The year is winding down, but Lower Elementary isn’t! This week the children were engaged in History lessons. The first-year children had the lesson of The Long Black Line. This lesson is meant to strike the imagination of the children and create a humbling feeling about the appearance of humans on Earth from the perspective of the vast amount of time that Earth has existed.

The second-year children had lessons on the Clock of Eons. These lessons introduce the sequence of events that resulted in the evolution of life on Earth, give the history of life on Earth, and introduce the interrelatedness of all organisms and the fragile balance that maintains life. Specifically, the second graders explored the Proterozoic eon.

The third-year students had lessons on the Time Line of Life. These lessons focus on the interrelatedness of Earth to those who live on it and on the evolution of life on Earth. The third graders learned about the Paleozoic and Mesozoic eras of time.

Looking ahead, spirit week and field day are next week (6/5-6/9)! Check out my email for details about each day of the week!

The highlight of this week was an amazing field trip to The Adventure Park; full of climbing, zip lines, bravery, and trust. Each of us challenged ourselves to try elements of the ropes course which were challenging and, at times, even a little scary. Every student should be proud of the effort they put in this day, not only in their own experience of trying new things, but also in the help and encouragement they extended to their classmates along the way. They worked together, with more experienced climbers helping the less experienced ones. They offered words of motivation when friends were nervous and they cheered when their peers completed a course. These students exhibited outstanding teamwork. Bravo Lower El!

Thank you so much to the wonderful parents who volunteered to chaperone, you all were a tremendous help!

The Lower Elementary students have been studying biomes for the past few weeks. They learned that biomes are natural areas on Earth where certain plants and animals grow. There are over thirty types of biomes on Earth. We are taking a closer look at eight of those biomes: temperate forests, grasslands, oceans, deserts, tropical forests, mountains, wetlands, and polar regions.

The first years used a material called the Biome Readers and Animal Biomes to study the animals that live on different continents and biomes. This is also fantastic reading comprehension work. The second and third years are taking their biome study a bit further, studying the animal, plant, soil, rainfall, temperature, and human impact of each of the eight biomes. They use a material called Biome Classification for this.

I can’t believe we are already halfway through May, with only a month left of school! Yet, although the year is coming to an end, the children’s enthusiasm for learning surely hasn’t dwindled.

I can’t help but reflect on each child’s progress throughout the year. Not only has each child grown physically, but there has also been so much academic and social growth; it warms my heart. I am so pleased to see what a compassionate, kind-hearted, unique group of students we have in the classroom!

Lower El students have been loving their lessons. The first graders heard the “Love Story of the Lines” during geometry this week, where they learned about convergent, divergent, and parallel lines. This lesson is a class favorite because it is told very dramatically, and the students engage in the storytelling. It is told in three parts, a story of sorrow, indifference, and falling in love. This is a first-year lesson. However, most of the classroom wanted to join in on the fun! Now, that is a sign of a good lesson! They used the box of sticks Montessori material to explore these concepts. The second-year group enjoyed learning how to subtract fraction insets using the Montessori protractor, a concept that can be challenging for some, but they grasped it so quickly! I was impressed. Lastly, the third-years have been enjoying their hands-on geometry follow-up. They have been using the box of sticks to explore the diagonals in various polygons and will now use this material for a new unit on circles.

We enjoyed seeing all of the grandparents and special friends today. The children eagerly shared their work with their guests, and the room was full of wonderful energy and smiles. It was so special seeing the children actively engaging with people who are so near and dear to their hearts. Grandparents’ Day is an event loved by all.

“Of all things, love is the most potent.”
― Maria Montessori

This week we had Moving Up Day! Third-year students spent the morning in Upper Elementary, and the Kindergarten students spent some time with us in Lower Elementary.

Multi-age groupings are an advantage of a Montessori classroom. They allow the children to go through a cycle of being mentored, practicing mentoring, and becoming mentors. This week our third-year students practiced being mentees, and our second and some of our first-year students practiced being mentors to their Kindergarten friends. Seeing students at both levels completely engaged and happy working with their future classmates was a joy. In addition, our first and second-year students did an excellent job planning enjoyable and interesting work for the Kindergartners.

The children were so excited all week as the anticipation of Research Night crept up. They were thrilled to share their projects with people they love deeply. The third-year students had their first public speaking experience, presenting before classmates and families. They were amazing! Although it was optional, some second and first-years wanted to present to their peers too! They were all so brave! The children worked diligently and should be very proud of their work, as are we.

With the weather warming up, we will be spending more time outside. The children have loved having lunch outside all week! Please send in bug spray with your child’s name on it if you wish. We will keep it here in school for the remainder of the year.