Jason Phillips

Hello Lyonsgate Montessori Families,

We hope everyone made it to and from school and work safely in today’s surprise snow storm. Let’s hope that’s the last blast this winter — we do spring ahead one hour on Sunday so that means it’s nothing but warm, sunny days from now on…

This is your last update before the March Break. We have a short week next week. March Break begins on Friday, March 13 — there is no school next Friday — and we return to school on Tuesday, March 24.

Your children’s Montessori guides have summaries of the winter term for you this week — the work that has been fascinating the children lately, developments in classroom culture,  the abundance of project work, and things to look forward to in the spring term.

You will also find a letter from Hamilton Public Health regarding the latest COVID-19 update.

Have a restful and restorative break everyone; we’ve made it through another winter! …maybe

Toddler:

This term introduced many changes as a new child joined our community; leaders emerged in the midst of it all, challenging materials pushed for concentration and critical thinking. The transition from diapers to underpants was the trend; the washroom suddenly became much more interesting than ever before. Witnessing the children’s resilience during these changes is truly inspiring.

We observed positive socialization -– the children move from the natural state of egocentrism to an altruistic state. Empathy is displayed every day — they make it their duty to ask a sensitive child if they are okay, reassure them that they will be, and proceed to bring their concern to an adult’s attention. Some of the works in the classroom have fortuitously been transformed to duo or group work in order to fulfill that need for socialization.

An explosion of language occurred amongst the younger children — they are now forming four to five word sentences and are able to actively participate in conversations with their older peers.

The children have expressed their excitement about March Break. These extra days will give you the opportunity to be spectators to their developmental milestones and adjust the home environment to fulfill those needs.

The third term will bring additional materials that mimic the Casa environment, challenging presentations, and the continuation with toilet learning.

I am excited to see what it will bring because the children never cease to amaze me. I will be thinking of them and I look forward to hearing highlights from their break.

Thank you all for an astounding second term, and cheers to an adventurous March Break!

Ms. Dee

Casa South

In the blink of an eye term 2 is over! What a term!

It may be the shortest semester but we accomplished so much. Our classroom graciously embraced a new member in January, supportively guiding our new friend through the ropes!

We have gotten to know a wonderful new teacher, Ms. Folland, whom we all adore! She is such a great help and loves to both read stories and be read to by our older students.

Our classroom has been thoroughly enjoying Making Bread, we are practically a bakery! Not only do the children make the bread but they hand it out at lunch. It is a practice in Grace and Courtesy, making sure that they hear please and thank you. Just this week one of our bread makers went to each table asking them to please sit patiently and quietly, and then they will hand out the bread (and the student becomes the teacher!).

Geography has been very popular, lots of introductions to the Puzzle Map of the World for the first years, and many mastered Continent Puzzles by the second years. I am always in awe of the second year that takes the whole morning to master the Puzzle Map of Africa or the USA (trust me they’re tricky!).

Lots of children have crossed the bridge from learning sounds to stringing them together to create and read words! Such an exciting moment to be apart of.

Some of the older children are whizzing through mathematics learning about addition, subtraction, and multiplication (that’s right 5-year-olds doing multiplication!).

We are all so excited for the semester to come. We are so excited to learn more and enjoy each others company!

Miss Moffatt

Casa North

Hello Casa North Families,

I hope you’re all feeling healthy, rested, and dry! The children in Casa North have been working through their second term with determination. We have seen them treating one another with compassion, kindness, and mentorship. As of late, the children have enjoyed a rotation of books each week that come from the public library. There’s nothing like some research on animal facts to encourage reading to one another and themselves!

At this point in the year, the children are well accustomed to one another and are settled into their roles as a first, second, or third year Montessori studentsd. Friendships have formed and the children are eager to greet one another each morning after a long evening apart. Many small group presentations are occurring, along with many requests for older children to present to younger children. The community is strong, and the children are quick to correct one another when something goes awry. This is a great stage for us adults to observe as it lets us know that we are increasingly less needed in the environment.

It’s hard to believe that we have just one more (short) week before March Break begins. We are hoping for some spring weather for all of your adventures! When we return, we will be coming right into our third and final term of the year. I look forward to much academic, social, and emotional growth from all of your beautiful children.

Thank you again for being an extension of our small community, and for your continued support of what we do here at Lyonsgate.

Warmly,

Miss Boyle

Elementary

Visit any elementary Montessori environment and you will undoubtedly witness children working on or discussing “a project. Whenever a new word is introduced to the students, or highlighted for a specific use, the origins and etymology of that word are also offered to the children to deeper their understanding. The word “project” originates from two Latin terms pro and jacere, and means “something thrown forth.” Children between the ages of 6-12 are very inquisitive, can think rationally, and are extremely social, leading them to use their developing skills in reading and writing to acquire information, synthesize it, and communicate it outward. A project is their opportunity to throw forth their knowledge about a topic of particular interest to them.

