And just like that, our first trimester comes to an end, filled with great moments and stories to tell. Your children are blooming and our environment is full of love, smiles, curiosity and great fun because of them! We feel honored to be able to see each of your little ones unfolding so beautifully.

We thank you SO much for your support and trust. We love partnering with you in this adventure! We also thank you so much for your generous gifts! We truly appreciate them!

May the wonder and Joy of this holiday season bring light, hope and peace to you and yours.

May 2024 be a great year for all of us, filled with happiness and health!

Enjoy a peek from our pajama holiday celebration!

Stay safe and see you next year! 🙂

Mrs. Hood and Ms. Mollie

 

Winter holidays are used in our environment as a fun way to keep children engaged, encourage the joy of learning, and help us to introduce the passage of time and seasons. Since they bring a sense of light and joyfulness to the long, dark winter months and create a sense of community, we welcome them wholeheartedly.

In addition to other new materials, some of the favorite holiday works in our environment have been placing little ornaments onto the Christmas tree, placing candles on the Menorah, spooning and transferring jingle bells and colorful ornaments, and flipping pretend latkes in the pan.  Furthermore, the little ones have been diligently working on a special holiday gift that promises to be a cherished keepsake

Holiday songs have also been present in our environment, and children have had some fun times playing instruments and dancing to famous holiday songs.

This week, we also introduced sweet potato for our weekly food-tasting lesson, and despite initial reservations, it was so great to witness each child giving it a try.

Moreover, our toddlers actively supported our middle school students in their creative endeavor—the production of a captivating play called “Chef Showdown.” It warms our hearts to witness the connection between the different age groups and our toddlers expressing excitement upon encountering the middle school students who generously share their time and creativity with us weekly. 

Looking ahead, we can’t wait for the upcoming holiday pajama celebration on Wednesday, December 13th. We invite you to send your child in their coziest pajamas as we come together to celebrate the joy of the season.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude for your ongoing support in making these events memorable for our students.

Wishing you and your family a weekend filled with joy and laughter.

Warm regards,

Mrs. Hood and Ms. Mollie

Showing gratitude is an important part of who we are as humans. It strengthens our relationships and our connection to our communities and even makes us happier and more compassionate people.

Although adults understand the worth of expressing gratitude, young children find it more difficult. Gratitude involves being sensitive and empathetic to others and truly appreciating what others do for you. While children can quickly learn to say please and thank you, it takes time and guidance to help them truly learn to be grateful. Dr. Montessori implicitly understood the value of fostering a grateful nature in children and helping them become compassionate citizens of the world.

Our Montessori environment places a significant emphasis on gratitude, a value that came to life in our heartwarming Thanksgiving ceremony last week. Students from various levels shared their gratitude in diverse ways and languages, creating a memorable and inclusive experience. Afterward, as we gathered in our classroom to share bread, the warmth of the morning was amplified by the support of our community. We extend our heartfelt thanks to each of you for contributing to the success of this beautiful occasion!

I find The Thankful Book by Todd Parr a great resource to use with toddlers when we are learning about Gratitude. They really enjoyed the book, and I highly recommend it for all families to have at home. It has been great to hear our verbal toddlers start expressing thankfulness.

Shifting gears, this week unfolded with an exploration of forest animals in our Language area. Children learned some specific facts about black bears, foxes, owls, moose, and beavers. We learned that black bears have sharp claws. They climb trees. Foxes have bushy tails. Foxes are members of the dog family. Owls have large eyes. They are active at night. Moose have a big body. Some of them have big antlers. Beavers have big front teeth. They have a broad tail and build dams using mud and wood. Using models and real pictures to represent and match these animals, children explored, observed, and repeated these facts, practicing the use of two to three-word sentences with the new descriptive vocabulary acquired.

In the movement area, we presented a new balance board, and children have been creatively exploring its many uses! This board stimulates the vestibular system, supports muscles responsible for the correct posture, develops the sense of balance, and supports the development of the sense of proprioception. It’s a favorite in our environment these days.

For food tasting, we explored a pomegranate, and this fruit was a hit! Children seemed curious about how the fruit looked on the inside, and they enjoyed watching the seeds just popping out and falling easily into the bowl. Eating pomegranate is like enjoying some little candies, so I wasn’t surprised children loved it!

Have a great weekend,

Mrs. Hood and Ms. Mollie

As families worldwide eagerly embrace the upcoming holiday season, we at the school are equally enthusiastic and ready to join in the festive spirit.

One of the main highlights of this week was our baking day, preparing for our Thanksgiving celebration next Tuesday. Children listened to the names of ingredients and had the opportunity to touch, smell, watch, and help with the mixing of the ingredients of a delicious Vegan banana bread.  On Monday, the whole class will work together to prepare homemade butter as well. We can’t wait to celebrate and take time to let our thankful hearts speak. 

