Blog

Mrs. Doyle’s Class: Classifying Animals

Posted on by Michelle Handibode

So far this year, we have learned that all things in the world are either living or non-living.  Then, we classified living things as animals or plants. Now we are ready to go one step further and begin our study of zoology.

The children learn that the study of animals is called zoology. All animals can be classified as vertebrates or invertebrates. Vertebrates have a backbone and invertebrates are animals that do not have a backbone. We help, the children understand this concept by having them run their fingers along their spines to feel their backbone.

The majority of animals that we think about, such as dogs, cats, birds, fish, alligators, and frogs are vertebrates. However, there are actually more invertebrates living on our planet. More than 90% of all animals are invertebrates. Vertebrates tend to be larger in size because their backbones allow them to have muscles and a strong body. Invertebrates tend to be small, as no backbone means they can’t support a large body.

Learning about vertebrates and invertebrates is an important lesson. With this knowledge, we are ready to begin classifying vertebrates into five different groups: mammals, amphibians, fish, birds and reptiles.

The children enjoyed our first in-house field trip of the year on Wednesday. We were excited to welcome a Native American storyteller who entertained with her legendary tales, teaching life lessons. We have enjoyed learning about the continent of North America this month and hope that your child has shared information with you.

We also welcome our new friend Blake and his family to our class!  The children have been so excited to have Blake and are really doing an amazing job of helping him learn the routines of our day.

Have a wonderful week!

Michelle & Jeannine

Fall in Afterschool

Posted on by Danielle Ulacco

As one of the newest additions to the Fraser Woods Community, I cannot imagine a better way  to become familiar with all the great people here than through by this afterschool program. It is such a pleasure to meet and get to know students of all ages and make their extended time here at school is a nurturing and valuable one. 

In an effort to make a flexible, yet consistent and welcoming classroom environment, we offer familiar activities like crafts, books, tactile work like building,  and a lot of time for play outside or in the gym, depending on the weather. 

As we settle into the year, I have noticed that children of all ages are beginning to become more familiar with the afterschool environment, I am noticing more comfort and willingness to explore all of the options available at afterschool as  well as make new friends from different classes. From learning to knit, weave and sew, to playing outside and exploring by collecting pieces from nature for crafts, all of our students have the opportunity to pursue hobbies and skills that they may  not otherwise have time to enjoy in the company of friends of all ages. 

My goal, is to create an afterschool environment that helps children to relax and unwind, whether they come every day or they are dropping in for the very first time. We take care to make every child feel independent, comfortable and supported by maintaining loose structure to accommodate to the needs for that day. 

As the holidays approach and the days get shorter and colder, we are looking forward to making homemade gifts, playing games like bingo and freeze dance, and maybe even exploring some small cooking projects. We love the time we spend with students afterschool and we feel  so lucky to have such a wonderful group!

Important Information & Events

Posted on by Alison Kistner
8th Grade Thanksgiving Drive to Support Women Involved in Newtown (WIN) from Monday, November 11th to Friday, November 22nd.  The school will be accepting donations of the following:
  • non-perishable foods
  • toiletries
  • paper products
The school will also be accepting donations of frozen turkeys only on Friday morning, 11/22 until 10:00am.
Donations can be dropped off in the school’s main entrance lobby and placed in the collection bin.
8th Grade Internships Each fall, 8th graders spend a week interning. This takes our students out of the classroom and gives them an off campus opportunity to experience real life jobs. It is exciting to hear where each 8th grader chooses to intern. This week our 8th graders are interning with the following businesses/companies/people: St. Vincent DePaul Mission, hairdresser, Yale New Haven Hospital pediatrician, law firm, County executive office, Synchrony Financial, civil engineering, Tech up for Women Conference, and dog training. We are excited to hear about their experiences when they return from their internship.
Thanksgiving Ceremony Wednesday, November 27th – 9:30am. Internal student only event. The whole school will gather to celebrate our community. Each class tells, in their own way, what they are thankful for. Each class shares bread that they made with each other.
Alumni Visit Day FWM welcomes back all alumni graduates and their families on Wednesday November 27th from 10:00-11:30am. It is an opportunity for them to reconnect with fellow classmates, faculty and visit classrooms.
Early Dismissal for all students Wednesday, November 27th – 11:30am. No afternoon or after school program on this day. 
NO School due to Thanksgiving Holiday November 28th-29th

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.