In the first year of Elementary, young students are guided through the work of preparing their first “projects” with a common topic (e.g. our solar system), an oral reading of information to the group, the recall of information in verbal sentences, and finally, a written model of a paragraph to record and illustrate. As the children grow older and further develop their ability to read and write, they move away from the guides and seek the support of older students with whom they can collaborate, and soon are filling endless pages with facts and drawings. The incredible volume and depth of research undertaken by the children was what Dr. Montessori referred to as their “great work,” where the child’s intense curiosity and changing passions motivates them to dive deep into first one interest before abandoning it for another. Through formal language lessons and work with materials such as the grammar box series, their writing style improves with the integration of punctuation and the creation of more complex sentences. At this stage, students are shown how to edit their work after it has been reviewed by a peer or classroom guide. They are invited to further organize their information into sub-topics, calling upon their reasoning minds to sort and classify what they have learned and integrate information from multiple sources. They learn to pull information not only from the written word, but diagrams, documentaries, and experiences.

As students gain greater skill and confidence in reading and writing, they may begin to explore different mediums for communicating what they have learned, from oral presentations and dioramas to poster boards and stop-motion films. In the upper elementary years, projects tend to shift away from research into animals and the natural world and instead focus on the contributions and history of humans through biographies and investigation of major events. More often, projects become individual efforts rather than a shared activity among friends, and students find they need to go beyond books and the internet to satisfy their curiosity. They must now seek out specialists and experts to answer their questions, plan their own going-out activity to complete their research, or use what they have learned to solve a problem. As the elementary child transitions toward adolescence, the thing that is thrown forth is themselves, as they make their plans, learn what is needed, and use that knowledge effectively. The work of creating and completing their own projects is the work of forming and developing themselves.

It has been a wonderful second term, with just a few more days together before Spring Break. We look forward to sharing a wide variety of projects with you during the third term at our “Great Work” show in May.

Have a wonderful (and hopefully less snowy) weekend!

Marissa

COVID-19 Update:

If you have questions regarding COVID-19, Hamilton Public Health asks that staff or parents contact Public Health Services by calling (905) 546-2424 ext. 7970.

From Hamilton Public Health:

Coming Up:

You will find up to date details about all Lyonsgate events on your online school calendar.

• March Break: March Break this year runs from March 13-23, inclusive. The first day back to school after March Break is Tuesday, March 24.

Photos

Sorry, no photo gallery this week.

Hello Lyonsgate Montessori Families,

Happy Friday! Welcome back to winter. Let’s pretend this was the last blast of cold before it warms up for a wonderful and well deserved March Break for all of your hard working Montessori children.

This week, your children’s classroom assistants have each focused on a specific material that is meaningful to them. Whether it’s a favourite material to work with, a material that encompasses what Montessori offers to children, or a material that we may not always consider a part of standard classroom learning (see the Toddler update), Montessori materials are big part of all of our days.

Toddler:

Hello to all of our families in the Toddler program! I have been back with the Toddler class for almost a month now, and I have been enjoying the opportunity to get to know you and your children. As it turns out, I happened to have returned in the middle of a big developmental period for the class. A significant number of our students are making the exciting (and sometimes eventful) transition from diapers to underwear. I wanted to give you some insight on what that looks like for us.

At its bare bones, our typical chain of events is to start off by inviting the children to sit on the potty throughout the day, move on to having them wear underwear in the mornings, then through the afternoon when they are awake, then all day. However, there is no set timeframe for this. The agency of the child is just as important here as it is in other aspects of the Montessori classroom. It is usually the case that the children themselves will tell us when they are ready to move to the next stage through actions such as coming to the bathroom unprompted or telling us that they want to leave their underwear on for a little longer. We prepare for ‘accidents’ from children that are still learning their bodies (pack extra clothes!) and let them try. Following the children’s lead in these cases is crucial in building their confidence and encouraging their development. That sense of agency can be fostered both in the classroom and at home by allowing children to be an active part of the process. They are more excited and eager to wear underwear that they get to choose for themselves. They should dress and undress themselves as much as possible to build up that feeling of ‘I can do it by myself’ that encourages them to keep going (which is why your child coming home with their pants on backwards is actually a good sign).

Unfortunately, it is quite common for children to initially do very well while wearing underwear and then lose some of their ambition once the novelty has worn off or some change has occurred in their lives. This can be discouraging, but it is very important to stay consistent. Sliding back into diapers can be tempting, but might undo a lot of progress. Don’t worry — they’ll get the hang of it eventually.

Have a good weekend,

Miss Colbert

Casa South

As many of you know, I began working at Lyonsgate and have been assisting in Casa South with Miss Moffatt and Mlle Paul since January. Of all the compelling materials I could write about, it is the simple floor mat that has struck me the most and seems to really symbolize so much of the Montessori method. The floor mats are rolled up and sit in a hamper and are not necessarily a material but are used with many of the materials in the classroom. I watch the children eagerly scan the classroom, searching for what work they will choose with such thought before they approach the mats.

