Blog

Mrs. Sargeant: Journey to Antarctica

Posted on by Christine Sargeant

Last week brought exciting new learning to our classroom as we embarked on a study of Antarctica, the frozen continent at the bottom of our world. The children explored different types of penguins and seals through books and photographs, learning about how these remarkable animals thrive in one of Earth’s harshest environments. We also discussed the scientists who travel to Antarctica to study this unique ecosystem, sparking conversations about exploration and discovery.

To support this cultural study, we introduced a large penguin floor puzzle that has quickly become a classroom favorite. The children work together to assemble it, developing both their problem-solving skills and their collaborative abilities. We also added cinnamon grating to the practical life area, which the children can then sprinkle onto the apples they cut—a sensory experience that brings warmth and comfort during our winter studies.

In our mathematics area, the children have been exploring geometry through hands-on materials. Using the Triangle Box, they discovered the names and properties of different triangles: equilateral (all sides equal), isosceles (two sides equal), and scalene (all sides different). They also worked with geometric solids, learning to identify and name three-dimensional shapes like the cube, sphere, cone, and rectangular prism.

Grace and Courtesy: Caring for Our Community

This time of year brings particular attention to health and hygiene practices. We have been encouraging the children to properly blow their noses and wash their hands thoroughly, and to catch their coughs in their elbows. When we notice a child needs to blow their nose, we guide them to the mirror where they can independently take care of themselves. This builds both self-awareness and confidence in managing their own health needs.

As a reminder, we kindly ask that children please leave all toys at home. This helps maintain our classroom community and ensures that children remain engaged with the rich Montessori materials available to them.

Extending Learning at Home

  • Look at a globe or map together and locate Antarctica—talk about what it means to be at the “bottom” of the world
  • Watch age-appropriate documentaries about penguins and polar animals
  • Practice identifying triangles in everyday objects around your home (sandwich halves, road signs, roof peaks)
  • Model and practice proper hygiene routines, making handwashing and nose-blowing part of your regular routine

ANNOUNCEMENTS & UPCOMING EVENTS
This Week

Monday, December 15: Hanukkah Reading and Latke Tasting
Tuesday, December 16: Kaiya’s Half-Birthday Celebration
Wednesday, December 17: Maaz’s Half-Birthday Celebration
Thursday, December 18: Arrindell Christmas Reading
Friday, December 19: Winter Showcase* (Buses begin at 9:15 a.m., Concert begins 10:30am), Half-Day Dismissal for All Students 11:30am
* All Primary children participate in the Winter Showcase. Please check the dashboard for more information.

Winter Break
Monday, December 22, 2025 – Friday, January 2, 2026
School resumes on Monday, January 5, 2026

This Week in Upper El

Posted on by Karen Sankey

It was a busy and emotional week in Upper El.

Earlier in the week, the students decided to have a Secret Santa-style gift exchange. During our class meeting, they agreed to rename it “Secret Holiday Pudding” to make it more inclusive. Each student completed a questionnaire listing their favorites to help their secret person choose a thoughtful gift.

We also headed down to the edge of our property by the pond to do some archaeological work and retrieve some of the items from our history lesson a few weeks ago, when we studied artifacts left behind over time. The students learned about the different roles people have on a dig team and experienced how much care and patience the work requires. This coming week, they will look at some of the samples they collected under the microscope as our lessons continue.

On Thursday, the class spent the morning making 167 sandwiches. We pivoted a bit this week and chose to share the love closer to school, donating the sandwiches to the Newtown Senior Center. They will be delivered to members of our community who are in need and are unable to leave their homes for various reasons. Thank you to all who contributed ingredients, and to Michael and Priscila for volunteering their time to help us make sandwiches.

The end of our week started with a visit from our adorable book buddies, which always brings a lot of joy to the classroom. Then our middle school friends joined us as we said a sweet and tender goodbye to our little friend, Houdini, and laid him to rest in the woods behind the school. The students held that space with such care for one another.

