Montessori Classroom News Feb. 14, 2018

Ash Wednesday & Lent

Ash Wednesday (today) is the first day of Lent, the 40-day season of the church calendar preparing for Easter. There are 3 practices that are part of observing Lent: prayer, fasting, and generosity. In our classroom, we will sing a simple prayer song each day:

Breathe on me, breath of God

Fill me with life anew

That I may love as you have loved,

And do what you would do

We will hear several stories of Jesus and what he teaches us to do, and have a few small service projects as a class.

Enrollment for next year

Do you know families with 3 year olds who might be interested in enrolling next year? Please let them know to apply by Friday (2/16) for priority consideration! (Apply online at MontessoriSprouts.com)

Black History Month – Rosa Parks

Last week we read a story about Rosa Parks, who had the courage to break a rule that wasn’t fair. We talked about how God loves all people the same and wants all people treated with love and respect.

Notes & Reminders

 

Thurs. Feb. 15 – Valentine’s Celebration

Your child may bring in Valentine cards for their classmates. This is optional! If you choose to give cards, please have enough for every child (16 students). Each child will decorate a bag to be their “mailbox” for receiving Valentines. We will provide a special snack and do some group activities.

 

Sorting wood, foam, and plastic hearts

Mixing red and white paints at the easel

Each child decorated their own 'mailbox'  to receive Valentines from their classmates

Many children helped to make a special snack. Several took turns using the mechanical whisk to make whipped cream.

Others worked on washing, hulling, and slicing strawberries

Finally ready, with a little sprinkle of cocoa powder on top (after everyone had a chance to smell it!)

Friday, Feb. 16 – Love & Justice Prayer Service at 10am, led by 3^rd & 6^th grades. Parents welcome!

Friday, Feb. 16 – Half day (12pm dismissal for everyone)

Monday. Feb. 19 – President’s Day – NO SCHOOL

Montessori Classroom News Feb. 8, 2018

Before we read the book, "Shades of People," we all put our hands into the center of the rug to admire all the beautiful shades in our classroom

Black History Month

Through the whole school year, our goal is that the beautiful diversity of our classroom family and world is represented in our classroom materials, books, and curriculum. We talk about how we all have ancestors (people in our families who lived a long time ago) from different parts of the world. We all live in North America, but we have ancestors who lived in different continents. Black History Month is when we give special attention to the stories of people whose ancestors came from Africa. Through stories and songs, we celebrate Black history & culture.

Ash Wednesday

Ash Wednesday (Feb. 14 this year) is the first day of Lent, the 40-day season of the church calendar preparing for Easter. On Ash Wednesday, a custom for Christians around the world is to receive a cross of ashes on the forehead as a way of publically acknowledging that we have made mistakes. Our class will go to Sacred Heart Church to receive ashes. Beforehand, we talk about how all people – children and adults – make mistakes. When we make mistakes (such as hurting a friend or damaging something) we can say we’re sorry and try to change what we do the next time.

Notes & Reminders

Wed. Feb. 14 – Ash Wednesday

 

Thurs. Feb. 15 – Valentine’s Celebration

Your child may bring in Valentine cards for their classmates. This is optional! If you choose to give cards, please have enough for every child (16 students). Each child will decorate a bag to be their “mailbox” for receiving Valentines. We will provide a special snack and do some group activities.

Friday, Feb. 16 – Love & Justice Prayer Service at 10am, led by 3^rd & 6^th grades. Parents welcome!

Friday, Feb. 16 – Half day (12pm dismissal for everyone)

Monday. Feb. 19 – President’s Day – NO SCHOOL

Practical Life Curriculum

One of the core curriculum areas of a Montessori classroom is called Practical Life. We begin with basic fine and gross motor skills and progress to increasingly complex activities.

Some of the earliest lessons are how to put on and take off an apron, and how to carry a tray (hands in the middle, thumbs up, flat, at belly button height!)

Simple pouring from one container to another progresses to dividing water evenly between two containers,  then using a funnel

Variations of water transfer with baster, sponge, or dropper

The progression for sweeping skills starts with using a small hand broom to sweep up beans on a tray

A child may choose sweeping as an activity from the shelf (such as the tray with beans and hand broom), or they can go get a broom and dustpan if they have a spill while doing another activity. Other times, a child may notice an area that needs to be swept and choose to sweep it for the joy of sweeping and to help care for their classroom.

While sweeping is a valuable life skill in itself, we have several larger purposes for these types of activities. Physically, the children are developing coordination. Cognitively, they are learning to plan, initiate, and complete a task - executive functions that are essential skills for life. Socially and emotionally, the children build their confidence by knowing they have acquired meaningful skills and feel capable and connected when they can help take care of their classroom.  

Children are also equipped and empowered to care for the classroom environment by washing tables and chairs (many-step processes that are great for building executive functions)

Cloth washing (very satisfying to scrub clean the small cloths we use for dusting!) and watering plants

All this work with water inevitably results in some spills on the floor, which provides opportunity to learn the importance of cleaning them up right away for everyone's safety. (Teaching pro-social skill of considering the needs of others)

Many young children enjoy folding classroom towels and cloths with great precision

All these activities help children feel ownership in their classroom and encourage them to notice and take responsibility for the space.

A teacher demonstrates the full sequence of each activity to an individual or small group before the child independently engages with the work. 

In addition to caring for the classroom environment, they also learn skills and activities to care for themselves. One aspect of self-care is food preparation. They have the option of serving themselves breakfast when they arrive. A few students help prepare the morning snack for the class. The children can follow portions cards to serve themselves snack whenever they are hungry and see an open space at the snack table. We also have several food preparation activities that the children can choose throughout the day. 

Extracting pumpkin seeds for roasting

After preparing food and eating, the child washes their dishes. (Teachers also run all dishes through the dishwasher each day!)

Hammering golf tees into a pumpkin as introductory hammering work and collaborative way to carve a pumpkin face