Yes, absolutely curriculum goals for Toddlers!

Imagine your 16-month old feeding herself with a spoon. Your 22-month-old joyfully picking out his clothes and dressing himself. Your almost 3-year-old helping his kid-brother put on his shoes. This is the power of Montessori.

Our Toddler program at FWM offers a curriculum that emerges from each child’s unique skills and interests. Our teachers are loving, nurturing, and rigorously trained in child development. They create peaceful, supportive, and safe environments for our youngest children. In these classrooms, a child’s natural desire for wonder, curiosity, exploration, and discovery comes alive.

What are curriculum goals for toddlers?

Emotional goals build on the child’s understanding of emotions. They learn to recognize different emotions, express wants and needs, and develop a sense of independence.

Social goals help our children begin the process of understanding and responding to social cues. We see them engage in parallel play and develop a concept of personal space. Our teachers help the children navigate finding words, and Practical Life lessons give the Toddlers an opportunity to be part of and care for their community. 

Cognitive goals work to strengthen the child’s attention span while teaching the routines of the classroom. Children learn to understand the environment. The children observe the people and things around them and apply the skills they have learned to new situations. 

Language goals facilitate the child exploring language and learning how to communicate. Children learn and use new vocabulary, they learn to develop and understand the give-and-take of communication (known as “serve and return” in child development).

Physical goals focus on gross and fine motor skills. We help children gain an understanding of body awareness and control. Activities in the indoor and outdoor environments help to develop coordination, balance, flexibility, and stamina.

Sensory Goals expose children to different types of sensorial experiences. Having tactile materials the child can touch, see, smell, taste, and hear helps the child relate to their environment and the world around them. 

“Let the children be free; encourage them; let them run outside when it is raining; let them remove their shoes when they find a puddle of water; and, when the grass of the meadows is damp with dew, let them run on it and trample it with their bare feet; let them rest peacefully when a tree invites them to sleep beneath its shade; let them shout and laugh when the sun wakes them in the morning as it wakes every living creature that divides its day between waking and sleeping.” ~Dr. Maria Montessori, The Discovery of the Child, from Simone Davies, The Montessori Toddler: A Parent’s Guide to Raising a Curious and Responsible Human Being

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

As with many other events this year, Halloween is going to be different for our kids. The recent resurgence in Connecticut is especially troubling. Monday saw 2047 new cases reported, the second highest day of reported infections, only 62 cases behind the high of 2019 reported at the peak of the pandemic on April 22nd.

What can we do to help the children celebrate Halloween safely?

This is a chance for you and your family to get creative and invent new traditions! It’s also a good opportunity to model flexibility, a positive spirit, and the importance of protecting ourselves and others. The choices we make today can have an effect beyond our own families. Finding safe ways to celebrate can create marvelous memories. Here are some ideas:

Spooky Movie Night

Celebrate Halloween with an at-home movie night. For added fun, dress up as your favorite character.

Halloween Treats

Make some fun Halloween treats as a family. Make homemade pizza and decorate it with toppings in the shape of a jack-o’-lantern, or make clementine pumpkins — peel the clementine and put a thin slice of celery on top to look like a stem!

 A Family Scavenger “Haunt” (Hunt)

Setting up a scavenger hunt for Halloween treats inside your home or out in the backyard can be a fun alternative.

Trick-or-treating may be discouraged or cancelled in your area this year. If trick-or-treating is still “on” in your neighborhood, please avoid large groups or kids crowding together on doorsteps. Also, remind children not to reach into communal bowls filled with candy.

If you do choose to trick-or-treat, we ask that you follow the guidelines from Connecticut for the continued health and safety of our school community. 

Our ability to protect our school’s health is only as strong as our weakest link. 

Thank you,

Gina

Reminders:

Virtual Parent Teacher Conferences -Thursday October 29th – No School

Professional Development Day for Teachers -Friday October 30th – No School

Halloween Drive Through Parade – Friday October 30th – Cancelled due to impending weather

Due to the short week, the teachers will not be sending new blog posts on Friday.

