Blog

World Language with Señora Hall

Posted on by Sara Hall

Primary students have finished learning about our Solar System with our Ocho Planetas song. We just began working on Las Partes del Cuerpo and have done Cabeza, Hombros, Rodillas, Pies, and Mi Cuerpo Hace Música to reinforce the body parts. 

Lower Elementary classes have begun to explore their feelings in Spanish. We have also been working on retelling stories and developing our own stories with vocabulary acquired from those we have read together. 

Upper Elementary just finished listening to their first Spanish novel: Brandon Brown Quiere un Perro. We then did a Movie Talk about El Regalo, making connections between characters from the novel and those in the video. 

Middle School has been using phrases like, “Es una persona que…” or “Es un lugar…” for circumlocution exercises in order to stay in the target language for the majority of the class. They are flying through proficiency based novels and building a solid foundation of the language.

Mrs.Wilson: Help Me To Do It Myself

Posted on by Cynthia Wilson

In a Toddler Montessori classroom, we strive for the child to be independent. It is not because it lessens the work for the adults, it is because this instills inside of the children to do for themselves. Our job is to guide them by modeling for them so they can be successful in their independence. One of Dr. Maria Montessori’s well-known quotes is “Help me to do it myself.”

This means we allow children the time and space to struggle and figure out how to do whatever activity it is they are trying to master; from taking off and putting on shoes, serving themselves snack, or using the materials on the shelf. So why do we allow them to struggle? Simply because what comes after a struggle is the achievement; that they accomplished the task themselves. From this, builds confidence and with that, the love of learning.

These past few weeks we have seen such a growth in independence and with that, we have seen and heard the children have that intrinsic pride come shining out. Some quotes from the children that we heard were: “I did it!” “Fa fa my shoe on!” While some were verbal about their success, others have shown us their beautiful proud smiles. It doesn’t matter if they have their shoes on the wrong feet, or their coat is on upside down, the fact is that they worked so very hard and THEY DID IT!! One thing we have to be very careful of is saying “good job” because we want the children to do for themselves and not for us.

“The child who has never learned to work by himself, to set goals for his own acts, or to be the master of his own force of will is recognizable in the adult who lets others guide him and feels a constant need for the approval of others.” -Maria Montessori

This week the children explored corn for food tasting. Some tried to eat the corn right off the cob. They seemed to really enjoy this food.

Lastly, a huge thank you to all the parents for signing the photo release forms for my Montessori training course. Thank you for supporting me!

Mrs. Wilson, Miss Sara, and Miss Heather

Mrs. Carroll’s Class: It’s Off To Work We Go

Posted on by Cindy Carroll

There exists in the small child an unconscious mental state which is of a creative nature. We have called it the “Absorbent Mind.” The tiny child’s absorbent mind finds all its nutriment in its surroundings…Especially at the beginning of life. We must, therefore, make the environment as interesting and attractive as we can. -Maria Montessori

Montessori Method is based on self-motivation to learn. Children are considered to be at work during the day, but they have fun doing it. They go beyond life skills, learning geometry, geography, phonics, and much more. Young children have the capacity to absorb, learn, and do so much. They just need a controlled, creative environment to allow them to pursue their interests.

Enjoy these images of your children at work!

Cindy & Sharlene

Middle School: Week in Review

Posted on by Michelle Lamb

6th year Earth Science students finished creating their stop-motion video illustrating the rock cycle. Students worked in pairs, creating the formation process of sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic rocks. 7th year Physical Science students finished creating their States of Matter stop-motion videos. Students were required to illustrate the different states of matter (solid, liquid, gas), how different molecules act within each state, and their physical properties. 8th year Life Science students are exploring cellular respiration. We have discussed how our bodies rely on the intake of glucose for our cells to process into energy (ATP).

In Math, Pre-Transition started Chapter 4, which talks all about understanding subtraction problems. This group of students is using the slide model for subtraction problems, practicing fact triangles and related fact families, as well as finding unknown values in geometric shapes using subtraction to solve.
Transition students are working through the second half of Chapter 4. These students are analyzing basic figures of geometry, finding unions and intersections of sets, and classifying new shapes such as quadrilaterals and triangles. Algebra finished Chapter 4 before heading off to internship week. Students had independent work time this week to study for the upcoming unit test. We are reviewing concepts such as graphing compound inequalities, solving absolute values algebraically, and identifying equivalent formulas.
Math Joke: What geometric shape is usually waiting for you inside a Starbucks?….a Line!
Humanities 6 class completed drafts for two writing assignments this week. The first was their free verse poetry inspired by a photograph. The second was their letter of empathy to Melody, the main character in Out of My Mind. 7th year students completed drafts of their folktales with lessons inspired by the novel, A Gift From Childhood. They had a group feedback session on their pieces as well as self and peer review before submitting drafts. Finally, 8th years submitted the drafts for their rewriting history papers. Then, they moved on to learn about common Native American myths and began learning about westward expansion. All Humanities classes wrapped up the week with current events.
We wish the 8th years a wonderful experience with their internships next week!
Finally, Mrs. Lamb would like to thank the cooking elective, Middle School students, and Mrs. Carroll’s Montessori Plus students for the fun gender reveal! Baby boy Lamb is lucky to have such a great extended family.

