Upper Elementary Classroom

Student Webpages

Music with Miss Laura

The song is Mbira Jam by Walt Hampton and it's written in the style of African marimba music with many syncopated parts. Students played up to three different parts at a time on soprano, alto and bass xylophones.

2021 Holiday Video

Download a PDF of the newsletter here

May 2021

Montessori Community School Upper Elementary Bi-Monthly Focus

Math
4th Fraction addition and subtraction (review)

Problem-solving using ”Singapore math” modeling Graphs, Charts, Probability/ratio review
Decimal addition and subtraction review
Square of trinomial with algebraic model

5th Decimal and percent; “Singapore math” model problems,
SRA progression, metric measurement, fraction division and multiplication, continue work with integers and order of operations

6th “Singapore model” progressions, Integer operations, Algebra: Solving for “x”, Data and statistics, percents

Geometry
4th Congruency, Similarity, Equivalency; Constructive triangles and Compass

work, constructive triangles
5th Compass constructions; Angle measurements in polygons
6th Right Start, Probability, Continued algebra, Polyhedron constructions

Language
4th Standard usage, Punctuation, continue Adverbial practice with Sentence

Analysis and symbolizing, Compound and complex sentences

5th Review compound, Complex and simple sentences, Review advanced grammar parts of speech; Sentence analysis
Daily Latin and Greek roots, Punctuation

6th Review all of the advanced punctuation and advanced parts of speech Sentence types, daily Latin and Greek roots

Writing
All Major research papers

Research presentations
4th Continued editing and proofreading skills 5th Yearbook writing and assembly
6th Yearbooks, graduation speeches

Science
All Continued Simple Machines Studies and experiments

Literature
4th Missing May, book choice for “Book Chat”
5th Across Five Aprils, book choice for “Book Chat”
6th Diary of Anne Frank, book choice for “Book Chat”

History
All Civil War, U.S. geography, History of the 1800s and early 1900s

P.E
All Ultimate Frisbee, Track and Field, Yoga

May 24- May 27th May 28th (Friday) June 7th (Monday)

Upcoming Events

Parent/Teacher conferences
Elementary Graduation – Last day of school First day of summer elementary session 1

March 2021

February 2021

Montessori Community School January/February 2021
Upper Elementary Bi-monthly Focus

History: Continue Colonial study, American Revolution, Early America Science: Electricity, Simple Machines
Geography: Animals and habitats around the world, U.S. geography P.E.: Basketball skills, games around the world, frisbee skills

Math:
4’s Fraction computation, including Greatest Common Factor and Least Common Multiples; problem solving; binomials; continue practicing long multiplication and long division computation; standard measurement and decimal concepts
5’s All fraction operations; continue square roots; introduction to cubing for some students; introduce fraction division; addition and subtraction of integers. Continue SRA individual progress.
6’s Work on finding the cube root. Continue SRA individual progress; applications; Practice books for fractions and percent, algebra.

Geometry:
4’s Continue angle study- measurement of angles using protractor; construct angles using a compass; perimeter study and parts of the quadrilateral.
5’s Continue Axis, centroid and circumcenter using a protractor and
compass to complete. Continue area of polygons, introduce

circumference and parts of a circle.
6’s Right start geometric constructions, total surface area and volume of solids.

Language:

All Daily Latin and Spelling Connections workbook.
4’s Sentence analysis study involving subject, predicate, direct and indirect object, introduce adverbial and adjectival phrases.
5’s Types of verbs (transitive and intransitive); compound and complex sentences; continue appositives.
6’s Grammar review; sentence diagramming; advanced punctuation using colons and semi-colons; continue work with types of clauses.

Writing:
All Observational writing; proofreading and editing; history of English language. 4’s Begin paragraph writing- persuasive essay; expository essay; continue punctuation and outlining.
5’/6’s Essay writing; elements of writing including irony and personification

Literature:

4’s 5’s 6’s

Jan. 18 Jan. 19 Jan. 23 Jan. 26 Feb. 5 Feb. 15 Feb. 19 Feb. 22-26

One and Only Ivan, Sarah Bishop, Biography of person from U.S. History Johnny Tremain, Witch of Blackbird Pond, Savvy, Rules, adventure board Game Golden Compass, My Brother Sam is Dead, adventure book board game

Upcoming Events

NO SCHOOL: MLK day
Tuesday Tea with Marjie (virtual), 4:15-5:15 p.m. Admissions Open House (virtual), 9:00-11:00 a.m. Adventures in Montessori (virtual), 4:00-5:00 p.m.
NO SCHOOL: Staff Professional Day
NO SCHOOL: Presidents’ Day holiday
Elementary Progress Reports given
Student-led conferences (be looking for a google doc signup)

2020 Winter Performance Video

Montessori Community School

November/December 2020

Upper Elementary Bi-monthly Focus

History​: Continuing with The Age of Exploration, starting Colonialism (building a country) Science​: Climate Change, Introduction to Microscopes
Geography: ​Navigation, surveying, mapmaking
Math​:

4’s Continue long multiplication and long division computation, continue practice with Singapore math word problems, SRA math concepts, continue fractions and introduction to decimal nomenclature and operations.

