“So in the child, besides the vital impulse to create himself, and to become perfect, there must be yet another purpose, a duty to fulfill in harmony, something he has to do in the service of a united whole.” ~ Maria Montessori, The Absorbent Mind

Maria Montessori believed that children are the key to peace and empathy among humanity. This important belief is a foundation in our Montessori classrooms, beginning with practical life lessons and continuing throughout childhood and beyond. I’d like to share how a “simple” lesson can provide the mechanism from which children in the classroom learn, practice, and express their empathy and love for their community.

Flower arranging is a work in the Practical Life area of our classroom. It not only fosters fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination but also gives the children a sense of ownership of their environment.

“Flower arranging work has a more important indirect aim than simply admiring nature’s work of art. It is an opportunity for little hands to contribute to the beautification of the environment. It is a tender moment when a young heart lays down a symbol of friendship, love, and peace on a table for someone else to enjoy. It is a brief yet integral step outside of oneself and one’s own needs. -The CHILD Centered Blog

Flower arranging is only one of many classroom works and activities sowing the seeds of compassion and empathy in your children. Please remember that compassion in your home helps your children do the same.

We are so excited to share that we are incubating eight chicken eggs in our classroom. Incubating the eggs provides an amazing learning opportunity for the children to learn not only about the responsibility of taking care of the eggs but also the life cycle of a chicken. The eggs should hatch in 21 days. Each day, we are learning about the development taking place inside the eggs.

I wish you a week filled with peace and love.

Christine & Hailey

Happy spring, and welcome back! The children were very excited to be reunited this week. We made the most of the beautiful weather, spending as much time as possible outdoors.

The children did not waste any time getting right back into the routine, and they were eager to make independent work choices and learn new things. We were all excited to welcome Ms. Hailey to our classroom and to sing our ‘Hickety Pickety Bumblebee’ song to introduce ourselves.

This week, the children enjoyed cutting pears and peeling clementines. The food preparation activities are so valuable. Incorporating food preparation equips children with essential life skills such as washing, cutting, peeling the fruit, and washing and drying the dishes. It also promotes social interaction and communication, as the children offer their peers a piece of fruit. The multi-step processes involved in food preparation require attention to detail and sequential thinking, which enhances children’s concentration and ability to focus, which is imperative for being successful with later academic challenges. The hands-on experience of food preparation often leads to a willingness to try new foods, in addition to fostering a sense of autonomy and self-confidence.

A favorite book this week has been Come Over to my House, co-written by Eliza Hull and Sally Rippin. This book explores the home lives of children and parents with various disabilities. It’s a great book that builds awareness, fosters inclusivity, and promotes empathy. The children asked thoughtful questions and thoroughly enjoyed reading about the different characters.

Wishing you a peaceful week,

Christine & Hailey

Read the March 8 blog post here.

First the education of the senses, then the education of the intellect—Maria Montessori

Maria Montessori believed there is a sensitive period for a child’s development of their senses. Although the senses are an integral part of our lives, children have the greatest potential to develop and retrieve them during their early years. It is precisely this idea that demonstrates the purpose of Sensorial materials in the Montessori classroom. The Sensorial materials are powerful tools that allow children to become aware of their unconscious impressions and bring these impressions into conscious awareness. Additionally, they enable your children to create a basis of order in their minds, allowing for the intelligent exploration of their environment.

This week we began to discuss the five senses. We discussed how we use different body parts to learn about things in our environment. For example, our noses are for smelling, ears are for listening, eyes are for seeing, hands are for touching, and our tongues are for tasting. We learned that sometimes, we use more than one sense at a time. We also talked about people who do not have the ability to use all five senses, such as those who are blind or deaf.

In the afternoon, the older children had the opportunity to engage all five senses as we popped popcorn using an air popper. We closed our eyes and listened to the sound of the kernels being poured into the popper, then the sound as they began to pop, we enjoyed the aroma as the kernels heated and what an exciting sight to see all the fluffy white popcorn – and of course we enjoyed the delicious tasty treat. We even tried tasting some with salt, as we discussed our taste buds.

Our 4 and 5-year-olds were also invited to visit Lower Elementary, where they set up tables to share their research projects with us. Our students learned about famous athletes, Texas, Albert Einstein, and a variety of different animals, among other things! It was a wonderful experience for everyone involved!

Wishing your families a wonderful spring break with a perfect balance of fun and relaxation.

You can find magic wherever you look. So sit back and relax, all you need is a book.  

—–Dr. Seuss

Read Across America is a national event celebrated on March 2nd, the birthday of Dr. Seuss. This initiative was created by the National Education Association and implemented to encourage a love of reading in children. At FWM, we also turn that day into Pajama Day, and the children bring their favorite book to share. We read Green Eggs and Ham, and the children were treated to their own green eggs and ham sandwiches! Once again, huge thanks to Eliot’s family for preparing the amazing snacks. The eggs were dyed green using spinach, and most of the children thoroughly enjoyed this fun snack.