Mrs. Hood’s Class: Move and Build!

Posted on by Andrea Hood

 

“Movement, or physical activity, is thus an essential factor in intellectual growth, which depends upon the impressions received from outside. Through movement we come in contact with external reality, and it is through these contacts that we eventually acquire even abstract ideas.” –Maria Montessori

One of the main advantages of our prepared environment is the opportunity for children to move freely! Children engage with the materials as long as they want and are able to choose activities that perfect different skills – all while they think they are just playing!

One of the most popular areas in our environment is the movement area. The children seem to love climbing the stairs and finding their reflection on the big mirror. They enjoy jumping on the trampoline, balancing, climbing and jumping from the balancing board, spinning in the bilibo seat, and carrying heavy objects or, better yet, carrying their peers around the classroom in our wagon. This week we also introduced oversized blocks for building and imagination. Children exercise their need for maximum effort through this work and it offers a great opportunity for problem solving and bonding with a peer.

In addition to this, our toddlers have access to the gym all week at different times! We are so thankful for it, since we truly are able to “follow the child” and adjust activities according to their needs without interrupting their work cycle. Children enjoy climbing and jumping on the mats. They love running as fast as they can! They also enjoy playing with the balls and learning the basics of soccer.

On another note, one of our most popular works this week was hammering golf tees into a pumpkin using a wooden mallet. They also enjoyed corn for food tasting. New vocabulary words such as corn kernels, husk, cob, and silk were introduced.

Mrs. Doyle’s Class: It’s Off To Work We Go!

Posted on by Michelle Handibode

There exists in the small child an unconscious mental state which is of a creative nature. We have called it the “Absorbent Mind.” The tiny child’s absorbent mind finds all its nutriment in its surroundings…Especially at the beginning of life. We must, therefore, make the environment as interesting and attractive as we can.  -Maria Montessori

The Montessori Method is based on self-motivation to learn. Children are considered to be at work during the day, but they have fun doing it. They go beyond life skills, learning geometry, geography, phonics, and much more. Young children have the capacity to absorb, learn, and do so much. They just need a controlled, creative environment to allow them to pursue their interests.

Enjoy these images of your children at work!

Michelle & Jeannine

Mrs. Lopes’ Class: Engaged in Meaningful Work

Posted on by Amanda Lopes

 

There exists in the small child an unconscious mental state which is of a creative nature. We have called it the “Absorbent Mind.” The tiny child’s absorbent mind finds all its nutriment in its surroundings…Especially at the beginning of life. We must, therefore, make the environment as interesting and attractive as we can. -Maria Montessori

Montessori Method is based on self-motivation to learn. Children are considered to be at work during the day, but they have fun doing it. They go beyond life skills, learning geometry, geography, phonics, and much more. Young children have the capacity to absorb, learn, and do so much. They just need a controlled, creative environment to allow them to pursue their interests.

Enjoy these images of your children at work!

Amanda & Deanna

La La La Si Si Si

Posted on by Karen Sankey

It was a fun and exciting week in Lower Elementary!

First year students learned about using right scalene triangles to form different sized pinwheels in geometry. They worked in small groups to practice making them together. They have enjoyed doing this work during work cycle this week. Second year students learned about straights, channels, and canals in geography. After a discussion about the Panama Canal, they watched a short time-lapse video of a trip through the famous canal. Third year students led discussion groups after a lesson on the cycles of time. They also discussed with their groups things that are necessary for survival. This is an ongoing lesson which will lead to a large group discussion of fundamental human needs next week.

We are very excited to welcome a new third grade friend to our class this week! All of the children are being kind and helpful and are enjoying getting to know her!

We have been incorporating movement into our morning mindfulness this week when it has been too cold to go outside. We are learning to silently follow stretching movements while focusing on our breathing. We are also learning songs during our morning meeting time. This week we learned a fun singing game called “La La La Si Si Si.” While singing this song, we played a clapping game with a partner and learned to switch partners during the song. The children had a lot of fun with this game.

Thank you for arriving by 8:20 each morning. Arriving on time gives your children a chance to move outside on most days, engaging their brains and muscles and priming their bodies to learn. We come inside by 8:30 and, after singing a song together, we practice mindfulness. This is further preparation for the day ahead and is an essential part of the beginning of our day. After a few minutes of mindfulness, we read together and then the children spend some focused time planning their work cycle. This time to prepare allows them to get started on their work as soon as our morning meeting ends. Children who arrive in time to participate in all of these elements have the advantage of a smooth and peaceful start to their day.