Message from the Principal
Dr. Rania Reflecting on 2017 and Looking forward to 2018
As educators and as parents we know that test scores aren't the only measure of success in today's schools. Although Kindi strives to always challenge our children to reach for the “academic” stars, we are always cognizant that the real "success stories" come from our children’s overall happiness and well-being. In this short period of time I have seen our precious Kindi children thrive, grow, and learn.
In the past few months, I got to know staff and parents, and have made many new friends. It is paramount for me to create those strong bonds with the Kindi community to ensure a loving and healthy environment for us all. Committing ourselves, as a family, to the success of this institution will not only provide our children with the best education, but with lifelong friends and a solid community in which they belong to.
I had a first row seat to experience the start of the new school year and how everything eventually started falling into place as the days went by. It was exciting and eye-opening to watch as the classrooms settled and the students slowly learned what is expected of them. I have gained much knowledge from our talented teachers during this process. I was also fascinated to witness how all the puzzle pieces fell gracefully into place. I am excited to see what the new year has in store for all of us.
What we strive to achieve for in 2018...
We want to continue building strong foundations for our Kindi community. We will continue to succeed only if we are in constant collaboration. I would like to see more fathers, father figures, and male guardians involvement. Moms are a blessing to Kindi and we don’t want them doing all the work. Kids love seeing their dads in school as well. We know students do much better at all levels when parents are involved. On a different note, I would like to warn against long absences. They are hurting our kids. Travelling is a beautiful and fun time for all families, but we have to be aware of the damage this can cause to our child’s academic and sometimes social well being. Children have fun while they are away on vacation but then they come back to a stressful school environment. They are then forced to play catch up for days and they miss out on many of the fun events with their friends. Our goal for the new year is to not have any unnecessary (non-emergency) absences. I want to thank you all for welcoming me into your midst. Let’s keep working together to secure our children’s happiness and future success. And, as I always say “don’t forget that we are all playing for the same team”. Go Kindi Eagles!!!
Thanksgiving Boxes
Happenings in the Science Room
The science students in 4th - 8th grade at Kindi have been busy as usual. This last few weeks we have had a variety of great projects happening both for science and emotional development. We made a batch of cards to send to the St. Louis Veterans Hospital to show our thanks for their service and sacrifice. 4th graders made beautiful well engineered tiny house from recycled materials to study about how thermal energy flows or is trapped by insulators and conductors. We have moved on to learning about electricity and the many ways it is produced.
The earth and space 5th graders just wrapped up the unit on rocks and the rock cycle by creating their own rock identification guide. They got hands on experience with geodes and many other types of stones to learn how to identify them and how they were created by earth's processes. We are moving into the final unit on volcanos and earthquakes which is among one of the students favorites. The biology students have spent a good deal of time studying genetics. It is a challenging topic but the unit concluded with the students creating a pedigree which is basically a special family tree that will allow family traits to be tracked through the different generations. This past week we have begun studying DNA including building candy DNA strands to understand the structure. This week we are doing a detailed exploration of DNA replication and will analyze DNA extracted from fruit. My chem students did a beautiful job putting the companies on trial for the fish kill as we completed Unit 1. We are know studying the periodic table by doing a detailed exploration of metals including reduction and oxidation reactions.
For their final project in this unit they will be designing a coin. With the holidays approaching the holiday giving tree will return to the hallway by the science classroom. Our focus will be to learn about all the things we are thankful for and giving to kids from the shelter in Aurora, as well as the international world of holiday traditions and celebrations.
Ms. Teresa Nighelli
The earth and space 5th graders just wrapped up the unit on rocks and the rock cycle by creating their own rock identification guide. They got hands on experience with geodes and many other types of stones to learn how to identify them and how they were created by earth's processes. We are moving into the final unit on volcanos and earthquakes which is among one of the students favorites. The biology students have spent a good deal of time studying genetics. It is a challenging topic but the unit concluded with the students creating a pedigree which is basically a special family tree that will allow family traits to be tracked through the different generations. This past week we have begun studying DNA including building candy DNA strands to understand the structure. This week we are doing a detailed exploration of DNA replication and will analyze DNA extracted from fruit. My chem students did a beautiful job putting the companies on trial for the fish kill as we completed Unit 1. We are know studying the periodic table by doing a detailed exploration of metals including reduction and oxidation reactions.
