Miss Lisa's Classroom Homepage
Nov 7
A few important classroom reminders:
- We hope to see everyone on Sunday from 10-12 at the Pera Club for our Class Get Together. More info here
- Please !! ARRIVE EARLY !! for your child's presentation this week. Some presentations are shorter and it is very difficult to fill time between presentations when we have to wait for parents to arrive.
- School is closed on Tuesday for Veterans Day!
- Friday is our Museum Walk and Family Potluck dinner to celebrate the end of the Asia study. We need more parents to bring entrees. So far we have 9 but we need approx 20 to give everyone a chance to sample the dishes. We also need more desserts. We only have 2 of our hoped-for 5 options. Sign up here
- Friday is Ruby Bridges Day! Join the school for the walk!
- Don't forget about our two school initiatives this year: the Landline Challenge and the Wait Until 8th Pledge! Villa now has THREE active Wait Until 8th Pledges- congrats to our Kindergarten, 2nd grade, and 3rd grade!!
- Kindergarten:** 18 Pledges (Active!)
- 1st Grade:** 7 Pledges- so close!
- 2nd Grade:** 14 Pledges (Active!)
- 3rd Grade:** 14 Pledges (Active!)
- 4th Grade:** 7 Pledges- so close!
- 5th Grade:** 5 Pledges
- 6th Grade:** 2 Pledges
- 7th Grade:** 3 Pledges
- Please consider signing up for the Gratitude Breakfast happening on Thursday, November 20? You can find it here.
November 2
- Presentations start this week! Each student will have about 15 minutes to share their research and 3D model. Please arrive a little early and if possible, stay for all presentations in that block (up to three) to create a supportive audience for all children. If you can only attend your child’s presentation, please arrive a little early, as some may finish ahead of schedule. When you arrive, please wait in the ODE until the current presentation has finished to avoid interruptions.
- Our museum walk and luncheon is next Friday at 11:30. So far, we only have three food items. If you can attend, please sign up to bring a dish that either connects to their child’s topic or represents something special from their own culture related to Asia. Sign up here: https://signup.com/go/ogfHmZr
- We hope a lot of you can attend the get together NEXT SUNDAY at the Pera Club. Please RSVP and let us know if you want to bring any games or food items to share in the comment section - https://www.signupgenius.com/go/508054BADA629A4FF2-59892461-lisas
-
SCHOLASTIC BOOK FAIR STARTS MONDAY!
- Our Scholastic Book Fair runs Monday, November 3 through Friday, November 7th. The hours are as follows:
- Monday: 7:45am to 5pm
- Tuesday through Friday: 7:15am to 5pm
- Set up your student’s eWallet in advance, which will allow students to access the book fair without their parent. Elementary students with an eWallet will be taken from class to shop with one of our wonderful volunteers. Load it here: https://bookfairs.
scholastic.com/bf/ villamontessori - You can also donate to “Share the Fair” at this link, which will help students who may not otherwise be able to make a purchase during this kid-fave event. https://bookfairs.
scholastic.com/bf/ villamontessori
INTRO NIGHTS START NEXT WEEK:- These important info sessions start next week
- Intro to Middle School - Thursday, November 6 at 6:30pm at the Middle School
- Intro to E2 - Thursday, November 20 at 6:30 in room 204
- Intro to E1 - Tuesday, November 4 at 6:30 in room 115
- As a reminder, they’re for parents/guardians only.
RUBY BRIDGES WALK TO SCHOOL DAY- Our annual Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day will take place on Thursday, November 14.
- All Villa families and staff are invited!
- We will meet before school at Los Olivos Park in front of the Devonshire Senior Center and walk north on 28th Street to the school.
- Wear purple, bring signs/posters, and join us in honoring Ruby’s legacy!
And don’t forget about these important initiatives:- The Landline Challenge:
- Landlines are making a big comeback! They help keep kids connected to each other and boost communication skills — all without the distraction of screens. Many Villa families are embracing this retro-inspired resurgence. native to getting your student a smartphone, be sure to check out TinCan!
- Wait Until 8th Pledge: The Wait Until 8th movement helps families say "not yet" to smartphones, and to say that together. Here's how it works:
- Decide as a family if you are willing to delay giving your child a smartphone until at least the end of 8th grade (basic phones that only talk & text don't count- you can still have those)!One parent signs the pledge and receives a welcome email. At this point, the pledge is anonymous.
- When 10 Villa families from the same grade take the pledge, the pledge becomes active and all of the pledged families will be emailed in order to be connected to one another. Talk to your friends. We want all grade levels to make it to active pledge status!
- AI and Protect Young Eyes: On the website Protect Young Eyes, they explain what parents can do within each of their suggested layers to protect their children as it relates specifically to the topic of AI Companions. They also offer a Complete Guide to Deepfakes and AI for Caregivers, which may be a good place to start, especially if you are unfamiliar with terms like deepfake and nudify. Read more here: https://www.
protectyoungeyes.com/
Oct. 26
Happy Sunday!
