Jason Phillips

Lyonsgate Weekly Update | May 10, 2019

Hello Lyonsgate Montessori Families,

Happy Mothers' Day! We're wishing all of our wonderful Montessori moms the very happiest of Mothers' Days. Be sure to remind your family you spoil you, and make sure they have all the ingredients to make you brunch, and show them how to clean up properly afterwards, and where everything is to help with the other household chores, and let them know where the closest flower shops are, and what time they open on Sunday morning, oh, and be sure to remind them that they need to make you a card too, and where the craft supplies are, and how to clean up glitter, and remind them to not fight or melt down or freak out on Mothers' Day, and to make sure they get everything ready for school and work on Monday, and what you would like for dinner (and again, make sure they have all the ingredients, and instructions, and awareness of the need to clean up afterwards), or which restaurant to go to, and to make reservations 'cuz it's Mothers' Day, and to put on the going-for-a-nice-dinner clothes without arguing, (and make sure those clothes are clean and ready to wear), and don't forget to remind them to call the grandmas.

Enjoy your day of relaxation!

Moms are the best. Thank you.

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Parent Observations are continuing in the Casa and Elementary Montessori environments until June 4. Observations in your child's classroom are 20 minutes in duration and occur during the morning work cycle. Before your observation, please review the Observation Guidelines for Casa, and/or for the Elementary program.

Please click the relevant link(s) below to schedule your observation:

• Casa North: Click here to schedule in Casa North (Ms. Boyle).
• Casa South: Click here to schedule in Casa South (Ms. Moffatt).
• Elementary: Click here to schedule in Elementary.

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This week, your children's Montessori guides are sharing the importance of food in the classroom and how it functions as more than just sustenance. Be sure to read their updates to learn about food work in a Montessori environment.

We would also like to share our new Nutrition Policy with you this week. One of our big projects this year has been to review and update all of our Ministry of Education-required policies to align with new legislation. We will have more to share with you as the project progresses, and some things mentioned in certain policies will come into effect at a later date.

This Week:

Toddler:

Across cultures and time, food sharing represents a universal medium for expressing fellowship; it embodies the values of grace and courtesy. Our snack and lunch intervals, in the form of communal dining, provide an opportunity not only to eat, but also to talk, create, and strengthen bonds of attachment and friendship.

Food is a big component in our community. Throughout the work cycle, snack is made available in the nutrition area and the children are welcomed to serve themselves whenever they feel hungry. They are limited to two pieces and it encourages them to share within their community. The end of the work cycle is marked by an invitation to join the table for a communal snack, ensuring that everyone gets a chance to eat.

Lunch follows recess and three second-year children are invited to set the table up for lunch. Setting up includes the use of placemats, utensils, and glasses for water. Each child has a name tag which is placed in an area assigned by the second year student. Once the table is set, the children are invited to wash their hands and take a seat at the table. With everyone seated, we sing a song expressing our gratitude for the food. The menu is pronounced and the children generally share their excitement with one another regarding the food. We are exposed to a world of conversations during that hour — the children often talk about the taste, texture, and colour of the food, they refer to the food they ate for breakfast, and dinner the night before. Dessert is self-served; the children pass the bowl of fruit to their neighbour. This practice establishes the concept of sharing within their community.

The transition from rest time to dismissal is marked by the last snack of the day. We usually observe a lot of energy and excitement about the end of day. I’m sure you get to hear all about what they have consumed each day!

Children come with an instinctual ability to know when they are hungry. You can set your child up for successful food habits by encouraging them to be a part of the meal preparation, table set up, and clean up process. Independence can be encouraged by ensuring that snacks are accessible in the home. Lastly, grace and courtesy can be practiced when meals are shared as a family. — Ms. Dee

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Casa

Casa South: The way to the heart is through the stomach, and doesn't Casa South know it! We love food in Casa South, eating, preparing, discussing, and learning about it. We try to cultivate a healthy relationship with food by allowing the children to interact with food in other ways than just eating it.

I love to have a recipe book in our book corner as an option of reading material. I love overhearing the children discuss what looks yummy or what they have made and tried before. I like the exposure the children have to the layout of a recipe, it's almost poetic! Ingredient measurements are literally mathematic fractions!

Casa South is home to a lot of food preparation Practical Life! I am very happy to report (and I'm sure the children would be too) that the children prepare all of their snacks INDEPENDENTLY. They peel and slice eggs, juice oranges, slice apples and pears, grate carrots and cinnamon, and even bake bread! A 5-year-old baking bread (INDEPENDENTLY) is really something to behold. It gathers quite the crowd when someone makes bread! All food preparation activities allow for children to have a sensorial experience, the smell of fresh bread, the taste of freshly squeezed juice, the unveiling of the yolk of a hardboiled egg! Preparing food is also a lesson in hygiene (of course!). The children wash their hands before and after, as well as tidy up their messes post preparation. It is wonderful to be able to prepare snack for yourself, but the added dimension of preparing snack for your friends is something truly special.

At lunch everyone has an opportunity to serve themselves. We wait for everyone to be served and recite a little thank you poem, because having a hot meal and food is a privilege! We discuss what we're eating, and if we like it or not. The group encouragement often results in even picky eaters trying something new!

Food, glorious food. An important aspect of the classroom and life! — Ms. Moffatt

Casa North: The children at the Casa level absolutely love taking responsibility for their snack. We treat snack preparation as we do any other Casa activity — something that is presented and repeated by individual children who show signs of readiness. We prepare trays in the morning with two options (apples, carrots, peppers, berries, pears, and much more!). The children who have been shown how to prepare snack will rinse or wash, slice, cut, and set out the snack for their friends. Once snack has been prepared, the children are welcome to serve themselves.

As with all of the other activities, we want the children to be able to self-regulate and foster their independence. Ideally, the children are navigating through the morning and afternoon work cycles organically — choosing Montessori activities that are independent or social, having meaningful conversations, looking at a book and/or observing a friend. Nutrition should fit seamlessly into the program. For this reason, we don't stop the buzzing work cycle to sit down and eat during a "nutrition break." I show the children to select snack, sit at the snack table, pour a glass of water should they want it, and tidy up. We encourage the children to think about how hungry they are, take into consideration that others in the community would also likely enjoy having snack as well, and keep these factors in mind when choosing a serving size.

