Message from the Director
Hello Kindians,
As we approach the end of another outstanding school year, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on the incredible journey we have been on together. It has been a year abuzz with functions, opportunities, learning, playing and much more. I am extremely proud of the brilliant accomplishments and enormous growth that our students have experienced over the past year. It has been a pleasure to see them work hard, overcome challenges, and achieve their goals.
I want to express my gratitude to all of our parents and guardians for their continuous ongoing support and involvement in their children's education. Your partnership with our teachers and staff has been invaluable, and we are grateful for the opportunity to work together to provide an unmatched world class learning experience for our students. Our teachers have been tireless in their efforts to provide high-quality instruction and support to our students, and I am grateful for their dedication and professionalism.
We are preparing for the big move to our new home and permanent location in Lisle. Our classrooms might start having piles of boxes as teachers start packing and labeling their material. We are definitely excited about the move and naturally a tiny bit anxious! We have impressively big plans for Kindi’s future and the new building will open up all those opportunities for us.
We are also starting 9th grade next year as the first year in Kindi’s College Prep. This is a significant milestone in Kindi’s long stride towards this moment. Our curriculum and rigor organically lend themselves to this development. Our High School students will receive a solid curriculum that will have them well prepared for college. We invite all 8th grade graduates to apply for our distinguished program.
I want to extend my heartiest congratulations to our young graduates who completed their Montessori 3-year cycle in KG and 3rd Grade. I want you to know that at this point you stand high academically, socially, and emotionally in relation to scores of peers around you. Montessori served you well and honed all your skills.
As for our 8th grade graduates, I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to each and every one of you on your remarkable achievement of graduating from middle school. Graduating from the 8th grade is a momentous occasion, marking the end of one chapter and the beginning of another. As you look back on the years spent in middle school, you will realize how much you have grown and evolved both academically and personally. You have acquired new knowledge, developed critical thinking skills, made lasting friendships, and gained invaluable life experiences that will shape your future. Kindi’s High School is ready to receive you with open arms!
We have our Summer Learn & Play Camp live on our website ready for your registration. Kindi’s Summer Camp provides a unique opportunity for students to continue their learning and academic progress throughout the summer months. Summer Camp helps your children improve their skills in subjects they may have struggled with during the regular school year, or even get ahead in subjects they excel in. They will also make new friends in the process. We hope to see your children there!
Finally, I would like to thank you for entrusting us with your children's education. It has been a pleasure to work with them, and we look forward to continuing to support their growth and success in the years to come. Their growth is an integral part of Kindi’s growth!
I wish everyone a great Spring time and see you again in May!
Hatem Elagha
Executive Director
Kindi Academy
As we approach the end of another outstanding school year, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on the incredible journey we have been on together. It has been a year abuzz with functions, opportunities, learning, playing and much more. I am extremely proud of the brilliant accomplishments and enormous growth that our students have experienced over the past year. It has been a pleasure to see them work hard, overcome challenges, and achieve their goals.
I want to express my gratitude to all of our parents and guardians for their continuous ongoing support and involvement in their children's education. Your partnership with our teachers and staff has been invaluable, and we are grateful for the opportunity to work together to provide an unmatched world class learning experience for our students. Our teachers have been tireless in their efforts to provide high-quality instruction and support to our students, and I am grateful for their dedication and professionalism.
We are preparing for the big move to our new home and permanent location in Lisle. Our classrooms might start having piles of boxes as teachers start packing and labeling their material. We are definitely excited about the move and naturally a tiny bit anxious! We have impressively big plans for Kindi’s future and the new building will open up all those opportunities for us.
We are also starting 9th grade next year as the first year in Kindi’s College Prep. This is a significant milestone in Kindi’s long stride towards this moment. Our curriculum and rigor organically lend themselves to this development. Our High School students will receive a solid curriculum that will have them well prepared for college. We invite all 8th grade graduates to apply for our distinguished program.
I want to extend my heartiest congratulations to our young graduates who completed their Montessori 3-year cycle in KG and 3rd Grade. I want you to know that at this point you stand high academically, socially, and emotionally in relation to scores of peers around you. Montessori served you well and honed all your skills.
As for our 8th grade graduates, I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to each and every one of you on your remarkable achievement of graduating from middle school. Graduating from the 8th grade is a momentous occasion, marking the end of one chapter and the beginning of another. As you look back on the years spent in middle school, you will realize how much you have grown and evolved both academically and personally. You have acquired new knowledge, developed critical thinking skills, made lasting friendships, and gained invaluable life experiences that will shape your future. Kindi’s High School is ready to receive you with open arms!
We have our Summer Learn & Play Camp live on our website ready for your registration. Kindi’s Summer Camp provides a unique opportunity for students to continue their learning and academic progress throughout the summer months. Summer Camp helps your children improve their skills in subjects they may have struggled with during the regular school year, or even get ahead in subjects they excel in. They will also make new friends in the process. We hope to see your children there!
Finally, I would like to thank you for entrusting us with your children's education. It has been a pleasure to work with them, and we look forward to continuing to support their growth and success in the years to come. Their growth is an integral part of Kindi’s growth!
I wish everyone a great Spring time and see you again in May!
Hatem Elagha
Executive Director
Kindi Academy
Message from the Dean
Dear Kindians,
I hope everyone had a wonderful and relaxing Spring Break, and that our Eagles are well-rested to take on the last two months of the school year. There are big things coming up and we are so excited about the future here at Kindi Academy!
Our theme for this month is The Power of Words. I will be holding assemblies with students to discuss the impact of what our words mean and how the things we say can affect others in both positive and negative ways. Students should always be mindful about the things that they say, know that they should think before they speak so that they don’t hurt others’ feelings. It is also important for them to know that what we say can have impacts so great they can inspire others to work hard, accomplish their goals, and inspire change throughout the world.
