Hello January! 

As I watch the snow gently fall this morning, I can’t help but reflect on the wonderful week we have had in our classroom. The first week back after a long break would seem like it was harder than most, the children have been absolutely resilient, they have come into school with grace, and the children crave order, routine, and structure,e all of which are in the very fiber of what we do and provide daily here at Fraser Woods. 

This week, we welcomed two new children and our second assistant, Ms. Anabelle, into our classroom, which has allowed us to open our classroom environment, practice our communication skills, and, most importantly, open our hearts to new friends who help complete our classroom. The children have been so enthusiastic to welcome them each day, wanting to help and play with them. Having our new children join us has really enforced grace and courtesy, practicing our kindness and thoughtfulness. It’s been very heartwarming to watch the children with such open arms welcome the new children.

Many things this week needed to be flexible due to the weather, so we were able to enjoy the gym each day! One thing I have recognized with toddlers is the need to run, climb, and chase daily. With more flexibility, we were also able to start our weekly baking! The children were so happy to make blueberry scones; the children helped with each step of the process and were very happy to enjoy the eating part, too! Our daily classroom work allowed the children to practice their skills, enforce concentration, and simply be content. 

With Full Hearts and Wishing you all a Happy New Year, 

Ms. Mollie, Ms. Lizette, and Ms. A

This week, sharing the magic of holidays has been truly magical to see through the eyes of the children. This week, the children explored, played, and experienced the holidays through a variety of different materials and experiences. The children were able to experience Hanukkah traditions through play and taste! We are so thankful that Kat and Jeremy (Margot’s mom and dad) came to play dreidel, told us the traditions of Hanukkah, and made potato latkes for all of the children to try. The children absolutely loved the latkes, especially the applesauce and sour cream! We are so grateful and thankful to Kat and Jeremy for sharing such wonderful traditions with the children! We also got to experience our first Fraser Woods holiday concert! The children clapped, danced, and sat so beautifully.  

As always, parents, Lizette and I thank you for all of your support, kindness, and help in making our holiday pajama party so much fun! We could not have done it without you! We were so happy to snuggle up, read great books about the holidays, and simply be together drinking our hot cocoa!

With Full Hearts,

Ms. Mollie and Ms. Lizette

This December has been filled with so much play and quiet and peaceful works. I know you’re asking how a Toddler classroom can be filled with peace and quiet. Each day, the children are given the opportunity to choose works and move freely in the classroom, they are given age-appropriate materials that meet their developmental needs, and they are given the opportunity to have uninterrupted play. The children continue to explore Hanukkah and Christmas, and as a classroom, we talk about each and what the children love about them. We have been practicing our cutting skills, making snowflakes, and cutting out polar animals. Our Polar animals are a huge hit in the classroom, the children have so many questions about what they are, what they eat, how do they eat, where do they live? I encourage you to keep the conversation going about the Who’s, Whats, and Whys. They all help your child truly understand the world around them, and they help them develop language skills. 

With Full Hearts, 

Ms. Mollie and Ms. Lizette 

This start to December has been absolutely lovely……but mostly filled with SNOW! What an absolutely amazing experience it is for the children to get to experience snow, to feel it, to smell it, and to play in it! We have had so much fun going outside to play, and while that has been a favorite, our daily classroom walk, no matter the weather, has been what the children have been asking for.  Being outside with the children brings them a sense of calm and peace that only the winter months can give. December has been amazing for helping us prepare for the holiday celebrations that will soon be celebrated. 

Each day, the children learn about what makes each holiday special; we are using so many new words to keep up with our ever-growing language. The children are strengthening their hands and bodies with work that challenges them and helps them practice those refinement skills. The children are curious and love learning about the new cultures and traditions. The energy and excitement for this season are truly special, it’s a joy to share with your children!

With Full Hearts, 

Ms. Mollie and Ms. Lizette

 

This week, we have enjoyed so many wonderful new experiences! We had the opportunity to explore a fire truck, meet our local Botsford firemen, and, best of all, sit in the firetruck! The children were a little cautious at first but quickly got very excited to explore the firetruck and the gear that the firemen wear. A huge thank-you to our firemen and women who help keep us safe. You definitely made a BIG impression on such little hearts and minds.

