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Mrs. Hood’s Class: Fall is Here!

Posted on by Andrea Hood

Fall is here everybody! As the season changes and temperatures start to drop slowly, this week we introduced one of the most delicious seasonal fruits, the apple! There are new works in all areas of the environment that expose your children to the characteristics of this great fruit.  

Next week we will be dissecting apples together and enjoying an individual yummy snack. To be able to do this activity and still follow the COVID safety guidelines, we will ask that each child bring one big whole apple on Tuesday, October 6th.  Please place it inside a resealable bag with your child’s name on it.   

In the practical life area we added a great fundamental lesson, water transfer. To make it even more interesting we used a sea wool sponge for transferring. As basic as it sounds, this was one of the most popular activities of the week. The “magic” of watching the water disappear and get inside the sponge is fun but it’s even more fun when suddenly you squeeze the sponge and all the vanished water comes out. Children received two new vocabulary words when observing the bowls used for the transferring. They like to repeat them over and over: empty and full. At the end of the activity they were encouraged to look for spills and wipe up all the spills with a towel. 

Practical life activities present themselves as a highly logical, sequential chain of activities that indirectly lead the child to grander things. They are the most important activities for toddlers! Activities for care of the environment are both fun and great for developing order, concentration, coordination, and independence.

Other highlights of the week were the introduction to our new song, “Way Up High in the Apple Tree,” where children practiced the numbers one through five using their hands. In Spanish, children are now familiar with the terms: agua – water, vámonos -let’s go, and numbers from one to ten – uno, dos, tres, cuatro, cinco, seis, siete, ocho, nueve, diez. 

As the weekend approaches, we encourage you to enjoy the sunshine and the beautiful weather and visit an apple farm with your little one. It will be a great experience for them during the continuation of our apple studies.

Happy weekend,

Mrs. Hood and Ms. Maria

Noodle Tag and Soccer

Posted on by Pam Pascarella

Students in Lower Elementary and Upper Elementary participate in warm-up tag games and fitness activities at the beginning of class. Warm-ups at the beginning of class prepare the body for physical activity; they are used to increase body temperature and heart rate. Noodle Tag and Rock, Paper, Scissors Tag are played using a noodle to tag. If tagged, that person picks up the noodle and becomes the tagger. Orange dots are sprayed on the field six feet or more apart. Students run to the orange dot to avoid being tagged by the person with the noodle.

This past month, students in Lower Elementary through 8th grade have been practicing and participating in the team sport of soccer. Did you know that soccer is the most popular sport in the world?  Soccer is fun, inexpensive, and easy to play. Soccer is played by over 265 million people worldwide and has about 3.5 billion fans! If you or your child have never played soccer, go give it a try!  All you need are some friends, a ball, and a large space.

During our soccer unit in Lower Elementary and Upper Elementary, most of our focus was on developing foot-eye coordination and spatial awareness. Students worked on passing, dribbling, trapping, shooting on goal, and simple game rules. The focus at the Middle School level is to develop player performance. The four components are technique, tactics, fitness, and sportsmanship.  After the skills were taught, friendly games were played at the end of class.

 

 

What a Wonderful Return to School!

Posted on by Gina Tryforos

Dear Fraser Woods Families,

We have been back only three days and already I am seeing so many examples of our individual classroom communities and our greater FWM community coming together in beautiful ways. There is a sense of respect for each other and teamwork between the children, the staff, and parents which is so essential to this work that we all do together.

Having the children back in the classroom brought us even more enthusiasm for the school year.

The child is both a hope and a promise for mankind. ~ Maria Montessori

 

Please remember that I am always available to you. I sincerely welcome your conversation any time.

Warm regards,

Gina Tryforos

Interim Head of School

Settling In

Posted on by Gina Tryforos

Dear Parents,

We’ve moved through the first few days of school and are settling into our routines. Many of the routines are completely new (mask wearing, increased hand washing, cleaning and caring for classroom materials, physical distancing).  We are so impressed by how adaptable and resilient your children are. Thank you for all you are doing at home to encourage and support the children to be ready for school each day. The children also know that they have the unconditional support of their teachers. That support empowers them to ask questions when they are unsure or to seek guidance when they feel they need it, further building their confidence and coping skills.

With school in full swing, children will likely be tired at the end of the day, until they build up their stamina. You may want to consider bringing bedtime forward until they adjust.  Sometimes parents see more tears at the beginning of the school year. This is fairly typical and may simply mean your child may need some extra attention and reassurance for a while.

Please remember that I am always available to you. I sincerely welcome your conversation and input any time.

Wishing you and your family a relaxing Labor Day weekend!

Warm regards,

Gina Tryforos

Interim Head of School

Curriculum Night Coming Soon

Posted on by Gina Tryforos

“Do not tell them how to do it. Show them how to do it and do not say a word. If you tell them, they will watch your lips move. If you show them, they will want to do it themselves.” ~ Dr. Maria Montessori

Dear Parents,

Curriculum Night is an evening set aside to support our Fraser Woods Montessori families’ understanding of the curriculum and skills their child is learning.

