Blog

Middle School: Week in Review

Posted on by Michelle Lamb

Thank you for the wonderful conferences with your children this week. It is such a pleasure to be able to meet together and talk about the growth and goals of the Middle School students. Ending the week with Halloween Movie Night was fun!

Humanities

6th and 7th grade Humanities classes continued their study of China. This week, they learned more about the Great Wall, the end of Imperial China, and a few of the events leading to the fall of the Qing Dynasty, particularly the Opium Wars and the Taiping Rebellion. Additionally, the classes are learning how to annotate an article when reading for information. For Poetry Tuesday, students read “Litany” by Billy Collins. This humorous poem that makes fun of traditional love poems had students reading a variety of metaphors. In addition to choosing their favorite metaphors in the piece, they were charged with writing one as if it had been published with the poem.

8th grade Humanities classes consisted of completing memoir drafts, self-editing, and peer editing their pieces. The class also worked on sentence structure, focusing on compound sentences. On Poetry Tuesday, students read the poem “The Swingset” by Grace Walton. This poem led to a conversation surrounding nostalgia and growing up.

Math

Pre-Transition: The week began with a review of the Chapter 2 skills that have been covered so far, including identifying place values, comparing and ordering decimals and fractions, multiplying by multiples of 10, and rounding. Students took the Chapter 2 Quiz on Tuesday and wrapped up the week learning how to round numbers to the nearest, next, or preceding number. 

Transition: The week kicked off with a review of the Chapter 2 concepts we’ve learned so far, including writing descriptions of patterns using variables, translating words into algebraic expressions, and evaluating algebraic expressions given the values of the variables. Students took the Chapter 2 Quiz on Tuesday, and closed out the week learning the Pythagorean Theorem.
Algebra: Students in Algebra practiced using the distributive property to expand and combine like terms as well as using the Opposites Property to simplify expressions. Students also reviewed ways to test equivalence among expressions and took the Chapter 2 quiz on Tuesday. The week finished with learning ways to use related facts in order to solve algebraic expressions.
Geometry: Geometry began the week with some review on distinguishing between convex and nonconvex figures, writing conditional statements as well as the converse, and understanding the properties of a good definition. Students took the Chapter 2 Quiz on Tuesday and wrapped up the week by learning the meaning of unions and intersections when looking at figures.

Algebra II: Students continued working with direct variation and inverse variation functions. Then, they dove into the Fundamental Theorem of Variation. The week wrapped up with the Chapter 2 quiz, learning how to find slopes and rates of change, and how to graph variation equations.

Science
This week, Middle School students continued working on their Science Fair Projects, which will be ready for exhibition on November 5th. All students are very excited and working hard on testing their experimental designs. Some students finished their experiments and obtained their results and data. Now, some of them are working on their conclusions to finalize that part of the project. This week, we conducted several experiments, including: “Solar Oven,” “Culturing Microorganisms Collected in the Outdoor Classroom,” “Strawberry DNA Extraction,” “How People Differentiate Real Images from AI,” “Phototropism in Plants,” “How to Make Organic Lipstick/Blush from Cochineal,” and “What is the Best Solution to Preserve Broccoli from Degradation?” among others. At the same time, other students worked on their research papers, and others started working on their display boards.

Here are some upcoming announcements:

  • Thursday, 10/30: Halloween Celebration in school. More info to come!
  • No School 10/31
  • Wednesday, 11/5 2 pm: Middle School Science Fair
  • Monday, 11/17-Wednesday, 11/19: 8th Grade Internships
  •  MS Flower Schedule

The Value of Parent-Teacher Conferences

Posted on by Gina Tryforos

Parent-teacher conferences are a valuable opportunity to learn more about your child’s daily experiences at school, strengthen your connection with your child’s teacher, and gain deeper insight into your child’s growth and development.

In a Montessori environment, these conferences hold special significance. Because learning is individualized and guided by each child’s unique interests and pace, conferences provide a meaningful window into your child’s progress—academically, socially, and emotionally. Teachers share observations about how your child engages with materials, collaborates with peers, and develops independence, allowing you to better understand the purpose and rhythm of your child’s classroom experience.

