Ms Marissa: Weekly Update

Posted on by Marissa Frisk

We’ve been studying the life cycle of chickens in our 3–6 classroom, and it’s been such a special experience. We have real eggs in an incubator right in the room, and the children have been checking on them every day, watching, waiting, and asking the sweetest, most thoughtful questions about what’s happening inside.

It’s been a perfect fit with our bird study this April, making everything feel more real and exciting as we learn together. The children are especially drawn to the idea that these eggs will soon become baby chicks, and you can feel the anticipation building each day. It’s giving them such a meaningful, hands-on connection to what we’re learning about birds.

Mrs. Lopes: New Life Is Hatching in Our Classroom

Posted on by Amanda Lopes

Last week, something truly special arrived in our classroom: eleven chicken eggs! On Tuesday morning, the children gathered around as we carefully placed each egg and began our study of the chicken life cycle together.

In the Montessori tradition, the natural world is one of our richest teachers. Watching life develop from egg to chick over 21 days invites the children into a patient, daily practice of observation—a cornerstone of scientific thinking. We now have a classroom countdown on the wall, and each day we explore what is happening inside the eggs at that stage of development. The children have been engaged, curious, and remarkably attentive.

This experience connects beautifully to Fraser Woods’ mission of cultivating compassion. Caring for living things—even eggs that cannot yet be seen or held—asks children to practice responsibility, gentleness, and patience. These are quiet but powerful lessons.

Extending Learning at Home

Talk with your child about what they observed last week and what they are watching for each day. Ask questions like: What do you think is happening inside the egg today? How many days do we have left? You can also explore simple books or videos about chicken development together to deepen their understanding of the life cycle.

 

UPCOMING EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

Next Week

  • Monday, April 20 through Friday, April 24
    ⋅ Parent Teacher Conferences
  • Friday, April 24
    ⋅ No School – Parent Teacher Conferences

Ms. Handibode: Sowing Seeds of Compassion

Posted on by Michelle Handibode

Maria Montessori believed that children are the key to peace and empathy among humanity—and last week, our classroom offered a beautiful illustration of that belief in action.

Flower arranging is a work in our Practical Life area, and it is far more than it appears. While it builds fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination, its deeper purpose is to give children a sense of ownership over their environment and a tender way to contribute to the community around them. When a child arranges flowers and places them on a table for others to enjoy, they are stepping—even briefly—outside of their own needs and into the world of care for others. This is empathy in its earliest, most genuine form.

Last week, we also welcomed nine chicken eggs into our classroom incubator. Each day, the children learned about the development taking place inside the eggs, and the countdown to hatching created a wonderful sense of shared anticipation and responsibility. The eggs are expected to hatch in 21 days.

We also had the joy of welcoming Wilder’s dad as our guest reader last week. He shared The Berenstain Bears: The Bike Lesson and Paw Patrol: Mighty Pup Power, which sparked a lively conversation about learning to ride a bike—many children had wonderful stories of their own to tell.

Extending Learning at Home

Compassion practiced at home reinforces what we nurture in the classroom every day. Look for small moments to invite your child to contribute to the family—setting the table, arranging a few flowers from the yard, or helping a sibling. These simple acts are exactly the kind of work that builds the empathetic spirit Maria Montessori envisioned.

 

UPCOMING EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

This Week

  • Monday, April 13
    ⋅ Sharing Box and Flowers; Birthday Celebration, Zaki K.
  • Tuesday, April 14
    ⋅ Playground Volunteer, Sasha J.
  • Wednesday, April 15
    ⋅ Guest Reader, Sam R.

Next Week

  • Monday, April 20
    ⋅ Sharing Box and Flowers, Layla S.
  • Tuesday, April 21
    ⋅ Playground Volunteer, Sam R.
  • Wednesday, April 22
    ⋅ Guest Reader, Dhanishry N.
  • Friday, April 24
    ⋅ No School — Parent/Teacher Conferences. Please sign up for a time if you have not already done so.

Mrs. Sargeant: Pinch, Pull, and the Joy of Doing It Yourself

Posted on by Christine Sargeant

Independence is built in small moments, and last week our classroom was full of them. Most of the children have now mastered opening their own snack bags—Pirate’s Booty, Goldfish, chips—using a technique we practice together: pinch, pinch, pull. It sounds simple, but watching a child succeed at something that once required adult help is a meaningful milestone. That quiet confidence carries into everything else they do.

In the kitchen last week, the children made ants on a log—spreading cream cheese onto celery and dotting raisins along the top. This kind of practical life work is purposeful on every level: it builds fine motor control, sequencing, and the deep satisfaction of preparing something real to eat and share.

We are also so excited to share that nine chicken eggs are now incubating in our classroom! Last week, the children began learning about the development happening inside the eggs, and the countdown to hatching—21 days—has been a wonderful anchor for daily observation and conversation about the life cycle of a chicken.

Extending Learning at Home

Invite your child to make their own snack at home using the pinch-pull technique, or try making ants on a log together. Let them spread, place, and prepare as independently as possible—resist the urge to step in! You might also ask your child what they observed about the eggs last week and what they are looking forward to seeing as the days count down.

 

UPCOMING EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

This Week

  • Monday, April 13
    ⋅ Lucia — Flowers, Food, and Sharing Bag
  • Tuesday, April 14
    ⋅ Ortner — Recess Volunteer
  • Wednesday, April 15
    ⋅ Sasha J. — Guest Reader

Looking Ahead

  • Friday, April 24
    ⋅ Parent/Teacher Conferences. Time slots are available throughout the week — please sign up if you have not yet done so.

