Starmaker Newsline
November Newsletter
Starmaker School for Early
Education at Wildewood
November 2014
Volume 2, Issue 3
Dates to Remember
Florence Freeman, MB A, President/CEO
Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on the many blessings in our lives and in our
communities. It’s a time to express our gratitude to family, friends, neighbors,
students, teachers, parents, and others. Thanksgiving is also the start of the holiday
season – one that generally brings joy, happiness, peace and love.
With the many challenging occurrences around the world, from Ebola, political unrests,
terrorists’ acts, and a myriad of disturbing realities for many, we ought to be thankful
for the simple things in life – our health and families, peace and love, food and homes,
school and the opportunity to learn, jobs and the opportunity to earn a living!
This Thanksgiving, create a family tradition if you don’t already have one. Start a
project this November with your child that teaches a lesson about counting and
gratitude. Start a gratitude list in your kitchen and each day or each week, list
something you are grateful for. I am sure there will be lots of things on your list and
your child (children) will be astounded to see and count how blessed they are!
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Tuition Due
6
Tuition Late Fee
Applied
7
School’s Out ProgramCENTER OPEN
10
School’s Out ProgramCENTER OPEN
Primary 1, 2 and
Elementary Parent/
Teacher Conference
School’s Out ProgramCENTER OPEN
Primary 1 & 2 Parent/
Teacher Conference
Pre-Primary Parent/
Teacher Conferences
11
14
3-21
14-20
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Thanks to those who attended the Afternoon of Montessori event. Your attention and
interaction will certainly help you help your children at home as well as inspire more
active learning in school.
27-28
Southern Maryland
Food Bank Drive
Usborne Book Fair
Community
Thanksgiving Feast @
11am
CENTER CLOSEDThanksgiving Holiday
To all of our parents, thank you for giving us the opportunity to teach and care for your
children. To the children, thank you for your innocence and curiosity – thanks for
keeping some of us young at heart! To our teachers and staff, thank you for being
responsible stewards of the future. Thank you for your patience and dedication.
Hope you have a wonderful November and a Happy Thanksgiving!
Gratitude is the best Attitude!
Ms. Florence
Important Reminders:
Southern Maryland Food
Bank Drive
November 3rd-21st
Community Thanksgiving
Gathering and Feast
Friday, November 21st
@ 11:00 am
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Lynn Ennis, Director
A Time to Be Thankful
I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone (parents and staff) for attending our annual
Afternoon of Montessori on Friday, October 24th. The staff members – Ms. Natalya, Ms. Karen, Ms.
Jeannette and Ms. Danesha presenting in Primary 1 and Ms. Stephanie, Ms. Rachael, Ms. Amanda and
Ms. Lynn presenting in Primary 2, worked very hard at their presentations. I think they did a great job
in conveying the importance of the Practical Life curriculum in the Montessori classroom. Thanks
again!!
Nearly every Montessori community organizes some kind of Thanksgiving feast during which the
entire school community, teachers, parents and children come together to celebrate a day of gratitude
with food and fun. The activities presented before the feast are all hands-on, meaningful, varied and
depend upon everyone working together to make it a success.
Thanksgiving is a special time at Starmaker School. The children learn about the Pilgrims and the
Wampanoag Indians who shared the first Harvest Celebration. They also learn the reason for the
celebration – the Pilgrims surviving their first winter and how thankful they were. The older children
are encouraged to think about the things they are thankful for. The teachers write down what they say
or the children write it themselves (depending on their age). “What I am Thankful for” papers are
posted in the classrooms and in the hallways, along with other Thanksgiving art activities, created by
the children, for parents to enjoy.
Along with many other Montessori schools across the United States, we celebrate everything we are
thankful for by having a Community Thanksgiving Gathering and Feast. This has been a tradition at
our school for the past 20 years. The children in each classroom help prepare a dish for the feast in
addition to parent contributions. Sign-up sheets are posted in the front lobby across from the office.
Please sign up to bring something from the list. Starmaker will be providing the turkeys.
A Thanksgiving feast is a wonderful event for a school community. It provides families, teachers and
children the opportunity to work together in a Montessori way to share a meal and build relationships.
Everyone can participate in preparing the feast and create a meaningful way to celebrate
Thanksgiving.
Don’t forget to mark your calendar for this special day –Friday, November 21st, beginning at 11:00 a.m.
Please meet in your child’s classroom for a short activity before the meal. Make the most of this
holiday season!
“Peace is what every human
being is craving for, and it
can be brought about by
humanity through the child”
– Maria Montessori
Educational Article - Ms. Stephanie
We were very excited to talk to parents at our Afternoon of Montessori event! Our focus
this session was Empowering Students through the Practical Life Curriculum. Here is an
outline of your child’s progress through the Primary (3-6) Classroom’s Practical Life
Benchmarks:
1) Concentration – “The first essential for the child’s development is concentration.”