It is not the floor mat itself that has wowed me but how the children use them. After seeing Miss Moffatt or Mlle Paul slowly and purposely make use of a mat, the children follow suit. First, they approach the hamper, select their mat, hold the mat with one hand clasping the top to pull it out of the bin, then with one hand also clasping the bottom they hold it close to their body, then carefully carry it over to an area on the floor. Although they could simply throw the mat on the floor, they don’t, because there is a process and it is respected. They carefully and evenly unroll their mat, then quietly and with purpose walk around the mat to ensure they aren’t impeding anyone else’s work and that there is a proper amount of space for their work. The floor mat provides a definitive area for them to do their work, which sits on the mat and never on the floor. I have seen children find some fluff on their mat, then promptly clean it with the correct materials. When they take care of their mat, they are also respecting the other materials they’re placing on it. When they are done, they carefully roll the mat, taking time to make sure it is even, then carry it back following the same expectations and carefully place it in the hamper. Respecting the materials is seen in every step of the process.

A few times, I’ve seen the younger ones quickly unroll their mat abruptly, but that has been followed by an older child quietly showing them the proper way. The simple mat even incites leadership, role modelling, and collaboration. Montessori is a beautiful, layered method that encompasses so much in even the small moments, and it’s a beautiful thing to watch your children continuously discover more of those layers.

Miss Folland

Casa North

Hello Casa North families,

Part of my role as the English Assistant in Casa North is to help engage children with the materials we have on the shelves in our Casa classroom. As more time passes in the classroom, I’ve had the opportunity to interact more and more with the materials. All of the materials are beautiful and logical. Not only that, but the work in the classroom is truly a joy to participate in. When the children see their teachers engaged with the work and learning new things, it ignites a desire to experience the same materials.

As someone with a background in mathematics education, some of my favourite materials are number and math based. One of these is the Montessori Stamp Game. This is one that I choose to work with when I do work in the classroom, but it’s also one that I work with the children on when they need guidance. It is a math manipulative that makes the learning of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division a tactile and real experience. I think it’s absolutely beautiful to watch the children work with this material and come to understand the functions on a very comprehensive level.

Materials in the sensory area are also a favourite of mine as they are not only aesthetically pleasing but help children make sense of the world that they experience. These materials give children the language and comprehension to understand what their senses are revealing to them.

Even as an adult in this space, I find the materials give me a deeper understanding of the things that I know about the world. It is wonderful to watch your children experience this in their interactions with the materials in the classroom.

Ms. Sullivan

Elementary

Most of you are familiar with the Primary Phonics readers — the colour-coded set of readers children use when they are starting to develop their reading skills. While not the most riveting stories, they are widely used because they help children to move beyond single letter sounds and begin to learn how words are made from different combinations of letters.

In my work as a literacy development specialist I always present language as something we build with, as something we make things with, as something we construct with, and I do so for two primary purposes. First of all to guide children to understand that language, whether written, read, or spoken, works by combining ever-larger elements — from single letters, to combinations of letters to form different sounds, to syllables, to words, to phrases and clauses, to sentences, to paragraphs, and beyond. Second, to have children start to understand language as a human invention that they have control over. Language instruction can feel oppressive to children with all of its rules and spellings and capitalization and punctuation and exceptions to the rules, so working to have children view it as something to play with, as something to manipulate and make do whatever they want it to do, can make children more open and willing to engage with language. Language is something they can control.

The Primary Phonics readers are a solid step in this process. Each reader introduces or reviews a specific concept — short or long vowel sounds, vowel digraphs (combinations of vowels that work together to make a single sound, such as ie, oe, ee, oa, ea, etc.), consonant blends and digraphs (such as br, cl, sc, ft, mp, nd, ch, th, ph, etc.), and other constructions such as dge, igh, and soft and hard g and c sounds.

Each reader’s specific concept is highlighted on the inside cover along with the words containing the concept within the story. There is also a set of “sight words” in each book. These are words that break a rule somehow — a letter makes the wrong sound, for example — so they are words we have to learn to recognize by sight, as sounding them out won’t work. Sometimes, just reading the set of focus concept words or the set of sight words, or just reviewing the focus concept itself might be the best work for an individual child. Writing out the sets of words helps children learn them both visually and in a tactile way. Reading the same book more than once in one sitting can help children develop reading fluency and experience the joys of progress as they hear and feel their reading improve. Reading comprehension can also be assessed and developed in young readers by talking about the story once it has been read, and the experience of building and constructing with language can be offered by having children add to the story they have just read, either orally or in written form.

They may at first glance seem like simple little story books, but they are a learning tool we use in many ways to help children develop a sound relationship with language.

Thank you to all of our Elementary parents that were able to attend the French concert. We know that taking time off work to attend these short afternoon events can be tricky. Please know that all of us at Lyonsgate Elementary — both staff and students — greatly appreciate all of the efforts you can make to support not just your own children but all of our young learners.

Coming Up:

You will find up to date details about all Lyonsgate events on your online school calendar.

• One of your fellow Montessori parents submitted this free event at the Central branch of the Hamilton Public Library:

Sara Pipher Gilliam: Ophelia in 2020: Raising Strong Girls in Disruptive Times
Sunday, March 8th, 2:00 p.m.

Join us at Central Library for a 30 minute presentation, Q&A period, and book signing. Books will be available for purchase from Epic Books.
Twenty-five years after the release of this culture-changing title, Hamilton-based writer Sara Pipher Gilliam has co-authored a revised edition of the book. While the cultural landscape for girls has changed in many positive ways, today’s girls grapple with a new set of challenges. Sara will explore what parents and educators can do to mitigate these challenges and share strategies for raising confident, competent young women.

