Lyonsgate Administrative Update Sept. 19, 2022
Hello Lyonsgate Community,
We do not post an administrative update every week, only when there are upcoming events, PD days, holidays, news, or other items that require parent involvement. Please remember to make the Lyonsgate calendar your go to source for what's going on and coming up at Lyonsgate; you can click on calendar items for more information.
Please see below for information and reminders about:
Primary (Casa & Toddler) PD Day Sept. 26
PD Day Oct. 5. Lyonsgate Closed
Elementary Cross Country Run Oct. 5
Thanksgiving Oct. 10. Lyonsgate Closed
Primary (Casa & Toddler) PD Day Sept. 26
The Lyonsgate Primary campus will be closed on Monday, Sept. 26. There is no school for Casa and Toddler students.
There are a few early PD days in our school year necessitated by our co-location with the Beth Jacob congregation. Lyonsgate respects the congregation's need to restrict access to the building on their holy days and is closed to students during Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.
The Elementary campus on Locke St. will remain open for school.
While the school building remains closed on Tuesday, Sept. 27, for Rosh Hashanah, Lyonsgate is offering an optional field trip to Casa students and Toddler families. Please see the calendar entry or the "Welcome to the 2022.2023 Lyonsgate Montessori School Year" post for details. Please remember to submit payment in advance of the field trip according to the method you choose on the form.
If you have not yet submitted a field trip intentions form, please click here to let us know if your child will be attending or not.
School photos for Elementary students will be taken on Tuesday, Sept. 27. (This is the rescheduled date from the earlier cancellation).
PD Day Oct. 5. Lyonsgate Closed
Wednesday, Oct. 5, is a PD Day for both Lyonsgate campuses. There is no school for Casa, Toddler, or Elementary students.
This is the Yom Kippur closure at the Primary campus so we have scheduled the full school October PD Day for this day to minimize school closures.
Elementary Cross Country Run Oct. 5
Monday Morning Updates:
- A bus has been confirmed. Students registered to attend may arrive on campus between 8:30 - 8:45 a.m. to walk to the charter bus as a group, or may arrive directly at Beulah Park for the bus departing at 9:30 a.m. Parents may also choose to bring their children directly to the event at LaSalle Park. Upon our return, students may be picked up at Beulah Park at 1:30 p.m., or continue on to the Elementary campus with the group. All students returning to campus for the afternoon will be dismissed at 3:30. There is no aftercare available on this day.
- We are happy to let you know that parent spectators are allowed to attend. In past years, this has not been permitted due to park permit capacity limits. Fairview Glen asks that spectators "please respect the space at the finish line (i.e. don’t crowd) to allow the ticketers to number the runners and record results."
In years past, our Elementary students have participated in a cross-country run hosted by Fairview Glen Montessori School in Burlington. It is a fantastic event that brings together Montessori students from a number of area schools. The run has not taken place for the past couple of years due to the pandemic, but it is once again happening this year. It falls on Wednesday, Oct. 5, which is a PD Day. However, Elementary students will be able to participate if they wish, and if it is possible relative to any plans you may have already made for the PD Day.
We do need to submit a list of runners to Fairview Glen so please be sure to complete the form below if your child would like to attend and if you have not already done so.
Please click here if your child would like to participate in the cross-country run event.
The Casa Orientation session will take place from 3:30-4:15 on Thursday, Oct. 6, and is open to all Casa parents, but is especially important for parents new to the Casa program. No need to RSVP, but we encourage all Casa parents to attend.
Children will enjoy themselves on the playground while parents are in the classrooms.
Thanksgiving Oct. 10. Lyonsgate Closed
The Thanksgiving Day holiday this year is on Monday, October 10. Both Lyonsgate campuses are closed.
Back to School Update from Lyonsgate Montessori
Welcome to the 2022/2023 School Year!
We are so happy to start this new school year with your children. It’s always so heartwarming to see our returning students come back ready and excited to conquer the school year. As teachers, we always marvel at how much they have matured over the summer. It’s a wonderful reminder of how fast these precious children grow, and how we should cherish every moment we have with them!
The Primary campus looks forward to welcoming our new Lyonsgate students next week! We love seeing new faces, and having new inquisitors join our bustling classrooms. It is going to be a busy start of the year, but we are so grateful to be able to start the school year off with nothing on our faces but a smile!
