Greetings from Dr. Sadeq
Dear Kindi Parents,
Warmest regards,
Rania Sadeq, Ed.D
Kindi Academy – Principal
Warmest regards,
Rania Sadeq, Ed.D
Kindi Academy – Principal
News from our 3-6 Classes
Welcome back.
December month ended with our wonderful winter celebration. The children put on an amazing performance. It went by quickly and before we knew, the holidays were here.
As the new year begins with a new season, we will enjoy many works related to the Winter season. We will discuss how animals survive in this season. We will continue to learn about many common animals that hibernate, adapt and migrate. We include the study of Antarctica and penguins. Also we will look at the polar animals. We will be talking how plants survive in this season too.
The materials on our practical life is to help develop finer motor skills. It is a time to build deeper understanding of our sensorial materials. At this time, we are looking for children to be independent in their daily routines.
Independence,concentration and mastering skills is the key in the next few months.
Sincerely,
Ms.Sujata & Ms.Tahany (Room 101)
December month ended with our wonderful winter celebration. The children put on an amazing performance. It went by quickly and before we knew, the holidays were here.
As the new year begins with a new season, we will enjoy many works related to the Winter season. We will discuss how animals survive in this season. We will continue to learn about many common animals that hibernate, adapt and migrate. We include the study of Antarctica and penguins. Also we will look at the polar animals. We will be talking how plants survive in this season too.
The materials on our practical life is to help develop finer motor skills. It is a time to build deeper understanding of our sensorial materials. At this time, we are looking for children to be independent in their daily routines.
Independence,concentration and mastering skills is the key in the next few months.
Sincerely,
Ms.Sujata & Ms.Tahany (Room 101)
Happy Winter! This past month was short but we were sure to pack it with many important lessons in-between practicing for the Winter Performance.
For the Winter Performance, the children performed “Lean on Me” and “I’m a Little Snowman.” The Kindergarten students closed the show by reciting a poem titled, “Chubby Little Snowman” and sang “Let it Snow”. They did a wonderful job being patient and professional the entire evening.
This December, we had the opportunity to combine with the entire Early Childhood Program to make salt dough creations. The children enjoyed manipulating the dough to make different shapes that they later painted to give to their parents as a gift.
One question we focused on this month was, “What do animals do in the winter?” We talked and demonstrated with the students that the animals do one of three things. They either hibernate, migrate or adapt. The children had a lot of fun participating in the live lesson we set up in the gym. By allowing them to act like an animal that hibernates, migrates or adapts, it helped them remember and understand the greater concept.
We are really looking forward to the second half of the year as we have many emerging readers and many skills we will be refining.
We hope you all had a wonderful holiday season and a Happy New Year.
Sincerely,
Ms.Katie & Ms.Teri
For the Winter Performance, the children performed “Lean on Me” and “I’m a Little Snowman.” The Kindergarten students closed the show by reciting a poem titled, “Chubby Little Snowman” and sang “Let it Snow”. They did a wonderful job being patient and professional the entire evening.
This December, we had the opportunity to combine with the entire Early Childhood Program to make salt dough creations. The children enjoyed manipulating the dough to make different shapes that they later painted to give to their parents as a gift.
One question we focused on this month was, “What do animals do in the winter?” We talked and demonstrated with the students that the animals do one of three things. They either hibernate, migrate or adapt. The children had a lot of fun participating in the live lesson we set up in the gym. By allowing them to act like an animal that hibernates, migrates or adapts, it helped them remember and understand the greater concept.
We are really looking forward to the second half of the year as we have many emerging readers and many skills we will be refining.
We hope you all had a wonderful holiday season and a Happy New Year.
Sincerely,
Ms.Katie & Ms.Teri
"Mistakes are proof that we are trying."
Children make mistakes. They may drop something, spill water, or accidentally step on someone's work. We don't raise our voices at children during these situations as it may scare them into thinking mistakes aren't allowed. Instead, we recognize the mistake and help the child find a solution. Our goal is to always make children feel safe and comfortable in their environment.
