Montessori By The Sea » Casa 2

Pollution and Extinction

Casa 2 — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 16:49:11 +0000

Last week the children learned about eco-systems, in particular the Coral Reefs around Cayman. This week we will be looking at Natural and Human pollution, referring to current events such as the Volcano eruption in Iceland and the impact globally. We will look at how pollution effect the Coral Reefs and other eco-systems. We are also going to discuss The Dump here in Cayman, go for a beach clean up and learn about re- cycling, composting and what we can do to reduce human consumption.

February in Casa

Casa 1 — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 17:01:38 +0000

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.

January in Casa

Casa 1 — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 15:39:38 +0000

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.

Homemade Pasta with Bolognese Sauce

Casa 2 — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 14:36:05 +0000

This month we are studying different cultures from countries in Europe. To really appreciate how important a role fresh food plays in Italian culture, we got out our Pasta machine and made our own Linguini. The children made the dough, chopped and prepped for the Bolognese sauce and helped cooking it in the school kitchen. The dish was served with grated parmesan cheese and not a crumb was left after lunch! It was a truly fun and tasty experience, and the children are already looking forward to cooking our Danish feast next week.

Human Needs

Casa 1 — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 22:40:12 +0000

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.

Field Trip to Otto Watler’s Honey Farm

Casa 1 — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 22:27:46 +0000

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!

Wild about Bugs!

Casa 1 — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 18:42:08 +0000

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.

Halloween

Casa 2 — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 13:47:21 +0000

Halloween is fast approaching, and we have incorporated some fun activities for the children to do. We carved a pumpkin and saved the seeds. We washed, dried and tossed the seeds in olive oil and salt, then roasted the pumpkin seeds in the oven. The children loved them! A good nutritious snack for the children during Halloween.

These Cayman Isles

Casa 1 — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 13:33:51 +0000

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.

Food for thought!

Casa 2 — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 18:52:58 +0000

Today, we made food from Italy and what better dish to cook than Pizza! We made the pizza dough from scratch, lots of rolling/tossing in the air! We cooked up the tomato sauce with herbs, spread it out and added pepperoni and lots of cheese. What a Feast!