From an administrative perspective, we are happy to welcome back our wonderful team of teachers into our classrooms. We are so thankful for them! We are excited to welcome Ms. Canessa to the school (who completed her AMI Montessori Assistant Course this summer). She will be joining the Casa North team and comes with lots of Montessori experience.
Ms. Beach, whom many of you know from the Primary campus, took the MACAR course over the summer and will be moving into a new role of learning resource while still providing regular support to the classrooms at our Primary campus. The MACAR training (Montessori Applied to Children at Risk) provides specific strategies on how to work with children who may be at risk or diagnosed with learning differences and/or additional exceptionalities.
Damien, at our Elementary campus, took the AMI Montessori Sports Fundamentals course last spring. This course provides an important link between the Montessori philosophy and sports, and focuses on how sports are connected to the overall development of the child . We are looking forward to seeing Damien share this new found knowledge with the Elementary students.
We are so proud of the staff we have here at Lyonsgate!
We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for entrusting your children to the Lyonsgate team. It is our honour and privilege to work with your children every day.
Here’s to a beautiful, productive, healthy and happy school year!
Warmest regards,
Rachel Lyons, principal
Sarah Kennedy, vice-principal
We will post updates from your children's classrooms weekly, as well administrative updates when required. You can always find the most recent update posts on the Home page of the school website, or on the Updates & Announcements page under your Parents tab.
This year, updates will be posted and the link emailed on Monday mornings. We realize that communications from the school are not ideal late on a Friday afternoon.
Please view the rest of this week's update for information and parent option and confirmation forms for:
Casa and Toddler Field Trip Selection
Elementary Cross Country Oct. 5
Casa and Toddler Field Trip Selection
Due to the required campus closure on Sept. 27 for Rosh Hashannah, Casa and Toddler students are offered an optional field trip to the Royal Botanical Gardens. Please click the link below to let us know if your child will be attending. Reminders:
- If attending the field trip, at least one Toddler parent is required to accompany their child.
- Cost per Toddler child is $8.00 (one parent is free, additional parent is also $8.00).
- Casa students will travel to RBG by school bus, but will need to be picked up at RBG between 3:00-3:30.
- Cost per Casa child is $15.00.
- All students will need to bring a litterless, nut-free, packed lunch.
For Casa students that regularly nap in the afternoon, parents have the option to pick up from RBG at 2:00 p.m. You also have the option to pick up between 3:00-3:30, but naps cannot be accommodated during the field trip activities.
See the Lyonsgate calendar for all of the details you need to know.
Please click here to let us know if your child will be attending or not.
Elementary Cross Country Oct. 5
In years past, our Elementary students have participated in a cross-country run hosted by Fairview Glen Montessori School in Burlington. It is a fantastic event that brings together Montessori students from a number of area schools. The run has not taken place for the past couple of years due to the pandemic, but it is once again happening this year. It falls on Wednesday, Oct. 5, which is a PD Day. However, Elementary students will be able to participate if they wish, and if it is possible relative to any plans you may have already made for the PD Day.
Runners will need to be at La Salle Park in Burlington by 10:00 a.m., and the event wraps up between 12:30-1:00.
We are trying to secure a bus charter, but if the bus is not possible participating students will need to be driven to and from the event by parents. We will let you know as soon as we hear about the bus.
Please click here if your child would like to participate in the cross-country run event.
Have a fantastic weekend everyone!
Welcome to the 2022.2023 Lyonsgate Montessori School Year
Hello Lyonsgate Community,
We're very excited to welcome your children back to school next week, and the following week for our brand new Lyonsgate students. There is quite a bit of information to share with you. Please read below and use the links to jump to specific sections. Please remember to make the Lyonsgate calendar your go-to source for what's going on at Lyonsgate.
What to Bring to School for Casa and Toddler Students
Primary (Casa and Toddler) Field Trip Sept. 27
After School Care Registration
COVID-19 Policies and Procedures
A reminder to Elementary student families that school photos will be taken on the second day back to school this year — Wednesday, Sept. 7. (Photo day for Casa and Toddler students is Oct. 27).
There has been a small change to the Elementary schedule — lunch and outdoor time have been switched:
- Outdoor Time: 11:45-12:30
- Lunch: 12:45-1:15
You can always check the daily schedules on the "Hours of Operation" page under your Parents tab on the school website.
- All Elementary students, all Toddler students, and returning Casa students begin school on Tuesday, Sept. 6.
- New Casa students moving up from Toddler begin school on Thursday, Sept. 8.
- Casa students new to Lyonsgate begin school on Monday, Sept. 12, and Tuesday, Sept. 13.
