Last week marked the beginning of an exciting new unit of study: the human body. The children’s eyes widened with wonder as they discovered X-rays showing the human skeleton from skull to phalanges. They carefully assembled these puzzle-like X-rays, learning the names and locations of major bones while developing their fine motor skills and spatial awareness. This study connects perfectly to Fraser Woods’ mission of helping children become “the best version of themselves”—understanding our bodies helps children appreciate the amazing capabilities they possess.

The sensorial area drew significant interest this week. Children gravitated toward the triangle box, knobbed and knobless cylinders, binomial and trinomial cubes, and geometric solids. These self-correcting materials allow children to refine their visual discrimination and develop their mathematical minds while building confidence through independent problem-solving.

Grace and courtesy flourished during our food preparation activities. This week, children carefully cut clementines, apples, and pears, then walked around the classroom offering the fresh fruit to their peers. These moments beautifully demonstrate compassion in action—children taking care to prepare something special and generously sharing with their classroom community.

We welcomed two middle school visitors this week who helped our children complete their work. The children loved receiving guidance from these older students, and our visitors were impressed by the focus and capability of our young learners. 

The children continued building their understanding of North American geography, learning the names and locations of countries while working with the map. We’ve also been reading books and having rich discussions about gratitude and the things we’re thankful for, perfect for this season of appreciation.

A bit of excitement arrived on Tuesday afternoon when a very quick snow shower blew through! The children rushed to the windows to watch the flurries dance through the air.

Extending Learning at Home

• Talk about body parts and their functions during bath time or bedtime routines
• Practice gratitude by sharing one thing you’re each thankful for at dinner
• Let your child help prepare snacks for the family, emphasizing the joy of serving others

 

UPCOMING EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

This Week

• Monday, November 17: Ellie’s flowers, food, and sharing bag
• Thursday, November 20: Bread baking

Next Week

• Monday, November 24: Rayna’s flowers, food, and sharing bag AND Shafia Playground Volunteer
• Tuesday, November 25: Half-day, 11:30 dismissal
• Wednesday, November 26 through Friday, November 28: No School—Thanksgiving Break

It’s starting to get chilly, so please make sure your child has a warm coat to wear outdoors!

Last week, our classroom community gathered with all the Primary classes for a beautiful Diwali celebration in the gym. The children listened intently to a story about this five-day festival observed around the world. They learned that Diwali represents new beginnings and the victory of light over darkness, good over evil—the triumph of righteousness and knowledge over ignorance.

The experience came alive through the sights, sounds, and colors of Indian culture. Ms. Paromita, along with several parents and students, wore traditional Indian attire, and the children were mesmerized by the beauty of what they witnessed. They tasted traditional foods—rice pilaf and gajar ka halwa—and each child decorated their own rangoli design to take home. We are deeply grateful to all the families who shared their culture with us!

Our kindergarten students continued their impressive work with Number Rolls, practicing linear counting, place value, and proper numeral writing formation. The anticipation is building—in June, we’ll take these down to the gym, unroll them, and see just how long they’ve become! This work beautifully demonstrates the mathematical mind at work, as children make abstract numbers concrete and visible.

Magnets joined our shelves this week, sparking curiosity and scientific exploration. The children discovered which objects attract and which don’t, developing early hypotheses about the properties of different materials.

We also welcomed the Botsford Fire Department, who taught us valuable lessons about fire prevention. The children asked thoughtful questions and learned important safety practices they can use at home.

Extending Learning at Home

• Celebrate light in your own way—light candles at dinner and talk about how light helps us see and feel safe
• Practice counting by ones, fives, or tens during everyday activities like setting the table or climbing stairs
• Explore magnetism using a refrigerator magnet—see what it sticks to around your home and what it doesn’t

Last week, the classroom was buzzing with fall celebrations and exciting learning experiences. The children were deeply engaged in both our special Halloween activities and the new materials that appeared on our shelves.

