This week, we immersed ourselves in the traditions and folklore of St. Patrick’s Day. The children were captivated by the festive environment, exploring new works and decorations inspired by the color green. It was a wonderful opportunity for sensory engagement and language enrichment as they encountered various shades of green throughout the classroom.

One of the highlights of our week was learning about leprechauns! We introduced the Irish folklore surrounding these mischievous little beings who are believed to guard pots of gold at the end of the rainbow. This story sparked a wonderful conversation about real and pretend, helping children understand the difference between stories based on history and those that come from imagination and tradition.

To bring this tale to life, we played an exciting math game in which we hid small leprechauns around the classroom. The children eagerly searched for them, practicing their counting skills along the way. The goal was to find a total of twelve, and once all were discovered, each child received a special gold coin. It was truly precious to watch the older toddlers helping the youngest to find their leprechauns! This daily game quickly became a favorite, fostering teamwork, observation, and early numeracy skills.

We also incorporated lively Irish tunes into our movement and music time. It was incredible to see the children’s musical development as they listened attentively to different instruments, mimicked playing them, and even named a few! They recognized familiar instruments like the guitar, drums, and flute while also being introduced to new ones, such as the fiddle, accordion, and bagpipes.

To round out our St. Patrick’s Day experience, we enjoyed a taste of Irish culture by trying some delicious Irish soda bread. They all really LOVED this part!

On another note, with the arrival of warmer temperatures, we made the most of our time outdoors, soaking up the fresh air and enjoying active play together. Lastly, we explored asparagus as our food tasting lesson of the week.  While some children were hesitant to try it, others surprised us by asking for seconds.

As we look ahead, our next theme will explore the magic of rainbows and colors when we return from the break. We can’t wait to dive into new activities that celebrate the beauty of light and color in nature.

Wishing you all a joyful and restful March break and Happy St. Patrick’s day for all of you that celebrate!

See you in two weeks! Ciao!

Mrs. Hood and Ms. Patty 

As we wrap up this lovely month of February, our focus this week was on a topic close to many hearts—pets! Throughout the month, the children have been learning about different kinds of pets, their names, and the unique characteristics that make each one special. Maria Montessori emphasized the importance of children learning to live with animals, as it fosters responsibility, empathy, and a deeper connection with nature. Experiencing firsthand interactions with pets allows children to develop kindness, patience, and a sense of care for other living beings.

This week, we had the joy of meeting some of our students’ beloved pets!

🐱 Monday: We welcomed Quentin, a super cute and curious orange domestic cat who was beyond excited (or terrified—it’s difficult to know with cats!) and wanted to explore the classroom. Aruna happily demonstrated how she fed him treats in front of her classmates and brushed his fur.

🐹 Tuesday: After exploring lettuce as our food-tasting lesson of the week, we introduced the children to Mrs. Sankey’s guinea pigs: Teddy and Houdini.  The children were thrilled to feed them and observe them as they played, ate, and drank water. Their gentle nature brought so much joy to the class!

🐶 Wednesday: We had a visit from Elmo, the sweetest senior pup! (A mix of Jack Russell, Beagle, and Mini Pinscher.) He happily wagged his tail as he sniffed around, greeting each child with excitement. Evie was over the moon, proudly introducing her dog and having her dad join us in the classroom. We all had a good laugh when Dad commanded him to sit multiple times—and he didn’t! We think he felt at home, surrounded by toddlers. 😊

🐶Thursday: Everly’s gigantic puppy, a Great Pyrenees, made quite the impression! Looking like a friendly polar bear, he amazed the children with his size. We learned that he loves peanut butter sandwiches and has a knack for reaching kitchen counters! The children cheered as he followed commands and enjoyed petting him gently.

🦎 Friday: Lizzo and Scooter, Ms. Mollie’s leopard geckos, came for a visit! The children were in awe of their beauty, and most of them really enjoyed watching and feeling Scooter crawl all over them. Since Lizzo is pregnant, we gave her some space, but she still joined the bath the children gave them both.

It was truly a memorable week filled with excitement, learning, and hands-on experiences with animals. We are so grateful to all of you who helped make these visits possible, enriching the children’s understanding of pets and fostering meaningful connections. It truly takes a village!

🍊To end the week, the children participated in a hands-on food preparation lesson—juicing an orange! Engaging all their senses, they squeezed, tasted, and proudly enjoyed the fruits of their labor.

Enjoy the pictures from this week, and have a wonderful weekend!

Mrs. Hood and Ms. Patty

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