Maria Montessori
At age 3 looks like…wet pouring from one glass to another.
At age 4 looks like…using beadwork to mirror a preplanned design.
At age 5 looks like…counting to 125 using the long 5 chain.
2) Coordination – “The education of the senses has, as its aim, the refinement of the
differential perception of stimuli by means of repeated exercises.” Maria
Montessori
At age 3 looks like…stitching with a lacing card.
At age 4 looks like…serving milk to a friend.
At age 5 looks like…counting syllables on a graphic organizer.
3) Order - “Nature endows a child with a sensitiveness to order.” Maria Montessori
At age 3 looks like…washing a plate.
At age 4 looks like…dressing to go play outside.
At age 5 looks like…transitioning from short vowel to long vowel work.
4) Independence – “The environment is a place where the children should be
increasingly active, and the teacher increasingly passive.” Maria Montessori
At age 3 looks like…putting on his own shoes.
At age 4 looks like…watering the classroom plants.
At age 5 looks like…teaching a friend to use the paint easel.
As conference time is quickly approaching, we encourage you to ask questions about the
Montessori Philosophy. We feel that the child in a Montessori setting thrives from three
key elements:
The exposure to a vast assortment of purposeful materials
Individualized teachings that address the whole child
A mixed age classroom of learners
What is your favorite part of the Montessori classroom?
Stork Room (Infant 1& 2) - Ms. Jeannette and Ms. Jennifer
Pictures
Happy 1st Birthday, Eva! We would also like to welcome Carter J. to our classroom and
say good-bye to Loki who is moving into the Toddler room with Ms. Amanda and Ms.
Keonna. We will miss you Loki. Have fun with your new friends.
The weather has started to cool down now, so please bring in a jacket for your infant
for when we go out on the deck or go for a walk when it is a little cool outside.
We enjoyed seeing the fire trucks and sitting in the truck. Thank you Hollywood Fire
Department. The infants really like doing our No Mess painting. At first they were not
sure of what to do on the shower curtain but figured it out fast. We did lots of footprint
art and handprint art this month.
The pumpkin feeling took the babies by surprise. They were not sure how the inside
of the pumpkin felt on their hands. They had fun stirring and eating the pumpkin
pancakes. The younger ones tasted the pumpkin puree and stirred the pumpkin batter.
Thank you to the parents who were able to make it to Afternoon of Montessori. We
hope you learned some more about the Montessori practical life. We would also like to
thank Amy Neal for finding us another boppy pillow.
This November, we will be learning about Animals, Turkeys, We are Thankful and
Thanksgiving.
We will be matching animal pictures to the animals for our Cognitive skill. For the
older infants, we will be working on feeding ourselves with a spoon for Practical Life.
The younger infants will be working on their pincer grasp by picking up puffs. This is a
Fine Motor skill for them.
We would like to invite everyone to our Community Thanksgiving Feast on Friday,
November 21st at 11:00. Hope you will be able to attend.
We hope that everyone will have a great Thanksgiving.
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Wild Turkey Room (Toddlers) - Ms. Amanda and Ms. Keonna
October was much fun! We were able to meet fire fighters and see big fire trucks during our
fire prevention week. Everyone was very excited to see the fire trucks. We would like to thank
everyone who was able to participate in an Afternoon of Montessori. We are hoping everyone
learned something new about the Montessori philosophy. As always our annual BAE Walk
went well. The children had such a great time wearing their costumes, playing games and of
course collecting candy.
In November we will continue to learn the color red. Our themes this month will include
Pilgrims, Indians, Corn, and Being Thankful. We will introduce many activities exposing the
children to who Pilgrims and Indians are as well as their culture. We will also place various
corncobs in our fall sensory basket to be explored. Lastly, we will work on our manners as we
learn to be thankful.
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Pictures
Chickadee Room (Pre-Primary 1) - Ms. Desiray and Ms. Cassidy
October was filled with many new changes; we completely changed our lessons to
celebrate Halloween. Our Practical Life area has the color theme of orange, black and purple.
On our language shelf we had a new creepy crawly Picture to Picture lesson as well as a
Picture to Object and Object to Object lessons. We have been practicing singing our Continent
Song and learning the American Sign Language sign that goes with each continent. Addie,
and all her teachers have been such a big help with our ASL lessons and we are very grateful!
We have been learning a lot and would love to teach everyone at home - so encourage us by
singing the song with us!