As the children work towards becoming more independent this time of year, we set examples by showing them what to do (i.e. get a towel to wipe up the spill or be mindful when walking around the classroom so as not to step on someone's work). We also help children with gentle reminders. This has become a norm in our classroom as we are working towards building confidence and independence.
November wrapped up quicker than imagined, and we're approaching the end of the year soon! We started practicing our songs for the winter performance in early November. In lieu of Thanksgiving, we discussed the parts of a turkey, talked about the story of Thanksgiving, and discussed facts about the Pilgrims and Indians. With the weather turning cold, it was a perfect time to make a delicious vegetable soup with another class. We enjoyed every last bite!
As December rolls on, we are continuing to practice for the winter performance next week! We've added winter themed cards and counters in our math area as well as changed out some practical life activities. We will also present the parts of a gingerbread man before winter break. Academically, the children have been progressing well! The pre-3s have been improving their letter sounds and numbers as well as their fine motor skills. Some of our pre-4s have already started to blend and read 3-letter words! Kindergarten has been working on reading, comprehension, and writing sentences.
The past few months have been hectic, but filled with a lot of fun! We look forward to winter break to rest up and ready to learn some more in the new year!
Happy Holidays and Happy New Year from room 103!!
Sincerely,
Ms. Radhika and Ms. Brooke
Updates from Our 6-9 Classroom
Dear Parents:
A very Happy New Year to our students and their families.
We hope everyone had a safe and enjoyable Winter Break.
We hope everyone enjoyed the Winter Celebration. All of the students worked very hard on their performance in the “Aladdin” play. We are glad that all of their hard work paid off.
Our class will begin Junior Achievement for all three grades in the coming weeks. Junior Achievement is a set of free classes offered to students funded by the state and businesses. Its mission is to inspire and prepare young people to succeed in a global economy. We will be asking for parent volunteers in the coming emails.
We have entered the second half of the school year and it is going to be one busy rest of the school year. Our First year students in the month of January will be working on: parts of a reptile, parts of a stem, landforms, nouns, word study, time, measurement, bead frame addition and subtraction, and they are being introduced to the idea of fractions.
The Second year students in the month of January will be working on: fractions, types of stems, parts of a nametode and mollusks, types of verbs, times tables, checkerboard multiplication and planet research: Mars, Africa- continent study.
The Third year students in the month of January will be working on: measuring angles using a protractor, area and perimeter, adding and subtracting mixed and whole fractions, abstract long division, plant and animal cells, ancient civilizations, Asia- continent study.
As always, your children are our priority. Please talk to us or set up a meeting if you have any concerns.
Sincerely,
The 6-9 Montessori Classroom Teachers
A very Happy New Year to our students and their families.
We hope everyone had a safe and enjoyable Winter Break.
We hope everyone enjoyed the Winter Celebration. All of the students worked very hard on their performance in the “Aladdin” play. We are glad that all of their hard work paid off.
Our class will begin Junior Achievement for all three grades in the coming weeks. Junior Achievement is a set of free classes offered to students funded by the state and businesses. Its mission is to inspire and prepare young people to succeed in a global economy. We will be asking for parent volunteers in the coming emails.
We have entered the second half of the school year and it is going to be one busy rest of the school year. Our First year students in the month of January will be working on: parts of a reptile, parts of a stem, landforms, nouns, word study, time, measurement, bead frame addition and subtraction, and they are being introduced to the idea of fractions.
The Second year students in the month of January will be working on: fractions, types of stems, parts of a nametode and mollusks, types of verbs, times tables, checkerboard multiplication and planet research: Mars, Africa- continent study.
The Third year students in the month of January will be working on: measuring angles using a protractor, area and perimeter, adding and subtracting mixed and whole fractions, abstract long division, plant and animal cells, ancient civilizations, Asia- continent study.
As always, your children are our priority. Please talk to us or set up a meeting if you have any concerns.