• March Break: March Break this year runs from March 13-23, inclusive. The first day back to school after March Break is Tuesday, March 24.

Photos

Remember to let us know if you ever want the full size image of a photo of your child, and that you can click on any image to view them all in a slideshow format.

Hello Lyonsgate Montessori Families,

Of central importance to all Montessori prepared environments are the Montessori materials. This week, your children’s guides have taken the time to explain the purpose of one of the materials in their classroom. Our hope is that these explanations, coupled with our regular Parent Education events, give you a better understanding of the Montessori method and how it works to help your children grow and learn. Read them all to get an idea of how Montessori education progresses through the years.

Toddler:

The Montessori classroom provides a prepared, language-enriched environment where the children are able to practice exploration of the world around them, care of self, care of the environment, as well as gross and fine motor development.

Dr. Montessori firmly believed that the child’s cognitive processes are assisted by combining movement with an organized task. One activity that facilitates those needs is Arranging Flowers, which satisfies the child’s innate desire to imitate the skills that they see adults perform around them. The activity follows a prescribed sequence which requires a great deal of attention and mental concentration. It also allows the child to exercise discrimination and judgment and development of their aesthetic sense.

The children often choose to bring their arrangements outside of the classroom. They always look proud of their work and are happy to be able to share it with others.

We thank you all for your weekly contribution of fresh cut flowers; they add beautiful colours to our classroom.

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend,

Ms. Dee

Casa South

Maria Montessori brought carefully selected materials into her classroom. She developed these materials to support complex learning outcomes. The most widely recognized Montessori material is arguably the Pink Tower. At first glance the Pink Tower looks like a set of simple blocks, however, Montessori had many goals in mind when she constructed and developed this material. Through hands-on manipulation, children are introduced to a number of concepts.

The Pink Tower offers the child an opportunity to visually and muscularly explore dimension and understand size. It leads to observation of size within the environment (items that are small and large). It requires coordination and perfection of movement as the child carefully places the cubes one after the other. Most interestingly, the Pink Tower prepares the child for mathematics. The Pink Tower consists of 10 cubes as 10 is the basis of the decimal system.

The Pink Tower, as well as all the other materials in the classroom, is treated with the highest respect. You may be surprised but it is never knocked over. When the child wants to put the Pink Tower away they carefully disassemble the tower and return the cubes one at a time.

The Pink Tower is one of many tactile materials that allow the child to explore dimension, space, and coordination in a sensorial way. The Montessori classroom is a fascinating space where everything has purpose!

Miss Moffatt

Casa North

Hello Casa North Families!

This week I’d like to discuss a material from the Sensorial area called the Red Rods. This is a mathematically graded material of a set of 10 wooden rods, all red, varying in length from 10 centimeters to 1 meter. This material is shown on a mat on the floor — the children are shown to carry the rods one at a time, placing them carefully on the mat. This is beautiful gross motor movement, and also really draws the child’s attention to their body while navigating their peers, the shelves, and the surrounding activities — that 1 meter long rod takes substantial concentration to maneuver!

Once the rods are on the mat, I show the child to grade them (without using language quite yet) from longest to shortest, aligning them on the left hand side. Once I’ve built the red rods “just like they looked on the shelf,” the child is then invited to have a turn. At this point, I become a quiet observer. The child will reveal to me how they are visually discriminating for length, whether or not they build the rods haphazardly, out of order, or perfectly on the first try. One of the key components of the Sensorial materials is to allow the child to explore and deduce patterns and information that the material can give without adult direction.

After the child has worked with the Red Rods and has demonstrated the ability to build them with care, there are subsequent presentations to come. Exploring the Unit of Difference (that the 10 centimeter rod is the difference between each of the individual rods), building the Red Rods at a distance (using two mats, strategically placed across the room from one another) and providing the language of “long and short” or “long, longer, longest!” are extensions of the original presentation. As with everything in the Montessori environment, the Red Rods provide scaffolding for presentations that are to come.

Following the Red Rods, the child will be shown the Number Rods (that are the same in every capacity, other than that they have both blue and red segments that introduce counting and the physical difference between the quantity of 1 and each number leading up to 10). I love showing this material (and all of the Sensorial materials) as they truly provide an insight into each child’s varying process of thinking through the beginning, middle, and end of a task.

Thank you for taking the time to read about one of our beautiful materials. If you have any questions about a material that your child is talking about and you’d like to try to translate their explanation of it, please don’t hesitate to reach out and let me know! Have a safe, healthy, happy weekend.

With warmth,

Miss Boyle

Elementary

Montessori environments are often energized by the hum of children’s chatter as the students share observations, discuss new information, and socialize with their peers. Because learning is an inherently social process where interaction with others helps to construct our understanding of the world, language is the connective tissue between all other subjects. Both the English and French languages are explored and studied extensively to aid students in building a rich and precise vocabulary, an understanding of the different role words can play to create meaning, and how to use language to learn and communicate effectively.

