Intelligence plus character—that
is the goal of true education.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Klahanie School
January 2018 Newsletter
December 2017 Reflection
Happy New Year!
We hope you and your family experienced a joyful holiday season. We are excited to venture into the New
Year with intention and care to reacquaint your child back to the classroom
community and experiences and welcome a new friend Arthur Perley-Williams and
family to our school community!
January 2018 Curriculum
Topics
Only in the darkness can you see
the stars.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Along with revisiting our daily routine we will begin to
focus our attention and circle-time lessons on Martin Luther King Jr. MLK is the first of many Peacemakers we
will study from around the world.
We begin the discussion of civil rights using age appropriate and
relatable-fictionalized stories along with open-ended questions the children
can identify with. I also like to
continue incorporating examples and role-playing of classroom community issues
to assist the children in finding greater practice and understanding of human
rights, empathy and compassion development through listening and sharing.
If you can’t fly then run,
if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do
keep moving forward.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
To celebrate MLK day we will make personalized “I have a
dream” clouds for all children who want to participate. The clouds state what the child’s
dreams are for the future of selves, family, community, world and imagination. These clouds will be hung in the classroom. We will also make MLK posters and have
a Peace March on Thursday Jan 16th we chant:
“Martin Luther King was a mighty, mighty man
and a mighty, mighty man was he.
He worked for peace, he worked for love, and he worked for harmony!”
While celebrating diversity we will begin making
self-portraits. Each child will
have the opportunity to observe his/her features in a mirror then with the
assistance of an adult, create a self-portrait that will be displayed in the
class until the end of the school year.
When you come to visit our classroom have fun finding your child! Thank you Katrina Lindgren for offering
to help in class on this wonderful project.
January and February we will be introducing different
musicians, authors/poets and artists that have had important roles in using
his/her art as a tool for looking for answers to world injustices.
“A simple and exhilarating truth: music and
open, honest, human-to-human communication can shift ideologies and create
meaningful change” (Lee Hirsch).
Two artists we will celebrate during January will be Pete
Seeger and the Staples. These
musicians actively took the messages of MLK to the next level for bringing
awareness of civil peace and equality in their own communities and beyond.
This unit study is close to my heart for it stimulates the
children to look deeply and proudly at ways they themselves are
peacemakers. I look forward to
hearing your home observations of family conversations and questions asked by
your child while we study Martin Luther King Jr. and extended Peacemakers. Please contact me if you have any
questions or concerns, I am happy to listen and make time.
We will also begin study of
·
Atlantic and Pacific archipelagos
·
Pacific Northwest beavers and their vital
importance in our ecosystem
·
Winter birds
·
Snowflakes, clouds, differing forms of water
·
Human bodies: our senses
February you will receive your re-enrollment packet for
2018-19 school year and March 1, 2018 deadline. February you will also receive your last week of March spring
conference signup options. Our school
does offer a Kindergarten year and some added options will become available for
the 2018-19 school year, all listed in your re-enrollment packet. Please feel free to contact Emmy to
answer any questions you may have, happy to take time.
Reminders/Thank You
·
No
School Monday January 15, MLK remembrance
·
Thursday
January 16, classroom Peace March (wear rainbow colors!)
·
Thank
you for the sweet Holiday Gifts from families to Teachers, such kindness!
·
Cold
& Wet Days! Please & thank
you for remembering to layer your child in warm clothes as well sweatshirts and
pants (sweatpant-ish pants work great!).
Our outside schedule remains the same. Please also pack extra socks (can be mismatched): socks are
great mitten substitutes when needed as well as extra cozy pants and rain pants
if have them.
·
Thank
you Jordan and Jen Keller for the Play-dough!