This week, the toddlers also embarked on a colorful and joyous journey as they celebrated the festival of lights, Diwali! 

Diwali represents new beginnings and the victory of light over darkness, good over evil. It is the triumph of righteousness, knowledge in place of ignorance. This five-day festival is observed around the world, and its rituals vary by region. Homes are brightly illuminated with diyas (candles) and oil lamps, and people decorate their homes with rangoli. People also often wear new fine clothes and jewelry and celebrate with family and friends.

The little ones had a blast immersing themselves in the vibrant traditions of this Indian festival. The children were treated to a beautiful presentation and a mesmerizing Indian dance performance that left our little ones wide-eyed and enchanted, and they immediately joined the fun as the dancer, our wonderful Paromita, invited them to join in. 

No Diwali celebration is complete without indulging in some mouthwatering treats, and our toddlers were no exception! The children enjoyed the delicious taste of Laddu, a popular Indian sweet that symbolizes the sweetness of life. 

In the spirit of creativity, the toddlers got their hands dirty (literally!)  with some Diya crafts. With vibrant colors and a whole lot of imagination, our toddlers crafted their own unique Diyas. 

A big shout out to Neetha Desai for the amazing Diwali gift bags donated for each toddler and volunteering in our class, to Supreeti Saikia for the yummy Laddus, and of course, to Paromita Dutt-Kunzweiler for organizing this beautiful event.

Lastly, the children enjoyed some plantains as the weekly food-tasting lesson, and my Latino heart couldn’t be happier seeing the children enjoy this food item.

As we finish this week, our hearts are filled with gratitude and joy, thankful for the rich cultural experiences that shape our learning environment.

Enjoy the pics, 

Mrs. Hood and Ms. Mollie 

Hand-eye coordination is one of the most important parts of the learning process. It helps your child track the movements of their hands with their eyes, which is essential for decoding and reading. Because your child also uses their visual system with hand-eye coordination, it can greatly impact their writing skills and handwriting as they use their eyes to guide, direct, and control their hand movements across the page as they write letters and words.

Our Toddler environment is set up in a specific way, looking to sharpen and challenge these skills while meeting your child exactly where they are developmentally. Each material is displayed in progressive order, from easiest to hardest and from left to right. This logical structure encourages children to organize their thinking and to absorb the outcome of the material at their own pace. The left-to-right orientation of the materials also assists children with preparation for reading and writing, aligning with the natural processing flow of the brain. By engaging in activities that demand hand-eye coordination, your children are actively stimulating their cognitive faculties, fostering attention, memory, and problem-solving skills.

Some of the most popular works in our environment these days, sharpening these skills, are spooning acorns, sorting leaves and pumpkins, pouring water, water transferring with a dropper, sunflower stickers, draining and spooning cranberries, cubes nesting, putting the scarecrow together, jigsaw puzzles, ring box, using a roller and a leaf stamp with the playdough and many more.

As a fun activity, the children got to enjoy the visit from the Botsford Fire Department this week. We were surprised to see the firetruck was green instead of red and learned that as we are most sensitive to greenish-yellow colors under dim conditions, these firetrucks are easier to see in low lighting. Children received a tour of the firetruck, and they even got to see me dressed like a firefighter! 🙂

For food tasting, children explored cranberries. They seemed to be in awe of the flower shape and tiny seeds that we found when we cut a small cranberry, and most of them enjoyed tasting the cranberry sauce.

Children also have been learning the names of different types of leaves and enjoy observing, finding, and of course, playing with them on the playground!

Enjoy the pictures,

Mrs. Hood and Ms. Mollie

And like that, October is gone, and we continue having fun here at the Toddler level!

Last week we celebrated the fall harvest with our annual wagon ride and visit to our very own “Fraser Farm” located in our Zen garden, which was transformed into a beautiful pumpkin patch for our toddlers to explore.

First, the children were invited to ride in wagons all around the school, knowing that they needed to keep their eyes open for the pumpkins. Once we arrived at our Fraser Farm, the children were ecstatic to run around and pick their own pumpkins. There were giggles and so much excitement! Children explored different sizes of pumpkins and worked hard to carry them around. We all had a great time! When the time came, every toddler got into their wagon, carrying their chosen pumpkin, and we went for another ride around the school, arriving at our classroom ready to celebrate by sharing some yummy pumpkin treats and apple cider.

A big shout out to our wonderful Middle School students who happily offered to pull the wagons for us. Also, a big THANK YOU to our wonderful class parents and to all of you who helped with wagons, donations, and volunteering. We are so thankful to be part of a community that cares!

