Blog

Ms. Marissa: In June I Saw A Charming Group…

Posted on by Marissa Frisk

…Of roses all begin to droop

I pepped them up with chicken soup!

Sprinkle once,

Sprinkle twice,

Sprinkle chicken soup with rice!

Well, another year has gone by! Each and every child has grown so much right before our eyes, and we consider ourselves so lucky to have watched it all happen. We ended our last work cycle of the year watching Carole King’s rendition of Maurice Sendak’s Chicken Soup With Rice, which we have been reading and learning all year long!

The children were overjoyed to see all the drawings animated and were singing along to the words!

Thank you for a wonderful first year at FWM.

Have a wonderful summer,

Marissa & Sue

Mrs. Wilson: The Ending of a Beautiful Year!

Posted on by Cynthia Wilson

As we reach the end of another year in our classroom, it’s a time for reflection and celebration. Watching your little ones explore and discover the world around them has been a true Montessori journey filled with wonder and growth.

Just like Maria Montessori envisioned, our time together has followed the natural rhythm of development, guided by the principle of “follow the child.” Each moment has been an opportunity for your child to engage with materials, follow their interests, and cultivate a love for learning that will last a lifetime.

We’ve seen their independence blossom, their concentration deepen, and their sense of belonging within our Montessori community strengthen. They’ve embraced challenges with courage and approached each new experience with a sense of wonder and curiosity.

As we prepare to say goodbye for now, let’s treasure the memories we’ve created together and honor the growth we’ve witnessed in each child. May the foundation laid in our Montessori classroom continue to nurture their natural love for learning and guide them on their journey of self-discovery.

Thank you for entrusting us with your child’s Montessori education. Wishing you all a summer filled with exploration, discovery, and joyful moments with your little ones

Much Love,

Cynthia and Sara

Mrs. Lopes: Whose Child Is This?

Posted on by Amanda Lopes

Continuing with a long-standing FWM tradition, our Kindergarten friends began working on their number rolls early in September and had the opportunity to unroll them on Wednesday.  It is always a much-anticipated event that brings great joy to everyone. Each year, several middle school students will stop by and say, “I remember doing this, and I still have my number roll!”

Thank you to all for the generous end of year class gift!  Mrs. Hema and I feel so grateful to have such a supportive and kind community in our classroom.

The end of each school year is always an emotional time filled with wonder and pride at all that we have accomplished and how much each child has grown. To our Kindergarten students, those moving on, and their families, we wish you all the success you have worked so hard for. You will always hold a special place in our hearts, and we sincerely hope you will keep in touch throughout the years. To our returning students and families, we can’t wait to hear all about your summer and to experience the 2024-25 school year together. We wish all of you a summer filled with peace, love, happiness, and the chance to make beautiful memories. Enjoy the time with your loved ones, and may you all have a chance to relax and enjoy a calmer time of year. Thank you for sharing your children with us, and thank you for all the behind-the-scenes help that made our year so much smoother!

We leave you with a poem that resonates deeply with us every single year.

Whose Child Is This?      

“Whose child is this?” I asked one day
Seeing a little one out at play.
“Mine,” said the parent with a tender smile.
“Mine to keep a little while
To bathe his hands and comb his hair
To tell him what he is to wear
To prepare him that he may always be good
And each day do the things he should.”

“Whose child is this?” I asked again
As the door opened and someone came in.
“Mine,” said the teacher with the same tender smile.
“Mine, to keep just for a little while
To teach him how to be gentle and kind
To train and direct his dear little mind
To help him live by every rule
And get the best he can from school.”

“Whose child is this?” I ask once more
Just as the little one entered the door.
“Ours,” said the parent and the teacher as they smiled
And each took the hand of the little child.
“Ours to love and train together
Ours this blessed task forever.”

–Author Unknown

With much love,

Amanda & Hema

Mrs. Sargeant: Summer is here!

Posted on by Christine Sargeant

I guess it’s true what they say, “Time flies when you’re having fun.” What an incredible school year we have had with your children. Thank you! We feel so lucky to have spent our days with such an incredible bunch of kids. They have kept us on our toes, made us laugh, and reminded us how fortunate we are to be a part of their first school experience. The transformation in toddlers is so amazing to witness during the course of the school year. 