The wonderful thing about this community is how we always work to build each other up and encourage each other to work hard and accomplish our goals. There was a student I was talking to recently about how much she improved and she said without hesitation, “my classmates are the ones who have pushed me to work harder and better prepare for my classes”. As an educator, this is a wonderful thing to hear! There’s no better feeling as a teacher than hearing our students are inspired to work hard! This is what it means to be an Eagle…building each other up so everyone can SOAR!
There are many great things happening around the school. None of it is possible without the hard work of our students, the dedication of our wonderful teachers and staff, and the support we have from our families and community. Thank you all for what you do for our students.
As always, it’s a Great Day to be an Eagle!
Sevim Memisovski
Dean of Students
Kindi Academy
I hope everyone had a wonderful and relaxing Spring Break, and that our Eagles are well-rested to take on the last two months of the school year. There are big things coming up and we are so excited about the future here at Kindi Academy!
Our theme for this month is The Power of Words. I will be holding assemblies with students to discuss the impact of what our words mean and how the things we say can affect others in both positive and negative ways. Students should always be mindful about the things that they say, know that they should think before they speak so that they don’t hurt others’ feelings. It is also important for them to know that what we say can have impacts so great they can inspire others to work hard, accomplish their goals, and inspire change throughout the world.
The wonderful thing about this community is how we always work to build each other up and encourage each other to work hard and accomplish our goals. There was a student I was talking to recently about how much she improved and she said without hesitation, “my classmates are the ones who have pushed me to work harder and better prepare for my classes”. As an educator, this is a wonderful thing to hear! There’s no better feeling as a teacher than hearing our students are inspired to work hard! This is what it means to be an Eagle…building each other up so everyone can SOAR!
There are many great things happening around the school. None of it is possible without the hard work of our students, the dedication of our wonderful teachers and staff, and the support we have from our families and community. Thank you all for what you do for our students.
As always, it’s a Great Day to be an Eagle!
Sevim Memisovski
Dean of Students
Kindi Academy
ENCANTO THE MUSICAL
As the curtain closes on this year’s musical, reflection is so important. Since October students have been working hard memorizing lines, learning “blocking”, singing loud and proud, and putting on their dancing shoes. Students showed dedication and hard work putting on an amazing performance. From our main cast to our supporting cast everyone put their heart and soul into the performance. Hard work was also done backstage as the crew made sure that props and set pieces were out on time. Both on and off stage made this performance one of the best in Kindi history.
Encanto is all about being your true self and loving yourself. It talks about family communication and acceptance. Not only are the songs fun and entertaining but it talks about stress, finding yourself, backbiting, love, and support. All lessons that are vital to our society. Our students were able to make these emotions and lessons come to life. As we move further and further away from that wonderful show night, Kindi plans for the future on how we can make next year's show even better.
Encanto is all about being your true self and loving yourself. It talks about family communication and acceptance. Not only are the songs fun and entertaining but it talks about stress, finding yourself, backbiting, love, and support. All lessons that are vital to our society. Our students were able to make these emotions and lessons come to life. As we move further and further away from that wonderful show night, Kindi plans for the future on how we can make next year's show even better.
March 2023
Eagles of the Month
1st Grade
Maliha Ahmad
Maheen Raja
Safa Qadri
Rumaysa Raja
2nd Grade
Bareera Talha
Amelia Radauta
Yusuf Afzal
Anam Aslam
3rd Grade
Adyan Sheikh
Taha Chaudri
Hanan Hattab
4th Grade
Aqsa Qureshi
Haniya Omar
Tayseer Khan
5th Grade
Aila Jangda
Emad Tarabishy
6th Grade
Seraj Salamah
7th Grade
Manaal Baig
8th Grade
Haroon Baig
Eagles of the Month
1st Grade
Maliha Ahmad
Maheen Raja
Safa Qadri
Rumaysa Raja
2nd Grade
Bareera Talha
Amelia Radauta
Yusuf Afzal
Anam Aslam
3rd Grade
Adyan Sheikh
Taha Chaudri
Hanan Hattab
4th Grade
Aqsa Qureshi
Haniya Omar
Tayseer Khan
5th Grade
Aila Jangda
Emad Tarabishy
6th Grade
Seraj Salamah
7th Grade
Manaal Baig
8th Grade
Haroon Baig
News from our 3-6 Classrooms
“When children come into contact with nature, they reveal their true strength.”
~Maria Montessori
We hope that everyone had a fun and relaxing spring break! The second half of the school year will surely fly by fast! We started off the month by celebrating Dr. Seuss’s birthday, which was on March 2nd. We discussed his life and why he is celebrated each year. We read several books written by Dr. Seuss and did an activity with the children.
The greatest highlight of March was, of course, the wonderful spring program that the children participated in! Our 3-6 kids sang four songs: “What I Am,” “Thankful,” “Can’t Stop This Feeling,” and “Better When I’m Dancing.” They also performed Arabic and Spanish songs. The kindergarteners ended the program with “So Long Farewell” from the movie, The Sound of Music. The songs were sung with movements and sign-language! The children did a fantastic job, and their hard work shined that night! We hope that you enjoyed the show as much as we did!
With spring comes new life, warmth, and change in our environment. This is the time of the year where we introduce life cycles to the children. We will talk about the life cycles of butterflies, frogs, chickens, bees, turtles, and anything else the kids find interest in! As the world around us starts to bloom, we will take the children on a nature walk to show them the budding trees and flowers as well as any signs of new life. We will read a book about growing plants and discuss how the germination of a seed works. Along with that, we will talk about the parts of a plant and how each part has an essential “job” to help the plant grow.
