Catching Up With Our 5 Year Olds ~ Part 1

Our classrooms are buzzing with the joyful sounds of children engaged in meaningful, challenging work.  Here are some of the activities our five year olds are working with.  These photographs were taken during the last week of October and the first week of November.

(Note:  The Montessori casa/preschool program is a three year program with children enrolling before the age of four.  The children in the photographs have been with us for anywhere from 2 1/2 to 3 years.)

Writing Numbers to 1000+

R. is challenging himself to write his numbers to 1000 and beyond.  In the pictures below he is writing his numbers from 301 to 400.  He is currently writing his numbers in the seven hundreds.

Writing Stories

Our five year olds always have so much to say and story writing is one way of expressing themselves.  Here is J.'s story about her dog Milo.  She is using the Story Alphabet.  This material enables children to practice their spelling, organize and express their thoughts as well as introduce them to the proper use of capital letters and punctuation.

J.'s story on the mat.

 

J. has copied the story from the mat onto pink-lined paper.  She has also drawn a picture.

A very proud looking J. with her completed work.

The Puzzle Maps

M. is exploring the Puzzle Map of Europe with the use of the atlas.

In the Montessori classroom, children are introduced to the Land and Water Globe, the Continents Globe and the Puzzle Map of the Continents when they are 2 1/2 to 3 years old.  When they can identify all of the continents, they are free to explore the Puzzle Maps of each individual continent as well as their own country.  Emphasis is placed on learning the names of the countries in our home continent of North America as well as learning the names of the provinces and territories of Canada.

Using the Dictionary

M. is using the dictionary to find words beginning with certain letters.

The Subtraction Finger Chart

L. is using the Subtraction Finger Chart to solidify her knowledge of her subtraction facts. 

L. has taken a subtraction question from the box of questions.  The question is placed above the board '12 - 7 =  '.  If she knows the answer she can say it and use the board to confirm it.  If she does not know the answer, she places her right finger on 12 and her left finger on - 7.  She then moves her right finger down and her left finger across until the two meet at the answer, 5.  She then writes the question and the answer in her math book.

Part Two coming soon.

Scenes From Our Halloween Party

On Monday, October 31st both classrooms of children came together for our Halloween party.  Here are some pictures from our day.

Some of the half day children in their Halloween costumes.

Our Halloween feast!



The full day children in their Halloween costumes.

Happy Halloween!

Three little pumpkins drawn by a three year old.

A bat painted by a five year old.

Thanksgiving ~ Taking the Time To Say Thank You

I love the Thanksgiving long weekend and the opportunity it brings for my family to spend time together.  We could not have asked for more beautiful weather here in our little corner of the world.  Thanksgiving is also a day when I stop and consider all the blessings in my life, both large and small.

In the classroom, Thanksgiving provides us with the opportunity to highlight what it means to be thankful.  While our youngest members find the concept difficult to grasp, our older students can name many things in their lives that they are grateful or thankful for. Some of the things they are thankful for are friends, nice teachers, and their families.


In the full day classroom, each day provides us with an opportunity to reflect on our thankfulness.  Everyday before lunch we sing the following song:



Thank you for this wonderful day, for home and friends and happiness.

Help us to do the things we should and to ourselves be true and good.

Thank you to all the children, parents and extended family members who make our days at school so enjoyable.  We are thankful that you are all in our lives.  Happy Thanksgiving.

Little Red Jewels From Our Garden ~ Our Potato Harvest

Last May, the children planted seed potatoes in our school garden.  (See In Our Garden Post - May 2011)  We watched as green stems and then leaves began to sprout, grow and eventually wither away.  At last it was time to harvest our potatoes, but where were they?

With shovels in hand, the children started digging the earth and turning over soil.  Squeals of delight rang out as the children saw the little red jewels emerging from the soil.

While some children dug, others quickly scooped up the potatoes, brushed off the soil clinging to them and ran to put them in the wagon.  Our back garden was filled with joy and laughter as the children dug and harvested the potatoes, feeling the hard potatoes and relishing getting  their hands dirty in the fertile soil. 

When all the potatoes were harvested, we were able to fill up the wagon twice.  Each child was able to take home some potatoes to share with their families.  They were delicious!

Our potato harvest occurred during the first week of school.  As our new and returning students interacted with each other and the natural environment, we could see this delightful group coming together to form a lovely Montessori community of children.  

Letting Our Lights Shine ~ The Dawn of a New School Year

As I sit her on the dawn of my 18th year as a Montessori teacher, the feelings I am feeling are similar to those I felt on the dawn of my first year.  There is the nervousness, yet also an overwhelming feeling of excitement and wonder as I look forward to working with the children and parents and experiencing all the delights and challenges that a new school year brings.

