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Mrs. Wilson: A Flavorful Week

Posted on by Cynthia Wilson

We are now at the end of September, and we wrapped up the week with a fun applesauce preparation activity. Over the past two weeks, the children have enjoyed sampling both red and green apples and watching a demonstration of the apple peeler and corer. This week, they had the chance to help make applesauce, filling our room with the delightful aroma of warm cinnamon and apples.

We also kicked off the week by celebrating the birthdays of two of our friends. Happy Birthday to our two friends!

It’s heartwarming to see the children becoming more comfortable in our classroom and forging stronger bonds with one another and their teachers. I’m pleased to report that, aside from a few small tears at drop-off, their days are filled with joy and laughter.

Love and Light,

Cynthia and Sara

We look forward to seeing you at Parent-Teacher Conferences on October 25. Please sign up for your conference here. 

Mrs. Sargeant: Friday Folder Fun Facts

Posted on by Christine Sargeant

As adults, we must remember that we want things done as quickly as possible so they are finished and out of the way. In contrast, the child is interested and content in the doing, not the done.” –Margaret Stephenson, The Art of Montessori in the Home.

Every Friday we send home the blue folders that contain the work the children have completed over the past week. We often receive emails asking why there was so little work inside and what exactly the children are doing.

Sometimes, it can be difficult to accept the idea of focusing on the process, not the product. What exactly does that mean? Many works in the Montessori classroom do not end with a physical product the children will bring home to share with everyone. There is often no way to visually assess what a child is learning. Overall, as a society, we are product-driven and often base our success on this factor. The experience a child has when working with the materials is truly what is most important. However, it can often be unsettling when you hear they did “nothing” day after day.

Research shows children ages three to six learn best through their hands. To truly understand a concept, they need to explore it through touch. This is why so many lessons in the Montessori environment are not based on memorization alone. Most concepts we teach involve tracing, manipulating, and exploring with their hands. Perhaps most importantly, focusing on the process protects the child’s intrinsic motivation to learn and understand. External factors such as recognition, praise, or reward do not influence it. We truly value and encourage the time and experience with the materials.

So, if your child’s folder comes home with little to no work, know that their accomplishments can’t always ‘fit’ in that folder. Maybe after weeks and weeks of trying, they learned how to zipper their coat, or perhaps they can finally carry a work without it dropping. Maybe after observing a lesson day after day, your child tried it independently for the first time. The list of skills each child can accomplish will never be fully represented in the Weekly Folder. So please enjoy the work in there, but know it will never be an accurate portrayal of all the children are learning and accomplishing.

Wishing you all a wonderful week,

Christine & Fatima

We look forward to seeing you at Parent-Teacher Conferences on October 25. Please sign up for your conference here.

Ms. Marissa: Mr. Moon, Mr. Moon

Posted on by Marissa Frisk

 

Now that we have been in the classroom for many weeks, returning students are finding their rhythm and picking up right where they left off! Our new Kindergarteners are settling into their new roles as classroom leaders, and they all take it very seriously! Our new students are internalizing our rhythms and routines and looking forward to many parts of our day.

We continue our study of the Solar System. We have learned some interesting facts about our solar system. Did you know that the sun is the ONLY star in our solar system? We were amazed! All the other stars we see at night are far far away, not in our solar system.

Try to recite this poem we have been practicing with your child:

“Mr. Moon, Mr. Moon,

You’re out too soon, the sun is still in the sky!

Go back to bed and cover your head

And wait for the day to pass by.”

Next month, we will zoom closer into life and change our focus from the Solar System to planet Earth!

We look forward to seeing you at Parent-Teacher Conferences on October 25. Please sign up for your conference here.

Mrs. Hood: La Vaca Lola!

Posted on by Andrea Hood

Have you heard of La Vaca Lola?

Maria Montessori believed that the first six years of life are crucial for a child’s language development, and research backs her up. From birth, children thrive on the right kinds of stimulation, especially when it comes to language. Many specialists agree, particularly when discussing the benefits of learning foreign languages at an early age.

