Casa 1

Today in Casa 1 we are learning about herbivores, carnivores and omnivores of the dinosaur world. At snack, each child will have to opportunity to choose to be an herbivore (carrots and broccolli), a carnivore (ham), or an omnivore (both!).

This month we will be studying prehistoric times. Last week we talked about the early earth, and this week we are learning about dinosaurs- always a popular topic! After the Ash Wednesday break we will explore early humans and have a lecture on the subject by Mr. Guy.

Starting this month, we will be having show-and-tell weekly. We hope this will help those children who sometimes are disappointed when they forget their show-and-tell. Please follow the guidelines very carefully, and only send items that are on the list.

Our continent focus this month is Africa.

This month we are exploring Africa. Last Wednesday we made Moroccan cous-cous, and it was a big hit. Give it a try it at home! We have also discussed Egypt, and in the days to come hope to touch upon Ghana, Tanzania, South Africa and others. If you have an artifact, storybook or experience to contribute, please let us know

Kindergarteners are beginning their Animal Projects today. They will read and write about their animal of choice and will report to the class on details such as diet, habitat and anatomy.

We have some new caterpillar friends in our class! If anyone has a chella mella tree in their yard some leaves would be much appreciated by our picky bugs.

As always, our students are working away on fun tasks that challenge and stimulate them. This month many students have had exciting “break-throughs” in reading, counting, understanding the decimal system, word construction, pin-pricking, sewing, and much more. Don’t forget to glance at our “I’m Proud of My Work!” board to see paper work that the children choose to put up.

In January we studied “Reptiles and Amphibians”. We learned about what makes these animals different from other animals, and recalled the meaning of the word “vertebrate” (an animal with a backbone). We also learned a new term- “cold-blooded,” which are animals that do not make their own heat. This term will come in handy when we study dinosaurs in February! We also learned about the life cycle of a frog, talked about blue iguanas, observed a live tree frog, and made some adorable turtles which have been decorating our wall.

Europe was our continent of the month, and we visited several countries together during group time. Miss Helene spoke to both classes about Denmark, and Casa 2 made Danish meatballs and potato salad. Miss Wendy contributed some materials about Scotland, and Casa 1 children were particularly interested in tales of the Loch Ness monster! For Italy, Casa 1 made pizza and Casa 2 made spaghetti. Other countries that we touched upon: France (Casa1 rolled croissants and Casa 2 made Eiffel towers), The United Kingdom, Ireland, Russia and Switzerland. The children were introduced to the flag of each country, and some did some flag coloring to take home.

During the few days in December prior to our Winter Break, we are discussing the “Basic Human Needs” that our bodies require: air, food, water, sleep, shelter and clothing. We have given special focus ot our need for air (how long can you hold your breath?), clothing and shelter. We looked at the different kinds of shelters that people live in around the world, and discussed weather-appropriate clothing in Cayman. A great way to expand on this idea at home would be to look at clothing from other cultures, or to talk about the importance of food, water and sleep to your family members.

Next week our theme is “People in Need,” and we will talk about different charities and ways that we can help others during the Holiday season.

This exposure to basic human needs is preparation for our Elementary Program, when the students will get more in depth about Fundamental Human Needs and the various ways that they are satisfied in different cultures. These needs will also include “spiritual” needs, such as vanity, arts and religion.

We talked about bees during our “Bugs!” month, and today we visited some REAL bees at Otto Watler’s farm. Mr. Watler had some pictures to share with us, and he let us know that his bees range about 3-5 miles around his farm-the only honey farm that he knows of on island. We were able to see the hives and bees from a distance.

A highlight of the trip were the cages of Cayman parrots, with toys made by our very own elementary students! These parrots were orphaned, and thus unable to live in the wild. The kids got to see and hear them up close. We also saw the biggest chicken that many of us had ever seen (“as big as me!” said Brandon J.)

Some new things that the kids reported that they learned:

“I didn’t know bees lived in boxes like that!”
“I didn’t know chickens can fly!”
“I learned that bees have jobs, and one job is “water carrier.”

We had a great time, and special thanks to Majestic tours for a safe and fun ride!

Casa 1 had our first beach walk of the year this morning. We all had a wonderful time, and the children did an excellent job being attentive and safe. Everyone brought back one found object, and some children chose to paint their finds.

This week we’re studying insects, spiders and centipedes. We are discussing the characteristics that make insects different from other bugs (6 legs, 3 body parts- head, thorax and abdomen), the special role that bugs play on our planet, and where different bugs live. Students have the opportunity to read books on the subject in our reading corner, to “prick out” bug shapes, work with bug models, and much more. Many curious students might like to go to the local library with you, where they can find books for identifying crawly creatures in their own backyards.

This week, the children of Casa will be learning more about our island home. Previously as part of our Earth studies we have been talking about the meanings of the words “island” and “lake”- a body of land surrounded by water and a body of water surrounded by land. This week we’ll talk about the geography of our islands (how many islands there are and where we are located), some of our national symbols, as well as some of the animals and plants that are special to this island such as the mangroves, Cayman parrots and wild bananna orchids. For cooking, Casa1 will make pumpkin bread and Casa2 will make bananna bread, two delicious recipes with local ingredients.

This week we introduced the seven continents: North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, Australasia, and Antarctica. Second Years will be focusing on learning the colors that we use for each continent throughout the Montessori curriculum, and on recognizing the continent shapes and locations on the globe and map. Kindergarteners are re-familiarizing themselves with the above and are also going into greater depth by focusing on flags and some individual countries.