On Sunday, May 1, Fraser Woods Montessori School hosted our Annual Spring Get-Together and Auction: Let’s Get Acquainted at Aquila’s!

What a special event!

Because of the pandemic, it has been three years since the FWM community last came together to celebrate. Getting through these last two years has taught all of us the meaning and the importance of community. A sense of belonging to a greater community improves your health, and happiness. When you see your connection to others, there is comfort in that.

Our Fraser Woods community is so very special.  Coming together and celebrating the greatest thing we share in common – the children and the experience they have at Fraser Woods, created an energy that was clear to see amid the smiles, laughter and good time had by all. 

We have built a strong sense of community at FWM and you made it so. THANK YOU!

Thank you to all of you who joined us to celebrate FWM!! Thank you for your generosity and support. Thank you to everyone, who could not be there in person, but participated digitally. We have so much to be grateful for and we are so excited for the momentum that this event has built.

This year’s fundraiser supports FWM’s Fund-A-Need campaign: FWM’s new Fabrication Laboratory or FAB LAB. 

Each year the Fund-A-Need is an initiative that carefully creates a curated experience or physical space for our young learners that reflect the Montessori philosophy and optimize child development. Please take a moment to click on the link below to see a video presentation for the FAB LAB. 

Because of the generosity of our FWM community we raised:

$99,387.23

Celebrating together with our current families, alumni parents, grandparents, trustees, our faculty and staff, sponsors, and friends of the school is always tremendously meaningful.  

On behalf of Fraser Woods Montessori School, we would like to thank you for your generosity, support and your commitment to the children and our school community.

Please click on the bottom link below to see some pictures from Let’s Get Acquainted at Aquila’s. 

2022’s Fund-A-Need Video: FAB LAB

2022 Spring Get-Together Photo Show

The end of the school year is quickly approaching, and some of our students who are moving into a new classroom in the fall will be starting their transitions now by spending part of their school day in their future classrooms.

In the coming weeks, fifth year students will visit our Middle School, Lower Elementary third year students will visit Upper Elementary, and Kindergarten students will visit Lower Elementary.  In addition, we will have our second year Toddler students visit in Primary in the coming weeks.

The experience of spending time in the next environment helps the students learn about their future classrooms and ease their concerns about moving up.

One of the wonderful things about the three-year cycle is that when a child moves into a new classroom, they will get to renew friendships with older classmates who already moved up the year (or two) before. Many students are excited to be with their old friends again. The rising students are happy to see the friends they already know and this helps them feel more comfortable in the environment.

Feeling at ease with other children of all ages in a supportive, non-competitive environment gives our school the feeling that we are a big family.

Throughout the building, we see every day how the older children know the little ones by name, and the little ones often light up when they see one of the older students on the hallway.

Seeing an older child as a resource takes on more importance since new students are paired with a mentor. The children learn everything from how to have snack to what the daily work cycle and lessons look like.

The teacher will bring the students to their future classroom for a morning visit. For toddlers this may be only 20 or 30 minutes. The older students will spend more time. During their visits, the children are presented with appropriate activities to do and are given a taste of how the classroom works.

Moving up visits are a good example of the Montessori idea of: “follow the child.”

We look to the child to see what specific support is needed to make them feel comfortable and at ease about the visit.

If more support is needed, we can take a step back if we need to, move at a slower pace, or create baby steps. It is our goal to help the child transition with success.

Transitions take time once the new school year begins as well. It can take a few weeks before the child fully adjusts to the new classroom, routine and expectations.

It can also take parents time to adjust to the new routines, too. If you have concerns about your child’s transition, you can contact their current teacher. Parents, you are also welcome to schedule an observation in your child’s future classroom or schedule a time to meet and talk with their future teachers.

Open communication between parents, children and teachers is imperative. We want our children to have a positive and joyful learning experience.

We are looking forward to celebrating our FWM community at our Spring Get-Together.

