The Montessori three-year cycle fosters academic, social, and emotional growth within a mixed-age classroom. Each year plays a crucial role:

• • First-Year Students: These newcomers are observers, absorbing knowledge and adjusting to the classroom environment. They learn by watching older peers, gradually building confidence as they engage with Montessori materials and classroom routines.
  • Second-Year Students: In this transitional phase, students refine their skills and begin taking on small leadership roles. They reinforce their knowledge by assisting younger classmates and developing patience, empathy, and responsibility while continuing to learn from the oldest students.
  • Third-Year Students: As the oldest in the classroom, these students become mentors and role models. They take on leadership roles, guiding younger peers, solidifying their own learning by teaching, and gaining confidence in their abilities.

This cycle is evident in collaborative research projects, where students naturally practice teamwork, respect, and communication. Younger students learn by observing, second-years refine skills, and third-years guide the process. Through this experience, children build independence, responsibility, and confidence.

By the end of the cycle, students leave with a strong sense of community, leadership skills, and a love of learning—essential qualities that prepare them for future success.

Winter Reminder: Please ensure students come to school with appropriate winter gear, especially when there is snow on the ground. Snow gear is necessary to keep them comfortable and able to participate in outdoor activities. Also, please make sure your child has an extra set of clothes here at school so they can change if necessary. Thank you!

This week in our lower elementary class meeting, we had an important discussion about body boundaries. It began with a student reading Don’t Touch My Hair by Sharee Miller, a book that sparked a thoughtful conversation about personal space, consent, and respect. We talked about how “no means no” and “stop means stop,” emphasizing the importance of always asking before touching someone else.

Together, we brainstormed ways to remind each other to respect body boundaries in our classroom. After sharing ideas, we voted on a solution we felt would be the most powerful—creating a collaborative sign that reads: “Don’t touch people without permission and respect each other’s personal space.” This sign will serve as a daily reminder of the agreements we made as a community.

Giving children autonomy in the classroom is essential for their growth and confidence. When they feel in control of their own bodies and know their voices are heard, they develop a strong sense of self-respect and respect for others. By engaging in these discussions and making decisions together, we empower them to take ownership of their environment and foster a culture of care, consent, and mutual respect.

Mark your calendars for Research Night on Tuesday, March 4th, at 5:30 PM! Lower Elementary is buzzing with excitement as the children dive into their research projects.

After choosing topics from an incredible variety, the students began brainstorming what they already knew and crafting questions to guide their exploration. Older students have stepped into mentoring roles, helping younger peers navigate their first research projects—a beautiful example of teamwork and collaboration!

Here’s what each year level is working on:

• First-years: Posters showcasing their topics.
• Second-years: Posters and research papers.
• Third-years: Presentation boards, papers, and oral presentations.

The topics this year are as fascinating as they are diverse, including clouds, space, Colombia, Egypt, ladybugs, robots, Texas, rocks and gems, tigers, peregrine falcons, Jupiter, Albert Einstein, Austria, penguins, black holes, Mohamed Salah, elephants, the skill of DJing, Hanukkah, and Martin Luther King Jr.

All work will be completed at school, and we can’t wait to celebrate their hard work with you. See you on March 4th at 5:30 PM!

Many students are using the Small Bead Frame, Large Bead Frame, and Stamp Game in our classroom and I want to share more about how these incredible materials work. They transform abstract math concepts into hands-on learning experiences that build confidence and understanding.

• Stamp Game: This versatile material supports all four operations—addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.  It’s a set of small tiles or “stamps” representing units, tens, hundreds, and thousands.  The children use the Stamp Game to deepen their understanding of operations as they physically group, exchange, and move the stamps to solve equations. This hands-on approach helps them internalize concepts like carrying in addition and multiplication, and borrowing in subtraction. For division, children distribute tiles (representing units, tens, hundreds, or thousands) into equal groups, reinforcing the concept of sharing and remainders.
• Small & Large Bead Frames: These frames teach operations like addition, subtraction, and multiplication using color-coded beads to represent place value. The Small Bead Frame focuses on numbers up to the thousands, while the Large Bead Frame handles millions, bridging the gap between concrete and abstract thinking. As children slide beads across the frame, they physically see how numbers grow and interact.

