Last week was filled with celebration and discovery. The children were thrilled to exchange valentines with their classmates, and the pride on their faces as they delivered a card to each friend’s mailbox bag was truly special. Every child took the time to write their own name on their cards—a meaningful moment of independence that doubles as beautiful writing practice. It was grace and courtesy in action.

We also celebrated the 100th day of school. The kindergarteners have been counting by 1s, 5s, and 10s since the very first day, and that daily practice led to a full afternoon of 100-themed activities. They drew what they would want at age 100, imagined what they would buy with $100, and listed what they would wish they had 100 of. They played Race to 100, completed 100 exercises, and tested their patience sitting quietly for 100 seconds. It was a joyful milestone, and the children rose to every challenge.

Beyond the celebrations, the children have been deeply engaged in their work on the shelves. Many have been drawn to the 100 Board, using it to reinforce their growing number sense through hands-on practice. Others have been captivated by our study of Africa, working to learn the names of African countries and creating their own maps of the continent. We also spent time discussing the Lunar New Year and the traditions associated with this celebration, connecting our classroom to the wider world.

Extending Learning at Home

To extend our Africa study, find the continent together on a map or globe and see if your child can name any of the countries or share a fact that surprised them. For Lunar New Year, look up images of the celebrations together and talk about how different cultures around the world mark the new year. And if your child has been working with numbers at home, try counting collections of small objects by 5s or 10s—it reinforces exactly the kind of mathematical thinking we are building in the classroom.

UPCOMING EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

This Week

• Monday, February 23
  ⋅ Guest Reader – Hennessey
• Tuesday, February 24
  ⋅ Celebrate Violet’s Half Birthday
• Wednesday, February 25
  ⋅ Guest Reader – Forgione
  

Next Week

• Tuesday, March 3
  ⋅ Read Across America Day and Pajama Day
  Bring your favorite book and wear your pajamas to school
• Thursday, March 5
  ⋅ Taekwondo Demonstration at 9:30 a.m.
  

Looking Ahead

• March 9—March 20
  ⋅ No School | March Break
    As a reminder, the Bridge to Spring program is available during March Break. Click here to register.
  

Last week, we began our study of Africa, the second largest continent. The children gathered around our continent map with great interest as we discussed the remarkable features of this diverse landmass. We learned that Africa is home to 54 countries and that over one thousand languages are spoken by the people who live there. The children were fascinated to discover that the Nile, the longest river in the world, flows through Africa, and that the Sahara, the world’s largest desert, is located on this continent. We discussed Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest mountain, and the children were amazed to learn that glaciers can be found at its summit even though the base is near the equator. We also talked about the incredible animals found in Africa, including the world’s tallest animal, the giraffe, and the largest land animal, the African elephant. Alongside our Africa study, the children have been exploring rocks and minerals. They’ve been using magnifying glasses to examine the specimens closely, studying their colors, textures, and unique characteristics.

There has been enthusiastic discussion about birthstones, with children looking through our reference book to find their own birthstones and those of their classmates. We’ve also witnessed beautiful connections across the curriculum this week. One child noticed that the squares from the bead cabinet are similar to the pink tower, demonstrating an understanding of geometric relationships. Another child enthusiastically interrupted a geometric solid lesson to point out that the knobless cylinders are cylinders as well—showing the joy of making mathematical discoveries! The orange juicing work has been particularly popular on our practical life shelves this week, with children developing their coordination and independence through this purposeful activity.

Extending Learning at Home

Take a nature walk with your child and look for interesting rocks and stones. Examine them together, noticing their colors, textures, and patterns. You might start a small rock collection at home, or use a magnifying glass to look at specimens more closely. If your family is traveling, please consider picking up a postcard for our classroom—we would love to build our geography collection with photos from around the world!

UPCOMING EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

Kindergarten parents please look for a letter in Thursday’s take home folder, explaining the 100th day of School celebration.We will be celebrating this big day on Tuesday, February 17th.

This Week

• • Monday, February 16
    ⋅ No School | President’s Day
    
• • Tuesday, February 17⋅
  • Sharing Bag, Flowers/Food – Arsalan
    ⋅ Kindergarten 100th Day celebration
• • Wednesday, February 18
    ⋅ Guest Reader – Dan D.
    
• • Thursday, February 19
    ⋅ Celebrate Rayna’s Half Birthday
    

Last week brought several exciting additions and experiences to our classroom. Hair styling has been a huge hit! The children have been practicing brushing, braiding, and using elastics to create ponytails on a model doll head. This work develops fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and patience while also being tremendously fun.