For their final project in this unit they will be designing a coin. With the holidays approaching the holiday giving tree will return to the hallway by the science classroom. Our focus will be to learn about all the things we are thankful for and giving to kids from the shelter in Aurora, as well as the international world of holiday traditions and celebrations.
Ms. Teresa Nighelli
Toddler Room News
Dear Toddler Families,
Happy December! I can't believe we are one month away from the new year! Our young friends have gone through quite a journey these past months, and we are so thrilled to see them grow.
Please join us on Friday, 12/15 at 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm for our Toddler Winter Celebration! We can't wait to see you there!
Our Winter Break starts from Friday December 22nd till January 5th. School will resume on Monday January 8th.
Many parents have time off during these holidays, and many of you have inquired about ways to help your children continue the momentum that they have had at school during these days off. Below are a few quick tips:
1. SLOW DOWN - Children emulate the behavior of the adults. If they see panicking, they will panic. If they see you calm and collected, they will be calm and collected, please lead by example and give your children time to process and think
2. INDEPENDENT ACTIVITIES - Try to involve your children in the house with chores, such as tidying up, and organizing clothes, shoes, toys, etc.
3. SCHEDULE - Try to keep a consistent routine. The children are on a different schedule and we need to respect their schedules as well. Our school starts at 8am, we encourage our families to drop of their children at this time.
4. POTTY TRAINING - To reinforce potty training, please encourage them to 'go to the potty' instead of changing diapers.
5. USE MORE LANGUAGE - Vocabulary building is critical at this age, please slow your speech and encourage your child to use full sentences and to use his/her words
Thank you!
Love,
Toddler Team
Ms Tayyaba, Ms Reena and Ms. Shamim
Happy December! I can't believe we are one month away from the new year! Our young friends have gone through quite a journey these past months, and we are so thrilled to see them grow.
Please join us on Friday, 12/15 at 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm for our Toddler Winter Celebration! We can't wait to see you there!
Our Winter Break starts from Friday December 22nd till January 5th. School will resume on Monday January 8th.
Many parents have time off during these holidays, and many of you have inquired about ways to help your children continue the momentum that they have had at school during these days off. Below are a few quick tips:
1. SLOW DOWN - Children emulate the behavior of the adults. If they see panicking, they will panic. If they see you calm and collected, they will be calm and collected, please lead by example and give your children time to process and think
2. INDEPENDENT ACTIVITIES - Try to involve your children in the house with chores, such as tidying up, and organizing clothes, shoes, toys, etc.
3. SCHEDULE - Try to keep a consistent routine. The children are on a different schedule and we need to respect their schedules as well. Our school starts at 8am, we encourage our families to drop of their children at this time.
4. POTTY TRAINING - To reinforce potty training, please encourage them to 'go to the potty' instead of changing diapers.
5. USE MORE LANGUAGE - Vocabulary building is critical at this age, please slow your speech and encourage your child to use full sentences and to use his/her words
Thank you!
Love,
Toddler Team
Ms Tayyaba, Ms Reena and Ms. Shamim
News From The Montessori 3-6 (Preschool to KG)
December Newsletter
Thanksgiving was celebrated and enjoyed greatly by the children. We read books about Thanksgiving which brought a new interest in the life of the Indians. Children learned how the pilgrims braved the seas by ships instead of flying by airplanes. The children learned about what it meant to be thankful. All 3-6 classes came together for a great feast.
We continue the festive season this month, as we learn about the different festivals celebrated around the world. We will be learning about Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and Christmas. We will integrate the festivals with the learning of various countries around the world.
The Winter season is upon us, and we will introduce the topics of hibernation, migration, and adaptation for animals. Along with the cultural fun activities, the children are working hard in math and language areas.
We will end the year with the Winter Celebration. The children are working really hard to put on a great performance for the parents. The celebration is on Wednesday, December 20th at the school auditorium. The time is between 1:00 - 3:00 pm. Please make sure to come on time and watch this wonderful performance.
We do want to wish you a wonderful Winter holiday! The school will be closed for the break from Friday, December 22, 2017 to January 7, 2018. We will return to school on Monday, January 8, 2018.
Have a wonderful month of December and stay warm!
3-6 Teachers
Ms. Sujata and Ms. Shewta (Room 101)
Ms. Katie and Ms. Zainab (Room 102)
Ms. Brooke and Ms. Noran (Room 103)
Thanksgiving was celebrated and enjoyed greatly by the children. We read books about Thanksgiving which brought a new interest in the life of the Indians. Children learned how the pilgrims braved the seas by ships instead of flying by airplanes. The children learned about what it meant to be thankful. All 3-6 classes came together for a great feast.
