Hello March! What a wonderful week! We enjoyed being outside every day this week! After what feels like a long winter with little time to be outside, this “spring” like weather has been welcomed. Our different daily weather gave us many opportunities to talk about the weather and how it feels or looks. Each day the children were convinced it was stormy out, due to the heavy clouds….with some explanation and observations we could see the sun did hide behind the clouds. The children noticed that the daffodils are coming up by our classroom, too. Indeed, spring is coming!

Our week was filled with Birthday celebrations, sensory exploration, new works, and overall joy! The children have been so curious this week; it’s made for a very fun week! As our spring break is beginning, remember to enjoy the curious nature of your child, and enjoy the little moments! Wishing you all a safe, happy, restful spring break!

With Full Hearts,

Ms.Mollie. Ms. Lizette and Ms. Anabel

Goodbye February!

What a wonderful, short, cold, and cozy month it’s been. In celebration of Read Across America, on Thursday, we wore our favorite PJs and got cozy with our favorite books. In our pictures this week, you will see some older pictures of the children with books; they are some of my most treasured memories. Reading is a love that is fostered in the early years of childhood and stays with them for life! Keep reading daily to your child!

We continue to do great work in the classroom that strengthens our hands, concentration, and social skills, all while having fun! Some of the photos captured of the children look so serious, which indicates deep concentration and connection with the activity!

With Full Hearts,

Ms. Mollie, Ms. Lizette, and Ms. Anabelle

This week’s winter weather and snow coated in ice haven’t been the best for playing outside, but we definitely made the best of it with little walks, cozy baking, and watching rockets launch! Each day this week, we bundled up the children, and we were able to go for a short walk to get much-needed fresh air! When we get ready to go outside, I say to the children, “bundle up buttercups,” and now the children repeat it back when we get ready to go outside; it’s very sweet.

This week’s baking day included brownies with extra chocolate chips because little hands love to measure with their hearts! While we were at the gym this week, we watched our middle school students launch air rockets (think of stepping on a pop bottle) with Mr. Frisk and Mrs. Reed. The children were so serious until the rockets were launched to the other end of the gym…they clapped and cheered for the “big kids.” I love seeing the youngest children in our school cheer on our oldest students with such admiration.

With Full Hearts,

Ms. Mollie, Ms. Lizette and Ms. Anabel

Friendship Breakfast!

What a fun week we have had in the classroom! Our friendship breakfast has definitely been the highlight this week! There is nothing better than sitting in awe of the children, eating with them, and watching them enjoy the food we prepared together! The children helped to wash, cut, and prepare the fruit, mix waffle batter, and watch Ms. Mollie flip pink and chocolate chip pancakes! The children ate till they felt satisfied, one even rubbing his belly and saying, “Best day ever”! While the children ate and sat next to a friend at the table, so many little conversations about the day were shared.  In all of my years of teaching, this is one of my favorite days with the children. I appreciate them so deeply, and it’s a way of showing them my gratitude. 

A special thank you to the parents who helped make it all possible by contributing ingredients, fruit, and party supplies, and for your flexibility to pivot and move our breakfast to a different day due to the weather!

With full Hearts, 

Ms. Mollie, Ms. Lizette and Ms. Anabelle

The month has only just begun, and it’s been filled with so much fun! We have had so many different adventures throughout the Fraser Woods Campus! We have enjoyed playing on the field, playing in the gym, learning to weave with Mrs. Reed in the Maker Space, playing in the snow on our Toddler playground, and, as always, exploring new works and lessons in our classroom! 

The books Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? and Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear? by Eric Carle have been instrumental in helping children understand how to use our eyes to see and our ears to hear. In helping our young friends develop the skill of listening and watching, it’s always great to use literacy as a fun way to connect. The children have asked each day that we take out our felt “story” and they love to hunt for the different pieces. 

This month has so many wonderful experiences that lay ahead, next week we have a pink pancake breakfast where we celebrate the friendships in our classroom! I want to say a sincere thank you to all the parents who were able to observe this week in the primary classrooms, it truly is a window into what is next for your child’s journey here at Fraser Woods and I know that the magic of primary is truly special. 

With Full Hearts, 

Ms. Mollie, Ms.Lizette and Ms.Anabelle

Goodbye January, Hello February!

This week in the classroom, we welcomed back our beloved leopard geckos! Scooter and Lizzo are very happy to be back, too; they have enjoyed being held, talked to, and gazed at for many moments during the day! They had taken a little break to my house for a little winter R&R! The children were delighted when, as a class, we got to give them a bath to help with releasing the stubborn shedding on their little hands! The children have also gotten to watch and learn about what Scooter and Lizzo eat and watch them be fed! The children are cautious when holding them, and some of the children simply want to look at them and observe them. We are so very lucky to get to enjoy them each day, and yes, while they are reptiles, they are quite sweet! 

Our Baking this week was……banana bread! Surprise, surprise! Back by the request of the children once again, we made our banana bread, and how could I say no? In my observation and working with the children while baking, I have noticed that the skills of pouring, spooning, mixing, and even cracking eggs are getting stronger, and they are becoming much more independent! 

Ms. Mollie’s Class Banana Bread Recipe 

• 2 eggs
• 1 cup of sugar 
• 4 mashed bananas 
• 1 cup of oil (any will do) 
• 3 cups of all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda 
• 1 teaspoon of salt 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, add the first four ingredients to a large bowl, and let your child mix/smash all those ingredients till smooth. Then add the flour, baking soda, and salt……again let your child mix, mix, and mix until all ingredients are incorporated! Oil two loaf pans, and pour your batter evenly into each pan. (*The children love to sprinkle a little bit of sugar on top….because it makes it “sparkly”; this is totally optional.) Bake for 35/45 minutes! Enjoy! 

With Full Hearts, 

Ms. Mollie, Ms. Lizette and Ms. Anabelle

This short week has been packed with so much fun! While there is no such thing as improper weather, just improper clothing……we definitely had two days that were just too cold! The children were able to run, play, and get lots of energy out in the gym! The classroom book nook was a very popular spot this week. It provided that cozy feeling of “snuggled up with a good book.”  Our classroom books are rotated out frequently, often following the holidays or a season, giving the children more exposure to the world around them. I love the, “I am” books for children, the simple books give us insight to a variety of humans who have changed our world.  The book I Am Brave gave a little glimpse into Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s life and legacy, and most of all, his bravery.

Our weekly baking was making a loaf of banana bread with extra shredded carrots! The children absolutely love to bake each week, its a time where we come together both to mix, bake and to share food at the table with one another, most importantly its giving us connection. Once the weather gave us some better temperatures, we could finally go outside and play in the snow! Our walk to the field gave us the opportunity to enjoy, as one child said, “all the blue colors” and a variety of different birds. The children were so happy to play outside in the snow. I was able to pull them in the sled, and the pure joy and giggles were infectious!

With Full Hearts,

Ms. Mollie, Ms.Lizette and Ms. Anabelle

January is a time of simplicity yet full of great momentum in the classroom. Teaching about the winter months gives us the opportunity to reflect deeply on how we are modeling love and showing appreciation for the winter. As many of you know, I adore winter, the cold, the snow, and the reminders to slow down. While doing an observation this week, I enjoyed the quiet of watching the children, seeing where children are challenged, where they are having success, and where they need to be pushed to gain more skills. In our Montessori classroom, the children are concentrated, content, and joyful, which are all the things I am looking for. While our week was simple, it was filled with all the right stuff.

With Full Hearts

Ms.Mollie. Ms. Lizette and Ms. Anabelle