A new sifting spoon work joined our practical life area this week. The children use this special spoon to gently shake sand through tiny holes, transferring split peas from one bowl to another. Watching them discover this work has been mesmerizing—the careful concentration on their faces as they slowly shake and watch the peas separate from the sand is like watching them uncover hidden treasures!

We were so grateful to Ivy’s mom for carving a pumpkin with us. The children had the wonderful opportunity to see, smell, and touch the inside of a real pumpkin, engaging all their senses in this exploration. Our lit jack-o-lantern has been glowing in the classroom all week, adding to the festive atmosphere. Thank you to Gabriel and Madison’s families for supplying pumpkins and helping set up our pumpkin patch on the playground—the children loved finding and exploring them.

The Halloween parade brought pure joy to our classroom. The children were thrilled to see their mentors, book buddies, siblings, and former classmates in their costumes while proudly showing off the pajamas they wore for Pajama Day. We enjoyed a delicious Halloween cake baked by Ava’s family. Although we planned to celebrate outside, the rain had other plans! We moved our party into the Aftercare room, which turned into a fun adventure and a wonderful lesson in flexibility. Thank you to Autumn’s family for the pumpkin drink holder party favors.

A highlight of the week was watching all 21 kindergarten students work together to create a “veggie skeleton,” which they democratically voted to name Skelly. The children peeled and chopped vegetables with great care, and many of them tried vegetables they’d never tasted before—olives, cauliflower, and different varieties of tomatoes. The collaboration, fine motor practice, and willingness to try new foods made this project a true success.

Extending Learning at Home

• Practice transferring skills using everyday kitchen tools. Try using a slotted spoon to separate pasta from water or a strainer to wash vegetables together.
• Continue the vegetable exploration by visiting a farmers’ market or grocery store. Let your child choose a new vegetable to try and help prepare it at home.
• Take advantage of the fall season by going on nature walks to collect leaves, acorns, and other natural treasures. Sort and classify them by size, color, or type.

UPCOMING EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

This Week
Monday, Novembner 3: Flu Cinic for 3 & 4 Year Olds
Tuesday, November 4: Recess Volunteer: Jacob
Wednesday, November 5: Guest Reader: Ortner
Thursday, November 6: Diwali Celebration
Friday, November 7: Fire Prevention Presentation-Fire Truck Visit

Next Week
Thursday, November 13:  Kindergarten Vision Screening

Last week, the classroom was alive with geographical exploration! The children were captivated by our globe work, learning the names of the seven continents. They traced their fingers across the blue oceans and colorful landmasses, beginning to understand the vastness of our world. Many students progressed to the beautiful work of pin-pricking, carefully creating their own maps of the continents. This meticulous work develops fine motor control and hand-eye coordination while building early map-reading skills and spatial awareness.

We also touched upon the holiday of Diwali, one of the most important celebrations in Hindu culture. Diwali symbolizes the victory of light over darkness and good over evil. The children were fascinated to learn that Diwali is celebrated over five days and that people wear new clothes and exchange gifts during this joyful time. We will continue our exploration of this beautiful tradition with a special celebration early next month.

New Works in the Classroom

Two delightful new works appeared on our shelves this week. The rock “painting” activity uses only water and a thin paintbrush, allowing children to see how rocks change color when wet—a simple yet magical demonstration of transformation. The clementine peeling work supports independence and fine motor development while providing a healthy snack that the children prepared themselves!

Learning from Each Other

Our Kindergarteners took a field trip to New Pond Farm in Redding last week, where they visited a working farm and discovered the differences between dairy cows and those raised for meat. They explored the barn and chicken coop, cleaned wool from a sheep, and used tools to make wool bracelets. The children learned that sheep serve as natural lawn mowers and even got to practice milking a cow!

The kindergarten students were absolutely thrilled to share what they learned with their younger classmates. The most fascinating fact? Sheep have more than one stomach! This beautiful example of our mixed-age community shows older children building confidence through teaching while younger ones look up to their mentors with admiration.

