Lyonsgate Update June 10, 2024
Good Morning Lyonsgate Families,
We have a few reminders for you as we head into the final two weeks of the school year:
- TODAY!: Elementary Cultural Fair from 3:15-4:15. See the Elementary section below for details.
- Welcome to Elementary Orientation: Wednesday, June 19, 3:30 – 4:15pm. See your Lyonsgate calendar for details.
- Last Day of School: Thursday, June 20, is the last day of school, and we hope to see you all at Dundas Driving Park on Friday, June 21, for the year-end picnic!
See below for updates and messages from your children’s Montessori levels:
What is a three year old?
Maria Montessori identified four main planes of development. From 0-6 years is the first plane. In the Toddler community, we meet the children in first sub-plane of development, ages 0-3, and we bid farewell to them as they pass through to the second sub-plane, roughly ages 3-6 when they enter the Casa community.
A child approaching three is a poised between two states of being. This is when they move from the unconscious absorbent mind to the conscious absorbent mind. It can happen gradually and in some cases fairly quickly for others. Their skills are all still emerging. As they get past this stage they begin to use all of the raw scientific research from the past few years to refine and organize their information.
They are seeking order and have begun to categorize and organize their impressions of the world. I recall a child examining a see through rain stick and watching the tiny pellets fall through as he tipped it over. He watched for a while and then it occurred to him, “Balls!” There were tiny balls inside of the rain stick! He then had to show everyone with great excitement, “Balls!” His research so far led him to this conclusion and he wanted to tell everyone about his discovery.
A three year old is a magnificent creature. After gathering impressions for three intense years, day after day, processing and building themselves, guided by their own unique inner drives, they have found themselves! Their personality is on display!
It has been my great pleasure to observe this daily construction site of little people discovering and creating themselves. At the end of our journey together I am shaking the hand of a very different yet vaguely familiar little person!
Mrs. Elise Gervais
Toddler Montessori Guide
Thank you to all the parents that were able to come in for Parent-Teacher conferences this past week. It’s always great to have the opportunity to discuss all the wonderful things that your children have done throughout the year.
It’s hard to believe that there are only a few more weeks left of school; it feels like the school year has flown by. As we get closer to the end of the school year, we reflect on how much your children have grown and all that they have accomplished. For some children, they started off at a new school, others were going into their last year here, and some were moving up from the Toddler program to Casa. As the year ends, we will be saying goodbye to our graduates and wishing them well. It has been a great school year and we’re looking forward to next year.
The Casa team.
Today! Monday, June 10: Cultural Fair
Elementary parents, siblings, and other chosen family members are invited to our Cultural Fair after school on Monday, June 10th. The Cultural Fair is our final open classroom of the year, with students showcasing their third term projects, literature circle work, and recent exploration of Ancient China. Families are welcome to visit the Cultural Fair anytime between 3:15-4:15 p.m. When you arrive, please enter through the porch entrance to the Maple Room to meet up with your child. Our regular aftercare program will still be available to registered students until 4:30.
Friday, June 14 to Saturday, June 15: Elementary Senior Sleepover
Students attending the senior sleepover should arrive at school on Friday with their sleeping bag, pillow, and overnight bag. The children will have some staff supervised outdoor time at the HAAA and a snack at the end of the school day. They’ll be returning to campus by 4:30 for some pre-dinner activities, followed by Domino’s pizza, veggies, and fruit. After dinner, we’ll be playing games, telling stories, and making s’mores. There will be some healthy snack options again before bedtime, with pancakes, eggs, and fruit for breakfast in the morning. Students should be picked up on Saturday morning between 8:45-9:00 a.m. It’s going to be a great night!
Thursday, June 20: Last Day of School/Elementary Graduation
The last day of school is quickly approaching! Your child will be bringing home their report card, indoor shoes, and any other special trinkets or clothing items that have been residing in the cloakroom. The Elementary students will have some fun activities to wrap up the school year together, and end the day with the Elementary Graduation ceremony. Each sixth year student is welcome to invite two adults to attend the graduation ceremony on campus. Graduates’ family members are welcome to arrive from 3:00, with the ceremony beginning at 3:10, and refreshments to follow.
Lyonsgate Update June 3, 2024
Hello Lyonsgate Families,
This Friday is a PA Day to accommodate year-end Parent-Teacher Conferences. If you haven’t already done so, please select a conference timeslot. The link is in your update email.
Elementary parents: please also see your update email to sign up for the Elementary senior sleepover, and see the Elementary section below for details.
Please see updates from your children’s Montessori levels below, and a staff update for the 2024.2025 school year.
2024.2025 Staffing Update
As we close in on the end of this school year, we wanted to let you know of some staff changes to expect for the 2024.2025 school year.
We are thrilled to welcome back Ms. Janelle Duhig to the Primary campus where she will return to the Montessori Support role. She will be assisting the classrooms when needed, and out at recess everyday with the Casa children. We are looking forward to her return!
The Toddler community will unfortunately be saying goodbye to Ms. Elise Gervais. She has been such a beautiful role model for the Toddler children, and we feel blessed to have had her share her warmth, kindness, and expertise with the Lyonsgate community. We wish her and her family the very best in the future.
Leading the Toddler team next year will be Ms. Vanessa Findlay. Current students and families are all very familiar with Ms. Findlay and the beautiful way she speaks with the children. She is our early childhood educational assistant in the classroom who has gone back to school to become a Montessori Toddler Guide! We are very excited for her to enter her new role in the Toddler classroom. Stepping into the role as Toddler early childhood assistant will be Ms. Jessica Dewey. Many families are already very familiar with Ms. Dewey as well, who has been a friendly and knowledgeable assistant in the Casa communities. We look forward to welcoming Ms. Dewey to this new role! We are also very happy that Ms. Sydney Relic will continue to share her warmth and gentle guidance in the Toddler classroom.