In the month of April, we will be going to Pilcher Park Nature Center in Joliet. The children will enjoy visiting the nature center and learning about different types of turtles. The naturalist will meet with groups and provide educational information to the children and do a craft with everyone. It will be a fun, hands-on way to become one with nature!
~3-6 Team
~Maria Montessori
We hope that everyone had a fun and relaxing spring break! The second half of the school year will surely fly by fast! We started off the month by celebrating Dr. Seuss’s birthday, which was on March 2nd. We discussed his life and why he is celebrated each year. We read several books written by Dr. Seuss and did an activity with the children.
The greatest highlight of March was, of course, the wonderful spring program that the children participated in! Our 3-6 kids sang four songs: “What I Am,” “Thankful,” “Can’t Stop This Feeling,” and “Better When I’m Dancing.” They also performed Arabic and Spanish songs. The kindergarteners ended the program with “So Long Farewell” from the movie, The Sound of Music. The songs were sung with movements and sign-language! The children did a fantastic job, and their hard work shined that night! We hope that you enjoyed the show as much as we did!
With spring comes new life, warmth, and change in our environment. This is the time of the year where we introduce life cycles to the children. We will talk about the life cycles of butterflies, frogs, chickens, bees, turtles, and anything else the kids find interest in! As the world around us starts to bloom, we will take the children on a nature walk to show them the budding trees and flowers as well as any signs of new life. We will read a book about growing plants and discuss how the germination of a seed works. Along with that, we will talk about the parts of a plant and how each part has an essential “job” to help the plant grow.
In the month of April, we will be going to Pilcher Park Nature Center in Joliet. The children will enjoy visiting the nature center and learning about different types of turtles. The naturalist will meet with groups and provide educational information to the children and do a craft with everyone. It will be a fun, hands-on way to become one with nature!
~3-6 Team
Updates from Our 6-9 Classroom
"There is an urgent need to deepen our understanding of child development, using comparative studies, to improve and provide the best possible educational practices and environments for children"
Our students are exhibiting a more richly connected semantic memory network. This experience is of paramount importance for later cognitive and emotional outcomes. In this period of high brain plasticity children’s knowledge is acquired efficiently through statistical learning and it is significantly shaped by interactions with the environment.
Our first year students are diving into new concepts of word study (compound words, synonyms, antonyms.......) which will form a deeper understanding of language mechanics. Furthermore the reading and comprehension is embedded across the board. They are enjoying their descriptive writings with a purpose of polishing their penmanship, spellings and punctuation. New mathematical concepts of multiplication and division with 4 digits are establishing as solid understanding with our special Montessori equipment. Working with these tools will help develop their divergent thinking. In social sciences students are exhibiting their creativity with pleasure and understanding of geography, history and science. They are taking pride in their beautifully generated projects.
The second year students are demonstrating high quality work and striving towards the acquisition of knowledge. They are focusing on the ongoing lessons of building new vocabulary and using them correctly in the context. Editing and proofreading work is training them for discovery - based work. Advanced math materials have been introduced for multiplication and division for their future cognitive development and to scaffold the concepts. The social sciences projects provide them the opportunity to develop their research skills tied to reading comprehension.
Our third year students' creative thinking is greatly influenced by the "Montessori Way of Learning". The validity of their work iquality is evident from the vigor and enthusiasm in all of their work. They are taking pride in their reading comprehension skills, editing and proofreading, grammar, and creative writing. The introduction of pre-algebra is being actively received by the students. The abstract practice of advanced multiplication and division is being practiced. Students are engaged in understanding the angles and their measurement. They are being introduced with the measurement units of the US Customary and Metric system. Projects of social sciences including Food Chains, systems of the human body and learning about US History timeline is providing them the fundamentals of the subject area. They have been introduced with the mechanism of the Three Branches of the Government for future studies.
“It is important to understand that the quality of learning is more fundamental than the quantity. The more concepts are memorized with meaning, with experience, with involvement, with pleasure and personal understanding, the more they will be organized in memory in a flexible, diversified and enriched way,”
6-9 Team
Our students are exhibiting a more richly connected semantic memory network. This experience is of paramount importance for later cognitive and emotional outcomes. In this period of high brain plasticity children’s knowledge is acquired efficiently through statistical learning and it is significantly shaped by interactions with the environment.
Our first year students are diving into new concepts of word study (compound words, synonyms, antonyms.......) which will form a deeper understanding of language mechanics. Furthermore the reading and comprehension is embedded across the board. They are enjoying their descriptive writings with a purpose of polishing their penmanship, spellings and punctuation. New mathematical concepts of multiplication and division with 4 digits are establishing as solid understanding with our special Montessori equipment. Working with these tools will help develop their divergent thinking. In social sciences students are exhibiting their creativity with pleasure and understanding of geography, history and science. They are taking pride in their beautifully generated projects.
The second year students are demonstrating high quality work and striving towards the acquisition of knowledge. They are focusing on the ongoing lessons of building new vocabulary and using them correctly in the context. Editing and proofreading work is training them for discovery - based work. Advanced math materials have been introduced for multiplication and division for their future cognitive development and to scaffold the concepts. The social sciences projects provide them the opportunity to develop their research skills tied to reading comprehension.
Our third year students' creative thinking is greatly influenced by the "Montessori Way of Learning". The validity of their work iquality is evident from the vigor and enthusiasm in all of their work. They are taking pride in their reading comprehension skills, editing and proofreading, grammar, and creative writing. The introduction of pre-algebra is being actively received by the students. The abstract practice of advanced multiplication and division is being practiced. Students are engaged in understanding the angles and their measurement. They are being introduced with the measurement units of the US Customary and Metric system. Projects of social sciences including Food Chains, systems of the human body and learning about US History timeline is providing them the fundamentals of the subject area. They have been introduced with the mechanism of the Three Branches of the Government for future studies.