I am reminded of something that we experienced here at school last year.  After an unseasonably warm fall, the half-day class found a wooly bear caterpillar out on the playground.  We prepared a jar and watched as it spun a cocoon.  We set the jar outside for the winter.  In the spring we brought the cocoon back inside.  Slowly, but surely, something emerged from the cocoon.  It was a white tiger moth!

After watching it dry its' wings, it began to move about in the jar.  It was time for it to leave us.  The whole school went on a nature walk outside and found a lovely place to relocate it.  Among the budding trees and blossoming forget-me-nots, the children gathered around the jar as we opened the lid.  The moth was hesitant and did not want to leave.  It was torn by the uncertainty of the world beyond the opening of the jar and the safety and comfort of the jar it had called home.  After a few minutes of flying to the opening and back to the bottom of the jar, the moth finally took the step and flew out to a new life!



At the beginning of each school year, my thoughts also turn to our recent graduates and all our former graduates who are beginning a new school year.  I am reminded of A. and how he cried in the car all the way home from his graduation because he didn't need a new school for grade one.  He wanted to stay at our Montessori school.  Or of D. who told us that although he was curious to see grade one, he really wanted to stay at the little yellow school.  Or of C. who told us that he would visit us every week until he went to highschool.  He couldn't remember if he said highschool or University, but he would visit us every week.  C. stayed true to his word and made his first post-graduation visit this past week as we were getting the school ready for the new school year.  We look forward to seeing him every week.  Change is difficult and takes us out of our comfort zone, but ultimately, change is an exciting part of life.  Our students know that they are always welcome to come back to The Children's Montessori Academy to pay us a visit, and we are honoured that they have continued to do so since we began in 1999.

As we waited for the moth to fly out of the jar, we all sang the following song.

This little light of mine,
I'm gonna let it shine.

This little light of mine,
I'm gonna let it shine.

This little light of mine,
I'm gonna let it shine.

Let is shine, let it shine, let it shine.

Here's hoping we all let our lights shine this school year.  From our little corner of the world to yours, here's wishing everyone a fantastic school year!

Our Annual Summer Get-Together

On Wednesday, August 17 we will be holding our annual Summer Get-Together for our new, returning and former students.  We invite everyone to drop by between 4:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.  We look forward to seeing you there!

The Passing of the Torch ~ Words of Wisdom From Our Graduates

At our little yellow school, June is very much a time to pay tribute to our graduates and to enjoy our last weeks together.  (Note:  Our graduates are 5 1/2 and 6 year old children who have completed the three year Montessori casa program and are now entering grade one in the fall.)  This past June was no exception.  We have known some of our graduates ever since they were born and have had the pleasure of teaching their brothers and sisters.  It was a very emotional time for all of us here.

One afternoon in early June, our current graduates began asking who next year's graduates would be.  They asked me if they (all of this year's graduates) could have a meeting.  Of course they could.  I was very curious as to what they might want to discuss.

At the meeting, the children said they would like to write messages for next year's graduates and the other children in the class.  They wanted to tell them how they should be next year because they will be the oldest and new friends will be joining.  I thought this was a fantastic idea!  It is so wonderful to actually experience the peer relationships that exist in the Montessori classroom.

As they set about writing their messages, they spoke of former graduates who had helped them when they were younger.  Our former graduates become the stuff of legends.  In listening to them speak, I was particularly touched by A.'s recollection of one of last year's graduates.  A. joined our group with no English skills.  E. (beginning grade two in the fall) was always so nice to her.  She helped her with her work in the classroom and played with her outside.  Many people remembered E. fondly as she was truly a great friend and a wonderful role model. 

A. recalled former student S. who will be in grade three in the fall.  S. was always so nice to everyone and A. remembers this.  He was a tiny three year old who looked up to S.  He still does.  He is looking forward to seeing S. in September as they will both be at Windham Ridge French Immersion.

Here are this year's graduates reading their messages to their classmates.

These are some of their messages.  Please note that all of this came from the students.

I hope you be nice to your classmates.  ~ A. age 6

Work hard!  Be nice to other people!  Listen to the teachers! ~ A. age 6

Help the younger kids.  Try to work hard.  ~ A. age 6

Don't jump.  Don't run.  Listen to the teachers.  Don't say bad words.  ~ V. age 6

Be nice.  Be very good.  Do challenging work. ~ J. age 5 1/2

Be nice to the teachers.  Do not be bad to the teachers.  ~ D. age 6

Please listen to the teachers.  Have a good time at school.  ~ C. age 6

Be nice to the younger children and help them.  Listen to the teachers.  ~ D. age 6


This year's graduates will be attending local private schools, a Catholic School, as well as French Immersion programs at Windham Ridge Public School, Michaelle Jean Public School and Adrienne Clarkson Public School.