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Ms. Vicki’s Weekly Update

Posted on by Vicki Downs

Spring was truly in the air, and in our classroom, this week! The children were busy exploring seasonal changes through art, science, and hands-on activities.

We worked with six different paint colors, using Q-tips to carefully dot and match colors on a rainbow. The children also finished their egg decorating with fabric, continuing to build creativity and fine motor skills.

We began talking about how spring brings baby animals, and introduced a new chick project. The children painted glue inside a chick outline and used tweezers to pick up yellow yarn “feathers”, placing them one by one. This activity was great for strengthening hand muscles and coordination while connecting to our spring theme.

We’ve been reading many books about spring weather, growing plants, and insects returning. To go along with this, we introduced bug-themed 4-piece jigsaw puzzles, which the children have been loving. They are feeling so proud as they complete them independently!

We did some exciting planting this week! Together, we planted mint, celery, and carrot seeds in a special root viewer so we can watch how roots grow underground. Each child also planted their own tomato seeds in a small pot. We’ll care for them in the classroom before sending them home to be planted outside.

Food tasting was a big success this week! The children really enjoyed trying hard-boiled eggs and kept asking for more. This led to a wonderful conversation about how store-bought eggs won’t turn into chicks, but eggs that stay with mama chickens can grow into baby chicks and hatch.

It has been a very busy and exciting week full of discovery, growth, and curiosity. We love seeing the children so engaged and can’t wait to continue exploring all the wonders of spring together!

The Story of Lines and the Language of Geometry in Lower El

Posted on by Carlie Taveras

Geometry work has been quietly unfolding in such a meaningful way in our classroom, with children engaging in work that meets them where they are in their development while also sparking curiosity and inviting deeper exploration.

Our first-year students recently wrapped up their study of lines by exploring the relationships between straight lines. They were introduced to convergent, divergent, and parallel lines through an impressionistic story. Rather than approaching these concepts as definitions to memorize, the children experienced them through the lens of friendship.

In the story, two friends begin far apart and move closer and closer until their paths meet, representing convergent lines. In another scenario, two friends begin side by side but slowly drift apart, illustrating divergent lines. Finally, the children explored parallel lines through the image of two friends traveling alongside one another, always the same distance apart, never meeting but continuing forward together. This storytelling approach allows children to connect imaginatively, anchoring abstract concepts in something meaningful and memorable.

Following the story, the children worked with the box of sticks, physically building and revisiting these line relationships. They also began exploring intersecting lines and were introduced to the etymology of these geometric terms. Understanding where words like “parallel” and “intersect” come from supports not only their geometry work but also their broader language development, helping them make meaningful connections across their learning.

Our second-year students have been immersed in the study of symmetry. They have been discovering how symmetry exists all around us, from patterns in nature to designs in architecture. Using the geometric cabinet, they explored various polygons and worked to identify lines of symmetry within each shape. This work naturally extended into an exploration of the alphabet, where they investigated which letters are symmetrical and which are not. It has been a thoughtful blend of observation, classification, and curiosity, as students begin to see order and pattern in the world around them.

Meanwhile, our third-year students have been deepening their understanding of polygons. They have been exploring the distinction between regular and irregular polygons and continuing to build their geometric vocabulary, identifying the parts of polygons. A major focus has been learning how to use a compass, which, as they have discovered, is a skill that requires patience, precision, and persistence. There is a strong sense of accomplishment as they begin to gain control over this tool and create accurate geometric figures.

Across all levels, geometry serves as a bridge between the concrete and the abstract. The materials give children a hands-on way to explore lines, shapes, and relationships, allowing them to build their understanding. This work speaks directly to the needs of the second plane child, who is driven by imagination, reasoning, and a deep desire to understand the “why” behind everything. Geometry invites them to explore, classify, and bring order to their environment while also engaging their growing capacity for logical thought.

As the children progress through Lower Elementary, the geometry work gradually shifts from concrete materials toward more abstract reasoning. They experience geometry as more than just shapes and lines, but a story of human discovery. It shows children that math is a human achievement, developed over time to help us understand and describe the world. In this way, geometry offers a universal language, one that connects their learning to something larger and gives deeper meaning to the work they are doing each day.

