Montessori Classroom News October 25, 2017

Farms! In preparation for today’s trip, we have discussed that most our food comes from farms! We have many farm-related books and activities. Ask your child what farm animals they know and what they can tell you about how pumpkins grow.

The Kind Stranger

We learned that Jesus often told stories to teach people. When someone asked him who counts as a “neighbor” in the commandment “love your neighbor as yourself,” Jesus answered with the story of the Good Samaritan (the Kind Stranger). In the story, a Jewish traveler was injured and in need of help. While a Jewish priest and a religious teacher hurried past on the other side of road, a Samaritan (a low-status foreigner) was the one who had compassion and helped the injured person, acting like a neighbor to them. We discussed how we can be a neighbor to anyone who needs our help. The children often request to sing “The Neighbor Song”:

Chorus: Hey, hey, you’re my neighbor now (2x)

Hey, hey, you’re my neighbor today, everybody sing,

Hey, hey, you’re my neighbor now (2x)

Hey, hey, you’re my neighbor today.

Verse 1: When you’re on the road-road-road

To Jericho-cho-cho

And you walk by-by-by

Someone who cry-cry-cries

Take their hand-hand-hand

And help them stand-stand stand!

Tell them “Hey, hey, you’re my neighbor today”

Verse 2: When you’re on your way-way-way

Some rainy day-day-day

And then you see-see-see

Someone in need-need-need

Don’t be shy-shy-shy

And pass them by-by-by

Tell them “Hey, hey, you’re my neighbor today.”