As families around the world eagerly embrace the holiday season, we at the school are equally excited to join in the festive spirit! This week was particularly special as we celebrated the beautiful Festival of Lights—Diwali!

Diwali is a magical time symbolizing new beginnings and the victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance. This five-day celebration is observed across the globe, with unique rituals in every region. Homes glow warmly with diyas (candles) and oil lamps, while vibrant rangoli patterns adorn entrances, adding splashes of color. Families dress in beautiful new clothes, often with shimmering jewelry, and gather to share joy, laughter, and delectable treats.

Our little ones embraced the joy of Diwali! They were captivated by a colorful presentation and a mesmerizing Indian dance performance by some of our own FWM students, administration members, teachers, and parents. Of course, no Diwali celebration is complete without sweets! The children savored the soft, syrupy deliciousness of gulab jamun and enjoyed the flavorful goodness of rice pulao.

In the classroom, creativity bloomed as the toddlers designed and decorated their very own diyas using vibrant colors and a sprinkle of imagination.

Switching gears, we’ve also started exploring the wonders of the forest with our new unit on woodland animals. This week, the children met five fascinating creatures and learned a couple of facts about them:

• Black Bear: A big, furry animal that loves to munch on berries, fish, and honey. We learned how they hibernate in cozy dens during the winter!
• Moose: The tallest animal in the forest with long, strong legs and huge antlers. Moose enjoy munching on leaves, twigs, and even water plants.
• Fox: A sly and clever animal with a bushy tail. Foxes are excellent at sneaking around to find their dinner. I told them the story of a fox that comes every day to my home to see if he can eat one of my chickens!
• Beaver: A hardworking animal with big teeth and a flat tail. Beavers build homes, called lodges, using sticks and mud!
• Owl: night-loving bird with big, glowing eyes. The toddlers were amazed to learn that owls can turn their heads almost all the way around!

Finally, our week ended on a sweet note during the food-tasting lesson! The children sampled juicy pears, and this fresh, yummy fruit was a hit—earning a 99% approval rating from our toddlers.

Enjoy the weekend,

Mrs. Hood and Ms. Patty

“If teaching is to be effective with young children, it must assist them to advance on the way to independence. It must initiate them into those kinds of activities that they can perform themselves and that keep them from being a burden to others because of their inabilities. We must help them to learn how to walk without assistance, to run, to go up and down stairs, to pick up fallen objects, to dress and undress, to wash, to express their needs in a way that is clearly understood, and to attempt to satisfy their desires through their efforts. All this is part of an education for independence”.

Dr. Maria Montessori

Toddlers are naturally eager to learn these things. “Do it myself” might well be the refrain for the toddler years! Our day-to-day lives often make for less-than-ideal circumstances to help our children achieve the independence they crave. Our homes are not optimized around a little person with a height of under three feet: Objects are hard to reach, too heavy, or too big for little hands to use. Our days are not set up to move at their speed: We rarely just happen to have ten spare minutes to wait while our almost two-year-olds put on their jacket!

Yet enabling a toddler to become more independent has huge short-term and long-term benefits. Power struggles decrease when a child feels more in control. Temper tantrums are less frequent when toddlers are busy doing things for themselves rather than resisting their parent’s efforts to do things for them! A child who feels capable because they can act in the world without needing to rely on grown-ups for every little thing is a child who is developing self-confidence.

We have introduced the routine of changing into indoor shoes at the beginning of the morning! At this point, most of the children have learned to recognize their space and continue to work hard in the skill of removing their shoes, coordinating their hands to get the new shoe on, and pulling and closing the velcro tabs. In addition, they have been practicing the skill of buttoning and unbuttoning, brushing teeth, and learning how to put on their jacket independently.  Children received a lesson using what we called the “fliparoo” trick. Please see the video below on the lesson, and please support your child at home in practicing this skill.

We also introduced a special work that quickly became the most popular work of the week: Handwashing.  This is a multitasking activity that builds independence, fine motor skills, and focus. Set up with child-sized materials; the handwashing station allows toddlers to complete each step independently, boosting confidence. This activity involves a sequence—wetting hands, applying soap, scrubbing, rinsing, drying, transferring soapy water into a bucket, disposing of soapy water in the sink, and drying materials —which strengthens memory and concentration. It also offers a sensory experience, as toddlers feel the cool water, slippery soap, and soft towel, deepening their awareness. Handwashing is a practical, calming activity that supports both physical and cognitive development. A big shout out to the Mica family for gifting our class this perfect little table!

As always children enjoyed the food tasting lesson of the week. This time we explored cranberries and most of them really enjoyed some cranberry sauce !

Lastly, a new popular piece of equipment was introduced in the movement area: A sensory spinning chair. Spinning on a chair provides intense vestibular input, which helps toddlers develop their sense of balance and spatial orientation. This stimulation can be calming for some children and can improve their ability to focus and attend to tasks.  Spinning on a chair requires coordination and motor planning, which can help toddlers develop their gross motor skills. It can also improve their core strength and stability, which is important for posture and overall physical development. The repetitive motion of spinning can have a calming effect on toddlers, helping them regulate their emotions and reduce feelings of anxiety or frustration. To say children LOVE this chair is an understatement!

Enjoy the weekend,

Mrs. Hood and Ms. Patty

Maria Montessori used the scientific method to study children’s natural ways of learning, and her findings still resonate today. She observed that from birth to age six, children absorb the world around them effortlessly, taking in the culture they’re surrounded by like little sponges. Whatever they hear, see, and feel gets woven into their sense of self, almost like an imprint on their soul. For example, if a child grows up with music—hearing parents sing, watching them dance—that child often develops a love for music, too. Montessori called this remarkable capacity the “Absorbent Mind.”

In our classroom, we honor this “Absorbent Mind” by weaving meaningful musical experiences into every day. Mornings are lively with whole-body movement songs, fingerplays, and instrument time. We have a rotating shelf of musical instruments so children can explore, learn each instrument’s name, and practice handling them with care. Music time isn’t only about fun; it’s also a chance to build social skills. We gently introduce grace and courtesy by encouraging children to wait patiently until everyone has an instrument so we can all play together. It’s a lovely practice in self-control and teamwork, essential skills as they learn to manage their impulses.

One of our favorite moments is watching the children follow hand signals to change tempo, go soft or loud, and then stop their instruments in sync. Their joy when they all stop at once is priceless, and we lovingly call this “band time.” It’s definitely a favorite group activity in our class!

In our art corner, children are growing in other important ways. This week, we introduced easel painting, a wonderful activity that strengthens hand-eye coordination as they dip brushes in paint and carefully apply it to the paper. Painting also builds fine motor skills and lets them express themselves creatively, with no strict rules to follow—just a simple guideline to keep their work on the paper. Watching them beam with pride over their unique artwork is always a treat.

With fall in full swing, your children have been soaking up all the wonders of the season. They’re thrilled by the sight of colorful leaves drifting to the ground, the feel of crisp autumn air (the unexpected warmth as well), and the fun of exploring outdoors. Leaf collecting has become a popular activity as they pick out their favorite shapes and colors. A special moment this week was watching the Halloween Parade with the older students from Lower Elementary, Upper Elementary, and Middle School putting on a show for everyone to enjoy, as well!

We hope you enjoy a cozy, joy-filled long weekend surrounded by the beauty of fall!

Best,

Mrs. Hood and Ms. Noelle