Participating in these conversations also shows your child that you value what happens at school. By modeling curiosity and open communication, you help build the bridge between home and school—an essential part of supporting your child’s success as a confident, joyful learner.

We look forward to seeing you this week for Parent-Teacher Conferences. Your involvement plays a vital role in nurturing your child’s educational journey and fostering a strong, supportive partnership between home and school.

There is no school on Friday, October 24 for Parent Teacher Conferences.

Ms. Handibode: The Joy of Children’s Work

Posted on by Michelle Handibode

One of Maria Montessori’s most noted quotes is, “Play is the child’s work.”  We’re sure you have heard your child talk about their work at school by now. Dr. Montessori preferred the term “work” over “play” to describe the learning process children are constantly undergoing. Work conveys the amount of effort that children put into their physical, social, emotional, and academic growth. As adults, we have a very different definition of work.

When a child works, he does not do so to attain some further goal. His objective in working is the work itself.
Maria Montessori

Children are driven by a strong, unconscious internal growth process to seek out experiences that will meet their needs. Our role as Montessori teachers is to provide a well-prepared environment that encourages children to be independent and learn at their own pace. The children are free to choose their work and to use it repeatedly. So, while they are ‘working’, each child also builds independence, coordination, self-discipline, and concentration.

We asked the children what their favorite work to do at school was, and below are their responses.

Adeline—Water works in Practical Life
Brooks—Pouring Works
Charlie D.—The Pink Tower
Charley W—Eating Apples
Connor—Playdough
Eloise—Pumpkin Work
Hannah—100 Board
Jasper—Ten Board
Jaxxon—Apple Slicing
Johnny—The Dinosaur Sensory Bin
Layla—The Teen Board		 Melia—The Pink Tower and artwork
Mila—Picture Story
Morgan—Dinosaur matching
Nitzan—Picture Story
Olivia—Number Writing
Remi—Making my own picture stories
Veda—Working with Ms. Handibode
Wilder—Apple Slicing
Zaki—Pouring works
Zion—Reading books

Grace and Courtesy in Action
With the cooler weather, jackets, sweaters, and coats with buttons and zippers are being worn. Our older friends are helping the younger ones put on their coats and button or zip them. These moments of care and support exemplify the grace and courtesy we practice daily in our classroom community.

Exploring the Solar System
We are studying the solar system and learning the planets in order from the Sun. The children are fascinated by the vastness of space and the unique characteristics of each planet.

Extending Learning at Home

  • Mealtime Independence
    Ask your child to stay seated at the table until their meal is done. Talk about and reinforce good table manners. Have your child set up their own dishes and cutlery, and then clean them up when they are finished. Make sure there is no food on their place mat or the floor after each meal.
  • Solar System Conversations
    Questions to ask your children: Is the Sun a planet? Can you sing on Mercury? Can you sing “I Know The Planets How About You?” What color is the planet Mars?

UPCOMING EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

This Week
Monday, October 20 through Friday, October 24: Parent Teacher Conferences
Monday, October 20: Adeline Sharing Box & Flowers
Tuesday, October 21: Playground Volunteer Allissa
Wednesday, October 22: Guest Reader Darshy
Friday, October 24: No School – Parent Teacher Conferences

Next Week
Tuesday, October 28: Pumpkin Patch on the Playground
Wednesday, October 29: Classroom Pumpkin Carving
Thursday, October 30: Primary Pajama Day, Classroom Harvest Celebration & Kindergarten Veggie Skeleton
Primary students are invited to wear their favorite pajamas to school on Thursday, October 30! Please help us keep the day fun and focused by leaving stuffed animals, toys, and other special items at home, as these can be difficult to keep track of and may be distracting during our learning activities.
Friday, October 31: No School – MSC Conference

 

Ms. Mollie’s Class

Posted on by Mollie Smith

Fall has arrived on our Fraser Woods campus, and our toddlers are soaking up every bit of it! The crisp air, the colorful leaves, and the soft sunlight make this such a magical time to explore. Each day, the children head outside ready for discovery—collecting acorns, crunching through piles of leaves, and noticing how the wind makes everything dance around them.