Interacting with food in the Casa environment is a beautiful Practical Life activity that also starts a healthy and positive relationship with nutrition from a young age. If you're looking for ways to help support this at home, we always encourage involving your child with food preparation, baking, or cooking dinner. Giving them reasonable and safe tools sets them up to be successful, and you may notice that they start to enjoy foods that they didn't love before. Often when I ask the children about what they had for breakfast, they will tell me about slicing bananas for pancakes or peeling carrots for dinner, and they are absolutely beaming!

Thank you for all of your support, and if you have any questions about how to integrate food preparation in your home, as always I'm happy to help. — Ms. Boyle

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Elementary:

Elementary children are cultural explorers, and food is at the heart of our cultural experiences, whether as a facet of biology, history, or daily experience. Having gained the skills during the first plane of eating with utensils and working with cutting tools to prepare food, the Elementary students build upon this foundation to increase their independence from their parents by packing their own lunches, and learning to cook!

Students continue to prepare a communal snack available to their classmates when desired throughout the morning, but now, a greater degree of planning and preparation is required. Each week, two students are assigned the duty of preparing snack, requiring them to check what we have on hand, prepare a shopping list, and go out in the community and purchase what they need within their weekly budget. They search the store for the best produce at a reasonable price (organic strawberries are a bit expensive in January...) and have to account for the dietary needs of all members of the class.

Elementary students require a lunch from home four days each week, and, as they mature, many rise to the challenge of taking over this task from their parents, choosing healthy grains, veggies, fruit, and protein options (or raiding last night's leftovers) to pack their own lunch. If your supervision is still required, involve your child as much as possible in making healthy, litter-less choices for good nutrition and environmentally-friendly practices. Our strict policy of healthy lunches with no chocolate, marshmallows, potato chips, or other sugary or salty snacks is designed to not only prepare students for the day's work, but also a lifetime of healthy eating habits.

Cooking at home is one of the best nutritional and economic practices a child can learn, and each week our students work together to prepare and cook a vegetarian meal for our Community Lunch. At different times throughout the year, students may take on the responsibility of finding appropriate recipes, work with the fraction and multiplication materials to adjust the ingredients for more than twenty people, shop, and, of course, a lot of prep work! They learn to work in the kitchen as a team, prepare the dining space, and try to expand their palates.

Of course, one of the best things about having a kitchen in the classroom are the "happy little accidents" that produce something wonderful. In preparation for our "Jump Rope for Heart" fundraiser this week, a student went to work baking muffins for a snack break during the event. Upon discovering some ingredients were short, and that ALL of the blueberries had been fed to Zeus, she had to improvise! With a few substitutions, a new recipe took form, and everyone enjoyed the Oat-and-Molasses muffins she created!

Note: Your 2018.2019 school year calendar has an "Elementary Open House" listed for May 24. This was to be an open house for prospective families. Fortunately, our Elementary program for 2019.2020 is full. The May 24 open house has been cancelled.

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Coming Up:

Next week has two items to remember:

• Thursday, May 16: Toddler and Casa Show-N-Share (Toddler 3:30-4:00 | Casa 3:30-4:30). Please go directly to your child's classroom.
• Friday, May 17, and Monday, May 20: Victoria Day long weekend. No school.

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Locke St. Construction Update: Starting Tuesday, May 21, Locke St. will be closed from Hunter St. to Melbourne St. (closer to the Main St. end). Adjacent one-way streets (Hunter, Bold, Pine, and Tuckett) will be converted to two-way streets with local access only to allow residents access to and from their homes. The City's notice has the following note:

This configuration will require patience and careful driving. Please be courteous to your fellow residents, yielding as appropriate.

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by Jason Phillips

Lyonsgate Weekly Update | May 3, 2019

Hello Lyonsgate Montessori Families,

This week, Lyonsgate began our participation in the annual Kirkendall Food Drive in support of Mission Services. Elementary students were out distributing collection bags to our neighbours this week, and both Lyonsgate campuses are drop-off locations for donations through Monday, May 6. Please remember that non-perishable donations coming to either Lyonsgate campus must be nut-free, and that personal hygiene items are very welcome.

• Mission Services serves more than 900 families each month through its Good Food Centre.
• In 2018, they served 12,900 meals to children

This Week:

Toddler:

The highlight of our week was the community walk to Beulah Park, of course! I always get to hear wonderful stories about your weekend adventures at the park, and it was great to get a chance to experience that with your children.

The walk to the park was amazing — the children were astonished by the sight of houses, dogs, cars, flowers, and onlookers. This experience allowed the children to use their senses to describe what they were hearing, seeing, smelling, eating, and touching. The wetness did not stop the toddlers from enjoying their playtime at the park — the mud was the main attraction and their clothing serves as proof. We had a picnic, played hide-and-seek, ran as fast as we could, and of course utilized the playground equipment as much as possible. We ended our stay at the park with a sing-along featuring our current favourite song, “Jingle Bells,” while jumping in the mud. The children expressed their sadness about leaving the park and are looking forward to some more adventures with you!

Thank you to all the parents who reached out hoping to come along on this trip; we have such a wonderful community. We realized that post-trip, the separation would have been too hard for the Toddlers and decided that it would be best to have parents opt-out. We are grateful to Mr. Davis and four elementary students for accompanying us on our little adventure.

Ending this week feeling inspired, overjoyed, and grateful. — Ms. Dee

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For your viewing pleasure, a photo sequence demonstrating the hard work of a Montessori Toddler:

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Casa

Casa South: One of the most important tools available to Montessori teachers is observation. We observe each child, every day. Observation is a critical component in lesson planning and class management. Scientific observation allows teachers to gather information without judgement, describing only what you can decipher through the senses. Often, as humans, we make a lot of judgements based on past experiences. For example, there may be a child who grabs the Number Rods and starts swinging them around, hitting people as they go, and it only happens on one occasion; then, another child grabs the Number Rods and runs over to a friend to see how tall they are in comparison. The past experience can get in the way of a new, frankly magical one. We try and look at each day, and each moment, as an opportunity for your children. The children change everyday, and we change everyday!