Just a few reminders for the week:
- Our class get-together is Sunday, Nov 9 from 10-12. Please RSVP so we know how many people will be attending. If you want to bring any snacks to share or games/sports equipment, please note that in your comment. I'll bring some otter pops. All the info is here - https://www.signupgenius.com/go/508054BADA629A4FF2-59892461-lisas
- If anyone is interested in helping make sugar skulls for Dia de los Muertos this Thursday afternoon, please reach out to Lisa. They have the molds and the recipe.
- Our first field trip will be the MIM on Dec. 11. If you are driving, Lisa will have reached out to you to confirm.
- Have you signed your child up for their Asia presentation yet? https://signup.com/go/VLatCFA
- What about an Asian food item for the potluck on Nov. 14? We'd like a robust amount of food so everyone can participate - https://signup.com/go/ogfHmZr
- If you want to contribute towards the class, a great way is our Teachers Pay Teachers account. $5 can go a long way in buying classroom supplies - https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/ClassFund/Lisa-Moore-80405?ownCampaign=&utm_campaign=ClassFundShare
- Lastly, make sure to always read the Villa-wide email. They have lots of great info.
- They still need volunteers for the Book Fair so sign up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090F4FAEAD29A6F58-44700224-2023
- On a personal note, we signed the Wait until 8th pledge for cell phones and got our kids a landline, so if anyone else is doing this, let me know!
IMPORTANT DATES
October 28 - Tuesday - Family Engagement Session #1
November 4 - Tuesday - E1 Intro Night
November 6 - Thursday - MS Intro Night
November 11 - Tuesday - All School Closed, Veterans Day
November 13 - Thursday - Vision and Hearing Screening Makeups
November 14 - Friday - Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day
AND OUR POTLUCK!!
November 20 - Thursday - PTO Gratitude Breakfast; E2 Intro Night
November 26 - 28 - Wednesday - Friday - All School Closed for Thanksgiving
December 5 - Friday - Infant and Toddler Program Closed; All School Half Day
December 22 - 23 - Monday - Tuesday - Winter Break - School Closed except for Infants & All Day Contracts
December 24 - 25 - Wednesday - Thursday - All School Closed
December 26 - Friday - Winter Break - School Closed except for Infants & All Day Contracts
December 29 - 30 - Monday - Tuesday - Winter Break - School Closed except for Infants & All Day Contracts
December 31 - January 1 - Wednesday - Thursday - All School Closed
January 2 - Friday - Winter Break - School Closed except for Infants & All Day Contracts
January 5 - Monday - School resumes
Oct. 19
Hello everyone,
It’s a busy time of year, so here are a few important reminders and upcoming events to keep on your radar:
This Friday: All-School Half Day
Please note that this Friday is a half day for the entire school. There will be NO CIRCLE.
Class Get-Together – Sunday, November 9, 10:00 AM–12:00 PM
Mark your calendars! Join us for a fun and casual class gathering at the Pera Club (1 E Continental Dr, Tempe, AZ 85288). We’ll have a ramada near the playground—siblings are welcome too! I’ll be sending out a Sign-Up link this week with more details.
Asia Continent Study
-
Student Presentations begin Monday, November 4. Please sign up for a presentation date here:
-
Asia Luncheon is on Friday, November 14. We’d love your help! Sign up to bring a dish from an Asian country and plan to join us:
Halloween at Villa
For those new to Villa: Halloween is a costume-free day at school. Please do not send candy with your child. Be sure to check your Villa email for all the details about Trunk or Treat happening this Saturday!
From Lisa: What We’re Learning
Next week we'll be learning about the water cycle & what happens to all this rain we've had and that will lead into learning about clouds.
We are also doing our quarterly retest on spelling words to make sure the kids are retaining what they have mastered. If anyone recognizes any words, that is why. Since these are the most commonly used words, they should fully master them.
Important Dates to Remember
| Date | Day | Event Description |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 21 | Tuesday | Vision & Hearing Screening |
| Oct 23 | Thursday | Peter Piper Dine Out, 4:00–8:00 PM |
| Oct 24 | Friday | Infant & Toddler Program Closed; All-School Half Day |
| Oct 25 | Saturday | Trunk or Treat |
| Oct 28 | Tuesday | Family Engagement Session #1 |
| Nov 4 | Tuesday | E1 Intro Night |
| Nov 6 | Thursday | MS Intro Night |
| Nov 11 | Tuesday | All School Closed – Veterans Day |
| Nov 13 | Thursday | Vision & Hearing Screening Makeups |
| Nov 14 | Friday | Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day |
| Nov 20 | Thursday | PTO Gratitude Breakfast; E2 Intro Night |
| Nov 26–28 | Wed–Fri | All School Closed – Thanksgiving Break |
Thanks for staying on top of everything—we appreciate your support and look forward to seeing you at the upcoming events!