With sadness, we will also be saying “au revoir” to Mme Renee Perazzo, but please join us in wishing her a wonderful retirement. Mme Perazzo has been such a gentle, friendly, and supportive member of the Casa South community. We wish her and her family all the best.
The Casa South team will continue to be led under the attuned and watchful eye of Ms. Laurie Robinson. We will welcome Ms. Shelby Gelder as the new early childhood education English assistant and Mlle Jessica Moniere as the new French assistant. Your children are already becoming well acquainted with Mlle Moniere, as she has been assisting with recess daily.
The Elementary campus will be saying “au revoir est bonne continuation” to Anne. She has been a guiding light who has shared an abundant amount of knowledge and enthusiasm for the French program, and we wish her the very best in her future endeavours. In her place, we are thrilled to welcome Michelle Morra, who comes to us with previous experience teaching French within the Montessori education program. She has spent time with Anne and the Elementary students already in preparation for this switch in roles.
We are sad to be saying goodbye to such valuable members of our team, but happy and grateful to share that all other staff will remain the same.
We hope you will join us in wishing the very best to our staff who are leaving, and welcoming the new staff who are joining the Lyonsgate team!
Hello Toddler Families,
And just like that it’s June! The Toddler classroom has many beautiful materials and engaging activities, but as I reflect back on the year none are so beloved and consistently used as our classroom library.
As educators, we strive to have familiar books in the class that many children rea to us; there is the rhythmic flow and simple illustrations of Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See? or the perennial favourite, Goodnight Moon. We have brightly coloured picture books of cars and trucks that children will repeatedly point to and ask about. There are books about opposites and colours, numbers and letters, feelings, farms, and find it books. Every day, without fail, a child will ask to be read to. To sit at a table, to snuggle in a teacher’s lap, or to gather with their friends on the carpet to explore a book. Chances are, if you give a child access to a library they are going to want to pick a second (and third!) book. So as the days of summer get closer don’t forget to pack a book or two in your bag for the park or beach, you’ll be glad you did.
Vanessa Findlay, RECE.
Summer Books
As we move closer to the summer break you may be looking for longer books to read with your children. It goes without saying that it’s great to continue reading picture books, but if your children are ready, adding in just the right chapter book can add a new dimension to your read aloud time. The following list begins with books that three year-olds might enjoy and progresses to those recommended for four and five year-olds.
Oh Sal, Kevin Henkes
Hickory, Palmer Brown
Dinosaur Trouble, Dick King-Smith
Lady Lollipop, Dick King-Smith
Milly, Molly, Mandy, Joyce Lankester Brisley
Yours Sincerely, Giraffe, Megumi Iwasa
Mercy Watson to the Rescue, Kate DiCamillo
Mrs. Noodlekugel, Daniel Pinkwater
The Very Very Far North (series), Dan Bar-El
Catwings, Ursula K. Le Guin
Jenny and the Cat Club, Esther Averill
Teddy & Co., Cynthia Voigt
My Father’s Dragon (series), Ruth Stiles Gannet
Babe the Gallant Pig, Dick King-Smith
The Mouse Called Wolf, Dick King-Smith
The First Case, Ulf Nilsson
The Adventures of the South Pole Pig, Chris Katz
Pippi Longstocking, Astrid Lindgren
Happy Reading!
Ms. Robinson.
The Elementary classroom is humming with energy both inside and out! With the beautiful weather, many of the children have taken their work out of doors, as they compose short stories and book reviews, rehearse their French plays, and transplant their seedlings into the garden. Everyone has been getting ready for the Cultural Fair next week, preparing clay models, paintings, essays, and slideshows to share with you some of the discoveries they’ve made this term. Our graduating sixth year students also traveled to the ROM in Toronto last week. They enjoyed their first subway ride and were awestruck by the artifacts on display. They were delighted to discover the ROM’s collection and how it connects to their years of cultural studies in history, biology, and geography. While the class elders were away, the rest of the children were excited to welcome the graduating Casa students to the Elementary campus for a tour, language games, and some yoga! To end the week, everyone had fun learning volleyball skills at the park for P.E.
We look forward to speaking with everyone at the Parent-Teacher Conferences on Friday!
Monday, June 10: Cultural Fair
Elementary parents, siblings, and other chosen family members are invited to our Cultural Fair after school on Monday, June 10th. The Cultural Fair is our final open classroom of the year, with students showcasing their third term projects, literature circle work, and recent exploration of Ancient China. Families are welcome to visit the Cultural Fair anytime between 3:15-4:15 p.m. When you arrive, please enter through the porch entrance to the Maple Room to meet up with your child. Our regular aftercare program will still be available to registered students until 4:30.
Friday, June 14 to Saturday, June 15: Elementary Senior Sleepover
Students in Years 3-6 have the option to join Marissa and Michelle on campus for a Friday night sleepover! The final day to sign-up for the senior sleepover is Thursday, June 6. Please follow the link in your update email to sign-up!
Thursday, June 20: Last Day of School/Elementary Graduation
The last day of school is quickly approaching! The Elementary students will have some fun activities to wrap up the school year together, and end the day with the Elementary Graduation ceremony. Each sixth year student is welcome to invite two adults to attend the graduation ceremony on campus. Graduates’ family members are welcome to arrive from 3:00, with the ceremony beginning at 3:10, and refreshments to follow.
Marissa & Michelle.
Lyonsgate Update May 27, 2024
Good Morning Lyonsgate Families,
Year-end Parent-Teacher conferences are on Friday, June 7. Lyonsgate is closed to students on June 7, but childcare is available during your conference. Please see your update email to select a Parent-Teacher conference timeslot (some classrooms have a few after school timeslots earlier in the week).
See below for updates from your children’s Montessori levels, including a summary of last week’s Casa Parent Education event.
Hello Toddler Families,
This past week, we started to witness some of our older toddlers exhibiting signs that they are outgrowing the toddler room. The tables in the classroom have begun to be used as chairs with children casually sitting on the edge of the table to observe a presentation. The table height seems to be a more suitable height for sitting now. The sinks that all seemed to be the perfect height in September now have some of our toddlers stooping to wash their hands. One child was delighted to show me that he could reach the top of the fence outside on the playground!