It has been wonderful to observe the children engage with this work so thoughtfully, exploring these concepts and beginning to notice them in the world around them.

Ms. Handibode: A Journey to South America

Posted on by Michelle Handibode

Last week, our classroom turned its attention to the continent of South America — shown in pink on the Montessori map — and the children’s curiosity and wonder have been wonderful to witness. South America is the fourth largest continent in the world, made up of twelve countries, and connected to North America by the Isthmus of Panama — a landform the children have been studying. Brazil is the largest country in South America, and the major languages spoken across the continent are Spanish and Portuguese.

One area of particular fascination was the Amazon rainforest — the largest rainforest in the world. The children learned that to be called a rainforest, an area must receive more than 60 inches of rain each year, and that rainforests are home to over 40% of the world’s animal and plant species. We explored the four layers of a rainforest, each with its own climate, light conditions, and wildlife.

We were also delighted to welcome Melia’s mom as our guest reader, who shared the book From A to Z with Energy. As always, the children were fully engaged and immediately asked for more!

Extending Learning at Home

Pull up a map or globe with your child and find South America together. Ask them to point out Brazil, name the major languages, or describe what makes a rainforest special. You might also look up photos or videos of the Amazon together and explore the four layers — emergent, canopy, understory, and forest floor.

UPCOMING EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

This Week

  • Monday, April 6
    ⋅ Sharing Box and Flowers; Birthday Celebration, Connor H.
  • Wednesday, April 8
    ⋅ Guest Reader, Leigh B.

Next Week

  • Monday, April 13
    ⋅ Sharing Box and Flowers; Birthday Celebration, Zaki K.
  • Tuesday, April 14
    ⋅ Birthday Celebration, Wilder B.; Playground Volunteer, Sasha J.
  • Wednesday, April 15
    ⋅ Guest Reader, Sam R.

Mrs. Lopes: A Colorful Week of Discovery

Posted on by Amanda Lopes

Last week, the classroom was bursting with color! We introduced color mixing using the three primary colors — red, yellow, and blue — inspired by the beloved book Mouse Paint by Ellen Stoll Walsh. The children explored how combining any two primary colors creates a secondary color: red and yellow make orange, yellow and blue make green, and red and blue make purple.

To bring this concept to life on the shelves, a new color mixing work was introduced. Each child was given three dropper bottles filled with red, yellow, and blue colored water, along with three small bowls. They were encouraged to mix the colors to create orange, green, and purple. At the end, all three bowls were combined into one larger bowl — revealing what happens when all the primary colors come together! The children thoroughly enjoyed the surprise.

Extending Learning at Home

Try color mixing at home using food coloring and water, or simply with watercolor paints. Ask your child what colors they’ll need to make orange, green, or purple — and let them show you what they know!

Ms. Marissa: Bird Study Takes Flight

Posted on by Marissa Frisk

Last week, our classroom was alive with bird activity! The children have been engaged in a rich study of birds — doing scavenger hunts to practice handwriting, creating bird badges to use outside as they look for different species, working on puzzles, matching eggs, and painting birds. We also listened to a variety of bird calls together, which sparked wonderful conversations and lots of careful listening.

A new class favorite song, “Jenny Jenkins,” has been a hit all week. It tells the story of Jenny’s friends — a cardinal, a goose, a blue jay, a crow, a hummingbird, and a mourning dove — each asking Jenny if she’d like to wear the color of their feathers. She insists no, no, no… until the very end, when we discover her eggs have hatched and she is simply too busy! The children loved the surprise ending.

We were also so fortunate to welcome Aruna’s mom to our classroom, who taught us all about Holi — the Hindu celebration of spring. To honor the vibrant colors of the season, the children threw colored powder at each other while wearing white shirts. It was joyful, colorful, and completely unforgettable.

Extending Learning at Home

Go on a bird walk in your neighborhood! See if your child can identify any birds by sight or sound using what they’ve been learning. You might even set up a simple bird feeder to bring the birds a little closer to home.