It was through her observations of children that Maria Montessori discovered the importance of the prepared environment. She discovered it must be beautiful, simple, orderly, and accessible. She noticed it must provide freedom to work according to one's needs. It must also offer purposeful materials to understand the world around them, to qualify and quantify and coordinate. She wanted the classroom to offer opportunities for social interaction. Enjoy this great video on Maria Montessori's intuition.

The month of May is your opportunity to observe our classrooms and we couldn't be more excited. When you come to observe, notice how the children interact with one another and how they resolve conflict. How do they work with the materials, how they initiate "work" independently. Notice those indirect moments when they return their work to the same spot, when they replenish supplies, how they wait patiently for work to be available. Notice how when distracted they can return to their work. Notice those beautiful moments of concentration and absorption happening with the Absorbent Mind.

Casa North: Hello Casa North families! Wow, what a great field trip! We were thrilled that (despite the muddy terrain and misty weather) the children had a fantastic time. We got to see a police car (parked) and discuss safety, a bus driver stopping for a break, hear some birds singing, and explore a little creek before ending up at Beulah Park. The children love any opportunity to explore the world around them — a little bit of freedom goes a long way in their eyes. We are so thankful for our wonderful parent volunteers and hope you had a great time as well!

One of the things I have really noticed an increase of in the environment is the mentorship between the older and younger children. The first years have gained their footing and understand what the expectations of the classroom are, but are certainly more confident asking a nearby friend to help with an apron tie or the snap of a rain jacket instead of coming to an adult first. The older children are quick to offer help (sometimes when it's not needed!) as a demonstration of their self-confidence and assuredness in the environment. The third years have been spending more and more time with the Elementary students (visits to the park, Reading Buddies, and upcoming formal Elementary visits for those enrolled for next year) where they get the cyclical experience of being the little ones again. At the same time, the first years love to wave to the Toddlers as they pass by for recess and exclaim, "It's our Toddler friends!" with fond memories of being "so small!" It's a great source of pride to see how our little community becomes more and more self-sufficient as the weeks go on. We can't wait for you to be able to see for yourselves how amazing they are during your observations.

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Elementary:

This week, your Elementary children had some opportunities to embrace their empathetic natures and engage with their communities. As you know, we began our annual participation in the Kirkendale Food Drive. Lyonsgate Elementary students headed out into the neighbourhood to deliver food donation bags to designated addresses in a few separate groups. These activities always fill the children with excitement. Their present developmental stage is marked by a need to understand their world in concrete terms — right vs. wrong, good vs. bad, and especially, as you may have heard, fair vs. not fair! When they learn about things that aren't fair, such as some people not having enough food to eat, their response is always one of shock, and a desire to do something about it.

This week also gave us a chance to discuss political engagement, activism, and debate. The general strike/protest that occurred on May 1, International Workers Day, led us to a discussion about differing political opinions and how different people express them. Ambiguity and subjectivity don't lend themselves well to concrete, yay or nay understanding, and it was very nice to see them start to struggle with trying to see and validate (at least) two sides to every story.

Finally this week, a number of our older Elementary students jumped at the opportunity to serve as volunteers on the Toddler children's neighbourhood walk. Watching them engage and interact with younger children is the most vivid illustration of the depth and strength of their wells of empathy. They are so gentle, patient, calm, and eagerly helpful; we're not sure who had more fun.

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Coming Up:

Parent Observations will take place in the Casa and Elementary Montessori environments between May 6 and June 4. Observations in your child's classroom are 20 minutes in duration and occur during the morning work cycle. Before your observation, please review the Observation Guidelines for Casa, and/or for the Elementary program.

Please click the relevant link(s) below to schedule your observation(s):

• Casa North: Click here to schedule in Casa North (Ms. Boyle).
• Casa South: Click here to schedule in Casa South (Ms. Moffatt).
• Elementary: Click here to schedule in Elementary.

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May also has a couple of items to add to your calendars:

• Thursday, May 16: Toddler and Casa Show-N-Share (Toddler 3:30-4:00 | Casa 3:30-4:30)
• Friday, May 17, and Monday, May 20: Victoria Day long weekend. No school.

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by Jason Phillips

Lyonsgate Weekly Update | April 26, 2019

Hello Lyonsgate Montessori Families,

Thank you to all of you that were able to attend the Parent Education evening last night. It was wonderful to see so many Lyonsgate parents being actively involved in learning more about how Montessori education works and understanding how your children work to acquire knowledge. For those that couldn't make it, we understand. Life is busy and there are other evening activities and sometimes we're just tired and once we're home for the night, that is where we're staying. We will have another series of Parent Education evenings for you next year. We have been planning the school calendar for the 2019-2020 school year over the last few weeks and once everything is finalized we'll get it you so plans and schedules can be made.

If you ever have Montessori related questions, whether it's something your children are talking about, something you see in the weekly photos, something you see in the classroom, or something you are curious about how Montessori approaches and teaches, please don't hesitate to ask. We love talking about Montessori.

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 Reminder: please refrain from sending candy or chocolate to school around holidays (such as Easter — the chocolate holiday!). Thank you.

This Week:

Toddler:

One of the most rewarding aspects of the Montessori environment is its sense of community, and within it the partnership between home and school. We always encourage parents to maintain consistency at home by supporting creativity, maintaining order, fostering independence, and modeling positive behaviour. It is always refreshing to receive a note or an email providing updates on the children’s latest development at home — it shows that our observations and recommendations are valued; it also encourages us to adjust the environment to fulfill the child’s current need. We value the partnership and support of parents in providing a safe, stimulating, and nurturing environment to encourage each child’s holistic development.

We thank you for your participation in last night’s education evening as we discussed the importance of Practical Life activities in early childhood development. The Practical Life exercises prepare the child for the everyday activities of their life, producing a contributing, independent member of their world. Your participation in the bread baking proved to be successful! The children collectively expressed their delight in its taste. — Ms. Dee

“Education is a natural process carried out by the child and is not acquired by listening to words but by experience in the environment.” — Dr Maria Montessori.