“It is important to understand that the quality of learning is more fundamental than the quantity. The more concepts are memorized with meaning, with experience, with involvement, with pleasure and personal understanding, the more they will be organized in memory in a flexible, diversified and enriched way,”
6-9 Team
Updates from 4th Grade
4th Grade English Language Arts and Reading
After reading a nonfiction book about America’s first president, George Washington, students read a historical fiction book dealing with the Revolutionary War. Students were split into two groups, one group reading “I Survived the American Revolution” and the other group reading “Moon of Two Dark Horses”. Both of these stories not only deal with the American Revolution but also themes of Friendship and Bravery. After reading, students took a test to demonstrate their knowledge on the book and then did a project to find textual evidence to support characterization.
Students are also making sure to practice their grammar and writing throughout the week. Writing has been a focus for fourth graders as they have been working on creating paragraphs and learning about different types of paragraphs. Students have also been practicing editing paragraphs and understanding words.
4th Grade Social Studies/American History
Students learned a brief history of Europe and Russia. Students learned all about ancient European civilizations, wars, and revolutions. Students showed such great enthusiasm about the history of Europe. Through slides, demonstrations, educational videos, and even fun historical songs, students showed a love of learning and pushed themselves to learn even more. One student even got to present on a family vacation about Pearl Harbor. This engaged the students even more as their classmate was not only teaching them but giving his first hand account.
4th Grade Art
Students enjoy art as it is all about creative expression and taking a break from reading and writing. Students got to get their hands dirty as they got to play around with clay. Students also learned about the history of pinch pots. Students then got to make a pinch pot and were able to design it themselves. They had so much fun molding the clay as they got to be kids and get messy! Then, students had to paint and gloss their pieces of work. Art is a great form of expression and a healthy way to cope with emotions.
6Th Grade debate
Order In The Court! Students were split into two different “legal” teams to represent their clients in a court of law. Our prosecution team was representing Snow White, while our defense team was representing the Queen. Students had to work together to bring forth evidence on whether or not the Queen was guilty of Attempted Murder. Both teams did an amazing job presenting facts and defending their clients. However, due to reasonable doubt the Queen was found not guilty! Debate class not only helped students with public speaking but it also taught them research skills, teamwork, and confidence.
After reading a nonfiction book about America’s first president, George Washington, students read a historical fiction book dealing with the Revolutionary War. Students were split into two groups, one group reading “I Survived the American Revolution” and the other group reading “Moon of Two Dark Horses”. Both of these stories not only deal with the American Revolution but also themes of Friendship and Bravery. After reading, students took a test to demonstrate their knowledge on the book and then did a project to find textual evidence to support characterization.
Students are also making sure to practice their grammar and writing throughout the week. Writing has been a focus for fourth graders as they have been working on creating paragraphs and learning about different types of paragraphs. Students have also been practicing editing paragraphs and understanding words.
4th Grade Social Studies/American History
Students learned a brief history of Europe and Russia. Students learned all about ancient European civilizations, wars, and revolutions. Students showed such great enthusiasm about the history of Europe. Through slides, demonstrations, educational videos, and even fun historical songs, students showed a love of learning and pushed themselves to learn even more. One student even got to present on a family vacation about Pearl Harbor. This engaged the students even more as their classmate was not only teaching them but giving his first hand account.
4th Grade Art
Students enjoy art as it is all about creative expression and taking a break from reading and writing. Students got to get their hands dirty as they got to play around with clay. Students also learned about the history of pinch pots. Students then got to make a pinch pot and were able to design it themselves. They had so much fun molding the clay as they got to be kids and get messy! Then, students had to paint and gloss their pieces of work. Art is a great form of expression and a healthy way to cope with emotions.
6Th Grade debate
Order In The Court! Students were split into two different “legal” teams to represent their clients in a court of law. Our prosecution team was representing Snow White, while our defense team was representing the Queen. Students had to work together to bring forth evidence on whether or not the Queen was guilty of Attempted Murder. Both teams did an amazing job presenting facts and defending their clients. However, due to reasonable doubt the Queen was found not guilty! Debate class not only helped students with public speaking but it also taught them research skills, teamwork, and confidence.
Happenings in the Science Room
4th Grade
To complete the unit of electricity, the 4th graders began studying magnetism, the Earth’s magnetic field, and how it protects our planet. Then we started learning all about the weather, which was just a perfect timing since we are changing seasons!
5th Grade
In 5th grade we continue learning about the structure of our amazing universe, galaxies, stars, how they are born and what is their fate as they begin to die, as well as how distances are measured in space.
6th Grade
In the 6th grade, we have been moving along the body systems, we covered the lymphatic and cardiovascular systems, along with conditions and diseases that can affect them.
7th Grade & 8th Grade
The 7th graders finished covering redox reactions and the 8th graders learned about the biochemical pathways for photosynthesis, the light-dependent reactions and the Calvin cycle.
To complete the unit of electricity, the 4th graders began studying magnetism, the Earth’s magnetic field, and how it protects our planet. Then we started learning all about the weather, which was just a perfect timing since we are changing seasons!
5th Grade
In 5th grade we continue learning about the structure of our amazing universe, galaxies, stars, how they are born and what is their fate as they begin to die, as well as how distances are measured in space.
6th Grade
In the 6th grade, we have been moving along the body systems, we covered the lymphatic and cardiovascular systems, along with conditions and diseases that can affect them.
7th Grade & 8th Grade
The 7th graders finished covering redox reactions and the 8th graders learned about the biochemical pathways for photosynthesis, the light-dependent reactions and the Calvin cycle.
News from our Middle School
English
5th Grade
Students reviewed the Sadlier Unit 6 vocabulary exercises and corrected their mistakes in preparation for the upcoming assessment. They also checked their progress and understanding using Kahoot and Booklet. Students completed the Unit 6 Vocabulary Quiz.