5’s Data and graphs, Singapore models for word problems/application problems, SRA individual progress, fraction work, decimal multiplication and percents, square root sequence, standard measurement and multiple series.

6’s Algebra work, data and graphing, SRA progression, continue Singapore models, cube root, continue algebra practice book

Geometry​:
4’s Continue angle study, types of lines and continue to practice measuring and

constructing angles. Study relationships between angles.
5’s Continue working with constructing altitudes, Pythagorean theorem, begin Insets

of equivalency to transition to area work, add new information/review information to Geometry booklets

6’s Area of polynomials, Circumference, Area of Circles, Pi, total surface area of solids

Language​:
4’s Daily Latin, continue adjective study, move into more complex sentence

analyzing, begin preposition and pronoun study, punctuation, synonyms, antonyms and homonyms, Spelling Connections work.

5’s Analysis with compound and complex sentences - continuation of prepositional phrases, appositives, compound subjects/predicates, review complex nouns, adjectives, pronouns and verbs, Spelling Connections work.

6’s Analysis and construction of compound and complex sentences, finishing up gerunds, participles, and infinitives. Continue grammar review, punctuation work, and Spelling Connections work.

Writing​:
4’s Finish outline work, poetry

All As a class we discussed all the places we see writing - magazines, newspaper, movie scripts, research books, etc. Students work on their own type of writing, using the writing process to brainstorm and write their own poetry books, plays, sports articles, and so on.

Literature​:
4’s My Side of the Mountain, Pedro’s Journal
5’s Sign of the Beaver, Esperanza Rising, The Golden Compass 6’s Savvy, The Witch of Blackbird Pond

P.E​.: Finish volleyball and Frisbee golf, games from around the world, and nutrition Upcoming Events

Wed., Nov. 11
Mon.-Fri., Nov. 16-20 Thurs.-Fri., Nov. 26-27 Mon.-Fri., Dec. 21-Jan. 1 Mon., Jan. 4

NO SCHOOL- Veterans Day Parent-Teacher Conferences
NO SCHOOL- Thanksgiving Recess NO SCHOOL- Winter Recess School Resumes

Montessori Community School

October 2020

Upper Elementary Monthly Focus

History: ​Ancient Peoples of North and South America, Who first “discovered” North and South America.

Science: ​Weather, water cycleGeography: ​Mapping animals around the world. Types of maps, reading maps, and navigation introduction.

Math​:
4’s Continue whole number multiplication and division practice, Long Division with test Tubes, double and triple digit divisors, Introduce sum X sum.
5’s Review operations; Sum X Sum series leading to squaring on pegboard; application problems using whole number operations; SRA evaluation and individual work card sequence
6’s Review squaring sequence; fractions and decimals; powers of numbers; application problems involving multi-step whole number operations; SRA evaluation and individual work card sequence

Geometry​:
4’s Study of angles, measuring angles, adding angles,
5’s Congruency, similarity, equivalency concepts and exercises
6’s Insets of equivalency work; review Area; “Right Start” Geometric Constructions

Language:

4’s Daily Latin, review grammar studies beginning with noun work; word study skills, root words, prefix and suffix studies, weekly Spelling Connections

5’s Begin advanced parts of speech, logical analysis of sentences, daily Latin/vocabulary building, weekly Spelling Connections.

6’s Continue advanced parts of speech (gerunds, infinitives), logical analysis/sentence structure, weekly Spelling Connections.

Writing​:
All History of Writing, continue parts of a story- connect it with the Literature. 4’s Introduce outlining
5’s/6’s Continue work on creative writing

Literature​:
4’s A Cricket in Times Square, Bunnicula
5’s Walk Two Moons, Island of the Blue Dolphins
6’s Julie of the Wolves, US historical figure Biography

Drop Off:​ The morning drop off procedure involves some changes. Please pull up all the way to the tree if you are the first car in line to avoid your child having to step out onto the curb. Elementary teachers are on duty each morning from 7:30 to 8:00 a.m. to take your child’s temperature, and verify health questions.