In the sensorial area, children have been noticing the connections between the geometric solids and metal insets, making observations about shapes, edges, and dimensions. This natural comparison demonstrates the beauty of the Montessori environment, where materials across different areas support and reinforce each other.

We’ve witnessed wonderful examples of the mixed-age dynamic supporting learning. Kindergarten students have been helping younger peers with the sometimes tricky task of putting on shoes, boots, snow pants, and gloves. With lots of practice throughout the week, we’re all getting better at remembering the order: snow pants, boots, jacket, hat, and gloves!

Last week also brought special community experiences. On Monday, we were audience members for the Middle School play, and on Wednesday, we were visited by Ben’s Lighthouse, who presented a puppet show assembly focused on kindness. It was an amazing experience that reinforced the values we practice daily.
We celebrated Thomas’s 6th birthday and Gabriel’s half birthday with beautiful Montessori birthday walks. The classroom has also been brightened by tulips in our flower arranging activity—a lovely reminder that spring is coming!

Extending Learning at Home

Practice the skills we’re building in grace and courtesy by giving your child opportunities to help younger siblings or cousins with their jackets and shoes. Even small acts of service help children recognize their own growing capabilities and build compassion for others.

UPCOMING EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

This Week

• Monday, February 9—Thursday, February 12
  ⋅ Food/Flowers/Sharing Bag Week – Kai’s Family
• Monday, February 9
  ⋅ Moving Up Day for Students (Kindergarten students visit Lower Elementary)
• Tuesday, February 10
  ⋅ Welcome to Kindergarten! Talk at 8:45 a.m. (for parents of P4 students)
  ⋅ Moving Up Night at 5:30 p.m. (for parents of K students)
  ⋅ Celebrate Rayna’s Half Birthday
• Wednesday, February 11
  ⋅ Guest Reader – Jessica O.
  
• Thursday, February 12
  ⋅ Classroom Valentine Exchange
  
• Friday, February 13
  ⋅ No School | Teacher Professional Development Day
  

Next Week

• Monday, February 16
  ⋅ No School | President’s Day
  

Last week brought exciting new materials to our practical life and sensorial areas. The children discovered cucumber slicing and spooning split peas with a new wooden spoon. Many children were fascinated by the split peas, which sparked conversations about the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. We explored several versions of this classic tale using finger puppets and different picture books, allowing the children to compare and contrast how the same story can be told in various ways.

The children showed great interest in learning the names of the geometric solids. We discussed the difference between two-dimensional shapes—such as those included in the metal insets and geometry cabinet—and three-dimensional shapes. They enjoyed playing games with their eyes closed to feel which geometric solid they were holding, engaging their tactile sense to distinguish between spheres, cubes, cylinders, and cones. Next week we will add a blindfold to focus specifically on their stereognostic sense, helping them refine their ability to identify objects through touch alone.

The cold weather meant we spent considerable time indoors, though we were fortunate to use the gym where children enjoyed balls, hula hoops, and playing duck, duck, goose—a game that was new for many of the children. Throughout the week, we witnessed older children helping younger friends perfect their mat rolling skills and assisting them with sharpening pencils when needed. These moments of grace and courtesy demonstrate the compassion and community care growing within our classroom.

Extending Learning at Home

Look for three-dimensional shapes around your home—cans (cylinders), balls (spheres), boxes (rectangular prisms). Let your child hold these objects with eyes closed and describe what they feel. Practice the Goldilocks story together, encouraging your child to retell it in their own words. Simple practical life activities like slicing soft fruits with a butter knife or transferring dried beans between containers support their developing coordination and independence.

UPCOMING EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

This Week

• Monday–Friday
  – Moving Up Classroom Observations
• Wednesday, February 4
  Isle of Skoo Assembly for Primary–Upper Elementary students at 9 a.m.

Next Week

• Tuesday, February 10
  Welcome to Kindergarten! Talk at 8:45 a.m. for parents of P4 students
  Moving Up Night at 5:30 p.m. for parents of K students
• Thursday, February 12
  Classroom Valentine Exchange
• Friday, February 13
  No School | Teacher Professional Development Day

As the cold weather and snow continue, please be sure to send boots, snow pants, and waterproof mittens with your child. Open-top bags, such as the large reusable ones from stores like Marshalls or canvas tote bags, work best, as the bag remains open and children can put their things away with ease. Please LABEL everything so items make their way back home.