Students read “The Fisherman & His Wife” by The Brothers Grimm and answered the corresponding questions on CommonLit. They also completed a plot diagram & journal that compared and contrasted aspects of “The Fisherman & His Wife” to "The Necklace" by Guy De Maupassant.
Students read “The Jacket” by Gary Soto. They completed the corresponding text-based questions on CommonLit and identified the elements of plot for the story. They completed a figurative language activity based on this story and "Eleven" by Sandra Cisneros. Students also wrote a journal comparing and contrasting aspects of “The Jacket” and “Eleven”.
Students read the next short story in the unit, “All American Slurp” by Lensey Namioka.
Students watched Schoolhouse Rock! "Grammar Rock".
Students finished the Writing Strategies Module on IXL. This month's lessons covered Descriptive Details, Sentence Variety, Editing & Revising, and Research Skills.
In honor of Pi Day (March 14 or 3.14), students practiced writing similes, metaphors, alliteration, hyperbole, and imagery about pies.
Students were given the opportunity to complete the Khan Academy Imaginative Worlds Unit for extra credit.
Students went on a field trip to the Shedd Aquarium and completed corresponding assignments for their Science and Spanish classes.
Students worked with Scholastic Scope Magazine: The Mystery of Superstition Mountain. Students were asked to: choose the article that they enjoyed the most and write a summary of it, include another paragraph about why that article was their favorite, and then respond to one of the Writing Contest Journals.
6th Grade
Students completed and reviewed the Sadlier Unit 6 vocabulary exercises and corrected their mistakes in preparation for the upcoming assessment. They also checked their progress and understanding using Kahoot and Blooket. Students completed the Unit 6 Vocabulary Quiz.
Students read “The Fisherman & His Wife” by The Brothers Grimm and answered the corresponding questions on CommonLit. They also completed a plot diagram & journal that compared and contrasted aspects of “The Fisherman & His Wife” to "The Necklace" by Guy De Maupassant.
Students recorded and discussed the vocabulary words from “Lamb to the Slaughter" by Roald Dahl and read the short story. They completed the corresponding text-based questions on CommonLit, teacher-assigned discussion questions, and identified the elements of plot for the text.
Students watched the 1958 Alfred Hitchcock version of "Lamb to the Slaughter" and engaged in a class discussion about the similarities and differences between the two mediums.
Students finished the Writing Strategies Module on IXL. This month's lessons covered Editing & Revising and Research Skills.
In honor of Pi Day (March 14 or 3.14), students practiced writing similes, metaphors, alliteration, hyperbole, and imagery about pies.
Students completed Daily Oral Language #21-40 and reviewed #21-25 in preparation for the next DOL quiz. DOL helps students to identify and correct errors in punctuation, spelling, capitalization, grammar usage, and sentence structure.
Students were given the opportunity to complete the Khan Academy Banning Behavior Unit for extra credit.
Students went on a field trip to the Shedd Aquarium and completed corresponding assignments for their Science and Spanish classes.
Students worked with Scholastic Scope Magazine: Earthquake. Students were asked to: choose the article that they enjoyed the most and write a summary of it, include another paragraph about why that article was their favorite, and then respond to one of the Writing Contest Journals.
7th/8th Grade
Students were given independent work time to update the last three assignments from Fahrenheit 451: the Vocabulary Packet, the Banned Books & Authors Worksheet, and the Predictions List.
Students completed their final projects for the Fahrenheit 451 Unit and were given the opportunity to share their projects with their peers.
Students completed the Sadlier Unit 6 vocabulary packet and the corresponding practice exercises. They also checked their progress and understanding using Kahoot. Students completed the Unit 6 Vocabulary Quiz.
Students submitted the revisions for the: Unit 5 Vocabulary Quiz, The Sieve & The Sand Quiz, The Burning Bright Quiz & DOL Quiz #2. Revisions help students to understand their mistakes and reinforces that learning is an ongoing process.
Students finished the Writing Strategies Module on IXL. This month's lessons covered Persuasive Strategies, Creative Techniques, Active & Passive Voice, Editing & Revising, and Research Skills.
Students recorded the vocabulary for “Lamb to the Slaughter” by Roald Dahl and read the short story. They completed the corresponding comprehension questions on CommonLit, as well as the teacher assigned reflection questions.
Students watched the 1958 Alfred Hitchcock version of "Lamb to the Slaughter" and will engage in a class discussion about the similarities and differences between the two mediums when we return from break.
Students went on a field trip to the Shedd Aquarium and completed corresponding assignments for their Science and Spanish classes.
5th Grade Tech students have been hard at work in Technology Class the past few weeks. We reviewed how to use Google Slides and reviewed some basic Research Skills. The kids are now researching scientists that made advancements in understanding the Solar System and are finding reliable sources to use in their research. They will then create Infographics using Canva to showcase their research findings. The students are also working hard on Typetastic to build their keyboarding skills!
6th Grade Tech students just started Advanced Technology I! I am so happy to have them in class! We are currently working on reviewing the Google Workspace and Digital Citizenship. Students made Vision Boards about their goals for themselves and are now creating Photo Journals about their Spring Break. We will begin our first major project soon on creating a website using Google Sites before building Apps using Code.org. It will be an exciting quarter with everyone!
5th-8th Grade Social Studies News
5th Grade Ancient World History students have been hard at work in class. We finished our unit on Ancient Rome. The kids participated in a STEM Challenge in class building a Roman Aqueduct using plastic cups, aluminum foil, popsicle sticks, and more! This was the FIRST TIME we had a group complete the challenge successfully! Congratulations to Emad, Aila, Nurah, and Muhammad on a great design! We are now in our unit on the Byzantines and using Google Earth to take a Virtual Field Trip to explore the ancient city of Constantinople! We will soon begin our study of the Muslim World, Ancient African Civilizations, and the Early Americas.
