Blog

Family Connection – September 2023

Posted on by Karen Sankey

Dear Families,

Welcome to a new school year! It was so wonderful to have children back in the building this week. Everyone is settling in nicely and becoming acquainted or re-acquainted with classroom and school routines.

Each month, in the Parent Corner, I will send you the American Montessori Society’s Family Connection Newsletter. These newsletters contain valuable and educational information about the Montessori method and philosophy. This month’s newsletter includes two articles. The first concerns Practical Life activities at the Primary (Early Childhood), Elementary, and Middle School levels. The second addresses Geography at the Primary and Elementary levels.

I hope you find this information valuable and informative!

Have a great weekend,

Karen Sankey
Director of Montessori Education & Upper Elementary Teacher

Upper El: Have a great summer!

Posted on by Karen Sankey

Thank you to every student for a fantastic year! Have an awesome summer. You earned it!

Thank you, Upper El families, for placing your beautiful children in our care!

A special thank you to the Januski family for caring for our cavies over the summer.

Wishing you a summer filled with endless adventures and joyful memories. We will miss you!

Karen and Angie

Mrs. Hood: See You Later Alligator!

Posted on by Andrea Hood

Of course, we had to finish our school year with a wonderful gym field day! The air quality outdoors might have stolen our water day, but it didn’t take away the joy and the fun of enjoying time together, doing what toddlers really love: RUNNING!! The children had so much fun, and we loved watching them laugh and challenge themselves.

We set up a huge obstacle course where children had to grab a bean bag, crawl inside tunnels, hop over hula hoops, slide under rainbows, balance on the balance beam, jump high in the jumping station, ride a long horse, tip-toe on colorful dots and climb a mountain to bring the bean bag to its destiny, then… repeat it again! Of course! 🙂

We also had a great time playing together with our friends from Mrs. Wilson’s class using the giant parachute! Parachutes will be forever magical, even to us grown-ups! And as it had to be, we finished our “Uff! … Busy morning,” as one of the toddlers expressed with a delicious ice pop! Yum!

Looking through school pictures, I cannot stop the overwhelming feeling of thankfulness! I know we have said it before, but we need to say it one more time: Thank you for entrusting us with your little ones and walking next to us to give them the best experience each day!

We give them back to you pounds heavier, inches taller, months wiser, more independent, confident, and mature than they were back in September. They did a great job unfolding and growing each day, and we feel honored to have witnessed it. They, for sure, will continue to be part of our lives. Even though some of them will be moving up a level, remember that we will always be interested in your children and their destiny-wherever they go, whatever they do, and whoever they become.

They are truly precious to us!

Enjoy the contrasting pictures of the first weeks and the last weeks of school of your child in our Toddler program!

Reminder: Please join us at the Crossing the Bridge ceremony- Toddler graduation, next Wednesday, 6/14, at 9:45 by the FWM bear!

Love,

Mrs. Hood and Ms. Marissa

Lower El: That’s a Wrap!

Posted on by Ashley O'Connell

One of the highlights of the week was our recent Field Day extravaganza. The lower and upper elementary students gathered in the gymnasium for games, laughter, and friendly competition. The students’ eyes sparkled with excitement as they eagerly awaited the day’s activities. From sack and relay races to tug-of-war and crab soccer, the gym was alive with cheers and laughter. The children wholeheartedly embraced the spirit of the event, showcasing their boundless enthusiasm, teamwork, and sportsmanship.

As the school year ends, I reflect on the incredible journey I’ve had with this group of lower elementary students who have brought so much joy and laughter into my life. It feels like we were starting the school year just yesterday, full of anticipation and excitement. As we bid farewell to another chapter, we celebrate the wonderful memories we created together and wish each other the best summer ahead!

Middle School: Wrapping Up

Posted on by Michelle Lamb

**All families are welcome to the 8th Grade Commencement held at The Meeting House, 31 Main St., Newtown @ 5 pm.**

It is hard to believe that in less than a week, we will be out for the summer and have new graduates headed to high school. It has been a year full of friendships, ideas, projects, and progress. The teachers are proud of all the middle school students for their hard work and growth. While it is a good time for a break, it is sad to know that we won’t be meeting again for a couple of months. Here’s our final weekly recap:

Spirit Week: Thank you to the middle school for getting into the spirit this week! Most of the students participated, and it was fun to see how everyone dressed up!

Math

In the Pre-Transition math class, students used this week to complete their Dream Summer Vacation plans. This class was asked to research a destination of their choice, plan a 4-day holiday within the given budget, and create a 3D mini model of a monument they plan to visit on their trip. This class will present their travel documents on Monday, June 12th, and showcase their scale factor models to each other.
In the Transition math class, students worked tirelessly on completing their Geometry City Project (geomcity). This class was responsible for illustrating four linear equations on a coordinate plane (representing the roads in their town), building four unique 3D geometry structures to represent buildings, and finally designating an area on their map to parks/parking lots given specific dimensions of the spaces. This class will present their cities to each other on Monday, June 12th, and each student will explain their theme and construction process.
In the Algebra math class, students worked in pairs to build and design Algebra-themed escape rooms. This class needed to create five different puzzles that involved the learnings from this year’s curriculum. Students will be given 15 minutes to break free from each other’s unique escape rooms on Monday, June 12th.
Make Joke: What did the square say to the circle?…… Haven’t I seen you around?
Humanities
6th-grade Humanities class focused on finishing N.H. Senzai’s Shooting Kabul this week. The book will be completed for Monday’s final Humanities class over the weekend. This week we learned about 9/11 and the different reactions this caused in the people in the U.S. As it related to the book’s protagonist, we also discussed how racial profiling affected people post-9/11.
The 7th-grade Humanities class completed reading the memoir, Four Perfect Pebbles by Marion Blumenthal Lazan about her experience during the Holocaust. We continued to look at Hitler’s goals during this period and the progression of the Nazi regime over Europe.
8th-grade Humanities classes completed their graduation speeches and rehearsed them in class. They also planned the final 8th Grade News segment.
Science

6th-year Earth Science students have spent the week working on constructing their model rockets as part of our Solar System unit. Students worked individually, constructing each rocket to their specifications. Several students had the opportunity to launch their rockets this week, while the remaining students will do so in the coming days.