Last week, the children became scientists as we conducted an experiment using vinegar and baking soda to blow up a balloon. The children loved this demonstration and cannot wait to do it again. We talked about what it means to be a scientist and the importance of careful observation—a skill that serves children well across all areas of learning.

New Works and Growing Independence

The classroom welcomed exciting new materials last week. We added a Button Sewing work to our Practical Life shelves, which has been drawing great interest from the children as they develop their fine motor skills and concentration. We also introduced a garlic press to the fresh homemade colorful play dough activity, which has been a big hit. The children have enjoyed exploring how the play dough transforms as it passes through the press, creating new shapes and textures.

Celebrating Our Community

We celebrated our friend Remy’s 4th birthday last week. The Montessori birthday walk reminded us all of the sun’s journey around Earth and helped Remy reflect on the special moments from each year of life.

Extending Learning at Home

Practice button sewing at home using old shirts or fabric scraps and large buttons. This practical life skill builds concentration, fine motor skills, and independence. For science exploration, try simple kitchen experiments together—mix baking soda with vinegar, watch ice melt, or observe what happens when you mix colors. These hands-on experiences foster scientific thinking and curiosity.

Upcoming Events & Announcements

This Week

• Tuesday, January 27
  Kai’s Birthday Celebration
• Friday, January 30
  Thomas’ Birthday Celebration

Next Week

• Wednesday, February 4
  Isle of Skoo Assembly for Primary–Upper Elementary at 9 a.m.

Looking Ahead

Thursday, February 12
Valentine’s Day Exchange is a cherished friendship celebration in our Primary classrooms! On Thursday, February 12, the children will exchange valentines with their classmates, marking a special part of their school experience that emphasizes expressing love and gratitude for one another.

We encourage you to involve your child in preparing their Valentine’s Day cards. Please have your child sign their own name on each card—whether that’s their full name, just one letter, or their own special mark, every effort is meaningful and developmentally appropriate! Please allow ample time for this name-writing process, which serves as wonderful practice. (If writing their full name, remember to use uppercase only for the first letter.)

Important! Please leave the “To:” area blank. Do not address envelopes or cards with specific names. This allows children to distribute valentines independently without needing to read each classmate’s name, supporting their sense of capability and confidence. Note: If your child is able to read their classmates’ names, they may write names on the envelopes as additional reading practice—but this is entirely optional.

Our classroom continued to bloom with independence and curiosity last week as the children settled into their beautiful new lockers and explored fascinating new materials.

The children are adjusting wonderfully to their new lockers, taking pride in organizing their belongings and developing important self-care skills. We’re watching them grow more confident each day as they independently hang their coats, store their shoes, and manage their personal items. This growing independence is central to the Montessori philosophy of helping children become capable and self-reliant.

New materials appeared on our shelves this week, sparking curiosity and engagement. A flashlight with batteries invited the children to practice fine motor skills as they carefully assembled and disassembled it, learning how simple tools work. A matching game featuring flags from around the world opened conversations about different countries and cultures, expanding the children’s global awareness.

Our science explorations continued as we prepared for upcoming experiments with solids, liquids, and gases. The most popular work this week was our sensory bin filled with arctic animals and different types of penguins frozen inside ice. The children used pipettes to drip warm water onto the ice, carefully observing how much water it took to free each animal. The concentration on their faces as they worked to melt the ice and “rescue” the penguins was a beautiful example of purposeful, engaged learning.

Flower arranging made a delightful comeback in our classroom. By simply changing its location and adding a new dish to hold the vases, we reignited the children’s interest in this practical life work. They practiced careful cutting, arranging, and caring for living things—all while creating beauty in our shared space.

Our Kindergarten students embarked on a new writing project, creating “How-to” books. They’re learning to break down everyday tasks into clear, sequential steps—an important skill that combines literacy with logical thinking.

Extending Learning at Home

Support your child’s growing independence by creating a designated spot at home for their belongings. Have them practice hanging their own coat and placing shoes, hats, and backpacks in consistent locations. Involving children in these daily routines builds responsibility and self-confidence. You can also explore states of matter together—freeze small toys in ice cube trays or containers, then let your child work to melt the ice using warm water, just like our penguin rescue activity!

UPCOMING EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

This Week

• Monday, January 19
  No School, Martin Luther King Jr. Day
• Tuesday, January 20
  Remy’s Birthday Celebration

Welcome Back to Winter Wonder

It was wonderful to welcome the children back this week and hear about their winter breaks—the books they read, the movies they saw, and the special time they enjoyed with their families. The children brought back stories and experiences that enriched our classroom conversations and helped us reconnect as a community.

