Cowles Montessori School Crier

"Together we celebrate diversity, respect, and the love for learning through the Montessori Method. Our environment nurtures and prepares the child for a global community."

Veteran's Day - Friday, November 10th
CMPG Meeting - Monday, November 13th at 6:00 p.m. in the Cowles Library
Thanksgiving Break - November 22-24th

The Pre-Primary classrooms at Cowles have been busy with various Fall activities. Many of these lessons, found in the "Practical Life" area of the classroom, are aimed at improving several of the the young child's skills including:

- Coordination

- Concentration

- Independence

- Sense of order

A good example of this would be pumpkin scrubbing, sunflower seed tweezing (using tweezers to extract all of the seeds from a sunflower plant), leaf rubbings and painting pictures of pumpkins. We have also learned about the parts of an apple, the life cycle of the apple (tree), and we've taste tested various kinds (and colors) of apples. This is a fun time of year at school with many intriguing activities to keep us busy each day.

Thank you from the Pre-Primary Team!

Do you know where the Pink Tower is?

Bela found it in the Rose Garden behind the Arts Center near Greenwood Park. She has given us a clue to its new location!

How to submit your child(ren)'s answer for this week's clue:

• Go to the Cowles Montessori Facebook Page (click on the link below)
  
• Show your child the picture, click on the Pink Tower survey, and submit your answer to the clue.
  
• Principal Johnson will select a name from the list of students that submit answers each week and announce the lucky winner on Friday.
  
• If your child's name is picked, then he/she will bring home the Pink Tower for the weekend!
  
• If your child takes home the Pink Tower, you can send Principal Johnson a picture of it somewhere in the Des Moines area and he will post that picture for others to find out where it is!

Have fun helping your child locate the Pink Tower!
Click on this link to locate the CMPG Facebook Page, then locate the Pink Tower Survey link: https://www.facebook.com/CowlesMontessori/

This week marks the end of the first academic quarter. Our teachers will determine grades for students based on evidence toward grade-range standards. What you can expect with grading for the first quarter:

- Standards Referenced Grading will be conducted for students in Grades K-8th
- Preschool will be graded according to separate criteria aligned to GOLD Standards
- K-6th Grade will only report grades on Math Standards
- K-6th Grade will include Progress Reports that follow the Montessori Scope and Sequence
- 7-8th Grade will report on Literacy, Math, and Science Standards
- Related Arts (P.E., Music, and Art) will report at the end of the 2nd Quarter/1st Semester

Standards Referenced Grading aligns student performances with a number (1-4):

• 4 = Student demonstrated in-depth inferences and applications that go beyond the goal
• 3 = Student demonstrated evidence that met the standard (e.g. 4th Grade Math Division Standard "Illustrate and explain the calculation by using equations, rectangular arrays, and/or area models")
• 2 = Student demonstrated evidence or partial evidence toward the standard at a basic level (e.g. 4th Grade Math Division Standard "Know basic division facts within 100")
• 1 = Student demonstrated insufficient evidence toward the standard
• If the standard on the report card is left blank with no numbers, then the standard has not been taught yet, or the students have only been introduced to the standard and evidence has not yet been gathered
  

We will utilize grades and Progress Reports as feedback for students and to inform our Montessori instruction. We will use this feedback to foster ways for students to meet the Montessori outcomes of Academic Preparation and the Love for Learning.

Sincerely,
Principal Johnson

Intrinsic Motivation- Intrinsic motivation is the innate desire that drives the child to engage in an activity for enjoyment and satisfaction.

Creativity and Originality of Thought- Students are confident using the knowledge and skills they acquired to express their own ideas and creativity. They recognize the value of their own ideas, respect the creative process of others and are willing to share regardless of risk. Students find joy and satisfaction in self-expression.

Social Responsibility- Social responsibility requires the awareness that one’s actions impact the welfare of the group and that one cannot attain complete independence and autonomy until one contributes constructively in a group process. Individuals are able to make a positive contribution to their community and groups within that community.

Autonomy- The autonomous child is self-directed, composed and morally independent.

Confidence and Competence- The confident and competent child perceives himself as being successful, has a realistic understanding of accomplishment and has the ability to learn from his/her mistakes. Competence is the capability for success through taking risks, reflection, and self-correction.

Spiritual Awareness- Montessori students are often exceptionally compassionate, empathetic, and sensitive to the natural world and human condition.

Academic Preparation- On an academic level, Montessori provides students with skills that allow them to become independently functioning adults and lifelong learners. As students master one level of academic skills they are able to go further and apply themselves to increasingly challenging materials across various academic disciplines. Students recognize that there is always room to grow in their abilities to read, write, speak, and think clearly and thoughtfully. Children learn how to learn by doing. Students are encouraged to explore materials, integrate new concepts, analyze data, and think critically. Academic skills are essential to learning and knowing, not the aim of learning and knowing.

Email: todd.johnson@dmschools.org
Website: https://cowles.dmschools.org/
Location: 6401 College Avenue, Windsor Heights, IA, United States
Phone: 515-710-0227
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CowlesMontessori/
Twitter: @CowlesDMPS