Parents of Toddlers and students in year 1 of the Casa program, please complete this form to provide us with updated sleep/nap information for your child: https://forms.gle/aHZbc9qzvpAy59vZ9
What to Bring to School for Casa and Toddler Students
Casa students: at least one full change of clothes (with at least 3 pairs of socks and underwear), indoor shoes, a water bottle, and sunscreen.
Toddler students: at least 3 full changes of clothes, indoor shoes, a water bottle, sunscreen, and diapers and wipes.
Please remember to clearly and permanently label everything.
Lyonsgate is required to close for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur due to our location in the Beth Jacob Synagogue. To accommodate the required closures we schedule the first PD days of the school year on those days.
- Lyonsgate's Primary campus (Casa & Toddler) will be closed on Monday, Sept. 26.
- Both Lyonsgate campuses — Primary and Elementary — will be closed on Wednesday, Oct. 5.
Primary (Casa and Toddler) Field Trip Sept. 27
Tuesday, Sept. 27, is also Rosh Hashanah, and while the Primary campus building will be closed we are offering an optional field trip for Casa and Toddler students. They will be heading to the Royal Botanical Gardens.
If attending the field trip, at least one Toddler parent is required to accompany their child. Cost per Toddler child is $8.00 (one parent is free, additional parent is also $8.00).
Casa students will travel to RBG by school bus, but will need to be picked up at RBG between 3:00-3:30. Cost per Casa child is $15.00.
All students will need to bring a litterless, nut-free, packed lunch.
- Toddler Students/Parents: Parents, you will be joining your toddlers at the RBG Centre, 680 Plains Rd W, Burlington, ON, L7T 4H4. Arrive between 9:15-9:30 a.m. (Click here for directions). Toddlers will be enjoying the RBG's Oaks and Acorns program from 9:30-12:00, followed by lunch in the natural playground. The Toddler students program ends at 12:30 p.m.
- Casa Students/Parents: Please drop Casa students off at Beulah Park, 59 Beulah Ave, Hamilton (a couple of blocks away from Lyonsgate), between 8:30-9:00, where they will meet the school bus. They will take part in the RBG's Making Sense of Nature and Great Animal Adventure programs, and enjoy time in the RBG's Natural Playground. Please pick up Casa students at the RBG Centre, 680 Plains Rd W, Burlington, ON L7T 4H4, between 3:00-3:30 p.m. from the playground area (Click here for directions).
The building in which we are housed has, as many of you know, been for sale. The building has sold. The new owners are the Radha Madhav Society. Lyonsgate and the Beth Jacob congregation are staying in the building as tenants. There have been renovations taking place throughout the summer to separate the spaces, but you should not notice any difference in the day-to-day comings and goings.
After School Care Registration
There are still some limited after school care spaces available for both Casa and Elementary students. Due to the limited spaces available, after school care is intended as a five-day-a-week program for families that require a later pick up time due to work constraints and not as extra time for socialization and play. Cost for both After School Care programs is $100/month, payable to “Lyonsgate Montessori School Inc.” or by e-transfer to accounts@lyonsgate.ca.
- Casa After School Care will run from 4:00-4:30 each day. Register here.
- Elementary After School Care will run from 3:30-4:30 each day. Register here.
At the Primary campus (Toddler and Casa) Before School Care is included for the 2022.2023 school year. Before School Care from 8:00-8:30 and arrival from 8:30-8:45 will begin in the 2023.2024 school year at the Primary campus.
New for this school year, you will find a "Parent Form Portal" page under your "Parents" tab on the school website. You will find forms for: Change of Information, Medication Administration, Special Dietary Arrangements, and Sleep Information.
Your Lyonsgate Parent Handbook has been updated for the 2022.2023 school year. Over the last couple of years we have been operating with a COVID-19 Supplemental Parent Handbook. Please make the updated Parent Handbook your source for information about Lyonsgate. You can always find it under your "Parents" tab on the school website.
COVID-19 Policies and Procedures
The Ontario Ministry of Health made changes to COVID-19 protocols on August 31, 2022. Please see your email "Change to COVID Protocols" sent Sept. 1.
COVID-19 continues to impact schools, and the larger community. Required protocols that were in place at the end of the last school year remain in place for the coming school year. As a reminder, and for families new to Lyonsgate:
- Screening: Families are expected to screen for symptoms each day before arriving at school using the provincial screening tool. You will find a convenient link to the screening tool on the Home page of the school website. You can also use the screening tool to describe the specific situation in case of illness and learn what the isolation requirements are. If your child is ill, COVID or not, they cannot attend school.