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Casa

Casa South: Thank you to all the parents who came to our Parent Education night last night. It is always so nice to connect and talk about Montessori philosophy and practice. We know that you all have busy lives and we appreciate your participation in our community!

As promised, here is the link to an article about the new World Health Organization guidelines about children under 4 and screen time.

As always, if you have any questions or comments I would love to hear them! This topic is definitely discussion worthy! — Ms. Moffatt

Casa North: First and foremost, I want to extend very warm and positive feelings of gratitude for our community. We had a great turnout for our Parent Education evening where we discussed the Casa-aged child as a sensorial learner and how to manage technology as a possible obstacle to the absorbent mind. We were able to come together to discuss Montessori, talk about some of the materials in the classroom and their purposes, and chat about your amazing children. Thank you for attending — we look forward to having an even greater turnout next year.

Making a connection between home and school is so important, not only for consistency (which is extra important in these early formative years) but to model to the child that there is trust and unity amongst the adults in their lives. We all have different pieces of the puzzle. When your child comes to school each day, I'm not there to experience the morning. I don't see how bed time or breakfast pans out. In the same regard, you aren't in the classroom to see how they are socializing, working, choosing, or simply being at school. This is the reality of our society, and so we must do what we can to really connect with each other (when possible!).

One of the goals I have each year is to model appropriate, healthy, and supportive relationships amongst adults (between myself and the classroom assistants, and myself and the parents/grandparents of the children). Learning that I need to prepare myself to set the best possible example for the children each day is something that the Montessori philosophy has really brought positively into my life. When you attend a parent education evening, the end-of-the-year picnic, or a Show and Share, it connects your child's two worlds in a way that is most meaningful to them.

Thank you for spending your Thursday evening with us — we know it can be tricky to navigate and can be stressful with work/other priorities, but I can't stress enough how appreciated it is. We look forward to welcoming you into the classroom for observations next month! — Ms. Boyle

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Elementary:

Thank you to all the parents who joined us for our final Parent Education evening of the year to hear more about the Geography curriculum and catch our first screening of the student film "Welcome to Lyonsgate!" It is so wonderful to gather parents together from time to time in the children's space, with the opportunity to socialize with each other and connect with the materials and lessons presented to the students.

This week, group lessons from Geography included explorations of the hottest and coldest times of day in relation to planetary rotation, and examining the effects of water erosion under different conditions. The students love to share new discoveries, repeat simple demonstrations, and get their hands dirty! They are intrigued by stories of how natural forces and events shape human experiences through history, as well as their own daily experiences, but the greatest joy in these explorations is that of working together.

I hope you all can make the best of the wet spring weather and get out exploring the physical beauty of Hamilton and the immense power of water in shaping in our city. — Marissa

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Coming Up:

Parent Observations will take place in the Casa and Elementary Montessori environments between May 6 and June 4. Observations in your child's classroom are 20 minutes in duration and occur during the morning work cycle. Before your observation, please review the Observation Guidelines for Casa, and/or for the Elementary program.

Please click the relevant link(s) below to schedule your observation(s):

• Casa North: Click here to schedule in Casa North (Ms. Boyle).
• Casa South: Click here to schedule in Casa South (Ms. Moffatt).
• Elementary: Click here to schedule in Elementary.

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by Jason Phillips

Lyonsgate Weekly Update | April 18, 2019

Hello Lyonsgate Montessori Families,

Happy Easter! Your update is a day early this week as there is no school tomorrow, April 19 (Good Friday), or on Monday, April 22 (Easter Monday).

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Your next Parent Education Evening is coming up on Thursday, April 25.

• • From 3:30-4:00 the Toddler guides will be discussing and demonstrating the Practical Life area of the Montessori environment, both for your growing knowledge of Montessori and to give parents some ideas for the summer that will also help your children to thrive in Casa.

 

• • From 4:00-4:45 your children's Casa guides will discuss the child under six being a sensorial learner, and how technology can be an obstacle to the absorbent mind.

 

• • From 5:00-5:45 Elementary parents will have the opportunity to see how the Montessori geography curriculum works at the Elementary level.

 

• There will be childcare, with pizza. Click here if you'd like to register for childcare (registration required for pizza), and please do so no later than Monday, April 22.

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 For your convenience, we have digitized our "Medication Administration Form." If your child ever needs to take medication while at school, provincial legislation requires specifc written instructions from you. Please click here (and maybe bookmark it for future use) to access the form. Thank you.

 

This Week:

Toddler:

Sensitive Periods

Sensitive periods refer to a period when a child’s interests are focused on developing a particular skill or knowledge area. According to Dr. Montessori, the child learns from their environment without any conscious effort from birth until the age of six. Sensitive periods direct the child to what they need to learn and sensitivity disappears after the need has been fulfilled. Sensitive periods include weaning, movement, exploration, language, order, mathematics, social customs, morality, and social consciousness.

Within the home environment, sensitive periods can be identified through intense interest in repeating certain actions — these sensitive periods manifest themselves by pattern of behaviour. Dr. Montessori stressed that if the child is not allowed to work in accordance to these sensitive periods, they would lose their special sensitivity and interest in the area, which would affect their psychic development. Sensitive periods are crucial to a child’s life, ergo it is important for the adult to create an environment that nurtures the child’s natural process of development, and is the guiding factor in the preparation of the Montessori environment.

Thank you all for your continuous contributions of flowers and proteins to our classroom community. — Ms. Dee

You may remember a little while ago there was an opportunity to attend a Canadian Council of Montessori Administrators event featuring a speaker discussing Montessori Toddler education. For those unable to attend, there is now a video of the talk available. Click here to view.

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Casa

We have a request this week regarding children's clothing. The Lyonsgate Parent Handbook states: "All children should be dressed in clothing that is appropriate and tasteful for school. Nothing too fancy or playful as the children need to focus on their day's work and not on what each other is wearing."