Studies show that learning a second language boosts problem-solving, critical thinking, and listening skills. It also improves memory, concentration, and even multitasking! Bilingual children often show signs of enhanced creativity and mental flexibility, which is why we immerse your toddler in Spanish every day in our environment.

For the past few weeks, we’ve been exploring farm life and animals with the children. Mimicking animal sounds, like “moo” or “baa,” helps toddlers practice the rhythm and cadence of speech. These simple, repetitive sounds are easy for them to reproduce, strengthening their ability to form and articulate words. They also sharpen auditory discrimination, a key skill for distinguishing between similar sounds as their vocabulary grows.

To tie our farm theme with learning Spanish, we introduced “La Vaca Lola” (The Cow Named Lola) this week, a lively song that instantly caught the children’s attention! It’s been wonderful to see some of our students already singing the words in Spanish while others watch closely and listen as I sing. To keep the fun going at home, I encourage you to take advantage of this beautiful weather and visit a farm nearby! Point out the animals, name them, and practice their sounds with your child. You’ll be amazed at how quickly they catch on.

On another note, we had a big highlight this week: the introduction of our first food-tasting lesson! The excitement was high as I placed the food-tasting tray in front of the children, especially for our second-year students, who knew what was coming. The children gathered quietly, eyes wide with anticipation, as I slowly lifted the towel to reveal the surprise underneath—an apple!

First, I showed the apple whole, then cut it in half, and finally, served it in slices. We used descriptive words like “cold,” “smooth,” “red,” and “tasty” to expand their vocabulary while they touched and examined the fruit. I took a piece and tasted it slowly and dramatically, building their curiosity and excitement before inviting them to taste. Everyone joined in and enjoyed some delicious apple slices. This food-tasting activity is a favorite every year, and we can’t wait to explore new flavors each week.

We also had a special celebration this week—our first classroom birthday! It’s amazing to watch how much our little friends grow in such a short time.

And just for some extra fun at home, I’ve included the music video of “La Vaca Lola” below. Go ahead, turn up the volume, and enjoy it with your little ones!

Enjoy the weekend,

Mrs. Hood and Ms. Noelle

La vaca Lola (The cow named Lola)

La vaca Lola (The cow named Lola)

Tiene cabeza (has a head)

Y tiene cola (and it has a tail)

Y hace moo! (and she says moo)

 

We look forward to seeing you at Parent-Teacher Conferences on October 25. Please sign up for your conference here.

Hello Fall with Ms. Mollie’s Class

Posted on by Mollie Smith

 

Hello Fall

This week has been a week of exploration, observation, and enjoying the fall weather. We have been enjoying the cool but warm days on the playground, collecting different colored leaves, and watching leaves fall from the trees.  Our bird feeder on our window outside the classroom is one of our greatest joys; the children are so excited when a bird comes to the feeder, sometimes scaring the bird away with pure excitement. The black-capped chickadee is by far a favorite. The children are now in the natural rhythm of coming into school; the tears that we once had are now replaced with giggles and the “why” of the day. At this age, the children are so inquisitive, asking “Why?” the beauty of Montessori is that instead of brushing off the question, we take our time and explain and encourage more exploration. It has been a wonderful week with your children, and I  feel so lucky to be with them each day!

With full hearts,

Ms. Mollie and Ms. Lizette

We look forward to seeing you at Parent-Teacher Conferences on October 25. Please sign up for your conference here.

New Year New Makerspace

Posted on by Carl Frisk

We’ve hit the ground running in our new Makerspace space, as the students have been excited to get started on new projects. We now have a linear connection to the FabLab where our 3D printers and laser cutter live, and we’ve already been putting those to good use. We’ve also added grow lights to the Tower Garden, which continued to grow over the summer. We’ll be harvesting some bell peppers in the coming weeks and starting more cucumbers, lettuce, and peas to add to the tomatoes and peppers.

Kindergarteners are currently working on decorating animal masks that were cut out of cardboard based on their own drawings. We will continue to add more color and detail to these for a few weeks, adding fur/whiskers, cutting out eye holes, and attaching straps.

