Jason Phillips

Happy Friday Lyonsgate Families,

This week, your Casa and Toddler children’s French assistants have some information about how they, and you, can support French learning beyond the traditional classroom materials, and the Elementary Montessori guides have a beautiful summary of the practice and purpose of literature in the Elementary program.

Show & Share (No Observations)

Thank you for your patience while we deliberated whether or not to host parent observations in the Casa classrooms this year. While the situation is improving, we have decided to hold off and instead host Show & Share in the Casa classrooms during the week of May 16-19.

Toddler

Bonjour!!

As we near the last leg of our school year, I am consistently reminded of how much our Toddler community has grown as a whole and as individuals. Your children have braved a whole new world of independence and trust with their teachers and their peers. I have found that over the course of this year your children have made leaps and bounds in respect to speaking French, and as much as some may find learning another language daunting there are many ways you as parents can ensure your children continue to be exposed throughout the time they aren’t in their classroom: introduce a few easy to read French books, perhaps ones that your child may already know in English; when you’re in the car try putting on a French radio station for a few minutes; look for signs and advertisements that have French and English on them.

Songs are another great way to help grab their attention. It really doesn’t matter if you know the words or not, they are listening and absorbing. If you have a local library you enjoy attending, maybe look into if they offer a French story time. There are many ways you can expose yourself and your children to the French language without making it complicated. Take it one word or song song at a time :).

Mme Craigie

Casa North

French Language in the Casa classroom extends beyond the use of Montessori materials on the shelf.

Our students love the “Ou Est?” game. It familiarizes them with the environment that they see — they point to things, label things, and classify them by their French name. We have added a lot of sound effects and fun to the game itself — they love hearing me make a frog noise & duck noise! By making it fun, and getting the students to laugh, we see more memorization and willingness to participate.

We love counting to 20 (sometimes higher) as a small group. We do this daily. We have started to hear students counting in French while they work with materials from the shelf.

We also use a lot of French reading material. Often, a book will be read in English, and the following week we will introduce the same book in French to mirror vocabulary they already know. Our 2nd & 3rd years are also beginning to read from the Primary Phonics series this term, that they have been reading in English.

Parents can encourage their children to engage with French Language at home through song! We have a very musical class this year. Some of our favourites include:

• Une Souris Verte
• Pirouette, Cacahuète
• Un éléphant qui se balançait

En attendant, je vous souhaite une agréable fin de semaine!

Mme Murati

Casa South

Bonjour tout le monde!

Here are a few ideas of how you can incorporate French at home.

My favourite is singing songs, especially those with actions like “Tête, épaules, genoux, orteils…”. Movement helps to make connections, understand, and remember. Even just hearing French songs in the background will help a new learner with some sounds, pronunciation, and vocabulary.

Movie nights and cartoons can be enjoyable too. Story books, poetry, and games are additional ways to get children excited about speaking French. One of the games we enjoy is “Où est?”. I took pictures of many items in the classroom. I show the child a picture, I say the name of the object, I ask the child to repeat the name, and then they have to locate the item. It’s a wonderful activity that allows a lot of movement.

Repetition gives much needed practice and reinforcement.

Have a fabulous weekend everyone!

Mme Renée Perazzo

Elementary

Enter the Elementary environment at any time and you are sure to see a student looking at a book! Whether they are exploring beautiful illustrations, researching animal facts, or discovering a new story, books are an exciting part of childhood and a gateway to the world beyond the classroom. Throughout the year, elementary students participate in literature circles, meeting weekly with a small group to encourage a love of reading.

Early readers are first invited to read together from the same book, developing reading skills such as recognition of common sight words and increasing knowledge of digraphs. Regular practice reading aloud helps a student strengthen their decoding skills and ensures the guide can assess their progress and provide further keys to reading. Taking a turn to read aloud, as well as listening to others, encourages concentration and accuracy, as well as fluency and expression.

As children move on to short chapter books, they begin to focus on comprehension and discuss with each other settings and characters. As they become more independent in reading accurately and efficiently, children transition to longer chapter books and they complete their weekly chapter readings before their circle meeting. They are welcome to read independently or with a friend as they enjoy an extended narrative and increasingly complex plots.

