As we conclude our phase-in period, we couldn’t be more thrilled to share our enthusiasm for the incredible progress we’ve already witnessed in each of your precious toddlers! The journey has just begun, and it’s already filled with moments of discovery and growth.

As the days go by, your children are settling into their routines more comfortably. There are fewer tears at drop-off time and more moments filled with dancing and giggles throughout the morning. The children have been eagerly exploring their new learning environment, becoming more familiar with us, their peers, and the physical space around them. Our classroom is designed to nurture independence, encourage freedom of choice, and foster a deep respect for each other, the materials, and the shared space. Gradually, your children will learn how to navigate this newfound freedom while demonstrating care and consideration for one another.

We have introduced some essential ground rules. One of these rules is “Respect for Others’ Work.” While sharing is a vital concept, it is a task that most children at this age are not developmentally ready for. Instead, we encourage the idea of taking turns, promoting patience, mindfulness, independence, order, and concentration. Children are learning to assert their need for independent work by saying, “This is my work. Please don’t touch.” It’s remarkable to witness how even our youngest learners can begin mastering these valuable skills with the right guidance and encouragement.

Another important rule we’ve introduced is “We Respect our Materials.” We, as guides, model the importance of handling materials gently and with care throughout the day. When a child decides to throw a material, we gently redirect them to use one of the balls and provide simple verbal cues on how materials should be handled. Ex: “We throw a ball.” “We are gentle with our materials”. This approach fosters a sense of responsibility and respect for their learning tools.

On a different note, our toddlers have had a blast exploring our outdoor space. They’ve also been practicing sitting in a community circle, bonding with our classroom pets, Lizzo and Scooter (two beautiful leopard geckos), and transitioning from place to place around the school using the rope, a.k.a. “The choo-choo train.” Some favorite songs from this week included Walking in the Jungle by Super Simple Songs, Walk Around by Nancy Kopman, The Goldfish by Laurie Berkner, and classics like The Wheels on the Bus and Old McDonald Had a Farm by Cedarmont Kids. As we have been focusing on studying the animals of the farm and their sounds, children have also loved the books Noisy Farm by Tiger Tales and The Farmyard Jamboree by Barefoot Books as some of their favorites.

Now, we invite you to please mark your calendars for an event you won’t want to miss. Join us next Thursday, September 21st, from 5:30-7:00 p.m. for our Curriculum Night. This special evening will provide you with an opportunity to explore our learning environment, gain insights into our curriculum areas, and get a glimpse of the materials and experiences that will enrich your children’s educational journey. We are here to support you every step of the way, so don’t hesitate to bring your curiosity and questions with you!

Enjoy the photos,

Mrs.Hood and Ms. Mollie

Reminder: Tuesday September 19th- School Photo day

Thank you for adhering to your child’s scheduled, staggered arrival and dismissal times. Unless your child has a sibling at the primary, elementary, or middle school levels, or you have registered for early drop-off, arrival for toddlers is from 8:30 to 8:45, and dismissal is at 2:45. 

Of course, we had to finish our school year with a wonderful gym field day! The air quality outdoors might have stolen our water day, but it didn’t take away the joy and the fun of enjoying time together, doing what toddlers really love: RUNNING!! The children had so much fun, and we loved watching them laugh and challenge themselves.

We set up a huge obstacle course where children had to grab a bean bag, crawl inside tunnels, hop over hula hoops, slide under rainbows, balance on the balance beam, jump high in the jumping station, ride a long horse, tip-toe on colorful dots and climb a mountain to bring the bean bag to its destiny, then… repeat it again! Of course! 🙂

We also had a great time playing together with our friends from Mrs. Wilson’s class using the giant parachute! Parachutes will be forever magical, even to us grown-ups! And as it had to be, we finished our “Uff! … Busy morning,” as one of the toddlers expressed with a delicious ice pop! Yum!

Looking through school pictures, I cannot stop the overwhelming feeling of thankfulness! I know we have said it before, but we need to say it one more time: Thank you for entrusting us with your little ones and walking next to us to give them the best experience each day!

We give them back to you pounds heavier, inches taller, months wiser, more independent, confident, and mature than they were back in September. They did a great job unfolding and growing each day, and we feel honored to have witnessed it. They, for sure, will continue to be part of our lives. Even though some of them will be moving up a level, remember that we will always be interested in your children and their destiny-wherever they go, whatever they do, and whoever they become.

They are truly precious to us!

Enjoy the contrasting pictures of the first weeks and the last weeks of school of your child in our Toddler program!

Reminder: Please join us at the Crossing the Bridge ceremony- Toddler graduation, next Wednesday, 6/14, at 9:45 by the FWM bear!

Love,

Mrs. Hood and Ms. Marissa

Is it true? How’s it possible!? Are we really a couple of days away from ending our school year? It seems like yesterday when we welcomed the toddlers into our classroom! Your children have been working like busy bees from day one and have challenged themselves in every way. We couldn’t be more proud to see how much each of them has accomplished in different areas, one being great social-emotional development. It’s incredible to see the type of friendships born between them and how socialization has started to be very important to them. This is a great sign of growth!

At the beginning of the school year, it is usual to see a lot of toddlers parallel playing… children are aware of other little human beings around them, but they are not interested in really connecting with them. They might look into each other’s eyes, but as their thinking is still so concrete, they just seem more interested in the “little ball” with the nice color that moves, so it’s logical they decide to explore it. This is what we usually call: poking each other’s eyes. It’s common to see a toddler curiously trying to explore another child’s face with their index finger and the other toddler thinking he is just receiving something to taste. Yeap! We call that one finger biting! Ouch!

Thankfully the connection has developed, and as they have matured, it’s now common to see the children waiting for their friends at the door, inviting each other to play together, having logical conversations, joking and making each other laugh, hugging and verbally expressing their affection for each other. Amigos are the best!

As we enjoyed the last few days together as a little family, we spent quality time outdoors this week singing, walking, running, building, digging, chasing each other, laying in the sun, talking, and exploring nature. We also explored peas for food tasting!

We can’t wait for all the fun planned for the next few days. Thursday, 6/8, is our Toddler’s Water Day, and we will have our Crossing the Bridge ceremony on Wednesday, 6/14. Please refer to the email sent with all the instructions.

We wish you a beautiful weekend,

Mrs. Hood and Ms. Marissa

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.

As we continued our studies of birds this week, the children 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. 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!

In our language area, we have added a wooden family house. This is an excellent platform for enhancing a child’s cognitive abilities. As toddlers manipulate the house’s dolls, furniture, and accessories, they improve their fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. Additionally, arranging the furniture, organizing the rooms, and categorizing the items encourage logical thinking and spatial awareness. This work also stimulates imagination, creativity, language development, emotional intelligence, and social interaction. This is definitely a favorite work in our environment these days.

For food tasting, we explored a delicious plum, and it got 99% of likeness! I am confident we can still convince our one friend who didn’t want to try it! 😉

Enjoy the holiday weekend!

Mrs. Hood and Ms. Marissa