Sincerely,
The 6-9 Montessori Classroom Teachers
Updates from Upper Elementary Classroom
Before Winter Break we wrapped up our "How To" projects, and enjoyed the culmination of weeks of hard work. Both the 4th and 5th grade students prepared a written article, a Google slide show, and a live presentation featuring the activity they chose to teach "how to". Subjects ranged from arts and crafts projects, to card tricks, to baking and decorating cakes! Through this project, the students learned written and oral skills of communicating clearly and thoroughly, as well as grabbing an audience's attention. We ended 2019 celebrating our hard work with an abundant Potluck Brunch. Thank you to all the classroom families for your generous and delicious contributions!!
January's highlights will include developing skills for reading comprehension, preparing to see a Shakespeare play and beginning to learn about the Underground Railroad in anticipation of Black History Month in February. 4th grade Science class will be studying how living things are adapted to their environment.
~Ms. Jami Lieder
January's highlights will include developing skills for reading comprehension, preparing to see a Shakespeare play and beginning to learn about the Underground Railroad in anticipation of Black History Month in February. 4th grade Science class will be studying how living things are adapted to their environment.
~Ms. Jami Lieder
Happenings in the Science Room
The fifth graders learned about the Earth layers, and that they can be classified it’s physical layers and by their chemical composition. The students got to make both models.
As part of the Earth Science, Students also learned about volcanoes. As part of the lesson, they also got to research a volcano and make a model, which they presented to their classmates.
DNA was the main topic in December. Students got to make a double helix DNA strand 🧬 . They also extracted DNA from strawberries!!!!
Best Regards,
Ms. Maria Lorena Jameel
Ms. Maria Lorena Jameel
News from Middle School
Middle School Social Studies
Welcome back! I hope everyone had a relaxing winter vacation. We’re happy to have everyone back at the middle school, and social studies is starting new units across all three grade levels.
6th Grade:
The sixth grade class is continuing our exploration of Ancient Civilizations. We will start with the ancient Hebrews and a look at the development of monotheism. After this brief unit ends, the class will start a deep dive into the Greek and Roman civilizations, focusing on culture, mythology, government, and influence the Greeks and Romans had on the world.
7th Grade:
The seventh grade class is now studying European geography and culture, starting with Western Europe and then looking at Easern Europe and Russia. Part of this will include a country research project, where each student will choose a country in Europe to research and create a presentation on. They will also have a chance to bring in foods or wear costumes when presenting on their countries. After this unit, we will study the Middle East, North Africa, and Asia.
8th Grade:
The eighth grade class is shifting gears this semester, from World History to American Government. Students have to pass the US Constitution test to graduate from eighth grade, and so we will spend the next 4-6 weeks working to prepare for that exam. This will include learning about the three branches of government, the bill of rights, major cases of the Supreme Court, elections, and the overall structure of our government.
Regards,
Mr. Ron Chernobrov
Welcome back! I hope everyone had a relaxing winter vacation. We’re happy to have everyone back at the middle school, and social studies is starting new units across all three grade levels.
6th Grade:
The sixth grade class is continuing our exploration of Ancient Civilizations. We will start with the ancient Hebrews and a look at the development of monotheism. After this brief unit ends, the class will start a deep dive into the Greek and Roman civilizations, focusing on culture, mythology, government, and influence the Greeks and Romans had on the world.
7th Grade:
The seventh grade class is now studying European geography and culture, starting with Western Europe and then looking at Easern Europe and Russia. Part of this will include a country research project, where each student will choose a country in Europe to research and create a presentation on. They will also have a chance to bring in foods or wear costumes when presenting on their countries. After this unit, we will study the Middle East, North Africa, and Asia.
8th Grade:
The eighth grade class is shifting gears this semester, from World History to American Government. Students have to pass the US Constitution test to graduate from eighth grade, and so we will spend the next 4-6 weeks working to prepare for that exam. This will include learning about the three branches of government, the bill of rights, major cases of the Supreme Court, elections, and the overall structure of our government.