Once children transition to reading middle-grade novels the focus shifts to a deeper understanding of theme, archetypes, and the emotional lives of child characters in response to specific real-life challenges. Some of these are works of fiction while others are based on real people. This is space for diverse representation and an introduction to challenging topics beyond personal experience, such as differences in privilege. Some of the topics included in our literature choices are living with different abilities or disorders like dyslexia, anxiety, or autism, family issues such as poverty, or personal challenges such as confronting bullying or the death of a loved one. Through these stories they evaluate the decisions of characters, offer alternate choices, predict outcomes, and consider the consequences of choices made.

Students work on weekly assignments, on their own or with a friend, to think more about the story and clarify their thoughts about the narrative. As the novels become more complex, students may take on a specific role to facilitate weekly discussions, such as the summarizer, vocabulary builder, or timeline artist. Literature circles serve many purposes, from developing literacy and emotional intelligence, to cultivating collaborative work habits and responsibility. Of course, for the children, the joy of sharing a good book with a friend is the greatest purpose of all!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Marissa and Michelle

Photo Gallery

Good Afternoon Lyonsgate Community,

This week, your children’s Montessori guides are speaking to the concept of community in Montessori, and they have some beautiful things to say.

Mask Requirement Extension

While we are certainly doing better in terms of illness relative to a couple of weeks ago, there are still positive COVID cases among students and Lyonsgate families that indicates the ongoing presence of community spread. Lyonsgate is extending the requirement for all staff and students in the second year of Casa and up (kindergarten aged) to wear properly fitted and properly worn masks at all times while indoors. Masks for first year Casa students are strongly recommended. The mask requirement is being extended until at least May 6.

Beginning next week, masks will not be required to be worn outside by staff.

Elementary Parent Education Reminder

Elementary parents are invited to a Parent Education event on Thursday, May 12 at 4:00 p.m. for a curriculum workshop showcasing material progressions in math, biology, and geography. Parents who are attending can register their Elementary students for free aftercare with the classroom assistants during the event. Parents are asked to RSVP to elementary@lyonsgate.ca by Monday, May 9.

New Lunch Menu Updated

The new spring/summer lunch menu for the Primary campus is now updated with the vegetarian and vegan options, and the dietician endorsement.

Graduation Photos Next Thursday

The photographer will be here next Thursday, April 28, to take graduation photos of our graduating Montessori students.

CWELCC Letter from City of Hamilton

Click here for a letter to parents from the City of Hamilton about the implementation of the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care agreement.

Toddler

Community and sense of belonging in the Toddler community.

The social determinants of health are a home, a job, a friend. These three elements are the key to a human being’s mental health. We all need a safe place to land, a place where we can relax and be ourselves, important work to do, and a companion to share our experiences with.

Babies arrive in the world hard wired to communicate. They are seeking connection and they look to those around them to find out who they are, how they fit in, and what they are supposed to be doing.

The family is the child’s first community. For a while this is all a baby knows and experiences, then the world opens up into a wider circle to include a few friends and regular visitors, extended family members and familiar faces at the park or the library, then to include a school community where there are more opportunities to form friendships, build independence skills, and figure out how the world works.

As the circle widens and the list of familiar people in a child’s life expands the child’s awareness of themselves and the world around them grows. They learn that they can rely on and trust people other than their immediate family and they begin to seek their purpose in the community. They build a sense of belonging by participating in the daily routine. They want to participate! There is a basic need to feel productive and to perform valuable work. Small children do not need to be cajoled or bribed to participate in a community. They already have a natural drive to work and interact purposefully in the environment. They watch and replicate whatever the adults are doing. They, as my grandmother would say, “see a job.” If the floor is wet, they notice, and go and get the mop. If a plant tumbles to the floor they go and get the dustpan and the small hand broom. They enthusiastically help to serve snack or hand out water to their friends. They are taking responsibility for their world and are an active participant in their community. These jobs might seem small or insignificant but the instinct to take action is important in a larger sense. This is all evidence of what might be possible if this enthusiasm to help and care for our environment and each other continues throughout life.

We have it within ourselves from the beginning of life to coexist peacefully, to seek connection, to work together to take care of each other and our world.

Dr. Maria Montessori believed that each new generation offered the possibility of creating a more peaceful world:

“Averting war is the work of politicians, establishing peace is the work of education.” Maria Montessori (Education and Peace, p. 24)

Ms. Gervais.

Casa North

Our Casa students recognize themselves as part of multiple communities — the community of the classroom, the community of their family and neighbours, and the community of the wider world. We are constantly demonstrating that the community and world around us shapes what is on our shelves — that what we are learning in our classroom is a key to a larger world.