UPCOMING EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

This Week
Tuesday, October 28: Pumpkin Patch on the Playground & Daly Playground visit
Wednesday, October 29: Classroom Pumpkin Carving & Driscoll Guest Reader
Thursday, October 30: Primary Pajama Day, Classroom Harvest Celebration & Kindergarten Veggie Skeleton
Primary students are invited to wear their favorite pajamas to school on Thursday, October 30! Please help us keep the day fun and focused by leaving stuffed animals, toys, and other special items at home, as these can be difficult to keep track of and may be distracting during our learning activities.
Friday, October 31: No School – MSC Conference

This past week was filled with autumn discoveries and beautiful moments of growing independence!

New Works and Popular Activities
The flint corn (Indian corn) tweezing work was a huge hit on our shelves this week! The children carefully used tweezers to sort the colorful kernels, strengthening their fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination while exploring the natural beauty of the autumn harvest.

Celebrating Independence
One of the most rewarding observations this fall was watching children master the simple yet significant task of opening their own snack and lunch containers. Some began the year struggling with lids and zippers, but through daily practice and gentle perseverance, they beamed with pride as they exclaimed, “I opened it all by myself!” These moments of independence built confidence that extended far beyond the lunchroom.

Grace and Courtesy in Action
I received several heartwarming emails from parents sharing stories about their children talking about “filling others’ buckets” and showing kindness at home. It was wonderful to see how our classroom work with grace and courtesy rippled outward, helping children become compassionate members of their families and communities.

Cultural Studies and Learning
Our autumn theme continued with songs, stories, and explorations of the season. The children could not get enough of their new favorite song, “I’ve Got a Skeleton Inside Me”—perfect timing as we approach Halloween! We read about planets, sang songs about pumpkins and autumn leaves, and in the afternoon, our 4 and 5-year-olds were captivated by The Magic Tree House series. We began book number 4 this week, “Pirates Past Noon,” which sparked wonderful conversations about adventure and history.

Caring for Our Environment
Last week, when making our applesauce, we filled our compost bucket with apple scraps. The children were thrilled to participate in this care-of-the-environment work! Each day this week, they eagerly watched as the Upper Elementary students came to collect our fruit and vegetable waste. This simple routine helped children understand their role in caring for the earth and connected them to the larger school community.

Extending Learning at Home

• Practice Independence
  Let your child open their own containers, zip their own jackets, and put on their own shoes. The pride they feel from these accomplishments is priceless!
• Autumn Exploration
  Take a nature walk and collect interesting leaves, acorns, or seeds. Talk about the changes you notice as the season shifts.
• Bucket Filling
  Continue conversations about kindness and how we can “fill buckets” by using kind words and helpful actions with family members.

Your children’s growth, kindness, and joy continued to fill our classroom with warmth!

UPCOMING EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

This Week
Monday, October 20 through Friday, October 24: Parent Teacher Conferences
Friday, October 24: No School – Parent Teacher Conferences

Next Week
Tuesday, October 28: Pumpkin Patch on the Playground
Wednesday, October 29: Classroom Pumpkin Carving
Thursday, October 30: Primary Pajama Day, Classroom Harvest Celebration & Kindergarten Veggie Skeleton
Primary students are invited to wear their favorite pajamas to school on Thursday, October 30! Please help us keep the day fun and focused by leaving stuffed animals, toys, and other special items at home, as these can be difficult to keep track of and may be distracting during our learning activities.
Friday, October 31: No School – MSC Conference

Cosmic Connections

This week brought wonderful opportunities for hands-on learning and community building in our classroom.

The children have been captivated by our new solar system activities. They’re working together to complete the solar system floor puzzle, collaborating to place each planet in its proper orbit around the sun. These materials spark fascinating conversations about space, distance, and our place in the universe.

We’ve also welcomed a special addition to our classroom community! Middle School students have been joining us on Wednesdays as part of their community service. A group plays with our children at recess, and then one or two students join us during the afternoon work cycle. Our children eagerly anticipate their arrival and love showing off their work to their older friends. This week, Henry read a story to a captivated group of listeners in the afternoon. These cross-age interactions beautifully demonstrate how learning and mentorship happen naturally across our school community.

