Mrs. Lopes’s Class: A Busy Week in Primary!

Posted on by Amanda Lopes

This year’s FWM sweatshirt, designed by the 8th grade class, is available! Order by Monday to receive yours before the end of the year! 2021 FWM Sweatshirt- Order Here!

We have had a busy and exciting week here in Primary!  Completing our butterfly life cycle study, beginning our last continent study unit of the school year, and the Kindergarten students went on a field trip for a pond and insect study!

Last weekend our caterpillars finished their metamorphosis and came out of their chrysalis as beautiful painted lady butterflies.  We finished up our study of the butterfly life cycle this week by observing our butterflies for a few days and then releasing the butterflies out on the playground.  It was so fun to watch the butterflies flutter away and the children enjoyed tracking where they all flew off to.

As we finished up the study of the butterfly life cycle, we also began our last continent unit of the school year, Australia.  Australia is such an interesting continent due to its size and the fact that many of its native animal species are only found in Australia.  We will be exploring the animals, culture, and landmarks of Australia over the next few weeks.

On Monday, our Kindergarten students took a field trip to Flanders Nature Center in Woodbury, CT.  This was a great introduction to amphibians and the life cycle of a frog.  The students took a hike through the woods to a pond.  Once at the pond they were introduced to some of the species that live there and were given nets to do some exploration on their own.  We had so much fun catching tadpoles, newts, dragonfly nymphs, and even a giant water bug!  At the end of the program, we explored a large open field with butterfly nets to try to catch some insects.  The highlight was a toad found in the grass!  I would encourage you all to visit Flanders Nature Center for a fun outdoor family activity: flandersnaturecenter.org.

Have a wonderful weekend,

Amanda & Sharlene

Mrs. Doyle’s Class: Fun at Flanders

Posted on by Michelle Handibode

This year’s FWM sweatshirt, designed by the 8th grade class, is available! Order by Monday to receive yours before the end of the year! 2021 FWM Sweatshirt- Order Here!

On Monday, the Kindergarten children spent time at Flanders Nature Center in Woodbury.  First, we gathered our nets and took a hike through the woods to the Botany Pond. The children then had the opportunity to catch and identify amphibians, reptiles and insects. We found tadpoles, beetles, giant water bugs, and salamanders.  We observed turtles resting on a rock, fish swimming, and we never gave up searching for those elusive frogs.  When we were done, we released any living thing we had collected and headed back to the field to begin searching for insects.  Walking back, several children shared what a great day it was!  Flanders is open to the public and we encourage you to take advantage of this amazingly beautiful nature center.  They also offer several summer programs.  You can find more information on their website.

On Wednesday, we were able to release our Painted Lady butterflies.  It has been a fun learning experience to observe the metamorphosis that took place from the time our tiny little caterpillars arrived.

Miss Lizette and I would like to thank all of you for outpouring of love and support for Teacher Appreciation week.  We are so incredibly grateful for the relationships that we have with each of the children and their families.  It truly takes a village and we are blessed to have such an amazing one.

Wishing you a week filled peace and love.

Michelle & Lizette

Mrs. Doyle’s Class: Bright Futures

Posted on by Michelle Handibode

I think we are all still slightly shocked 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 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 are the Kindergarten animal research projects 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 book and several other children quickly wanted to be interviewed. Truly, what they wanted to share with us was what they hoped to be when they were older. Their answers are sure to brighten everyone’s day.

Anchor wants to be a soldier who protects people.

Carmen wants work in a Target store and have a lot of meetings.

Elliot wants to be a a scientist, an astronaut, or a dentist. He is well aware that it would be impossible to do all three jobs and is happy that he won’t have to make that decision until he is either fifteen or eighteen years old.

Emma wants to an artist or a school bus driver and will decide when she’s a grown up.

Gregory G wants to work at a car dealership, selling Bugatti’s.

Gregory L wants to be a runner or a soccer player. He’s very relieved he won’t have to practice too much for either sport because he is already very good at them.

Greyson wants to be an astronaut because he loves flying and exploring.

Harper wants to be a singer who writes her own songs and music and then sings all over the world.

Julianna wants to be a veterinarian because she loves animals so very much.

Landon wants to work on a computer like his dad.

Lily wants to be a doctor because she likes to take care of people who need help.

Luca wants to be a basketball or soccer player.

Marin wants to be a teacher so she can help children make good choices and do the right thing.

Mya wants to be a ballerina who will dance in parks all over the world.

Olivia would like to be a mama because she loves her mama so much and wants to be just like her.

Simrin would like to do as much cooking, cleaning, and washing dishes as she can. She just really likes doing grown up stuff. She’s also contemplating becoming a teacher but needs to learn how to read first.

Virginia would like to be a mommy when she grows up because she loves her mommy so much.

Wilder would like to work in his dad’s building and earn lots of money.

Xander would like to be a doctor or a dentist.  He wouldn’t mind brushing other people’s teeth but really doesn’t like when he has to brush his own.

Wishing you a week filled peace and love.

Michelle & Lizette

Mrs. Lopes’s Class: April Showers Bring May Flowers!

