Blog

Making: Like it Should Be!

Posted on by Danielle Ulacco

Last week during our Lower Elementary class, each student experienced TRUE maker choice for the first time this year. With knowledge and safety precautions well rehearsed, these makers were ready for 60 minutes of uninterrupted time for creativity and discovery.

Since September, these students have had a variety of formal lessons about the tools and materials available in the MakerSpace. But this class was different… this class was what our MakerSpace is all about: a dozen students, doing a dozen different things at the same time! (LE is split into two classes for MakerSpace and Art which gives me and Mrs. Reid more time to have one-on-one lessons with each child.) Some students spent the entire class learning about or focusing on one topic, while others experimented with several different tools and activities. These young makers continue to work hard, go outside of their comfort zone, and inspire each other constantly. It is a breath of fresh air to work with such motivated and excited children.

Middle School: Week in Review

Posted on by Michelle Lamb

We are back in the swing of our regular, academic schedule in Middle School. It felt great to return to the classrooms and hit the ground running with third trimester curriculum. The spring weather at the start of the week was energizing, and we look forward to bringing our classes back outside with the warmer weather.

Science

6th year Earth Science students have been working on the unit, Natural Resources. The objective of this unit is to inform students what a natural resource is and how to tell the difference between a renewable and nonrenewable resource. Students are also planning for Earth Day (April 22) by designing a 3D topographic representation of Fraser Woods’ trails. Their goal is to promote other classes to be outdoors on the trails to appreciate nature and all it has to offer.

7th year Physical Science students are on the unit, Refraction. Students have demonstrated how light refracts as it passes through different mediums (water, glass), resulting in an array of colors (rainbow). Students created stop motion videos beginning with white light and ending with the different spectrum of colors. We are also learning about how an image is projected when viewed through a concave and convex lens.
8th year Life Science students have finished their unit, Digestive System. Throughout this unit, students learned how the digestive system works, what it is made of, and what each organ is responsible for. Each student was asked to make a representation of the digestive system using clay that labeled and identified each digestive organ. The next unit will be about the endocrine system.
Math
In Pre-Transition class, students began the week with reviewing lessons 1-4 in Chapter 8 titled, Ratios and Proportions. This class is practicing how to divide mixed fractions, evaluate expressions containing fractions, and making connections to proportions in real life. This class will continue to work through this chapter for the next 2 weeks and should consider preparing in advance for the unit exam scheduled for Thursday, April 22nd.
In Transition class, students began the week with reviewing lessons 1-3 in Chapter 8 titled Multiplication in Algebra (introduction). This class is practicing how to multiply both positive and negative numbers, isolate the variable in an equation ax=b, and solve problems that combine percentages (discount and tax). Towards the end of the week, this class will begin to understand and demonstrate how to graph equations of the form ax=b on a coordinate grid.
In Algebra class, students are excited to continue their learning of the quadratic equations and functions. This class is beginning to understand equations of the form y=ax^2+b+c, how to solve for unknown values using the quadratic formula and can identify the maximum and minimum of the vertex on a parabola.
In Geometry class, students are learning about congruent triangles and the properties to prove congruency. This class can successfully draw triangles given specific restrictions, determine whether triangles are congruent, and apply the triangle congruence theorem to write a two-column proof statement. This class will have their first quiz for chapter 7 on Tuesday, April 20th.
As a general reminder, all math students are required to complete the daily textbook questions and lesson master assignments. Please check google classroom and myFWM for updates on assignments.
Math Joke:
What’s a math teacher’s favorite sum?…………..SUMMER!
What is a butterfly’s favorite subject at school?…………..Mothomatics
Humanities
This week, grade 6 Humanities classes wrapped up their unit about Ancient Egypt. They reviewed their reflections to the novel, The Egypt Game, and discussed the Ancient Egyptian social hierarchy before completing mini-biography presentations of a pharaoh. They also completed a unit of vocabulary.
Grade 7 Humanities students began the week reflecting on the memoir, Four Perfect Pebbles. that they completed in March. They wrote about how written accounts of something affect both the writer and the reader. Students also wrote about how knowledge about what they learned and read about the Holocaust will affect them moving forward. 7th graders then continued onto revolutions and Russian history, giving historical context for their upcoming novel, Animal Farm. 7th graders also completed a unit of vocabulary this week.
8th grade students are writing their expert project research papers that are due on Monday. They spent a portion of the week reviewing research writing techniques including interesting introductions to hook their readers, in-text citations, and using quotations effectively to support their thesis statements. They also met one-on-one with Mrs. Lamb to review progress and discuss any challenges with the writing process. Students have already completed their research as well as 2 expert interviews. For the last part of the week, 8th grade students reviewed the US policies surrounding the removal and westward relocation of Native Americans in the 1800s.
We hope you have a beautiful weekend!

