Mrs. Hood: Listen Up!

Posted on by Andrea Hood

In a world filled with distractions, developing concentration and focus is becoming increasingly challenging for young children. Sensorial works in Montessori education promote the development of these essential skills. Toddlers engage in activities that require sustained attention, such as sorting objects by size or shape, arranging objects in a specific order, completing puzzles, and more. These tasks demand concentration, enabling toddlers to develop their ability to focus for extended periods, a skill that will benefit them in all areas of life.

This week, we initiated our studies on birds. Cardinal, blue jay, woodpecker, robin, warbler, indigo bunting, and oriole are names you hear over and over in our environment. The children also received a lesson on the birds’ calls and songs. Children are learning to identify each bird sound through a fun work where the children press a button, hear the bird, and have to match the picture card with the sound. As every work in our environment has a control of error built within it, the child has the opportunity to self-correct by matching the color dot behind the card to the color of the button, helping the child to match the sound to the correct bird. As children practice this work, they will learn to identify the birds just by listening, and they won’t need to look at the back of the card anymore to be successful. After the children have matched the sound to the picture, they reinforce their visual skills by matching the picture to the model of the bird, learning to recognize them visually as well.  To say that this has been a big favorite work is an understatement! It has been precious observing the children taking the time to listen carefully and observe the details of the birds’ pictures. We hope you can take time with your toddler around your backyard and listen to some birds singing! Your toddler might surprise you by recognizing the name of the bird!

On another note, we had a super fun food-tasting lesson this week. We explored mushrooms! Thanks to the Calcagnini family, we enjoyed some special mushrooms from their mushroom farm! The children explored lion’s mane, trumpet, and oyster mushrooms. They enjoyed the tactile sensation of these different mushrooms. Some of them really enjoyed the taste and kept asking for more.

Lastly, Grandparents and Special Friends Day was a success! Thanks to all the families that participated! The children are always so excited to show off all that they can do!

Enjoy the weekend,

Mrs. Hood and Ms. Mollie

Mrs. Wilson: Earth Day and Grandparents and Special Friends Day!

Posted on by Cynthia Wilson

This week, we started by making Earth Day placemats. We used green and blue markers on a coffee filter and sprayed it a few times to watch the colors spread and create a beautiful Earth-like pattern. In addition, we have started recycling plastic, paper, and cardboard packaging as our contribution towards the environment. During recess time, the children pretended to clean up the trash (sticks, rocks, and mulch) on the ground and filled up the dump trucks together.

It was lovely to have all of the grandparents and special friends. The children were excited to show off all their favorite lessons and to introduce their friends and teachers. We hope they had as much fun as we did!

Food Tasting: This week, we tasted black and Spanish olives. The majority of the children liked the black olives the best.

Mrs. Sargeant: A Peek at the Week

Posted on by Christine Sargeant

The highlight of the week was Grandparents and Special Friends Day. We saw true joy on the children’s faces as they showed their loved ones around the classroom. Thank you all for coming and taking an interest and spending some special time with your beloved toddlers. 

We also celebrated a friend’s birthday this week. This birthday was a little different, as he was the first to turn three years old! We enjoyed doughnut holes as we listened to Happy Birthday by the Ting Tings and read a book about a dinosaur who played baseball. The children’s favorite part of celebrating their friends’ birthdays is to look at their baby photos. It is truly heartwarming to see them take such an interest.

In celebration of Earth Day this week,  we delved into discussions about our precious planet and the importance of taking care of it. We emphasized the significance of properly disposing of trash in either the garbage or recycling bins. The children had the opportunity to paint Earth using blue and green paint, which represented water and land. 

We’ve been exploring fascinating African wildlife, including zebras, giraffes, hippopotamuses, rhinoceroses, elephants, and more. Our learning journey has involved reading books, visual matching activities, puzzles, and, of course, vocabulary enrichment. 

We tasted both black and green olives this week. A handful of the children could not get enough of the green ones; a few seemed to like the black, and another group did not appear to be fond of either type. There are hundreds of different types of olives, so we encouraged the children to try others at home. We discussed olive oil, as the connection was brought up by one of the children. 

Enjoy the weekend! Christine & Lizette

Mrs. Hood: Band time!