An online article from nationaldaycalendar.com has some beautiful ideas on how to motivate children to read wherever they are.

• Keep books everywhere you spend time. Put them in the car, in every room of the house, and tuck them in backpacks and purses. Make them easily accessible.
• Visit the library often. Knowing how to use the library and learning the benefits of a library fosters a love of reading as well as genuine respect for the services libraries provide.
• Get caught reading. Children imitate what they see the adults around them do. Whether they see you read a magazine, newspaper, or novel, let them know reading is the cool thing to do.
• Read to your children. No matter their age, reading aloud strengthens their vocabulary and language skills. It also opens up opportunities for discussion.
• Have your children read to you, too. You never know what you might learn!

Reading is an integral part of each school day. We hope to pass on our passion for literature to your children.

Happy Reading!

Christine & Fatima

We have been discussing how harsh the winter can be for animals. The weather and lack of food can make their survival difficult. To help ensure their survival, animals hibernate, migrate, or adapt to their surroundings.

Animals that hibernate for the winter go into a deep sleep. Their body’s temperature drops, their heartbeat and breathing slow down, and they use very little energy. We’ve learned which animals hibernate as well as where they hibernate. Places where animals hibernate can be above ground, such as a cave, nest, or den, or they can be below ground, such as a burrow, a hole, or deep down in the mud. We explored which animals migrated or traveled to other places where the weather was warmer and where they would be able to find food. We also examined why animals might migrate and where they may go. Animals that adapt remain and stay active in their environment. They adapt to the changing weather, and their behavior and bodies may change, too. We talked about what changes animals may make to ensure they will have enough food for the winter.

On Thursday, we celebrated the 100th day of school. From the very first day of school, the kindergarten children have been learning to count by 1s, 5s, and 10s to 100. They spent the afternoon going to different stations that revolved around 100. They drew pictures of what they would like when they were 100, what they would buy with $100, and what they wished they had a hundred of, made a 100 headband, and then played a game called Race to 100. They even did 100 exercises and learned how hard it was to sit quietly for 100 seconds. They also had 100 snacks! Many thanks to Eliot’s family for the amazing ”snackle boxes” and special 100th-day snacks!

We’re hoping the ice and snow will melt over the weekend so we can get outdoors next week. Wishing you all a week filled with sunshine!

Christine & Fatima

A large part of our work with young children  is to lay the foundation for developing emotional intelligence—the ability to recognize, understand, manage, and express emotions. Cultivating emotional intelligence in children is crucial for their social and emotional well-being.

Teaching children to identify and name emotions is the first step in teaching children about their own emotions and the emotions of others. Being able to identify and name their feelings can help children to feel heard and understood. Introducing children to a diverse range of emotions through books, stories, and discussions will develop their emotional vocabulary. Since children often mimic the actions and attitudes of the adults around them, demonstrating healthy ways to express and manage emotions is crucial – such as taking deep breaths to calm down when feeling frustrated. One of our favorite books this month was In My Heart: A Book of Feelings by Jo Witek. We have read it numerous times, and it has inspired discussions about times when we’ve felt a variety of different emotions. The children especially enjoy hearing the anecdotes that I share with them about times when I have felt brave, happy, sad, etc. 

The children decorated their Valentine’s Day bags this week, and we’ve been reading Valentine’s books that celebrate friendship. They were so thrilled to exchange Valentines! We shared a group snack of berries and whipped cream, and marshmallow cereal treats. Thank you, parents for providing the snack and decorations for their bags!

We also played the Compliment Game, where we pass around a heart and whoever is holding it when the music stops receives a compliment from a classmate. This teaches children how to politely give and receive a compliment. They love it!

We asked the children what love means. Their answers are sure to bring a smile to your face. (A few friends were either missing, or weren’t ready to share)

Aira- You can’t see love, but you can feel it inside your body.

Anaya- Love is giving my Mom and Dad and sister a picture with a heart.

Ava- Love is what you give to people and fill up their buckets and that means your heart makes other people feel happy.

Cameron- I love my family and I hug them.

Divya- Love is Mommy because she cares about me all the time.

Eliana- Love is giving kisses to Mommy and Daddy.

Eliot- Love is when I hug my Mommy after school and it feels like I’m never going to be afraid.

Ethan- Love means that your heart is happy!

Hayes- Love is all about loving people and giving hugs and sharing toys.

Ivy- I love you and my Mommy and my little singing rabbit that I’m saving for Easter.

Katie- Love is something that you feel, and it feels happy!

Luke- Love makes me feel happy.

Matteo- Love is a feeling and it fills up your bucket.

Olive- I love my friends and family and cute pets and all the flowers- especially roses, poppies, and sunflowers.

Olson- You can love on your Mom and on your Dad but you can’t see it!

Oscar- My Mom loves me and Valentine’s Day means love.

Otto- Mommy and Daddy got married because they love each other.

Rayna- I love Mommy and snow.

William- Love means giving hugs.

Wishing you all a lovely week,

Christine & Fatima