We spent the rest of the day simply enjoying being together and decorating the hallway outside our classroom to transform it into a giant gingerbread house. The creativity, collaboration, and laughter were exactly what we needed.

I am continually inspired by the love and resilience of these beautiful humans I have the good fortune of working with every day.

Upcoming Dates and Information

  • Please check with your child each day to make sure they have a warm coat, hat, and mittens or gloves for daily outdoor play.
  • Wednesday, 12/17 at 8:30: December Birthday Breakfast for families of children with December birthdays
  • Thursday, 12/18: Class Holiday Party – Students can wear their pajamas and bring their gift for the Secret Pudding gift exchange.
  • Friday, 12/19 at 10:30: Winter Showcase and Early Dismissal

Middle School: Week in Review

Posted on by Michelle Lamb

It was another fun week in Middle School as we decorated the MS hallway and rehearsed for the winter concert. Students can’t wait for you see it before the Winter Showcase on Friday! 8th-grade students collected and wrapped presents for the Holiday Gift Drive and worked on completing seed bombs, ornaments, and cutting boards for the Fraser WoodShop sale at the Winter Showcase.

Announcements:

  • Thursday, 12/18: Class Winter Party: Pajama Day, Secret Snowflake Gift Giving, and yummy treats!
  • **Please bring in the Secret Snowflake Gift wrapped by Thursday morning, 12/18!**
  • Friday, 12/19 @ 10:30 am: Winter Showcase & Fraser WoodShop Pop-up Shop (Park & grab the shuttle at Sand Hill Plaza!)
  • Check with your MS student(s) to make sure they have their refillable water bottle with them.
  • MS Flower Schedule

Humanities

This week, all Humanities classes worked on completing the plot line and scene summaries for this year’s Middle School play. Students also developed their own character ideas, writing about the type of character they would like to play, how they contribute to the plot, defining traits, and sample lines. So far, the show is coming together great! It will be exciting to finally write dialogue for the script next week.

Additionally, 6th and 7th-grade classes learned more about the Lost Boys from Sudan. They watched two short National Geographic videos documenting what it was like for those who traveled to America and then responded to questions about them. While giving them a different life path, students observed how they navigated such a drastic culture change.

The 8th grade finished reading their class novel, <em>If I Ever Get Out of Here</em>. The final week of reading was full of suspense and also tied up the many conflicts that arose in the story. In the end, the theme of friendship really shone through. Students had some deep discussions throughout this novel regarding Native American culture, racism, and defining true friendship.

Math

Pre-Transition: This week in Pre-Transition, students wrapped up Chapter 3. They completed the Chapter 3 Self-Test and spent time reviewing all key concepts before finishing the week with the Chapter 3 assessment.

Transition: Transition students kicked off the week with a fun Jeopardy-style review of Chapter 3 concepts. They then took the Chapter 3 assessment and ended the week beginning Chapter 5, “Patterns Leading to Addition and Subtraction.” Students practiced adding and subtracting positive and negative numbers.

Algebra: In Algebra, students began the week reviewing Chapter 3 and taking the Chapter 3 assessment. From there, they moved into Chapter 4, “More Linear Equations and Inequalities.” Students solved percent problems using equations and learned how to use graphs and tables to model real-world linear relationships.

Geometry: Geometry students started the week with the Chapter 3 quiz. They continued learning how to recognize and use algebraic postulates, justify conclusions involving angles and segments, and determine the measures of angles formed by parallel lines, perpendicular lines, and transversals.

Algebra II: In Algebra II, students began Chapter 3, “Linear Functions and Sequences.”  They learned to determine slope and intercepts from an equation and identify key properties of linear functions. Students also explored modeling linear combination situations and practiced graphing lines written in standard form.

