Mrs. Doyle: The Future Is So Bright You Need To Wear Shades

Posted on by Michelle Handibode

 

It’s always a little startling to realize that the end of the school year is quickly approaching. May is an amazing month because we look back to see all we have accomplished and take stock of what we have left to do. Each child’s learning at this point is very much cumulative and continues to build upon all of the skills that have been mastered since August. A perfect example of this is the kindergarten animal research project the children have been working on for several weeks. We start this project in late spring because we need a foundation of reading, writing, geography, science, and even math to be successful. I was ‘interviewing’ the kindergartners for the About The Author section of their books, and, as typically happens, several other children quickly wanted to be interviewed and share their future career aspirations. Their answers are sure to brighten everyone’s day.

When I am older, I want to be…….

  • Ainsley–       a ballerina who opens her own dance studio called “Ainsley’s Dance.”
  • Arya–            a doctor who helps people to feel better.
  • Bodie—          a veterinarian with his sister so they can both help animals.
  • Ella—               a teacher who helps little kids learn lots of stuff.
  • EmmaJo–    an artist who uses colored bubbles to make art.
  • Hadley–       a fort builder who makes fun forts from couch cushions for everyone.
  • Hannah–     a mother who makes sure all of her children are safe.
  • Harper-        a mom who loves her kids so much and takes them to the park whenever they want to go.
  • Isla–              a professional basketball player or maybe a professional field hockey player.
  • Jacob—          a race car driver.
  • Jonathan–  a house builder who builds really big houses.
  • Joseph–       a baseball player.
  • Leo–               a scientist who studies liquids and gases.
  • Maayan–      a teacher who helps everyone learn how to read.
  • Melina–        a doctor who helps people get better.
  • Oliver–          a police officer who saves people.
  • River–           a veterinarian who helps all animals.
  • Ryan–            a doctor who helps kids feel better.
  • Saanvi–         a gardener who plants all different kinds of plants and trees.
  • Tommy-         a skyscraper builder
  • Zara–             a singer, an artist, a soccer player, a dance competition teacher and a mother.
  • Zion–              a firefighter who drives the firetruck.

“Thank you” seems so little to say for the outpouring of love and kindness during Teacher Appreciation Week. We felt the love all week long and count ourselves truly blessed to have the relationships we do with each of you.

Wishing you all a week filled with peace and love!

Michelle & Maria

Mrs. Lopes: The Future Is So Bright You Need To Wear Shades

Posted on by Amanda Lopes

It’s always a little startling to realize that the end of the school year is quickly approaching. May is an amazing month because we look back to see all that we have accomplished and take stock of what we have left to do. Each child’s learning at this point is very much cumulative and continues to build upon all of the skills that have been mastered since August. A perfect example of this is the kindergarten animal research project the children have been working on for several weeks. We start this project in late spring because we need a foundation of reading, writing, geography, science, and even math in order to be successful. I was ‘interviewing’ the kindergartners for the About The Author section of their books, and, as typically happens, several other children quickly wanted to be interviewed and share their future career aspirations. Their answers are sure to brighten everyone’s day.