Let’s Play Ball!

Posted on by Pam Pascarella

 

Students in Primary participated in a tee-ball unit this month.  Students learned how to run bases, hold a wiffle bat, and throw and catch a ball.  Throwing and catching is a lifelong skill.  When children practice ball skills, they will notice their skills improving.  This helps children understand they can learn and get better at something if they put in the time and the practice.  Tee-ball helps children listen as a group, get along with peers, learn how to take turns, and perform independently when needed.   The benefits of tee-ball include:  improved balance, coordination, strength and stamina, motor skill development, social skills development, better hand-eye coordination, improved self confidence, and sportsmanship.

Lovin’ the Language Lessons

Posted on by Ashley O'Connell

To Maria Montessori, the teaching of grammar was at the center of her language curriculum for elementary age children. Today, it still remains a critical element in the teaching of a complete language program in a Montessori environment. At this age, grammar is being presented at an impressionistic level and later on in their later elementary years, they will explore these concepts on a more formal level.

This week the first year group has enjoyed learning more about adjectives. We started the lesson reviewing the previous parts of speech learned earlier in the year (nouns and articles) and used descriptive words to describe our nouns. These words are called adjectives! As a follow up work to practice this grammar, the first years love to use the grammar box.

The second years are continuing their study of the adverb- a complex part of speech. They are learning that an adverb supports the verb and they tell us how to do an action. In Montessori grammar, just like the verb, the adverb is also represented as a ball. The adverb is a smaller ball than the verb because it is less important than the verb itself. This group is also enjoying using a grammar box to practice this work!

In the third grade year, the children begin the process of sentence analysis. The aims of this work are to study how words are used in the context of sentences and to make logical analyses of those sentences. Right now the third years are learning how to analyze simple sentences with subject, verb and direct object. They are beginning the process of asking themselves, “What is the action?” “Who is it that did the action?” “What/whom received the action?”

Mrs. Wilson: The Adventure with Mrs. T and Rain Puddles!

Posted on by Cynthia Wilson

This week the children continued to explore lessons related to weather and spring. They were introduced to the life cycle of a chicken and a plant. Outside the children have an option to explore the sensory bin filled with life-like worms. They can choose to use tongs to pick up and collect the worms into bowls. Thank you Mrs. Hood for sharing this wonderful activity with us.

On Wednesday, the children had a special visitor stay with us for the day. The children were called to circle and we introduced to them Mrs. T. the box turtle. Mrs. T is a very sweet and gentle 36-year-old turtle. The children were eager to have a turn to hold and pet her. We taught them to hold her carefully like holding a hamburger or sandwich. We pointed out the parts of her body and talked about all the different kinds of food Mrs. T eats.
Mrs. T enjoyed some time outside exploring the playground. The children sang her songs like Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and Mary had a Little Lamb. Another child sat down to read a book to her. By the time it was nap time Mrs. T sure did need a nap too!
We can’t wait for Mrs. T’s next visit!

Thursday, we were so thankful for the warm spring air and rain. This gave us the opportunity to get outside and jump in puddles. The children were elated while given the freedom to run and jump from puddle to puddle. It was such a joyful experience and even more when Ms. Sara and I joined in!

“When life gives you rainy days, jump in the puddles.”
Mrs. Wilson and Ms. Sara

Children Learning from Peers – Another Hallmark of a Montessori Education

Posted on by Gina Tryforos

Maria Montessori knew children learn by “imitation models.” She created multi-aged classrooms that facilitate peer tutoring and collaboration. In mixed age classrooms, younger children learn from older children by asking them questions while watching them work. Older children who are teaching younger children repeat and consolidate their knowledge and skills and learn and hone their social skills.

