October 1st, 2026

 

AZ Science Center trip

Thank you Megan, Maggie, Tawyna, Chelsea, Tom, Michelle, Grisel , Jasmine, and Hannah for chaperoning our trip to the science center!

 

Fourth grade going out

4th grade will go to SMOCA on October 8th. We are in need of 3 more drivers. If you are available, please use the link to sign up below 

Kayla Parents 26/27: Chaperones for Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art 4th grade going out

 

OCTOBER BOOK TALK for the Month of October

Students will have their reading log and Book Talk rubric with them today to help guide their reading and preparation.

Book Talk Due & Presented in Class: October 30

Choosing Your Book

Suggested Genre: Realistic Fiction

If you do not have a Realistic Fiction book at home, you may choose another genre.

You may also use a book you are already reading. If you are already in the middle of a book, that is completely fine. You do not need to start a new book.

While You Read

Use your reading log to keep track of your reading and important details from your book.

Think about:

• Who are the important characters?
• Where does the story take place?
• What is the main problem or conflict?
• What are some important events?
• What is the main idea or message?
• What did you like about the book?
• Would you recommend the book to a classmate? Why?

Book Talk Presentation

Students will present their Book Talk to the class on October 30.

Your Book Talk rubric will help you know what to include in your presentation and how you will be assessed.

Remember: If you are already in the middle of a book, you can use that book for your Book Talk. You do not need to start a new book.

 

What we are learning in the month of October 

Science

· Cells

· Skeletal system

History

· Building blocks of civilizations

· Ancient Mesopotamia/Sumerian

Geography

· Resource & Climate maps of Africa

Writing

· Descriptive writing (focus on word choice, descriptive words, figurative language within descriptive writing samples)

Language

· Quotation marks

· Idioms & Hyperboles

Grammar

· Types of nouns (plural noun rules)

· Types of adjectives

· Sentence Analysis (teach with the parts of speech)

Geometry

· Classifying quadrilaterals

· Types of Polygons

 

September 21,2026

Special Thank you

Huge thanks to Cindy Leech for coming in to teach our class a piece education lesson on seeing things from different perspectives. Students enjoyed finding a calm peaceful space and reflecting on the things that make us different.

 

Thank you to Chontel Mulatto for coordinating with BMO bank to teach the kids an amazing lesson on financial literacy. They enjoyed planning and budgeting for a camping trip and receiving piggy banks to practice saving money.

 

Class Field Trip

IXL Homework: Students are starting their nightly IXL homework tonight. 

 

Each week, your child will be assigned skills to practice on IXL.

The goal is for students to reach a SmartScore of at least 80 on each assigned concept.

 

How Does My Child Find Their Homework?

Go to https://www.ixl.com/signin/villamontessori

Login with your student's information. 

Once logged in make sure students are in the ‘My IXL’ tab on the far left. 

Then click the ‘From Your Teacher’ tab.

Click the assigned skills to begin practice.

Students will be assigned new lessons weekly and will need to work on the assigned lessons nightly for at least 20 minutes.

If students complete all of their “From Your Teacher’ skills, they should then work on the ‘Recommendations’ skills.

 

The 20-Minute Rule

 We do NOT want homework to become frustrating or overwhelming!

If your child is having difficulty reaching a SmartScore of 80 on a concept and has been actively working on that concept for 20 minutes, please have them STOP.

It is okay if they did not reach an 80! This lets me know that your child may need some additional support with that skill, and we can work on it together at school.

 

 What If My Child Gets Stuck?

IXL has some great built-in resources to help students when they are having difficulty.

Students can select:

“Learn with an Example” – IXL will walk them through an example of the skill.

“Watch a Video” – Students can watch a short lesson explaining the concept.

Please encourage your child to use these resources when needed!

 Show Your Work!

Students should use a notebook or scrap paper to work out their math problems.

Please monitor at home, they will not bring notebook to school. This allows me to see their thinking and better understand where they may need additional help.

 

Parents, Your Job Just Got a Little Easier!

The great news is that you do NOT need to correct your child's math homework!

IXL will provide immediate feedback and let your child know whether their answers are correct.

Your most important job is simply to provide support and encouragement as your child completes their daily math practice.