Let’s Get Acquainted at Aquila’s on Sunday, May 1st from 4:00-8:00 at Aquila’s Nest Vineyards.

Irene Baker, MEd, Montessori Educational Consultant at Montessori Services wrote a wonderful article for Montessori Services that talks about how we can celebrate Earth Day every day.  

Here are some highlights from the article Celebrating Earth Day 

Earth Day (April 22) is an annual reminder to go outdoors with our children and celebrate the beauty and bounty of the Earth.

At each level at FWM our students learned about, celebrated, and honored Earth Day!

The first Earth Day was held in the US in 1970 when concern about the environment and interest in ecology was on the rise.

Ways to Celebrate Earth Day Every Day

There are so many fun and interesting activities to do with your children to appreciate nature and to help protect Earth and its resources. Your family can:

• Plant a container herb garden.
• Consider saving food scraps for composting.
• Sprout seeds for eating.
• Visit a local farmers’ market. (Eating seasonal, local foods means fewer miles traveled, and less energy used to preserve and deliver food.)
• Go for nature walks and pick up trash.
• Save a tree by using dishtowels and cloth napkins instead of paper products.
• Cook a one-pot meal together: stews, soups and casseroles use less energy.
• Experiment with using vinegar, lemon juice, and baking soda as natural cleaning products.
• Create art projects together from natural and recycled materials (such as a pine cone bird feeder).

Older children might enjoy:

• Making a worm box.
• Keeping a conservation diary for a week, noting when someone in the family:
  • turns off lights,
  • walks instead of driving the car,
  • takes a shorter shower,
  • turns off the TV and plays outside.

Maria Montessori understood the importance of nurturing children’s connections with the beauty and wonder of the natural world. She wrote, “There is no description, no image in any book that is capable of replacing the sight of real trees, and all of the life to be found around them in a real forest.” ~ Maria Montessori, From Childhood to Adolescence

Let’s Get Acquainted at Aquila’s

This week we are truly gearing up for our annual Spring Get-Together and Auction at Aquila’s Nest Vineyards on May 1. We have had several parent volunteers in school during the day working with the children on their Class Gifts. We can feel the excitement in the air from the children and their parents!

If you have not done so already, please get your tickets today! We look forward to celebrating our FWM community! Register at fwm22.givesmart.com

The Masamune Mystery

Our Middle School’s production of The Masamune Mystery last Friday night was fantastic! The students did an amazing job! Together with Mrs. Lamb, the students wrote the play. They created the plot, the characters, wrote the acts and the scenes, and told their story. Under the guidance of Mrs. Sutherland, their acting and blocking advisor, the students decided how they wanted it to look, visualized the set, decided on the stage layout, blocked each and every scene, and prepared for rehearsal each day. Mr. Brown led the student light and sound technicians and our stage crew. Mrs. Reid and Mr. Fuchs were the set advisors. It felt SO good to have all our middle school families attend FWM’s Black Box Theater (aka the gym) for the performance! BRAVO to our very talented students and kudos to the team of teachers working with them!

There is so much beauty to see in Montessori and I am grateful to witness it each and every day!

In-School COVID Testing Update

In my weekly communication on Friday, February 25, we shared that our in-school COVID testing would be offered until April 8, at which point we would reevaluate weekly in-school testing.

Our data since the early January omicron surge have shown only two positive cases in our weekly testing.  Both of these cases were in asymptomatic individuals. At this time we will suspend our weekly in-school PCR testing. Rapid antigen tests are available to send home should you want to test your symptomatic or exposed children. Please let the nurse or the Business Office know if you would like to receive rapid tests.

We will continue to monitor the current climate and make any necessary adjustments.

Each spring, Fraser Woods Montessori families from past and present gather to celebrate our community. We are thrilled to bring back this annual tradition of our spring get-together and auction.  On Sunday, May 1st, from 4-8 p.m. our community will come together for our 26th auction to truly get acquainted after two years of being careful to avoid large gatherings here at school in order to protect the community from the spread of covid.