- Resources: Also on the Home page, you will find a link to a "COVID-19 Resources" page that contains:
- COVID Symptoms at Home Requirements [Please review this chart before school starts]
- COVID Symptom Flow Chart
- Children’s Weekly Vaccine Clinic Schedule
There are also a number of other resources available on that page.
- Advisories: Under your "Parents" tab on the school website, you will find the Lyonsgate COVID-19 Advisory Page where known cases will be posted. As of January 2022, Lyonsgate is no longer being notified of positive COVID-19 cases by Hamilton Public Health. The positive results posted are reported voluntarily by families and staff and may not include all positive cases that have been present in the school.
- Masks: Masks are not required to be worn by staff or students, but those who wish to do so, or wish to have their children wear masks inside the school, are very welcome to do so. If sending masks for your child, please send at least three clean masks for each day. NOTE: if your child is required to isolate due to symptoms or close contact, they must wear a mask at school for days 6-10 after completing the 5-day isolation and returning to school (unless they are under 2-years-old).
- Rapid Tests: The Ministry of Education has indicated that they will continue to provide rapid tests for distribution to families in licensed child care (Lyonsgate's Primary campus); we have had no indication that rapid tests will be distributed to private schools (Lyonsgate's Elementary campus). If your family requires a rapid test kit due to a symptomatic student, please let us know and we will distribute as supply makes possible. Rapid tests are to be used as follows from the Ministry of Health:
- "If two consecutive rapid antigen tests, separated by 24-48 hours, are both negative, the symptomatic individual is less likely to have COVID-19 infection, and they are advised to self-isolate until they have no fever and symptoms are improving for at least 24 hours (or 48 hours if gastrointestinal symptoms)."
- Filtration and Ventilation: Lyonsgate continues to have HEPA filter units in each classroom and window fans creating constant fresh air exchange.
The Canada Wide Early Learners and Child Care program (CWELCC) — better known as "$10 daycare" — is still a work in progress. Lyonsgate has submitted the requested "expression of interest" and related documentation to the City and discussions are ongoing, but the official application and approval process is still not available in Hamilton. The provincial government made significant changes to the program on August 17 and subsequently the deadline to opt in or out was pushed to November 1 (previously Sept. 1). If Lyonsgate becomes approved and enrolled in the program it will apply to Casa and Toddler children with fee reduction refunds retroactive to April 1, 2022. The provincial government is developing a new CWELCC program funding model for 2023 and beyond which may impact Lyonsgate's ability to participate in the program beyond 2022. We will keep you informed whenever we have new information.
Thank You For A Wonderful School Year
Dear Lyonsgate Families,
As the school year comes to a close, we are gifted the opportunity of both reflection and forward thinking. This has been quite the year! From monitored online screening, mandatory masks, and our Elementary campus providing online learning, to friends across cohorts once again meeting on the playground, and smiles being openly shared. Two words come to mind: resiliency and hope.
The children naturally teach us so many wonderfully wise lessons if we truly take the time to listen and observe. As adults, we sometimes tend to forget these important life skills that they share simplistically through their daily interactions. Live in the moment. Rise and fall with the emotions that we feel, and then move on. Hold no judgements. See each new day for the gift it is, full of new and exciting opportunities. Find pleasure in the small things. Celebrate life’s joys with exuberance!
Sometimes we all need gentle reminders to see and react to life through the eyes of a child.
Thank you, with all sincerity, for sharing your children with us. We are humbled by the trust you have placed in Lyonsgate (some without ever stepping foot in the school) to look after your most treasured loved ones. They bring so much joy and encouragement to one another, and to us, each and every day. Quite simply, they inspire us.
For those students moving on next year, please know that you will be greatly missed. Thank you for what you have brought into our lives. For those returning, we can not wait to hear the stories of your summers and revel in the growth you’ve experienced in just a couple of months. We look forward with great anticipation and hope to a new school year filled with shared smiles and pure joy.
With utmost sincerity, we wish you all a safe and happy summer.
Rachel Lyons, principal
Sarah Kennedy, vice-principal
Lyonsgate Classroom Updates, June 17, 2022
Toddler
Dear Toddler Parents,
This week, our older toddlers have been going over in small groups to visit their new Casa classrooms for next year. I know each of them are ready and eager to embrace new challenges, make new friends, and find out more about themselves and the wider world, but it is bittersweet for the guides in the Toddler room to watch them go. We have had the privilege of observing them build themselves into the independent young people they have become so far. It is difficult to think of the Toddler community without them. We will miss them and we will be waving from down the hall and inquiring about their well being whenever we are lucky enough to have our paths cross.
