Mrs. Doyle’s Class: Becoming A Peace-Seeker

Posted on by Michelle Handibode

 

“The child is both a hope and a promise for mankind.”——-Maria Montessori

Maria Montessori believed strongly in the importance of guiding children to become ‘peace-seekers.’  As Montessori teachers, we deeply understand that it is not enough to just talk about peace.  We are also charged with creating an environment that is peaceful and provides opportunities for all children to both recognize and feel peace.

Some components  of peace education are inherently woven into a Montessori education.  Our studies of different continents, cultures and people begin to develop a global awareness in children of all ages. We are learning that all living creatures have an inherent value and are interconnected.

In our classroom, we also have a peace table.   The purpose of our peace table is to provide an inviting space for the children.   This can be a place to spend some quiet time or even to learn to recognize and eventually understand what emotions they are feeling. The peace table is also used to help facilitate positive conflict resolution when needed. Our end goal is to help children understand not only the how but the why of peace. The children are free to spend time here, whenever they choose.  

Wishing you all a place where you can go to find and feel peace.

Michelle & Sonja

Ms. Kayser’s Class: What’s up Doc?

Posted on by skayser

 

 

In order to get in the spirit of spring before we left for break, the children got to get down and dirty in the classroom! As a class project for the next few months, we are going to be observing carrot seeds grow first hand through the glass of an old fish tank! Along with watching the actual carrot grow underground, we are going to spend an ample amount of time learning about how  plants grow and survive.

The class worked together to fill up our fish tank and then watering the soil to make sure it was ready for the seeds. After lunch we sat down together and talked about how there are different variety of carrots and looked at four different kinds. The children’s curiosity was really sparked when they saw that all the seeds looked the same, even though they produced different variations of carrots. As a surprise, I kept the most exciting variation until last… kaleidoscope carrots! These carrots grow in four different colors: white, purple, yellow, orange and red! Of course, the children chose this packet of seeds to plant in our fish tank. This did lend itself to great scientific discussion and exploration, though! Each child got to plant a seed and hypothesize about what color carrot was going to grow. We wrote down each of our guesses on the tank to help us remember while the kindergarten students went to work on a fun project of their own!

Each kindergarten students got to write the name of one color on a piece of paper. They helped us to make copies of them and then handed out a copy to each student of the color they had chosen. The younger students got to write their initials on the paper and we all delivered them to Ms. Ulacco in the MakerSpace. This is when the magic truly happened! Ms. Ulacco was able to use the GlowForge to engrave each child a personalized wooden sign with their carrot color choice and initials.

As spring break passed, the carrots sprouted! The children came in eager to see what had happened to them over break and were delighted to see tiny green sprouts sticking out from the dirt. That day, Ms. Ulacco delivered our newly engraved signs and we stuck them into the dirt to mark each carrot. Now, we sit and wait until we can begin to see the carrots growing beneath the dirt!

All the best,

Ms. Kayser and Ms. Alli

Mrs. Carroll’s Class: We Do Like Them Sam I Am!

Posted on by Cindy Carroll

Grab your green eggs and ham and get ready to play, because we are celebrating Dr. Seuss Day!

Each year, schools, libraries, and other organizations prepare for Dr. Seuss’s Birthday on March 2. Millions of teachers and students Read Across America with their friends, family, and peers as a celebration of one of our favorite children’s authors, Theodore Seuss Geisel, better known to the world as Dr. Seuss. It is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate Seuss’s birthday and advocate his goal of promoting and motivating reading.

Our Seusstastic celebration included wearing pajamas to school and bringing in prized stuffed animals to read to and snuggle with. We read several Dr. Seuss books including Green Eggs and Ham and then actually sampled the colorful treat for a snack. We do like them, Sam I Am. We will eat them once again!   Thank you Kate Boka, Carol Juel, and Lisa Manca for joining the fun and helping with the crafts.

Please remember that “You’re never too old, too wacky, too wild, to pick up a book and read to a child!”-Dr. Seuss

Happy reading,

Cindy & Sharleen

Ms. Kayser’s Class: “Oh, the Places You’ll Go!”

