Primary 5

May News

May is going to be all about Dinosaurs! We will learn all about the different kinds of dinosaurs, such as what they eat, how big they are, and more. Africa will be our main geographic focus, allowing us to learn more about the culture of the continent. Our book of the month is going to be The Very Hungry Catepillar by Eric Carle. We are so excited to learn this month! 

April Recap

April was such a fun month coming back from spring break, we were refreshed and ready to learn! The children had many new learning opportunities that consisted of hands-on experience and visual learning. It was a month full of learning about our planet Earth. Using our flashcards during circle time, we were able to see how many layers the earth has, such as the inner core, outer core, mantle, and crust. In addition to this, we also had coloring pages where we colored each of the earth's layers, helping us to have a deeper learning experience.

During circle time, we talked about the importance of treating our planet Earth with respect. Such as recycling plastic waste, throwing trash away in the trash can, planting flowers, etc. We actively practiced this in our classroom by throwing paper towels and paper we cut into the trash. We also focused on parts of a flower and what is needed for a flower to grow. Throughout April, we talked about our lunchtime manners, how to greet new people, and napkin folding/setting the table. It was great to observe and listen to how talking about manners during lunch time made a difference with friends reminding each other of the rules, such as not talking while eating, not pushing the tables, cleaning up and pushing in our chairs.

Learning about Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands was a great experience because we were able to see how different each location was. A fun fact we learned is that these three areas are considered Oceania continents, which simply means continents that are scattered throughout most of the Pacific Ocean. We colored a map of Australia to gain an understanding of its shape on the globe. We also learned there are volcanoes in Australia, and we went into detail to learn about the different parts of a volcano, such as its crater, ash, lava flow, etc. One of our favorite things we focused on were insects and spiders. Seeing the many different kinds of spiders and insects that exist amongst these Oceania continents made our skin crawl.

In April, we focused on the book Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault. This was such a fun book and a great introduction to the lowercase and uppercase letters of the alphabet in a fun rhythmic story. 

March Recap

March was so much fun! Students learned about South America and the layers of the Rainforest. Also, what types of animals live in the different forest layers, to name a couple, such as toucans, sloths, chameleons, etc. During March, we were also able to celebrate the great author Dr. Seuss’s birthday. Students were very intrigued to learn about his books and the number of books he wrote for children! Making the book of the month Dr. Seuss books. Students enjoyed sharing their own Dr. Seuss books.

In geography, we discussed some countries in South America, such as Brazil, Colombia, Peru, etc., and the placement of the Rainforest that lies within the equator. We also discussed the people that live in rainforest territories and the languages that are spoken around South America, Portuguese, French, and indigenous languages spoken by native people. Students learned the different foods from South America, including bananas, corn, cashew nuts, and eggplant. As we kept exploring South America, we jumped into zoology, learning about the kind of animals living in South America. Through a presentation of Nomenclature cards, students were introduced to green iguanas, manatees, tapir, capybara, etc. Also, through the production of nomenclature cards, we went over the botany of South America, such as begonia, verbena, lima beans, trumpet tree, ginkgo Biloba, and sugar cane. Students received coloring paper with pictures of the different animals and botany elements.

Enrichment classes followed the monthly theme. In art, students used green tissue paper and placed it on cardstock paper in the shape of a horseshoe. It symbolizes luck and security from evil. We also made a rainbow pot of gold chain with construction paper from the colors of the

rainbow. In Music, we listened to the talented composer Antonio Vivaldi from Italy. Students listened to his famous symphony, “The Four Seasons,” and had the opportunity to perform classical dance along with the song. In cooking, we made delicious ants on a log! We used celery, cream cheese, and raisins. Students continue to work through ABC Mouse during computer time, learning math and language through interacting games. In Spanish, students also learned the colors of the rainbow. We practice and compare the name of the colors from English to Spanish through vocabulary and songs.