My favourite language materials to share with students are the activities of Sentence Analysis, using a series of wooden arrow and circle manipulatives and charts to parse the structure and meaning of sentences. These activities may begin in Casa with simple sentences and continue throughout the Elementary years with compound and complex sentences. Students are invited to compose their own sentences for the activity or pull lines from literary sources, and they collaborate to break it apart and identify how its meaning is constructed. The sentence is written on a long strip of paper so that words, phrases, and clauses can be physically cut apart and manipulated to answer a series of questions. While students of all ages in the Elementary class can work with the Sentence Analysis materials, this week the upper level students were hotly debating objects and modifiers. Here is one of the sentences they analyzed this week. Give it a try! (The answer is in the photo at the end).

Chloe leapt into the water and swam furiously to the end of the pool to win the race.

We look forward to sharing more of the children’s language work with you at our French Concert next week!

Have a wonderful weekend,

Marissa

Coming Up:

All of the events listed here can also be found on your Lyonsgate calendar.

• Elementary French Concert: On Thursday, Feb. 27, from 3:30-4:15 at the Primary (Aberdeen) campus, Lyonsgate Elementary students will perform their annual French concert. All Lyonsgate parents are invited to attend. Please remember — there is no food or drink permitted in the Sanctuary at the synagogue.
• March Break: March Break this year runs from March 13-23, inclusive. The first day back to school after March Break is Tuesday, March 24.
• Summer Camp: We will be offering a summer camp for Lyonsgate students going into their third year of Casa or whom are in Elementary. Please click here for more details and to register.

Photos

Enjoy!

Hello Lyonsgate Montessori Families,

We’re giving you all a day off tomorrow — Friday, Feb. 14 — to celebrate Valentine’s Day! It’s actually a PD day that takes us into the Family Day statutory holiday on Monday, Feb. 17. Lyonsgate is closed both days and we will see everyone back at school on Tuesday, Feb. 18.

Have a great long weekend whether you’re travelling or staying cozy.

Toddler:

Grace and courtesy in the environment provide the Toddlers with the vocabulary, actions, and steps that are needed to develop interpersonal skills and respond to their environment. We often role play different social situations that allow the Toddlers to greet one another, politely interrupt a person engaged in activity, consenting, and saying “please” and “thank you.” Sharing the learning materials, patiently waiting for their turn, and helping each other are all within the realm of grace and courtesy that allow the Toddlers to understand and value community.

“A child who becomes a master of his acts through repeated exercises of grace and courtesy, and who has been encouraged by the pleasant and interesting activities in which he has been engaged, is a child filled with health and joy and remarkable for his calmness and discipline.” – Maria Montessori

Wishing you all a great family-centered weekend,

Ms. Dee

Casa South

For the last month and a half, since starting at Lyonsgate, I have been made to feel welcome and have been treated so well by every staff member, child, and the children’s loved ones. The tone in Lyonsgate, upon entry, is one of grace and courtesy, from the way in which both adults and children are greeted to the way the children greet each other, and patiently wait for each other to complete work rather than interrupting. Seeing a child arrive for the day and be approached by another child who earnestly asks how they are, or if they’re excited about the work they’re going to do, is something I’ve thoroughly enjoyed observing.

For those who haven’t met me yet, my name is Shannon Folland and I am a mom of two wonderful children. I am also a Behavioural Specialist with extensive experience working with children, often to help them meet goals of increased self-esteem/self-empowerment (the springboard for so many other wonderful experiences), and the art of self-regulation. I see each of these things naturally happening within the Montessori classrooms here at Lyonsgate, as modelled by the staff through the theme of grace and courtesy.

Coming to work at Lyonsgate has felt like coming home. I’ve had the opportunity to take part in the Toddler room and am now thoroughly enjoying assisting in Casa South, with some support to Casa North as well. I’ve also had the pleasure of observing in Elementary. The theme of grace and courtesy runs strong in each.

In only a month and a half I have watched your children grow and learn, but perhaps more importantly, I’ve watched them WANT to grow and learn. I see them quietly observe their teachers, who pay attention to every detail of their own movements and behaviours and their impact on the children; they move slowly, maintain complete focus on the presentations, and role model positive behaviour conducive to a healthy, connected community.

I am so impressed when I see the children gently place their hand on their teacher’s shoulder and wait patiently to speak, or when I see them use self-regulation skills amongst each other using grace and courtesy. When a friend is using a rug on the floor for their work, their friends walk around the rug so they don’t disturb their friend’s work. I watch them accept or decline invitations with each other respectfully. They carefully walk from table to table with a small water jug to graciously offer their friends water with their meal. There are so many examples of grace and courtesy within the classrooms here at Lyonsgate that are carefully modeled by every teacher and staff member. The impact these teachers are having on your children is a beautiful thing to watch, but even more enjoyable for me is how the older children continue that role modelling they see, and model it for the younger ones. There is a true community in Montessori. Knowing that grace and courtesy are such key components of being a good human makes me excited not only for these children but for the ripple effect it will have on all the people they encounter throughout their lifetime.

Ms. Folland

Casa North

In our small classroom communities, we have a specific dedication to presentations that fall under the Grace and Courtesy heading. This means that anything we would like to see reflected in a peaceful, considerate world we introduce to the children with a formal presentation.