This year, FWM welcomed over 50 new children to our school. We can’t wait to bring together those new to the community and those members who have been a part of FWM for years and years. This get-together at Aquila’s Nest Vineyards gives us a chance to enjoy a pleasant evening, meeting and reconnecting with other FWM parents!   

Your ticket to the auction includes an evening in a most beautiful setting- perched high on the top of a hill, with extensive views of rolling vineyards, and a spectacular sunset. Aquila’s Nest Vineyards is the ideal venue for all of us to get (re)acquainted. 

In addition, this event is also a fundraiser. As with any independent school, tuition only covers a portion of the operating expenses needed to run the school. The remainder is made through fundraising and donation efforts, and our Annual Auction has been a key part of that effort.

The Auction consists of a Silent Auction, a Live Auction, and a live Fund-A-Need round of bidding. The Silent Auction is conducted online via GiveSmart. In the days before the event, you will receive a text with instructions on how to bid using your mobile device. If you are unable to join us in-person at Aquila’s, you are invited to participate in the silent auction which opens virtually on Monday, April 25th. 

The Live Auction is conducted by a guest auctioneer. This is where the night gets fun, and sometimes a little crazy — in a good way! Items generally included in the Live Auction are a combination of unique opportunities, school/classroom/teacher experiences, and Class Gifts “made” by the children.

Once all bidding is concluded, you will be notified which items you won via GiveSmart on your mobile device – please collect them before you leave!

Each year, the school designates a particular area of need for the school, and donations to the Fund-A-Need are earmarked specifically for these projects and items. Stay tuned for details about the 2022 Fund-A-Need.

Please join us and celebrate FWM! 

Sunday, May 1st, 2022

4:00 – 8:00 p.m.

Aquila’s Nest Vineyards

Sandy Hook

Register at fwm22.givesmart.com

Immersion Week in a Montessori School is an excellent example of the experiential, real world learning that our students participate in.

It combines challenging academic discussion surrounding playwriting, play production, and performance. 

Under the guidance of our incredible team of Middle School teachers and Mrs. Reid, our Art teacher, the students experience a week long (sometimes longer) immersion in the process. Working with Mrs. Lamb, the students write the play. They create the plot, create the characters, write the acts and the scenes, and tell their story. Under the guidance of Mrs. Sutherland, the students decide how they want it to look, visualize the set, decide on the stage layout and block each and every scene, and prepare for rehearsal each day. Mr. Brown leads the students who make up our light and sound technicians and our stage crew. 

A Montessori Immersion program satisfies the adolescent’s sensitivity to issues of justice, their need for a sense of belonging and self-worth, and their desire for creativity, self-expression and productivity. The academics and the management of immersion week gives the students opportunities for group collaboration and individual success which meld together to nurture a community of thriving young adolescents.

It is hard to believe that after this week’s erratic weather, the first day of spring (the vernal equinox) is right around the corner on March 20th.

Spring has always been the season of new beginnings. Flowers begin to bud and bloom, animals begin to wake, and we welcome a sense of renewal. There is energy and enthusiasm for what comes next.

As FWM plans for the next school year, our commitment to making our school a safe and kind place for all members of the community; a place where everyone feels seen and heard is at the forefront of all we do.  We are committed to nurturing and challenging students in developmentally appropriate ways, creating an environment where children and adolescents can make mistakes and learn from them. FWM is committed to supporting students to find their voice and forge their path.

Montessori has always placed importance on education, child and adolescent development, the emphasis on collaboration, choice, curiosity, discovery, and relevant learning. These values are paramount at Fraser Woods, as is the attention paid to character and social/emotional development.  

With spring weather, comes spending more time outdoors!

Children love the outdoors and should be encouraged to explore all nature has to offer them.  Flowers, bugs, gardening, butterflies, and more!  

