Ms. Handibode: The Three Period Lesson

Posted on by Michelle Handibode

 

When we introduce new concepts or materials to the children, we often do so using a three-period lesson. This is an important tenet of Montessori education and it helps to move the child from basic understanding of a concept to mastery.

Period One is the introduction stage. In this stage we are isolating new vocabulary to the children. For example, if we are introducing the color tablets, we say, “This is blue.”  Repeating that statement and allowing the child to manipulate the blue color tablet are crucial during this stage.

Period Two is all about association and recognition. It is often a separate lesson. We do not ask the children to remember the vocabulary or recall the concept.  We are simply reinforcing the concept taught in Period One. We use words such as “Show me the blue tablet” or “Can you place the blue tablet on your lap?”

Period Three is the recall stage and the first time we ask the child to remember the concept independently. We ask them, “What is this?” when showing them the blue color tablet. We are careful not to begin Period Three until we know they are ready for success.

Every time a child masters a new concept, it builds the foundation for the next lesson or concept to be taught.

We are wrapping up our study about all things apple.  We learned about the parts of an apple and the life cycle of an apple.  We made homemade applesauce that the children were able to enjoy at snack time. We introduced our first food prep activity for the year, apple slicing. The children clean and cut up an apple and then offer a slice to their classmates. We tasted four different types of apples, and then everyone had a chance to share which apple was their favorite. Lastly, we read a story titled “The Little Red House  With No Windows and No Doors And A Star Inside.”  Ask your children if they know where to find such a house.

Wishing you a week filled with peace and love!

Michelle & Maria

Ms. Rhodora: Class Detectives

Posted on by Rhodora Santayana

Week of Sept 29–October 3

UPCOMING EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS
Wednesday, October 8: Our 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

The children have been delighted to prepare and serve banana slices to their friends this week. Watching them carefully slice, arrange, and offer snacks to their classmates showcases the heart of practical life work—building independence, fine motor skills, and community care all at once.

Fall has arrived, and our students have become Fall Detectives! During our outdoor time, the children search for clues that the season is changing. They collect brown and red leaves, notice cooler temperatures, and observe how the trees on our beautiful campus are transforming. These nature walks connect the children to the rhythms of the natural world and support our Montessori philosophy of living in harmony with the earth.

Our classroom travels have taken us to North America this week. We’ve been exploring the continent using our puzzle maps, and the children are excited to learn about New York, Connecticut, and New Jersey—our home states! We also introduced land and water forms this week, starting out with island (land surrounded by water) and lake (water surrounded by land). 

The magnet work has been drawing tremendous interest! Children of all ages are naturally attracted to magnets (no pun intended), and we challenged them to be detectives, testing which classroom objects are magnetic. The children can now confidently use the vocabulary words “magnet,” “attract,” and “repel” as they explore this scientific concept.

Ms. Handibode: All About Apples

Posted on by Michelle Handibode

Week of Sept 29–October 3

UPCOMING EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS
Monday, October 6: Connor Horch’s sharing box week begins
Monday, October 6: Class and individual 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.
Classroom Needs: We’re collecting red Target shopping bags (they have so many uses in our classroom!) and any children’s magazines you’ve finished with. We cut up the pictures for storytelling activities. Thank you!

This Week in Our Classroom

All About Apples

Our classroom has been bursting with apple discoveries! The children have explored apples through every sense and learning area, from practical life skills like peeling and preparing apples to scientific observation of apple anatomy and life cycles.

We conducted a formal apple taste test featuring four varieties: Granny Smith, Pink Lady, Red Delicious, and Honeycrisp. After careful tasting and discussion, each child cast their vote for their favorite. One thoughtful child shared, “I don’t like apples, but if I did, I would vote for the Pink Lady apple because I like the color pink.” The winner? Granny Smith apples took the crown!

The children worked together to make applesauce in our classroom crockpot, which we enjoyed for snack the next day. Watching the transformation from fresh apples to warm applesauce gave the children a concrete understanding of how cooking changes food.

We’ve also been learning about Johnny Appleseed, examining the parts of an apple, and exploring the apple life cycle from seed to tree. I read the children a riddle story with a surprise ending: “What is a house with no door, no windows, and a star inside?” Ask your child if they can tell you the answer!

The excitement and engagement around this simple, familiar fruit remind us how children’s natural curiosity can transform everyday objects into rich learning experiences.

Mrs. Lopes: Apple Discoveries

Posted on by Amanda Lopes

Week of October 3, 2025

UPCOMING EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS
Tuesday, October 7: Class Photo Day
Tuesday, October 8: Apple Tasting – The children will sample different varieties of apples and explore tastes, textures, and colors.
Wednesday, October 9: Applesauce Making – We’ll transform apples into delicious applesauce! The children will practice cutting, stirring, and observing changes in the cooking process.
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

Apple Discoveries! From Seed to Sauce

This week, our classroom has been brimming with apple discoveries! The children have been captivated by the complete life cycle of an apple—from tiny seed to blossoming flower to the fruit we enjoy. Using our apple life cycle materials, they’ve carefully sequenced the stages and learned the scientific vocabulary that helps them express their understanding.

Our work with the parts of the apple has been equally engaging. The children have labeled the parts of an apple, identifying the stem, skin, flesh, core, and seeds.  Several children even made the exciting connection that the seeds inside can grow into new apple trees—bringing the life cycle full circle!

The story of Johnny Appleseed sparked wonderful conversations about how one person’s care for nature can create lasting change. The children were amazed to learn that he traveled across the country long ago, planting apple trees so that future families could enjoy fresh fruit. This connected beautifully to our ongoing discussions about caring for our environment and thinking of others.

As we move into our hands-on apple experiences next week, the children will engage all their senses while practicing practical life skills like careful cutting, measuring, and following a recipe sequence.

Ways to Extend This Learning at Home

  • Visit a local orchard or farm stand and let your child choose different apple varieties to compare at home
  • Cut an apple horizontally to reveal the star pattern inside—a delightful discovery!
  • Practice apple activities like peeling with a child-safe peeler or counting and sorting apple seeds

Mrs. Sargeant: Apples to Oceans

Posted on by Christine Sargeant

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!

Ms. Rhodora: Autumn Season

Posted on by Rhodora Santayana

We started our week learning about living and nonliving things. The children had fun pointing out living and nonliving things around the classroom. We would say, “This is living, it grows, eats food, and drinks water and breathes,” or, “This is nonliving, it does not grow, it does not eat or drink, and it does not breathe.”

We have definitely entered the fall season. The leaves are changing color and falling to the ground. The children observe autumn leaves as they use their senses to explore the colors of leaves, the scents of the season, and the textures of the leaves. We also learned about deciduous trees and evergreen trees. Evergreen trees are trees with leaves that stay green all year round. Deciduous trees have leaves that turn brown, yellow, or red in the autumn and fall off.

As the weather gets colder, please make sure to send in an extra set of weather-appropriate clothing for school.

Have a wonderful weekend

Ms. Rhodora & Ms. Anabel

Mrs. Sargeant: A Peek at the Week

Posted on by Christine Sargeant

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

Mrs. Lopes: A Look at Our Week

Posted on by Amanda Lopes


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 Thursday, we send home the blue 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.

Mrs. Lopes, Mrs. Hema, and Ms. Kristina