Regards,
Mr. Ron Chernobrov
English 1 (6th Grade)
It’s been an action-packed last month in Language Arts as we finished up our Elements of a Story unit, culminating in the 3-page analysis of Star Wars: A New Hope. The students carefully detailed and analyzed the various plot developments, characters, and settings in the movie, to fully convey their understanding of these concepts. After that, the students worked on a very fun project with Ms. Katie and Ms. Teri’s Room 102. The middle schoolers first learned all about the “Ways in Which” and “Reasons Why” we benefit from “Annotation” aka. Close Reading. The students have clearly identified that their writing assignments will have a lot more depth and knowledge, if they are using their own notes and analysis that they are tracking in real-time, while reading the novel. Students also see how much easier quizzes will be and how much deeper class discussions can go and a dozen more benefits of “having a conversation with the novel.” Students then compiled a list of the Top 10 reasons why we annotate and created a bookmark, with the assistance of Room 102, that they will use going forward as a reminder of how to best pick apart the text they are reading. After that, the students got to put this new skill to the test while reading the famous Shirley Jackson short-story, “The Lottery.” The students read and analyzed the story and then had a very heated, yet respectful class debate about this mysterious village in which the lottery takes place. The students had a great time sharing their point of view and convincing others of their beliefs. Students capped off the last month with a research poster project about China’s One-Child Policy, in the lead up to some of the themes and ideas that will be explored in our novel, Among the Hidden. The students are itching to dive deep into the novel and explore this amazing piece of writing.
Mr. Justin Miller
English 2 (7th and 8th Grade)
The 7th and 8th graders have been busy working on and sharpening a wide-range of skills. The students had a chance to weigh-in on their own personal feelings about the motion picture Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope in the form of a 5-page written movie review. Their critique had to take a variety of different aspects into consideration, while supporting their thoughts with evidence and details from the movie as well as from our entire unit on Elements of a Story. Shortly after the completion of this unit, the students really got a chance to demonstrate what they knew and how strongly they felt about it during out first ever Four Corners debate. A Four Corners debate is a debate method where the students receive a statement that they either “Strongly Agree, Agree, Strongly Disagree, or Disagree” with. Depending on their original position, they stand in the corresponding corner of the room and present their arguments about why they are standing where they are standing. After several rounds of debate, it was fascinating to see people physically and literally move from one end of argument to the complete opposite end. Using the story The Kid Nobody Could Handle by Kurt Vonnagut, the students prepared notes and presented their arguments, all while staying open to being swayed by other people’s point of view. It was a thing of beauty! The students then explored the world of literary technique and vocabulary with deep dive into terms like simile, metaphor, onomatopoeia, and allusion. The students are all ready to start their first novel, the famous book entitled, The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton. Stay Golden!
Mr. Justin Miller
The 7th and 8th graders have been busy working on and sharpening a wide-range of skills. The students had a chance to weigh-in on their own personal feelings about the motion picture Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope in the form of a 5-page written movie review. Their critique had to take a variety of different aspects into consideration, while supporting their thoughts with evidence and details from the movie as well as from our entire unit on Elements of a Story. Shortly after the completion of this unit, the students really got a chance to demonstrate what they knew and how strongly they felt about it during out first ever Four Corners debate. A Four Corners debate is a debate method where the students receive a statement that they either “Strongly Agree, Agree, Strongly Disagree, or Disagree” with. Depending on their original position, they stand in the corresponding corner of the room and present their arguments about why they are standing where they are standing. After several rounds of debate, it was fascinating to see people physically and literally move from one end of argument to the complete opposite end. Using the story The Kid Nobody Could Handle by Kurt Vonnagut, the students prepared notes and presented their arguments, all while staying open to being swayed by other people’s point of view. It was a thing of beauty! The students then explored the world of literary technique and vocabulary with deep dive into terms like simile, metaphor, onomatopoeia, and allusion. The students are all ready to start their first novel, the famous book entitled, The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton. Stay Golden!
Mr. Justin Miller
4th-8th Grade PE
This was the most fun and exercise we have gotten yet….playing Dodgeball! The students had an awesome time learning about the “Official Dodgeball” rules, which keeps the game fast-paced and exciting. The students displayed a lot of teamwork and sportsmanship while playing this all-time favorite P.E. activity. We also introduced “Bowling Pin Dodgeball,” which we played with empty water bottles and added a whole new layer of strategy and teamwork to accomplish the task of knocking the opponents’ bottles down. The students had a lot of fun and are anxiously awaiting our next game -- Nukem!