We would like to include the sequin, glittery shirts that flip and change colour in this category. Children love to play with them, whether it is their own shirt that they are wearing or a friend's shirt. They are a considerable distraction to children in the Montessori environments and we ask that they remain a special, awesome shirt to wear at home, on weekends, to friends' houses, or on holidays, but not to school. Thank you for understanding.

Casa South: A lot has been happening in Casa South this week, including one student's return from a trip to South Africa! Such events lead to lots of questions and stories.

As we progress through the last term of this school year, the children begin to increasingly demonstrate their own progress and development. There has been a lot of focus on writing, and our third-year Casa students are taking on increasing leadership and mentorship roles. Watching them give presentations to younger students or take the lead during group time by reading stories and singing songs gives us evidence of how they have absorbed lessons and classroom culture; they are like little Montessori guides.

Casa South children have also been enjoying trips to the Toddler room to borrow items to dust and polish this week, as well as continuing to show their empathetic natures by comforting upset friends. Explorations with Montessori materials that were previously presented have also been undertaken this week, such as finding new ways to use the Montessori Brown Stairs to balance the pieces to make it very tall.

Our Reading Buddies program with the Elementary students is also starting to pay dividends with children bringing books from home to share with the class and mimicing their time with the older students by helping each other to read together. So lovely to see!

We hope to see many of you next week at our Parent Education evening, and wish you a wonderful Easter long weekend.

Casa North: Spring has sprung! (Hopefully... finally... permanently...). We are so excited for the warmer temperatures and longer days of sunlight.

This week in Casa North, I shared a book about Maria Montessori with the children. We read about her unique and accomplished life as the first female to study medicine in Italy, and her passion for creating a unique learning environment catered to individualized needs. We discussed words like "obstacles" (challenges that arise when trying to achieve a goal), "discovery," and "equality." Reading this book was a highlight of my time as a Montessori directress. Of course, it's lovely to discuss the work that I do with the children and where it originated, but more importantly I love hearing their thoughts on the world around them. When they learned that there was a time that girls couldn't study science unless they went to a boy's school, they were genuinely surprised. When they learned that Maria Montessori was integral in designing and constructing some of the first child-size furniture, they were in awe that there was a time it hadn't existed at all.

The child under six is working find their place in a smaller community (such as a Casa environment, or "Children's House"). The child who is approaching six years of age (and the next plane of development) is eager to expand outside of their small community and find their place in the world around them. When I read the book to them, it was a beautiful example of how a mixed age group serves different needs in the environment — the younger children were enraptured with the story at its face value and the older children were asking insightful questions like "Did Maria Montessori make our shelves?" and "Did Maria Montessori give you ideas, Miss Boyle?"

Thank you for all that you do, and we look forward to a wonderful evening of parent education next week. See you then! — Miss Boyle

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Elementary:

Children of all ages enjoy the fun rituals and small wonders that come with cultural celebrations. Between the ages of 0-6, they are absorbing the sights and sounds of the holidays and learning to participate by decorating, cooking, and spending time with family and friends, but the Elementary child, now armed with experience, memory, and a sense of time, anticipates these annual celebrations in a new way: with a sense of nostalgia, a growing curiosity into the origin and meaning of the celebration, and why they celebrate it as they do. This week, the students have explored the history of Easter, working with the B.C./A.D. timeline, learning about the Romans and the crucifixion of Jesus, as well as secular symbols and celebrations of Spring. They have crafted eggs from paper and clay, prepared comic strips and stop-motion films, and researched Easter customs from other countries, and deepened their understanding of this part of their culture. Happy Easter! — Marissa

Jump Rope for Heart Info

This week you should have seen your child's Jump Rope for Heart package come home. You and your child can register at the event website or use the paper pledge tracking sheet that came home (we've already seen some of you have registered, made videos, and started gathering pledges — Thank You!). The actual jump roping event will take place on Wednesday, May 8 (this will be our Community Outing), and will consist of jump rope and a round-robin of cardiovascular activities at HAAA. The children have given themselves a class goal of raising $1,000.

Pledge forms and cash collection envelopes are due back on Tuesday, May 14.

If the class goal is attained, participating students will enjoy an active afternoon of bowling on Thursday, May 16.

Thank you all for your continuing support of the Elementary children's charitable pursuits. This is a significant part of their developmental stage.

We hope you had a chance to see the photos and video of your children's karate experience on Seesaw this week. For those of you that responded to attend the graduation ceremony this coming Saturday, April 20, at 2:00 p.m., certificates are being made up and UFMA is looking forward to welcoming you. Remember, your children are also welcome to attend regular classes until the end of the month.

For those that can't make it due to Easter weekend plans and trips and visitors and such, UFMA has graciously offered to host a second event for you on Saturday, April 27, also at 2:00 p.m. Children that attend the second event will be welcome to attend regular classes for a week or so into May.

All children that attend the ceremony will work through the curriculum they were taught in the sessions and then receive a certificate, a uniform, and their first (white) belt.

Please let us know via email to jason@lyonsgate.ca, no later than Monday, April 22, if you would like to attend the second ceremony for your children.

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Coming Up:

Parent Observations:

 Parent observations in the Casa and Elementary Montessori environments will take place between May 6 and June 4. Observations in your child's classroom are 20 minutes in duration and occur during the morning work cycle. We will have online sign-ups for you next week. In the meantime, please review the Observation Guidelines for Casa, and/or for the Elementary program.

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by Jason Phillips

Lyonsgate Weekly Update | April 12, 2019

Hello Lyonsgate Montessori Families,

Your next Parent Education Evening is coming up on Thursday, April 25.

• • From 3:30-4:00 the Toddler guides will be discussing and demonstrating the Practical Life area of the Montessori environment, both for your growing knowledge of Montessori and to give parents some ideas for the summer that will also help your children to thrive in Casa.

 

• • From 4:00-4:45 your children's Casa guides will discuss the child under six being a sensorial learner, and how technology can be an obstacle to the absorbent mind.

 

• • From 5:00-5:45 Elementary parents will have the opportunity to see how the Montessori geography curriculum works at the Elementary level.

 

• There will be childcare, with pizza. Click here if you'd like to register for childcare (registration required for pizza), and please do so no later than Monday, April 22.