In addition to physically outgrowing the toddler room, we can see that many are now more interested in collaborative play. They have begun to want to play together and use their imagination, mimicking things that they see out in the world, or replaying stories that they have been treated to in books or movies.
They surprise us every day with the things they say, things they are now able to do by themselves, and their ability to find ways to develop themselves.
Lately, we are watching children building their physical strength and coordination on the playground, chasing bubbles, climbing the fence to hang up their hat, jumping off the little ledges outside. Some children who could not leave the ground when they jumped can now suddenly do it!
Ms. Gervais.
Thank you to all the parents who were able to join us for the informative evening of learning about the Brain and Body Connection. It was incredible to hear how quickly infants’ brains develop. We learned that it is a use it or lose it situation. This is why Lyonsgate prides itself on the French aspect of our programming to ignite the brain and stimulate the language area of the brain. Waiting to introduce until an older age has scientifically been proven to impair the potential for growth. We learned that Maria Montessori was ahead of the science by encouraging a learning environment to engage the five senses of the human body. The brain and body connection is strong in a well-equipped Montessori class.
We also learned of the importance of crossing the midline — the strengthening of the body core (avoiding “W” sitting), the ability to cross arms, legs, and eyes across the vertical midline of the body. All these body motions allow the two sides of the brain to communicate and helps in the everyday functions of fluid movement, reading, and writing.
“The most difficult thing, as teachers know, is not to move. It is more difficult not to move than to move well; for this reason, children must have much practice in moving well and in controlling their motions before exercising the will to successfully inhibit every voluntary movement.” Maria Montessori, The Montessori Approach to Music, p. 23.
As we start seeing the beginning of summertime plans and the excitement that accompanies it, we wanted to share some ideas to promote crossing the midline, free play, and risky play:
– local parks
– splash pads
– local trail and hiking trails
– rainy day living room obstacle courses
– backyard obstacle courses
– climbing trees in the backyard
– camping both in the backyard and in the many Ontario parks
– Triple C farm
– Flying Squirrel
– Treetop Trekking
– and that is to name just a few….
– Think back to your childhood, what did you love to do?
On January 25, 2024, the Canadian Paediatric Society put out a statement:
“Free play is essential for children’s development and for their physical, mental, and social health. Opportunities to engage in outdoor free play — and risky play in particular — have declined significantly in recent years, in part because safety measures have sought to prevent all play-related injuries rather than focusing on serious and fatal injuries. Risky play is defined by thrilling and exciting forms of free play that involve uncertainty of outcome and possibility of physical injury.”
A final word on what to say instead of “Be Careful”:
– Do you feel safe and secure?
– Do you see your friends nearby?
– Do you see how high you are?
– Notice how… (slippery, hot, deep, etc. it is).
– How will you… (get across, over, down, etc.)?
– What is your plan?
Draw attention to things that could be risky without telling them, “Don’t do that. Stop. Be
careful.”
Ms. Canessa.
Thursday, May 30: 6th Year Graduation Trip
Our classroom elders will be celebrating their graduation from Lyonsgate this year with a day trip to Toronto to visit the Royal Ontario Museum. Students attending the trip should arrive at the West Harbor GO Station between 8:45-9:00 a.m. to meet up with the group and be ready to board the Lakeshore West train to Toronto. Students will require their red Lyonsgate t-shirt, a Presto card to travel the GO and TTC transit systems, a small water bottle, as well as a packed lunch and snacks. We anticipate returning home on a mid-afternoon train, with student pick-up at the West Harbor GO Station at 4:15 p.m.
Monday, June 10: Cultural Fair
Elementary parents, siblings, and other chosen family members are invited to our Cultural Fair after school on Monday, June 10th. The Cultural Fair is our final open classroom of the year, with students showcasing their third term projects, literature circle work, and recent exploration of Ancient China. Families are welcome to visit the Cultural Fair anytime between 3:15-4:15 p.m. When you arrive, please enter through the porch entrance to the Maple Room to meet up with your child. Our regular aftercare program will still be available to registered students until 4:30.
Friday, June 14 to Saturday, June 15: Elementary Senior Sleepover
Students in Years 3-6 have the option to join Marissa and Michelle on campus for a Friday night sleepover! This will celebrate our third year students’ transition from lower to upper elementary, and all the privileges and responsibilities that come with being a senior student. For those students who wish to attend, we’ll be having a pizza dinner, followed by an evening of fun activities before settling into our sleeping bags for the night. We’ll enjoy a pancake breakfast on Saturday morning before heading home for the weekend. Please follow the link in your update email to sign up.
Upcoming Dates to Note:
Monday, May 27: French play costumes due
Friday, June 7: Parent-Teacher Conferences
Lyonsgate Update May 21, 2024
Good Morning Lyonsgate Families,
- The Casa Parent Education event, “The Brain and Body Connection: How Movement Impacts Brain Development” is this Thursday, May 23, from 3:45-4:30. Please enter through the glass doors off the parking lot (rain day doors). Toddler siblings are welcome to stay with Toddler staff that day to accommodate your attendance at the Casa Parent Education event. Please see your update email for the RSVP link.
- Parent-Teacher conferences are coming up on June 7 (a PA day; childcare will be available during your conference). Sign-up for your 20-minute conference timeslot will be available next Monday, May 27.
Summer Camp Options: Please see below for a couple of summer camp options from non-affiliated but friends of Lyonsgate:
- Stoney Creek Children’s Club is a nature-based, Montessori-inspired summer camp run by the co-founder and former director of Stoney Creek Montessori School and is available for children aged 5-13 (4-year-olds who have had experience in a childcare or school setting can also register).
