Grace and courtesy are well-known values and norms of behavior which enable children to move and work cooperatively. In the Montessori environment children may move freely, but not run or push. They may talk softly, not loudly. Grace and courtesy lessons help children understand polite social norms.
In our Montessori classroom we believe that, through daily modeling and lessons, even very young children are capable of much more than is traditionally expected of them.
As Montessori teachers we are guides and role models for our young learners. We are very cautious about how we act in front of children when interacting with other adults at school as well as with young learners. In the classroom we model soft voices, walking feet, and carrying the tray with two hands. We also have a deep respect for the child’s concentration while they are working; we are always careful not to interrupt the child’s work. These are examples of our daily interactions with children.
Teachers introduce lessons explicitly to teach grace and courtesy. We observe and take note of any undesired behavior. We select a neutral time when everyone is calm and ready to absorb the lesson and show children step by step how a certain behavior or activity is done. The following are some of the exercises of grace and courtesy:
- Watching others work without disturbing or interfering
- Waiting for turns
- Covering a sneeze, yawn, or cough
- Conflict resolution (how and when)
Through the adult’s daily display of acts of kindness, attention, and respect for others, the children will grow up to be caring human beings.
Mrs. Semmah and Mrs. Sara
Mrs. Semmah – Peace Begins with Respect for Others
“The child is both a hope and a promise for mankind.”
Maria Montessori, Education and Peace
Maria Montessori strongly believed in the children’s potential and capacity to attain peace on earth and for all. A Montessori classroom is a peaceful environment where children learn about the values of respect, compassion, and kindness through everyday interactions with each other and the adults in the environment.
Children are shown respect, so they learn respect. Children are shown compassion, so they learn compassion. Children are shown kindness, so they learn kindness. In the Montessori curriculum, we show an appreciation for diversity and respect for all cultures. It is possible to avoid or fear whatever we do not understand, and in the Montessori classroom, we seek to understand.
Following our yearly tradition at Fraser Woods, we celebrated the International Day of Peace on Tuesday, September 21st. We talked about the meaning of peace and ways we can promote peace in our environment. And quoting the children, peace is “being calm,” “being nice to others,” “playing together,” “sharing my toys with my sister,” and “giving a flower to Mommy.”
May children everywhere enjoy the peace and be our hope and promise for a better tomorrow.
Peace!
Mrs. Semmah and Mrs.Sara.
Mrs. Lopes’ Class: A Peaceful Classroom
” We shall walk together on this path of life, for all things are part of the universe and are connected with each other to form one whole unity.”-Maria Montessori
Peace truly begins in our homes and in our classrooms. The basics of peace include providing day-to-day environments which operate under an understanding of respect, where our children can freely share concerns, feel safe, be productive, and enjoy one another.
As is tradition, Fraser Woods celebrated the International Day of Peace on Tuesday, September 21st. We discussed what peace means as a class and brainstormed ways that we could spread peace. Some examples the children came up with were “Sharing my toys with my little brother,” “Helping my Mommy with the dishes,” and “Giving someone flowers.”
The 2021 theme for the International Day of Peace is “Recovering better for an equitable and sustainable world.” We invite you to celebrate peace by spreading compassion, kindness, and hope.
May we all work together to create a world where everyone everywhere is able to enjoy and exercise their right to peace. And may we all help our children learn how to carry on this important mission.
Wishing you all a peaceful week,
Amanda and Heather
Mrs. Doyle’s Class: Sing Peace Around the World
Peace is what every human being is craving for, and it can be brought about by humanity through the child. -Maria Montessori
Peace education is a basic tenet of the Montessori philosophy. In the 3-6 environment, studying the seven continents, including their people and cultures, provides a global view of our world. As Montessori teachers, practicing and teaching peace, kindness, and acceptance is a natural part of our day. Dr. Maria Montessori believed we should think of education as peace, not education for peace. She also believed that young children were our hope for eliminating conflict and instilling peace throughout the world. Dr. Montessori, as always, knew that lecturing children would accomplish very little and that to truly understand peace they would need to discover it for themselves.
Typically to celebrate Peace Day, we participate in “Sing Peace Around The World.” Beginning in New Zealand and ending in Hawaii, Montessori schools around the world sing “Light A Candle For Peace” for five minutes and during a specific time slot. So for 24 hours, this special song is being sung in a different part of the world by Montessori children. As with most large gatherings, protocols have changed the way things are done. This year, our children learned the song “Light A Candle for Peace,’ during their music time. We also played the song periodically throughout the day and watched a short video of children singing it. We eagerly look forward to the time we can all gather together to take part in this simple but beautiful tradition.
Wishing everyone a peaceful week!
Michelle & Liset
Mrs. Lopes’ Class: A Walk Around the Sun
In the first two weeks of school we have already had two classroom birthday celebrations! Birthday celebrations are so special in a Montessori environment. For a child, one year is a significant amount of time relative to their life. As part of the Montessori tradition, we strive to celebrate birthdays in a way that is both meaningful and educational.