The snowy weather provided perfect opportunities for outdoor exploration. The children had tremendous fun playing in the snow this week, and we could see the pure joy on their faces as they experienced the winter landscape firsthand. These outdoor experiences naturally led us into our new study of solids, liquids, and gases. We began discussing the differences between these states of matter, and the children were fascinated to observe how the same substance—water—can exist in different forms depending on temperature.

Our practical life and art areas were hubs of purposeful activity this week. The pouring work, where children carefully transfer liquid from one vessel into three separate containers using a funnel, attracted sustained concentration. This work refines hand-eye coordination while building the control and precision needed for many daily tasks. In the art area, children created beautiful snowflakes using Q-tips as painting tools, exploring color mixing and pattern-making while celebrating the winter season around us.

The bagel spreading work has been particularly popular. Children practice the real-life skill of spreading cream cheese on bagels, developing their fine motor control and independence. Watching them carefully hold the bagel steady while using just the right amount of pressure with the spreading knife demonstrates the growing coordination that comes from repeated, purposeful practice.

January is proving to be a busy birthday month in our classroom—we have five birthdays to celebrate! This week, we gathered for our first Montessori birthday walk of the month to honor Ellis turning four years old. The children loved seeing the candle representing the sun as Ellis walked around it four times, once for each year of life. These celebrations help children understand the passage of time and their place in the world while building our classroom community.

UPCOMING EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

If you have not sent spare clothes to school recently, please send a full outfit to keep in your child’s locker. With all the outdoor play and hands-on work, having a fresh change of clothes available gives children the confidence to fully engage in their activities.

This Week
Wednesday, January 14: Birthday Walk for Hayes
Friday, January 16: All School Early Dismissal. Primary pick-up at 11:30 a.m.

Next Week
Monday, January 19: No School, MLK Jr. Day
Tuesday, January 20: Birthday Walk for Remy

This week brought the start of Hanukkah, offering a wonderful opportunity to explore this meaningful holiday with the children. We read both fiction and non-fiction stories about Hanukkah, helping the children understand the traditions and history behind the Festival of Lights. The children were particularly fascinated by the menorah, carefully placing candles into it and learning about the miracle of the oil that burned for eight days.

A huge thank you to Ivy and Gabriel’s moms for coordinating a special Hanukkah treat for the children. We enjoyed latkes and challah together, and the children made the connection that latkes are fried in oil—a reminder of the miracle we’d been learning about. These hands-on experiences with cultural traditions help the children develop a deeper appreciation for the diverse celebrations in our community.

Ava’s mom visited to share another beloved classroom tradition by reading “T’was the Night Before Christmas.” Thank you for sharing your time with us and for bringing the festive snack that made the morning even more special! These parent visits enrich our classroom community and show the children how much their families value learning together.

We had three rehearsals this week preparing for the Holiday Showcase, and the children’s excitement about sharing their songs with you was palpable. Their hard work and enthusiasm truly embodied the joy of working toward a common goal.

This week also brought special birthday celebrations. Two of our classmates turned four and a half, so we celebrated their half birthdays since we won’t be in school when they turn five in June. The Montessori birthday walk is always a meaningful way to honor each child’s journey around the sun.

We’re thrilled to share joyful news from two of our classroom families! Within the past month, Remy and Madison each welcomed baby brothers into their families. Congratulations to both families on this wonderful new chapter!

As winter settles in, the children have enjoyed a sensory experience that connects them to the season: making pomander balls with oranges and cloves. The delightful scent fills the classroom as they carefully press each clove into the orange, developing their fine motor skills while creating something beautiful to take home.

Extending Learning at Home

Encourage your child’s connection to winter traditions by:

• Creating simple sensory experiences with seasonal scents like cinnamon sticks, pine branches, or citrus fruits
• Practicing fine motor skills through holiday activities like threading beads, wrapping small gifts, or decorating cookies
• Exploring winter through nature walks, observing how plants and animals prepare for cold weather

UPCOMING EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

• Monday, January 5: School Resumes
• Monday, January 5: Evie has Flowers/Food/Sharing Bag

Please send appropriate snow gear for outdoor play: hat, waterproof mittens, snow boots, and snow bibs or pants. A large open-top bag works best for storage. Thank you to Ava’s family for sending extra snow bibs and mittens to share with the classroom!