In Montessori, we often say that “play is the work of the child,” and it’s something we see so clearly this time of year. What may look like simple play—carrying a basket of leaves, sweeping the deck, or pouring water for a friend—is actually deeply purposeful work. Through these small tasks, the children are strengthening their coordination, independence, and concentration.

Inside our classroom, the fall theme continues! The shelves are filled with warm colors and natural materials that invite hands-on exploration. The toddlers have especially loved washing pumpkins, sorting tiny wooden pumpkins, and arranging leaves they’ve collected during outdoor time. These activities help them practice fine motor skills while also connecting them to the beauty of the season.

What I love most is watching how the children enjoy these moments together—sharing their discoveries and helping one another with a task. Their joy and curiosity remind us that learning doesn’t just happen at a table; it happens through movement, exploration, and connection with the world.

As we continue through this beautiful season, we’re so grateful for the opportunity to slow down, notice nature’s changes, and see fall through the eyes of our toddlers—full of wonder, work, and play!

With Full Hearts,

Ms. Mollie and Ms. Lizette

Ms. Vicki’s Class

Posted on by Vicki Downs

The children have been working hard both in and outside the classroom.  Some students chose to gather leaves outside and do a project, while others worked on fine and gross motor skills.

Reminders:

  • Please bring weather appropriate outerwear each day.  Sometimes a sweatshirt is ok and other times we need a jacket.
  • There is no school on Friday.
  • Several children have forgotten their cups this week.  Please bring them in.  We only have a few sippy cups in the classroom.

Enjoy the pictures!

Mrs. Sargeant: Growing Independence & Autumn Joy

Posted on by Christine Sargeant

This past week was filled with autumn discoveries and beautiful moments of growing independence!

New Works and Popular Activities
The flint corn (Indian corn) tweezing work was a huge hit on our shelves this week! The children carefully used tweezers to sort the colorful kernels, strengthening their fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination while exploring the natural beauty of the autumn harvest.

Celebrating Independence
One of the most rewarding observations this fall was watching children master the simple yet significant task of opening their own snack and lunch containers. Some began the year struggling with lids and zippers, but through daily practice and gentle perseverance, they beamed with pride as they exclaimed, “I opened it all by myself!” These moments of independence built confidence that extended far beyond the lunchroom.

Grace and Courtesy in Action
I received several heartwarming emails from parents sharing stories about their children talking about “filling others’ buckets” and showing kindness at home. It was wonderful to see how our classroom work with grace and courtesy rippled outward, helping children become compassionate members of their families and communities.

Cultural Studies and Learning
Our autumn theme continued with songs, stories, and explorations of the season. The children could not get enough of their new favorite song, “I’ve Got a Skeleton Inside Me”—perfect timing as we approach Halloween! We read about planets, sang songs about pumpkins and autumn leaves, and in the afternoon, our 4 and 5-year-olds were captivated by The Magic Tree House series. We began book number 4 this week, “Pirates Past Noon,” which sparked wonderful conversations about adventure and history.

Caring for Our Environment
Last week, when making our applesauce, we filled our compost bucket with apple scraps. The children were thrilled to participate in this care-of-the-environment work! Each day this week, they eagerly watched as the Upper Elementary students came to collect our fruit and vegetable waste. This simple routine helped children understand their role in caring for the earth and connected them to the larger school community.

Extending Learning at Home

  • Practice Independence
    Let your child open their own containers, zip their own jackets, and put on their own shoes. The pride they feel from these accomplishments is priceless!
  • Autumn Exploration
    Take a nature walk and collect interesting leaves, acorns, or seeds. Talk about the changes you notice as the season shifts.
  • Bucket Filling
    Continue conversations about kindness and how we can “fill buckets” by using kind words and helpful actions with family members.

Your children’s growth, kindness, and joy continued to fill our classroom with warmth!