In relation to “community of the wider world,” Montessori believes in a Universal Child, who understands their role in their world and society. This is woven through all areas of the classroom — through Practical Life activities that mirror their home life (that are, in essence, practical and relevant to the child); through our Culture area that emphasizes our geographical ties to one another (we are part of Ontario, then Canada, then North America, and the larger Earth) and that provides opportunities to view & learn about same-age children around the world; and through our Language area which mimics the sounds and words we use in our day-to-day routine.

In relation to “community of the classroom,” students are encouraged to collaborate and contribute to class life. Practical Life gives opportunities for each student to feel valuable in caring for their environment (polishing items, folding cloths, washing tables, arranging flowers, etc.) and themselves (washing hands, dressing, etc.); it shows them how to find solutions and resolve problems for themselves (sponging a spill, sweeping floors, etc.).

Grace and courtesy — as a branch of Practical Life — also connects students to their peers and community members. We don’t take for granted that a child has inherent peer entry skills or automatically knows how to be a part of a group, so we are always modelling how to greet others, thank others, ask questions, share feelings, and generally engage with other beings.

Perhaps most importantly, we model how to be kind to others as a means of building relationships — a lovely example is seeing two children exchange a “thank you” and “you’re welcome” when holding open the door for one another, or a child offering a cup of tea to a classroom visitor as a friendly greeting. Being able to appropriately interact with others builds the confidence needed to be a part of one’s community — the child tells themselves, “I know what to say, I know how to act, I am valuable and can be a part of this group.”

We look forward to cohort rules shifting so that we can begin to actively explore our outside community (working with students from other classrooms, having guests visit our classroom, engaging in field trips, etc.). Allowing our surroundings to influence our learning is a cornerstone of the Montessori method, and we are so grateful to have a fantastic Lyonsgate community of students and families to learn from.

Ms. O’Sullivan

Casa South

Greetings from Casa South.

Community, what does it mean? Three general characteristics may be used to describe it:

• a group of people living in the same place or having a particular characteristic in common.
• the condition of sharing or having certain attitudes and interests in common.
• a group of independent plants or animals growing or living together in natural condition or
  occupying a specific habitat.

This last descriptor strikes me as being most inclusive of all parts of community and is a particularly apt way to describe how we live and grow together in our classroom. Children are allowed and encouraged to be independent while working together as a group; learning to take care of themselves, each other, and their environment.

At this point in the school year, we can clearly see how much they have adapted to this habitat. They move about the room with a greater level of confidence and skill. They know each other well, know how to work as partners, and how to push some of their classmates’ buttons. The learning never stops no matter what situation arises.

This week, we’ve been discussing what it means to take care of our larger community — our planet. What do we see, hear, smell, feel when we are out in the world? What can we do to take care of plants, animals, the ground, the air, and the water? Why do we recycle and compost? We’ve been sowing a lot of seeds lately, not only to make our environment look prettier, but also to help us breathe and make food for butterflies and bees. We enjoyed making suncatchers from some of the leaves collected and pressed during the year to hang in a window at home.

It’s a lovely time of year to connect with the space outside our walls; we hope you can get out to see and smell some spring flowers this weekend.

See you at the gate!

Ms. Robinson.

Elementary

The Elementary curriculum invites children to study geometry as part of both math and the natural world. This week, younger students looked at characteristics of 3-dimensional solids and used these attributes to name each figure. Students had fun playing a variety of games to build their vocabulary for geometry. We reviewed the names of regular polygons and how their prefixes indicate the number of sides and angles. We then compared different polygons to a circle. Students were excited to consider the circle as a polygon with an infinite number of sides!

Upper level students were challenged to find a formula to calculate the area of a rhombus using Montessori Metal Inset materials. They built upon previous experiences in calculating the area of rectangles and made comparisons between the parts of each shape. So far, they have discovered that an equivalent rectangle’s base is equal to the minor diagonal of a rhombus. Further investigations will help them discover a working formula!

For those of you who are curious, the area of a rhombus = d x (D ÷ 2) 😉

We look forward to more geometry explorations related to botany coming soon!

Wishing you a beautiful weekend ahead,

Michelle and Marissa

Photo Gallery

Happy Easter Long Weekend Everyone,

This week your children’s English language assistants have updates for you about the spring term and their roles in the classroom. We also have information about an upcoming Elementary Parent Education Event.

