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Lower El: Poetry and Songs

Posted on by Ashley O'Connell

In Writers Workshop we have started a new unit on poetry! The children have learned that poetry is a special type of writing that follows a pattern. To kick off our unit, we started learning about acrostic poems. The children are most familiar with this type of poetry because we do them during our class birthday celebrations. Each child is learning to choose a topic word, brain storm ideas or phrases to fit the topic, and then write their poem.

In addition, the children and I have been working on a song and dance for the past couple of weeks. This song is called “La, La, La, Si.” Encourage your child to teach you or another loved one the song/dance!

Mrs. Lopes: Exploring Insects

Posted on by Amanda Lopes

“A child, more than anyone else, is a spontaneous observer of nature.” – Maria Montessori

Flowers aren’t the only ones that come out of hiding during spring. After the cold of winter you’ll notice more insects start making their appearance. Curiosity towards these six legged friends hits a high note in April, and we take the cue to “follow the child” and their deep affection for insects. Over the next several weeks we will continue to support your children’s curiosity, exploration, and understanding of insects through hands-on activities, songs, lessons, and outdoor exploration. The intent is to encourage their interest in the diversity, beauty, and joy of nature.

Is a spider an insect? What are the 3 parts of an insect?  The children know, ask them.

Have a warm and wonderful week!

Amanda & Heather

Mrs. Hood: Los Pollitos Dicen Pio!

Posted on by Andrea Hood

This week we continued with our eggs and chickens theme. Children learned that chickens don’t have teeth but they use their beak to crush their food, they have feathers but they can’t fly very far, and they also enjoy eating some worms and seeds. To bring a real life experience to this topic, each child got to explore an egg. We introduced vocabulary words like shell, egg white, and yolk. They also had the opportunity to practice their fine motor skills by learning how to peel their own egg. They seemed to enjoy cracking the egg and carefully peeling the shell, then they had the opportunity to taste it. Some of them were really excited to see their egg also had a yolk like the one I presented. I encourage you to add this activity at home! Children were feeling very proud of themselves!

To reinforce the Spanish language, the children were also introduced to a fun Spanish song called: Los Pollitos. By the way,  in Spanish, the chicks say, “Pio, pio,” instead of “Chirp, chirp.” Just an interesting cultural bonus sent your way :). Children requested this song over and over, so we wanted to share it with you and let your children show you all the movements that go with it, while, of course, practicing their Spanish and having fun!

We also explored the color RED during our sharing time! Children loved talking about their objects and one of the students delighted us all while playing his red harmonica. Of course, this encouraged his peers to get up and dance and we had a blast!

Finally, for food tasting we explored black beans and even though this food item didn’t receive an outstanding ovation by all, some children asked for seconds.

We hope you all have a wonderful Easter and enjoy this long weekend together!

Mrs. Hood and Ms. Maria 

Mrs. Wilson: Our Busy, Beautiful Week!

Posted on by Cynthia Wilson

This week we were busy working on the class auction gift. The children chose a wooden piece to help paint that will be part of the class gift item. Thank you to Josie for helping the children with this project. I can not wait to see the completed item! I have a feeling that this is going to start a bidding war!

Other happenings: We celebrated our friend’s third birthday. We started putting out some spring-related lessons on the shelf. The children seemed excited to start using these new lessons. This week we were not able to get to our food tasting. I am hoping that we can do two next week.

Mrs Semmah: Spring Into Science (Parts of the Plant)

Posted on by Kaoutar Semmah

This week we learned about parts of a plant. During circle time, we introduced new vocabulary using pictures. We also discussed the set of works each part plays in the life cycle of the plant. Seeds: grow a new plant. Roots: take water from the ground for the plant. Stem: carries water to the leaves and holds the plant. Flower: makes more seeds. In the art area, the children were able to label the plant parts using a cupcake liner, pipe cleaner, yarn, and sunflower seeds. They also pasted the labels for each part. We also read The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle. It helps children follow the life cycle of a flower on an easy-to-understand level.

