Mrs. Doyle’s Class: Delicious Science!

Posted on by Michelle Handibode

This week, we began our study on exploring our five senses. What better way to teach this concept than to use popcorn? Popcorn is a multi-sensory snack as it incorporates all five of our senses. Plus, it might just be our most appetizing science unit yet! Did you ever notice that when you make popcorn, somehow the entire family knows about it and shows up to have some of this favorite treat?

We began our unit by discussing what our five senses are and how they allow us to observe and understand the world around us. There are five ways we do this; using our eyes for sight, our ears to hear, our tongues to taste, our fingers to touch, and our noses to smell.

First, we made a chart brainstorming what popcorn feels, looks, tastes, smells, and sounds like. Next, we made popcorn using an air popper, which allowed us to listen, watch, and smell the popcorn popping.  Finally, we compared our findings to see if any of our predictions were the same or different after making the popcorn. Best of all, our experiment was edible and was enjoyed by all!

As temperatures rise, it is important that children remain hydrated. Please have your child bring a filled water bottle labeled with their name to school. We bring the water bottles with us whenever we are spending time outside. Thank you!

Wishing everyone a wonderful week!

Michelle & Sonja

Mrs. Carroll’s Class: Living In a Pond

Posted on by Cindy Carroll

They’re slimy. They can be very loud or never make a sound. The colorful ones can be poisonous and stinky. What are they? Amphibians! We’ve begun our  study about awesome amphibians and have uncovered a lot of fun facts. Your children know these vertebrates begin life in the water, breathing through gills, but usually grow up and live on land using a pair of lungs to breath. They have moist skin through which they breathe. Amphibians are cold blooded. They are unable to regulate or control, their own body temperature, amphibians use the sun’s heat to warm themselves up.

Children have marvelous imaginations and a keen desire to explore nature. On Thursday, May 9th, our Kindergarten students enjoyed an afternoon exploring a Botany Pond at Flanders Nature Center in Woodbury. They caught, identified and released amphibians, reptiles and insects. We were all amazed at the abundance of life they discovered living in a pond!

To our mothers…“There is no role in life that is more essential than that of motherhood.” —Elder M. Russell Ballard

Enjoy your week,

Cindy & Sharlene

A reminder:

The deadline for this year’s FWM sweatshirt is the end of the day on Monday. Order yours now! FWM Sweatshirt Order

Mrs. Doyle’s Class: Outdoors and Loving It!

Posted on by Michelle Handibode

Yesterday, the Kindergarten children spent time at Flanders Nature Center in Woodbury.  We were greeted by our teacher/guide, Miss Diane who shared with us what we would be doing that day.

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 never gave up searching for the elusive frogs.  When we were done we  released everything we had collected  and headed back to the Sugar House for a quick snack.

Next, we took a scenic hayride around the Nature Center. This hayride was really an outdoor classroom where the children were asked to use their “eagle eyes” and help locate the nests of a Bobolink. The Bobolink is found in large grasslands and they arrive in Connecticut typically around the first week of May. These birds like to nest in the thick grass. Often, the male Bobolink will sit on the top of a clump of grass or nearby tree and sing. This is their way of defending their territory from other males. The Bobolink is quickly becoming an endangered bird in Connecticut since landowners not familiar with the nesting birds are cutting back their hay field early in the planting season. Farming the land inadvertently destroys the Bobolink’s habitat and puts it at risk from predators. Flanders is working hard to educate farm owners and the public.

Miss Diane also shared with us a beautiful fable  told by Native Americans called ‘Turtle’s Race with Beaver.’  Ask your children if they can retell the story to you.

Walking back, several children said they had a great time and loved Flanders!  Flanders is open to the public and we strongly 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 or at:

http://flandersnaturecenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/FL05_Summer-Camp-brochure-2019_-FINAL.pdf.

Wishing all of the amazing moms a day filled with peace and love!

Michelle & Sonja

A reminder:

The deadline for this year’s FWM sweatshirt is the end of the day on Monday. Order yours now! FWM Sweatshirt Order

 

Ms. Kayser’s Class: Tadpoles, Salamanders and Giant Water-Bugs, Oh My!

Posted on by skayser

 

This month in our classroom we have been focusing on amphibians in science! We have spent a lot of time learning about the life cycle of a frog and parts of an amphibian, but this week our kindergarten students got to get some hands-on experience with some of our amphibian friends.

Yesterday Kindergarten students took a wonderful trip to Flander’s Nature Center in Woodbury. From the minute we arrived, the children were beaming with excitement. The sun was shining and we got to meet our guide for the day in a beautifully lush, green field. As she introduced herself and the center, she explained to us a little about what our objective was for the day- catching amphibians and having fun! We also got to learn more about the types of amphibians that live in a pond and how they survive in that ecosystem.

We all got our own nets and our guide lead the way to the pond on a beautiful hike through the woods. With only a few stops along the way to examine some of the plants that grow along the path, the children eagerly marched on with the thoughts of salamanders and frogs in their minds!

When we got to the pond, the children were off with their nets fishing away! The excited screams soon followed as our students caught tadpoles, water-bugs, and salamanders. Our guide brought charts for the students to check once they found something  so they could learn more about the creature. The exhibition ended when one of the children caught the infamous “giant water bug.” This creature was something all the children wanted to see, until of course, they actually saw it!