Things like inviting someone in to be seated, how to sneeze, picking up something that someone dropped, or greeting and introducing oneself are all shown to the children (along with many more!). These presentations can be both individual or small groups, and without fail are always a big hit for them to practise! It’s no surprise that the children love to practise behaviours and interactions that they observe their elders participating in as they navigate life. Maria Montessori’s philosophy was that if the child is capable of something, we should show them how to do it.

On another note, many of the children in Casa North are very interested in mastering all of the sounds in our alphabet. When the children are learning letters, we introduce them phonetically rather than by their letter names (for example, we would say “awe” for O rather than “oh”). This is to help bridge the gap between symbol recognition and actually reading. If your child is practising their sounds (remarking “hey, I hear ‘mmmm’ in mommy!”) or noticing letters on their t-shirt, it’s a wonderful idea to use phonetic sounds to support this process. If you have any questions about language acquisition, please don’t hesitate to reach out! You can reach me by e-mail (casanorth@lyongsate.ca) and I am happy to answer any questions or set up a time to chat.

As always, thank you so much for your support and for sharing your children with us. Have a beautiful winter weekend!

Warmly,

Miss Boyle

Elementary

An essential part of Montessori education at any level is the curation of an environment that nurtures the child’s development. The student’s physical classroom must be designed with care to create warm and inviting spaces that encourage concentration and work, integrating a variety of lighting and seating options, as well as an array of beautiful materials to connect students to each subject. Authentic Montessori environments around the world are instantly recognizable because of the visible harmonization of the learning materials and classroom. However, an essential part of the Montessori environment cannot be captured in a photograph, but only through observation. The intangible environment of a Montessori classroom, the development of a social space in which children develop soft skills such as emotional regulation and behavioural norms, must be carefully crafted as well. Lessons in grace and courtesy (a.k.a. manners) help children adapt to the cultural norms of their social world, from home, to school, and to the community beyond. Three key aspects of grace and courtesy emphasized in our Elementary program are punctuality, table etiquette, and sharing public spaces.

Elementary children work as a collaborative social group; they are no longer engrossed in individual tasks while sitting beside a friend but are dependent on one another for discussion and interaction. This means that attendance and punctuality are critical in showing respect and courtesy for the time, needs, and efforts of others. When a student arrives late to school or dawdles while getting dressed for recess, their lack of punctuality produces a social consequence of frustrating or disappointing their friends. Learning proper table etiquette creates more welcoming dining environments where food can be enjoyed and in preparation for dining in situations outside the family home. Students must wait for everyone to arrive at the table before they begin eating, and stay seated at the table until everyone is finished. They are shown how to make a place setting with utensils and dinnerware laid out in a specific order, how to politely express food preferences, and how to clear and compost effectively. Community outings are an opportunity to learn how to respect others in public spaces, such as moving to the right of the sidewalk to let others pass, exchanging pleasantries with crossing guards, or offering a seat to someone on the bus.

These social norms and cultural adaptations may be automatic to adults, but to our children these are new concepts that must be explored, practiced, and passed on to others. These lessons in grace and courtesy are woven into the social expectations of the classroom community, and also directly taught through entertaining role plays followed by group discussions. This week, the class erupted in laughter as they observed Michelle playing the role of an impolite tablemate at lunch and the effects of her behaviour on her dining companion. Because the role play was conducted with humour, did not address a specific child or incident, but rather a general way to comport themselves, the students loved identifying her missteps and offering suggestions for what she could do differently. Elementary children love to try on new roles, to make use of their burgeoning imagination, and present caricatures of archetypes and behaviours.

Marissa

Coming Up:

Your Lyonsgate calendar can be added to your own Google/Gmail calendar; just click “+ Google Calendar” in the bottom right corner.

Once this long weekend is behind us it’s a straight shot through to March Break.

• Elementary families, don’t forget your children will be performing their French concert on Thursday, February 27, from 3:30-4:15 at the Primary (Aberdeen) campus.
• March Break this year runs from March 13-23, inclusive. The first day back to school after March Break is Tuesday, March 24.

Photos

Photos are back! Enjoy, and if you ever want the full version of a photo of your child, please let us know.

Hello Lyonsgate Community,

We are halfway through this short winter term and this week we have updates from some of your children’s classroom assistants. Enjoy!

We also have some info about school and illness for you. T’is the season and germs are being shared; we’ve had an upswing in the number of children and staff coming down with colds recently. You will also find a letter from Hamilton Public Health regarding coronavirus.

Reminder: Next Friday, Feb. 14 (happy Valentine’s!), is a PD Day and the following Monday, Feb. 17, is the Family Day statutory holiday. Both Lyonsgate campuses are closed on both days.

Toddler

I would like to start off by thanking everyone who was able to join us and make last week’s Show and Share such a success. It is always wonderful to see new aspects of the children’s personalities emerge when they are with their families, as well as the pride they feel when welcoming you into their Montessori environment to observe their work. As a teacher, it is a real joy to see the children taking ownership over the classroom.

