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Ms. Handibode’s Happenings

Posted on by Michelle Handibode

What the hand does, the mind remembers. —Maria Montessori

Every Montessori classroom has a Sensorial area, and it is filled with materials that help the child study their environment through their five senses. Maria Montessori believed that sensorial experiences begin at birth for every child, and by refining these skills, they begin to understand their surroundings. The sensorial materials allow the child to acquire concise information and classify things around them. They use their senses not only to create their own experiences and knowledge but also to help them figure out different impressions each sense receives. The child is, therefore, a natural “sensorial explorer.”

Each material in this area has a built-in control of error so that after an initial lesson, little teacher direction is needed. This control of error helps a child determine what needs to happen to complete the lesson successfully. The children can distinguish, categorize, and relate new information to what they already know. Each sensorial material isolates one specific quality, such as color, weight, shape, texture, size, sound, or smell. These materials emphasize this particular quality by eliminating or minimizing other differences. Many of the sensorial materials are also the basis of future mathematical concepts the children will learn.

We had our first guest reader last week.  Kate, Hannah’s mom, read us the charming book The Circus Ship. The children truly enjoyed this, and we look forward to all the different readers and books we will have over the course of the year.

Wishing you a week filled with peace and love.

Michelle & Maria

Mrs. Sargeant: A Peek at the Week

Posted on by Christine Sargeant

What the hand does, the mind remembers. —Maria Montessori

Every Montessori classroom has a Sensorial area, and it is filled with materials that help the child study their environment through their five senses. Maria Montessori believed that sensorial experiences begin at birth for every child, and by refining these skills, they begin to understand their surroundings. The sensorial materials allow the child to acquire concise information and classify things around them. They use their senses not only to create their own experiences and knowledge but also to help them figure out different impressions each sense receives. The child is, therefore, a natural “sensorial explorer.”

Each material in this area has a built-in control of error so that after an initial lesson, little teacher direction is needed. This control of error helps a child determine what needs to happen to complete the lesson successfully. The children can distinguish, categorize, and relate new information to what they already know. Each sensorial material isolates one specific quality, such as color, weight, shape, texture, size, sound, or smell. These materials emphasize this particular quality by eliminating or minimizing other differences. Many of the sensorial materials are also the basis of future mathematical concepts the children will learn.

Heartfelt thanks to all the parents who helped in some way this week. The children have loved having our Guest Readers join us on Mondays. They have also been enjoying our new Yoto player and listening to Hayes’ Mom read The Little Engine That Could.

Emma’s Mom brought pumpkins and a huge variety of shapes for the children to choose from, along with mallets for them to use to hammer the shapes into the pumpkins. Many of the children took turns helping us to scoop the pulp and seeds. We enjoyed our fun jack-o-lanterns all week!

The kindergarten students went on a field trip to New Pond Farm in Redding, where they learned about chickens, wool, goats, and cows. They even had the opportunity to brush a cow, meet a calf, and practice milking a “cow”.  Later in the week, they worked together to prepare vegetables and made a “veggie skeleton”.

The whole class enjoyed visiting the playground to choose their very own pumpkins – and wow, did they also love the amazing, festive snack that Eliot’s family created for snack on Halloween. Thank you all for making it a fun week for our class.

Wishing you all a peaceful week, Christine & Fatima

Mrs. Wilson: Pumpkin Pumpkin

Posted on by Cynthia Wilson

Over the past two weeks, the children have been immersed in the story Pumpkin Pumpkin by Jeanne Titherington. This delightful tale follows a child named Jamie as he plants a pumpkin seed and explores the pumpkin’s life cycle. We began our exploration by discussing key vocabulary related to this cycle, including seed, pumpkin sprout, pumpkin plant, pumpkin flower, and pumpkin. By the middle of the second week, some children were able to finish my sentences, while others confidently repeated the vocabulary or actively processed the information.

On our language shelf, we have life cycle sequence cards for the children to explore in conjunction with the story.

We then took a small pumpkin and placed it in a container to observe its decomposition, allowing the children to experience the pumpkin’s life cycle visually. We hope this will eventually grow our very own pumpkin plants.

To conclude our pumpkin exploration, just in time for Halloween, the children tasted pumpkin. They examined both the exterior and interior of a pumpkin and then had the opportunity to taste it. Finally, we carved our own pumpkin face, just like Jamie did in the book.

To add to the Halloween fun, the children watched the Halloween parade with students from Lower Elementary through Middle School. There were many fun costumes; some children created their own costumes in our maker space program.

Love and Light,

Cynthia and Sara

Mrs. Hood: Music, Art and Autumn Magic

Posted on by Andrea Hood

Maria Montessori used the scientific method to study children’s natural ways of learning, and her findings still resonate today. She observed that from birth to age six, children absorb the world around them effortlessly, taking in the culture they’re surrounded by like little sponges. Whatever they hear, see, and feel gets woven into their sense of self, almost like an imprint on their soul. For example, if a child grows up with music—hearing parents sing, watching them dance—that child often develops a love for music, too. Montessori called this remarkable capacity the “Absorbent Mind.”