Please remember, progress and understanding are more important than frustration. If your child has truly worked on a concept for 20 minutes and is struggling to reach an 80 SmartScore, have them stop and bring their work (notebook or scrap work paper) to school so I can help.

 

Please email me at [email protected], with any questions about the new homework program.

 

Students will also continue to read 20 minutes a night and fill out their reading log.

 

 

Goal Setting Conferences: We are continuing Goal Setting Conferences this week. This Friday, September 25^th is another Half-Day school will be out at 11:30 am, there will be Circle.

Conferences will be held inside the classroom if before school or after school or in the front/back of the classroom during the morning times. During the conference students will be going over their goals they have set for themselves for this school year.

 

 

September 8th, 2026

 

Enrichment classes start this week.

 

This Friday, September 11^th will be a Half-Day for Staff Professional Development there will be no Circle and everyone will get out at 11:30 am.

 

Goal Setting Conferences: Goal Setting Conferences start next week. If you have don’t so already please sign up for a time to meet clicking the following link, Kayla Parents 26/27: Kayla's Goal Setting Conferences 2026-2027 If none of the available times work for you, please email at [email protected] to schedule another date and time.

 

SEESAW app:

Students will use Seesaw as a digital portfolio to share photos, videos, assignments, and other examples of their learning. Families can sign up to connect to their child’s journal and see their work and progress throughout the year.

📱 Family Sign-Up: Please take a few minutes to sign up for Seesaw and connect to your child’s account. We’d love for you to be able to see the learning and work your child is sharing in class! use the following link https://app.seesaw.me/s/406-359-035 

 

A special thank you to Ellie’s grandparents for generously donating clay and floor seats to our classroom! The students absolutely love having these new materials and seating options to use during our work time.

We truly appreciate your generosity and support of our classroom.

 

Pizza Friday: 

If you haven’t already, please send in your pizza friday payment to Megan via venmo

This year, we’re excited to be partnering with My Slice of the Pie for our Friday pizza!

Homework: Students should continue to do one math lesson and read 20 minutes a night for homework.

Students also got their weekly spelling words in their folders today. Every week they get their new list based on the words they passed the previous week. Students should practice the words at home each week, tests will be taken on Friday mornings. Reading logs begin this week, students will need to return them daily with homework.

 

Congratulations to Ethan for winning our class T-shirt design contest! We are excited to have his design represent our class this year.

Class T-shirts are $14 per shirt and will be worn for field trips and other special class activities throughout the school year. Payment is due by September 4th.

Please send payment to our class coordinator, Megan, via Venmo: Megan-Affrunti-1

Thank you for supporting our class and helping make this a fun experience for our students!

 

Pizza Friday: Pizza Friday forms and payment are due this Friday, August 28^th. The first Pizza Friday will be next Friday, September 4^th! 

 

Lost and Found: The last week of every month we will do a Lost and Found viewing in the carline area. All things left in Lost and Found at the end of the day on Friday, August 28^th will be donated. Please make sure to check and have your student check the Lost and Found for any items this week.

 

Goal Setting Conferences: Click the following link to sign-up for a Goal Setting Conference, Kayla Parents 26/27: Kayla's Goal Setting Conferences 2026-2027 Conferences are student led and include student, teacher and parent. Students will be going over their goals they set for the school year. If none of the available times work for you please email me at [email protected]

 

Thank you to all of the parents who were able to join us for Parent Orientation! We had a wonderful turnout, and I truly appreciate you taking the time to come learn more about our classroom, curriculum, and expectations for the school year. If you were unable to attend, no worries! Your student was sent home with an information packet that includes the important information we discussed. Please take some time to review it with your child. 

 

Thank you!

A special thank you to Lisa for coming in and teaching our 4th grade students about autism and understanding differences. The students had a wonderful opportunity to learn more about how everyone learns, communicates, and experiences the world in different ways.

 

Homework: Students received review math packets on Friday. They should be working on their Rev-Up math packet nightly, doing one lesson each night. They should also be reading 20 minutes a night and fill out the reading log. Students will need to turn in their math packet every morning to be checked off. Starting next week, if students do not complete their homework, they will go to Study Hall for 15 minutes during recess to complete it. If you want to opt your student out of Study Hall, please email Christy Cantu at [email protected] stating your reason.