6th Grade World Geography students are finishing up their unit on Sub-Saharan Africa. We are learning about South Africa and the apartheid laws, as well as the impact of Nelson Mandela. We will soon be starting our unit on South Asia, before jumping into studies of Southeast Asia, East Asia, and then Australia! The kids are beginning their 4th Quarter Research Projects where they will be recording their own Video on a country of their choice. I’m so excited to see what the kids come up with!
7th Grade U.S. History students closed our study of World War I before Spring Break and watched the film War Horse to see a modern-depiction of what World War I was like. We are beginning a study of the Roaring Twenties and Great Depression. The kids are beginning their 4th Quarter Research Projects where they will be recording their own Argumentative Research Documentary Film on a topic of their choice from United States History.
8th Grade Modern World History students finished their study of the Interwar Period and are now beginning our unit on World War II. The students will soon be making propaganda posters and working more with primary sources to continue making claims and building arguments based on historical evidence. The students are also beginning their 4th Quarter Research Projects where they will be recording their own Argumentative Research Documentary Film on a topic of their choice from Modern World History.
6th Grade Tech students just started Advanced Technology I! I am so happy to have them in class! We are currently working on reviewing the Google Workspace and Digital Citizenship. Students made Vision Boards about their goals for themselves and are now creating Photo Journals about their Spring Break. We will begin our first major project soon on creating a website using Google Sites before building Apps using Code.org. It will be an exciting quarter with everyone!
5th-8th Grade Social Studies News
5th Grade Ancient World History students have been hard at work in class. We finished our unit on Ancient Rome. The kids participated in a STEM Challenge in class building a Roman Aqueduct using plastic cups, aluminum foil, popsicle sticks, and more! This was the FIRST TIME we had a group complete the challenge successfully! Congratulations to Emad, Aila, Nurah, and Muhammad on a great design! We are now in our unit on the Byzantines and using Google Earth to take a Virtual Field Trip to explore the ancient city of Constantinople! We will soon begin our study of the Muslim World, Ancient African Civilizations, and the Early Americas.
6th Grade World Geography students are finishing up their unit on Sub-Saharan Africa. We are learning about South Africa and the apartheid laws, as well as the impact of Nelson Mandela. We will soon be starting our unit on South Asia, before jumping into studies of Southeast Asia, East Asia, and then Australia! The kids are beginning their 4th Quarter Research Projects where they will be recording their own Video on a country of their choice. I’m so excited to see what the kids come up with!
7th Grade U.S. History students closed our study of World War I before Spring Break and watched the film War Horse to see a modern-depiction of what World War I was like. We are beginning a study of the Roaring Twenties and Great Depression. The kids are beginning their 4th Quarter Research Projects where they will be recording their own Argumentative Research Documentary Film on a topic of their choice from United States History.
8th Grade Modern World History students finished their study of the Interwar Period and are now beginning our unit on World War II. The students will soon be making propaganda posters and working more with primary sources to continue making claims and building arguments based on historical evidence. The students are also beginning their 4th Quarter Research Projects where they will be recording their own Argumentative Research Documentary Film on a topic of their choice from Modern World History.
Updates from our spanish classroom
Spanish with Maestra Maria:
¡Hola Familias!
Spring has arrived, and we are in the last weeks of this school year. If we look back, we have worked very hard, and we are going to continue enjoying the last few weeks of classes.
In the month of March, we had the Spring Celebration which was a great success. I am very proud of all the students who sang and danced to their songs in Spanish. After so much work and effort, I felt a great emotion to see them performing with so much happiness on stage. I'm already starting to think about what songs they're going to sing next year.
In programs 3-6 and 6-9, I have started a project to learn Spanish through storytelling. This is a very interesting way to learn Spanish High-Frequency Words by repeating vocabulary while working on a story. The students have already learned the new vocabulary and are ready to start working on the first story. I am very excited about this project and think combining it with the Montessori Method will be a great success.
The students of the 3-6 program have worked with the sounds of the vowels, the alphabet, the parts of the body, the seasons, and the vocabulary of Spring... in addition to reviewing the colors with the Lego pieces, the numbers, the weather…
The 6-9 program students had a contest about the lyric “La Yenka”. It's a song with long and complicated lyrics, so it was a big challenge for them to learn the song. All students enthusiastically participated in the contest. In addition, they have worked on opposite words (Big-small, up-down, inside-outside, over-under), we learned the names of sports playing bingo, we reviewed colors, numbers, and animals playing Cinco and we worked on the vocabulary of spring. Every day we write the date and weather in Spanish.
With the 4th and 5th grade students, we are finishing Unit 3 of the book ¡Viva el español! The unit is based on the calendar (months, days of the week, numbers...) and the most important places in a city. The idea is to combine both topics and practice where you go on the different days of the week. In addition, we have learned to conjugate the verb to go in the present.
There are only a few weeks left to finish this school year, and I have a lot of plans to continue learning Spanish in a fun way. Let's go for it!
¡Hasta pronto!
Maestra María
Spanish with Maestra Alicia:
4th. Grade
I hope this letter finds you well. I wanted to update you on our students' progress in their Spanish language learning. We have just started Unit 4 in our textbook, and I am thrilled to share that our students are building their vocabulary by learning how to name school classes and locations, such as "el gimnasio" (the gym), "la clase de computadoras" (the computer class), and "la clase de musica" (music class).
In addition to learning new words, our students are also practicing using verbs related to classroom activities. They are learning how to use verbs like "pintar" (to paint), "estudiar" (to study), and "usar la computadora" (to use the computer) in context. This will allow them to express themselves more confidently and accurately in various classroom situations.