Mrs. Sargeant: Bead Chains, Books, and Springtime Joy

Posted on by Christine Sargeant

 

Last week, the warmer weather brought an extra spark of energy to the classroom! The bead chains — both long and short — were a favorite on the shelves all week, with children working carefully to count, skip count, and explore number patterns. It was wonderful to see such focused, purposeful engagement with this material.

The spring concert is drawing closer, and we’ve been delighted to hear the children humming their songs during work time — a sure sign the music has found its way into their hearts.

A favorite book this week was Come Over to My House, co-written by Eliza Hull and Sally Rippin. This beautifully illustrated story explores the home lives of children and parents with a variety of disabilities. It sparked thoughtful questions and rich conversation, building awareness, fostering inclusivity, and cultivating the compassion that is so central to our community here at Fraser Woods.

A warm thank you to Otto’s family for sending in lavender for the children to use with the mortar and pestle — a wonderful practical life experience that engaged the senses in the most delightful way. Thank you also to Autumn’s mom for coming in to read on Wednesday, and to Kaiya’s mom for providing the springtime egg art activities now on the art shelf.

Extending Learning at Home

Bead chain work at home is as simple as counting small objects — buttons, coins, or dry pasta — in groups. Try skip counting by 2s or 5s together! You might also visit your local library to find more books that celebrate diverse families and abilities, continuing the important conversations your child began in the classroom.

UPCOMING EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

This Week

  • Monday, April 6
    ⋅ Daly Family — Flowers, Food & Sharing Bag
  • Wednesday, April 8
    ⋅ Gayle M., Guest Reader

Lower El – Building a Sense of Time: From Personal Stories to Ancient Civilizations

Posted on by Carlie Taveras

This week in History, our classroom has been buzzing with curiosity as each level continues to build a deeper understanding of time, human experience, and how we study the past.

One special moment this week was the sharing of the first timeline of early humans with the entire class. This broad, visual timeline offers children their first look at the long story of humanity. Its purpose is to provide keys to understanding how early human beings met their fundamental needs and to help children recognize the remarkable cleverness of humans, even in the earliest times. We discussed how, long before modern conveniences, humans used their unique gifts, such as their hands, mind, and ability to work together, to solve problems and care for themselves and others. This introduction is designed to ignite curiosity, inspire questions, and encourage further exploration as children begin to see history as a story of innovation and adaptation.

Our first graders are continuing to develop their understanding of linear time, an essential foundation for all future history studies. By exploring the idea that time moves forward in a sequence, they are beginning to make sense of “before” and “after,” and of how events connect. To bring this concept to life in a meaningful and personal way, students have begun creating their own timelines. Each child is working on a timeline of their life, complete with photos and special details from each year. This work not only strengthens their understanding of chronological order but also helps them see themselves as part of history.

In addition, first graders were introduced to the concept of fundamental needs. We explored what humans need to stay alive, our material needs such as food, water, and shelter, as well as what we need to live a fulfilling life, our spiritual needs like culture, arts, and religion. This important work will continue as we begin to look at how humans throughout history have developed clever and innovative ways to meet these needs.

Our second graders are diving into the concept of historical time on a larger scale. They are learning about how years are labeled using BC/AD and BCE/CE, and what these designations mean. This work helps them begin to place events within a broader historical context. As they deepen this understanding, we will connect it to their study of fundamental needs by exploring how humans have met specific needs over time. For example, we will trace the history of lighting, examining how people moved from firelight to candles, to electricity, seeing how one need has been satisfied in evolving ways across history.

Our third graders have been introduced to the History Question Charts, one of the key materials in a Montessori elementary classroom. These charts open the door to rich inquiry and thoughtful exploration. They guide students to ask meaningful questions about the land, culture, daily life, and beliefs of people in the past, while hopefully igniting further curiosity and interest in exploration and research. Using these charts, students began their first historical investigation by exploring the lives of the Ancient Romans.