Luckily, we will have three toddlers returning to us for a second year and I am confident that they will be excellent leaders to the new students that will be joining us in the fall.
Thank you for an incredible year together. It has been a great pleasure to witness your children grow and discover themselves. After looking through some photographs from earlier this year the changes are truly remarkable. They have grown so much and they can do so many things! It is especially nice to be ending the year on such a positive note with mask mandates ending and news of people travelling again. I wish you all a summer full of wonder and precious time spent together.
Ms. Gervais.
Casa North
I say it every year, but this year really flew!
I am overwhelmingly proud of each & every student — their resilience to change, their kindness to one another (and living things, big & small), and their sense of wonderment in learning.
Thank you to the parents for sharing your children with us. It takes a great deal of trust, communication, and willingness to work together. We appreciate the relationships you’ve helped to build with our team. We are happy to be partners with you in aiding your child’s development.
Thank you to our wonderful students who invite us into their world each day, who challenge us, and who bring us so much joy. We have the best job in the world getting to watch these little humans explore, discover, and blossom to reach their fullest potential. We are forever grateful for all that they teach us.
It feels fitting for me to send off all our students — those graduating, those moving to new schools, those who we won’t see until September — with an Irish proverb about new chapters & well wishes:
Behind you, all your memories;
Before you, all your dreams;
Around you, all who love you;
Within you, all you need.
We hope we have played a role in ensuring each student has within them all that they need, that they are more independent, confident, and proud because of their time spent in Casa North. We are always rooting for them to succeed, and we know they will.
Wishing everyone a safe, restorative summer!
Best always,
Ms. O’Sullivan.
Casa South
Greetings from Casa South,
Yes, it’s that time… the end of another school year with the ease of summer living right around the corner. It’s always a bittersweet time with gratitude for all the work done, and memories of shared experiences mixed with sadness at saying goodbye.
During the year, while I see the children regularly, it’s easy to forget how much they’ve grown physically, socially, and intellectually. Looking back at photos from the first term and re-reading my school journal I realize just how much work we’ve all done together and how well we know each other now. We’ve come a long way as a class community.
I truly thank all of you for your support during my first year at Lyonsgate. Next school year it will be very good to have more connection with all parents as we transition back into a more open environment with face-to-face contact. And of course, we will welcome back our returning families, greet new ones, both new to Lyonsgate and to Casa South, and begin all over again in September.
I’m looking forward to seeing you at the end of year picnic where we will celebrate our graduates and enjoy some well-earned fun together.
Until then, see you at the gate!
Ms. Robinson.
Please note: families of graduating children, plan to arrive at the park by 11:45 in readiness for the ceremony.
Elementary
As we wind down our final term of school before the summer break, we are amazed by the continuing engagement and energy of our students. While many are now drawn to working almost exclusively outdoors, tending to the garden or sketching in the shade, others continue to clamor for new lessons in language and math! (And just as their teachers are winding things down!).
This week, the students continued their study of Inuit culture and enjoyed their final field trip of the year. At McMaster University, we visited the Indigenous Circle and explored outdoor sculptures. We went to the Museum of Art for the new exhibit, “What Sustains Us,” which celebrates the relationships Inuit have with sila (weather), nuna (land), imaq (water), piruqtuminiit (plants) and nirjut (animals), with themselves, and with each other. The students enjoyed stunning photographs from Nunavik, as well as paintings and soapstone carvings. They considered how we are connected to the natural world around us and to each other, and were invited to write or illustrate a message of love for an element of nature or a cherished person in their lives. They talked about the importance of language, and eagerly sought out translations for words they discovered in Mohawk, Anishinaabemowin, and Inuktitut. It was a wonderful experience that deepened their understanding of this land and its diverse cultures.
Throughout the year, elementary students are asked time and again to consider what sustains us? How have humans met their fundamental material and spiritual needs from ancient times to the beginning of modern history, into the new millenia, and around the world today? As our students prepare to leave school for the summer holidays, they are invited to reflect on their work and learning over the past year, the challenges they have faced, and the successes they have achieved. They reminisce about special projects, favourite stories, and treasured time together. They select pieces to add to their Elementary portfolio — a curated collection of their work gathered throughout their six years in the classroom. Next week, they will prepare to say goodbye through special celebrations with their friends.