I am proud of the effort and dedication our students are putting into their language learning. They are making great progress and showing a strong grasp of the material.
5th. Grade
We hope this letter finds you well. We are excited to share with you an update on your child's progress in our Spanish class. As we continue our journey of learning the Spanish language, we have now reached Unit 5 in our textbook, which focuses on building vocabulary related to seasons, weather conditions, and understanding the structure of asking questions.
In Unit 5, our students have been learning how to name the seasons in Spanish and describe different weather conditions. They have also been practicing the structure of the language to ask questions using phrases such as "¿Qué estación es?" (What season is it?), "¿Hace fresco?" (Is it cool?), "¿Hace frío?" (Is it cold?), "¿Hace calor?" (Is it hot?), and "¿Qué tiempo hace?" (What's the weather like?).To reinforce these concepts, we have been incorporating various activities and exercises in our lessons to provide ample opportunities for practice. These include “conjuguemos” program, listening and writing exercises.
6th. Garde
We hope this newsletter finds you well. We wanted to provide you with an update on what your children have been learning in Spanish class.
Sixth graders have been diligently working on mastering grammar comparatives. They have learned important phrases such as "más...que" (more than), "menos...que" (less than), "tan...como" (as...as), "más que" (more than), "menos que" (less than), and "tanto como" (as much as). These comparative structures are fundamental in Spanish and are commonly used to make comparisons between people, objects, and situations. Our students have been practicing using these structures in various speaking and writing activities to reinforce their understanding.
In addition to the grammar comparatives, we have also completed Unit 3 Lesson 2. Now students are able to talk about family, ask and tell ages, express possession, give dates and make comparisons.
We are proud of the progress that our students have made in just a short month, and we are excited to continue building on these foundations as we move forward. In the upcoming weeks, we will be starting our next unit, which will introduce new vocabulary, grammar concepts, and cultural topics. We encourage students to continue practicing their Spanish skills outside of the classroom, whether it be through reading, listening to authentic materials, or engaging in conversations with native speakers.
7th/8th Grade
We hope this letter finds you well. We wanted to take a moment to update you on the progress your children have made in their Spanish classes during the short month of March.
Students have been working hard to master the vocabulary related to chores and responsibilities. They have been practicing using these words in context to better understand their meaning and how they can be used in everyday life. This focus on vocabulary is an essential part of language learning, as it helps students build a strong foundation for further language acquisition.
In addition to vocabulary, students have also been introduced to irregular verbs such as dar (to give), decir(to say,to tell), poner(to put, to place), salir(to leave, to go out), traer(to bring) and venir(to come). These verbs can be tricky to learn, but they are important as they are commonly used in everyday conversation. Students have been practicing how to conjugate these verbs in present tenses, allowing them to use them more effectively in their speaking and writing.
We are proud to report that we have seen significant progress in your children's language learning. They have been showing great dedication to their studies and have been actively participating in class. We encourage you to continue supporting your children's language development by practicing vocabulary and verbs with them at home.
Thank you for your ongoing support, and please do not hesitate to reach out to us if you have any questions or concerns.
¡Hola Familias!
Spring has arrived, and we are in the last weeks of this school year. If we look back, we have worked very hard, and we are going to continue enjoying the last few weeks of classes.
In the month of March, we had the Spring Celebration which was a great success. I am very proud of all the students who sang and danced to their songs in Spanish. After so much work and effort, I felt a great emotion to see them performing with so much happiness on stage. I'm already starting to think about what songs they're going to sing next year.
In programs 3-6 and 6-9, I have started a project to learn Spanish through storytelling. This is a very interesting way to learn Spanish High-Frequency Words by repeating vocabulary while working on a story. The students have already learned the new vocabulary and are ready to start working on the first story. I am very excited about this project and think combining it with the Montessori Method will be a great success.
The students of the 3-6 program have worked with the sounds of the vowels, the alphabet, the parts of the body, the seasons, and the vocabulary of Spring... in addition to reviewing the colors with the Lego pieces, the numbers, the weather…
The 6-9 program students had a contest about the lyric “La Yenka”. It's a song with long and complicated lyrics, so it was a big challenge for them to learn the song. All students enthusiastically participated in the contest. In addition, they have worked on opposite words (Big-small, up-down, inside-outside, over-under), we learned the names of sports playing bingo, we reviewed colors, numbers, and animals playing Cinco and we worked on the vocabulary of spring. Every day we write the date and weather in Spanish.
With the 4th and 5th grade students, we are finishing Unit 3 of the book ¡Viva el español! The unit is based on the calendar (months, days of the week, numbers...) and the most important places in a city. The idea is to combine both topics and practice where you go on the different days of the week. In addition, we have learned to conjugate the verb to go in the present.
There are only a few weeks left to finish this school year, and I have a lot of plans to continue learning Spanish in a fun way. Let's go for it!
¡Hasta pronto!
Maestra María
Spanish with Maestra Alicia:
4th. Grade
I hope this letter finds you well. I wanted to update you on our students' progress in their Spanish language learning. We have just started Unit 4 in our textbook, and I am thrilled to share that our students are building their vocabulary by learning how to name school classes and locations, such as "el gimnasio" (the gym), "la clase de computadoras" (the computer class), and "la clase de musica" (music class).
In addition to learning new words, our students are also practicing using verbs related to classroom activities. They are learning how to use verbs like "pintar" (to paint), "estudiar" (to study), and "usar la computadora" (to use the computer) in context. This will allow them to express themselves more confidently and accurately in various classroom situations.
I am proud of the effort and dedication our students are putting into their language learning. They are making great progress and showing a strong grasp of the material.
5th. Grade
We hope this letter finds you well. We are excited to share with you an update on your child's progress in our Spanish class. As we continue our journey of learning the Spanish language, we have now reached Unit 5 in our textbook, which focuses on building vocabulary related to seasons, weather conditions, and understanding the structure of asking questions.