7th-year Physical Science students are in the unit, Friction. The objectives of this unit are to define friction, explain how it relates to kinetic energy and the transfer of energy between objects that are in contact with each other, and describe how friction can affect the motion of an object. Students have conducted several experiments that test how density affects friction, along with Issac Newton’s involvement with this principle.
8th-year Life Science students are in the unit Digestive System. The objectives of this unit are to describe the process and function of digestion and the organs involved, work with their classmates to create a model of the digestive system, and explain how food moves through the alimentary canal. Students are currently working on creating their model representation of the digestive unit, identifying each organ involved in this process and its function.
In closing, thank you, FWM Middle School families, for your steadfast support this school year. For those graduating, we hope you will keep in touch and visit us in the years to come. For returning middle school families, we look forward to welcoming you back in September.
We wish you peace, rejuvenation, and great memories in the coming months,
Michelle, Zak, & Megan

Spirit Week in Upper El

Posted on by Karen Sankey

From Field Day in the gym and crazy spirit week themes to our last birthday breakfast, we have had a full week in Upper Elementary. Students brought their enthusiasm to school with them this week, and amazingly, they were somehow able to focus on some end-of-the-year assignments too.

With the smoky weather, we had Field Day inside this year. In the morning, Upper Elementary students ran field day for the primary children, facilitating games like a parachute, obstacle course, and bean bag toss. We ended the morning with a visit to the ice cream truck. In the afternoon, we had our turn at Field Day. Our games included tug-of-war, volleyball, crab soccer, and sack races, to name a few.

We celebrated June and summer birthdays on Friday with delicious fruit (thank you, Bordash family), pancakes, and music, including dancing to the always fun Cotton Eye Joe.

We will send our final blog post of the year next week with a little surprise video. Next week we will also be sending some information about summer work.

Mrs. Wilson: End Of The Year Fun!

Posted on by Cynthia Wilson

The last full week of school came to a close this week, and to make it memorable, we conducted a sink-or-float experiment. We filled a large bowl with water and gathered various objects from the classroom. I explained the concept to the children, using some of my own objects as an example. Each child then chose an object and predicted whether it would sink or float before dropping it into the bowl. They excitedly shared their findings with their peers.

In addition, the children were overjoyed when an ice cream truck arrived, and they eagerly enjoyed their frozen treats despite not being able to visit the truck due to air quality concerns. Lastly, we had a blast participating in our indoor field day. The children, along with Mrs. Hood’s friends, had a great time with the obstacle course we created, including activities such as crawling through tunnels, hopping in hoops, balancing on the beam, and jumping off high mats. We also had a group activity with the parachute, and after all the fun, they enjoyed another frozen treat. A big thank you to Eric Benoit (an alum of FWM), who helped set up and guide the children during our activities.

Mrs. Semmah: Field Day Fun!

Posted on by Kaoutar Semmah

Field Day was on Wednesday. It was an awesome day filled with fun stations and lots of laughs. We finished it off with a visit from an ice cream truck!

Continuing with a long-standing FWM tradition, our older friends begin working on their number rolls early in September and had the opportunity to unroll them on Wednesday.  This year, one number roll was so long, it stretched all the way across the gym and onto the playground!

The end of each school year is always an emotional time filled with wonder and pride at all that we accomplished and how much each child has grown. To our Kindergarten students, those moving on, and their families, we wish you all the success you have worked so hard for. You will always hold a special place in our hearts, and we sincerely hope you will keep in touch throughout the years. To our returning students and families, we can’t wait to hear all about your summer and to experience the 2023-24 school year together. We wish all of you a summer filled with peace, love, happiness, and the chance to make beautiful memories. Enjoy the time with your loved ones, and may you all have a chance to relax and enjoy a calmer time of year. Thank you for sharing your children with us, and thank you for all the behind-the-scenes help that made our year so much smoother!

We leave you with a poem that resonates deeply with us every single year.

Whose Child Is This?      

“Whose child is this?” I asked one day
Seeing a little one out at play.
“Mine,” said the parent with a tender smile.
“Mine to keep a little while
To bathe his hands and comb his hair
To tell him what he is to wear
To prepare him that he may always be good
And each day do the things he should.”

“Whose child is this?” I asked again
As the door opened and someone came in.
“Mine,” said the teacher with the same tender smile.
“Mine, to keep just for a little while
To teach him how to be gentle and kind
To train and direct his dear little mind
To help him live by every rule
And get the best he can from school.”

“Whose child is this?” I ask once more
Just as the little one entered the door.
“Ours,” said the parent and the teacher as they smiled
And each took the hand of the little child.
“Ours to love and train together
Ours this blessed task forever.”

—–Author Unknown

With much love,

Kaoutar & Sue