Mrs. Wilson: Hello October!

Posted on by Cynthia Wilson

It’s hard to believe we are already one month into the school year. In just these few short weeks, we have witnessed so much growth and change in the children. Their transition into the classroom has been a beautiful one. What has stood out most to me this year is how quickly the children have begun forming bonds with one another. In fact, this is the first time in my career that I have seen such strong connections develop so early in the year. The kindness and compassion they show each other daily is truly heartwarming—I wish I could capture it all for you to see.

On Wednesday, October 1st, we tucked away our apple activities and welcomed a new focus: pumpkins and gourds! Since the children are still captivated by our farm animal work, we decided to keep those materials available and build upon their interest. In art, the color orange is our theme for the month, showing up in chalk, crayons, playdough, and other creative explorations. We’re looking forward to all the joyful learning and discoveries pumpkins will bring in the weeks ahead.

Food Tasting

This week, our food tasting item was a banana. We began by presenting the banana whole, with the peel on, so the children could explore its shape, texture, and color. After a short demonstration on how to peel, the children had the opportunity to try for themselves. Some were so eager to taste it that they wanted to eat it right away! With gentle encouragement, they practiced peeling before enjoying the fruit. These small moments—of curiosity, independence, and delight—are at the heart of what makes food tasting such a favorite part of our week.

Community Connection

One of our Upper Elementary students is collecting old T-shirts to make dog toys for the Senior Paw Project and the Catherine Hubbard Foundation. This is such a wonderful opportunity for our school community to support both animals and a student-led project. If you have any old T-shirts you’re ready to part with, please send them in by November 7th.

Love and Light,

Cynthia and Sara

Ms. Vicki’s Weekly Update

Posted on by Vicki Downs

We had our first classroom birthday this week!  It was so much fun!

In the pictures, you will also see that we practiced dancing, listening to the words of the songs, and following along.  The children were so proud as they learned to serve themselves a fruit salad made from apples and grapes. Yum! We are also learning to care for our classroom and getting better at rolling up our work mats, wiping the tables, and even coming to help do the laundry. Outside, we are practicing jumping using both feet and playing with our friends.

The weather has been beautiful this week, and we have spent a lot of time talking about the weather and what we see and feel outside.  We are noticing that the green leaves are starting to turn different colors, and some are even starting to fall off the tree.

Ms. Mollie: Little by Little

Posted on by Mollie Smith

 

This week has been a great week of getting back to what we love to do in our classroom! Montessori encourages purposeful movement, and walking together — noticing the colors of the trees, the shapes of the clouds, and the tiny ants carrying crumbs — became an unplanned nature lesson. The world is always offering something to learn if we slow down enough to see it.

The calm, focused energy that filled the room reminded me of the deep work children are capable of when they’re trusted and given the space to choose.

We got back to baking, our favorite thing to do together. We shared slices of the banana bread we made that morning. Still warm, a little crumbly, and perfectly imperfect. We didn’t need a special occasion — the joy was in the doing. The process was the celebration.

In Montessori, we talk a lot about following the child, but today I was reminded how often the child leads us back to what matters most: presence, purpose, and peace in the everyday moments.

With Full Hearts,

Ms. Mollie and Ms.Lizette

Mrs. Wilson: Farm Animal Sounds and the Connection to Language

Posted on by Cynthia Wilson

As I mentioned in last week’s blog, we plan our monthly themes around the seasons and experiences that connect to the children’s world. This month, our focus on farm life has been a wonderful way to spark curiosity and language development. Many of the children have visited a farm, which makes the theme both relatable and exciting.

Did you know that farm animals are a fantastic way to build early language skills? Think of the sounds animals make—baaa, mooo, maaa. These playful sounds strengthen phonemic awareness, the foundation for future reading. The children are also practicing vocal imitation (an important step in speech development) and expanding their vocabulary by learning animal names, their sounds, and even their actions.

In the classroom, we’ve been using materials such as object-to-picture matching and picture-to-picture matching. These activities not only support language but also lay a strong foundation for early literacy.

We also introduced a new book to the environment that has quickly become a favorite (for me, too!). It’s called Morning on the Farm. This sweet story is sung aloud, filled with animal sounds, and gives the children a glimpse into farm life and the role of a farmer.

Food Tasting:
 This week, the children explored peppers! First, they passed around a green bell pepper, noticing its feel, weight, and smell. Then, we had a tasting of green, red, yellow, and orange pepper strips. It was a colorful—and tasty—experience!