February Recap

February was such a fun month full of love. We had many amazing learning opportunities during Montessori work time, circle time and most importantly having the opportunity to explore around the class. We learned that people come from many different parts of the world. Culture includes such things as what people eat, how they worship, the language they speak, and the art they create. During circle time the students had the opportunity of sharing with the class their culture using a physical item during share time. This created a unity in our class aiding in self-esteem and positive self of identity. For example, when asked students were able to successfully answer the question “where are you from” using their cultural awareness that was learned during discussions. Friendship is people you can have fun with. We learned everyone in our class can be our friend no matter what we look like, sound like or come from. During Montessori work time there was work themed Valentine’s Day in which we were able to explore work with hearts, roses, heart clips, and even cutting. In addition, we continued to practice our letter and number tracing.

Learning about Asia was a great experience because we were able to gain a new and better understanding that it is the largest and most diverse continent in the world housing 48 countries! We learned about Asias traditional food such as rice, noodles, vegetables, and spices. In addition to Asia most popular animals. During circle time we used flash cards and figurines to familiarize ourselves with Asia’s animals such as pandas, elephants, tigers, sea turtles and flamingoes. There were country flags we learned about and were able to get to know the proper colors that belong to each flag such as Japan and India. The students had a great time looking at pictures of the Taj Mahal and the Great Wall of China. We learned that the Great Wall of China is one of the biggest structures made by humans.



In February, we focused on the book “Little blue and little yellow,” by Leo Lionni. It was a great way for us to understand the importance of friendship and acceptance. We used the meaning of this book through the month of February to use it as a way of allowing different friends to include everyone during outside playtime and work time. 

January Recap

In January, we focused on winter animals and hibernation.

It was an incredibly explorative month full of visual representations, hands-on experience, and imaginative opportunities. We learned that hibernation is a state of reduced metabolic activity in animals that allows them to conserve energy and survive during periods of extreme cold or reduced food availability. We learned about the kinds of animals that hibernate, such as bears, groundhogs, snakes, etc. For example, we explored winter plants using visuals such as coloring pages and used our imagination to be a winter animal and pretend what we would do if we were a bear, penguin, and groundhogs.

During Montessori work time, we were able to have hands-on experience with fake snow inside a big container that also included winter animals, which we were able to explore with. With this, we were able to make caves and dens for the animals to stay warm in.

Learning about Antarctica was a great experience because we were able to gain an understanding of the different climates and animals that live in this area. We learned that Antarctica is the world's highest, driest, windiest, coldest, and iciest continent. Since there is lots of ice in Antarctica during circle time, we got a cup, filled it up with water, and placed it in the freezer overnight.  The next day, we were able to see what the water, which was once liquid, turned into from the freezing temperatures, which turned it into ice to represent how an iceberg is made. This was such a fun experiment. We can’t believe how cold it gets in Antarctica!

We also read “The Mitten” by Jan Brett all month long, and it was a great way for us to understand the importance of kindness and friendship. We used this book to value developing friendships in our classroom and as a way to explain that there is always room for others to join, such as by including a friend during outside play.

December Recap

In December, our theme was Seasons & Holidays. During circle time, we talked about the importance of Hannukah and how it is important to the Jewish community. We were able to familiarize ourselves with the menorah by coloring and having a visual representation in our class. In addition to Kwanza, an African American celebration. We also looked at the different parts of a horse and were able to label, match, and color the different parts. We also shared about the importance of respecting other people's and cultures differences by looking at different pictures on a flash card that represented a celebration such as Christmas, Kwanza, or Hanukkah. We also talked about solids, liquids, and gases, and we shared with the class what represented each element with something around the room. The book of the month was The Giving Tree. This book taught us about the responsibilities we will encounter in life and will keep this message as we grow older.



We also focused on tracing our alphabet, both uppercase and lowercase, as well as our pronunciations and letter sounds. Students also learned about Europe. We talked about the European flag and their traditional foods using pictures. Students were able to learn the correct colors that belong on the flag by having the opportunity to color. Finally, of course, we had our Christmas concert. We learned four Christmas songs and had a fun time practicing and performing.

Since Christmas is in December along with other holiday traditions students used their creative skills to imagine and create using their Christmas spirits. Students created a snowflake using paint and glitter. They also were able to add a picture in the middle of the snowflake to create an ornament. We also made reindeer during enrichment using celery, sunflower butter, raisins, and pretzels. Furthermore, we also created candy canes using red paint, black markers, and paper with the assistance of the teachers.