After a snack, the children got to relax and enjoy the beauty of the nature center on a tractor ride. It was a perfect way of ending our trip.

Below is the link to the Flander’s Nature Center website with more information about their summer camp program in case you are interested!

http://flandersnaturecenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/FL05_Summer-Camp-brochure-2019_-FINAL.pdf

On a side note, now that the weather is finally getting warmer we ask that you send your children to school with a water bottle of their own that we can take outside with us . We will be keeping a basket in the classroom to bring out with us in the morning. Please also apply sunscreen to your child prior to arriving in the morning for when we go out for morning recess. If your child stays full-day, you may send sunscreen with them in their bag for us to help them apply in the afternoon. 

Thank you!

Ms. Kayser and Ms. Alli

A reminder:

The deadline for this year’s FWM sweatshirt is the end of the day on Monday. Order yours now! FWM Sweatshirt Order

Lower Elementary: Working Together

Posted on by Ashley O'Connell

This Tuesday, our Kindergarten friends joined our class. It was a nice glimpse into what next year’s class will be like. They are such a great group of children and we thoroughly enjoyed starting to get to know each and every one of them. It was a joy to see students completely engaged and happy working with their future classmates. Our mentor students did a wonderful job planning work that was enjoyable and interesting for the Kindergarten students.

This week the children were engaged in History lessons. The first year children had the lesson of The Long Black Line. This lesson is meant to strike the imagination of the children and create a humbling feeling of the appearance of humans on Earth in the perspective of the vast amount of time that Earth has existed. The second year children had lessons on the Clock of Eons. These lessons introduce the sequence of events that resulted in the evolution of life on Earth, give the history of life on Earth, and introduce the interrelatedness of all organisms and the fragile balance that maintains life. The third year students had lessons on the Time Line of Life. These lessons focus on the interrelatedness of Earth to those who live on it and on the evolution of life on Earth.

We have begun our immersion week in our preparation for this year’s performance of SEUSSICAL THE MUSICAL to be performed by Lower and Upper Elementary students next Thursday, May 9th at 7:00pm.

What is a Montessori Immersion Week?

Maria Montessori believed it is important to give children opportunities to understand the process of working together toward a larger goal and to immerse themselves deeply in meaningful work. At FWM, we expect a lot from our students during the week. We know that challenging academics will help our students get ready for the path that lies ahead. Because we are committed to the development of the whole child, we embrace the prospect to give students the opportunity to be creative in a different setting and to see each other’s strengths in a new light.

Mrs. Carroll’s Class: An Intention to Work

Posted on by Cindy Carroll

Retrieving a mat, picking it up carefully, finding the ideal space to work, and rolling it out provides an opportunity to practice gross motor skills and body consciousness. Everything that gets placed on the mat thereafter becomes the responsibility (and privilege) of the child working on that mat.

Montessori work mats delineate a work space as the child’s own and sets an intention to “work.”  Not only does the child know that their lesson is exclusive to them (unless they invite someone to join them on their mat), they also have the responsibility to put their materials away when they are finished, before they roll up their mat and signal the end of their work session.

Our floors have been a sea of rugs this week!  Your children have skillfully maneuvered themselves throughout the environment, careful not to disturb a friends work. I continue to be amazed at their growing control and respect for friends and the environment.

A gentle reminder to our Kindergarten parents that we will be visiting Flanders Nature Center on Thursday, May 9th. Be on the look out for an email with an additional reminder and overview.

Peace and progress,

Cindy & Sharlene

Mrs. Doyle’s Class: The Three Period Lesson

Posted on by Michelle Handibode

In a Montessori classroom teachers rely on the Three Period Lesson to introduce new vocabulary and concepts and even to highlight the purpose of a material. These lessons allow the child to absorb concepts in a concrete manner while reinforcing each component of the lesson.

The 1st Period is simply naming the concept or material and demonstrating it repeatedly. Some of the more complex materials or concepts may need to be introduced in the 1st period over the course of several lessons. So for example, using the color tablets from the Sensorial area, we introduce the child to the primary colors by saying, “This is red.”

During the 2nd Period, we ask the child to recognize and find the object. We ask the child, “Which one is red? Which one is blue? Which one is yellow?” This period is longer than the 1st Period and we keep it interesting by asking them to manipulate the object. We might say, “Hide the blue tablet behind your back. Place the red tablet on your lap.”  We are cognizant of making sure to begin each request or action with the last item we spoke about. So if we ask the child to manipulate the red, blue, and yellow color tablets in that order, the next series of directions would follow the order of yellow, blue, then red.

The last stage, or 3rd Period focuses on recall. We ask the child to identify the material or concept without any assistance. We ask the child, “What is this?”

While the intent of the Three Period Lesson is to isolate and introduce new concepts and materials, we are also helping the children to enrich and expand their vocabulary.

Have a wonderful week!

Michelle & Sonja

Ms. Kayser’s Class: April Showers Bring May Flowers

Posted on by skayser

 

The quote, “April showers bring May flowers” has always been my favorite way of explaining the weather during the early stages of spring. This season it feels like we have had more rain than sunshine, but it is important to remember of 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. Last weekend, we switched over the classroom and filled its shelves with new topics of study in science and geography. We are now on Australia, our last continent of the school year that we will be studying and in science we are looking at amphibians and reptiles! The children have been so enthralled 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.

We hope you have a beautiful week, with sunnier days ahead!

Ms. Kayser and Ms. Alli