We continue the festive season this month, as we learn about the different festivals celebrated around the world. We will be learning about Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and Christmas. We will integrate the festivals with the learning of various countries around the world.
The Winter season is upon us, and we will introduce the topics of hibernation, migration, and adaptation for animals. Along with the cultural fun activities, the children are working hard in math and language areas.
We will end the year with the Winter Celebration. The children are working really hard to put on a great performance for the parents. The celebration is on Wednesday, December 20th at the school auditorium. The time is between 1:00 - 3:00 pm. Please make sure to come on time and watch this wonderful performance.
We do want to wish you a wonderful Winter holiday! The school will be closed for the break from Friday, December 22, 2017 to January 7, 2018. We will return to school on Monday, January 8, 2018.
Have a wonderful month of December and stay warm!
3-6 Teachers
Ms. Sujata and Ms. Shewta (Room 101)
Ms. Katie and Ms. Zainab (Room 102)
Ms. Brooke and Ms. Noran (Room 103)
News From The Montessori 6-9
Dear Parents:
We had fun making food baskets for the less fortunate families in DuPage County. Thanks for your generous food and monetary donation. Our children thoroughly enjoyed decorating the baskets. They were very proud of their contribution. Kindi Academy was able to provide food baskets for more than twenty families in the DuPage County area!!!!
We enjoyed our November field trip to The Field Musuem in Chicago. Our students were able to make many learning connections of what was being presented at the museum to the research they were doing at school on different Native American tribes and Timeline of Life (Third Graders).
Our first year students have been working on Native American tribe research and presented their research to the second and third year students. In Botany and Zoology, they are working on Parts of a Root and Parts of an Amphibian. In Math, the students are using Stamp Game to solve dynamic addition and subtraction problems. In History and Geography, the students are working on Fundamental Needs of People-Shelter. This month, in Language, the students will be starting Noun study.
The second year students worked on and presented dioramas for a Native American tribe of their choice. We were very impressed with all the hard work the students put into their dioramas and research paper. In Language, the second years are working on pronoun grammar boxes. We have started working on two digit divisor in Stamp Game Division, times tables 5 and Checkerboard in Math. In geography, the students are working on Advanced Landforms and study of Planet Mars.
The third year students are busy finishing up their Timeline of Life and Characteristics of a Vertebrate note cards and timeline. In Language, they are working on sentence analysis. The third years are enjoying fractions and long division by using the Test Tube material. Also, the students are working on complementary and supplementary angles, area and perimeter and LCM in Math and Geometry.
Our A.R. (Accelerated Reading) program is going on in full speed. The children are excited to read and take a short comprehension quiz at school about the book they have read. We already have many students winning prizes. Please encourage your child to read more at home and come take an A.R. quiz at school.
As always, your children are our priority. If you have any questions or concerns please contact us any time. We would like to keep our communication wide open to best serve our children.
The 6-9 Montessori Classroom staff would like to wish you and your family a very peaceful and safe winter break and a prosperous New Year!
See you next year (2018)!
Sincerely,
The 6-9 Montessori Classroom Teachers
News From 4th-5th Grade
The month of November was busy and productive! Students completed and presented their Native People projects; our Upper Elementary students even invited Ms. Mariya's Lower Elementary to our classroom to share our Native knowledge. Please come see our "mini museum" in the glass art case inside the front door of Kindi!
We also had the opportunity to explore the Field Museum. Students were amazed as we walked through the Native People exhibit. It was a unique experience to see our research come to life! We also went back in time to Jurassic World and came face to face with dinosaurs!
We are looking forward to an exciting December, when each student will present a topic he or she is passionate about and teach us their findings.
Check out our Thanksgiving pictures from 4th-5th- and Middle school class.
The Upper Elementary class, Ms. Cortney and Ms. Diane
We also had the opportunity to explore the Field Museum. Students were amazed as we walked through the Native People exhibit. It was a unique experience to see our research come to life! We also went back in time to Jurassic World and came face to face with dinosaurs!
We are looking forward to an exciting December, when each student will present a topic he or she is passionate about and teach us their findings.
Check out our Thanksgiving pictures from 4th-5th- and Middle school class.