It has been a busy week. The squirrels continue to eat from our birdfeeder. We witnessed what appeared to be a squirrel squabble over which squirrel was going to eat their lunch first. It is fun to watch the children’s reactions. Some children were concerned that the squirrels would take all the food from the birds. Others watched in awe, observing the squirrels’ every move. And others belly-laughed in delight as they observed. We really have so much fun!

We celebrated our friend Emma’s upcoming big move to Germany. The children learned that her family will take an airplane to their new home. We looked at photographs of Germany, and we ate pretzel bites (cupcakes, too). We told the children that when they miss their friends this summer, that they could draw pictures for them and ask their parents to send them, either by text, email, or mail. 

We also celebrated the last week of school by enjoying some orange cake pops that our friend Oscar so thoughtfully shared with all of us!

Another huge highlight of our week was that Margot became a big sister! We were all so thrilled to hear her news! Congratulations, and welcome to the world, sweet baby!

This is it, the last weekly update for this school year. Have a wonderful summer. Enjoy it because time really does fly! See you soon.

Peace & love, Christine & Lizette

Here’s to Summer, Lower El!

Posted on by Ashley O'Connell

As the school year ends, I reflect on the incredible journey I’ve had with this group of lower elementary students, who have brought so much joy and laughter into my life. It feels like we started the school year just yesterday, full of anticipation and excitement. As we bid farewell to another chapter, we celebrate the wonderful memories we created together and wish each other the best summer ahead!

We asked the children what they were looking forward to about summer!  Enjoy below:

Advay: I’m looking forward to camp!
Angie: I’m looking forward to my birthday, going to Niagara Falls, staying up late and watching movies and eating fun treats!
Carmen: I’m looking forward to Girl Scout camp, hanging out with my cousins and friends, going to Portugal and ballerina class!
Eleanor: I’m looking forward to seeing my grandparents and going to Girl Scout camp!
Greyson: I’m looking forward to reading a lot of books, going to the beach with my sister, and going on a boat!
Landon: I’m looking forward to going to my grandma’s beach house, Paris, Portugal, and summer camp!
Olivia: I’m looking forward to camp!
Rowan: I’m looking forward to going to Delaware and the pool!
Sullivan: I’m looking forward to my brother’s birthday!
Aya: I’m looking forward to ballet camp, swimming, watching TV, playing outside, and going to Rhode Island!
Lily B: I’m looking forward to summer camp!
Malcolm: I’m looking forward to battling my Dad in the pool and going to skating and kung-fu camp!
Nina: I’m looking forward to watching movies during my free time and maybe going to dance camp!
Marin: I’m looking forward to playing with my family and having a water balloon fight with them!
Samuel: I’m looking forward to my birthday, going to camp, and having sleepovers!
Wilder: I’m looking forward to going to the Adventure Park, relaxing in the pool, and going to Boy Scout camp!
Beau: I’m looking forward to having more free time to work on my tumbling and going to the Adventure Park!
Charles: I’m looking forward to going to West Point, swimming, sleepovers, and vacation!
Dante: I’m looking forward to going to Niagara Falls, sleeping in, and water balloon fights!
Gregory: I’m looking forward to playing football and camping with my sister and Dad!
Harper: I’m looking forward to going to the beach, drama camp, and traveling to Acadia, Maine.
Lily L: I’m looking forward to traveling to Washington state and Idaho, camping with my Dad, going to the beach and my first ever concert!
Luke: I’m looking forward to cooking camp and going swimming in my pool!
Mya: I’m looking forward to my birthday, going to Colombia and trying new food there!
Noya: I’m looking forward to going to camp and traveling to new places!

Mrs. Doyle: Whose Child Is This?

Posted on by Michelle Handibode

Continuing with a long-standing FWM tradition, our Kindergarten friends began working on their number rolls early in September and had the opportunity to unroll them on Wednesday. It is always a much-anticipated event that brings great joy to everyone. Each year, several middle school students will stop by and say, “I remember doing this, and I still have my number roll!”

The end of each school year is always an emotional time filled with wonder and pride at all that we have accomplished and how much each child has grown. To our Kindergarten students, those moving on, and their families, we wish you all the success you have worked so hard for. You will always hold a special place in our hearts, and we sincerely hope you will keep in touch throughout the years. To our returning students and families, we can’t wait to hear all about your summer and to experience the 2024-25 school year together. We wish all of you a summer filled with peace, love, happiness, and the chance to make beautiful memories. Enjoy the time with your loved ones, and may you all have a chance to relax and enjoy a calmer time of year. Thank you for sharing your children with us, and thank you for all the behind-the-scenes help that made our year so much smoother!

