The month of March brings our study of rainbows! We all are anxiously waiting for Spring weather, so why not bring it into the classroom?! We will be learning all about rainbows, weather, and the water cycle with some fun hands-on experiments upon our return from break. This week, the children have been having fun learning the order of all the colors in the rainbow. We have also been practicing a fun poem; ask your child if they can recite it with you!

Rainbow, rainbow in the sky,
Peeping out as clouds go by.
Red, orange, yellow, green and blue,
There is purple in there, too!

Have a wonderful Spring Break, and hopefully, the weather cooperates for some fun outside time!

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 hope you enjoy the pictures.

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. I hope that Ms. Sue and I can pass on our passion for literature to your children.

Happy Reading!

Marissa & Sue

This Thursday was our 100th day of school! In the afternoon, we celebrated this momentous occasion with our Kindergarten crew.

Students counted and brought in 100 items from home; we had a 100-item snack, played many games, and did crafts.

My favorite game is “Race to 100!” In it, children play side by side, rolling a die and continually adding a number to their last until they reach 100!

Kindergarteners are experts on our beloved 100 Board in the classroom, and this tradition is such a fun way to celebrate their hard work!

This week has been all about love and friendship! A huge part of our classroom learning is what we call “Grace and Courtesy.” We practice grace and courtesy with each other by using our kindest words (even if the message may be a difficult one), always respecting and listening to each person’s viewpoint, tucking in chairs, getting work ready for the next friend, and taking care of our classroom for the greater good of the community.

Valentine’s Day is the perfect time to highlight grace and courtesy. A holiday that is about love, family, and friendship helps us to reflect on the things we do on a daily basis that not only benefit ourselves but those around us.

The children took great care in passing out their special Valentine’s Day cards and even used supplies in the classroom to make special cards for people at home.

We hope your holiday was as special as ours!

Marissa & Sue

We have had a busy week filled with birthday celebrations, visitors, snow and mud, and lots of talk about Valentine’s Day. We have been hoping and wishing for Spring and have discussed some of the first signs of the lovely season – my favorite being the sighting of robins! We have been singing “Red Red Robin” – ask your child to sing it for you!

We have begun our study of Africa for the month of February. We were amazed and excited to hear that there is a Lake Victoria (the same name as one of our classmates!) in Africa.

Next week, we will begin decorating our Valentine’s Day bags in anticipation of the arrival of many cards. Please send in your child’s cards any day before Friday (we’ll celebrate on Thursday).

Have a wonderful weekend,

Marissa & Sue

During our study of frogs, we have been talking about vertebrates and invertebrates. We all felt our backbones, or our spines, and realized that we (humans) are vertebrates! We then looked at pictures of animals and tried to make a hypothesis on whether they had a backbone or not. We very easily decided that slugs and earthworms do NOT have backbones and are invertebrates, but things like fish and starfish had us pausing in thought!

Our next step is to look at x-rays of animals and get a really clear picture! The children had fun making guesses and seeing if they were right or wrong.

We have also had many new Practical Life activities. Children have been busy learning how to use screwdrivers and hammers! To juxtapose these “heavy” activities, we also have been learning how to gently clean a mirror and organize a wallet. So much fun!

We venture into a new continent next month during our travels around the globe. Next stop: Africa!

This week’s cold weather has had us exercising all different kinds of skills! One of our Kindergarteners volunteered to teach the class how (and in what order) to get dressed for the snow. First snow pants, then boots, jacket, hat, and gloves! We discussed the importance of snow pants first and gloves last. How can we put our shoes on if we put our gloves on first?! Asking questions like these can help a child’s mind make sense of seemingly arbitrary systems we adults put into place!

In Early Childhood, “care of self” can often be the center of our days. Changing shoes and unpacking belongings from backpacks, finding snacks and water bottles and putting them in designated places, getting ready for the playground, packing up at the end of the day – even organizing and keeping track of work during the day are all skills children are learning! All of these things can set the mood for what is to come for a young child. In the Montessori Classroom, we try to provide scaffolding in a way where we, as adults, fade into the background, and the items with which the child must interact – are appropriately fitting/sized and in a place they can easily access in order to set them up for success. This is called “The Prepared Environment.” This is our work behind the scenes so that our children can thrive without us. It is such an important part of life!

Ways you can “prepare the environment” at home:

Have a designated spot for outdoor shoes and jackets that are at your child’s height,

Have a stool so children can have access to the toilet or sink so that they can be independent in bathrooming,

Have a floor bed or a bed that is low to the ground so children can start simple chores like making their own bed,

Have healthy snacks in a low drawer or cabinet that are always a “yes” snack that your child can get on their own,

“Help with your words” when you know your child is capable of doing something but needs a little outside support from a grownup.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Marissa & Sue