Some children are brimming with excitement for the new adventures that come with summer camps and time with family, and others are already thinking about the new challenges that the next school year will bring. It has been a joy to guide your children in their self-construction over these past months and we thank you for all your support. We wish you all a wonderful summer, and look forward to seeing everyone back in the classroom in September!
Your Elementary Team,
Marissa, Michelle, Anne, Damien, Caitlin, and Kim.
Photo Gallery
Click on any image to enlarge and to open a slide show
Lyonsgate Administrative Update, June 17, 2022
🌞Year-End Picnic🌭
Please join us at Dundas Driving Park on Friday, June 24, from 12:00-4:00 to celebrate our Montessori graduates and to enjoy a picnic together with all of the Lyonsgate Montessori families.
Bring a picnic lunch for your family, and any pot-luck offerings if you would like to do so (but not required). Please bring your own cutlery.
We have reserved Pavilion #1, and Driving Park does have a splashpad area so swimsuits and towels are also a good idea.
This is a rain or shine event.
Ukrainian Welcome Event
If anyone in our school community is involved with welcoming Ukrainian newcomers to Hamilton, the City is hosting an event on Tuesday, June 21. Please click here to view the event information flyer.
Lyonsgate Classroom Updates, June 10, 2022
Toddler
Bonjour!
First off, I just cannot believe we are already here at the end of our journey; it truly amazes me to see how far your children have come since they first walked through our doors in September. I want to say a sincere thank you to each of you for trusting me with your children, not only to help guide them but to also teach them a new language, and I will say they have all absolutely blown me away with all their capabilities and new language acquisitions. I myself was quite intimated when I first started this year, thinking about how I could be the best version of myself while speaking another language. I have all of your children to thank for encouraging me to keep going! When I hear some of my friends say “bonjour” to fellow teachers in the hallways or “Merci” when something is handed to them, watching them complete a task I had asked them to do, but in French, like putting work away or washing their hands, my heart is full from all of it and I hope each and every one of your beautiful children feel pride in themselves.
As we wrap up the school year I would like all of YOU as parents to give yourselves a huge pat on the back. Your support and kindness has made this “job” fulfilling and the love you have for your children shines brightly through them each day as they enter our room. We are so blessed to have this moment in time together.
I hope everyone has a joyous summer spent with the people you love doing the things you love, whether it’s camping, cottage, or even traveling… remember to HAVE FUN and enjoy the moments, they pass quickly.
All my love and utmost respect,
Mme Craigie.
Casa North
Bonjour tout le monde,
The students of Casa North have welcomed their French language programming this term with open arms.
When they begin the year, they are wide-eyed, full of questions about what things mean, and in some cases steering clear of me or playing shy to avoid French work!
Now, French is fully engrained in our classroom! The students are singing louder and responding to books and questions during our French circle. What a pleasure for me to see some of the children playing “Madame” in the classroom or at recess. I am proud of each of them for their effort of practicing French with each other.
At this time of the school year, it’s always nice to see how much vocabulary they have learned all year long and they feel comfortable using it.
A daily joke from our students: “Madame like cerises (cherry) but she is scared of souris (mouse)! Ha ha ha!!” Two different words that sound very similar but mean two different things.
Congratulations to all our graduate students; I will miss them!
Bonne continuation!
Mme Murati.
Casa South
Incroyable! Nous sommes déjà dans les dernières semaines d’école!
I would like to thank all our families for your kind support and confidence you had in us. It has been a wonderful year of growing and learning.
Comme enseignante, c’était une expérience magnifique et un privilège de vous avoir enseigner.
Félicitations à nos chers gradués Caden, Georgia, Leo, et Mariana.
Bonnes vacances et bonne santé à vous tous! ☀️❤️
Mme Renée Perazzo.
**Mme Perazzo captured a student singing to herself in French while working this morning:
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/bSzqu-JYpu8
Elementary
This week we found a break in the rain and went out to explore the natural world within our neighbourhood. Our youngest students visited the Hill Street Community Garden <https://hillstreetgarden.org/> to identify different plants and their parts. The garden is a place where local residents can rent a seasonal plot from the city, promoting organic methods, improving food security, and encouraging community members to meet. We connected our recent biology work with our lessons in art, learning about botanical illustration. Having previously explored impressionism in art, students were now asked to pursue realistic representations with their drawing. The children were encouraged to note details about a plant or plant structure and pay attention to shape, line, and colour. Older students travelled south toward the Bruce Trail, Canada’s oldest and longest marked footpath. They learned about the Bruce Trail User’s Code and how to read and follow trail blazes. After hiking 2.5 km, the students stopped for a snack and heard the story of how the Niagara Escarpment was formed through the shifting of tectonic plates, climate change, and the movement and melting of glaciers. On the way back to school, they stopped to look at the Chedoke Falls and the different layers of sedimentation visible up the face of the cliff. Everyone returned to school with a big appetite and an even bigger smile!