Lyonsgate parents are welcome and encouraged to attend all Parent Education sessions, including those at higher levels your children will be moving up to in the future. We host these events to help you better understand the theoretical underpinnings and material practise of Montessori education, and we've been seeing more and more parents attend this year. We hope even more of you are able to make it to this event.

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This week, your children's Montessori guides are discussing the importance of outdoor activity for developing minds and bodies. Once spring makes up its mind and we have regular nice weather, children can only benefit from outdoor adventures and exploration.

 

This Week:

Toddler:

Children are naturally drawn to outdoor play as it allows them to explore their environment, develop muscle strength and coordination, and increase fine and gross motor skills. Our outdoor recess serves as a bridge between the work cycle and lunch; the first part becomes an extension of the work cycle as the children practice self-dressing. Depending on the season, it might take fifteen to forty-five minutes for the children to get ready! They are encouraged to remove their indoor shoes, put on their jackets, outdoor shoes, and applicable accessories. It is fascinating to see how they have become completely independent and are able to dress without the aid of a teacher.

One outdoor activity the Toddlers enjoy is shoveling snow. The children will remind us of the availability of the shovels at the sight of snow and attempt to mimic the shoveling that they have seen at home (even if it may be less enjoyable for the adults at home). Shoveling allows the children to develop balance, endurance, strength, coordination, motor control, and see the immediate results of their work. Since Toddler recess precedes Casa’s, we get the fresh layer of snow and they can see the result of their work. The purchase of a shovel for your child might help render shoveling less arduous next winter season! -- Ms. Dee

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Casa

Casa South: Children are spending less and less time outdoors and more time cooped up inside. It is no shock that technology plays a key factor in this recent outdoor disturbance.

Besides helping to unplug, the benefits to being outside are endless: creating memories, social bonds, reduce stress, exercise, vitamin D, exploration and adventure.

We are so lucky to live in Hamilton where we have plenty of trails and over 100 waterfalls. This week, I would love to propose that the families of Casa South get outside this Easter weekend. I would love to have a group chat with the children about their outdoor activities when we return! If each child could bring in a photo of their adventures that we could keep in the classroom that would be great!

If you need some inspiration here is a great website with trails in Hamilton. In addition, here is a nature scavenger hunt to do on your walk! — Ms. Moffatt

Casa North: Dr. Montessori strongly believed that there should be a fluidity and connection between the indoor and outdoor environments that the children interact with. We have talked about imaginative play and the importance of the child under six imagining within their reality. It's also critical that the developing child who still has his/her absorbent mind is free to interact with their outdoor environment.

There are many ways to go about supporting and encouraging this! While we do sometimes have structured and adult-lead games and activities outside, we want the majority of the time spent outdoors to be lead by the children. As in the classroom, we observe their social interactions and intervene where necessary, but we want the children to champion their own games and play. If we notice that an imaginative game is rooted in superheroes/bad guys/TV show characters, we will help the children arrive at a more appropriate level of play. We show the children how to hop on a hopscotch, bounce a ball, plant and care for seedlings, or comfort a peer with a skinned knee just as we would show them how to interact with their indoor environment.

If you're looking for ways to encourage a positive interaction with the outdoors, the best way to do it is to allow the children to be outside independently! Take them to the park, to soccer practice, release them into the wild backyard, and watch from afar. It's amazing what the children can do when they are provided with some play clothes that can get dirty and a little bit of freedom. Of course, you will observe them and keep them safe, but if they are given the opportunity to really interact with their outdoor space (wherever they are in the world) without adults leading their play, it will help shape independent, strong, self-confident, and self-assured human beings.

Thank you for all that you do for our community! We are grateful to have your support. — Ms. Boyle

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Elementary:

The Elementary Campus is a magical environment for students in the Second Plane as it offers students the warm, welcoming, family-style environment of a home (with the kitchen and couch being very popular places to work), as well as access to an outdoor classroom space and the community beyond.

As our adult social experience becomes more entwined with technology (driving, texting, tracking, summoning Skip-the-Dishes while wearing pyjamas), children may be unwittingly drawn into an experience of nature deficit. Many children do not engage in enough outdoor time each day, whether at rest, free play, or athletic pastimes. Even the children who do make it outdoors regularly often have to do it according to an external schedule of when soccer practice is on or when an adult is available to join them for a bike ride. While these structured opportunities are valuable, children also thirst for the freedom to follow their natural impulses to be attuned to their own psychological or physical needs for restorative or strenuous time outdoors, and go outside when they feel like it.

Dr. Montessori emphasized in her writings the connection between movement and learning, as well as the physical work of the hand to develop the mind. Within the Elementary environment, it is essential that students be offered structured periods of physical and restorative engagement to develop self-regulation skills, be introduced to novel activities, or guided to connect more deeply with their environment. These type of structured connections to the outdoors may be practical (the walking school bus, trips to the grocery store), playful (the daily recess), or in academic pursuit (botanical sketching).

It is also critical that students in the Second Plane have the opportunity for outdoor experiences with purpose, but according to their internal timing: to take their yoga mats outdoors in the sunshine, to spend time preparing a garden bed for planting, or even salting an icy walkway. As the spring skies become bluer and the breezes blow more warmly, the classroom begins to empty as children take their notebooks and materials outside to work.

Perhaps the most important benefit of having outdoor spaces available for the students is the restorative joy of simply being in nature, alone and together — of laying in the grass, feeling the soft blades of tickling their skin and pulling off socks to squish the mud with their toes, to quiet their mind and focus on their senses, or giggling with friends as they canoe along a waterway, chatting about their adventures and letting their imaginations roam wherever the clouds and birds may lead them.

Each of these connections to the nature are vital to raising happy, healthy, active children who are passionate stewards of the world around them, and in our Montessori environment we want the children to have them all. — Marissa

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Coming Up:

Next week is the Easter long weekend. There is no school on Good Friday, April 19, or on Easter Monday, April 22.

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by Jason Phillips

Lyonsgate Weekly Update | April 5, 2019

Hello Lyonsgate Montessori Families,

Sorry about all the parking lot construction chaos this week. We didn't know any work was being done until they showed up and started digging holes. Between that and the Locke St. re-construction work it has been an early start to construction season around these parts.