In our Montessori classrooms, activities for springtime encourage your child to explore, to probe, to discover, to learn, to create and to respect.

Some of the lessons, activities, and works your child experiences in the classroom can be carried over to home.

Rainbows

Spring is a wonderful time to talk about rainbows. Spend time searching for rainbows after rainstorms, and consider getting a prism like the one in your child’s classroom to let your child explore rainbows even on sunny days. Enjoy recognizing the order of the colors.

Daily weather report

Each day during morning meeting, one of our students observes what they see outside and they give the class a daily weather report.  You might supply your child with some drawing paper in a booklet and encourage them to draw or paint the weather each day and see how it changes over time.

Study butterflies

Children are clearly fascinated by butterflies and spring is a great time to study them. You can simply read a book or two with your child.  In some of our classes, your child will observe the transformation from caterpillar to a butterfly with a live butterfly kit which will be set up in the classroom.

Create a nature table

One of the favorite works in the classroom is the nature table. At home, you can designate a space such as a small table or even a tray or basket, and allow your child to collect interesting things they find in nature. Include a magnifying glass!

There are so many children’s books about spring.  Here is a link to a list of 25 Montessori Friendly Books for Spring

Update on Security Guard

Our security guard will be back in place on Monday, March 28. Rich Maurizio is one of the security guards that worked at our school several years ago. Some of you may remember Rich. We are happy to welcome him back.

Summer Camp

Summer Camp registration is now open! 

Log into MyFWM, go to the Parents module and click on FWM Programs.

Fraser Woods Spring Get Together + Auction!

Let’s Get Acquainted at Aquila’s 

Register at fwm22.givesmart.com

Reminders

FWM will be closed for the next two weeks for our March break. School resumes on Monday, March 28.

If you are traveling over the break, please review the CDC recommendations for travel. We sent home rapid COVID tests with your children. Please consider testing your child before returning to school on Monday, March 28. You will not need to submit the results. This is for your piece of mind as we return to school. 

Thank you for all you do to keep our FWM community healthy and safe. 

Wishing you all a peaceful and relaxing spring break!

Meet and Greet with David Newman

On Thursday evening, we welcomed our families to FWM for some light refreshments and to meet and talk with David Newman, our incoming Head of School.

This was the first community gathering on campus to occur since early in 2020 and parents were excited to reconnect with one another and meet Mr. Newman- there is nothing quite like meeting in person!

It made our hearts full to see our close-knit community gather together again and it reminded us of why we are all a part of Fraser Woods Montessori School.

Families were grateful for the opportunity to say hello, enjoy a few laughs, learn a little bit more about David and welcome him to FWM, and David was delighted to connect with so many families. We look forward to our next Meet and Greet to take place later in the Spring.

New Research Highlights The Long-Term Benefits Of A Montessori Education

This article in FORBES.COM impressed me for two reasons. First, the author, Mark Travers, Ph.D., is a psychologist and contributor to the Innovation-Science column of the online magazine, not the Education column. Second, in his article, he shares the work of Dr. Angeline Lillard.

Dr. Angeline Lillard is a professor of psychology at the University of Virginia who has been studying Montessori’s methods for more than two decades. In her  book Montessori: The Science behind the Genius, Dr. Lillard presents Montessori’s theoretical principles, the scientific research that has followed them, and how they are implemented in a Montessori classroom.

The article talks about a research study that presents more evidence that a Montessori education may be superior to traditional methods of education, especially on measures relating to students’ long-term psychological health and well-being.

“The study is one more data point in a growing body of research suggesting Montessori pedagogy is better for humans than is the common model,” says Lillard. “And, since it is over 100 years since people began implementing Montessori, it has been beta-tested — we know how to implement this pedagogy and are doing so all over the world. More people should know about it.”

Please enjoy the full FORBES Article: New Research Highlights The Long-Term Benefits Of A Montessori Education