Lyonsgate is closed on Good Friday, April 15, and on Easter Monday, April 18. Safe and healthy travels to those who may be visiting family or otherwise adventuring this weekend. Reminder if you travel internationally:

New Hot Lunch Menu

When we return from the Easter weekend a new hot lunch menu will be in effect. Please see:  https://lyonsgate.ca/lyonsgate-lunch-menu/

[NOTE: vegetarian and vegan alternatives have not been shared with us yet; we will update the menu when we receive that information].

CWELCC Update

Their have been a couple of information sessions with the Ministry of Education and a brief note from the City of Hamilton regarding the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care program. There are no firm details on funding or how the program will run so Lyonsgate cannot yet decide if we will be opting in or out. The latest from the City’s Early Years division, who will be administering the program in Hamilton, states the following:

On April 12th the Ministry of Education shared the guidelines and allocations to support the implementation of the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Plan with CMSM’s and DSSAB’s. At this time we are reviewing the guidelines and will determine next steps to support implementation of the plan. We also plan to meet with the Ministry in the coming weeks to better understand what the implications will be for Hamilton.

This is a significant change for our sector and we ask for your patience as we develop the tools, processes and resources to support our local implementation.

Toddler

It is hard to believe that we are already halfway through April! Spring is in the air and our community continues to evolve as the skills and personalities blossom. I personally have been enjoying the increased conversations with many of the students as their verbal skills continue to grow. Our Whimsical Wednesday jam sessions have been a great success and it has been a joy to share some of the fun and interesting instruments from my home and yours.

The longer I work with this age-group, the more I understand why movement is such an important component to the Montessori philosophy. It is great to see dancing, as well as the strumming, shaking, and pounding of percussion instruments, and basketball. As music was one of my first loves, it has been such a privilege to incorporate it in new ways in the classroom.

I hope everyone has a wonderful long weekend!

Mr. Davis.

Casa North

Good afternoon Casa North Families!

It’s been quite a while since I’ve had the privilege of writing to you. Part of my role as assistant has always been to ensure the classroom and all activities are tidy and ready to be used. As an adult, these tasks can feel like the most mundane of chores, but in the Montessori classroom I get a reminder of how the mundane can be joyful. At the end of each day, students come to Madame Murati and I to ask, “How can I help?” They straighten shelves, wipe tables and chalkboards, and ensure activities are stocked for the next day. We have a dedicated crew who enthusiastically offer to assist Mrs. Covic with any kitchen tasks whenever she enters our room. It’s lovely to see the children taking pride in their classroom, and our teaching team is always looking for opportunities to foster that sense of responsibility. My colleagues outside the Montessori community are always impressed by stories of how capable and responsible our Casa students are. A long weekend is a great time to take advantage of those burgeoning housekeeping skills! I hope you all enjoy your time off and look forward to hearing all about it on Tuesday!

Ms. Dewey.

Casa South

Hello Casa South Families! I am happy to personally introduce myself. I am Ms. Jefferies the English Assistant who started in January with your little ones.

Before the pandemic I was working in outdoor education, so any chance we get to be outside is a refreshing treat and so important. It has been such a joy to step into this role with the Lyonsgate community as I have learned so much from your children, Ms. Robinson, Mme Perazzo, and the Montessori teachings. My spring term goals are to continue to help students focus when needed and provide support when asked. I have evolved from the new assistant, who is learning herself, to someone your children now welcome with open arms for help, and it’s been beautiful to see. Phonics Bingo and reading books together have been a class favourite. I look forward to growing my relationship with your little ones and yourselves, as well as my own Montessori knowledge, and Spring is a perfect time to do that!

Have a great long weekend!

Ms. Jefferies

Elementary

This week the Elementary students immersed themselves in the decoration of eggs for Easter! Younger students first experimented with watercolour and wax relief on paper eggs. This involved a masking technique using wax crayon or oil pastel to block an area from watercolour paint. After our experiments on paper, we tried the same technique on hard-boiled eggs. Each student had fun in the kitchen boiling their own egg before applying a design and dyeing their egg!

Older students continued their study of Ukraine, learning about pysanky egg decorating. Using a traditional stylus, or kistka, they applied melted beeswax designs to an egg before dyeing. After the first colour bath the eggs were dried, more wax applied, and the process repeated. After the final colour was applied, students learned to handle a heat gun to remove their beeswax. The result? Beautiful, multi-coloured eggs!

We are excited to welcome parents back to campus for our next Parent Education event! Please join Marissa and Michelle on Thursday, May 12, at 4:00 p.m. for a curriculum workshop showcasing material progressions in math, biology, and geography. Parents who are attending can register their Elementary students for free aftercare with the classroom assistants during the event.