In our classroom, we honor this “Absorbent Mind” by weaving meaningful musical experiences into every day. Mornings are lively with whole-body movement songs, fingerplays, and instrument time. We have a rotating shelf of musical instruments so children can explore, learn each instrument’s name, and practice handling them with care. Music time isn’t only about fun; it’s also a chance to build social skills. We gently introduce grace and courtesy by encouraging children to wait patiently until everyone has an instrument so we can all play together. It’s a lovely practice in self-control and teamwork, essential skills as they learn to manage their impulses.

One of our favorite moments is watching the children follow hand signals to change tempo, go soft or loud, and then stop their instruments in sync. Their joy when they all stop at once is priceless, and we lovingly call this “band time.” It’s definitely a favorite group activity in our class!

In our art corner, children are growing in other important ways. This week, we introduced easel painting, a wonderful activity that strengthens hand-eye coordination as they dip brushes in paint and carefully apply it to the paper. Painting also builds fine motor skills and lets them express themselves creatively, with no strict rules to follow—just a simple guideline to keep their work on the paper. Watching them beam with pride over their unique artwork is always a treat.

With fall in full swing, your children have been soaking up all the wonders of the season. They’re thrilled by the sight of colorful leaves drifting to the ground, the feel of crisp autumn air (the unexpected warmth as well), and the fun of exploring outdoors. Leaf collecting has become a popular activity as they pick out their favorite shapes and colors. A special moment this week was watching the Halloween Parade with the older students from Lower Elementary, Upper Elementary, and Middle School putting on a show for everyone to enjoy, as well!

We hope you enjoy a cozy, joy-filled long weekend surrounded by the beauty of fall!

Best,

Mrs. Hood and Ms. Noelle

Middle School: Coming Together

Posted on by Michelle Lamb

Over the last week, our Middle School Community has come together in several ways: Middle School Movie Night, Halloween Festivities, and to celebrate our time with Ms. Sutherland.

First, MS celebrated Halloween with two events. Halloween festivities commenced with Middle School Movie Night. This was planned and hosted by the 8th Grade. It was a fun night of food, raffles, Hocus Pocus, and togetherness. Next, students gathered for the annual FWM Halloween Parade. Lower El, Upper El, and Middle School showed off their incredible costumes for their younger peers. Everyone was impressed by the costumes and masks that were created in MakerSpace! The students surprised everyone when they led a Halloween Flash Mob that they had been practicing in secret in Performing Arts. Thank you to the MS families for sending in yummy treats for everyone to enjoy.

Finally, the MS community came together to bid farewell to Ms. Sutherland. They expressed the multitude of ways they are going to miss her, including her enthusiasm, mathy jokes, and awesome teaching. We are going to miss her!

Here is what went on in classes:

Humanities 

Sixth-grade Humanities finished their first class novel, Becoming Naomi Leon! They completed final discussions and wrote a novel reaction. Additionally, they dove deeper into the Oaxacan Christmas Tradition of Noche De Rabanos. This annual radish-carving festival provided a great cultural setting for the turning point of the plot. Students also worked with Ms. Sara on illustrations surrounding the story. Next, in continuation of their descriptive writing unit, students drafted a piece that they wrote from the perspective of a falling leaf. Next in the writing process are editing and revision. In preparation for this, students made a resource for themselves with editing marks and practiced their skills.

The seventh-grade Humanities class began their study of Sub-Saharan Africa. They completed a political map of the countries in this region of the African continent and are watching a video about the physical and cultural geography of Sudan, which is the setting for their new class novel, A Long Walk to Water, by Linda Sue Park. This novel follows the lost boys who fled Sudan in the late 1980s, walking over 1,000 miles to safety. They will continue to learn about Sub-Saharan Africa as well as more closely the countries of Sudan and South Sudan. Finally, students presented their second round of current events.

Eighth-grade Humanities is in the midst of reading their class novel, If I Ever Get Out of Here, by Eric Gansworth. This novel follows Lewis, a middle school boy who decides to go to school off of the reservation where he lives in the 1970s. The prevailing themes of identity and friendship follow the protagonist throughout the plot. Additionally, students presented their second round of current events, which sparked some great discussion.

Science

6th-grade students worked on learning how to construct and interpret graphs this week.  The class focused on how to title a graph, how to scale an axis, how to create a bar graph, pie chart, and line graph, how to analyze and interpret the data represented on a graph, and spoke about why graphs are universal in the process of science.
7th-grade students continued their work on mixtures and solutions.  With the help of labs, the class discovered the difference between pure substances and mixtures.  They investigated the Tyndall effect in the use of identifying mixtures and defined the properties of homogeneous and heterogeneous mixtures.
8th-grade students began working on the materials necessary for building their cell cakes. Learners were placed in two groups, one of which will work on producing a plant cell, while the other will work to produce an animal cell.  Students started a blueprint for their designs while delving into the structure and function of each cell organelle.