Our apple study was a delicious success! We conducted a taste test comparing red (Macintosh), yellow (Ginger Gold), and green (Granny Smith) apples. Macintosh won decisively with 10 votes, followed by Ginger Gold with six and Granny Smith with five. The children came up with wonderful adjectives to describe each variety: sweet, crunchy, juicy, tart, and sour.

Later in the week, we made applesauce from scratch. The children used a hand-crank apple peeler to remove the skin and were amazed to discover that the peel from just one apple was even longer (taller!) than most of the children in our class. They practiced their fine motor skills using peelers, corers, and knives to prepare the apples. We added cinnamon and water, and then enjoyed the delicious aroma that filled our classroom all day. When it was time to taste our creation, most children loved it!

Extending Apple Learning at Home

• Compare Apples: Visit an orchard or grocery store and let your child choose different varieties to taste and compare
• Practice Peeling: Let your child help peel apples or potatoes for family meals (with supervision)
• Measure with Apple Peels: Peel an apple in one long strip and see how many objects at home it’s longer than

UPCOMING EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

Monday, October 13: No School – Indigenous Peoples’ Day
Friday, October 17: Kindergarten Field Trip to New Pond Farm
Saturday, October 18: Oktoberfest
Friday, October 24: No School – Parent/Teacher Conferences
Friday, October 31: No School – Montessori Schools of CT Conference
Parent/Teacher Conference sign-ups are now posted! Times are available beginning October 20. Please arrange for childcare, as conferences are held without children present.
Important Reminder: Please send your child’s “Take Home” folder back to school every Monday. Without these folders, children are unsure where to place their completed work throughout the week.

Week of Sept 29–October 3

UPCOMING EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

Thursday, October 9: Class Photo Day
Monday, October 13: No School
Thursday, October 17: Kindergarten Field Trip to New Pond Farm – More details to follow soon.
Weather Note: Mornings have been chilly while afternoons warm up significantly by recess time. Please dress your child in layers they can easily remove and manage independently.

This Week in Our Classroom

Exploring Our World: From Apples to Oceans

Our classroom has been alive with discovery as we explore the natural world around us! The children have been learning to classify objects as living or non-living, developing their scientific thinking and observation skills. This work has led to rich discussions about what living things need to survive and grow.

Our apple study continues to captivate the children. They’ve been exploring the parts of an apple and learning how apples grow from tiny blossoms on trees. This hands-on investigation connects beautifully to their growing understanding of life cycles and the natural world.

We’ve also introduced landforms this week, and the children are fascinated by the relationship between land and water. Using the Montessori Land and Water Forms, children learned to distinguish between an island and a lake — tracing the raised land with their fingers and observing the corresponding water-filled shapes, connecting abstract geographical concepts to concrete, sensory experience. We’ve begun our journey across the globe, introducing the seven continents and five oceans that make up our beautiful planet Earth.

A highlight of our practical life work has been using scissors to carefully trim flower stems and arrange fresh flowers to beautify our classroom. This delicate work builds hand strength, concentration, and coordination while teaching the children to care for their environment with grace.

Building Community

Every Friday morning, our kindergarten students visit their “book buddies” in the Upper Elementary classroom. This cross-age connection is pure joy! The older students model fluent reading and patience, while our kindergarteners practice listening skills and build confidence. These relationships are blossoming into genuine friendships.

We’ve been nurturing kindness and empathy through Carol McCloud’s bucket-filling books. The children are learning that their words and actions can either fill or dip from someone’s bucket. They’re becoming more aware of how they can spread happiness and show care for others—important skills that will serve them throughout their lives.

The thoughtfulness and curiosity your children bring to school each day fill our classroom bucket to overflowing!

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 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 that 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 zip 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 a week filled with peace and love.

Christine, Hailey, & Julie