Posted on by skayser

You’re off the Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting.
So…get on your way!

-Dr. Seuss

Monday in the classroom, our children got to celebrate the birthday of one of the most renowned children’s book authors, Theodore Seuss Geisel. Dr. Seuss has touched the hearts of many children and parents with his whimsical stories and characters. This week we got to celebrate his life by snuggling up in pajamas with our favorite stuffed animals and reading his books.  To pay tribute to one of his most famous stories, the children got to enjoy a delicious breakfast of green scrambled eggs and ham! Despite the strange color, the children ate every bite and even asked for seconds! Thank you to all the parents who came in and provided everything for our special morning. We can’t say it enough, but we are truly blessed!

Personally, our favorite part of the morning was witnessing the confidence in our kindergarten students as they read to their younger friends.. We got to sit back and watch as they sat around the circle and read together. They are confident in their abilities as readers and fearless in picking up any book and tackling the words. The younger students were awestruck as they sat with their kindergarten friends, watching as they perservered through each page. These students have grown so much since the beginning of the year, and they have truly become beautiful role models for our class.

It is hard to believe that spring break is already upon us, but we wish you a safe and fun filled few weeks!

Ms. Kayser and Ms. Alli

Mrs. Doyle’s Class: “Think and wonder, wonder and think.”-Dr. Seuss

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 45 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 snack. Thank you to Christi Orlowski and Maria Deligiannis for providing us with the great snack and helping with the crafts. 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 wish you much peace, happiness and time to read over our upcoming break…(I hesitate to say spring break!)

Michelle & Sonja

Image result for dr seuss you can find magic wherever you look

Ms. Kayser’s Class: Exciting Exploration!

Posted on by skayser

This month in the classroom, the Valentine’s day themed works are not the only activities that have captivated the students; their time has been well spent in our science and geography areas of the classroom!

In geography the students have been learning about the continent of Africa. Each day we have spent time looking at the different countries of Africa and learning a little about the people who live there and their culture. One of the favorite activities of the children is reading stories about the African animals and playing charades! At the end of the day the children love to pick an animal out of the book and try to act it out for their friends. It is a fantastic activity that engages the children and gets their bodies moving after a long day of learning!

In science, the students have been learning about rocks and minerals. One of the favorite books we have read this month is Rocks Are Lively. This book beautifully illustrates the different types of rocks and minerals and even inspired one of our students to want to “make” their own rocks. Of course our wonderful art teacher, Mrs. Reid, jumped at the opportunity and created a beautiful lesson with colored sand that allowed the students to recreate their own geodes. The final product was absolutely breathtaking!

Next week is a busy week for our students. Tuesday, March 5th, is our Dr. Seuss celebration! The students are welcome to wear their pajamas and bring in their favorite stuffed animal to snuggle with while we read and share a delicious snack of green eggs and ham! Yum! Friday, March 8th, is our next field trip for our kindergarten students! We will be traveling to Warrups Farm in Redding to learn all about the maple syrup making process. Although busy, it should make for an amazing week before break!

We hope you have a great week,

Ms. Kayser and Ms. Alli

Mrs. Carroll’s Class: Our Hurried World

Posted on by Cindy Carroll

 

“Help me to do it myself.”

In our hurried world, it is easier to do it ourselves then to stop and show our children how to do a task, and patiently wait until they complete it. Montessori tells us that everything we do for the child that he can do for himself is an obstacle to his development. That bears thinking about!

Our classroom travels have taken us to the continent of Africa this month. We enjoyed exploring the various countries, customs, animals, foods, music, and literature this culturally rich continent has to offer. Time to set sail for a new continent. Viva Europe!

We have a busy week ahead.  On Tuesday, March 5, each 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 8th, 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!

Cindy & Sharlene

Mrs. Doyle’s Class: A Busy Week!

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.

We have a busy week ahead.  On Tuesday, March 5th, 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 8th, 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.

Have a wonderful week!

Michelle & Sonja

Image result for montessori quote let us give the child a vision of the whole universe