As you may have noticed during Show and Share, a lot of the toddlers are currently drawn to water-based activities such as pouring, watering plants, mopping, not to mention the return of shoveling snow during recess. Don’t be alarmed if more wet clothing comes home than usual! On the subject of clothing, it is always good to keep things labelled so we can assure that the items find their way back the the rightful owners. This is especially important during the cold months as gloves, mittens, and scarves have a way of getting misplaced.

The class has become a true community with each member bringing their unique (and ever-developing) voice to the conversation. Perhaps the greatest tribute to this was one of our students referring the the class as their “school family.” It is truly an honour to be part of that family.

Mr. Davis

Casa South

A person’s life — success, health, and emotional wellbeing — is deeply connected to their experiences in their childhood. Knowing this, how does the Casa classroom support the adult within our children?

The environment is crucial. It must have developmentally appropriate exercises and be a nurturing and supportive space. The Montessori environment offers both an academically stimulating curriculum and one in which the child grows holistically.

Montessori education is scientifically based on the key developmental stages that all children move through on their way to adulthood. In the Montessori world we refer to these stages as “sensitive periods” — periods in which the children’s interests are focused on developing a particular skill or knowledge area.

The Montessori classroom facilitates these sensitive periods by providing children with a prepared environment that is designed to optimize their learning. The prepared environment provides order, hands-on self-paced learning, collaborative social interactions, children of mixed ages, movement, guidance, freedom of choice, and a full selection of self-correcting Montessori materials available on low open shelves.

The prepared environment is designed to stimulate children’s minds, encourage collaboration and independence, and provide them with the time and space to achieve the outcome of their work. In this way, Montessori inspires children to become independent, self-motivated learners with strong academic foundations.

Within this environment, children participate in the full three-hour work cycle and take part in the Montessori daily routine. This sequence of daily activities provides children with an understanding of order, time management, and how to behave within their environment at different times. It also provides children with important preparation for school skills, such as concentration, sitting quietly, lining up, collaborating with others, and the ability to follow instructions.

Casa North

Hello Casa North Families,

I’d just like to start off with an enormous thank you to all that were able to make it out to last week’s Show and Share. The children were so excited to share all of the things they have been working on in the classroom. It is so wonderful to see them showing their favourite work to their most favourite people. It is such a beautiful experience for all of us as they master new and exciting skills within the classroom. We’re so grateful that you invest your time and energy to come and share in your children’s love of the classroom materials.

As we continue moving forward the children are exposed to more and more enriching experiences both in the classroom and on the playground. We’ve seen them pursue their interests wholeheartedly, surprise us with their knowledge and talent, and make new social connections. It is a joy for me to get to share in their exploration of these facets of Lyonsgate life.

In the classroom, we’ve had many new presentations happening and I’ve had the opportunity to observe and work with the children as they practice their new skills after a presentation. One of my favourites is the Montessori Stamp Game, which has children engaging in various mathematical operations with tactile pieces. We’ve also had lots of exploration with the Montessori Bells recently, with some students creating their own music or practicing memorised pieces. Nothing compares to when a child is finally able to master something they’ve been working towards for weeks or months.

We appreciate your continued support. Have a beautiful weekend!

Ms. Sullivan

Elementary

Maria Montessori observed that children in the second plane of development (age 6–12 years) have a hunger for knowledge about the world around them. While the first plane of development is the period for absorption of their environment, the second plane is the period for the acquisition of culture. The reasoning mind of the Elementary child wants to understand why and their quest to understand the world around them is aided by their vivid imaginations. Montessori tells us “to regard the child’s intelligence as a fertile field in which seeds may be sown, to grow under the heat of flaming imagination.”

Through Cosmic Education, we offer Elementary children the seeds to help them to understand not only the world around them but the wider universe. Many of our lessons include the tradition of oral storytelling, encouraging the children’s imagination to help them understand big concepts such as the creation of the universe, the formation of the sun and our solar system, and the beginnings of life on earth.

Recently, we have been exploring our solar system. We began with an exploration of the forces of magnetism and gravity. We then considered how these forces are at work in the universe. Our younger students are working on a guided project studying the planets of our solar system. They are learning to read to find specific information, such as how long it takes Saturn to orbit the sun or what it is like on Jupiter. Our older students are engaged in understanding the movement of the earth and its moon. Some students are in the midst of learning about the use of the compass in early exploration, as well as the affect of the rotation, revolution, and tilt of the earth.

Elementary students enjoy working together to create big works. The lower Elementary students collaborated to create a large piece of art depicting our solar system. Each student painted a celestial body and contributed it to the group. Students were able to arrange (and re-arrange!) their paintings of planets around the sun, adding in moons and comets as well.

We hope these seeds we sow about how our solar system works will germinate in each child according to their unique interests. Perhaps they will seek out a better understanding of the mathematics of orbits, investigate the natural laws which govern the universe, or dream of engineering a spaceship capable of travelling to another planet. Perhaps their imagination will inspire them to write science fiction stories, to compose music, or to create works of art. Or perhaps they will simply turn their gaze to the night sky and appreciate the wonder of our universe, and their part in it.

