We hear the children speak throughout the day about what they hope to receive as a gift. Through literature, classroom conversations, and taking a peek into the different holidays celebrated by those around the world, we introduce the concept and power of giving as the best gift of all. We have discussed how fortunate all of our families are to have a warm house to live in and food to eat. We have continued to name some of the many things that we are grateful for. We talked about there being many families who live in our communities who do not have enough money to afford many things. Since our Middle School has been collecting food and gifts for a local family, together we wrapped a gift of cat food for the family’s pet and some of the children brought gifts and food to donate as well. Thank you for your generosity and for helping to instill a sense of gratitude and giving.

We asked each child what gift they could share during this holiday season.  We told them it does not need to cost anything, and it really is about helping others and our communities.  They could share their gift with a loved one or even be a secret gift giver and do something anonymously for someone in need.  The simplicity of their words is heartwarming.

The world could learn a lot by listening to these children!

• Aira- I would give a bouquet of flowers to Olive.
• Anaya- I would give a toy like a bubble machine because it’s a nice gift for someone.      
• Arsalan- I would give a Christmas tree to my friend Matteo.         
• Cameron- I’d like to give a sparkly shirt to my Mom and my Dad.
• Divya- A teddy bear to my cousin because she loves me, is thankful for me, and is really sparkly.
• Eliot- I can give my Mom a hug because I love her, and we can make food for people because my parents are really good at it.
• Eliana- I want to get a big teddy bear for Mommy and a big, big one for Daddy.       
• Emma- I can give a teddy bear dog for my Grandma.
• Ethan- Make a card for my Dad and my Mom. 
• Hayes- I would give a toy to a baby.
• Ivy- I’d give my Mom my snow monster because she actually likes it when it dances and plays music.
• Katie- I will give Mommy and Daddy kisses.
• Luke- I’ll give my Mom and Dad a kiss.      
• Matteo- I’ll make a plan to save the day around my house or school so nobody has any problems.     
• Olive- I’d give a kitty toy to Aira. 
• Olson- I could give a hug to my Mom and Dad and also to my sister.
• Oscar- I already bought some presents and I want to give some to my Mom, my Dad, and to my dogs.
• Otto- I will give a heart to my Mommy.
• Rayna- My love to Mommy and Daddy.
• William- I love Mommy, so I’ll give her kisses and run fast with Daddy.    

Wishing each and every one of you much peace and love during this holiday season.  Take time to enjoy the gifts that aren’t wrapped.

Christine & Fatima

These last few weeks have been a particularly busy and exciting time with your children. We have traveled through space, explored the eight planets, discovered that the sun is a star, and rocketed back to planet Earth. We are now exploring the first of seven continents, North America.  You may hear your children call it the orange continent. This is because, on the Montessori globe and map, North America is indeed orange. We will continue to explore the animals native to our continent, map North America’s countries, examine topography, and study how a continent’s proximity to the equator impacts its climate.

The Montessori cultural studies curriculum provides children with an opportunity to explore the whole world, including the continents, countries, people, animals, terrain, music, and arts. Children use didactic Montessori materials to familiarize themselves with the needs of all humans for such things as food, housing, and clothing. This early cultural awareness helps cultivate independent, joyful citizens of our world.

We were so excited to have the Botsford Fire Department return to FWM to teach us all about fire safety.  The firefighter demonstrated to the children what to do in a fire, showed them the equipment the firefighters use, and each child had the opportunity to spend some time in the fire truck. The children (4 to 6 year olds) wrote thank you notes to the Fire Department, which Ms. Ildi hand-delivered.

We’re also very grateful to Ivy’s Mom for coming in to bake a gluten-free pumpkin bread, which was quite tasty. The children enjoyed the experience and were thrilled to share our bread with the entire FWM community at the Thanksgiving ceremony. Even though Thanksgiving has passed, we will continue to foster a sense of gratitude all year long.

Wishing your families a wonderful week,

Christine & Fatima