Wishing you all a great weekend!
Marissa and Michelle.
Photo Gallery
Click on any image to enlarge and open a slideshow.
Lyonsgate Administrative Update, June 10, 2022
Hello Lyonsgate Families,
We have a few administrative updates for you this week:
2022.2023 After School Care Registration
Please find the link to register for After School Care for the 2022.2023 school year in today's update email. Also, please remember that, due to the limited spaces available, after school care is intended as a five-day-a-week program for families that require a later pick up time due to work constraints and not as extra time for socialization and play. Thank you.
Cost for both After School Care programs is $100/month, payable to “Lyonsgate Montessori School Inc.” or by e-transfer to accounts@lyonsgate.ca.
- Casa After School Care will run from 4:00-4:30 each day.
- Elementary After School Care will run from 3:30-4:30 each day.
At the Primary campus (Toddler and Casa) Before School Care is included for the 2022.2023 school year. Before School Care from 8:00-8:30 and arrival from 8:30-8:45 will begin in the 2023.2024 school year at the Primary campus.
2022.2023 Lyonsgate Calendar
The 2022.2023 school year calendar is now available online at https://lyonsgate.ca/lyonsgate-calendar/.
The calendar is your go-to source for updated information about what's going on at Lyonsgate, and it can be found under the "Parents" tab at lyonsgate.ca. Click on calendar items to view the details.
Illness, Screening, and Requirements
Please remember to use the provincial screening tool as soon as you have any symptom, positive test, or close contact situation (ie. household members). The screening tool provides the most up to date requirements for returning to school and you can customize it to suit your specific situation via your responses. Please read the information under the "Do Not Go To School/Child Care" sections carefully.
Hamilton Public Health Children's Vaccine Information
Hamilton Public Health continues to provide vaccinations as the best way to bring the pandemic under control and get us all back to a semblance of normalcy.
You can find the weekly children's vaccination clinic schedule at www.hamilton.ca/GetYourVaccine (you can also find that page at: https://lyonsgate.ca/covid-19-resource-page/ )
Public Health also shared a short video to share with school parent communities this week:
"Protect your kids from COVID-19. Here is a local parent in the community who chose to get her children vaccinated. Watch the video to hear why: www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLWSpH7cP2E"
Lunch Menu Updates
There have been a few minor changes to the lunch menu based on feedback from schools. Find the lunch menu under your "Parents" tab here: https://lyonsgate.ca/lyonsgate-lunch-menu/ . Find out what week of the 4-week rotation we are on on your Lyonsgate calendar.
Thank you, and have a wonderful weekend.
Lyonsgate Classroom Updates, June 3, 2022
Toddler
I can hardly believe that the year is almost over. It seems like only yesterday that we were meeting some of the children for the first time. How strange it must have been to be away from home and greeted by strangers wearing masks and shields. It is inspiring how they have been able to grow and thrive during such unusual times.
The leaps made by the toddlers never fail to amaze me. The friendships, vocabulary, coordination, and personalities that develop between the beginning and end of the year is astonishing. I am so excited for the future ahead for the Toddler Community. I will miss those that are moving on, but I am confident that they will find joy and success on the next stop of their adventure. It has been an honour getting to know them.
Mr. Davis.
Casa North
Early this week a child asked me “What does cycle mean?” and it sparked such a wonderful conversation about the patterns we see in life. We talked about the tides, day and night, the life cycles of plants and animals, and the routines of our own days and years. We’ve all been acutely aware that the school year is coming to an end. It’s an exciting time but always feels somewhat melancholy for me. We’ve spent ten months working so closely with your children, caring for them, watching them grow, and June feels like “Goodbye.” I’m immensely proud of how hard each of the students has worked and how much they’ve grown since September. I look forward to next year with our returning students, and wish the best to our friends who are moving on to a new cycle in their lives.
Thank you so much for a beautiful year,
Ms. Dewey.