Our children in the Primary environment celebrate birthdays with a tradition called “a walk around the sun.” A walk around the sun can be different from school to school, but typically begins by lighting a candle representing the sun in the middle of our class circle. Labels for each month of the year are laid out around the candle. The teacher and class form a circle around the candle and the birthday child walks around the “sun” once for each year of their life, holding an Earth globe. We encourage parents to share a milestone from each year of their child’s life during their walk around the sun.
The Montessori birthday walk is more than just a birthday celebration, it’s a Celebration of Life, a lesson in science, astronomy, and grace, and a community building experience for the entire class.
This Friday we will be sending home a “Friday Folder” with your child’s work from the week. Please empty the folder and return it to school on Monday. Some children come home with many items each week, while others do not. Please remember that many of the lessons and materials in our environment are tactile, so even though your child may not be coming home with much “physical” work, our photos we share each week will show how they have been working hard in the classroom.
Wishing you a wonderful weekend,
Amanda and Heather
Mrs.Semmah – Transition to the New Classroom
Starting a brand new classroom is both exciting and meaningful.
It is essential to implement some special strategies for a successful start, feeling safe and secure, and experiencing a smooth transition.
During these first weeks, children are looking for teachers to give them a sense of security. Hugs, smiles, and kindness are our daily acts to respond to our children’s needs. Children have to trust that there is someone in the room who can be there for them. They may need a lot of assistance developing independence in the bathroom and with snack time. For them, feeling connected to their teachers who care and love them is the key to maintain a trusting relationship and feeling loved.
Throughout phase-in days, children come to school for just an hour and a half to two hours. We select a few familiar materials like puzzles, blocks, and crayons on tables or on floor mats for them to use. We greet children with a handshake, and we show them the arrival procedure. We give special attention to children who might be feeling separation anxiety.
On the second day, we still have materials on the mats, but we also open the practical life shelf that includes lessons of pouring, transferring, and bead stringing. Our main role is to supervise and support children as they move between activities. During circle time, we review a few items from our grace and courtesy lessons. Examples: circle etiquette, floor, and table lessons, and how to handle materials with care. We also try to give small group lessons of 4 to 5 children and showing them the complete cycle from beginning to end. Start at the shelf, show how to handle a tray, how to do the work, and how to put it away.
By the second week, children have picked up on some basic routines and have learned how to work with some basic lessons. We focus on mastering the routines and introducing a variety of lessons while opening a new area of the classroom every day during this week including sensorial experience, math, science, geography, peace corner, and language.
I feel strongly that devoting attention, affection, and support to new learners is very rewarding. It takes a lot of repetition of basic lessons consistently, so children can see the practice repeated until they master the new skills.
Enjoy these second-week pictures!
Mrs. Semmah and Mrs. Sara
Mrs. Doyle’s Class: One Step At A Time!
We know it takes time for the new rhythms of school days to become familiar. So, while we are taking one step at a time, it definitely feels like we haven’t missed a beat!
It just a few short days we as a class are learning:
- how to navigate our way around the environment
- how to wait for a lesson
- the routines of our school day
- how to prepare for snack and lunch independently
- about being part of a large group meeting by listening and sharing
- care of self and care of the environment
Our returning friends have been role models for our new friends. It’s a wonderful opportunity for them to be a leader. It wasn’t so very long ago that they were new to the classroom themselves and they accept this new responsibility with excitement and confidence.
A question I frequently hear from parents is ‘what can I do at home to help my child be successful at school?’ One way to do so is to guide your child to become as independent as possible. This independence is guided by your child’s age and ability. So there are no hard and fast rules to follow. A few important areas to focus on would be setting up and cleaning up their lunch, putting on and taking off coats and boots, toileting themselves, packing and unpacking their backpacks and carefully putting their toys away when they are done. This process too is also one step at a time.
Here’s to new beginnings and a peaceful, fun school year for everyone!
Wishing you all a week filled with peace and love!
Michelle & Liset
Mrs. Semmah’s Class: Greetings!
Greetings!
We welcomed new friends and families this year (myself included!). The first week of the phase-in period helped the children with the transition to the new classroom. It is an absolute pleasure meeting your children, seeing their smiles, and getting some heart-warming hugs. This phase-in period is so helpful for a smooth transition for your children and for feeling safe in a new environment and getting to know their new teachers. The children were curious to explore the Montessori materials and share them with their friends. It was amazing to observe the children’s transition during this first week.
Thank you for all your support and we are looking forward to a wonderful school year!
Enjoy these back-to-school pictures!
As a gentle reminder, in order to streamline our dismissal process, we ask that you please stay in your car as a teacher is bringing your child over. The teacher will assist the child into the car. Please pull forward against the side of the building before exiting the car and buckling them in. Thank you for your help!
Warm regards,
Mrs. Semmah and Ms. Sara