At Fraser Woods Montessori School, we take this one step further. Our Middle School students perform community service by going into the classrooms of our younger students and they work one-on-one with their younger peers.  The pandemic has prevented this from happening this year. But that did not stop our 8th year Leadership class from finding a way.  The 8th years, under the guidance of their advisor Mrs. Lamb, are working with our Primary teachers and our Upper Elementary teacher to bring back our Reading Buddies program and community service virtually.

Reading Buddies is an opportunity that pairs middle school students with kindergarten students for shared or paired reading time.

Reading Buddies allows our young Kindergarten readers to see and hear what being fluent looks and sounds like as they have a peer model demonstrating reading skills. These developing readers can also gain a positive role model with some careful pairing. Our older students mature and develop social and emotional skills like patience and empathy as they work with their younger buddies.

Our Middle School students who will work with our Upper Elementary students on their classwork are creating a beautiful bridge to welcome our fifth year students to our Middle School.

When older students are given the opportunity to be better, to work for something larger than themselves, and to mentor younger peers, they can thrive.

We have seen these relationships extend beyond just one school year and carry over beyond reading books. Powerful moments of connection happen, and as a result, social and emotional lessons are inevitable. What wonderful outcomes; just from just sharing a book.

Please check out the What’s Happening segment of this communication! Our 8th year Leadership class is up to more good!

 

Staff Update:

Today I am writing this bittersweet message to inform you that Danielle Ulacco will be leaving FWM at the end of the school year. She and her family will be moving out of state because her husband’s career is taking their family to New Hampshire. We, at Fraser Woods, are very happy for this opportunity for the Smith family, but we are also very sorry to say good-bye.

FWM will be forever grateful to Danielle for the love, joy, laughter, and learning she has poured into all the children whose lives and learning she touched over the years. FWM is also indebted to Danielle for the creation of our MakerSpace and its curriculum. The key to success in Maker Education is that it be integrated into your school’s culture and curriculum. Danielle made this a success for our school.

We appreciate all of Danielle’s many contributions to the FWM community and we are working together to keep her connected to FWM by working remotely as our part-time Marketing person. We are also working together with Danielle to find a candidate to be our MakerSpace teacher and IT person.

Please join me in wishing Danielle and her family well as they begin this new chapter in their lives!

Mrs. Lopes’s Class: 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 then 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 he can do for himself is an obstacle to his development. Definitely something to think about!

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 & Sharlene

Mrs. Hood’s Class: I Know a Chicken!

Posted on by Andrea Hood

The highlights for this week are based on the continuation of our chicken studies. We focused on completing the life cycle of a chicken. We learned that after the chick has hatched from the egg, the mother hen takes care of it and provides food for it. Children learned that chickens do not have teeth but they have strong beaks to eat seeds, green plants, insects, and worms. In our outside environment we were able to find some real worms and observe them moving. We then pretended to be little chicks by exploring the worm sensory bin. Children practiced their fine motor skills by digging, finding, and picking with tweezers some life-like worms and transferring them to a bowl. 

We also learned the different parts of an adult chicken including vocabulary words like comb, beak, feathers, legs, wings, claw, tail, and wattles. Children were able to observe a real chick coming out of the egg shell through an educational clip and through books in our environment and then reinforced this lesson by using an object-picture matching work in our language area. 

In addition to various new spring works in the environment, children learned how to use a mortar and a pestle in our practical life area. They worked hard to crush eggshells very small and transfer them into a container. We will use the crushed egg shells next week as part of our care of plants lessons. 

For a fun sensory activity, the children chose their favorite color egg and filled it with rice to create musical egg shakers. We then introduced the song, “I Know a Chicken,” by Laurie Berkner and we had so much fun dancing to it with our own eggs shakers.  

Lastly, the children seemed to enjoy exploring snow peas during our food tasting lesson. The shape, size, and crunchiness of them gave the feel of eating chips, which seemed to attract the children to explore this food item.

Enjoy the pictures of your beautiful children, take some time to dance, and have a great weekend! 

Mrs. Hood and Ms. Maria