Posted on by Andrea Hood

Maria Montessori used the scientific method to study children’s natural learning processes. She found that the child absorbs the culture they are in effortlessly and without fatigue between the ages of birth – six. Whatever the child is exposed to is internalized by the child and accepted into the child’s own being, imprinted on their soul. If a child is surrounded by music, the child will be a musical person. If a child hears their parents singing, the child will sing. If a child sees their parents dancing, the child will dance.

She called this the child’s “Absorbent Mind.”

In our environment, children are exposed to meaningful music experiences every day. Whole-body movement songs, singing, finger-plays, and instrument times are always part of our morning routine. There is a shelf exclusively for musical instruments, and these get rotated during the year so children learn the names of the instruments they are playing, and they learn how to play them properly. One main part of our group music lessons includes grace and courtesy. Through this, the children learn to recognize the importance of being polite and waiting until everybody gets their instrument before selecting a song and grabbing their instrument to play! This is a great exercise, especially for toddlers who tend to be so impulsive, but we are happy to report they all are so capable at this!  Children are directed to recognize hand gestures for tempo, dynamics, and their favorite: the closing of the song. They all love to hold their fists up and watch how everybody’s instrument stops at the same time! Their smiles say it all! We call this our “band time.”

As always, we had fun exploring food, and this week, we enjoyed some delicious avocados! We also spent meaningful time outdoors enjoying this beautiful spring weather, from feeling the soft breeze and warmth of sunny days to having a blast and getting soaked while jumping in puddles under the soft rain!

Lastly, children explored the color orange this week by mixing yellow and red paint in the easel, playing games around the classroom to look for orange objects, and talking about the different orange objects they chose to bring for Sharing Time! We had great fun!

Enjoy the  weekend,

Mrs. Andrea and Ms. Mollie

Mrs. Wilson: Here, Birdy Birdy! Oh Hello, Muddy Puddles!

Posted on by Cynthia Wilson

Our week was full of fun experiences. We kicked off the week by taking advantage of the beautiful weather and spent some quality time outside, enjoying the warmth of the sun and soaking up some vitamin D. I introduced the children to the Pikler Triangle, and they had a blast climbing it as far as they felt comfortable. Some climbed only a few rungs or up the ramp while others were ready to climb up and over. I must say, they were all quite impressive!

On Thursday, we had a super fun activity where the children painted white cardboard tubes to make binoculars. We headed outside to see if we could spot any birds, but unfortunately, we only saw a couple of birds that flew away quickly to avoid getting wet from the rain. But you know what? The children didn’t mind at all because they found lots of muddy puddles in our driveway! We put the binoculars away and jumped and splashed in the puddles until our clothes were completely soaked. What a great time we had!

Food Tasting: This week, the children had the opportunity to taste garbanzo beans, also known as chickpeas, in three different ways. First, they tried the garbanzo beans as they are, then they all tasted it as hummus, and finally, they tried them toasted. The children seemed to enjoy the different varieties.

As we head into the warmer weather, I just want to remind you that even in the rain, we’ll still be going outside, so please send your child in with rain boots and a raincoat on rainy days. Can’t wait to see what next week brings!

Mrs. Sargeant: A Peek at the Week

Posted on by Christine Sargeant

 

This week, many of our discussions revolved around instilling a deep respect for books. We have placed a few regular books onto the bookshelf, (as opposed to board books) and have discussed the importance of caring for them tenderly. As always, we’d love it if this could be reinforced at home. 

In addition to books, your children love music! As soon as we finish singing one song, their symphony of “more, more, more” begins. I will attach one of their recent favorites, called These Are My Glasses, by Laurie Berkner. The children love to open and close their imaginary book.

Additionally, we’ve delved into the world of yoga, exploring various poses together, fostering mindfulness and relaxation.

The children explored the versatility of chickpeas, also known as garbanzo beans. They eagerly embraced the experience, delighting in the chance to spread hummus onto pita bread. 

We all enjoyed the rejuvenating spring weather this week on the playground. We took a walk and found buds growing on trees, as we discussed the change of seasons. 

We are looking forward to the week ahead! Christine & Lizette

Mrs. Wilson: Toileting in the Montessori Classroom

Posted on by Cynthia Wilson

Maria Montessori discovered that children have sensitive periods during their development. These are specific time frames when children are particularly open to learning certain skills or concepts. During these periods, children become highly focused, repeat activities, and show a strong inclination toward specific tasks. For toddlers, the most prominent sensitive periods are related to order, movement, language, independence, and socialization. 

