Volume I, January 2011 Halifax Montessori Monthly Newsletter

Messages from Watermelon Class Teachers

jessicaMs Jessica

Dear Parents,

I have spent the last 3 months getting to know your children. It has been an enriching experience and I am amazed by their level of confidence and their different talents. The children and I have built a positive bond and we are getting along well. I would like to get to know you eventually and look forward to meeting you at the up-coming Parent-Teacher Meet in March. Meanwhile, if you have any concerns about your child, please do not hesitate to call me or send an email.

Please allow me to take this opportunity to emphasize the importance of children's early arrival in class. Every morning, we start individual Montessori work as soon as the children arrival in school at 8.30am that is if they don't take breakfast in school or upon finishing their breakfast. From 10.30am onwards, we will have a variety of group work. Hence, if your child arrives later than 9.30am, he/she will spend less than 1 hour on individual work daily. At Kindergarten level, the children would be spending more time at the Language and Mathematics areas which can be more tedious and time-consuming.

Most children also need some settling down moments before they start work. Thus, children who arrive after 9.30am may experience rushed work or insufficient work exposure due to shortage of time. Moreover, half of the class will be progressing to Primary 1 next year and the other half the following year. This would be an appropriate time to inculcate early sleeping and early rising habits in preparation for the morning session schools.

In class, I stress on order. The children are reminded to return materials to their rightful places. They are also encouraged to put things in their respective order and arrangement. These exercises, besides inculcating good social habits also build focus, observation skills and an efficient and safe working environment. I request that you extend these practices at home to help the children maintain a consistent style which will eventually develop into their personal habit and a way of life.

I am also constantly emphasizing on politeness, kindness and compassion. The children are constantly reminded not to 'point their fingers' at their friends - verbal or physical. They have learnt to be more accommodating and compromising with their friends. We trust you will stress these qualities to your child as well.

inthiraMs Inthira

 

Ms Inthira who works with the children on literacy using the supplementary Fitzroy readers, introduces new words to the children daily. She requests that parents discuss with their children on their daily acquired new words such as its meaning, spelling, the usage of the word in making a sentence, word with similar meaning and/or opposite words.

These discussions will reinforce what the teacher do in class and increase children's vocabulary and expressive skills. Ms Inthira would also like to stress on the importance of cultivating good reading habits such as reading to your child and getting children to read aloud. For more information on reading to children, please refer to Ms Maria, our principal's article on 'Reading with your child at an early age and choosing the right books', featured on the March 2009 issue of our school's March '09 newsletter.

YuanYuan Lao Shi

 

Yuan Lao Shi is glad to see that all children are receptive to Mandarin in school, even non-Chinese children. She urges parents to encourage children to express themselves in Mandarin whenever possible.

For Chinese parents, she would like to see you model by increasing your usage of Mandarin and even converse with your children in Mandarin. Only when your children watch and listen to you use the language in your daily lives will they understand that Chinese is a lively language and will grow to use it and eventually like it. If they have not heard you spoken at home, they cannot understand that Chinese is their roots and culture. At this point of time, they are too young to understand the economic importance of Chinese/China.

Some parents practice English and Chinese Days at home where they speak only one language on certain days, which have proved effective. Your child may answer/speak to you in English in the initial stages, if that is his/her preferred language, but if you perserve, you will eventually encourage them to switch to Chinese. Please also read Chinese books with your children. There are many Chinese folklore which will captivate the children and lure them to love the culture and language.

For non-Chinese parents, thank you for allowing your children to learn our language. You can encourage your children to sing/read to you the Mandarin rhymes and songs that they learn in school. We have included the 'Hanyu Pinyin' of these rhymes and songs in our monthly web notices so that you can guide you child along the way.