Posted on by Amanda Lopes

The quote, “April showers bring May flowers,” has always been my favorite way of explaining the weather during the early stages of spring. As we started May this week it felt like we had more rain than sunshine, but it is important to remember the beauty that emerges after the earth drinks up all that rain! As May comes into view, so have the colorful blossoms of flowers and vibrant green buds on the trees. Without those April showers, none of these things would be here for us, which is one way of remaining positive during those dreary, rainy days.

That rain also keeps us inside the classroom longer during our morning work cycle. Sometimes it is hard for the children to sit and concentrate without releasing some energy outside, but this past week has been filled with some amazing moments of focus and perseverance.  The children have been so engaged in their work, some days they forget about going outside and lose themselves in the activities around them. Their ability to work for longer periods of time just goes to show how much they have grown over the course of the year. The children are confident in themselves and excited to continue to learn and grow as individuals.

You could say that these April showers have made our children grow, and soon bloom, as we head into our final full month of the school year, May!

Wishing you a beautiful week,

Amanda & Sharlene

Mrs. Doyle’s Class: Nature’s Classroom

Posted on by Michelle Handibode

Continuing with our study of insects, we are thrilled to welcome five 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 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. They will shed their exoskeletons one last time before they pupate and form a chrysalis.  Ask your children to update you on what is happening each day with our caterpillars. The discussions taking place among the children about the caterpillars are amazing.

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 & Lizette

Mrs. Lopes’s Class: The Magic of Metamorphosis

Posted on by Amanda Lopes

“Growth is not merely a harmonious increase in size, but a transformation” -Maria Montessori

This week we have been learning all about the life cycle of a butterfly.  We had five caterpillars join our classroom last week and the children have been captivated by the rate of change we observe each day.  The caterpillars arrived very tiny and over the last week have grown and shed their exoskeleton several times.  This week our caterpillars have entered into the final stages before emerging as a butterfly, the chrysalises.  The children have spent many days learning about the magic of this transformation called metamorphosis, and are eager to see when our butterflies will join us!

We also had so much fun going on a nature scavenger hunt outside this week.  With the warm weather finally arriving , we were all excited to do some outdoor learning.  Children were given a checklist to search for natural objects on the playground – rocks, leaves, soil, and of course some bugs.  We collected as many as we could find and the children were thrilled to share all the objects they were able to collect!

Have a wonderful week,

Amanda & Sharlene

Mrs. Lopes’s Class: Celebrating Earth Day!

Posted on by Amanda Lopes

Maria Montessori believed in giving children experiences in nature.  In Montessori education, Earth Day principles are a natural part of everyday learning.  Children are encouraged to think about the Earth and how they can take care of the world we all share.  This week we celebrated Earth Day in our classroom as an extra way to show respect for the Earth and to build community.  Our class discussed what it means to reduce, reuse, and recycle.  We made a list of things they can do to help the environment, such as turning off the water while brushing their teeth or turning off lights while playing outside.  The children also planted marigold seeds in a pot we made from recycled newspaper.  By celebrating Earth Day and encouraging children’s participation at a young age, we contribute to cultivating lifelong caretakers of this planet we call home.

We also had an exciting addition to our classroom this week – baby caterpillars!  The children are excited to watch the caterpillars grow and we will be going into more detail about the life cycle of a butterfly next week!

Have a wonderful weekend,

Amanda & Sharlene

Mrs. Doyle’s Class: We’ve Got the Whole World In Our Hands!

Posted on by Michelle Handibode

Each year on April 22nd we celebrate Earth Day.  The first Earth Day was celebrated in 1970 and the goal is promote awareness and appreciation for the our planet’s environment. Throughout the world, there are over 175 countries that celebrate this special day.  Over the course of the last two weeks, we have been reading books and having whole class discussions about the wonderful planet we live on. The children also recycled old newspapers to make a flower pot.  They added soil and seeds and will be taking them home this week.  The entire pot can be planted as the newspaper is biodegradable.

We asked the children how they could help keep the Earth a wonderful place to live.  Below are their answers.

Anchor: We can pick up garbage when we see it.

Carmen:  We can plant apple trees and strawberry plants.

Elliot: We can water the plants and trees.

Gregory G:  We can turn off the T.V. when no one is watching it.

Gregory L: We can grow more trees.

Greyson: We can give people stuff if they need it.

Harper: We can try to make paper out of bamboo trees because they grow so much faster.

Julianna: We can recycle and throw trash in the garbage can.

Landon:  We can grow our own food like watermelons and cucumbers.

Lily: We can plant a garden with purple carrots.

Luca: We can not waste water.

Marin: We can turn off the lights when we leave the room.

Mya: We can plant seeds everywhere.

Olivia: We can clean up all the garbage on the roads.

Simrin:  We can recycle all the garbage and put things back in the right place.

Wilder: We can make sure there are no forest fires.

Xander: We can share our things with everyone.

Virginia:  We can feed all the animals that are hungry.

Wishing you a week filled with peace and love.

Michelle & Lizette