Mrs. Hood: La Familia! ❤️

Posted on by Andrea Hood

Even in this short week, our classroom has been filled with meaningful moments, learning, and joy. As we continue our exploration of love and dive deeper into our Emotions unit this month, this week’s focus was all about la Familia, The Family!

Understanding family is an important part of a toddler’s development. Children begin to notice similarities and differences between themselves and others at this age. By learning about families, they build a sense of belonging and an appreciation for the many ways people come together to love and care for one another. We emphasize that every family is unique—some are big, some are small, some have one parent, and some have two. Some families have siblings, while others have beloved pets.

Speaking of families, we have some exciting news to share—Evie is a big sister again! Her baby brother Aaron was born on February 17th. Congratulations to Evie’s family on their newest addition! The children were delighted to hear the news, and it sparked even more conversations about siblings and growing families.

One of the highlights of our week was introducing a fun new work: the dollhouse. This has quickly become a favorite in our classroom! The family of dolls in our dollhouse intentionally represents diversity, with different skin tones, hair colors, and eye colors. The children love engaging with this work, using the dolls to act out daily routines and family interactions. Through this play, they are not only strengthening their social-emotional skills but also expanding their vocabulary—labeling different parts of the house, furniture, and family roles.

We also introduced a picture-to-picture matching work on our language shelf, allowing children to match pictures of their classmates with their respective families. They have enjoyed seeing their own families represented, sparking so many lovely conversations as they proudly name their loved ones and talk about what makes their family special.

For parents looking for great book ideas, here are some of the favorites we’ve enjoyed in the classroom this week: In My Heart by Jo Witek, The Feelings Book by Todd Parr, Feet Are Not for Kicking by Elizabeth Verdick, The Color Monster by Anna Llenas, and especially Calm Down Time, also by Elizabeth Verdick. With the help of this book, children practiced the importance of breathing deeply when encountering difficult emotions. We encouraged the toddlers to “smell the flowers” (inhale) and “blow the bubbles” (exhale), helping them develop self-regulation skills.

We also encourage our students to use the teepee as a calm-down area where they can take space and learn to regulate themselves. Inside, they have a soft faux sheepskin rug, cushy pillows, and a variety of calming items like sensory bottles, stretchy string fidgets, and liquid motion bubblers to support this process. For many of them, this has quickly become one of their favorite places in our classroom—a space to decompress or simply enjoy some quiet time. I highly recommend creating a similar calm-down space at home, especially if your child struggles with tantrums. It can be a simple but effective way to help them navigate big emotions.

For this week’s food tasting, we explored lemons! The children were curious about their bright yellow color and smooth, bumpy texture. But the best part? Their faces when they took their first taste! Through this experience, we introduced the new vocabulary word sour—a fun and exciting addition to their growing list of descriptive words.

It’s always a joy to witness your children’s curiosity and growth each day. Thank you for sharing them with us, and we look forward to another wonderful week ahead!

Warmly,

Mrs. Hood and Ms. Patty

Winter Weather…Cozy Classroom

Posted on by Mollie Smith

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

Mrs. Hood: Spreading Love and Kindness!

Posted on by Andrea Hood

“Of all things, love is the most potent.” – Maria Montessori

Humans are wired for connection. From the earliest years, we seek companionship, warmth, and the joy of shared experiences. Around 18 months, toddlers undergo incredible cognitive changes that set the stage for true friendships to blossom. Suddenly, they are not just playing near each other—they are playing with each other, forming bonds that light up their little worlds.

Watching toddlers make their first friends is pure magic! Each morning, the excitement is palpable as they spot their favorite friends walking through the door. Even those who can’t quite pronounce each other’s names yet find ways to express their joy—pointing with wide grins, giving enthusiastic pats on the back (or sometimes on the head!). During circle time, they instinctively seek to sit close to their buddies, and nothing brings them more delight than holding hands as they walk together.

In our Montessori environment, Grace and Courtesy are foundational elements of the curriculum, woven seamlessly into our daily interactions. Grace is the outward expression of our inner kindness—our smiles, eye contact, gestures, and tone of voice. Courtesy, on the other hand, is the framework of manners that guides our interactions with others. These skills are not innate; they are carefully modeled and nurtured.

At the Toddler level, we don’t teach “lessons” on friendship the way older children might experience them—we live them. Every day, through intentional modeling, we guide our little ones in learning the unspoken language of kindness. It is truly remarkable to see their growth in this area, even at such a young age. The way they learn to comfort a friend, offer a hug, or share a moment of laughter is a testament to the beauty of early social development.

Valentine’s Day gave us the perfect opportunity to celebrate the love and connection that is so abundant in our classroom! Leading up to our Friendship Celebration, the children poured their hearts into preparing watercolor-painted Valentine’s bags, each one uniquely beautiful. They also practiced their food preparation skills, carefully spreading sun butter on apple slices and joyfully decorating their “donut” creations with sprinkles. They seemed so excited to share their lovely Valentines with each of their friends as well!

