Mrs. Hood’s class: Spreading wings!

Posted on by Andrea Hood

The moment we had all been eagerly anticipating finally arrived! Our beautiful butterflies emerged, taking their time to strengthen their delicate wings. The children were enchanted as they watched the butterflies explore their surroundings, using their long tongues to taste the fruits we provided. Children happily worked on a special spring crown craft and decorated it with many butterflies for the big celebration!  When the moment came, we gathered together in the butterfly garden and gently opened the glass doors. We could almost feel the butterflies’ excitement as they basked in the sun and felt the gentle breeze, ready to embrace their new freedom. The children were in awe! It was such a special moment! One brave butterfly soared high immediately, while the other ones seemed a bit shy. With a small stick, I coaxed them gently, and after a few moments, they took flight, bringing smiles and laughter to your children as they fulfilled their destiny.

This activity always stirs deep emotions within us as guides. As our school year draws to a close in just a few days, we can’t help but reflect on the journey of our butterflies. Like those tiny caterpillars, we have cherished every transformation in your children’s lives this year. They have grown so much, blossoming into more independent, confident, and capable individuals. Observing their development has brought immense joy to our lives. We are profoundly grateful to you for entrusting us with their care and growth.

On the morning of Friday, June 7th, at 9:15 am, we will open another set of “glass doors” and let your children soar too! We will celebrate with a simple but sweet and meaningful graduation that we traditionally call the Crossing Bridge Ceremony.  You should have already received an email with details, but if not, please let me know. We hope to see you all there to share in this heartfelt moment.

In the meantime, we will savor our remaining days together, mastering new skills, discovering the world, laughing, dancing, and most importantly, hugging each other a little tighter, treasuring the little family we’ve become.

Warmly,

Mrs. Hood and Ms. Mollie

Mrs. Wilson: Culinary Adventures!

Posted on by Cynthia Wilson

Last Friday, we were surprised to see all seven of our butterflies emerge from their chrysalises. We set them free since they all emerged just before the long weekend. I learned that butterflies like very ripe bananas. So, next time you have ripe bananas, you can place them in a garden area and see if you can attract butterflies.

This was a busy week filled with special activities. We started the week by having the children participate in a special keepsake project that will be revealed at the Bridge Crossing Ceremony. Next, the children celebrated our youngest friend’s birthday. On Thursday, the children had a special visitor, Ms. Lynne, who is Poppy’s Auntie. She came in to read a story and make strawberry smoothies with them. Lynne brought back a special book from Italy, which we all know as “Pinocchio,” and a special gift from her trip: beautiful wooden Pinocchio pencils. Lynne also supplied us with delicious sweet strawberries and vanilla yogurt. The children all had a turn to help prep the strawberries by washing, hulling, and slicing them. We then put them into the blender with the yogurt, and they watched how the strawberries blended with the yogurt to make a delicious smoothie. They all drank their smoothies from swirly animal straws, also courtesy of Ms. Lynne.

Thank you, Lynne, for all your support and for creating a special day with all the children.

This week’s food tasting featured a large, juicy watermelon. I hid the watermelon from the children and asked them to guess what it was. Some of their guesses included melon, sprinkles, pancakes, marshmallows, and pumpkins, all of which were good guesses. Then, we passed or rolled around the watermelon so the children could experience its weight.  Each child seemed to enjoy the juiciness of the watermelon. This week marked our final food-tasting session of the year.

Love and Light,

Cynthia and Sara

Mrs. Sargeant: A Peek at the Week

Posted on by Christine Sargeant

As we conclude the school year with our toddlers, we reflect on the joy and liveliness they have brought to every moment. Observing the emergence of four painted lady butterflies from their chrysalises, we were reminded of the incredible process of metamorphosis. This transformation beautifully mirrors the growth of our young students. Just as a butterfly spreads its wings for the first time, our toddlers are beginning to explore their world with newfound confidence and curiosity.

A visit from a squirrel to our bird feeder delighted our young students, who expressed their excitement with joyful squeals. Additionally, we enjoyed a food-tasting experience featuring sweet, juicy watermelon, which was a delightful treat for everyone.

Wishing your families an enjoyable week,

Christine & Lizette

Mrs. Wilson: The Gazillion Whys

Posted on by Cynthia Wilson

In the first three years of their lives, children are in the Unconscious Mind phase, where they absorb information without actively questioning it. From age three to six, they transition into the conscious mind phase, marked by their curiosity and constant questioning of “why.” They are eager to make sense of the world around them and are actively engaging their thinking and reasoning abilities.