Parents are asked to RSVP to elementary@lyonsgate.ca by Monday, May 9.

Wishing you all a lovely long weekend,

Michelle and Marissa

Photo Gallery

Hello Lyonsgate Families,

This week your children’s Casa French teachers are speaking to the acquisition of French in a Montessori context, where children learn at their own pace. Elementary students are continuing their botanical studies. Due to illness, we do not have a Toddler update for you this week.

Casa Graduation Photos

On Thursday, April 28, Lifetouch will be at Lyonsgate to take graduation photos of the third-year Casa students. They will provide caps and gowns for the photos.

Illnesses and Masking Extension

You have all seen the emails about positive COVID-19 test results and other illnesses this week, and the notice of our extension of the masking requirement at Lyonsgate until at least April 22. Please check your inboxes for the following emails sent on Tuesday, April 5: “Illness Prevention at Lyonsgate” and “Masking Extension and Requirements.”

Lyonsgate’s Primary campus reached the threshold of 35% or greater absent on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday this week, which requires reporting to Hamilton Public Health. They ask us to remind everyone to keep doing all the things you are all doing so well already: masking, screening, monitoring for symptoms, hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette, and vaccination if eligible: covid19.ontario.ca/book-vaccine/.

We received updated guidance this week and rapid test distribution will now include 5 tests in each kit. We will have the kits ready for distribution to Primary families next week and to Elementary families as soon as we receive the supply. Reminder: there is a new “Letter to School Communities” that contains a link to oral/nasal swabbing instructions.

A Lyonsgate parent also shared information from a pediatrician in Toronto that presentations of what appear to be hand, foot, and mouth disease have turned out to be COVID-19. Click here for the news article. If any symptoms develop that appear to be hand, foot, and mouth we are recommending you test for COVID.

Toddler

Casa North

Bienvenu au printemps!

In Casa North we do both group work and individual work, depending on which level of French the individual student is at.

Every day, we have “French circle” where all students are invited to participate. The gathering is well-prepared and includes everyone. It doesn’t matter the level of each child because this is the opportunity where they can hear book stories, learn new vocabulary, sing songs, do finger plays, and communicate in French. Most important, they get friends that can translate for them when they don’t understand me.

Each child is different when it comes to learning. Younger children love to sing songs, older children love book stories because they have enough vocabulary to understand the story, and most of them are learning to read books.

I do give each child presentations in French and, of course, keep very detailed records for each child.

Every child learns at their own pace and rate, and that is what Montessori addresses whether it is learning math, to read, or French.

Rester en bonne santé!

Mme. Murati.

Casa South

Salut tout le monde! Finalement, le printemps est arrivé!

It’s so nice to see the children progress and improve their listening comprehension as we are now in our final term. Back in September, as I would be teaching them some vocabulary, I would show a colour tablet and say the colour rouge, vert, bleu… some children would then tell me « No, that’s red! No, that’s green! »

Another time, I was teaching the word « cuillère » (spoon). The child laughed and said « That sounds funny in my mouth! » She managed to pronounce it just after a few more tries.

I’m happy to say that the children are now more comfortable with the French lessons and some are even confident enough to translate if another child is struggling to understand me.

I often use the three-period lessons. The three key steps are naming, recognition, and recall. Everyone is progressing at their own pace and I look forward to continuing practicing French with them.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Mme Renée Perazzo

Elementary

Botanical investigations continued this week with a deeper examination of plant systems. Some students examined the transport system of the stem, setting out celery stalks in coloured water and tracking the movement of the dye upward toward the leaves. Others learned about patterns of leaf arrangement, surveying all the indoor and outdoor plants on campus and creating a chart of their data. Older students participated in the dissection of a lily plant, separating its whorls using a sharp blade, and identifying its reproductive parts. They also drew comparisons between how plant and mammal species reproduce in preparation for their next O.W.L. workshop on “Reproduction and Staying Healthy.” They are also researching the best conditions for seeding and sowing different fruits and vegetables in our backyard garden. The spring weather has also been drawing more students to work outdoors, leaving the indoor classroom rather quiet at times!

Wishing you a wonderful weekend ahead,

Marissa and Michelle

Photo Gallery

(click an image for larger version and to open a navigable gallery)

Welcome to the spring term Lyonsgate families.

We’ve been happy to hear that many good times, fun times, and restful times were had over the March Break. It’s always great to see all of the students back at school, and to see how much the Toddlers have grown in just two weeks.

