March Newsletter
Recap of February
Filled with celebrations for love, lunar new year, and black history month, Gaowa Montessori was busy as ever in the month of the February. The Gaowa staff was even working hard behind the scenes on their staff development day! Let's take a moment to reflect on all of these fun events.
Inside the Montessori Classroom
Ms. Esme & Ms. Kait:
Working with Ms. Rocio during their music lesson 😄
Maria Montessori believed that part of the child's rich environment includes music. With their absorbent minds, picking up beats and rhythms is an experience that young kids naturally are attracted to.
Ms. Suzzaine & Ms. Kait:
The Montessori toddler class is all about building independence and self care. A classic activity you will see is Spoon Work. Our friend here is working from left to right, using his pincer grasp to hold the spoon, and transferring the items. He's building his fine motor skills and learning what it means when something is "empty" or "full."
Ms. Maneet & Ms. Citlali:
Our new toddler friend is building her fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination by pushing and pulling the piper cleaners through the holes of the colander.
Ms. Nancy & Ms. Nijma:
In the primary classes, we have our two friends working with CVC (consonant, vowel, consonant) words and picture cards. This work comes after being able to isolate the phonetic sounds of letters and then now working on blending them together.
Ms. Tatiana & Ms. Cassidy:
A friend in the Mars primary classroom is working with the Hundred Board. The purpose of the this work is to reinforce counting from 1 to 100. Additionally, this work is helpful for number recognition, number sequencing, counting, patterning, and skip counting. The Hundred Board also requires a great amount of concentration and determination to finish the work completely.
Ms. Majorie:
In the Neptune primary classroom, our friends are having a Show and Tell day! This day was dedicated to sharing items that start with the letter "E." Practicing public speaking in a classroom setting such as this helps prepare the child for future presentations. Growing the confidence and reinforcing conversational skills (speaking and listening) is the foundation for great speakers!
Ms. Ashley & Ms. Ruby:
In this primary classroom, a friend is working on pattern recognition. This type of work involves using visual differentiation to understand and follow the pattern from the control chart then to replicate it to the material. This activity allows for cognitive thinking and concentration to promote judgment.
February Birthdays
This Month
As we enter the month of March, we have some exciting celebrations and important events lined up at Gaowa Montessori that we'd like to share with you.
We are thrilled to announce two delightful events for the kiddos to enjoy and participate in. First up, we have our St. Patrick's Day celebration, where the children will have the opportunity to engage in fun activities and learn about the Irish culture and traditions associated with this special day. Following that, we will be hosting our Annual Egg Hunt Day, a beloved tradition that promises a day filled with joy, laughter, and some egg-citing surprises!
Furthermore, our dedicated teachers have been diligently preparing for our upcoming parent/teacher conferences. This will be a fantastic opportunity for us to connect on a one-on-one basis to discuss your child's progress, achievements, and any areas of development. We are truly looking forward to our conversations and getting to hear your insights about your greatest treasures - your children.
We kindly invite all parents to mark their calendars and make time to attend our parent/teacher conferences. Your participation and involvement are invaluable to us, and we believe that together, we can create a supportive and enriching environment for our young learners.
Please feel free to reach out to us if you have any questions or require further information about the upcoming events and parent/teacher conferences. Thank you for being a part of the Gaowa Montessori community, and we look forward to seeing you soon!
Artist of the Month: David Hockney
The bigger picture: David Hockney at his Royal Academy exhibition in London in 2012. Photograph: Stephen Simpson/Rex
This month, we will be travelling to the England, to dive into the arts of David Hockney.
"David Hockney . . . is an English painter, draughtsman, printmaker, stage designer, and photographer. As an important contributor to the pop art movement of the 1960s, he is considered one of the most influential British artists of the 20th century . . . Hockney's 1972 work Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures) sold at Christie's auction house in New York City for $90 million . . ., becoming the most expensive artwork by a living artist sold at auction."
School Events & Closure
*Important Event Adjustments*
On the 2023 - 2024 academic calendar, we had listed that there will be a tentative Book Fair on March 4th and Spring Pictures on March 19th.
We have made an adjustment and the Book Fair will be held on April 1st - April 5th instead. More information to come soon, so please be on the lookout!!
As for the Spring Pictures, we have decided that there will be no picture day for the spring season. We are doing extensive research to find the best photography company for our kids and for our parents. We will keep you updated for the Fall Picture Day.
Read Across America Week
To celebrate Read Across America day, Gaowa Montessori will be dedicating a whole week for fun reading events.
We would love to have a few parent volunteers to come to the class to do a short, 3-5 minute reading of a children's book. Your child's teacher will be sending out a sign up sheet in a few days, so also please be on the lookout!
Spirit Week
In addition to having parent guest readers join us for this week, Gaowa Montessori School will also be holding a spirit week! Please review the following and we hope that you all can participate (:
Monday, Mar. 4th - Dress up as Your Favorite Storybook Character
Tuesday, Mar. 5th - Book Buddies: Bring in a stuffed toy for the kids to read to
Wednesday, Mar. 6th - Reading Under The Sun: Bring a book and a picnic blanket/towel for the kids to do some outdoor reading.