Across all levels, it is exciting to see students building connections between themselves and history, between human needs and innovation, and between questions and discovery.

Middle School: Week in Review

Posted on by Michelle Lamb

We are excited for this year’s Middle School Trip to Washington, D.C.! The trip is designed to be educational, fun, and a bonding experience for our middle school group. This is where many memories are made, and it also allows students to come out of their comfort zones. They are able to rely on each other differently than they would in the classroom and experience independence away from home. Please review the trip communication for more information and important dates related to the trip.

Announcements:

 

Humanities

Grade 6 and 7 Humanities classes had a great week. They finished their overview of World War I and began learning about Russian History during the same time period. They also began learning about the political economic systems of capitalism, socialism, and communism in order to better understand their latest novel, Animal Farm by George Orwell. Students read the first couple of chapters of this allegory and completed some accompanying comprehension questions. Additionally, students read and wrote their own children’s poetry this week for our weekly poetry lesson.

8th grade Humanities class finished up the American Revolution and backtracked a bit to learn about the two meetings of the Continental Congress that led to the formation of the initial government of the USA. They learned about apportionment and also read some of the Articles of Confederation. Separately, students are completing the presentation portion of their Expert Projects and will have their first round of feedback on Tuesday.

Math

Pre-Transition: Students wrapped up Chapter 6 this week, focusing on multiplying percents by numbers as well as multiplying mixed numbers. To reinforce these skills, they completed the Chapter 6 self-test and participated in a review game to practice key concepts covered in this chapter. Students will take the Chapter 6 Assessment on Monday, April 6th.

Transition: Students completed Chapter 6, where they were introduced to key concepts in geometric transformations. To wrap up the chapter, students explored the properties of parallelograms and the triangle sum theorem, and they learned how to calculate the distance between two points on a coordinate plane. To prepare for the assessment, students completed the Chapter 6 self-test and participated in a review game to reinforce their understanding. They will take the Chapter 6 test on Monday, April 6th.

Algebra: After finishing Chapter 5 and using the self-test as a study tool, Algebra students reinforced their understanding by playing a review game. They then demonstrated their learning by taking the Chapter 5 test. The week closed out with an introduction to Chapter 6, “Slopes and Lines.” Students explored the concept of slope, also known as the rate of change, and learned the formula for calculating the slope of a line using two points.

Geometry: This week, the Geometry class wrapped up Chapter 5 by exploring the sums of angle measures in polygons. Students are now able to apply the triangle-sum, quadrilateral-sum, and polygon-sum theorems to determine unknown angle measures. They also practiced using the exterior angle theorem to solve problems involving triangle angles and learned how to draw auxiliary figures to support their proofs. The week ended with the Chapter 5 self-test, and students will take the Chapter 5 test on Monday, April 6th.

Science

Middle School students continued working with the lessons from the Discovery Education e-book. This week, 6th and 7th graders continued working on their understanding of changes of matter. They worked on virtual lab sessions about different substances changing their state of matter, testing their variables, and discovering that each substance has a different boiling, freezing, and melting point. They also worked on finding examples of sublimation (change of state from solid to gas) and deposition (change of state from gas to solid). They conducted research and used reliable sources, helping them to explain their thinking.

8th Graders continued learning about respiration and cellular respiration and their importance for all living organisms. They are learning how glucose is broken down slowly and regulated by enzymes in aerobic and anaerobic respiration, following multiple steps that allow them to produce the energy (ATP) needed by a cell from a living organism. Additionally, students learned about the latest NASA mission, Artemis II , the first crewed mission to fly around the moon in 53 years, making a very important test of the Orion spacecraft and Space Launch System (SLS). This mission will be in orbit for 10 days, carrying important scientific studies to improve and help medical studies, explore the deep space environment, and test critical life support, navigation, and human spacecraft interaction away from Earth. Students were able to see the launch of the Orion spacecraft. They enjoyed watching it and showed a lot of interest in this topic. All of these lessons are supported by classwork, videos, readings, and explanations in class, followed up with weekly science articles where students can practice their critical thinking to answer the questions.