Mr. Justin Miller
This was the most fun and exercise we have gotten yet….playing Dodgeball! The students had an awesome time learning about the “Official Dodgeball” rules, which keeps the game fast-paced and exciting. The students displayed a lot of teamwork and sportsmanship while playing this all-time favorite P.E. activity. We also introduced “Bowling Pin Dodgeball,” which we played with empty water bottles and added a whole new layer of strategy and teamwork to accomplish the task of knocking the opponents’ bottles down. The students had a lot of fun and are anxiously awaiting our next game -- Nukem!
Mr. Justin Miller
Boys Basketball Club
The games have begun! The two teams, Red and Blue, have been battling on a weekly basis, while also building some skills and teamwork. It has been a lot of fun, filled with highlight reel moments from all of the players! We can’t wait to finish up the season on a high note.
Mr. Justin Miller
The games have begun! The two teams, Red and Blue, have been battling on a weekly basis, while also building some skills and teamwork. It has been a lot of fun, filled with highlight reel moments from all of the players! We can’t wait to finish up the season on a high note.
Mr. Justin Miller
Updates from our Spanish classroom
Spanish with Maestra Kim
The 3-6 year old Spanish classes have completed units on classroom objects and parts of the body. They are now learning articles of clothing, such as "camisa" (shirt) and "zapatos" (shoes). In addition, students are learning a Spanish lullaby "Arrorró mi Niño." They have been practicing the words and actions to this tender song to perform at the winter celebration!
Wondering how our 1st graders are feeling? Just ask! They can tell you about their aches & pains in Spanish! They have studied parts of the body and are strengthening their literacy skills as they build words from syllable cards. So whether it's a headache, sore finger, or injured leg, they are acquiring the vocabulary and grammar to describe these hurts.
2nd grade Spanish students are using animal vocabulary to learn the intricacies of article-noun-adjective agreement in Spanish! Changing an adjective from singular to plural or masculine to feminine as you describe a dog or a family of bears is tricky business, but they are catching on beautifully!
3rd graders have worked through the list of "tener + noun" phrases in Spanish! They can express how they are feeling with phrases such as "Tengo hambre" (I'm hungry) or "Tengo sueño" (I'm sleepy).
The 3-6 year old Spanish classes have completed units on classroom objects and parts of the body. They are now learning articles of clothing, such as "camisa" (shirt) and "zapatos" (shoes). In addition, students are learning a Spanish lullaby "Arrorró mi Niño." They have been practicing the words and actions to this tender song to perform at the winter celebration!
Wondering how our 1st graders are feeling? Just ask! They can tell you about their aches & pains in Spanish! They have studied parts of the body and are strengthening their literacy skills as they build words from syllable cards. So whether it's a headache, sore finger, or injured leg, they are acquiring the vocabulary and grammar to describe these hurts.
2nd grade Spanish students are using animal vocabulary to learn the intricacies of article-noun-adjective agreement in Spanish! Changing an adjective from singular to plural or masculine to feminine as you describe a dog or a family of bears is tricky business, but they are catching on beautifully!
3rd graders have worked through the list of "tener + noun" phrases in Spanish! They can express how they are feeling with phrases such as "Tengo hambre" (I'm hungry) or "Tengo sueño" (I'm sleepy).
Updates from our Arabic Room
Marhaba Kindi Family,
The middle school Arabic class we’re studying the cultural in Arab countries about weddings. It was a delightful unit we learned about culture, traditions in clothing and music. They worked hard latter to design wedding invitations and did good research about the customs in weddings at some Arab countries.
Good job, class! I'm so proud of you.
Ms. Hayat Al-Quttub
The middle school Arabic class we’re studying the cultural in Arab countries about weddings. It was a delightful unit we learned about culture, traditions in clothing and music. They worked hard latter to design wedding invitations and did good research about the customs in weddings at some Arab countries.
Good job, class! I'm so proud of you.
Ms. Hayat Al-Quttub