During the sensitive period for independence, toddlers tend to crave autonomy. They feel the need to do things by themselves and assert their budding sense of agency. This is an excellent opportunity to encourage self-help skills, such as feeding, dressing, and toileting independently. 

In our classroom, we have children at different stages of toilet training. While some have almost mastered it, others are showing only slight interest. As a prepared environment, we have set up child-sized toilets and sinks that encourage most toddlers to take control of their own needs. 

Toilet training is not just about learning how to use the toilet; it also involves developing self-care skills and building confidence. Our role is to guide and support children, encouraging them to take the lead in their toileting journey. During a child’s early years, they can control three things: eating, sleeping, and toileting. 

Here are some ways to assist your child with toilet training at home: 

  1. Stand up diapering and allow the child to be a part of the process. 
  2. Offer the toilet at every diaper change. Use opportunities for natural motivation (e.g., we are going to use the toilet before going outside).
  3. Dress your child in loose clothing, especially elastic waistband pants without buttons that allow the child to push down and pull up successfully. 
  4. Avoid using negative connotations (e.g., stinky, dirty, accidents, etc.).
  5. Become familiar with your child’s elimination patterns.
  6. Follow the child.

Food Tasting: While creating the food-tasting schedule, I included new foods we don’t usually have. Typically, we only stick to fruits and vegetables, which we show both whole and cooked. We will taste black beans, garbanzo beans (chickpeas), and green and black olives for the next three weeks.

This week, the children tasted cooked black beans. Most of the children liked black beans.

And one last message……

With the Gala just around the corner on April 27th, we can’t wait to see our families there, adding to the warmth and love of the evening. Sara and I will be there, shining bright and ready to hit the dance floor. But what would truly make the evening complete is having you there with us.

If you haven’t already secured your ticket, consider this a friendly reminder to do so by April 22nd. Trust us, you won’t want to miss out on this extraordinary event. It’s not just a Gala; it’s a celebration of community, togetherness, and the bonds that unite us.

So, mark your calendar, dust off your shiniest attire, and get ready to join us for a night to remember. Let’s make memories together at the Gala!

http://fraserwoods.com/auction

A message from Middle School: Order your 8th-grade-designed 2024 FWM sweatshirt ASAP! Orders close on April 27! Click here to order.

Love and Light,

Cynthia and Sara

Mrs. Hood: Sharing Time!

Posted on by Andrea Hood

In recent weeks, we’ve witnessed a blossoming of language in our classroom that’s been truly remarkable. Children are eagerly sharing stories, crafting narratives, posing thoughtful questions, and engaging in conversations with their peers like never before.

In response to this wonderful surge in vocabulary and communication skills, we introduced a cherished activity this week: Sharing Time! Personally, I adore this activity as it offers your child a platform to nurture their expressive language abilities. Through Sharing Time, they’re learning to organize their thoughts coherently, select appropriate words, and articulate their ideas clearly—an invaluable skill set they’re already mastering with such enthusiasm!

But the benefits extend far beyond language development. Sharing Time is also a powerful confidence booster. As children share snippets of their world with each other, they bask in the attention of their peers, realizing that their stories matter and that others are genuinely interested in what they have to say. Witnessing their beaming faces as they take their turn to share and seeing how proud they are is truly priceless. And let’s not forget the coveted teacher’s chair—the ultimate symbol of importance in their eyes!

Moreover, Sharing Time serves as an early foray into public speaking, fostering confidence in a nurturing and familiar setting. It’s a joy to watch as children hone their receptive language skills, attentively listening to and comprehending their friends’ words.

As Guides, we treasure Sharing Time as a window into your child’s world—a chance for us to observe and assess their speech and language skills, social interactions, emotional needs, independence levels, and self-esteem while also gaining insights into their interests and passions.

We’re grateful for your continued support and for the thoughtful notes you send along in your child’s bag. They provide invaluable prompts for meaningful conversations.

And speaking of community support, the much-anticipated FWM Gala is just around the corner! We’re eagerly anticipating the opportunity to connect with all of you, indulge in delicious food, and hit the dance floor for some fun-filled moments. If you haven’t secured your tickets yet, there’s still time—let’s make this event one to remember!

A message from Middle School: Order your 8th-grade-designed 2024 FWM sweatshirt ASAP! Orders close on April 27! Click here to order.

In the meantime, enjoy a glimpse of our week through some pics.

Warm regards,

Mrs. Hood and Ms. Mollie