Welcome to Mrs. Amy Croel-Perrien's website! I have been working in education since 1995. Most recently I taught in a 4th/5th grade public Montessori program for West Ottawa Schools in Holland, Michigan. My experience also includes charter and private Montessori teaching. I am currently on a leave of absence from WO schools to work on a PhD in Curriculum, Instruction, and Teacher Education at Michigan State University.
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29 November 2009
This Week at School
Next week at school the holiday gift shop will be set up for interested children to do their Christmas shopping. We have a preview day at the beginning of the week and children will have the opportunity to shop mid-to-late in the week. This is a PTA-sponsored activity.
Also, Dads and Doughnuts is this week! Dads are welcome to enjoy coffee and a doughnut this Friday morning from 9 a.m. - 10 a.m. This is a Perrien-only classroom activity.
Although parents will be asked to sign a spelling pretest Monday evening, there will be no reflection to sign this week. We did not "reflect" on last week's short week. Last week was an intense week of writing, writing, and more writing! In a few short weeks, parents will be able to see the fruits of our intense writing efforts!
Have a wonderful week...welcome to December! (If you haven't had the chance, please be sure to review Perrien's Winter Weather Policy blog post from last week.)
25 November 2009
Happy Thanksgiving!
I have uploaded more photos into the Photobucket account, enjoy!
Happy Thanksgiving!
--Mrs. Perrien
23 November 2009
Giving "thanks" opportunity!
Perrien's Winter Weather Policy
The problem created by this resistance is that children then come inside from recess with wet clothes and shoes that make a mess in the classroom. Therefore, the following policy is intact in the Upper Montessori classroom: If students don't wear winter gear outside and come in wet & soggy they will automatically miss the next recess. Children that make this a pattern will be required to bring winter gear from home before they are allowed outside again.
What is winter gear? Winter coat or jacket, hats and mittens/gloves, boots...these are the minimum! Snow pants are optional BUT students that do not wear snow pants will not be allowed to sled on the hill outside. While this may seem harsh, it is not meant to punish. Wet clothing and shoes in the classroom are a hazard to carpet, furniture, and our expensive Montessori materials!
***Please review this policy with your child before snow is falling!
22 November 2009
Classroom News
Hello everyone!
I would like to thank Mrs. Perrien for allowing me to post information on an upcoming event in the classroom this week! My hopes for this posting are to give the parents a "heads up" on what we will be doing during this short week.
With only two days in the classroom, Mrs. Perrien and I have decided not to give the students a work plan to complete. Instead, we will be taking them through an intensive writing workshop, where we will be learning (and writing) tons! Our focus will be on writing fictional stories (we have been writing personal narratives up to this point). We will be discussing what fiction is (a literary work based on the imagination and not necessarily on fact), how to develop believable characters with internal/external traits, plotting with a story mountain, planning and writing scenes, and how to revise/reread with a lens. We will be hard at work on Monday and Tuesday!
I am very excited for this week to begin, and think the students will really enjoy themselves!
Also, I wanted to say a quick THANK YOU to all who came to my basketball game last Tuesday night...it was a wonderful surprise!!
16 November 2009
Report Cards
Mrs. Perrien