The Hollywood Fire Department visited us at school this month; we learned about
fire prevention and what the fire fighters wear to keep themselves safe when they go into a
burning building. One of the fire fighters got dressed up for us and then he let us get inside
his truck! We were also given cool hats just like fire fighters wear as well as coloring books
with fire prevention tips!
Some of the Chickadees were able to go on the school wide field trip to Historic St.
Mary’s City. They had a lot of fun! They got to watch the Native American father and son
dance, talk about what they wore back in the day, and they even got to get up and dance in a
big snake line with everyone who went! October was a busy but very fun month!
November will bring us many more changes as we are constantly growing physically
and mentally. The Halloween lessons will go away and you will be noticing more
Thanksgiving themed work on our shelves. We will be getting a new friend from Ms.
Amanda’s room. His name is Caden! A few of us know him from the toddler room and are
excited to reunite with our friend. We are always working on our potty training endeavor and
should be working at home too. We ask that parents continue to bring in pull-ups or
underwear, depending on which stage your child is in, to help foster your child’s
independence. We are working on dressing and undressing ourselves so if there is time in the
mornings or on the weekends please allow our little friends to do so!
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Pictures
Hummingbird Room (Pre-Primary 2) - Ms. Karen & Ms. Marie
October introduced many new lessons. We learned about the Life Cycle of Pumpkins. We
shared many stories about pumpkins which the children brought from home. The children
really were excited about our visit from the Fire Department. They were full of questions
and got to go on the fire truck. We started our second set of letters (N, E, J, W, P) and learned
numbers 1-10 in French. This month we introduced new songs to the children about our
continents, shapes and colors. We spent a lot of time outdoors taking in the cooler weather
and new nature on the playground.
November's themes are Forest Animals, Things We Are Thankful For, Native American
Indians, Thanksgiving. We are looking forward to learning new lessons this month. We
plan on doing art projects for the Thanksgiving holiday, as well as, reading more books and
many cooking lessons. Our Bake Off this month will feature corn dishes. The children will
learn all about Native American Indians and their environment. We will learn Indian songs
and dances. Our class is looking forward to the Annual Thanksgiving Feast. With the cooler
weather on its way, the children will be practicing how to put on their coats by themselves.
Let's all enjoy the start of the holiday season.
Important Dates:
November 14th
November 20th
November 21st
November 27th & 28th
Pre-Primary Parent Conferences
Parent Bake Off
Thanksgiving Feast
CENTER CLOSED - Thanksgiving Break
HANDI-TIPS:
1. Children are able to name things in their environment. Ask your child to point to things
in your home like the door, table, and chair.
2. Ask your child to share about their day at school. You will see and hear their excitement
and how much they do learn at school.
3. Make a chore list with your child of things they can be responsible for at home. Daily
routines are a big part of your child's schedule at school.
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Pictures
Blue Bird Room (Primary 1) - Ms. Natalya and Ms. Angelique
In October we were still learning about the Water Unit. It was interesting for the students to
learn about the smallest critters in the deep waters of the oceans. Now my little friends know
about animals with holes – sponges, stingers, and animals with joined legs. The students
know that a Christmas tree can also be found on the ocean bed. But you cannot put any
ornaments on it because it is a Christmas tree worm.
My little friends were curious about how the trees feed themselves. This will lead us to learn
about photosynthesis. We also learned about the parts of pumpkin and apple. Miss
Courtney’s pumpkin donation was just in time for the students to experience a real pumpkin.
Our field trip to Historic St. Mary’s City was very informative and fun! We would like to
thank all of the parent volunteers that attended this field trip.
Our little explorers were very excited to make Columbus’ boats and learn how “Columbus
sailed the ocean blue.”
The students showed their creativity through their fruit and vegetable creations. I am sure
that the parents had a great time helping them make these creations. Thank you very much.
Meeting with Miss Christina as always was educational and fun. The students learned about
the life of the Native Americans before the arrival of the Maryland colonists. They were not
afraid to touch the stuffed black bear.
Our little scientists learned much from the Water Experiments Days.
The teachers worked very hard to prepare for “An Afternoon of Montessori” in order to
educate the parents to enable them to understand the Montessori Method in action. I would
like to thank the parents who attended this event for their valuable time and great support. I
am also very proud of my little helpers Luke M., Isla, Dev, Therese, James and Olivia for
demonstrating the lessons in front of the teachers and parents.
It was interesting to learn about the history of the Diwali holiday. With the help of Miss Patel,
the students painted beautiful rangolis on the pavement in front of the school.
We would like to thank Miss Tamara and Mr. Peter for making the Pumpkin Carving Day
possible. The students had great fun.
Dear parents you are always welcome to join us in the classroom and read books or lead in
an art and craft activity.