It was very lovely to see parents volunteering at our school building. The children were very excited and happy to share these precious moments of hand printing on the bench with their parents. Very special thanks to our class parents Lidia and Kenyon for organizing this event and to all the parents who contributed to making this beautiful bench.

Wishing you a peaceful weekend

Kaoutar and Sara

FWM’s Spring Get-Together: Let’s Get Acquainted at Aquila’s!

Posted on by Gina Tryforos

Each spring, Fraser Woods Montessori families from past and present gather to celebrate our community. We are thrilled to bring back this annual tradition of our spring get-together and auction.  On Sunday, May 1st, from 4-8 p.m. our community will come together for our 26th auction to truly get acquainted after two years of being careful to avoid large gatherings here at school in order to protect the community from the spread of covid.

This year, FWM welcomed over 50 new children to our school. We can’t wait to bring together those new to the community and those members who have been a part of FWM for years and years. This get-together at Aquila’s Nest Vineyards gives us a chance to enjoy a pleasant evening, meeting and reconnecting with other FWM parents!   

Your ticket to the auction includes an evening in a most beautiful setting- perched high on the top of a hill, with extensive views of rolling vineyards, and a spectacular sunset. Aquila’s Nest Vineyards is the ideal venue for all of us to get (re)acquainted. 

In addition, this event is also a fundraiser. As with any independent school, tuition only covers a portion of the operating expenses needed to run the school. The remainder is made through fundraising and donation efforts, and our Annual Auction has been a key part of that effort.

The Auction consists of a Silent Auction, a Live Auction, and a live Fund-A-Need round of bidding. The Silent Auction is conducted online via GiveSmart. In the days before the event, you will receive a text with instructions on how to bid using your mobile device. If you are unable to join us in-person at Aquila’s, you are invited to participate in the silent auction which opens virtually on Monday, April 25th. 

The Live Auction is conducted by a guest auctioneer. This is where the night gets fun, and sometimes a little crazy — in a good way! Items generally included in the Live Auction are a combination of unique opportunities, school/classroom/teacher experiences, and Class Gifts “made” by the children.

Once all bidding is concluded, you will be notified which items you won via GiveSmart on your mobile device – please collect them before you leave!

Each year, the school designates a particular area of need for the school, and donations to the Fund-A-Need are earmarked specifically for these projects and items. Stay tuned for details about the 2022 Fund-A-Need.

Please join us and celebrate FWM! 

Sunday, May 1st, 2022

4:00 – 8:00 p.m.

Aquila’s Nest Vineyards

Sandy Hook

Register at fwm22.givesmart.com

Mrs. Lopes: Our Hurried World

Posted on by Amanda Lopes

” Help me to do it myself.”

In our hurried world, it is easier to do it ourselves than to stop and show our children how to do a task, and patiently wait until they complete it. Montessori tells us that everything we do for the child that they can do for themselves is an obstacle to their development. Definitely something to think about!  In our classroom, we are always encouraging the children to be independent and to take care of themselves.  We hope you can continue this in your home environment and you may be surprised by how much your child is able to do on their own.  This independence fosters the child’s confidence and promotes positive self-esteem.

Our classroom travels have taken us to the continent of South America this week. We will be exploring the various countries, customs, animals, foods, music, and literature this culturally rich continent has to offer. We will also discuss what a rainforest is and have fun discovering the many layers and animals who live in the rainforests.

Wishing you a wonderful week ahead,

Amanda & Heather

Lower El: Learning about Biomes

Posted on by Ashley O'Connell

This week in Lower Elementary the students started a study on biomes. We learned that biomes are natural areas on Earth where certain types of plants grow and animals live. There are over thirty types of biomes on Earth. We are taking a closer look at nine of those biomes; wetlands, grasslands, oceans, deserts, temperate forests, mountains, tropical forests, and polar regions.

For follow up practice, there is a material called Biome Readers. This work introduces different plant and animal life that are within each biome. The children are loving working together!