To nurture their inquisitiveness, it’s important to continually encourage their thinking and exploration. Help them find answers to their questions, engage in discussions about why they think a certain way, and explore answers together. It’s perfectly fine to acknowledge when you don’t have an immediate answer to their inquiries. So, as tiring it is to hear the word why, we don’t want them to stop asking questions. We want the children to become critical thinkers and always have that wonder.

Throughout this week, the butterflies slowly emerged from their chrysalids. The children were very excited to see them drying their wings and eating from a ripe banana. We also noticed that all of the ladybugs have hatched from their pupae. We took them outside to set them free. Maybe we will see them on the playground one day. The tadpoles are still tadpoles for now, but they are getting bigger. Hopefully, we will see them grow their legs by the end of the school year.

This was our last week of Spanish class with Senora Ray. We want to say Gracias to Senora Ray for taking the time every Wednesday to teach us Spanish.

Food Tasting: This week, we tried edamame. It was a fun experience eating them from the pod as some of the soybeans popped out. All the children enjoyed them and had multiple helpings.

Thank you so much for all the birthday love! I appreciate the lovely cards, flowers, and treats.

Cynthia and Sara

Mrs. Sargeant: A Peek at the Week

Posted on by Christine Sargeant

This week has been delightful. From our window, we spotted two pileated woodpeckers in the woods. We’ve been patiently waiting and quietly watching for birds to visit our new window bird feeder. We’ve seen a few cardinals, sparrows, and other beautiful birds waiting in the nearby bush, observing us as we observe them. One day, the children were absolutely convinced they had heard an owl. Their sheer excitement and awe were contagious!

This week, the children tasted rhubarb, and most seemed to enjoy its tartness. They also had a lot of fun simply saying the word “rhubarb.” We danced around the room as we listened to Laurie Berkner’s catchy song about rhubarb pie. 

We also tasted seedless mandarins, which every child enjoyed. The children were then free to choose the mandarin peeling activity. In addition to mandarin peeling, we had a cucumber-cutting activity available to the children this week since they were all so keen on the cucumbers we tried a few weeks ago. In our Montessori toddler classroom, the excitement around food preparation activities is palpable. With eager anticipation, children embrace the opportunity to take charge of creating their own snacks. This newfound independence not only fills them with pride but also nurtures their self-confidence. Engaging in these multi-step activities they not only satisfy their hunger but also strengthen fine motor skills.

Each morning, many of the children’s first order of business is to check on our chrysalises. We are looking for any slight changes and eagerly awaiting the magical metamorphosis that will take place.

We are looking forward to sharing our symbolic “Bridge Crossing” event with all of you on Friday, June 7th from 10-10:30.

Here’s to a reflective Memorial Day weekend. Enjoy the extra day with your families.

Christine & Lizette

Mrs. Hood: Discovering Joy in Everyday Moments

Posted on by Andrea Hood

 

One of the joys of watching children grow is being constantly reminded to appreciate the little things in life. What we often take for granted as mundane or routine, children see as wondrous, new discoveries and engaging challenges. Everyday activities like preparing food, dressing themselves, watering plants,  cleaning and more are, for them, exciting tasks that help them feel empowered and connected to the world.

This week, we introduced a new practical life activity: window washing! Our windows had gotten quite dusty, so I enlisted the help of some of our older toddlers. Quickly, the rest of the class got excited for a turn!  They eagerly took on the task and approached it with great seriousness. Using a spray bottle felt like a special treat to them, and adding a squeegee to the mix made it even more exciting. It was heartwarming to see their sense of independence, responsibility, concentration, and pride as they contributed to our classroom environment.  Their growth and enthusiasm are truly remarkable.

Another hit this week was a Sensorial activity in our practical life area focused on pouring and spooning. We added a twist by using vinegar instead of water for pouring and baking soda instead of regular objects for spooning. The fizzing sound and bubbling reaction brought by mixing baking soda with vinegar brought priceless smiles and laughter to your children. This was definitely a favorite activity!

On another note, we had double the fun during Sharing Time this week (we ran out of time last week). The children delighted in sharing one day their favorite hats and another day their favorite instruments. We ended up having an impromptu fashion show and a great musical concert! It was a fabulous experience for the whole class.

Lastly, we couldn’t finish this beautiful week without a celebration! Another friend turned 3 years old, and we couldn’t be happier to celebrate her! What a privilege to see her grow!

A big thank you to all the parents who came to support the FWM children during the spring concert and joined us for the school picnic. Your presence and support mean so much to us!