  • Ben:  Wants to be an astronaut and go up in space to see Neptune.
  • Kian: Wants to work with Lionel Messi and be an engineer so he can build bridges and buildings all over the world.
  • Arjuna: Wants to be Wolverine and fight bad guys with his claws.
  • Levi:  Wants to move trucks and take them to different schools.
  • Brisa:  Wants to be a witch so then she can turn people into whatever they want.
  • David: Wants to drive horses all around the country because that’s what his Dad does and he really wants to do that too.
  • Daniel: Wants to be a police officer and catch bad guys.
  • Sunny:  Wants to be an astronaut so he can travel in a rocket ship to Mars.
  • Elizabeth: Wants to be a superhero so she can save the world!
  • Evie: Wants to be a princess and live in a castle.
  • Fiona: Wants to be a doctor so she can help people when their leg is hurt or their ankle is hurt.
  • Nicolas:  Wants to be a construction worker so he can use the machines to dig in the dirt.
  • Elanour: Wants to be a princess and look beautiful all the time.
  • Casey: Wants to be a veterinarian because he knows so much about animals.
  • Enzo: Wants to be a soccer player for the Argentina national team and play in the World Cup.
  • Noelle:  Wants to be a dolphin trainer so she can play and swim with dolphins all day.
  • Annie: Wants to be a vet so she can fix the animals.
  • Parker:  Wants to be a doctor so she can help people all over the world.
  • Amelia: Wants to be a Mommy and have 2 babies
  • Ryder: Wants to be a construction worker so he can operate the machines and an astronaut so he can go up in space.
  • Harlan: Wants to build a rocket ship with Magna tiles
  • Kimberlin: Wants to be Spidergirl so she can shoot webs and swing around.

A special thank you for all the beautiful flowers and thoughtful notes sent in this week.  We felt very loved!

Wishing you all a week filled with peace and love!

Amanda & Hema

Ms. Marissa: The Future Is So Bright You Need To Wear Shades!

Posted on by Marissa Frisk

It’s always a little startling to realize that the end of the school year is quickly approaching. May is an amazing month because we look back to see all that we have accomplished and take stock of what we have left to do. Each child’s learning at this point is very much cumulative and continues to build upon all of the skills that have been mastered since August. A perfect example of this is the kindergarten animal research project the children have been working on for several weeks. We start this project in late spring because we need a foundation of reading, writing, geography, science, and even math in order to be successful. I was ‘interviewing’ the kindergartners for the About The Author section of their books, and, as typically happens, several other children quickly wanted to be interviewed and share their future career aspirations. Their answers are sure to brighten everyone’s day.

Matteo: Scientist
Eowyn: Princess
Ava: Policeman
Charlotte: Princess
Brinley: Baker
Conor: Wild Thing
Victoria: Scientist
Anthony: Scientist
Carter: Veterinarian
Simone: Veterinarian
Shea: Fireman
Ruscher: Construction Worker
Katie: Veterinarian
Levi: Astronaut
Lemon: Makeup Artist
Soren: Scientist and a Construction Worker
Lucia: Mom and a Horseback Rider
Savina: Swimming Teacher and an Artist
Charlotte: Princess
Elsie: Movie Producer

A special thank you for all the beautiful flowers and thoughtful notes sent in this week.  We felt very loved!

Wishing you all a week filled with peace and love!

Marissa & Sue

Mrs. Lopes: Nature’s Classroom

Posted on by Amanda Lopes

Spring is the perfect time to go for a nature walk and bug hunt, and that’s exactly what we did this week. Going on a nature walk is a simple, fun, and meaningful way to spend time outdoors. A bug hunt is a really fun way to help incorporate what we are learning about insects inside the classroom and what we observe outside in nature. The best thing about a bug hunt? Once the children get in the habit of learning, observing, and studying insects, their reaction is less likely to be, “Aarrghhhh, a bug!”

Wishing you a week filled with peace and love,

Amanda & Hema

Mrs. Doyle: Nature’s Classroom

Posted on by Michelle Handibode

 

Spring is the perfect time to go for a nature walk and bug hunt, and that’s exactly what we did this week. Going on a nature walk is a simple, fun, and meaningful way to spend time outdoors. A bug hunt is a really fun way to help incorporate what we are learning about insects inside the classroom and what we observe outside in nature. The best thing about a bug hunt? Once the children get in the habit of learning, observing, and studying insects, their reaction is less likely to be, “Aarrghhhh, a bug!”

Wishing you a week filled with peace and love,

Michelle and Maria

Mrs. Sargeant: A Peek at the Week

Posted on by Christine Sargeant

Friendship development in toddlers is an intriguing process, marked by significant milestones and stages. Here’s a breakdown of how it typically unfolds:

In the early stages, toddlers engage in parallel play, where they play alongside each other without much interaction. They may observe each other’s activities but don’t actively engage together.

