Mrs. Sargeant: Chicks, Self-Portraits, and Sensory Art

Posted on by Christine Sargeant

Last week was full of wonder, observation, and careful work. The children eagerly checked on the chick eggs in the incubator each day, comparing what they observed with a photo guide showing daily development. The anticipation is building — the chicks are expected to hatch around April 27th! This experience has been a natural invitation for rich conversations about life cycles and living things.

In the afternoon, the children worked on self-portraits. They studied their own features carefully before using a variety of materials to represent themselves — a meaningful exercise in observation, concentration, and self-expression. This work was supported beautifully by our mirror polishing activity, in which children used vinegar and fine motor control to clean a mirror. That same mirror came in handy as a tool for studying their own reflections before putting pencil to paper.

A new practical life and art activity was also introduced this week: grinding chalk into salt using small, controlled wrist movements. As the chalk color gradually spread through the salt, children experienced both a sensory and creative process — and were building the precise hand and wrist strength that supports writing development.

Extending Learning at Home

Invite your child to look closely at their own face in a mirror and describe what they see. You can also try a simple sensory activity at home: mix a small amount of colored chalk or food coloring into salt or sand and let your child explore the texture and color. Talk about what changes and what stays the same.

UPCOMING EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

This Week

  • Monday, April 20
    ⋅ Sharing Box, Flowers, and Food; Birthday Celebration, Otto
  • Tuesday, April 21
    ⋅ Playground Volunteer, Dan D.
  • Thursday, April 23
    ⋅ Birthday Celebration, Oscar
  • Friday, April 24
    ⋅ No School – Parent Teacher Conferences

Ms Marissa: Life Cycles, Color, and Care

Posted on by Marissa Frisk

We’ve been adding some new activities to the classroom that tie in nicely with our bird study. The children have been working on simple “life cycle of a chicken” books, focusing on sequencing and labeling each stage. We’ve also introduced color mixing, which has been a great way to bring more science and art into the classroom as the children explore how different colors combine and change. With the warmer weather, polishing sunglasses has become a fun and practical extension of our usual care-of-environment work.

Flower arranging continues to be a favorite, and lately the children have been experimenting with organizing flowers into rainbow patterns. We’re also inviting parents into the classroom to read to the group, which the children really enjoy. If coming in isn’t possible, another option is recording a story for our Yoto player—this has been a great way for children to hear familiar voices during the day. Our kindergarteners have also been doing a deeper dive into their animal research projects, showing a lot of focus and pride as they learn more about their chosen animals.

UPCOMING EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

This Week

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

Mrs. Lopes: Discovering Europe

Posted on by Amanda Lopes

Last week, the classroom turned its attention to the continent of Europe. The children located Europe on the continent map and explored the animals that call it home. We also enjoyed several books set in Europe, which helped bring the continent to life and sparked curiosity about the people, places, and cultures found there. This study connects beautifully to the children’s growing understanding of our wider world and their place within it.

Extending Learning at Home

Pull up a map or globe together and find Europe with your child. Ask them to name an animal or book they remember from our classroom study. If you have any family connections to Europe — or enjoy foods from European countries — this is a wonderful moment to make those personal connections.

 

UPCOMING EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

This Week

  • 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: Learning Beyond the Classroom Walls

Posted on by Michelle Handibode

 

As Maria Montessori once said, “There must be provision for the child to have contact with nature; to understand and appreciate the order, the harmony and the beauty in nature.” Last week, that philosophy was very much alive in our classroom and on our campus.

With temperatures rising and days growing longer, the children have been spending more time exploring our natural playground. Daily outdoor learning supports healthy, active routines while giving children direct, hands-on experiences with the natural world. Our campus offers something truly special — textures, sounds, sights, and living things that no indoor environment can replicate. These early, regular encounters with nature help children develop a genuine appreciation for the beauty around them, nurturing their aesthetic awareness and deepening their connection to the world they live in.

Inside the classroom, excitement has been building around the eggs we have been observing each day. The children are eagerly awaiting their arrival, checking in with curiosity and care. Our kindergarteners have also begun their animal research projects, bringing real focus and enthusiasm to this meaningful work.

We were also delighted to welcome Morgan’s dad as our guest reader this week. He shared 100 Mighty Dragons All Named Broccoli — Morgan’s favorite — and it was a hit with everyone in the classroom. We love when families bring a piece of home into our community.

Extending Learning at Home

Head outside together and slow down. Notice what your child points to — a bug, a puddle, a cloud. Ask open-ended questions: “What do you hear?” or “What does this feel like?” Even a short walk around the block can become a rich nature experience when we take the time to look closely.

 

UPCOMING EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

This Week

  • Monday, April 20
    ⋅ Sharing Box and Flowers, Layla S.
  • Tuesday, April 21
    ⋅ Playground Volunteer, Sam R.
  • Wednesday, April 22
    ⋅ Guest Reader, Dhanishry N.
  • Monday, April 20 through Friday, April 24
    ⋅ Parent Teacher Conferences

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.