Blog

Join us for Parent Teacher Conferences

Posted on by Gina Tryforos

Parent-teacher conferences are a wonderful opportunity to learn about your child’s typical school day, develop stronger connections with your child’s teacher, and gain insights into your child’s development.

Participating in these conferences shows your child that you are interested in what happens at school. You are also modeling the importance of open communication and building the bridge between home and school to promote your child’s success as a student.

Please join us on Friday, October 25th, for Parent-Teacher Conferences. Your involvement is crucial in nurturing your child’s educational journey and fostering a supportive learning environment.

New Year New Field!

Posted on by Dylan Fisher

PE classes have been taking full advantage of the new turf field and resurfaced gym floor to begin the school year. The weather has been favorable this fall, allowing most gym classes to be held outside. The updated spaces permit the setup of simultaneous activities and give students more room to move their bodies.

Kindergarten and lower elementary students have been learning to move in control to ensure safety around their classmates during group activities. Students have also been participating in games to improve their balance, locomotor, and cooperation skills, including tag, relay races, and throwing and catching challenges. 

Upper elementary students began the school year working on their sportsmanship and strategy skills during group activities. Highlights include team-based throwing and catching games like dodgeball, capture the flag variations, and “Tic-Tac Throw.” Upper elementary students are currently in the middle of a flag football unit, developing their throwing, catching, coordination, and agility skills. 

Middle school students have been focused on team-based strategy games, including various versions of dodgeball and Capture the Flag. These games present teamwork and strategy challenges and the different solutions students come up with to help their team and classmates succeed have been awesome to see. Similar to the upper elementary students, the middle schoolers are also in the middle of a flag football unit. Agility, footwork, hand-eye coordination, sportsmanship, and creativity are all key takeaways.

Mrs. Hood: Pumpkin Patch Fun and Helping Hands!

Posted on by Andrea Hood

At FWM, one of our goals is to nurture caring, empathetic students who are capable of thinking beyond themselves. Dr. Montessori envisioned a more peaceful world, starting with children, and it is through them that we believe the world can become a better place. Community service plays a key role in our Montessori approach, helping to develop the whole child. Through meaningful, real-life volunteer experiences, students discover the joy of giving and learn to cultivate compassion.

A couple of times each month, our Middle School students visit our environment to work with our toddlers. In the past, they’ve read stories, explored materials on our shelves, and offered gentle guidance—helping with tasks like putting on shoes and jackets and washing hands. They have a wonderful way of comforting their younger peers when needed, and they always join in the fun when we sing, dance, and play together. These older students are incredible role models, and the toddlers truly love spending time with them! This year, the Middle Schoolers will join us sometimes during mid-morning transitions and accompany your children on the playground for gross motor activities and bonding time. It’s going to be so much fun!

This week, we had an extra special event thanks to your generous support and donations. Our toddlers enjoyed a delightful wagon ride through the school, filled with excitement as they searched for pumpkins at our very own Toddler Pumpkin Patch! Their eyes lit up as they eagerly spotted pumpkins during the ride, and everyone around couldn’t help but pause to admire the beauty of innocence and grace your children bring to our community. We were especially grateful to our Middle School helpers, who pulled the wagons and guided those who preferred to walk.

When we arrived at the zen garden, the children were thrilled to see the pumpkins! They ran to touch, carry, and play with them, surrounded by the wonderful fall decor set up by parents for the children to enjoy. Each toddler proudly carried their own pumpkin back to the wagon for another fun ride, and upon returning to the classroom, they were met with a sweet surprise—treats and delicious apple cider! The joy on their faces was priceless. To top it off, the children had a blast decorating their pumpkins with vibrant colors at the end of the week.

It’s such an honor to witness your children grow within our community!

On a side note, we explored spaghetti squash during our food-tasting lesson. While it wasn’t a favorite for all, we were excited to see some of the toddlers enjoy it and even ask for more!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Warmly,
Mrs. Hood & Mrs. Noelle

Reminder: Please ensure your child brings a rain jacket and rain boots on rainy days. Rainsuits are also welcome! We aim to make the most of every type of weather and enjoy the outdoors as much as possible.

Mrs. Sargeant: A Peek at the Week

Posted on by Christine Sargeant

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

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 word work rather than the word 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.

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.

The children were thrilled to work as a team to make applesauce together. We discussed our five senses, and noticed how the applesauce’s delicious aroma filled our classroom. We were all very surprised to realize that the skin from one apple was even longer (taller) than some of our classmates!

Enjoy the beautiful fall weather, Christine & Fatima

New Year New Field

Posted on by Dylan Fisher

PE classes have been taking full advantage of the new turf field and resurfaced gym floor to begin the school year. The weather has been favorable this fall, allowing most gym classes to be held outside. The updated spaces permit the setup of simultaneous activities and give students more room to move their bodies.

Kindergarten and lower elementary students have been learning to move in control to ensure safety around their classmates during group activities. Students have also been participating in games to improve their balance, locomotor, and cooperation skills, including tag, relay races, and throwing and catching challenges. 

Upper elementary students began the school year working on their sportsmanship and strategy skills during group activities. Highlights include team-based throwing and catching games like dodgeball, capture the flag variations, and “Tic-Tac Throw.” Upper elementary students are currently in the middle of a flag football unit, developing their throwing, catching, coordination, and agility skills. 

Middle school students have been focused on team-based strategy games, including various versions of dodgeball and Capture the Flag. These games present teamwork and strategy challenges and the different solutions students come up with to help their team and classmates succeed have been awesome to see. Similar to the upper elementary students, the middle schoolers are also in the middle of a flag football unit. Agility, footwork, hand-eye coordination, sportsmanship, and creativity are all key takeaways.

Mrs. Wilson: Fraser’s Farm!

Posted on by Cynthia Wilson

It was such a busy and high-energy week! We had no school on Monday, had Picture Day, visited the Pumpkin Patch, and decorated pumpkins, which threw the children off their routine. Oh, and let’s not forget the full-moon vibe! Having a routine is important for children as it provides them with a sense of security, especially since they are in a sensitive period for order. It helps them understand what is expected and eases them into transitions. Sometimes, when we’re off our routine, we just ride the wave of high energy.

The Pumpkin Patch is one of my favorite activities that we plan each year. I want to express my gratitude to everyone who contributed and helped make it a success.  The zen garden was transformed into a gorgeous pumpkin patch, and it almost felt like we took a field trip. The children started by going on a wagon ride around campus, with the middle school students helping to pull the wagons. We ended at the Fraser Farm, where the children explored all the decorations and gourds and picked their pumpkins. Then, they posed with their pumpkins and went for another ride around. Back at the classroom we all sat down and enjoyed a delicious pumpkin muffin and some apple cider.

On Friday, the children used glue and tissue paper to decorate their pumpkins. The children who are absent on Friday will have a chance to do theirs on Monday.

Food Tasting: This week, we tasted a pear.

Love and Light,

Cynthia and Sara

Mrs. Lopes: A Look at Our Week

Posted on by Amanda Lopes

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

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 word work rather than the wordplay 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.

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.

This week we began our unit on dinosaurs.  I am always amazed at how much some of the children already know about dinosaurs.  We discussed what we already knew about dinosaurs and then made a list of things we were curious about or would like to learn about dinosaurs.  The children have been engaging with all the new dinosaur lessons on our culture shelf.

Enjoy your work!

Amanda & Hema