As we honor the brave men and women who have sacrificed their lives in service to our country, we wish you a wonderful Memorial Day weekend.

Warm regards,

Mrs. Hood and Ms. Mollie

Mrs. Hood: Awe, Wonder and Big Smiles!

Posted on by Andrea Hood

Another vibrant week has flown by, and I can’t believe how fast time is moving! Here’s a peek into all the wonderful things we’ve been up to:

Apart from exploring new works in the environment, our little learners keep delving into the fascinating world of butterflies. With match-work cards and model objects, the children  learned about the stages of a butterfly’s life cycle. Egg, Caterpillar, Chrysalis and Butterfly are vocabulary words that we have used over and over in our environment.  We observed  our own caterpillars munching on the food and were super thrilled to watch as the caterpillars formed “J” shapes, signaling the start of their metamorphosis, then we got to watch them as they  transformed  into chrysalises! To say that our environment  has been filled with awe and wonder, is an understatement.

Through lively discussions, we explored the importance of butterflies in the insect family and learned about their body parts—head, thorax, abdomen, six legs, antennae, and wings. Children have also explored and learned about  grasshoppers, ladybugs, ants, dragonflies, flies and bees through object models and live insects as we find during our outdoor explorations.

On another note, This week  we welcomed a delightful new addition to our classroom—a dollhouse! It quickly became a favorite spot for language work as the children learned about different parts of a house and the names of family members. With so much  enthusiasm, they explored each room, identified familiar objects, and interacted with the tiny family members. The dollhouse sparked creativity and imagination, becoming a beloved centerpiece of our classroom.

Of course, our week wouldn’t be complete without some sensory exploration and celebration. We savored the sweet delights of cherries during our food tasting lesson, and what better way to celebrate than with a special birthday? We joyously marked the milestone of our youngest student turning two years old, a reminder of how swiftly time flies when surrounded by love and learning.

Please, find below the butterfly dance the children have been learning this week. They really enjoy the song and ask for it often. I encourage you to put the volume up as ask your children to show you the dance steps, I bet they would love that!

Enjoy the weekend,

Mrs. Hood and Mrs. Mollie

Mrs. Sargeant: A Peek at the Week

Posted on by Christine Sargeant

“Learning to use the toilet is a natural process that begins when your child’s desire to be grown up and his neurological development have reached the point where he can control his bladder and bowels. We don’t train children to use the toilet, we support them when they are ready.” (How to Raise an Amazing Child: The Montessori way to bring up caring confident children, by Tim Seldin)

With summer being just around the corner, we have received a few questions about toilet learning. Here are some Montessori tips:

-Once the child is showing interest in using the toilet, the bathroom can be set up to give the child as much independence as possible. Keeping a supply of dry clothes in the bathroom is convenient. Consider a stool so that the child can reach both the toilet and sink. Rags for cleaning up can be helpful.

When a child has involvement in the process, the child has ownership of the process too, not the adult.

-Incorporate using the toilet into the child’s routine. Invite them to sit on the toilet upon waking, before going out, after lunch, etc. 

-Choose clothing that supports independence.  Clothing needs to be easy to put on and take off. Bottoms need to be loose-fitting to make it easier to independently pull up and push down (i.e., no skinny jeans). Elastic waistbands are great.  Your toddler also needs to be able to remove clothes quickly to make it to the toilet in time. It can be difficult to push clothes down quickly if they are too small/tight or if there are buttons, snaps, or buckles to undo first. 

–Because children are in control of whether or not they use the toilet, the language you use with your child is very important. The goal is to empower them and their growing desire for independence without starting a power struggle or inadvertently causing feelings of shame or failure.

When they don’t make it in time…
If a child becomes wet, stay calm and reassuring. For example, you might say, “I see you are wet. Let’s go get some dry clothes.”  Your child can get them from the supply in the bathroom and even help wipe the floor and wash their hands. Let them change at their own pace and provide help if they ask or if they are overwhelmed.

It is important to create a supportive, respectful environment that encourages your child’s natural progression toward toilet independence. We are always happy to answer questions or offer guidance with toileting.

Highlights from our week:

The caterpillars have started to form chrysalises. The children have been very excited to observe the changes. We can’t wait to see what will happen next!

We explored kiwi this week as our Food Tasting experience. It was well-received!

We’ve been learning the names of birds and insects.

We celebrated a friend’s 2nd birthday and read one of his favorite books, Dragons Love Tacos. Then we shared a special birthday snack of Milano cookies. 

It was a great week! Enjoy the weekend with your families. 

-Christine & Lizette