Lower El has picked up where they left off with their knitting skills and is getting started on a number of projects on the circular looms. We’ve only had a few classes to work on these, but their imagination and ability have been inspiring. In the coming months, we will hopefully see them wearing any number of hats, scarves, bags, and even simple sweaters as their projects progress.

Upper El has mostly been busy working on honing their robotics skills, utilizing the Lego Spike kits to help teach them about the construction of certain bases and the coding to go along with them. As these skills build, we will challenge them with more imaginative challenges. In Makerspace, we’ve spent a few classes brainstorming a new 2-bay compost bin made out of pallets that we will hopefully begin construction on in the next week or so. We evaluated the site, took measurements, and even made a prototype out of Lego to figure out how many pallets were needed. Once the compost bin is complete, they will work with Karen to restart the school-wide compost collection.

Middle School has already taken on quite a number of projects in Makerspace, STEAM, and Robotics. We’re getting in the Halloween spirit by making masks or props to go along with their costumes. These include giant cakes, computers, mice, and various other characters. The skills they learned with our mask-making last year have carried over in a number of ways, and the detail they’ve been able to incorporate so far has been wonderful. STEAM has given us the opportunity to use the FabLab to make name tags for their lockers using materials cut from cardboard to wood and acrylic on the laser cutter to 3D modeled parts printed on the 3D printers. We’ve also just begun a larger group project working to design and build a model city, keeping in mind the proportion and scale of all the buildings and infrastructure. There have been lengthy conversations about the needs of the citizens and the space available within the city limits. Robotics has focused heavily on weight distribution so far. They were presented with a flexible bridge that their robot had to navigate across, keeping in mind how the center of gravity would impact its stability. They were also challenged to think about the center of gravity and weight distribution as they made robots compete in a sort of reverse tug of war, pushing the other beyond a marked line. Traction and torque also came into play with various tires and speeds being tried out.

Mrs. Wilson: Welcome To The 2024/25 School Year!

Posted on by Cynthia Wilson

Welcome to the first blog of the 2024/25 school year!

For the past two weeks, the children have been adjusting to a new environment and building a sense of community. The phase-in process is challenging but crucial for the children’s development. They have been working hard to embrace the new experiences, and I am proud to say they are making daily progress.

Initially, we focus on the basics and keep the materials simple and minimal. As the children become familiar with the classroom guidelines and their needs evolve, we introduce new materials for them to explore. Our lessons also align with the seasons, and in September, the children will be learning about apples and the color red.

This week, we conducted our first food-tasting activity. This activity aims to encourage the children to try various types of produce. One effective approach is to exhibit genuine excitement! You will have the opportunity to experience this activity next week at curriculum night.

Additionally, we celebrated the first of three of the September birthdays. Happy Birthday to our friend!

 

Love and Light,

Cynthia and Sara

Ms. Marissa: One Step at a Time

Posted on by Marissa Frisk

We know it takes time for the new rhythm of school days to become familiar. So, while taking one step at a time, we are slowly building the foundations for a smooth, exciting school year.

In just a few short days, we as a class are learning:

  • how to navigate our way around the environment
  • how to wait for a lesson
  • the routines of our school day
  • how to prepare for snack and lunch independently
  • about being part of a large group meeting by listening and sharing
  • care of self and care of the environment

Our returning friends have been role models for our new friends. It’s a wonderful opportunity for them to be a leader. It wasn’t so long ago that they were new to the classroom themselves, and they accepted this new responsibility with excitement and confidence.

A question we frequently hear from parents is, “What can I do at home to help my child be successful at school?” One way to do so is to guide your child to become as independent as possible. Your child’s age and ability guide this independence so there are no hard and fast rules to follow. A few important areas to focus on are setting up and cleaning up their lunch, putting on and taking off coats and shoes, toileting themselves, packing and unpacking their backpacks, and carefully putting their toys away when they are done. This process is also one step at a time.

Here’s to new beginnings and a peaceful, fun school year for everyone!

Warmly,

Marissa & Sue