As part of our ongoing unit on emotions, we reflected on all the feelings that surfaced throughout this heartwarming celebration. We spent time talking about what love looks like—not just on Valentine’s Day, but every day. The toddlers brainstormed different ways to show love, not only to friends and family but also to nature! This inspired a special project: making Valentine’s bird feeder ornaments for our feathered friends outside. This sensory-rich activity was a huge hit, and the children took such pride in creating something that would bring joy to the birds.

Love was in the air—and still is! We couldn’t be more grateful to witness these heartwarming moments of friendship, kindness, and joy.

Enjoy the pictures!

Mrs. Hood and Ms. Patty

Ms. Mollie: Friendship Breakfast!

Posted on by Mollie Smith

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

Mrs. Wilson: A Heartfelt Valentine’s Celebration

Posted on by Cynthia Wilson

This week’s highlight was our special Valentine’s Pizza Party! Valentine’s Day is a wonderful time to express love and appreciation for our friends and family, and we made it extra special by creating our very own pizzas for a fun lunch date with our classmates.

This event was a huge success, thanks to the incredible support of our parents. We are so grateful to everyone who contributed ingredients, party supplies, and volunteered their time to make this celebration memorable.

While two children took turns making their pizzas, the rest of the class stayed busy decorating goody bags with colorful foam heart stickers. We also enjoyed a heartfelt storytime, reading In My Heart by Jo Witek, a beautifully written book that explores different emotions in a way young children can understand.

In addition to our Valentine’s festivities, the children were (re)introduced to the Pikler Triangle. This large motor piece of equipment helps children develop patience, safety awareness, and body coordination, along with many other important skills. Each child was encouraged to climb as high as they felt comfortable. Some explored just one side of the triangle, while others confidently climbed up and over. It was wonderful to watch them challenge themselves at their own pace!

It was a joyful week filled with laughter, creativity, movement, and delicious food. Thank you again to our wonderful families for helping make this celebration so special!

With love, light and warmth for a snowy weekend

Cynthia and Sara

Ms. Mollie: Hello February!

Posted on by Mollie Smith

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

Mrs. Wilson: Hello Lovely February!

Posted on by Cynthia Wilson

In February, the children will embark on an exploration of Valentine’s Day and its many representations. The lessons will feature objects like hearts and colors such as red, pink, and purple. When we think of Valentine’s Day, we often think of love. This month, we’ll focus on learning to love ourselves, our friends, and our families. We’ll also explore other important feelings, including happiness, sadness, anger, tiredness, and silliness.

In our Montessori classroom, toddlers will have the opportunity to recognize and explore the facial expressions and body language associated with these emotions. While we practice identifying emotions throughout the year, we will take a deeper dive into this important skill during February, helping the children connect how they feel with how their faces and bodies express those emotions. Along with exploring feelings, we’ll also focus on identifying facial features and other body parts, further building the children’s understanding of themselves and others.

Food Tasting: This week, we explored portabella mushrooms and had the opportunity to taste them cooked. The experience was a mixed one: while some children loved the taste, others weren’t as keen and may have even spit them out. A few children gave the mushrooms a second chance before deciding whether they liked them.

Love and Light,

Cynthia and Sara

Mrs. Hood: Emotional Intelligence!

Posted on by Andrea Hood

Human emotion. It’s a fascinating and complex experience, and we are so lucky to feel such a wide range of emotions in our lives. However, for toddlers, this emotional journey can sometimes feel like a roller coaster! As they navigate big feelings in their little bodies, it’s our job as teachers and caregivers to guide them in understanding, expressing, and managing their emotions in a healthy and supportive way.

One of our main goals in our toddler classroom is to foster emotional intelligence. We do this by first helping children identify and name emotions—their own as well as those of others. Recognizing and labeling emotions is a critical skill that empowers children to express themselves effectively and feel heard and understood. Most importantly, we emphasize that all emotions are valid.

While emotional learning is woven into our daily routines, this month, we are placing an extra emphasis.  This week, we introduced some new songs, emotion cards, and new captivating books to reinforce emotional vocabulary and expressions.  Some of the emotions we explored included happiness, sadness, anger, excitement, shyness, silliness, fear, and surprise.

The children were especially drawn to using emotion cards with a table mirror—observing the images and mimicking facial expressions were both fun and insightful for them! We love seeing their curiosity as they recognize and explore their own emotions through play.

As we continue expanding our emotional vocabulary in the coming weeks, we will also explore the themes of love, friendship, family, pets, and even body awareness. These topics naturally tie into our discussions about emotions, helping children build connections between their feelings and the people and experiences that shape their daily lives.

In addition to all this wonderful learning, we also had two birthdays to celebrate this week! Birthday celebrations are always a special time in our classroom, and we made sure to honor each child in a meaningful way. We will be sending photos of these celebrations directly to their families so they can share in the joy.

We are so proud of the emotional growth we see in our students each day. Thank you for your continued support in nurturing these important skills at home. We look forward to another enriching and heartwarming month ahead!

Have a wonderful weekend,

Mrs. Hood and Ms. Patty

Reminder for next week: Friendship celebration on Thursday, February 13.