Science

This week, 6th and 7th-grade students kept working on their unit, Combining and Separating Matter. This week, students supported their learning with class work, readings, and a laboratory session. In this laboratory, students had the chance to use their knowledge to separate a mixture of iron filings, salt, sand, and glass beads. They know a physical combination can be separated by different processes previously studied, such as magnetic force, sifting, filtration, decantation, and evaporation. They were able to separate each of the substances. Before any hands-on activity, students formulated the key questions, the hypothesis, and designed a plan to separate the given mixture. As a first step, they used a magnet to separate the iron filings, and the second step was sifting to separate the glass and plastic beads. The leftover mixture contained salt and sand. Knowing that salt is soluble in water, they decided to use water to dilute the salt and let the mixture settle. Decantation was the next step to separate the sand and the salty solution. They also used filtration to clean the solution and trap the suspended particles(sand) in the filter paper. Finally, they used evaporation to remove the water and get the salt in a solid state at the bottom of the beaker. They were very excited, and they enjoyed every step of the class.

Eighth graders this week learned more in detail about eukaryotic cells (animal and plant cells). They also learned how a group of cells forms tissues, a group of tissues forms organs, and a group of organs forms systems. The hands-on project of this chapter was to make a Cell Cake. Students were able to bake two cakes and decorate them, modeling eukaryotic cells: one of them as an Animal Cake and the other one as a Plant Cake. Eighth graders were very excited learning about the cells, structure, properties, and functions of each organelle that forms a cell. They started baking the cakes from scratch and decorated them with candy simulating each organelle that is part of the cell structure. Students made sure to label each part and explain their function in the life of the cell. At the end of the project, the eighth graders enjoyed eating the cakes that they had made.

Mrs. Wilson: Jingle All The Way!

Posted on by Cynthia Wilson

This week, our classroom has been filled with movement, laughter, and lots of big energy. With the winter temperatures dipping so low, it has been tricky to spend as much time outside as we normally do. When we aren’t able to get outdoors—or stay out long enough to release all of that wonderful toddler energy—we find creative ways to bring movement indoors.

One of the children’s favorite activities this week has been using our bell instruments while “rocking out” to Jingle Bell Rock and other jingle bell songs. The joy on their faces is priceless as they shake the bells, dance, and move their bodies to the rhythm. This activity has quickly become a top request throughout the morning, and it’s a beautiful way for them to engage their whole bodies while exploring sound and music.

We also added a fun new twist to our movement needs: a gingerbread hide-and-seek game. One of us hides gingerbread people around the school, and the children search for them during our walks around campus. Their excitement builds as they scan the hallways, and the moment a child spots a gingerbread person is pure magic. Each child takes a turn, gently removing one from the wall, practicing patience, turn-taking, and observational skills along the way.

Even when the weather keeps us inside, we still find meaningful and joyful ways to move.

Food Tasting: This week in our ongoing exploration of citrus fruits, the children tasted lime. We will continue this citrus study into the new year. The lime was a refreshing surprise—many children found it even more sour than last week’s lemon! It sparked wonderful facial expressions, curious reactions, and lots of eager chatter. Lime is one of my personal favorite citrus flavors, and it was delightful to see the children approach it with such curiosity and courage.

Love and Light,

Cynthia and Sara

Cosmic Education: Biology

Posted on by Carlie Taveras

Our classroom has been buzzing with biology work lately. We bring the study of nature to the children with genuine enthusiasm, offering presentations and experiences that feed their growing curiosity. Elementary children have a powerful need to explore living things, to observe their characteristics, and to begin asking how and why life functions as it does.

Each grade level has taken on its own exciting focus in our exploration of biology. The first graders have been eager to learn about the external parts of the frog, using illustrations and models to observe how each feature supports the animal’s way of life. The second graders have moved into wider classifications, exploring the kingdoms of life and defining the distinct characteristics of different animals. They have been working to differentiate vertebrates from invertebrates and identify the traits that link various animals together. Their studies have also included a closer look at body functions in animals, while the third graders have expanded this work by examining the body functions of plants, comparing how different organisms meet their needs for survival.