Traditionally our teachers host this evening informally within their classrooms. This year Curriculum Night will be a Virtual Curriculum Night. Although you won’t be able to see the beautiful materials and works in your child’s classroom in person, we hope to showcase many of the lessons and materials your child will experience each day in school.  Our hope is that parents leave Curriculum Night with the feeling that everyone (teachers and parents as partners) shares the goals of helping each child learn and feel successful, and that the children are in a safe, happy, and caring environment! We are planning to host you virtually the week of September 21.

More information coming soon!

Warm Regards,

Gina Tryforos

Interim Head of School

International Day of Peace

Posted on by Gina Tryforos

WHAT IS THE INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PEACE?

“The International Day of Peace (“Peace Day”) is observed around the world each year on 21 September. Established in 1981 by unanimous United Nations resolution, Peace Day provides a globally shared date for all humanity to commit to Peace above all differences and to contribute to building a Culture of Peace.” ~ internationaldayofpeace.org

What is Sing Peace around the World?

  • Traditionally on the International Day of Peace, our students and their teachers gather on the soccer field and sing along with thousands of Montessori schools around the world for the United Nations celebration of peace. Each school that participated registered for a time slot so that the song would be sung throughout the entire day by children all over the world.

  • The song is Light a Candle for Peace by Shelly Murley. Shelly Murley is a Montessori teacher and musician who has written many songs for her Montessori classroom in addition to Light a Candle for Peace.

This year Sing Peace around the World is not open for registration – their message is:

“It’s up to all of us to slow the spread of COVID-19. Everyone, including young and healthy people, should avoid large gatherings during this time.”

Since we are unable to gather and sing as a community, we ask that you and your child/ren honor the International Day of Peace from the safety of your own home.

For Maria Montessori, peace was at the forefront of her mind when she created her model of education. Montessori said, “Establishing lasting peace is the work of education.”

In a Montessori classroom peace reveals itself in many ways at every level. Our youngest students play the Silence Game and learn to experience silence or to enjoy the quieter sounds like birds singing outside the window. They learn to quiet their body, which helps them feel peaceful.

Elementary and Middle School students celebrate peace education in many of the activities and lessons planned by their teachers. You may see individual peace doves decorated with a child’s wish for peace or children participating in morning meditation. Our older students are involved in community building activities and lessons that spark conversations about how to be a good community member and spread kindness toward others. Our 8th year students have begun reading Putting Peace First: 7 Commitments to Change the World by Eric David Dawson as a guide to being leaders and change-makers in their school community.

Please talk to your child about what Peace looks like in their classrooms every day and spend some time at home with your family and sing for peace on Monday, September 21, 2020

Here is the link to the YouTube video of the song Light a Candle for Peace.

Thanks to our 8th years (our leadership class), FWM has found a way for the children to recognize and celebrate the International Day of Peace without gathering to sing. We invite all students and staff to wear something BLUE on Monday. Blue is the universal color of peace. Thank you 8th years for your creativity and resourcefulness.

Reflect, Regroup, and Rejuvenate

Posted on by Gina Tryforos

Dear Parents,

As we close out the month of September, it gives us an opportunity to reflect, regroup, and rejuvenate.  The love and support we have felt from our community has been encouraging and uplifting. We are grateful to all our parents and caregivers for their patience and understanding as well.

Due to the rapidly changing response to the federal/state updates, we need to pivot on short notice and update what we do.The health and safety of students and staff remains paramount to all decisions we make. The FWM Reopening Campus Plan continues to evolve as the State of Connecticut revises its health and safety guidelines for schools. As it states on the homepage of the plan,  FWM will be guided by applicable law, Executive Orders, and state and federal public health guidelines for the reopening of schools consistent with applicable components of those established for the State of Connecticut public K-12 schools and Early Childhood. The plan is a living document so please continue to review the plan periodically for updates.

Parents, thank you for your attendance at our Virtual Curriculum Nights.  We hope you enjoyed a peek into your child’s day. It is always a pleasure for me to attend and listen as teachers celebrate their enthusiasm for their craft, offer inspiration as they share their knowledge of their programs, and share their genuine love for the children they work with everyday.

Warm regards,

Gina
Interim Head of School

Exploring Natural Pigments and Prehistoric Art Materials

Posted on by Jen Reid

What is paint made of? What is a pigment and where does it come from? When was the first painting made? These are just a few questions our Lower Elementary artists explored on our journey of learning about the history of color in art.

To begin, we looked at images of prehistoric cave paintings created during the Stone Age and discussed the colors and imagery we noticed. Students contemplated what the paint might have been made from and discussed what materials were available to them during this time: stones, bones, plants, wood, clay, and so on. Since early humans during this time were nomads who hunted and gathered their food, their paints were also made from materials they collected from the earth. The majority of the cave paintings are depictions of animals that lived during this time: bison, deer, horses. Students gained an understanding of the importance of learning about the Art of early humans as a way to give us insight into their lifestyle, tools, environment, and creativity.

Students dove deeper into the study of the origin of paint by creating their very own earth paints! We created natural pigments by crushing up red ocher rocks, charcoal, and clay with a mortar and pestle. Then we mixed the pigment powders with water and a dash of honey to create a fluid paint consistency. Not only did these young artists enjoy the process of creating natural paints and painting with them, they also experienced how much time and labor is put into the making of art materials. Children painted so diligently with their handmade paints and expressed appreciation for the hard work each classmate put into the paint making process.