Casa South
Dear Casa South Families,
It has been a pleasure getting to know and to work with your children. I have seen them grow in many ways from forming friendships to learning new practical skills. As a new assistant coming in early in January, I learnt they had been through a few changes already, so I am very thankful for them welcoming me and that we developed trusting relationships since then, especially during a constantly changing pandemic. There have been many sweet moments, moments of working through emotions, and moments that made me laugh. There have been exciting breakthrough moments, many moments of listening and learning, and moments filled with hugs. I have to once again thank Ms. Robinson and Mme Perazzo for guiding me and being natural leaders. I’ve learned so much from them. I also want to thank Mrs. Kennedy & Mrs. Lyons for bringing me into the Lyonsgate family, as it has been a wonderful experience.
I hope everyone has a safe and lovely summer, and ones full of adventure!
Best Wishes,
Ms. Jefferies.
Elementary
It has been an exciting week at Elementary! The students were thrilled to share some of their recent work with you at the Cultural Fair. Thank you for joining us to explore the terrain, weapons, homes, clothing, toys, and foods of ancient Rome. Through the past few weeks, students learned about the political evolution of ancient Rome from kingdom to republic to empire. This set the foundation for the class to learn more about Canadian democracy, political parties, and current issues in Ontario. Older students were asked to work in small groups to complete the challenge of building the tallest marshmallow and toothpick tower possible — with one important twist: they had to operate under the political structure assigned to the group: a dictatorship, an oligarchy, a democracy, or an anarchy. All of our students discussed the concept of political parties and identified issues that are important right now to people living in Ontario. On June 2, the students eagerly lined up at the Lyonsgate polling station with their voter id cards, ready to cast their ballots in the Student Vote. They loved checking in with the poll clerks, receiving instructions from the deputy returning officers, and going behind the voting screen to make their mark under the watchful eye of our scrutineers. Andrea Horvath, representing the NDP in Hamilton Centre, received 45% of our students’ votes, followed by the Green Party with 31%, and the Liberal Party and PC Party tied at 10% each. We look forward to examining our Student Vote election results, as well as those from other schools in our neighbourhood and province, and comparing them to the official results of the provincial election.
Next Thursday, June 9, all Elementary students will be heading outdoors for the morning work cycle! Students in first and second year will be exploring plants in our neighbourhood and the Hill Street Community Garden, while students in years 3-6 will be learning about the Niagara Escarpment while hiking a section of the Bruce Trail. Students should come prepared with a small water bottle they can carry, a hat, closed toe shoes, and comfortable clothing for active learning. They may also wish to apply sunscreen before coming to school.
With so many interesting things still to learn, it’s hard to believe that summer break is only a few weeks away! We are looking forward to hosting two weeks of camp for elementary students this summer, with lots of science, art, outdoor games, and water play. If your child would like to join us for some fun and adventure, please register for camp by Monday, June 20. Camp fees are due upon registration and can be paid via e-transfer to accounts@lyonsgate.ca or by cheque made out to “Lyonsgate Montessori School Inc.” and dropped off at the Primary campus.
We wish you a happy weekend ahead!
Warmly,
Marissa and Michelle.
Photo Gallery
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Lyonsgate Administrative Update, June 3, 2022
Hello Lyonsgate Families,
Thank you for finding the time to attend the Parent-Teacher conferences today. We have updates for you about hours of operation and After School Care for the 2022.2023 school year.
Hours of Operation
Please visit https://lyonsgate.ca/hours-of-operation/ for each classroom's schedule for the 2022.2023 school year. You can find this page under the "Parents" tab.
After School Care
For the 2022.2023 school year, After School Care will be available for Casa and Elementary students. There are limited spaces available on a first-come, first-served basis. Registration for After School Care will be in next week's update. Please take the time to determine if your family will need after school care next year, and please note that, due to the limited spaces available, after school care is intended as a five-day-a-week program for families that require a later pick up time due to work constraints and not as extra time for socialization and play. Thank you.
Cost for both After School Care programs is $100/month, payable to "Lyonsgate Montessori School Inc." or by e-transfer to accounts@lyonsgate.ca.
- Casa After School Care will run from 4:00-4:30 each day.
- Elementary After School Care will run from 3:30-4:30 each day.
At the Primary campus (Toddler and Casa) Before School Care is included for the 2022.2023 school year. Before School Care from 8:00-8:30 and arrival from 8:30-8:45 will begin in the 2023.2024 school year at the Primary campus.