Happy Halloween to everyone!

The Upper Elementary classroom at FWM offers students in 4th and 5th grades a customized learning environment.

What do we mean by that?

The UE program is designed to have a smaller class size with a 1:15 teacher-student ratio. This allows for countless opportunities for individualized attention to each student’s unique learning needs and encourages self-paced learning.

In Montessori, the Upper Elementary Classroom is an extension of the students’ own world. The emotional aspects of being an elementary aged student play a fundamental role in the child’s development and in their day to day time in school. We help our students understand how to work, how to fit in, and how to be part of a community in a positive and productive way. At this level, we do not avoid addressing difficulties or issues; instead, we work through them. Our community meetings are an example of this. Led by the fifth year students and supervised by the classroom teacher, the whole class works together to solve problems and discuss issues as they arise in the classroom. Everyone has a voice in making the UE environment a better place to learn and grow together. 

The Montessori Upper Elementary program encourages students to have a strong sense of connection to all of humanity. Our students develop an appreciation of the contributions of their ancestors and of the diverse cultures and countries around the world. They are working to become well prepared to be contributing global citizens. Our goal is for each student to reach their fullest potential in all areas, so they can move forward with confidence in who they are and in their individual abilities.

Dear Parents,

At FWM the middle-level grades are organized around the specific developmental needs of early adolescence in a way that celebrates the tenets of who we are as a Montessori school. Our middle schoolers define questions or problems that they see as important: Black Lives Matter, the 2020 Election, Stem-Cell Research, Social Justice Concerns. Their teachers help guide them to craft a skill-based, content-rich response. The response may include gathering and analyzing information (everything from a quick internet search, to interviewing an expert). Their teachers help guide them as they decide to take action (everything from sharing results informally with classmates, to writing a poem, to hosting a debate, to spearheading a method for community-wide public awareness—The 8th Year Podcast). In this way the students’ education develops as they engage in purposeful learning around topics and issues that have meaning for them.

What does that look like?

Our students work effectively and respectfully with others who have different ideas or experiences. They speak and act with fairness, kindness, and compassion. They are given space for critical reflection and honest conversation in our school community.  

Thank you to our Middle School teachers for creating “the space” in each of your classrooms through trust, validation, and diplomacy. Trust is essential. Adolescents by nature are skeptical beings and despise phoniness.  Our middle school students see their teachers as people they can count on to keep promises, listen with full attention, and be accountable for more than the subject matter they teach. They see their teachers as people able to impart insights and wisdom about life. Validation- teachers find ways to validate each student everyday, celebrating their gifts. Diplomacy—as we all know, a day with adolescents is rarely smooth sailing. It helps when the adults understand and model being sensitive to others’ opinions, beliefs, ideas, and feelings. Diplomacy and tact are always the answer. 

“The whole life of the adolescent should be organized in such a way that will allow him or her, when the time comes, to make a triumphal entry into the life of society, not entering it debilitated, isolated or humiliated, but with head high, sure of himself or herself. Success in life depends on self-confidence born of a true knowledge of one’s capacities.”  ~Dr. Maria Montessori

 

Dear Fraser Woods Families,

We have been back only three days and already I am seeing so many examples of our individual classroom communities and our greater FWM community coming together in beautiful ways. There is a sense of respect for each other and teamwork between the children, the staff, and parents which is so essential to this work that we all do together.

Having the children back in the classroom brought us even more enthusiasm for the school year.

The child is both a hope and a promise for mankind. ~ Maria Montessori

 

Please remember that I am always available to you. I sincerely welcome your conversation any time.

Warm regards,

Gina Tryforos

Interim Head of School

Dear Parents,

We’ve moved through the first few days of school and are settling into our routines. Many of the routines are completely new (mask wearing, increased hand washing, cleaning and caring for classroom materials, physical distancing).  We are so impressed by how adaptable and resilient your children are. Thank you for all you are doing at home to encourage and support the children to be ready for school each day. The children also know that they have the unconditional support of their teachers. That support empowers them to ask questions when they are unsure or to seek guidance when they feel they need it, further building their confidence and coping skills.