We leave you with a poem that resonates deeply with us every single year.

Whose Child Is This?      

“Whose child is this?” I asked one day
Seeing a little one out at play.
“Mine,” said the parent with a tender smile.
“Mine to keep a little while
To bathe his hands and comb his hair
To tell him what he is to wear
To prepare him that he may always be good
And each day do the things he should.”

“Whose child is this?” I asked again
As the door opened and someone came in.
“Mine,” said the teacher with the same tender smile.
“Mine, to keep just for a little while
To teach him how to be gentle and kind
To train and direct his dear little mind
To help him live by every rule
And get the best he can from school.”

“Whose child is this?” I ask once more
Just as the little one entered the door.
“Ours,” said the parent and the teacher as they smiled
And each took the hand of the little child.
“Ours to love and train together
Ours this blessed task forever.”

—–Author Unknown

With much love,

Michelle & Maria

This Week in Upper El

Posted on by Karen Sankey

We had a fantastic three days packed with learning at Nature’s Classroom this week!

After settling into our dorm and eating lunch, we set off on our first field group hike in the woods with our group leaders, Ranger and Alan. This first hike was challenging on a trail that hadn’t been used in five years. Many of us ended up getting wet as we built and crossed a bridge to cross a swampy area. Our next class was on starting a fire with a firebow. We learned what materials to collect and what process to follow to start and keep a fire burning. After dinner, we participated in a science quest. We learned how sound, light, heat, and electric currents can transfer energy from place to place. We ended day one with quiet sing and a story read to us by Alan.

Day two was full of hikes in the woods. We were lucky to be joined by Mr. Newman for our first hike of the day! We went on four hikes, logged over nine miles, and spent a glorious time in the forest learning about animal and plant life. We learned to use a map and compass to navigate to a forest brook, where we built dams and created small pools. After dinner, we had a campfire and marshmallows and sang before going on a night hike in the woods. To end day two, Ranger read us a poem.

On our last day, we had a rainy start. After packing and cleaning our dorm, we made our own bagged lunches to eat in the woods. We hiked, built our last fire, and gathered around it to eat our lunch, toast marshmallows, and warm our bodies. We left Nature’s Classroom having formed bonds, shared experiences, and made memories that will last a lifetime.

Jill has created a Flickr album of her beautiful photos from our trip. I hope you enjoy them!

Mrs. Hood’s class: Spreading wings!

Posted on by Andrea Hood

The moment we had all been eagerly anticipating finally arrived! Our beautiful butterflies emerged, taking their time to strengthen their delicate wings. The children were enchanted as they watched the butterflies explore their surroundings, using their long tongues to taste the fruits we provided. Children happily worked on a special spring crown craft and decorated it with many butterflies for the big celebration!  When the moment came, we gathered together in the butterfly garden and gently opened the glass doors. We could almost feel the butterflies’ excitement as they basked in the sun and felt the gentle breeze, ready to embrace their new freedom. The children were in awe! It was such a special moment! One brave butterfly soared high immediately, while the other ones seemed a bit shy. With a small stick, I coaxed them gently, and after a few moments, they took flight, bringing smiles and laughter to your children as they fulfilled their destiny.

This activity always stirs deep emotions within us as guides. As our school year draws to a close in just a few days, we can’t help but reflect on the journey of our butterflies. Like those tiny caterpillars, we have cherished every transformation in your children’s lives this year. They have grown so much, blossoming into more independent, confident, and capable individuals. Observing their development has brought immense joy to our lives. We are profoundly grateful to you for entrusting us with their care and growth.

On the morning of Friday, June 7th, at 9:15 am, we will open another set of “glass doors” and let your children soar too! We will celebrate with a simple but sweet and meaningful graduation that we traditionally call the Crossing Bridge Ceremony.  You should have already received an email with details, but if not, please let me know. We hope to see you all there to share in this heartfelt moment.

In the meantime, we will savor our remaining days together, mastering new skills, discovering the world, laughing, dancing, and most importantly, hugging each other a little tighter, treasuring the little family we’ve become.

Warmly,

Mrs. Hood and Ms. Mollie