We have been very busy in our classroom. We are getting to know each other as we develop our routines and get used to the patterns of everyday classroom life. We are learning about forming friendships, what to do about conflicts, and how to get along outside the comforts of family life. Learning these skills is a lifelong process, as we grownups all can attest. For people who are just learning the power and complexity of language, how to coordinate and control their bodies, and understand their own emotions, I think we're doing very well. Some children are even naturally empathetic with others, though empathy is a skill that often comes later in a child's life. I am so excited about working with this group of children this year and grateful that you all have sent me such treasures!

We started the year learning about our names. We've read books like <em><strong>Tikki Tikki Tembo</strong> </em> and <em><strong>Catalina Magdelina </strong> </em> (both shortened forms of very, very long names). We've learned that some of us have very long names and some have very short names. We are learning about our initial letters and other words that have the same sounds. We are learning the letters in our names and finding those same letters in other words. We are even learning the letters and our names in sign language. There is so much we can learn about reading and writing by starting out with these most important words. Next week we'll be starting our journals so the children will be able to practice writing in their own ways. We'll also be getting a more formal start on our new literacy curriculum, <a title="Blueprint for Literacy" href="http://www.cliontheweb.com/blueprint/index.html" target="_blank"><em><strong>Blueprint</strong> </em> </a> . (Note: we were able to fit in the enormous white board that comes with the program without having to get rid of any students to make room!).

We are learning about math also. We do a lot of counting and we are learning about sorting. Margaret Wise Brown (author of Goodbye Moon) wrote a book called <em><strong>The Important Book</strong> </em> , which helps children understand about &quot;attributes&quot; of things. We sort things according to their attributes. It might be color, shape, use, type, or sometimes children sort things by attributes only they can see. We try to get them to tell us how they are sorting so we understand their thinking. We also encourage children to sort by more than one attribute (dinosaurs by color, type, carnivorous/herbivorous, flying/land-based, etc.). This early math skill is also important for learning classification in science. I hope you will find opportunities for your child to sort things at home (ie, socks, dishes and silverware, books, toys, laundry, food, etc. etc.).

In science we are learning to use our 5 senses to understand the world around us. We are collecting leaves and doing rubbings. We are bringing interesting things from nature into the classroom for our science area where we have magnifying glasses for examination. We are learning how to do &quot;observational drawing,&quot; a kind of pre-writing note taking about what we observe in an object. We're also using science language in the classroom:  &quot;I wonder what would happen if...&quot; and &quot;Look at what happened when you ....&quot; and &quot;How can you make this block structure more stable,&quot; etc. etc. It is important to use big words with children and help them understand a little about what those words are.

Next week we are starting our <strong>art classes</strong> (I'm still working on music). Diane Sutliff is a Montessori-trained art teacher who has been working with our program for many years. She'll be coming in on Thursday mornings at 9:00, so don't be late!

Parent Volunteers

We already have several parent volunteers lined up to help us in the classroom. Sophia's mom has started coming in early to read to the children before 9:00 and to help Ms. Robin. Jacob's mom stays and helps open the door, especially when I'm at a morning meeting and Robin is alone. Asha's dad is planning to come in on Monday mornings to teach yoga. Asha's mom is planning a photography project with the children. Nyah's dad, a professional violinist, is planning a music performance. Netert's mom is a doctor and is planning a health day. Mila's mom is planning to bring in pictures of babies. Last year Mila's grandma came in and did a literacy project with us - I hope we'll see her again. Jed's dad is planning to help us cook something Middle Eastern. We're hoping to go visit Ahmad's dad in the car repair shop.

I know it's hard for many of you to find time to work in the classroom. We'll try and offer as many volunteer opportunities as we can so you can help connect your child's school and home experiences. If you can think of something you'd like to do, let me know! We could use:  sewing, carpentry (I have a portable bench and some tools), art, music, cooking,