UPCOMING EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

This Week
Monday, October 20 through Friday, October 24: Parent Teacher Conferences
Friday, October 24: No School – Parent Teacher Conferences

Next Week
Tuesday, October 28: Pumpkin Patch on the Playground
Wednesday, October 29: Classroom Pumpkin Carving
Thursday, October 30: Primary Pajama Day, Classroom Harvest Celebration & Kindergarten Veggie Skeleton
Primary students are invited to wear their favorite pajamas to school on Thursday, October 30! Please help us keep the day fun and focused by leaving stuffed animals, toys, and other special items at home, as these can be difficult to keep track of and may be distracting during our learning activities.
Friday, October 31: No School – MSC Conference

Lower Elementary: The Communication of Signs

Posted on by Carlie Taveras

The classroom was filled with excitement this week after we shared the fourth Great Lesson with the children. The children gathered as we told the engaging story of Communication in Signs (the story of our alphabet) and showed the children visuals of ancient writing, such as pictographs, cuneiform, hieroglyphics, and alphabet systems from the Phoenicians, Greeks, and Romans. Through the story, we traced the journey of how people began using symbols to communicate, turning pictures into marks, marks into sounds, and sounds into the letters we know today. The children were captivated as they learned about the evolution of the Roman alphabet and how it connects to the writing we use every day. The children were amazed to observe the connections between ancient systems and our modern alphabet.

The story naturally opened up a wonderful field of exploration into the history of language. The children were eager to compare different alphabet systems from around the world, noticing both their unique qualities and shared patterns. Their curiosity led us straight into the world of ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics, where they delighted in decoding and writing their own symbols. The excitement in the room was contagious as they discovered how these early signs were used to record stories, ideas, and events thousands of years ago.

As we discussed, the story of written language is truly the story of humanity’s need to connect and communicate. It helps us see how people throughout history have worked to perfect communication and explore new ways to share ideas. Through this Great Lesson, the children began to understand that language, one of our greatest human achievements, was an amazing invention and a clear result of humans using the special gifts of their minds, hands, and hearts. The incredible invention of written language acts as a bridge that connects people across time and space. The story introduced the children to the development and history of written language in a way that creates an appreciation of the simplicity and beauty of these languages.

We will continue to build on this excitement as we explore how writing systems evolved, how punctuation and spelling developed, and how handwriting styles changed through time. The story of Communication in Signs has opened a door to wonder, and the children are eager to step through it.

The Peabody Museum in New Haven features incredible exhibits on the Babylonians and Egyptians, showcasing fascinating artifacts like cuneiform tablets and ancient hieroglyphics. It is a fantastic place to visit and might be fun for the children to see these historic treasures up close.

This Week in Upper El

Posted on by Karen Sankey

 

We had a rich week of learning across all subject areas. The children worked with purposeful concentration on writing, biology, geometry, and grammar lessons.

Writing

Our writing lesson focused on using the “because” clause to make writing more interesting and sophisticated. We practiced adding reasoning to our statements, which helps us explain our thinking more clearly. This technique naturally strengthens writing skills and the ability to articulate ideas.

Biology

In biology, we learned about how animals get their nutrition and the various bodily processes involved in this nutrition. The children explored ingestion, digestion, absorption, excretion, egestion, and how different animals have adapted unique systems for obtaining the nutrients they need. This sparked incredible conversations about the interconnectedness of body systems.

Geometry

The fourth-year students learned about congruence, similarity, and equivalence. They manipulated materials to discover how shapes can be the same, similar, or equal in different ways. The fifth-year students worked on finding the area of a trapezoid by cutting the height in half and multiplying by the sum of the major and minor bases. Watching them work through this process showed the beauty of the mathematical mind at work.

Grammar

Fourth graders learned about three types of adjectives: descriptive, article, and numeral adjectives. They practiced identifying these different types and understanding how each serves a unique purpose in our language. Fifth graders learned about the past perfect tense and when to use this verb form to show that one action was completed before another past action began.

Literature Circle

On Tuesday, we started our second session of literature circle. The children exchanged books with each other, and the excitement in the room was palpable as they discussed their reading assignments and prepared for their new roles. You will find the assignment, along with copies of each role sheet, posted on your child’s dashboard.

UPCOMING EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

This Week
Friday, October 24: No School – Student-Parent-Teacher Conferences

Next Week
Thursday, October 30: Halloween Celebration – Children may come dressed in costume and bring a pumpkin to school for pumpkin carving. We will carve pumpkins, have a costume parade, and share some yummy treats. Keep an eye out for an email to sign up and bring a snack to share at our party.

Friday, October 31: No School – MSC Conference

Have a wonderful weekend!

Karen