At the elementary level in Montessori, biology unfolds through Cosmic Education, inviting children to look closely at the details of life and then lift their gaze to the larger patterns that shape the natural world. Classification becomes a meaningful tool in this process. It helps children discover the balance that exists on Earth between living and nonliving things, and between human beings and other cosmic agents. Our goal is to spark wonder and gratitude through the cleverness of nature, helping classification create a sense of familiarity with the unfamiliar. This way of organizing the living world becomes an important part of the development of a global citizen who feels connected to life in all its forms, both familiar and new. As we classify and explore all living things, we hope to inspire admiration for the diversity that exists, encourage more questions and research, and support the child’s growing identity as both an explorer and a steward of the Earth.

Ms. Mollie: Joyful!

Posted on by Mollie Smith

As the days grow shorter and the classroom fills with giggles and familiar routines, we are slowing down and enjoying our time together. In our classroom, we are learning about Christmas and Hanukkah and the traditions they bring. These experiences help the children build awareness of the world around them while honoring the beauty of different traditions.

This time of year invites us to seek the little joys. A candle glowing softly, the sound of a song sung together, the comfort of a warm snack, or a friend’s smile during work time—these small moments are often the most meaningful to our toddlers. We are focusing on togetherness, kindness, and enjoying one another’s presence.

With the colder weather, it can be harder to spend long periods of time outdoors. We are still making time for short walks and fresh air when possible, while also supporting the children’s need to move their bodies indoors in safe, purposeful ways. This week, we introduced a Pikler climber to our classroom. The children have been exploring it with great concentration, building strength, confidence, and body awareness at their own pace.

As excitement grows, we also remain mindful of each child’s need for consistency. Toddlers thrive on routine, and this busy season can feel overwhelming. Respecting your child’s boundaries and honoring their schedule—especially sleep, meals, and quiet time—helps them feel safe and regulated. It is okay to say no to extra events, to leave early, or to keep things simple.

Thank you for partnering with us to support your child’s emotional well-being during this joyful and busy season. Together, we can help the children experience the holidays with calm, connection, and a sense of peace.

Wishing your family warmth, rest, and many little joys. ❄️✨

With Full Hearts, Ms.Mollie and Ms.Lizette

Ps……Thursday is Pajama Day!!!

Ms. Rhodora: Journey to the Frozen Continent

Posted on by Rhodora Santayana

Last week, our classroom embarked on an exciting exploration of Antarctica! The children were captivated as we studied this unique continent, learning about its extreme weather conditions, fascinating wildlife, and the scientists who dedicate their lives to research there. We discussed the specialized clothing people wear to survive the cold, observed how animals like penguins and seals have adapted to their frozen environment, and explored how scientists study the air, water, and animals in this remarkable place.

The children showed particular interest in understanding how people hunt fish in Antarctica and the important work scientists do to protect this pristine environment. This study beautifully connected our practical life, sensorial, and cultural studies areas as the children made observations and connections about climate, adaptation, and human exploration.

New Works on Our Shelves

Several engaging materials were introduced this week to support the children’s growing independence and academic development. In practical life, the children are now working with sewing, polishing a mirror, and hammering—each activity building fine motor skills, concentration, and care of the environment. These purposeful activities help children develop the coordination and focus they need for all areas of learning.

On the language shelves, we introduced beginning sound games to support early literacy development. In mathematics, the addition strip board appeared, offering children a concrete, hands-on way to explore number combinations and build their mathematical minds.

Holiday Magic and Community Celebrations

The spirit of the season filled our classroom this week! After reading a beautiful St. Nicholas book together, the children discovered a special surprise the following morning—a boot filled with candy canes from St. Nick himself. Their faces lit up with wonder and delight at this magical tradition.

We also celebrated a friend’s birthday with a special snack that everyone enjoyed. The sense of community was further strengthened when a grandmother joined us to read a book to the class, reminding us how much our classroom benefits from family involvement.