- Our in-building neighbours, Yungal Kunj Temple and Community Centre, are hosting a “Festivals of India” summer camp for children 6-12 years old. Please click here for information
See below for updates from your children’s Montessori levels, and photos of the past week at Lyonsgate:
Hello Toddler Parents,
This week, we ventured a little further to a large grassy area locally known as “the Rez,” (an underground stormwater storage reservoir). It offered opportunities for us to climb up the big staircase, walk on some uneven ground, and simply run in the big open area. It was thrilling for them to explore a different environment. Then, on our way back to the school, it began to rain so we all got a little damp. Everyone had a great lunch and a good nap!
So much information can be gathered and experienced when a child spends time outdoors. It is an opportunity to build physical strength and coordination, explore with all of their senses, reduce stress, and begin to nurture an understanding of the interconnectedness of all living things. Over the decades, children have been spending less and less time outside. Richard Louv’s book, Last Child in the Woods: Saving our children from Nature-Deficit Disorder, offers inspiration for parents who would love to incorporate more outdoor time and “tools to reclaim the wonders and health benefits of nature.”
I encourage you to go for walks with your child. Allow them to lead the way, go at their pace and observe what they pay attention to. Be open to whatever discoveries or conversations happen.
Ms. Gervais.
Salut tout le monde! Finalement, le printemps est arrivé!
I hope you all enjoyed your long weekend. We have been looking at the signs and hearing the sounds of the new season.
We have been noticing the warm weather, birds chirping, flowers growing, different insects, enjoying picnics with our snacks, and looking forward to more visits at the park.
The children also joyfully worked creating seed balls for Mother’s Day. Happy planting!
There is so much to discover!
Bonne semaine!
Mme Renée Perazzo.
Thursday, May 23 — Upper Elementary Outing
Upper Elementary students are reminded to be prepared with their red Lyonsgate t-shirt, their Presto card, and comfortable footwear for this month’s outing. The students will be taking public transit to Bayfront Park to hike the Waterfront Trail. Students are welcome to bring along a simple nut-free snack and light-weight water bottle, and should be prepared for whatever weather we may encounter!
Thursday, May 30 — 6th Year Graduation Trip
Our classroom elders will be celebrating their graduation from Lyonsgate this year with a day trip to Toronto to visit the Royal Ontario Museum. Students attending the trip should arrive at the West Harbor GO Station between 8:45-9:00 a.m. to meet up with the group and be ready to board the Lakeshore West train to Toronto. Students will require their red Lyonsgate t-shirt, a Presto card to travel the GO and TTC transit systems, a small water bottle, as well as a packed lunch and snacks. We anticipate returning home on a mid-afternoon train, with student pick-up at the West Harbor GO Station at 4:15 p.m.
Friday, June 14 to Saturday, June 15 — Elementary Senior Sleepover
Students in years 3-6 have the option to join Marissa and Michelle on campus for a Friday night sleepover! This will celebrate our third year students’ transition from lower to upper elementary, and all the privileges and responsibilities that come with being a senior student. For those students who wish to attend, we’ll be having a pizza dinner, followed by an evening of fun activities before settling into our sleeping bags for the night. We’ll enjoy a pancake breakfast on Saturday morning before heading home for the weekend. Please follow the link in your emailed update to sign-up!
Upcoming Dates to Note:
Friday, June 7: Parent-Teacher Conferences
Monday, June 10: Elementary Cultural Fair
Lyonsgate Update May 13, 2024
Happy Monday Lyonsgate Parents,
Reminder: Friday this week is a PD day that leads into the Victoria Day long weekend and both Lyonsgate campuses will be closed on Friday, May 17, and on Monday, May 20.
Toddler Parent Education: The Toddler staff will be hosting a Parent Education event this Thursday, May 16, from 3:00-3:30 in the Toddler classroom. They will be discussing “Toilet Learning The Montessori Way.” Please enter through the glass doors off the parking lot (rain day doors).
Casa Parent Education: The Casa staff will be hosting a Parent Education event next Thursday, May 23, from 3:45-4:30 in the Casa South classroom. Please join your children’s Casa guides as they discuss “The Brain and Body Connection: How Movement Impacts Brain Development.” Please enter through the glass doors off the parking lot (rain day doors). Toddler siblings are welcome to stay with Toddler staff that day to accommodate your attendance at the Casa Parent Education event.
Please see the email version of this update for sign-up links for the Casa Parent Education event, Elementary LRS Conferences this Friday, and for the Elementary senior student sleepover June 14-15.
See below for updates from your children’s Montessori levels, and a larger than usual photo gallery:
Hello Toddler Families,
This week, we have been maximizing our time outside. On Thursday, we journeyed to Beulah Park for a change of scenery. The children were keen to climb and run and slide and spin on the equipment. In the classroom, the children have been making noodle necklaces, using their fine motor skills to thread noodles onto pipe cleaners to create jewelry for Mother’s Day! Some were very enthusiastic about this activity and made necklaces and bracelets too! Happy Mother’s Day to all of the beautiful mothers in this toddler community and beyond to all of the wonderful mothers in our lives. I hope that you were celebrated this past weekend and cherished for who you are!
Next week, I will be offering a toddler seminar on “Toilet Learning the Montessori Way.” Please come and let us set you and your child up for success, and a diaper free summer!
The Parent Education event will be held on Thursday, May 17th, from 3:00-3:30. Please let us know if you are able to attend by emailing toddler@lyonsgate.ca.
Ms. Gervais.
Bonjour le beau temps du printemps!
Our students are excited to discover new little bugs in our playground every day. I often hear:
- “Madame, I see araignée” (spider).
- “There is a lot of fourmi” (ants).
- “Oh! This is a beautiful coccinelle” (ladybug).
- “There is a baby mille-pattes” (centipede).
I’m sure you already guessed that we are learning the different insects.
Lately, we have been practicing a few phrases:
- Quelle est la couleur de tes yeux?
- Mes yeux sont marrons/bleus, verts…
- Quelle est ta glace préférée?
- J’aime la glace au chocolat, … à la vanille, …à la fraise, etc.
- Quelle est ta couleur préféré?