Tardy Policy:​ Students are marked tardy if they arrive after 8:00 a.m. If you should arrive late, please park and walk your child to the office for a health check, and sign a tardy slip. An office staff member will take your child to their classroom.

Parental Help

Please remember to review and sign your child’s planner each weekend after your child shows you his/her week’s work. (This is best done early in the weekend to allow extra time if “catch up” work needs to be done). This is an important communication tool. We check for parent signatures each Monday morning at the beginning of our general meeting.

Please provide a simple, nutritious snack for the mid-morning ten-minute nutrition break.

Please check your student’s Vocabulary Classical Roots workbook, administer the Thursday practice test, and sign both the book and the composition book.

Upcoming Events:
Mon., Oct. 12​- NO SCHOOL, Discoverers' Day holiday / Staff Professional Day

Tues., Oct. 13​- "Tuesday Tea with Marjie" (8:45 - 9:45 a.m.)

Montessori Community School

September 2020

Upper Elementary Monthly Focus Letter

History: Ancient Peoples of North and South America, maps of South and Central America, Native American study

Science: Weather, microscopes

Great Lessons (Geography): The Beginning of the World, The TimeLine of Life 

Math:

4’s       Testing and review of math facts; whole number multiplication and division practice with materials leading to recording and abstraction

5’s       Review operations; Decimal multiplication, Sum X Sum series leading to squaring on pegboard; application problems using whole number operations; SRA evaluation and individual work card sequence

6’s       Review squaring sequence; fractions and decimals; powers of numbers; application problems involving multi-step whole number operations; SRA evaluation and individual work card sequence

Geometry:

4’s       Study of the line; study of angles; polygon constructions using geometry sticks and nomenclature

5’s       Congruency, similarity, equivalency concepts and exercises

6’s       Review of congruency, similarity and equivalency concepts; review perimeter and area; “Right Start” Geometric Constructions

Language:      

4’s       Daily Latin, review grammar studies beginning with noun work; word study skills, root words, prefix and suffix studies, basic sentence analysis.

5’s       Begin advanced parts of speech, logical analysis of sentences, daily Latin/vocabulary building

6’s       Continue advanced parts of speech, logical analysis/sentence structure, punctuation and skills practice

Writing:

All        Focus on creative writing; review punctuation skills

5’/6’s   Introduction to genres, biographies

Literature:

4’s Sign of the Beaver

5’s Inside Out and Back Again

6’s Island of the Blue Dolphins 

Upcoming Events

Sept. 22-25        Tues.-Fri.   Parent conferences on Zoom for 4th year students

                                    (Watch for a Google doc. Sign-up sheet the week before)

Student Schedules

Click below to open a schedule

Technology and Movies

MONTESSORI COMMUNITY SCHOOL

Upper Elementary, Grades 4-6

Ms. Andee Blackwell/Ms. Monika Day

Welcome to the 2020 - 2021 school year at MCS. We are ready to start the year, welcome back our returning students, and get to know our new fourth years! Please see the following statement from Ms. Carroll regarding the school’s decision to begin the year with Distance Learning (DL).

“It is with the goal of keeping the students, families, and staff of MCS safe, and in joining with others on the island of Oahu to improve the status of the spread of COVID-19 on Oahu, that MCS has made the difficult choice to begin the school year on Monday, August 31, partially on-campus and partially in Distance Learning (DL). The MCS decision to start the school year in this way is based on the unfortunate situation that COVID-19 is spreading swiftly across our island. Under these circumstances, it is prudent that MCS limit the exposure of our students and staff to others by starting the school year in a careful way.  If you have questions, please contact Marjie Carroll, Head of School: mcarroll@montessorihawaii.org

Starting Monday, August 31:

• The Two-Year-Old Program will open on-campus in the Cottage classroom

• The Preschool & Kindergarten Program and the Lower and Upper Elementary Program will open in Distance Learning”

We are sending home the students new school supplies, notebooks, pencils, homework, etc. as well as planning the first two weeks of lessons with the use of paper packets, Zoom and Apple Schoolwork. Mr. Bob will be meeting with the Upper Elementary students during the first weeks to ensure that all students know how to use their school device and access Apple Schoolwork. We have worked to keep the scheduling and our routine as consistent as possible to help with the transition for all students, but it will be an adjustment. 

There will be a materials pick up for all Elementary students on Friday, August 28th between 8:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. at the Montessori Community School campus. 

Thank you very much and we look forward to starting off a new school year!

Please feel free to contact us:

Ms. Andee Blackwell: ablackwell@montessorihawaii.org

Ms. Monika Day: mday@montessorihawaii.org