Thursday, Mar. 7th - Silly Hat Day: Wear a silly hat just like Cat in the Hat!
Friday, Mar. 8th - Reading in the Dark: Bring a book and a flashlight as the kids will be reading in a cozy and dimly light environment
Parent/Teacher Conferences - SCHOOL CLOSED
Gaowa Montessori School will be closed to make time for our parent/teacher conferences. This means that
these meetings will only be for the parents and teachers. Therefore, we are unable to provide care for children so we highly recommend that you make alternative care plans.
During these meetings, teachers will be discussing the academic and social progress your child has made.
A sign-up link has been emailed to all families to schedule a conference with your child's teacher. If you missed it and need it, please let us know and we can resend it.
St. Patrick's Day - Edible Craft Celebration
To celebrate St. Patrick's Day, our teachers will be making edible crafts with the students. Each teacher will be sending out a sign-up sheet for parents to volunteer in getting materials. Please look out for this in the classrooms' newsletter!
Egg Hunt Day
We have reached our 3rd Annual Egg Hunt Day! We wanted to take a moment to thank our parents for bringing us eggs every time we have this event. We love to see our kiddos have so much fun and enjoy this event.
Your child's teacher will be sending out a notice of what items you need to bring for this day so please be on the look-out!
Family Fun Events
Festival of Whales
Date & Time: March 1st - 3rd | Various Times
Location: Golden Lantern, Dana Point
Price: Free
Information: The Festival of Whales celebrates migrating whales who use Dana Point's headland as a landmark on their journey southward. Festivities include whale watching, a street fair, a parade, classic cars on display, and an art show .
Other fun in this packed weekend includes a treasure hunt for little pirates, the Cardboard Classic & Dingy Dash, Art Lessons in the Wild facilitated by marine muralist Wyland, marine mammal lectures, a community beach clean-up, and a kids fishing clinic and fishing trip. Bands perform on a specially designed stage for the Concert on the Water. Some activities require ticket purchase.
Visit the festival website for daily schedules and locations. The free DP Trolley is in service Saturday, March 2 & Sunday, March 3. The special trolley route services most areas of the Dana Point Harbor as well as a few downtown stops.
Family Art Festival
Date & Time: March 9 | 10:00AM - 1:00PM
Location: Buena Park Community Center | 6688 Beach Blvd, Buena Park
Price: Free
Information: Embrace your creativity! 🎨 Join us Saturday, March 9 at the Buena Park Community Center from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm for a vibrant day of painting, music and entertainment. See you there! 🌐 For more information, call Community Services at (714) 562-3860.
Egg-straordinary Easter with Sip Then Shop
Date & Time: March 24th
Location: Brewery X | 3191 East La Palma Avenue, Anaheim
Price: Free to Attend | $65 for two children for a picture with the Easter Bunny and a goodie basket
Information: Sip Then Shops events are completely free, family friendly & open to the public! Tickets are not required for entry :) One of So Cal's finest pop-up markets is hoppin' over to Brewery X just in time for Easter!
Sip on a craft beer, snag a quick bite to eat, then head outside and enjoy our early Easter artisan market! This is a family friendly, pet friendly event where you can find a little something for everyone! Grab some unique trinkets, explore beautiful, curated shops, or enjoy tasty local treats from our favorite vendors.
Hop right into the free Sip Then Shop photobooth set up with the best egg- straordinary background for your egg-citement! Or Take part in our free scavenger hunt for all. Find the items hidden in each booth!
Or looking for a little more Easter excitement for the little ones?
The Easter bunny will be happily hopping around for a special Easter bundle! This will be a digital picture with the Easter bunny, then a build a basket to fill with goodies! Grab the littles, two (2) children for $65! Tickets are limited and on sale now!
Come check out the Easter themed craft table where the kiddos will be entertained with interesting, Easter themed crafts and coloring sheets.
See something new, try something different!
Knott's Boysenberry Festival
Date & Time: Starting March 8th | Various Times
Location: Knott's Berry Farm | 8039 Beach Boulevard, Buena Park CA 90620
Price: Admission Ticket: $59.99 & Boysenberry Festival Tasting Card: $55
Information: The Knott's Boysenberry Festival is our annual food and wine festival that celebrates the park's historic roots by highlighting the little berry that started it all, the boysenberry. Indulge in a tantalizing lineup of dishes ranging from savory foods with a boysenberry twist to one-of-a-kind specialty desserts and drinks including a variety of wines and craft beers that you can only find at Knott's Berry Farm during this limited-time food-inspired event.
In addition to the numerous food and drink offerings, the Knott's Boysenberry Festival offers a wide selection of local crafters, live music, musical stage shows, and fun activities for guests of all ages to enjoy. This year's event will introduce entirely new food offerings featuring a selection of more than two dozen food and drink items.