- Ma couleur préférée est…
Recently, Casa North students enjoyed these books:
- Anniversaire by Robert Munsch (if your child comes home and asks for 200 pizzas, this is why!).
- Qui habite ici? by Dot and Sy Barlowe.
- Mon ami est triste by Mo Willems.
- L’arbre bric-à-brac by Nick Bland.
- J’ai perdu mon chat by Philippe Beha.
Their favourite song is “Balalaïka,” by Pierre Lozère; it’s a French/Russian song to teach right, left, straight — directions.
Bonne fête des mères.
Mme Murati.
Thursday, May 16 — Scholastic Orders Due
It’s a great time to start stocking up on books for your child’s summer reading goals. There are some classroom favourites available through this month’s Scholastic order forms, such as the latest addition to the Dragon Masters series, readers based on Jory John’s popular food series with characters such as “The Cool Bean,” and graphic novels from The Babysitters Club. Place your online order by Thursday, May 16th, to receive free shipping as part of our classroom order!
Friday, May 17 — P.D. Day/Elementary Learning Resource Conferences
While the campus will be closed to students, staff will be on-site refreshing the classroom and preparing lessons for the rest of the term. Parents of students who routinely work with our learning resource specialist, Kim, are invited to schedule a parent-teacher conference with her that day. Please follow the link in the emailed update to choose a time for your conference.
Thursday, May 23 — Upper Elementary Outing
Upper Elementary students are reminded to be prepared with their red Lyonsgate t-shirt, their Presto card, and comfortable footwear for this month’s outing. The students will be taking public transit to Bayfront Park to hike the Waterfront Trail. Students are welcome to bring along a simple nut-free snack and light-weight water bottle, and should be prepared for whatever weather we may encounter!
Friday, June 14 to Saturday, June 15 — Elementary Senior Sleepover
Students in Years 3-6 have the option to join Marissa and Michelle on campus for a Friday night sleepover! This will celebrate our third year students’ transition from lower to upper elementary, and all the privileges and responsibilities that come with being a senior student. For those students who wish to attend, we’ll be having a pizza dinner, followed by an evening of fun activities before settling into our sleeping bags for the night. We’ll enjoy a pancake breakfast on Saturday morning before heading home for the weekend. Please follow the link in the email update to sign-up!
CANCELED — Montessori Summer Fun Camp
Due to low registration, our Montessori Summer Fun Camp will not be offered this year. We are happy to offer a week of camp to families when there is sufficient interest, but we know that the children in our community have many wonderful options for activities during the summer. If you have already registered for camp, please contact accounts@lyonsgate.ca for a refund of fees.
Upcoming Dates to Note:
Thursday, May 30: 6th Year Graduation Trip
Friday, June 7: Parent-Teacher Conferences
Monday June 10: Elementary Cultural Fair
From the classroom historians, Pippa and Edmée:
Lyonsgate Update May 6, 2024
Good Morning Lyonsgate Families,
We have a few warm weather reminders:
- Please apply sunscreen, or have your independent Montessori child apply their own sunscreen, each morning before school. We/they will reapply before mid-day outdoor play. Please send a bottle of your preferred sunscreen (no aerosol/spray bottles please) to use at school, and make sure it is clearly and permanently labelled. Thank you.
- Please ensure students wear sturdy, closed-toe outdoor shoes to school each day. Footwear such as crocs or sandals can lead to injury, or to an inability for your child to engage in active play with their friends. Thank you.
See below for updates from your children’s Montessori levels:
Hello Toddler Families,
Happy May! Spring is a great reminder of the miracle of growth. In this season of life, we have been taking advantage of our outside time, admiring and observing all the growth in our outdoor environment.
As we move towards the end of the school year, we have started to reminisce on our year and all the growth and change the children have accomplished and overcome. We have found ourselves looking at where the children were when they first started in September and realizing how much growth they have achieved.
Constantly observing and offering a hand over the year on our many trips up and down the stairs, and suddenly it seems we have barely any hands to hold. Children came in with few words and now our ears are open to so many elaborate stories it can sometimes seem hard to keep up. We have even had some children pushing their backpacks up and hanging them outside on the higher Casa hooks and shouting “I did it”.
“Let us leave the life free to develop within the limits of the good, and let us observe this inner life developing,” Dr. Montessori’s Own Handbook.
It has been a great pleasure to watch your children grow in so many ways. We look forward to cherishing these last 7 weeks of our school year and are excited to continue to see even more growth and change!
Ms. Relic.
In a Montessori classroom, children are empowered with the responsibility of caring for their surroundings. From mopping up a spill to creating flower arrangements, every task is an opportunity for them to engage in purposeful activities that cultivate respect for their environment. The classroom itself becomes a microcosm of the wider world, where children learn firsthand the importance of consideration, patience, and care.
Through practical life activities such as watering plants, sorting recyclables, or composting organic waste, children develop a connection to nature and an understanding of their role in preserving it. These experiences not only foster a sense of responsibility but also nurture empathy and compassion towards the world around them.
By involving children in the maintenance and organization of their classroom, we promote independence and self-reliance. Children learn to take ownership of their space, making conscious decisions about how to care for it and respecting the efforts of their peers.
This week, we kept noticing our bathroom mirror was cloudy, covered in soapy streaks. Instead of cleaning it ourselves we noticed aloud that it could use some extra care. A child showed interest in cleaning the mirror and so he did, using a spray bottle and cloth. Then he went around cleaning each of the mirrors and accessible windows in the class. The benefits of this approach extend beyond the classroom walls.
In essence, Montessori education goes beyond academics to support small people who embody values of empathy, responsibility, and stewardship. By nurturing children’s innate curiosity and fostering a deep connection to their environment, Montessori classrooms lay the foundation for tomorrow’s leadership.
Ms. Dewey.