With school in full swing, children will likely be tired at the end of the day, until they build up their stamina. You may want to consider bringing bedtime forward until they adjust.  Sometimes parents see more tears at the beginning of the school year. This is fairly typical and may simply mean your child may need some extra attention and reassurance for a while.

Please remember that I am always available to you. I sincerely welcome your conversation and input any time.

Wishing you and your family a relaxing Labor Day weekend!

Warm regards,

Gina Tryforos

Interim Head of School

“Do not tell them how to do it. Show them how to do it and do not say a word. If you tell them, they will watch your lips move. If you show them, they will want to do it themselves.” ~ Dr. Maria Montessori

Dear Parents,

Curriculum Night is an evening set aside to support our Fraser Woods Montessori families’ understanding of the curriculum and skills their child is learning.

Traditionally our teachers host this evening informally within their classrooms. This year Curriculum Night will be a Virtual Curriculum Night. Although you won’t be able to see the beautiful materials and works in your child’s classroom in person, we hope to showcase many of the lessons and materials your child will experience each day in school.  Our hope is that parents leave Curriculum Night with the feeling that everyone (teachers and parents as partners) shares the goals of helping each child learn and feel successful, and that the children are in a safe, happy, and caring environment! We are planning to host you virtually the week of September 21.

More information coming soon!

Warm Regards,

Gina Tryforos

Interim Head of School

WHAT IS THE INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PEACE?

“The International Day of Peace (“Peace Day”) is observed around the world each year on 21 September. Established in 1981 by unanimous United Nations resolution, Peace Day provides a globally shared date for all humanity to commit to Peace above all differences and to contribute to building a Culture of Peace.” ~ internationaldayofpeace.org

What is Sing Peace around the World?

• Traditionally on the International Day of Peace, our students and their teachers gather on the soccer field and sing along with thousands of Montessori schools around the world for the United Nations celebration of peace. Each school that participated registered for a time slot so that the song would be sung throughout the entire day by children all over the world.

• The song is Light a Candle for Peace by Shelly Murley. Shelly Murley is a Montessori teacher and musician who has written many songs for her Montessori classroom in addition to Light a Candle for Peace.

This year Sing Peace around the World is not open for registration – their message is:

“It’s up to all of us to slow the spread of COVID-19. Everyone, including young and healthy people, should avoid large gatherings during this time.”

Since we are unable to gather and sing as a community, we ask that you and your child/ren honor the International Day of Peace from the safety of your own home.

For Maria Montessori, peace was at the forefront of her mind when she created her model of education. Montessori said, “Establishing lasting peace is the work of education.”

In a Montessori classroom peace reveals itself in many ways at every level. Our youngest students play the Silence Game and learn to experience silence or to enjoy the quieter sounds like birds singing outside the window. They learn to quiet their body, which helps them feel peaceful.

Elementary and Middle School students celebrate peace education in many of the activities and lessons planned by their teachers. You may see individual peace doves decorated with a child’s wish for peace or children participating in morning meditation. Our older students are involved in community building activities and lessons that spark conversations about how to be a good community member and spread kindness toward others. Our 8th year students have begun reading Putting Peace First: 7 Commitments to Change the World by Eric David Dawson as a guide to being leaders and change-makers in their school community.

Please talk to your child about what Peace looks like in their classrooms every day and spend some time at home with your family and sing for peace on Monday, September 21, 2020

Here is the link to the YouTube video of the song Light a Candle for Peace.

Thanks to our 8th years (our leadership class), FWM has found a way for the children to recognize and celebrate the International Day of Peace without gathering to sing. We invite all students and staff to wear something BLUE on Monday. Blue is the universal color of peace. Thank you 8th years for your creativity and resourcefulness.