Mrs. Doyle’s Class: Today Is Your Day!

Posted on by Michelle Handibode

“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” – Dr. Seuss

On Tuesday, we had fun celebrating Dr. Seuss’ birthday. Schools and libraries across the United States enjoy taking part in a nationwide reading celebration called Read Across America. This fun tradition is an exciting way to bring together children and books and is celebrated on Dr. Seuss’s birthday, March 2nd.

Here are few fun facts about Dr. Seuss:

  • Dr. Seuss’ real name was Theodore Seuss Geisel.
  • He has written and illustrated over 60  children’s books.
  • The book Green Eggs and Ham is made up of 50 sight words. Dr. Seuss’s editor bet him that he could not write a book using fewer words than The Cat in the Hat which had 225 words. Clearly, Dr. Seuss won that bet!

Here at FWM, the children enjoyed wearing their pajamas to school and bringing in a favorite stuffed animal. We read Green Eggs and Ham and then actually got to experience eating those two foods for snacks. We asked the children what their favorite Dr. Seuss book was and it was exciting to see their knowledge and love for his work. It was a close vote between Green Eggs and Ham and How The Grinch Stole Christmas.

We can’t say it enough but we are truly grateful for all the ‘behind the scenes’ help and support from all of you.  Some parents provide ingredients for cooking or crafts, some parents provide their time and some keep us all organized!!!! It truly takes a village and we are blessed to be part of an amazing one!

Enjoy the week!

Michelle & Jeannine

Mrs. Carroll’s Class: In the Service of a United Whole

Posted on by Cindy Carroll

So in the child, besides the vital impulse to create himself, and to become perfect, there must yet be another purpose, a duty to fulfill in harmony, something he has to do in the service of a united whole. ~ Maria Montessori, The Absorbent Mind

Maria Montessori believed that children are the key to peace and empathy among humanity. This important belief is a foundation in our Montessori classrooms beginning with practical life lessons and continuing throughout childhood and beyond. I’d like to share how a “simple” lesson can provide the mechanism from which children in the classroom learn, practice, and express their empathy and love for their community.

Flower arranging work has a more important indirect aim than simply admiring nature’s work of art. It is an opportunity for little hands to contribute to the beautification of the environment. It is a tender moment when a young heart lays down a symbol of friendship, love, and peace on a table for someone else to enjoy. It is a brief yet integral step outside of oneself and one’s own needs. -The CHILD centered Blog

Flower arranging is only one of many classrooms works and activities sewing the seeds of compassion and empathy in your children.  Please remember compassion in your homes help your children do the same.

Just a reminder, next Tuesday, March 3rd we will be celebrating Dr. Seuss’s birthday!  On this day children are invited to wear their pajamas to school and bring a favorite stuffed animal to cuddle. We will celebrate with some fun activities and a snack of green eggs and ham!

Enjoy the week!

Cindy & Sharlene

 

Mrs. Lopes’s Class: Our Class Rocks!

Posted on by Amanda Lopes

“The land is where our roots are. The children must be taught to feel and live in harmony with the Earth.” -Maria Montessori

Have you ever noticed your child’s fascination with rocks found outside on the ground?  We have observed after playing outside on the playground some of the children will return to the classroom with pockets full of rocks as if they are treasures. You can imagine the children’s excitement when they learned that our new science unit for this week was the study of rocks!  We discussed the three main types of rocks – igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic, as well as how these rocks are formed on Earth. We added several new rock lessons to our environment, but the group favorite was a basket full of rocks with a magnifying glass.  The children enjoyed examining and classifying each of the rocks in this lesson.

Just a reminder, next Tuesday, March 3rd we will be celebrating Dr. Seuss’s birthday! On this day children are invited to wear their pajamas to school and bring their favorite Dr. Seuss book. We will celebrate with some fun activities and a snack of green eggs and ham!

Enjoy the weekend,

Amanda

Mrs. Doyle’s Class: Montessori Math…It All Adds Up!

Posted on by Michelle Handibode

“Children display a universal love of mathematics, which is par excellence the science of precision, order, and intelligence.” ~ Dr. Maria Montessori

The Montessori math materials always begin with concrete, simple materials and lessons. When the child is ready, they are introduced to more complex and abstract concepts. We teach the process first because the goal is to develop a true understanding of mathematical concepts and not simply memorization. The materials are sequenced in a way that each success a child experiences is a building block for the next concept to be introduced.