Ms. Handibode: A Journey to South America

Posted on by Michelle Handibode

Last week, our classroom turned its attention to the continent of South America — shown in pink on the Montessori map — and the children’s curiosity and wonder have been wonderful to witness. South America is the fourth largest continent in the world, made up of twelve countries, and connected to North America by the Isthmus of Panama — a landform the children have been studying. Brazil is the largest country in South America, and the major languages spoken across the continent are Spanish and Portuguese.

One area of particular fascination was the Amazon rainforest — the largest rainforest in the world. The children learned that to be called a rainforest, an area must receive more than 60 inches of rain each year, and that rainforests are home to over 40% of the world’s animal and plant species. We explored the four layers of a rainforest, each with its own climate, light conditions, and wildlife.

We were also delighted to welcome Melia’s mom as our guest reader, who shared the book From A to Z with Energy. As always, the children were fully engaged and immediately asked for more!

Extending Learning at Home

Pull up a map or globe with your child and find South America together. Ask them to point out Brazil, name the major languages, or describe what makes a rainforest special. You might also look up photos or videos of the Amazon together and explore the four layers — emergent, canopy, understory, and forest floor.

UPCOMING EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

This Week

  • Monday, April 6
    ⋅ Sharing Box and Flowers; Birthday Celebration, Connor H.
  • Wednesday, April 8
    ⋅ Guest Reader, Leigh B.

Next Week

  • Monday, April 13
    ⋅ Sharing Box and Flowers; Birthday Celebration, Zaki K.
  • Tuesday, April 14
    ⋅ Birthday Celebration, Wilder B.; Playground Volunteer, Sasha J.
  • Wednesday, April 15
    ⋅ Guest Reader, Sam R.

Mrs. Lopes: A Colorful Week of Discovery

Posted on by Amanda Lopes

Last week, the classroom was bursting with color! We introduced color mixing using the three primary colors — red, yellow, and blue — inspired by the beloved book Mouse Paint by Ellen Stoll Walsh. The children explored how combining any two primary colors creates a secondary color: red and yellow make orange, yellow and blue make green, and red and blue make purple.

To bring this concept to life on the shelves, a new color mixing work was introduced. Each child was given three dropper bottles filled with red, yellow, and blue colored water, along with three small bowls. They were encouraged to mix the colors to create orange, green, and purple. At the end, all three bowls were combined into one larger bowl — revealing what happens when all the primary colors come together! The children thoroughly enjoyed the surprise.

Extending Learning at Home

Try color mixing at home using food coloring and water, or simply with watercolor paints. Ask your child what colors they’ll need to make orange, green, or purple — and let them show you what they know!

Ms. Marissa: Bird Study Takes Flight

Posted on by Marissa Frisk

Last week, our classroom was alive with bird activity! The children have been engaged in a rich study of birds — doing scavenger hunts to practice handwriting, creating bird badges to use outside as they look for different species, working on puzzles, matching eggs, and painting birds. We also listened to a variety of bird calls together, which sparked wonderful conversations and lots of careful listening.

A new class favorite song, “Jenny Jenkins,” has been a hit all week. It tells the story of Jenny’s friends — a cardinal, a goose, a blue jay, a crow, a hummingbird, and a mourning dove — each asking Jenny if she’d like to wear the color of their feathers. She insists no, no, no… until the very end, when we discover her eggs have hatched and she is simply too busy! The children loved the surprise ending.

We were also so fortunate to welcome Aruna’s mom to our classroom, who taught us all about Holi — the Hindu celebration of spring. To honor the vibrant colors of the season, the children threw colored powder at each other while wearing white shirts. It was joyful, colorful, and completely unforgettable.

Extending Learning at Home

Go on a bird walk in your neighborhood! See if your child can identify any birds by sight or sound using what they’ve been learning. You might even set up a simple bird feeder to bring the birds a little closer to home.

Mrs. Sargeant: Bead Chains, Books, and Springtime Joy

Posted on by Christine Sargeant

 

Last week, the warmer weather brought an extra spark of energy to the classroom! The bead chains — both long and short — were a favorite on the shelves all week, with children working carefully to count, skip count, and explore number patterns. It was wonderful to see such focused, purposeful engagement with this material.

The spring concert is drawing closer, and we’ve been delighted to hear the children humming their songs during work time — a sure sign the music has found its way into their hearts.

A favorite book this week was Come Over to My House, co-written by Eliza Hull and Sally Rippin. This beautifully illustrated story explores the home lives of children and parents with a variety of disabilities. It sparked thoughtful questions and rich conversation, building awareness, fostering inclusivity, and cultivating the compassion that is so central to our community here at Fraser Woods.

A warm thank you to Otto’s family for sending in lavender for the children to use with the mortar and pestle — a wonderful practical life experience that engaged the senses in the most delightful way. Thank you also to Autumn’s mom for coming in to read on Wednesday, and to Kaiya’s mom for providing the springtime egg art activities now on the art shelf.

Extending Learning at Home

Bead chain work at home is as simple as counting small objects — buttons, coins, or dry pasta — in groups. Try skip counting by 2s or 5s together! You might also visit your local library to find more books that celebrate diverse families and abilities, continuing the important conversations your child began in the classroom.

UPCOMING EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

This Week

  • Monday, April 6
    ⋅ Daly Family — Flowers, Food & Sharing Bag
  • Wednesday, April 8
    ⋅ Gayle M., Guest Reader