Math

Pre-Transition: This week, students concluded their learning of Chapter 2 by practicing converting fractions to decimals and finding decimal and fraction equivalents. They also became experts at comparing fractions, decimals, and percents. Students wrote the Chapter 2 assessment and will dive into Chapter 3 next week.  There is no scheduled homework for the Halloween long weekend.
Transition: This week, students wrapped up their learning of Chapter 2 by learning about the Pythagorean Theorem and applying their knowledge to find the hypotenuse of right triangles. They also discovered ways to find solutions to equations and inequalities as well as how to graph solutions to simple inequalities. Students wrote the Chapter 2 assessment and will dive into Chapter 3 next week. There is no scheduled homework for the Halloween long weekend.
 
Algebra: This week, students continued exploring Chapter 3. They learned how to use the distributive property to help solve linear equations as well as how to apply the Addition and Multiplication Properties of Equality and Inequality. The class concluded the week by writing the Chapter 3 quiz.
 
Geometry: This week, students resumed their learning on Chapter 3. They learned how to use algebra to represent and find measures of angles, and students determined measures of angles formed by parallel lines, perpendicular lines, and transversals. The class also practiced giving justifications for conclusions involving angles and segments. Students wrapped up the week by writing the Chapter 3 quiz.

Ms. Mollie: “Finally, Halloween!”

Posted on by Mollie Smith

 

The past two weeks have been a whirlwind of fun! We have been talking about Halloween, pumpkins, bats, and of course, candy! We have been enjoying getting to know a new classmate who joined us; the children already know his name and eagerly await him each morning. The children are also very excited to see the birds at our feeder…oftentimes so excited with an excited squeal that scares the birds away! The children can now identify the chickadee, bluejay, and tufted titmouse when the birds visit our feeder.

Opening a large pumpkin gave us a wonderful opportunity to explore, feel different textures, and see the inside of the pumpkin. We talked and read about the life cycle of pumpkins, how they grow, what we can do with them, and most importantly….how to cook with pumpkins! The children made pumpkin bread; each child took turns helping to incorporate ingredients, talking about each step, and enjoying working together with our hands. We took a long walk to Mr. Manuel’s kitchen to bake our bread…..the school smelled absolutely delightful! The children were amazing at practicing their patience, and we enjoyed our pumpkin bread the next day on Halloween!

The children were smitten watching our older “friends” walk in the Halloween Parade! Each child waved with joy and watched in awe of our peers; the parade ended with an epic spooky dance by all the students! The toddlers definitely let loose, too! As the week wrapped up, we read all the Halloween books, baked the pumpkin bread, and explored the inside of pumpkins. as one of our young friends said, “Miss Mollie, Finally Halloween!” Yes, kiddo, it’s finally Halloween!!!

With full Hearts,

Ms. Mollie and Ms.Lizette

Ms. Marissa: Weekly Update!

Posted on by Marissa Frisk

It has been a very busy week in our classroom! This week, we celebrated all things fall and Halloween with a Jack O’Lantern carving, a pick-your-own-pumpkin “farm,” apple cider and apple cookies, and a Halloween Parade!

In our classroom, we have started our journey through South America. We are learning about rainforests, mountains, cities, and plains. One of our student’s families has roots in Colombia and will be giving us a very special presentation on the country! We are so lucky to be able to share special parts of our families.

Last week, the Kindergarteners took a field trip to New Pond Farm, where we learned all about how sheep supply us with wool, how to clean and card it, and how it eventually turns into fiber to make clothing. We took those lessons and translated them right to our Practical Life shelf work with finger knitting, loom knitting, and LOTS of sewing up for this month! We will be reading Pell’s New Suit and Charlie Needs a New Cloak which are both lovely examples of all the work that goes into making things that we wear.

Have a lovely weekend!

Marissa & Sue

Makerspace: Monthly Update

Posted on by Carl Frisk

We’ve been very busy in the Makerspace the last few weeks. The Garden Tower now has cucumbers, beans, and tomatoes in addition to bell peppers. Lettuce seedlings are growing slowly but will hopefully be added in the next week or so. We also got some worms for our Vermicomposter, so students (who are willing) have been helping monitor and care for them.

Kindergarteners finished up their wonderful animal masks, and we were able to sneak in a quick Jack-O-Lantern project before Halloween.

Lower El continues their knitting projects with some impressive progress. Going forward they will have the opportunity to work on these in class when they’d like as well as during recess on certain days. Since these are long term projects, we will have other smaller projects in the future as well.

Upper El has also begun some knitting projects and they’ve really taken the reigns with helping teach students who have never knit before as well as helping each other fix mistakes when they occur. We’ve also begun to dabble with some cardboard construction techniques and effective tool use. We will be using some of the Middle Schoolers’ completed masks as examples of those techniques in the coming weeks. We will also begin construction on the compost soon, hopefully before it gets too cold for us to work outside.

Middle School has just finished up some impressive masks in time for Halloween, constructed almost completely from cardboard. Iron Man, Lightning McQueen, Steve from Minecraft, and a Birthday Cake are just a few of the many characters. The cardboard cities are coming along nicely in STEAM, with neighborhoods, schools, infrastructure, and utilities popping up. Robotics has been a lot of fun, challenging the students to create robots that move without traditional wheels and propulsion, utilize the gyro function within the hub as a means of control, and use the color sensor to direct different functions.