As toddlers grow, they start to engage in associative play, where they begin to interact with each other during playtime. They may share toys, take turns, or mimic each other’s actions.

As children mature and develop social skills, they start to engage in cooperative play, where they interact with peers to achieve common goals or participate in group activities. This stage encourages collaboration, communication, negotiation, and empathy.

These stages of play are not strictly sequential, and children may engage in multiple stages simultaneously or move back and forth between them based on their interests and developmental needs. In a Montessori classroom, the environment is carefully prepared to support and facilitate each stage of play, allowing children to learn and grow at their own pace.

It has been exciting to witness the blossoming of friendships among the children both in the classroom and on the playground. 

This week, we learned about white button mushrooms. If you ask your children where they grow, they will probably tell you, “in the dark, in the dirt.” They may also tell you that their teachers both love mushroom pizza! We examined the stem and the cap, and the children enjoyed taking a closer look using a magnifying glass. Not everybody was willing to try a piece of mushroom, but we kept offering – we engaged in our food-tasting lesson all week long! The class was fascinated by the mushrooms and truly enjoyed exploring them.

Looking forward to an exciting week ahead! Christine & Lizette

Ms. Marissa: Can You Say “Metamorphosis”?

Posted on by Marissa Frisk

We continue to admire our Painted Lady caterpillars each day. We have an observation station set up where children are invited to draw and document the growth of the caterpillars. While we are watching this metamorphosis in real time, we are also using hands-on materials to visualize the life cycle of a butterfly.

Learning about the different stages of a butterfly’s life: adult, egg, larva, and pupa has been so interesting and eye-opening! Some questions I have received from students are:

“Do butterflies have families once the eggs hatch?”

“Well, is it a full cycle if the butterfly or caterpillars die?”

“Is “larva” and “pupa” a fancy word for caterpillar and chrysalis?”

“What is the difference between a chrysalis and a cocoon?”

Do you know the answers to these questions? These would be great conversation starters with your children!

We also continue our journey through Chicken Soup with Rice by Maurice Sendak. This month’s poem goes like this:

In May, I truly think it best
To be a robin lightly dressed
Concocting soup inside my nest.
Mix it once, mix it twice,
Mix that chicken soup with rice!

Have a wonderful weekend,

Marissa & Sue

Mrs. Lopes: Head, Thorax, Abdomen, Abdomen!

Posted on by Amanda Lopes

We are hard at work becoming entomologists. This is always a favorite unit of study for the children. An entomologist is a scientist who studies insects. We began our unit by discussing what we already know about insects, what they are, and what they can do. We discovered that insects are slimy, little, gross, soft, and hard. Insects can crawl, sting, bite, eat, fly, walk upside down, and jump. We learned that insects lay eggs and have antennae and three main body parts: a head, thorax and abdomen, eyes, and six legs. Insects are also cold-blooded, have an exoskeleton, and many have wings. Finally, we found out why a spider is not an insect. Ask your child to see if they know why.

We also welcomed five tiny caterpillars to our classroom. It is so exciting to observe each step of the fascinating life cycle of the painted lady butterfly. Right now, our caterpillars are busy eating, spinning silk, and growing bigger every day. During this incredible period of growth, they will shed their exoskeletons four times and grow more than ten times their original size! When they have finished growing, the caterpillars will climb to the top of the cup. Once there, they will hang from the paper disk in a “j” shape under the lid. Finally, they will shed their exoskeletons one last time before they pupate and form a chrysalis.

On Wednesday, to enhance our unit on South America, we had a special presentation about Brazil from a classmate’s mom, Vanessa.  She shared some interesting information about Brazil, brought in a Brazilian specialty called “pão de queijo” for us to try, and helped the children make a paper plate macaw.  Thank you again for a wonderful presentation Vanessa!

Wishing you a week filled with peace and love!

Amanda & Hema