Finally, I would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to those who were able to join us for Curriculum Night on Thursday evening. It was a joy to connect with you, share insights about our Montessori environment, and celebrate the beautiful work your children are doing each day.

Love and Light,

Cynthia and Sara

Happy Faces in Ms. Mollie’s class!

Posted on by lizettegeudes

We are very excited to share that Miss Mollie is back with us this week! She has seamlessly blended into the classroom as if she’s been here since the start of the year. Her presence has brought so much joy to our space, and it’s been wonderful to see how naturally she connects with the children.

This has truly been one of our best weeks yet — filled with smiles and very few tears. We continue to model kindness and respect within our classroom community, and we’re so proud of the children’s growth in these areas.

As Dr. Maria Montessori said, “Respect all the reasonable forms of activity in which the child engages and try to understand them.” We hold this belief at the heart of our approach — recognizing and honoring each child’s unique pace and way of engaging with the world.

A heartfelt thank you to all the parents for continuing to support our efforts — especially when it comes to encouraging respect for the environment. Simple habits like cleaning up after themselves and eating while seated at the table go a long way in creating a safe and respectful space for everyone. As we like to say, “Tummy to table — we sit while we eat!”

Thank you for your continued support!

Ms. Vicki’s Weekly Update

Posted on by Vicki Downs

The children are having such a great time now that we are really settled into routine!  We have been exploring lots of new materials in the room, participating in circle time, and running and playing outside.  We even got to stomp around in the rain this week!  A reminder that we can keep rain boots and rain jackets here if you’d like.

For food tasting this week we tried green and red grapes.  We talked about how the grapes were ovals, smooth, and a little squishy.  We cut into the grapes and looked at the inside as well.  We smelled them and enjoyed tasting the different flavors.

The children have also been helping to clean our classroom, wipe tables, and sweep up messes.

Enjoy all the pictures!

Ms. Vicki and Ms. Patty

Ms. Mollie’s Class Peek of the Week

Posted on by lizettegeudes

It’s hard to believe we are already in the third week! Most of our children have really started to settle in and grow fond of their new environment and teachers. We’re seeing fewer tears and more smiles each day, and outdoor play continues to be a big favorite among our toddlers.

We are also continuing to introduce and reinforce our expectations with the children, such as practicing grace and courtesy, cleaning up after themselves, putting away their work, and sitting at the table during meals. We’re also encouraging them to use the toilet, even if it’s just for a quick sitting.

As Maria Montessori wrote, “Toilet training is not only about learning to use the toilet, it is a preparation for independence, freedom, and self-respect.”

These are important steps in their development, and one of our main goals in the toddler class this year is to help all of our little ones reach the milestone of independent toileting.

Thank you once again for your trust and support. We truly appreciate you all.

Mrs. Wilson: A September Full of Apples and Little Stars

Posted on by Cynthia Wilson

In our Montessori Toddler classroom, we focus on themes connected to the seasons and the children’s everyday experiences. This approach helps them make meaningful connections to the world around them. For September, our exploration centered around apples and farm animals.

Apples appeared in many areas of our environment:

  • Movement area – children sorted large apple models into color-matching baskets.
  • Art area – they used a variety of apple-themed materials to create their own artwork.
  • Refinement of the Hands – children practiced fine motor skills by transferring felt apples, pouring small apples from one vessel to another, posting sliced apples into a container, and using a magnet wand to “remove worms” from an apple.

One highlight was our first food-tasting activity, which was a great success! The children explored red, green, and yellow apples. Together, we talked about the parts of an apple: stem, skin, flesh, and seeds. When we cut the apples horizontally, the children were delighted to discover the little star hidden inside made by the seeds. We also noticed that while the skin looks different on each apple, the inside is the same. Each child then had the opportunity to taste the different varieties of apples.

Later in the week, the children used an apple peeler and corer to prepare apples for applesauce. They worked together to turn the apples into something new, and we are all excited to taste the finished applesauce on Tuesday.

To carry our apple theme into music, we’ve been singing “Way Up High in the Tree.” This song is a class favorite, filled with movement, expression, and anticipation as each child eagerly waits for their turn to “pick” an apple at the end.

September has been full of curiosity, exploration, and joy. From discovering the hidden star inside an apple to working together to make applesauce, the children are learning that the world is full of little surprises waiting to be explored.

Love and Light,

Cynthia and Sara