 

Specials: Specials start this week, please make sure your student wears or brings closed toed shoes on Mondays and Wednesdays, as well as a water bottle.

 

Enrichments: Students had the Enrichment Fair last Friday. You will be receiving an email with a link to sign-up for the classes. E2 Enrichment Registration opens this Wednesday, August 19^th at 7pm.

 

Welcome to a new school year! We had a wonderful first day, and I am so excited for the year ahead. Today was focused on bu

 

One of our first activities today was creating our Virtue Rocks. Each student decorated a rock and chose a virtue that represents something they would like to bring into our classroom this year.

We talked about virtues such as kindness, respect, responsibility, courage, patience, perseverance, and compassion.

This activity gave students an opportunity to think about the kind of classroom community we want to create together and the qualities we want to practice throughout the year.

 

Today we also began learning our classroom procedures and routines. Over the next several days, students will continue practicing how to:

Our goal is to help students become independent, responsible, and confident learners.

 

The Great River: Students will explore how water shapes our planet and supports life.

The Big Bang – First Great Lesson: Students will explore the origins of the universe, stars, planets, and Earth through the Montessori First Great Lesson.

Lava to Life: Students will learn about the formation of Earth and how life developed over time.

Coming of Humans: Students will explore human origins, development, and how early humans adapted to their environment.

History of Numbers: Students will discover how humans developed counting systems and numbers to solve everyday problems.

History of Writing: Students will learn how humans developed written language as a way to communicate and preserve ideas.

Types of Maps: Students will learn about different types of maps and how each type helps us understand places and information.

Continents & Oceans: Students will identify the seven continents and five oceans using political and physical maps.

Map Skills: Students will learn to use compass roses, directions, symbols, keys, and other tools to read and understand maps.

Personal Narratives: Students will write about a real experience using details, organization, and descriptive language. This will also serve as an early writing assessment.

Fictional Narratives: Students will create an original story with characters, setting, plot, and descriptive details as they explore the idea of a Creation Story.

Prefixes: Students will learn how adding a prefix to a word can change its meaning.

Personification: Students will learn how writers give human characteristics to objects, animals, or ideas.

Parts of Speech: Students will identify and use nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, and conjunctions.

Types of Sentences: Students will learn how sentences are classified by their purpose and structure and practice creating different types of sentences.

Measurement: Students will practice measuring, comparing, and converting different units while solving real-world problems.

Fractions: Students will build their understanding of fractions by comparing, finding equivalent fractions, and solving fraction problems.

 

Throughout the week, students will complete short assessments in math, reading, writing, and spelling. These assessments will help us understand what students already know, identify areas where they may need additional support, and plan lessons that meet their individual learning needs.

Assessments may include:

This month, students will complete book projects and present their projects to the class. Students will practice speaking clearly, summarizing their book, discussing important characters and events, sharing what they learned or enjoyed, and answering questions from classmates.

We are excited to see the creativity and effort students put into their projects!

 

This month, we will also focus on helping students catch up on late and unfinished work.

Students will have time during study hall to complete missing assignments, but some makeup work may need to be completed at home.

We ask that parents and guardians work with their child at home to help them complete any missing assignments. Please encourage your child to take responsibility for their work, stay organized, and complete assignments carefully.

You can support your child by:

 

We appreciate our families' support in making our classroom a welcoming and successful place for students. Below are some optional ways to participate throughout the year.

If you are interested in volunteering in the classroom, please use the link below to sign up. We appreciate any time families are able to give!

Participation in these opportunities is completely optional. Thank you to all of our families for supporting our classroom community!

 

We are looking forward to meeting with our families at our Parent Orientation!

This will be a great opportunity to learn more about the school year, classroom expectations, curriculum, and how we can work together to support our students.

 

The first day is just the beginning! As we move through the month, students will continue learning our routines, building relationships, and becoming more independent in their work.

I am looking forward to watching each student learn, grow, take on new challenges, and discover their strengths throughout the year.

Thank you for partnering with us and supporting your child's education. I am excited for a wonderful school year!

Warmly, Kayla Anthony