Extending Learning at Home

  • Antarctic exploration: Look at maps together and find Antarctica. Talk about what makes it different from where we live. Watch nature documentaries about penguins or seals.
  • Practical life practice: Let your child help with real tasks like polishing shoes or mirrors at home, or simple sewing projects like sewing buttons.
  • Holiday traditions: Share your family’s special holiday traditions and the stories behind them, just as we’ve been learning about St. Nicholas in school.

UPCOMING EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

***Winter Weather Reminder: Please make sure your child has snow boots, pants, gloves, winter coat, and hat. It is so helpful if each piece of clothing is labeled! Also, please let us know if you would prefer your child’s snow gear to go home each day or stay in their locker at school.

This Week
Monday, December 8:
Tuesday, December 9:
Wednesday, December 10: 

Next Week
Tuesday, December 16: Classroom Hanukkah Celebration
Thursday, December 18: Classroom Christmas Celebration
Friday, December 19: Winter Showcase (PA Breakfast 10am, Half-Day Dismissal for All Students 11:30am

Winter Break
Monday, December 22, 05 – Friday, January 2, 2026
School resumes on Monday, January 5, 026

Mrs. Sargeant: Growing Confidence in Self-Care

Posted on by Christine Sargeant

Last week, the children demonstrated beautiful examples of grace and courtesy as older students naturally stepped in to help their younger classmates with zipping coats and putting on mittens. These spontaneous moments of mentorship show how our mixed-age classroom creates a caring community where children look out for one another.

The children are also showing impressive problem-solving skills during snack time. When they encounter a challenging package—whether it’s a bag of goldfish or a granola bar—they independently seek out scissors to open it rather than asking an adult for help. This simple act represents a significant step in their growing confidence and resourcefulness.

Holiday Traditions and Wonder

The children returned from Thanksgiving break eager to share stories about their family celebrations, sparking rich conversations about different traditions, customs, and holidays. We read about St. Nicholas and discussed how some cultures celebrate St. Nicholas Day on December 6th. The following morning, the children’s eyes lit up with surprise and delight when they discovered candy canes waiting in a pair of boots by the door!

The Art of Bubble Making

One of the most popular activities this week has been bubble making using soap and an egg beater. This seemingly simple work involves an impressive sequence of steps that require concentration, coordination, and care of the environment. The children put on their smocks, fill the pitcher at the sink, walk carefully back to their workspace, pour water into the bowl, and use a dropper to squeeze just the right amount of soap. Operating the egg beater takes considerable hand-eye coordination as they work to create satisfying suds.

Once complete, the children pour the soapy water into a bucket, carry it carefully to the sink to discard, then use a sponge and towel to ensure the work is clean and dry for the next friend. This multi-step activity beautifully integrates practical life skills with sensorial exploration and grace and courtesy.

Extending Learning at Home

  • Building independence with outerwear: Leave extra time in the morning for your child to practice putting on their jacket independently without feeling rushed. We always tell the children to leave the gloves until last, as this helps them manage the process more successfully.
  • Holiday traditions: Talk with your child about your family’s special holiday customs and traditions. Ask them what they’ve been learning about different celebrations at school.
  • Multi-step activities: Encourage your child to help with tasks that have several steps, like setting the table or helping prepare simple snacks. These activities build executive function and independence.

UPCOMING EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

***Winter Weather Reminder: Please make sure your child has snow boots, pants, gloves, winter coat, and hat. It is so helpful if each piece of clothing is labeled! Also, please let us know if you would prefer your child’s snow gear to go home each day or stay in their locker at school.

This Week
Tuesday, December 9: Junia Playground volunteer
Friday, December 12: Marissa guest reader

Next Week
Tuesday, December 16: Celebrate Kaiya’s Half Birthday
Thursday, December 18: Liz A. reading
Friday, December 19: Winter Showcase (PA Breakfast 10am, Half-Day Dismissal for All Students 11:30am

Winter Break
Monday, December 22, 05 – Friday, January 2, 2026
School resumes on Monday, January 5, 026