Also sorry (not sorry) for Mrs. Lyons's April Fools Day joke about it being a half-day on Monday. For those subjected to a moment of panic at the door, you'll be happy to know that Mrs. Lyons's children got pre-emptive revenge for you by setting clocks and phone ahead an hour so she arrived to work an hour early that day. Well done kids! We hope all of your April Foolin' went so well too.

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We have a request from our Elementary students for donations of shoe boxes. They use them for dioramas. Since it's new rainboot/sneaker/sandal season we're hoping this is a good time of year to replenish their supply.  If you have some to donate, they can be brought to either the Primary campus or directly to Elementary. Thank you.

This Week:

Toddler:

"I need to tell you something" was the trending statement in the Toddler classroom this week. The declaration was often followed by facts that the children deemed were worth stating — food consumed for breakfast or plans for the weekend. They were seeking an authentic ear, adults who will show them that they truly care about who they are and what they have to say.

The children were given the platform requested to share their thoughts and, quite often, additional questions were asked to encourage critical thinking and demonstrate attentive listening.

By validating their statement, we encouraged open communication — and by experiencing early on that their thoughts, feelings, and opinions have value, they are more likely to continue to share these well into their later years. Because children model our behaviour, being attentive listeners ourselves increases the chance that they too will show the same respect and appreciation in return.

I want to thank you all for your generous contributions to our classroom — the books, flowers, snack, and plastic bags. The children feel a sense of pride as contributors to their community. Thank you. — Ms. Dee

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Casa

Casa South: “There are many who hold, as I do, that the most important period of life is not the age of university studies, but the first one, the period from birth to the age of six. For that is the time when man’s intelligence itself, his greatest implement, is being formed. But not only his intelligence; the full totality of his psychic powers.” (Maria Montessori, The Absorbent Mind)

The "Absorbent Mind" is only with a person for the first 6 years of life. The absorbent mind, and all of it's magical qualities, is why we put so much emphasis and focus on these formative years. I have to agree with Maria when she says these years are more important than university! The absorbent mind is in an active state of work but it is always unconscious. This is why it may take a few reiterations of a topic for it to sink in; it's always been there, it just may not be present. The absorbent mind is in a constant state of putting concepts and theories together to create a conscious state of being. The mind gathers information through repetition until it reaches a state of clarity and acknowledgment.

The absorbent mind is driven by an inner drive, a drive to survive. It gathers knowledge it absorbs sensorially and it does so without bias, judgement, no selection, and no fatigue. The unconscious mind does not register any of the difficulties we experience with regard to learning something new, it simply absorbs. The absorbent mind is dependent on the environment it is in, as the mind will only absorb what it is exposed to.

There is so much opportunity for gathering of knowledge during these first years. Our Montessori environments support these formative years with rich, stimulating, and scientific materials. The acquisition of language, for example, happens by the simple and pleasant interaction with our French teachers. Repetition presents a child that understands French, and responds in simple forms. So when you see your child working with numbers, phonograms, or putting together the puzzle map of Africa, you know knowledge is being absorbed.

Right now is the most opportune time for learning. Remember, what the child learns now will stay with them forever! — Ms. Moffatt

Casa North: The children in Casa North have been diligently practising how to engage in conversation with their friends. In the Montessori environment, we introduce everything with a presentation. This includes how to communicate. If the children are clearly needing some socialization, I sometimes encourage them to tidy up their work and help them to understand that having a meaningful conversation is also work.

As with anything in our space, there is freedom within limits. This means that the children are encouraged to talk with one another, or with a small group, but are also shown how to find a space that is appropriate for a conversation (i.e. not directly beside a friend who is focused on their work, or beside a new presentation). The children in Casa North seem to be really craving time in small groups, and it's been really wonderful to hear them communicating what the limits are — "Come over here, guys! Miss Boyle is in a presentation, let's find a better spot to talk!" I love being in an environment that not only allows but encourages this innate developmental need — it's one of my favourite presentations to give!

This week, we also welcomed some Elementary reading buddies into the classroom, which is a great experience for both age groups: the Casa children practise reading with other, older children with whom they can form new and different relationships, and the Elementary students realize how far they have come since they started their reading journeys while serving as examples to and mentors for their buddies. — Ms. Boyle

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Elementary:

The Elementary environment is always a hive of activity, with the happy buzzing of student conversation, singing, and exclamations of discovery. The freedom of the students to verbally engage with each other and their work in different subject areas not only serves their social development but also motivates the refinement of reading and writing skills. At first, the children are encouraged by their own need to communicate and record what they have discovered. Later, they are fuelled by a desire to share their knowledge and demonstrate their abilities.

This week, many of our students prepared to serve as Reading Buddies for the eldest Casa students, or Story Tellers for the youngest, and their determination to do well at these tasks began with rehearsing and role play, before drawing them into formal work with the Elementary language materials. Word Study activities such as parsing syllables, defining prefixes, or finding the meaning of new homonyms help develop both reading and spelling skills, while exercises with adverbs, pronouns, and similes serve to boost expressive reading and creative writing skills. For the youngest members of our class, building their vocabulary with nomenclature activities, such as labelling the parts of a horse, are a fun and playful way to engage with language.

Despite some initial nervousness, all of the Reading Buddies and Story Tellers rose to the challenge, and enjoyed their time visiting the Primary campus and giving service to our younger students.

We wish you all a wonderful weekend! — Marissa

Also, Lyonsgate Elementary students started karate this week at United Family Martial Arts (UFMA). As a very gracious gesture, UFMA has offered to hold a graduation ceremony for your children on Saturday, April 20, at 2:00 p.m. The ceremony will consist of a short grading and the students will work through the curriculum they were taught in the sessions. They will receive a certificate, a uniform, and their first (white) belt. As a small token of appreciation for choosing to visit their school, UFMA is also offering Lyonsgate Elementary students the opportunity to come to regular karate classes for the remainder of the month. Please let us know (email jason@lyonsgate.ca) if you are interested and able to attend the ceremony on Saturday, April 20, at 2:00 p.m. Thank you.