Michelle

Handbook Highlight

With cold and flu season in full swing, we wanted to remind you about Lyonsgate’s policies regarding sick children. There are two places you can look for info:

• Your Lyonsgate Parent Handbook has a section covering “Disease and Illness” starting on page 97 in the viewer.
• You will find an “Illness Exclusion Table” from Hamilton Public Health under the “Parents” tab at lyonsgate.ca, titled “Sick Children Info.” This table lists which illnesses require children to be absent from school, and for how long.

We greatly appreciate everyone’s cooperation in helping to reduce the spread of illness amongst your children, and remember to wash wash wash wash wash those hands.

Coronavirus: please read the letter below from Hamilton Public Health regarding coronavirus.

Coming Up

Remember to keep an eye on your Lyonsgate calendar for up to date information.

• Friday, Feb. 14: PD Day. No School.
• Monday, Feb. 17: Family Day statutory holiday. No School.
• Summer Camp: We will be offering a summer camp for Lyonsgate students going into their third year of Casa or whom are in Elementary. Please click here for more details and to register.

Photos

No photos this week — sorry — but we should be back to regularly scheduled programming next week.

Happy Friday Lyonsgate Families,

Thank you to those of you who made it to the Parent Education event this week. We host Parent Education events so you can learn a little more about the Montessori education you have chosen for your children, and this one gave you a chance to ask questions of kids who have made their way through full Montessori programs or joined Montessori after some experience in public or other educational systems.

Lyonsgate Elementary guide Marissa has put together a summary of both the presentation and the answers to your posed questions — be sure to take a look.

Just a reminder that the deadline for registering siblings of current Lyonsgate students is today. If you would like to register a sibling, please click here to access the online registration form. Next week, we will begin offering remaining spaces to families on our wait lists. Thank you for continuing to choose Montessori education for your children; we think it’s a great choice.

Casa and Toddler Show and Share is next week on Thursday, Jan. 30.

• Toddler: the Toddler Show and Share will take place from 3:30-4:00.
• Casa: the Casa Show and Share will take place from 3:30-4:30.

For both Show and Shares, please go directly to your child’s classroom so they can show and share some of their favourite work and activities with you.

Parent Education Summary

Here is your summary of last night’s Parent Education event courtesy of Lyonsgate Elementary guide Marissa:

Parent Education Evening – January 2020

Looking Ahead:  A Panel Discussion with the Students of S.i.T.E.

A Montessori-Inspired High School for Grades 10 – 12

• Situated in Transformative Environments (S.i.T.E.) is a community-based high school with no single physical location and is part of a family of Montessori schools including Dundas Valley (18 mths – Gr. 6) and Strata (Gr. 7 – 9).
• A small cohort of 12 students in grades 10, 11, and 12 work toward the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (O.S.S.D.) under the supervision of a curator, Eric Daigle.
• Future expansion will follow the needs of the students to preserve the program and is currently estimated to be capped at 30 students in a group, with the hope of creating groups in different areas of the city.
• The school day is scheduled with consideration of the developmental needs of teenagers, beginning at 10:00 a.m. and ending at 4:30 p.m.
• Students earn credits on two courses at a time, with subjects thoughtfully paired (e.g. English and History studies are easily connected).
• Students can select from the broad range of secondary school credits available at traditional schools and can meet the content requirements in a variety of ways.
• Students have partnered with professors and researchers from McMaster University, the Dundas Historical Museum and Archives, the Dundas Valley School of Art, and more.
• Students gain practical life and business experience in hosting a monthly market the second Thursday of each month at the SHED Brewing Company in Dundas.
• Achievement of the O.S.S.D enables students to choose to apply to college, university, or other post-secondary opportunities the same as a graduate of a traditional high school.
• Students have varied educational backgrounds, including traditional pubic/separate schools, traditional private schools, Waldorf, and Montessori.
• Students are aware of their socio-economic privilege and the impact this has on the diversity of their cohort but think that the benefits of the program outweigh this concern.
• Students who attended a year or more of traditional high school referred to feeling “like a zombie” or “hiding” from mean kids, teachers, questions, work, and mistakes.. Enjoy the
• The small cohort does change their experience of traditional high school experiences such as team sports or prom, but students also have rich extra-curricular lives that provide these types of experiences.
• The most important aspects to students of this approach to high school:
  • Multi-age grouping with ability to learn from other students
  • Learning how to use technology for a productive purpose rather than to play or disengage
  • Practical life experiences such as learning how to get insurance
  • Great deal of respect between students
  • Relationship between students and their “teachers” is more like friendship

The Montessori Assistant

We managed to capture this great sequence of Casa North Montessori assistant Ms. Sullivan in action this week. Observe how she takes out a Montessori material, sets it up, and begins working with it. The two children that approach are attracted to the material by her precise, patient work:

Coming Up

• Valentine’s PD Day: Friday, Feb. 14, is both Valentine’s Day, and a PD Day. It leads into the statutory Family Day holiday on Monday, Feb. 17. Enjoy the 4-day log weekend everyone.
• Summer Camp: We will be offering a summer camp for Lyonsgate students going into their third year of Casa or whom are in Elementary. Please click here for more details and to register.

Photos