Last week, the students enjoyed going out into the community to assist with the annual Kirkendall Neighbourhood Association Food Drive in support of Mission Services. Teams of students were tasked with delivering donation bags to homes along their routes, and were very eager to contribute their time and energy to help others. This year, the children were proud to set a new class record for the number of bags delivered, handing out an astounding 549 bags to make contributing easier for our neighbours! Thank you to those families living outside the neighbourhood who brought in food to donate as well.
It was nice to have so many parents join us last week to find out more about the Montessori math curriculum and fun ways to integrate math practice into your summer plans. Thank you for joining us! We enjoyed sharing with you some of the children’s favourite materials for learning about fractions, and look forward to sharing more of our Montessori principles and practice with you next year!
Marissa and Michelle.
Friday, May 17 — P.D. Day/Elementary Learning Resource Conferences
While the campus will be closed to students, staff will be on-site refreshing the classroom and preparing lessons for the rest of the term. Parents of students who routinely work with our learning resource specialist, Kim, are invited to schedule a parent-teacher conference with her that day. Please follow the link in the email version of this update to choose a time for your conference.
Thursday, May 30 — 6th Year Graduation Trip
Our classroom elders will be celebrating their graduation from Lyonsgate this year with a day trip to Toronto to visit the Royal Ontario Museum. Students attending the trip should arrive at the West Harbor GO Station between 8:45-9:00 a.m. to meet up with the group and be ready to board the Lakeshore West train to Toronto. Students will require their red Lyonsgate t-shirt, a Presto card to travel the GO and TTC transit systems, a small water bottle, as well as a packed lunch and snacks. We anticipate returning home on a mid-afternoon train, with student pick-up at the West Harbor GO Station at 4:15 p.m.
Upcoming Dates to Note:
Friday, June 7 – Parent-Teacher Conferences
Monday, June 10 – Elementary Cultural Fair
Friday, June 14 – Elementary Senior Sleepover
Lyonsgate Update April 29, 2024
Good Morning Lyonsgate Families,
A few items to note over the next few weeks:
- Elementary Parent Education: Thursday, May 2, 3:30-4:15 p.m. (see below or the school calendar for details).
- Kirkendall Food Drive: Elementary students will be distributing donation bags throughout the neighbourhood. If your family lives outside the neighbourhood but would also like to donate, you are welcome to send in nut-free food and/or hygiene product donations with your child by Friday, May 3, to both Lyonsgate campuses.
- PD Day & Victoria Day: Friday, May 17, and Monday, May 20. Both Lyonsgate campuses will be closed.
- The Neuroscience of Learning in Montessori: Wednesday, May 22. Click here for info and registration [Note: fee-based webinar not affiliated with Lyonsgate, but may be of interest; if registering, enter “Lyonsgate Montessori” as the “Participant School” and “Parent” in the “Position in School” field].
Please see below for updates from your children’s Montessori levels.
Hello Toddler Families,
Can you believe it’s almost May? It seems like such a short time since we were putting on snowsuits and taking off icey, wet mittens. Suddenly there are rain boots, sandals, and the children are taking off their own coats outside as they run and yell “I’m hot!”
It is a joy to experience spring through the eyes of a child. Their rainboots have been put to good use as they splash in puddles on the playground, and hooray, the sandbox is out of winter hibernation! The children have been noticing the new buds on the trees, the climbing squirrels, and the active ants. They hear leaf blowers and the roar of motorcycles. Our snack outside a few weeks ago has been asked about often and we look forward to doing it again …as soon as we don’t need those rain boots quite so much!
Vanessa Findlay RECE.
Its hard to believe that summer is approaching and we only have 8 weeks left of the school year. With the changing weather, please make sure you child is dressing accordingly. As the days get sunnier, feel free to send in a bottle of sunscreen in its original container with your child’s name on it for application before recess (please apply at home before school too).
It has been great to watch your children grow and change both physically and emotionally throughout this year. As the end of the year approaches, we look back on all that the children have accomplished: some starting at a new school, a new classroom, and some taking on the role of being a “third year” and all that it entails. It’s been wonderful seeing the communities that both Casa classrooms have become and all the relationships and bonds that have been made.
“There is a great sense of community within the Montessori classroom, where children of differing ages work together in an atmosphere of cooperation rather than competitiveness. There is respect for the environment and for the individuals within it, which comes through experience of freedom within the community.” — Maria Montessori.
Casa Team.
Today! Monday, April 29 — Community Service for the Kirkendall Food Drive
Hello Elementary Parents,
The Elementary students will be performing some community service today, in support of our neighbourhood food drive. Working in small teams, the students will deliver food drive collection bags to the front doors of nearby streets. Residents simply put food and hygiene donations in the bag provided and place it on their doorstep on Saturday, May 4, for collection.
Please remind your child to come prepared with their red Lyonsgate t-shirt to wear during this community outing.
If your family lives outside the neighbourhood but would also like to donate to the food drive, you are welcome to send in nut-free donations with your child by Friday, May 3. We will be putting together a collection bag at school as well! Donations can be droppoed off at both the Elementary and Primary campuses.
Thursday, May 2 — Parent Education Event
Our next Parent Education event will be taking place after school on Thursday, May 2, from 3:30-4:15. Parents are invited to join Marissa and Michelle to learn more about our math curriculum through a series of lessons with the Montessori materials, as well as activities to help your child maintain their math skills over the summer break.
Please note, all Elementary students will be traveling to the HAAA at 3:20 that day ahead of the parent presentation.
Students whose families are attending the parent education event will be included in the aftercare program (with no charge). These students will return to the Elementary campus by 4:30. All other students will be dismissed from the HAAA park between 3:30-3:45 p.m.
Please email elementary@lyonsgate.ca with how many adults are planning to attend, and whether you require Elementary or Casa child care that day, by Tuesday, April 30.
Friday, May 17 — P.D. Day/Elementary Learning Resource Conferences
While the campus will be closed to students, staff will be on-site refreshing the classroom and preparing lessons for the rest of the term. Parents of students who routinely work with our learning resource specialist, Kim, are invited to schedule a parent-teacher conference with her that day. Check next week’s update for the link to sign-up for a conference time.