Maria Montessori believed that all children have a mathematical mind and an internal drive to understand the environment around them. We know that the Montessori math materials are exact and precise and allow the child to have positive experiences in math right from the beginning. Here’s the real secret behind the success of the Montessori math materials though: the children truly enjoy them.

We have a busy week ahead. On Tuesday, March 3rd, each Primary class will be celebrating Dr. Seuss’ birthday. The children are invited to come to school in their pajamas accompanied by a favorite stuffed friend. Morning snack that day will be green eggs and ham! It promises to be a fun morning.

On Friday, March 6th, the Kindergarten children will be taking an afternoon field trip to Warrup’s farm in Redding. They will be exploring the process of making maple syrup.

Enjoy the week!

Michelle & Jeannine

Mrs. Lopes’s Class: 100 Days and Counting…

Posted on by Amanda Lopes

On Wednesday of this week we celebrated our 100th day of school!  It is unbelievable to think 100 days in our school year have already passed, but we are so grateful to have spent them watching your children grow and learn.  To celebrate the occasion, our Kindergarten children engaged in several 100 themed activities.  These activities included making a 100 day headband, guessing which jar contained 100 items, doing 100 exercises, and making a special 100 day snack out of cookies!

We also began our continent study of Africa this week. Mrs. Reid presented a wonderful lesson introducing the children to African fabrics. The children were invited to create their own version of the African fabrics using shape stencils and colorful paints. The children also loved learning about all the animals that live in Africa and were amazed that lions and giraffes can be seen in the wild there instead of a zoo! We had fun listening and dancing to “This is the Savanna” and “Africa Conga” both of which highlight the animals of Africa. I’ve included the songs below for you to enjoy!

Have a great week,

Amanda & Deanna

 

Mrs. Doyle’s Class: The Beauty of Africa

Posted on by Michelle Handibode

Each time we study a new continent, we first find it on the globe of the world, then we locate the continent on the world map and finally, we study the individual continent using the specific continent maps. Currently, the children are learning about the continent of Africa. We learn about the geography, culture, weather, animals, and people of Africa.

We are learning lots of fun and fascinating facts about the continent of Africa.

  • Africa is the second largest continent, with 54 countries.
  • The longest river in the world, the Nile, is located in Africa.
  • Over one thousand languages are spoken by the people in Africa.
  • The Sahara, the world’s largest desert is located here.
  • The highest mountain in Africa is Mount Kilimanjaro. It is so tall that glaciers can be found at its summit even though the mountain is near the equator.
  • Africa is the most centrally located continent in the world. Both the prime meridian and the equator cut across it.
  • The world’s tallest animal, the giraffe, and the largest land animal, the African elephant are found in Africa.

This Wednesday, we celebrated the 100th day of school.  From the very first day of school, the kindergarten children have been learning to count by 1’s, 5’s, and 10’s to 100.  They spent the afternoon going to different stations that all revolved around the number 100. They drew pictures of what they would like when they were 100, what they would buy with $100, what they wished they had a hundred of, made a 100 headband and then played a game called Race to 100.  The favorite station though was where the children were able to make the number 100 out of yummy treats!

Enjoy the week!

Michelle & Jeannine

Mrs. Carroll’s Class: A Week of Celebration

Posted on by Cindy Carroll

One aspect of the Montessori curriculum is the integration of peace education and tolerance. Helping the students embrace each other’s differences, however minor  is a vital role for the Primary educator.  Sometimes a special occasion, historical or cultural celebration, or holiday can be a useful tool to assist in building these skills. This week we took time to celebrate Black History Month by recognizing the accomplishments and contributions of several African Americans throughout history.

Our Kindergarten children celebrated the 100th day of school during their afternoon class. This is always a beloved and exciting tradition in Kindergarten. Since the first day of school the children have been counting by 1’s, 5’s, and 10’s until they reached 100. This week, the children made 100 day headbands, used the writing prompt “If I had $100 dollars I would buy….,” and last but not least, they enjoyed a great snack, but not before making the number 100 out of  cookies.

Our weeks have been busy. We wouldn’t want it any other way!

Enjoy your week,

Cindy & Sharlene

Mrs. Carroll’s Class: Happy Hearts!

Posted on by Cindy Carroll

 

We’ve had so much fun preparing for and enjoying Valentine’s Day. This week the children distributed notes and treasures to friends, decorated delicious cookies, and agreed that the true meaning of Valentine’s Day is about friendship and love.

May your hearts be happy!

Cindy & Sharlene