We enjoyed pomegranates this week. The children were eager to enjoy them, but in the true Montessori spirit, they had to get each little gem of the pomegranate out to eat themselves! They asked for more with such politeness and kept working to enjoy each little bite. It was a very successful food tasting, and I loved seeing the fine motor skills put to work. The children were so independent, too!

Our first rainy day in many weeks provided us with the opportunity to use the school gym, which was a first for us! The children were a bit cautious at first, but they quickly were chasing one another, kicking and throwing balls, playing with hula hoops, and silk scarves. It was a great way to chase our wiggles away.

This week, you and your children made my birthday absolutely one of the best! I loved reading each card and am so thankful for the beautiful flowers and gifts. I am so appreciative of each and every one of you! Thank you for making it such a magical experience.

With Full Hearts,
Ms. Mollie and Ms. Lizette

Our week has been a very busy week! We had so much fun and many celebrations; this week, we enjoyed Veterans Day, reading books about heroes, our military men and women, and doing all the Red, White, and Blue paintings! We also had the privilege of attending our first Diwali celebration, Fraser’s style! We were amazed by the beauty of the celebration, the colorful clothes, the lights, and the Dancing! The children were delighted to see Ms. Paromita dancing with other children and parents in the most upbeat, happy dance! We also got to try the most delicious foods, rice, and gulab jamun- a sweet treat! At the end of the celebration, our small friends were invited to dance! So many thanks to all the families and children and to Paromita for a wonderful celebration!

After such a busy two days, we settled into our daily flow in the classroom. The children, like always, went right to work exploring the materials and found contentment in the work that they did. I do apologize for less pictures, we lived in the moment this week and enjoyed one another.

With full hearts,
Ms. Mollie and Ms. Lizette

 

Time seems to be flying by; we have made it to November! The children have been so busy each day they are discovering new materials that meet the needs of their growing minds! We have started the month talking about “Gratitude” and what it means to our classroom and our families. I emphasize how we can show gratitude with our words and with our actions…..I know you’re all thinking they are toddlers! Yes, the toddler child can show gratitude, empathy, and kindness and still be a little spicy, but that is what makes toddlers so perfect. We will continue to talk, read, and show gratitude, kindness, thankfulness, and all those big words that are basically about the care and love we choose to give to others.

One of the newest works in the classroom is plant care and flower arranging, both have been highly satisfying work and the children take such care in making our classroom feel beautiful. They have been taking in the smallest details of the plants and flowers. The children are very aware of how fragile the plant is, when dusting them you have to have a lightness of touch, so we don’t rip the plant leaf. While they are young, these children know and understand that even the smallest plants need great care. Dr. Montessori once said, “Children indeed love flowers, but they need to do something more than remain among them and contemplate their colored blossoms. They find their greatest pleasure in acting, knowing, exploring, even apart from the attraction of external beauty.”

I leave you with one simple little task: think about what gratitude means to you as a family and how you can express this to your child.

With full hearts,
Ms. Mollie and Ms. Lizette

 

The past two weeks have been a whirlwind of fun! We have been talking about Halloween, pumpkins, bats, and of course, candy! We have been enjoying getting to know a new classmate who joined us; the children already know his name and eagerly await him each morning. The children are also very excited to see the birds at our feeder…oftentimes so excited with an excited squeal that scares the birds away! The children can now identify the chickadee, bluejay, and tufted titmouse when the birds visit our feeder.

Opening a large pumpkin gave us a wonderful opportunity to explore, feel different textures, and see the inside of the pumpkin. We talked and read about the life cycle of pumpkins, how they grow, what we can do with them, and most importantly….how to cook with pumpkins! The children made pumpkin bread; each child took turns helping to incorporate ingredients, talking about each step, and enjoying working together with our hands. We took a long walk to Mr. Manuel’s kitchen to bake our bread…..the school smelled absolutely delightful! The children were amazing at practicing their patience, and we enjoyed our pumpkin bread the next day on Halloween!

The children were smitten watching our older “friends” walk in the Halloween Parade! Each child waved with joy and watched in awe of our peers; the parade ended with an epic spooky dance by all the students! The toddlers definitely let loose, too! As the week wrapped up, we read all the Halloween books, baked the pumpkin bread, and explored the inside of pumpkins. as one of our young friends said, “Miss Mollie, Finally Halloween!” Yes, kiddo, it’s finally Halloween!!!

With full Hearts,

Ms. Mollie and Ms.Lizette