Thursday, May 30 — 6th Year Graduation Trip
Our classroom elders will be celebrating their graduation from Lyonsgate this year with a day trip to Toronto to visit the Royal Ontario Museum. Students attending the trip should arrive at the West Harbor GO Station between 8:45-9:00 a.m. to meet up with the group and be ready to board the Lakeshore West train to Toronto. Students will require their red Lyonsgate t-shirt, a Presto card to travel the GO and TTC transit systems, a small water bottle, as well as a packed lunch and snacks. We anticipate returning home on a mid-afternoon train, with student pick-up at the West Harbor GO Station at 4:15 p.m.
from the Classroom Historians
Colin and Beck.
Lyonsgate Update April 22, 2024
Good Morning Lyonsgate Families,
Parents of Casa students, you may have heard your children speaking about “Ms. Goruk” over the last few weeks. Stef Goruk is a Montessori Guide coming back to work after taking time off to start a young family. Ms. Goruk is covering recess periods for both Casa classes and is also our new on-call supply teacher.
Please see below for updates from your children’s Montessori levels.
[Apologies for the lack of photos this week]
Hello Toddler Families,
This week, we have been expanding our outdoor time whenever we can. We have begun to have our afternoon snack outside. Please remember to send a sun hat and apply sunscreen in the morning before school. We will reapply it in the afternoon prior to afternoon recess.
This week we rescued a worm and watched it push itself back into the ground on the other side of the fence. Springtime is an excellent time to get outside and involve your toddler in some of the practical life activities related to gardening. Raking, bagging old leaves, digging out or pulling weeds, are all wonderful gross motor activities that involve your young child in important work that contributes to their family, and it makes the environment more beautiful. Being included in these tasks offers a huge confidence boost as well. Spring is such a magical yet short season. We could all benefit from more time spent outdoors.
Ms. Gervais.
It’s Earth Day!
This is a day when we focus even more than usual about the ways we take care of our planet. Now that our side of Earth is warming up and days are getting longer, we can see many changes around home and school. We gave the children a homework task of looking for signs of spring, which they responded to with some good observations, including:
“I saw yellow flowers.”
“There are tulips at my house but I don’t know what colour they are yet.”
“There was a huge spider in the playground, we told everyone not to step on it.”
“When will the ladybugs come back?”
“We can take our coats off!”
“I saw a robin on the ground, it was looking for worms, ew!”
There have been reminders from some of the children to others to let the new leaves keep growing rather than pick them, and to let bugs go about their business undisturbed. We will be germinating a variety of seeds to explore the beginning of plant life cycles and transplanting them to watch the next steps. We’ll also be diving into our blue box to recycle leftover paper into new sheets to use in other activities.
We hope you are also noticing the changing season and all the colour it is bringing. Here at school, we are very happy to see then end of snowpants, boots, hats, mittens, etcetera; we can all take our coats off!
Ms. Robinson.
Thursday, April 25 — Upper Elementary Outing
Upper Elementary students are reminded to be prepared with their red Lyonsgate t-shirt, their Presto card, and comfortable footwear for this month’s outing. The students will be taking public transit up the mountain to hike in the Iroquoia Heights Conservation. Students are welcome to bring along a simple nut-free snack and light-weight water bottle, and should be prepared for whatever weather we may encounter!
Thursday, May 2 — Parent Education Event
Our next Parent Education Event will be taking place after school on Thursday, May 2, from 3:30-4:15. Parents are invited to join Marissa and Michelle to learn more about our math curriculum through a series of lessons with the Montessori materials, as well as activities to help your child maintain their math skills over the summer break.
Please note, all Elementary students will be traveling to the HAAA at 3:20 that day ahead of the parent presentation.
Students whose families are attending the Parent Education Event will be included in the aftercare program (with no charge). These students will return to the Elementary campus by 4:30. All other students will be dismissed from the HAAA park between 3:30-3:45 p.m.
Please email elementary@lyonsgate.ca with how many adults are planning to attend, and whether you require Elementary or Casa child care that day, by Tuesday, April 30.
July 29-August 2 — Montessori Summer Fun Camp
Registration is now open for our Montessori Summer Fun Camp! Elementary students and Casa graduates are invited to join Marissa and Michelle for a week of classic camp fun with outdoor games, art projects, science demonstrations, and water play. Our activities will adapt to the interests and imaginations of our campers, and also include outings to the HAAA park playground and splash pad nearby. Full and half-day options are available. Follow the link below for more details and registration!
Montessori Summer Fun Camp — Details and Registration
from the Classroom Historians
Colin and Beck.
Lyonsgate Update April 15, 2024
Hello Lyonsgate Families,
Now that March Break, early Easter, and the eclipse are behind us, we are back to regularly scheduled programming. You’ll be happy to know that there are no important dates to know for the next couple of weeks (and yes, stating that means something will probably come up).
The Spring/Summer lunch menu starts today for Casa and Toddler students. You can always find the lunch menu here: https://lyonsgate.ca/lyonsgate-lunch-menu/ and you can check which week we are on here: https://lyonsgate.ca/lyonsgate-calendar/
Please see below for updates from your children’s Montessori levels:
Hello Toddler Families,
Although holidays and celebrations and exciting celestial events can be exhilarating, routines provide predictability and stability for young children. Routines are inevitably altered or interrupted by fun things like a holiday or visits from relatives, or sometimes by not so fun things like an illness. All of these experiences offer a chance to build resilience and adaptability. Adaptability is one of the many superpowers of toddlers. They have been adapting to new environments and experiences since their birth not so long ago. Simultaneously, they have been gathering information about the world and trying to find their place and purpose in it.
Although they are capable of accepting and adapting to changes, it is important to remember that they are in a sensitive period for order. The past month with March Break followed by the Easter holidays, followed by the eclipse, has brought a lot of disruption to our routines in the toddler community. We have observed children reluctant during drop off in the morning and even at home time.