By blending tactile exploration with visual learning, these tools build independence, confidence, and a love for math. They turn abstract problem-solving into a hands-on adventure.

This week, our Montessori students are diving into exciting lessons about reptiles and plants!

• • First Grade: Our youngest learners are studying the external features of turtles. They’re observing the hard shells that protect their bodies, the webbed feet that help some species swim, and the scales covering their skin. Through models and illustrations,  students are building their scientific vocabulary and sharpening their observation skills.
  • Second Grade: Second graders are delving deeper into the body functions of turtles. They’re exploring how turtles breathe using their lungs, regulate their body temperature as cold-blooded animals, and move in water and on land. Hands-on activities and discussions help students connect these functions to how turtles survive and adapt in the wild.
  • Third Grade: Shifting to plants, our third graders are studying the parts and functions of ferns. They’re learning to identify fronds, stems, and spores while exploring how ferns photosynthesize to create energy, reproduce through spores, and adapt to various environments. By examining fern specimens, they develop a deeper appreciation for plant life.

These lessons spark curiosity, deepen understanding, and connect students with the natural world. Families can join the fun by exploring reptiles and ferns in books, nature shows, or outdoor adventures.

The children have been working incredibly hard these past few weeks to prepare for the holiday concert, and all that effort truly shone through! Despite a few pre-concert jitters, they performed with so much confidence and joy—it was a wonderful moment to witness. Seeing so many of you in the audience, cheering them on, made it even more special! A huge shout out to Megan Kirk for organizing this event and making it so memorable!

In addition to the concert, the kids had a great time creating their beautiful snowflake ornaments in class as a holiday craft. Their creativity and excitement really added to the festive spirit, and I hope those ornaments bring a little extra holiday cheer to your homes!

Mary and I wish you all a happy, healthy, and restful holiday break. Enjoy this special time with your families, and we’ll see you in 2025!

This week, the Lower Elementary students embarked on an exploration of Maria Montessori’s Great Lesson on the creation of the universe. What made this experience truly incredible was the leadership of the third-grade students, who not only embraced the lesson but also stepped into the role of educators.

As presenters, the third graders guided their younger peers through captivating science experiments, illuminating the processes behind the universe’s formation. This cross-age collaboration created a vibrant learning environment where curiosity thrived, understanding deepened, and knowledge flowed freely between students.

The younger learners were captivated by the hands-on demonstrations, their faces lighting up with excitement. Meanwhile, the older students gained confidence and a deeper grasp of the material through teaching. Moments like these highlight the beauty of Montessori education, where students learn from one another, fostering both intellectual growth and a strong sense of community.

In our Lower Elementary class, we have weekly class meetings where students get to problem-solve together as a team. These meetings are all about making sure everyone feels heard, tackling problems as a group, and coming up with solutions that we all can get behind. When kids are part of the process, they’re way more likely to stick to the rules they’ve helped create!

What Happens During Class Meetings?

1. Compliments and Appreciations
   We kick things off with five minutes of gratitude. Everyone gets a chance to share something positive, like a compliment or a thank you. It’s the best way to start on a happy note!
2. Review a Past Problem
   The secretary (one of our student roles!) reads out a problem and solution from a past meeting. We have a quick chat to see if our fix is working or needs tweaking.
3. Brainstorming Time
   Got a new issue? Bring it up! The person who added it to the agenda explains the problem, and then we all brainstorm possible solutions. After the brainstorming process, we vote on the solution we think will solve the problem the best.
4. Connection Activity
   To wrap things up, we end on a fun note—telling jokes, riddles, or solving quick mysteries together.

Meeting Jobs

To keep things running smoothly, everyone has a part to play:

• Facilitator (that’s me!): I keep the meeting on track and make sure everyone gets to share respectfully.
• Time Keeper (student job): Keeps us on schedule and lets us know when it’s time to move on.
• Scribe (that’s me again!): I jot down all the brainstormed ideas on the board.
• Secretary (student job): Writes down the problem and solution in our Class Meeting notebook—a permanent record that anyone can check out anytime.

These meetings are such an awesome way for kids to build real-world skills like problem-solving, teamwork, and decision-making. Plus, they’re just fun!