether they’re at home counting left over change on the counter or buying groceries at the store. Telling Time will be our next endeavor in math. Not just reading an analog clock but understanding the concepts of half past, quarter to and after, five till, etc.

SOCIAL STUDIES/SCIENCE:

Special thanks to our Santa Barbara Botanical Gardens drivers. What a wonderful experience to explore the grounds and dissect flowers in the lab. Simple Machines (levers, screws, etc.) are our next focus in Science in the new year. And in Social Studies, our Flat Stanleys continue to pour in from all over the Unites States with new adventures to share and places to map.

OTHER NEWS:

We have enjoyed wonderful stories from our Mystery Readers. It continues to be a treat for the children to guess from the clues who will be arriving to tell them a story with a “southern drawl” or share holiday favorites. If you have not yet read and would like to know your scheduled day, please check with Mrs._Roe. Our Adopt-a-Family project was once again a huge success. Thank you for your generous participation in this project. The delivery cars were full of presents and food when they departed Monica Ros last week.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS:

On Tuesday, we are celebrating the first annual “North Pole Day.” Our student council members decided it would be a wonderful idea to have Jack Frost visit our campus. Our second grader council members: Max, Sean and Mattie Ann have been meeting to discuss creative ideas and experiment with ice building, Mrs._Hardenbergh even gave them gum to try as an ice adhesive. While it didn’t help the ice cubes stick to each other – it was a treat to blow bubbles in the classroom! The children might like to wear scarves, mittens and hats to school to celebrate.

On Thursday, our Holiday Program begins at 7:00pm. Please have the children meet in our classroom at 6:50pm. Cookies, drinks and good cheer will be served in the classroom directly following the program.

On Friday, the Second Graders will be boarding the “Polar Express” (in the second grade, that is). Come to school in your pajamas and slippers to enjoy hot cocoa, treats and a viewing of the movie.

Have a wonderful holiday with your family. We’ll see you in 2009!

Mrs._Roe Mrs._Ricasata

Parents are invited to experience a ‘day in the life’ of their child’s class, when parents join their children in this charming evening event where parents become peers.

Be sure to wear your thinking cap!

No School – Staff Inservice today, and teachers prepare for Arts Month!

Winter Vacation will be:
Monday, December 22nd, through Friday, January 2nd.