In Unit 5, our students have been learning how to name the seasons in Spanish and describe different weather conditions. They have also been practicing the structure of the language to ask questions using phrases such as "¿Qué estación es?" (What season is it?), "¿Hace fresco?" (Is it cool?), "¿Hace frío?" (Is it cold?), "¿Hace calor?" (Is it hot?), and "¿Qué tiempo hace?" (What's the weather like?).To reinforce these concepts, we have been incorporating various activities and exercises in our lessons to provide ample opportunities for practice. These include “conjuguemos” program, listening and writing exercises.
6th. Garde
We hope this newsletter finds you well. We wanted to provide you with an update on what your children have been learning in Spanish class.
Sixth graders have been diligently working on mastering grammar comparatives. They have learned important phrases such as "más...que" (more than), "menos...que" (less than), "tan...como" (as...as), "más que" (more than), "menos que" (less than), and "tanto como" (as much as). These comparative structures are fundamental in Spanish and are commonly used to make comparisons between people, objects, and situations. Our students have been practicing using these structures in various speaking and writing activities to reinforce their understanding.
In addition to the grammar comparatives, we have also completed Unit 3 Lesson 2. Now students are able to talk about family, ask and tell ages, express possession, give dates and make comparisons.
We are proud of the progress that our students have made in just a short month, and we are excited to continue building on these foundations as we move forward. In the upcoming weeks, we will be starting our next unit, which will introduce new vocabulary, grammar concepts, and cultural topics. We encourage students to continue practicing their Spanish skills outside of the classroom, whether it be through reading, listening to authentic materials, or engaging in conversations with native speakers.
7th/8th Grade
We hope this letter finds you well. We wanted to take a moment to update you on the progress your children have made in their Spanish classes during the short month of March.
Students have been working hard to master the vocabulary related to chores and responsibilities. They have been practicing using these words in context to better understand their meaning and how they can be used in everyday life. This focus on vocabulary is an essential part of language learning, as it helps students build a strong foundation for further language acquisition.
In addition to vocabulary, students have also been introduced to irregular verbs such as dar (to give), decir(to say,to tell), poner(to put, to place), salir(to leave, to go out), traer(to bring) and venir(to come). These verbs can be tricky to learn, but they are important as they are commonly used in everyday conversation. Students have been practicing how to conjugate these verbs in present tenses, allowing them to use them more effectively in their speaking and writing.
We are proud to report that we have seen significant progress in your children's language learning. They have been showing great dedication to their studies and have been actively participating in class. We encourage you to continue supporting your children's language development by practicing vocabulary and verbs with them at home.
Thank you for your ongoing support, and please do not hesitate to reach out to us if you have any questions or concerns.
Updates from our Arabic Room
Ramadan Mubarak our KINDI families,
May Allah accept your fasting and praying.
Islamic studies Department
We are all excited, students and staff, in this holy month and well prepared to charge our souls with lots of spiritual power Insha Allah.
Our Islamic studies classes all around the school is geared to talk about this Holly month and the rewards we attain from it, the blessing that God will shower us in regards.
Big thanks to our parents and middle school students who helped in decorating our school, and in announcing the beginning of this month with a lovely Ramadan Parade.
We are collecting the charity/ Sadaqa for the needy throughout this holy month. Please share with us your generous donations for our funding, where we are looking to sponsor humanitarian needs in one of the neediest places, Yemen. This is considered a continuous sadaqa, insha Allah, while remembering the teaching of our Prophet, the best deed in Ramadan is giving Charity.
Following the sunnah in exchanging gifts to bring love around our Ummah, we are encouraging each student to bring a small gift to exchange with one of his/ her classmates. The exchange will take place in our all-school party when students come back from Eid.
Have a blessed month and may Allah shower you and your families with his Rahamat.
Arabic Department
رمضان كريم
Kindi students are taking advantage of this wonderful month to learn about the culture of celebrating this month in the Arab countries and compare it to one of the celebration seasons in United states.
Having fun to share other customs with our students. Mean while we are still learning with hands on activities about the proper grammatic sentence writing for the upper elementary grades.
The middle school are working on their project to build a 3d House as an end activity for learning about homes and especially about old Arabian homes. They showed a great architectural talent in preparing their home plans.
May Allah accept your fasting and praying.
Islamic studies Department
We are all excited, students and staff, in this holy month and well prepared to charge our souls with lots of spiritual power Insha Allah.
Our Islamic studies classes all around the school is geared to talk about this Holly month and the rewards we attain from it, the blessing that God will shower us in regards.
Big thanks to our parents and middle school students who helped in decorating our school, and in announcing the beginning of this month with a lovely Ramadan Parade.
We are collecting the charity/ Sadaqa for the needy throughout this holy month. Please share with us your generous donations for our funding, where we are looking to sponsor humanitarian needs in one of the neediest places, Yemen. This is considered a continuous sadaqa, insha Allah, while remembering the teaching of our Prophet, the best deed in Ramadan is giving Charity.
Following the sunnah in exchanging gifts to bring love around our Ummah, we are encouraging each student to bring a small gift to exchange with one of his/ her classmates. The exchange will take place in our all-school party when students come back from Eid.
Have a blessed month and may Allah shower you and your families with his Rahamat.
Arabic Department
رمضان كريم
Kindi students are taking advantage of this wonderful month to learn about the culture of celebrating this month in the Arab countries and compare it to one of the celebration seasons in United states.
Having fun to share other customs with our students. Mean while we are still learning with hands on activities about the proper grammatic sentence writing for the upper elementary grades.
The middle school are working on their project to build a 3d House as an end activity for learning about homes and especially about old Arabian homes. They showed a great architectural talent in preparing their home plans.