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Coming Up:

April is a quiet month in terms of events at the school. Things to remember:

• Easter Long Weekend: no school Friday, April 19, and Monday, April 22.
• Parent Education Evening: save the date for Thursday, April 25.
  • From 3:30-4:00 the Toddler guides will be discussing and demonstrating the Practical Life area of the Montessori environment, both for your growing knowledge of Montessori and to give parents some ideas for the summer that will also help your children to thrive in Casa.
  • From 4:00-4:45 your children's Casa guides will discuss the child under six being a sensorial learner, and how technology can be an obstacle to the absorbent mind.
  • From 5:00-5:45 Elementary parents will have the opportunity to see how the Montessori geography curriculum works at the Elementary level.
  • There will be childcare, with pizza. Click here if you'd like to register for childcare (registration required for pizza), and please do so no later than Monday, April 22.

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by Jason Phillips

Lyonsgate Weekly Update | March 29, 2019

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by Jason Phillips

Lyonsgate Weekly Update | March 22, 2019

Hello Lyonsgate Montessori Families,

It was very nice to welcome everyone back from March Break this past week, especially under some warmer, snow-free, skies. We are now into the spring term — the final term of the 2018-2019 school year.

This is the term when Montessori students work to master the new skills and knowkedge they have been developing, and when they start looking ahead to next year; that can mean anticipation of a move into a leadership and mentorship role in their Montessori environment, or it can mean preparing oneself to progress to the next level of Montessori education as a first-year student in Casa or Elementary. It is a time of both conclusion and of progress, nerves and excitement.

Your children's Montessori guides will be working to make sure everyone is preparing themselves for their next step — academically, emotionally, physically, and socially.

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Be sure to read the updates from your children's Montessori guides.

(We'll be back to photos next week).

This Week:

Toddler:

Welcome back! We hope that you all had a wonderful March Break! The children have expressed how much they enjoyed the extra time spent at home with you, and they shared details about visits to the grocery store, trips to the park, and surprises from extended family members.

It is wonderful to witness that an explosion of language has occurred among the younger children; they are now forming five word sentences and are able to actively participate in conversations with their older peers. — Ms. Dee

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Casa:

Parents: we are looking for donations of plastic bags you may have at home for our Casa classrooms. Our supply is running low. Thank you!

Casa South: A Montessori work cycle is an uninterrupted period of time, in most cases (including at our school) 3 hours in length. During this time, children are able to explore the prepared environment and engage with materials of their own choosing. The classroom environment focuses on concentration, coordination, order, and independence. Children must be given time to fully submerge themselves in their work in order for these traits to manifest. A work cycle would be incomplete without the "Prepared Environment," a space with materials that spark the child's interest.

Montessori says that, "...the child can only develop fully by means of experience within their environment ...in order for the child to develop, he or she needs to have the chance to focus solely on the materials in the environment ...the essential thing is for the task to arouse such an interest that it engages the child's whole personality." (The Absorbent Mind)

What we get to see everyday is the child get so engrossed in their work that all other chaos is ignored. If interrupted, they will not truly be able to develop the concentration that allows them to repeat, explore, and discover. When we think of traditional school systems, classrooms are full of interruptions: art time, circle time, dance time, reading time, etc.

You can see the breath of fresh air the child breathes in as they enter their classroom everyday; it's magical and full of opportunity. It's their time to develop themselves, at their pace, naturally. — Ms. Moffatt

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Casa North: Welcome back, Casa North Families! We hope you had a restful, relaxing, and, most importantly, fun March Break. I'm thrilled to be back in the classroom welcoming your children back to their final term of the year.

This week, I've noticed a lot of exploration and imagination in the classroom. Imagination is one of the purest, most beautiful expressions of childhood. We see it all the time in the classroom: the Practical Life materials comprise an entire area of the curriculum that allows the children to explore, create, and nurture themselves and their environment. Imagination in the Montessori environment is always rooted in reality — rather than playing "monsters" or "princesses and superheroes" (which are characters created by adults for children to consume), children are encouraged to explore within their reality. We show them how to build the Pink Tower, but if they choose to build it differently than they are shown and are still learning something, we leave it! So long as they are respecting the materials they are free to take things apart, put materials together, make inferences and connections, and satiate their inner need to be imaginative.

If you're looking for ways to encourage imaginative work and/or play at home, we encourage you to allow children to get outside and interact with their environment! Boredom is wonderful — it allows children to find creativity and imagination all around them. Make sure they have appropriate clothes on (that are fine to get a little messy!) and have a safe and secure environment, but also allow them to play independently or with other children exclusively. As an adult, one of the best parts of my job is watching what they can really do when it's as though I'm not there.

As always, we thank you for your dedication to the Montessori philosophy and for sharing your beautiful children with us. We look forward to a great final term! — Ms. Boyle

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Elementary:

Salut tout le monde! On vient de passer une bonne semaine ensemble en Français. On travaillait beaucoup, on chantait et on a essayé de parler plus en Français aussi. On a écouté de la musique classique tous les jours, composée par les différents compositeurs Français. Jeudi on a examiné l'art de Matisse et vendredi on a appris un peu sur La Journée Internationale de l'eau. Aussi, on a regardé un film en Français! C'était un grand plaisir de passer une semaine pleine de la culture Française avec vos enfants. Merci à tous et bonne fin de semaine. — Madame Egan

Reminder: On Monday morning, don't forget to help Elementary children remember to bring a Show-N-Tell item they can present and discuss at Aberdeen Gardens on Wednesday.

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Coming Up:

We are free of PD Days, statutory holidays, special events, and snow days (I'm confident I'm not cursing it by saying that!) for the next few weeks. The next dates to keep in mind are the Easter long weekend April 19-22 (no school on Good Friday or Easter Monday), and the next in the series of Parent Education events on April 25.

It's so nice to have everyone back and to have three solid months, with nice weather, of the school year to go.

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by Jason Phillips

Lyonsgate Weekly Update | March 7, 2019

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by Jason Phillips

Lyonsgate Weekly Update | March 1, 2019

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by Jason Phillips