I am curious to know what the experience of the eclipse was like for the young children in our community. It is a special event, one that all of us in Hamilton will only experience once in our lifetime in this particular longitude and latitude. It caused some confusion and chaos to all of the lifeforms under the sun in our small part of the grid. Flowers close up, and animals and insects are tricked into thinking it is night. Some of our toddlers were aware of the eclipse. One child woke up from a nap and said, “Are you excited to see the moon pass in front of the sun?” This is the best way to approach it. Welcome new experiences and be open to new information. Leave the familiar routine for a moment and pause and celebrate this unique moment in time that we have together.
Here is a great song about the sun, which explains what it is made of and how all life on earth is because of the sun. “Without the sun, without a doubt there would be no you and me.”
“Success is the ability to go from failure to failure without losing your enthusiasm.” Winston Churchill.
It has been a very busy couple of weeks in Casa: March Break, a long weekend, solar eclipse, and the explosion of spring. The children have been excited to share stories of all their adventures and experiences.
Children are a marvel when you watch the inner resilience that they are born with. They don’t look through their lives with the lens of failure or success, but of one with enthusiasm and zest. They are just as excited to speak of things that didn’t go well as those that older students and adults deem as successes.
Maria Montessori saw this and prepared all her activities with a control of error. The children can explore and experience with the activities on their terms. The gift of the guide is to see that learning is happening and not to interrupt it. As they proceed through the planes of development, the children will learn. Our goal is to nurture their enthusiasm and in turn their resilience.
Academia is only one goal of a Montessorian, but the whole child’s cosmic learning and inner self is our enthusiasm.
Mc. Canessa.
Welcome back, Eva!
We are happy to welcome back Eva Sale Garcia, a student teacher who will be joining the class for the next two weeks as part of her A.M.I. teacher training in Colorado, U.S.A. Many of the children may remember Eva from her time observing our classroom last year, and will be receiving some of their lessons from her as she completes her teaching practicum.
Thursday, May 2 — Parent Education Event
Our next parent education event will be taking place after school on Thursday, May 2 from 3:30-4:15. Parents are invited to join Marissa and Michelle to learn more about our math curriculum through a series of lessons with the Montessori materials, as well as activities to help your child maintain their math skills over the summer break.
Please note, all Elementary students will be traveling to the HAAA at 3:20 that day ahead of the parent presentation.
Students whose families are attending the parent education event will be included in the aftercare program (with no charge). These students will return to the Elementary campus by 4:30. All other students will be dismissed from the HAAA park between 3:30-3:45 p.m.
Please email elementary@lyonsgate.ca with how many adults are planning to attend, and whether you require Elementary or Casa child care that day, by Tuesday, April 30.
SAVE-THE-DATE!
Friday, June 14 to Saturday, June 15 — Elementary Senior Sleepover
In June, students in Years 3-6 have the option to join Marissa and Michelle on campus for a Friday night sleepover! This will celebrate our third year students’ transition from lower to upper elementary, and all the privileges and responsibilities that come with being a senior student. For those students who wish to attend the sleepover, we’ll be having a pizza dinner, followed by an evening of fun activities before settling into our sleeping bags for the night. We’ll enjoy a pancake breakfast on Saturday morning before heading home for the weekend. More details to come!
July 29-August 2 — Montessori Summer Fun Camp
Registration is now open for our Montessori Summer Fun Camp! Elementary students and Casa graduates are invited to join Marissa and Michelle for a week of classic camp fun with outdoor games, art projects, science demonstrations, and water play. Our activities will adapt to the interests and imaginations of our campers, and also include outings to the HAAA park playground and splash pad nearby. Full and half-day options are available. Follow the link below for more details and registration!
Montessori Summer Fun Camp — Details and Registration
from the Classroom Historians
“This week the uppers and lowers have been werking on their french playes, including making props. Some of the uppers have been practising and learning decimals and surfus area. Both uppers and lowers are werking on literature circles including no talking and city of ember.”
Theo and Brett.
Welcome to the Spring Term
Welcome to the spring term of the 2023.2024 school year. We can't wait to hear all of your children's March Break stories, and to watch them continue to learn and develop. Their experiences, and their work so far this school year, make the third term an exciting one as Montessori students flourish during this time.
Here are your reminders, information, and important dates for the next few weeks:
- Graduate Photos: students graduating from the Casa and Elementary programs this year will have their graduation photos taken by Lifetouch this Thursday, March 28.
- Upcoming Easter Holidays and PD Day:
- This Friday, March 29, is Good Friday. Both Lyonsgate campuses will be closed.
- Next Monday, April 1, is Easter Monday. Both Lyonsgate campuses will be closed (no foolin').
- Monday, April 8, is a PD Day. This is the PD Day moved from later in April due to the solar eclipse. Both Lyonsgate campuses will be closed.
- Casa Observations Continue: Parent observations continue throughout the spring term. If you haven't signed up for an observation yet, please check your email for "Casa In-Class Observation Sign-Up" sent March 1 (or email us at admin@lyonsgate.ca).
- Renovation Update: Lyonsgate was a busy place over the March Break. Our brand new heating and cooling system is installed and operational. We now have more control of the heat in the school wing of the building, and central air conditioning.
- Measles Information from Public Health:
Hamilton Public Health Services is advising all individuals, especially those returning from any international travel, to monitor themselves and their children for any signs and symptoms of measles. If you develop symptoms of measles while abroad or after you return to Canada:
-
- Limit contact with other people.
- Call your health care provider or a walk-in clinic and notify them about your symptoms before an in-person appointment, so they can take proper precautions. Wear a well-fitting respirator or medical mask when seeking care.
- Tell the health care provider where you have travelled and if you have been vaccinated against measles.
Measles symptoms begin 7-21 days after infection and may include:
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- High fever
- Cough
- Runny nose
- Red, watery eyes (conjunctivitis, i.e., pink eye), sensitivity to light
- Red rash lasting 4-7 days
Thank you.