The Upper Elementary class, Ms. Cortney and Ms. Diane
News From Middle School (6th - 8th)
In English, we’ve completed our novel The Long Walk. We designed Soviet propaganda in the Russian language imitating actual propaganda during Stalin’s rule. Students wrote editorials voicing their opinions on topics such as gun control, climate change and women’s education in India. Students researched and found compelling information to include in their article, and even conducted interviews with relevant sources. We will read passages written before the 1917 Russian revolution from serfs and workers, as well as stories from life under the Soviet Union. We will conclude the semester with a few stories from the Russian writer Chekhov.
Ms. Kathleen.
December is here, and the semester is almost over for middle school students at Kindi. That also means final exams are just around the corner, with the first tests starting on December 18th. For social studies students, that means we are now covering the last units of the year before we begin exam review. 6th graders are starting American Imperialism (Chapter 22), which will look at how the United States conquered other parts of the world, like Hawaii, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, and more. 7th and 8th graders are currently studying ancient Greece (Chapter 5) with a look at the cultures of Sparta and Athens, as well as a broad overview of Greek philosophy and the world of Alexander the Great.
All students will get a study guide for the final exam approximately one week before the test, and I will be holding a review session the day before the exam as well. As of right now, the social studies final exam is scheduled for December 19th. Therefore, I will hold review on December 18th. The review session will take place during the school day, but I will also stay late that day (after school) to provide additional review for any student that needs it.
Please understand however, that one day of review before the test is often NOT enough. Students should begin the review process as soon as possible, going over their class notes, old exams, and previously assigned textbook readings. If there are any questions or concerns regarding exams, please let me know. Let’s finish the semester with a strong performance on finals. Good luck everyone!
Mr. Ron Chernobrov
News from our Art Department
Religion from younger grades
News from Religion
While America was celebrating the Thanksgiving season, we were discussing at class the importance of SHUKR( thanks) from a religious perspective.
The students were encouraged to talk about the endless bounties that God had provided us.They were asked to think and find different ways oh thanking god, our families and our communities for all the wonderful life that we all share and enjoy.
The students were encouraged to talk about the endless bounties that God had provided us.They were asked to think and find different ways oh thanking god, our families and our communities for all the wonderful life that we all share and enjoy.
Arabic Classes of our younger ages
When we took letter م we read a story about ماما (mom) & we drew out moms & made a frame.
One of the letters we took was ن = نجمه which means star and all the kids got a star to take home.
One of the letters we took was ن = نجمه which means star and all the kids got a star to take home.
News from Arabic
Food and eating is the most wonderful thing in life.
We enjoyed learning the names of vegetables and fruits in Arabic with a couple of delicious Arabic food dishes and how to order it with our young hearts the 6-9 classes.
While in the Upper elementary we learned about ordering Arabic food and how to describe the dish you prepared and enjoyed preparing a fruit salad dish while following instructions in Arabic.
The middle school learned also about expressing their feelings about food and they are ready to join you in your next visit foe an Arabic food restaurant and are ready to save you the hassle of ordering the delicious food over there.
We enjoyed learning the names of vegetables and fruits in Arabic with a couple of delicious Arabic food dishes and how to order it with our young hearts the 6-9 classes.
While in the Upper elementary we learned about ordering Arabic food and how to describe the dish you prepared and enjoyed preparing a fruit salad dish while following instructions in Arabic.
The middle school learned also about expressing their feelings about food and they are ready to join you in your next visit foe an Arabic food restaurant and are ready to save you the hassle of ordering the delicious food over there.
Spanish with Ms. Kimberly Jara
Spanish 2 with Ms. Amelia Mendez
Spanish has been hard at work practicing and learning verbs. We have added to our verb vocabulary verbs such as "cantar" (to sing), "bailar" (to dance), "ser" (to be), "ir" (to go), among many others!
This month we also did a cultural activity. In order to better communicate with others from Spanish-speaking cultures, one needs to know about their customs and traditions. We learned vocabulary surrounding
The Day of the Dead holiday as well as the history, food and traditions. Students engaged in a cultural activity with "las calaveras" (the skulls) and sang a song! Upper graders researched about this special
celebration and made posters talking about the main themes of how it is celebrated and why.
This month we also did a cultural activity. In order to better communicate with others from Spanish-speaking cultures, one needs to know about their customs and traditions. We learned vocabulary surrounding
The Day of the Dead holiday as well as the history, food and traditions. Students engaged in a cultural activity with "las calaveras" (the skulls) and sang a song! Upper graders researched about this special
celebration and made posters talking about the main themes of how it is celebrated and why.