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Pictures
Heron Room (Primary 2) - Ms. Stephanie and Ms. Megan L.
This November we will dive into the story of Squanto and the Pilgrims. The students will learn
how Squanto came from the Pawtuxent Indian Tribe. He later joined the Wampanoag Indian
Tribe. Squanto was a friend to the Englishman who traveled to America. He helped them learn
life skills:
 How to catch eel
 How to plant fish heads with corn crops for a nourished soil
 How to find food in the forest
We will be practicing lines for our new play titled, “Squanto Helps the Pilgrims.” We will perform
this on Friday, November 21st.
In preparation for our activities on November 21 st we will also be experimenting with festive
recipes:
 Mashed potato ice cream
 Turkey muffins
 Crunchy chickpeas
We have many budding readers here in the Primary 2 classroom, and so we will now display a
tree that will help us learn about book genres. Each time that we read a book at circle time we will
categorize the story using our Reading Genres Tree. We will distinguish between:
 Science Fiction and Fantasy
 Mystery and Suspense
 Poetry
 Humor
 Realistic Fiction
 Myths, Legends, and Fables
 And more…
Happy November!
Ms. Stephanie and Ms. Megan
“Children are human beings to whom respect is due, superior to us by reason of their innocence
and of the greater promise of their future.” Maria Montessori
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Eagle Room (Elementary) - Ms. Rachael
“Winter is an etching, spring a watercolor, summer an oil painting and autumn a mosaic of
them all.” — Stanley Horowitz
October was a busy month and the elementary class is now settling into their daily routine. We
studied pumpkins this month and the students got the opportunity to do some pumpkin math
by measuring and weighing their pumpkins. We also carved a pumpkin and some students
painted their pumpkins.
The field trip to the pumpkin patch was a success and all of the students picked their pumpkin
with zest and enthusiasm. Thank you to all the parents who participated and helped us get
through the corn maze! Your map skills were excellent!
In October we also learned about fire safety and the students learned how to call 911 in an
emergency. They also learned about what firefighters wear and what to do if there is a fire. The
students loved meeting the firefighters from Hollywood Fire Department and climbing up into
their fire trucks. It was a great day!
With November fast approaching we will be learning about the Native Americans and the first
Thanksgiving. We also will be learning about Veteran’s Day and why we celebrate this holiday.
Students will get the opportunity to write a letter to a Veteran.
Parent teacher conferences are coming up on Monday, November 10, 2014. Please sign up for a
time slot in the front office.
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Planet Green Recycling Program
Remember to keep your eye out for the Planet Green Recycling box! We will be participating in
this program year round. Participating in this program helps both the environment and the school.
Please remember that in addition to recycling ink cartridges and cell phones, the Planet Green
Program also allows you to purchase ink cartridges from their website! When you purchase ink
cartridges from Planet Green, Starmaker will receive a portion of the proceeds. If you would like
to support us by purchasing your ink cartridges from Planet Green, please visit:
www.planetgreenrecycle.com/starmakerschool
Box Tops for Education
We participate in the Box Tops for Education Program every year. This year, we have been
doing exceptionally well! Let’s strive to exceed that goal. We would like to thank all of
those who have and continue to bring in box tops.
Student Birthdays
Isla K.
11/1
Eva W.
11/3
Gavin R.
11/4
Madison F.
11/5
Osinachi A.
11/9
Amy M.
11/23
Therese B.
11/28
Jeremy C.
11/29
If you haven’t participated in this program before, it is so easy to do! All you have to do is
bring in the box tops from participating products. The collection basket can be found in the
front lobby.
Additional information about this program can be found at
www.boxtops4education.com
Labels for Education
This school year we are participating in the Labels for Education program. This program
allows our school to earn points toward free supplies and materials. All you have to do is
bring in the labels from participating products. The collection basket will be located in the
front lobby of the school. For more information about this program and to view a list of
participating products, please visit the link below, http://www.labelsforeducation.com
Upcoming Events
November 2014
Teacher Birthdays
Samara L.
11/1
Rose V.
11/5
Cassidy C.
11/16
Marie S.
11/22
Megan L.
11/24
1
6
7
10
11
14
14
20
21
27
28
Tuition Payment Due
Tuition Late Fee Applied
School’s Out Program- CENTER OPEN
Primary 1, Primary 2 and Elementary Conferences- School’s
Out Program- CENTER OPEN
Primary 1 and Primary 2 Conferences- School’s Out
Program- CENTER OPEN
Pre-Primary Conferences
Usborne Book Fair Starts Today
Usborne Book Fair Ends Today
Community Thanksgiving Feast @ 11am
CENTER CLOSED-Thanksgiving Holiday
CENTER CLOSED- Thanksgiving Holiday
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