On another note, painting on the easel was a new addition to our art shelf this week. There are three main objectives of this exercise. First, the development of hand-eye coordination. Dipping the paintbrush in and out of the paint pot requires a steady hand and a keen eye, working simultaneously. Second, small motor control. Holding the paintbrush and whooshing it across the paper in the direction you want it to go is hard work when you’re small. Think of all the pre-writing skills they are learning just by holding the brush! Third, and I have to say, my favorite goal is creative independence! There are no rules when it comes to painting. There is no predetermined product, just a process. The children can plan their own painting from start to finish without any interference from adult rules or directions. The only thing they must remember is to paint only on the paper. Their sense of satisfaction, after they finish their masterpiece is just incredible to witness!

In the practical life area, we introduced the exercise of water transferring using a dropper. It was a challenging exercise, but the children were so proud of themselves when they were able to make the dropper work and hear the sound of the water touching the silver bowl. It’s common to hear some children say to themselves, “Squeeze, open,” as they work hard to coordinate their hand movements.

Lastly, the children enjoyed watching the school Halloween parade and exploring yellow dragon fruit for our food-tasting lesson, which it’s actually much tastier and yummier than the regular red dragon fruit, in case you want to add it to your grocery list!

Enjoy the pictures and your children’s favorite fingerplay these days,

Mrs. Hood and Ms. Mollie

Maria Montessori believed that the initial six years of a child’s life are crucial for their language development; from birth, a child must receive appropriate stimulation. This is also widely recognized by many language specialists when referring to learning foreign languages.

Research shows that learning a second language boosts problem-solving, critical-thinking, and listening skills, in addition to improving memory, concentration, and the ability to multitask. Children proficient in other languages also show signs of enhanced creativity and mental flexibility.

In our environment, children are exposed to Spanish multiple times a day. From songs to books to direct conversations, Spanish is always part of our routines.

This week, children were introduced to the following commands: caminar (walk), parar (stop), brincar (jump), bailar (dance), correr (run), comer (eat), and dormir (sleep). They are also already familiar with phrases such as Buenos dias (good morning), Ven aca, por favor: (Come here, please), Agua (water), lavate las manos (wash your hands), and Vamos (Let’s go) to name a few.

The children’s favorite book this week seemed to be Palabras by Kidsbooks. Children were encouraged to look at the pictures and repeat different vocabulary words in Spanish during story time. It was a well-requested book!

On another note, this week’s most popular work seemed to be hammering golf tees into a pumpkin using a mallet! There is so much hand-and-eye coordination needed for this work! We enjoy watching your children challenge themselves and sharpen their skills every day!

Lastly, we explored spaghetti squash for food tasting, and as a Sensorial extension, children were able to examine the pulp for another squash in our sensory bin! The children also tasted its toasted seeds. Yum!

Reminder: If you haven’t done so yet, please remember to sign up for our upcoming parent-teacher conferences next Thursday, October 25th, using this link.

Have a great weekend,

Mrs. Hood and Ms. Mollie

Dr. Maria Montessori introduced Practical Life exercises to provide children with opportunities to perform simple tasks that they have already observed at home. Practical Life exercises enable children to care for themselves, take care of the environment, and develop respect for others.

Care of the environment activities encourage the child to interact with the environment, exhibiting respect and love. These activities help the child form a connection with their environment and find a personal responsibility towards it.

This week, we introduced one of the most beloved activities in our Montessori environments: flower arrangement. Second-year students were thrilled to observe the work, and they were ready to continue sharpening their hand skills. Our first-year students were super eager to get their hands on it. This is a beautiful activity that offers so much to your child’s development. Through this exercise, children develop a sense of beauty and the mental task of sequencing; they learn to exercise the judgment of size and capacity in matching flowers to vases and in pouring water, as well as manual dexterity as they need to fetch water and use different tools. This activity also indirectly prepares your child for botany studies in our Primary program and offers a great opportunity to work on independence and concentration. Your children love it! We can’t thank you enough for your weekly flower donations!

Another practical life lesson we introduced this week in the area of self-care was putting on a jacket. Children received a lesson using what we called the “fliparoo” trick. Children have been practicing this skill over and over. Please see the video below on the lesson, and please support your child at home to practice this skill.

On another note, as we started our pumpkin unit this week, children had the opportunity to explore the outside and inside of a pumpkin! Skin, pulp, strands, and seeds were new vocabulary words used to describe the parts of a pumpkin. We also talked about its texture, size, and color. Smooth, rough, and mushy were adjectives we repeated over and over, as well as naming the color orange. Pumpkin was also our food-tasting item this week, but as most of the children didn’t find it really tasty, we decided to find another way to introduce this fruit, so we baked pumpkin muffins with the children, and oh boy, what a difference! Children enjoyed it so much that they kept asking for more and more.

Lastly, we celebrated another birthday this week! It’s such a joy seeing the children growing healthy and loved!

Enjoy the pictures!

Mrs. Hood and Ms. Mollie

Reminder: Parent-teacher conferences are coming up. To maximize our 20 minutes together, we would greatly appreciate you emailing your questions to us prior to it. Please take some time to think about your questions and send them to ahood@fraserwoods.com by Friday, October 20th.