Your children’s Montessori guides have introductions to the spring term for you.

This week, the $10/day child care agreement — Canada Wide Early Learning and Child Care System (CWELCC) — was signed and announced. Lyonsgate’s Primary (Casa and Toddler) campus is required to operate as a licensed child care centre. At this point, there are many steps and details to come. Here’s where we’re at:

• The program will be administered through the City of Hamilton’s Early Years division. We have been told they will receive information on eligibility and the enrolment process in “Spring 2022” and will then communicate details to us.

• The deadline for child care centres to enrol is September 2022. Centres can choose to opt out of CWELCC and continue charging their own fees. For example, if Lyonsgate would not be able to continue offering authentic Montessori education at the capped funding level, we could choose to opt out. Until we know what the actual funding amounts are we cannot make that decision.

We will keep you up to date as we learn more. If you have any questions, please email us at childcareagreement@lyonsgate.ca.

Lyonsgate will continue to require masks until at least April 8. Please continue to screen each day, before arriving to school, using the provincial school screening tool:  https://covid-19.ontario.ca/school-screening/ (you can also use this tool to see what the latest requirements are depending on different circumstances). The screening tool and other COVID resources are available on the Home page at lyonsgate.ca.

We have an updated “Letter to School Communities” for you that contains a link to instructions on how to do both oral and nasal swabs when using rapid tests. Please click here for the updated letter.

Toddler

Welcome to the Spring term toddler families! This week seemed to switch abruptly from Winter to Spring, and back again. This back and forth can sometimes persist for a while so please continue to consult the weather report and send the appropriate gear. We will be spending more time outside as the weather becomes warmer. With less outerwear to put on the children are able to get themselves ready more quickly! We will have our afternoon snack in the playground whenever possible.

We were so excited to have that warm blustery day this week. The wind seemed like a new character in our lives. One child pointed up to the top of a tree and laughed and said, “Windy.” I commented to one child how the wind was blowing his hair around and he agreed and added, “And my eyes!” We watched in amazement as one of our riding cars seemed to be driving itself!

If you have time this weekend I encourage you to take a walk with your toddler in your neighbourhood and see if you can spot some signs of Spring. The early spring flowers have begun to poke through, crocuses and the leaves of daffodils and tulips. Other signs of Spring might include seeing people out riding bicycles or out digging in their gardens, puddles of rain water to splash through. Go at their pace and see what they notice. Let them lead the walk and the conversation! — Ms. Gervais.

Casa North

Welcome to Term 3, Casa North — between the upcoming Mother’s Day and Father’s Day celebrations, Parent Observations, Summer Concert, Graduation Ceremony, and meeting our end-of-year academic goals, we find this is our fastest semester of all!

By now, we are hoping you have heard about the re-introduction of our Food Prep activities. The students are very excited to peel clementines, slice apples, squeeze juice, make tea, pit cherries & olives, make butter, and assist with baking as we prepare to move back into Food Prep full force for the 2022/2023 school year. We are always looking for new small batch recipes, so if you have any favourites from home that you’d like to pass on, please do!

As you all know, our Montessori program aims to “follow the child,” meaning that we have gotten to know the students, we have observed them, and we are able to set individual academic goals for each child to reach before our school year ends. The three-year commitment to our Casa programme means we have time to reach new concepts as each child becomes ready, and allows us to work at a pace that’s attainable & unique for that student.

With these individual academic goals in mind, we can share that collectively our 1st years are continuing to work with Sound Games (hearing phonetic sounds in words) and number symbols to 10 daily, and are refining their fine motor, gross motor, and control & coordination of movement through their Practical Life work. Many of our 2nd years are working with Teen Numbers (11-19) and beginning Ten Boards (10, 20, 30, etc.). They are also continuing Sandpaper Letters and Chalkboard work to help them cement the phonetic sounds they know with their matching letter symbol; in many cases, our 2nd years are working with or observing Moveable Alphabet and Phonetic Cards (as introductions to reading and writing). Our almost-graduates (3rd years) are reading, focusing on Functions of Words activities (the parts of speech), and working hard to gain a variety of exposure to the math operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, short & long division) before leaving the Casa classroom.

We trust that each & every child will arrive where they need to be exactly as they’re meant to, and we committed to providing the right tools so they can accomplish that.

Looking forward to finishing the year stronger than ever!

Best,

Ms. O’Sullivan

Casa South

Greetings from Casa South.

Is it Spring yet? We’ve noticed very early signs including bird sightings and snowdrops and are eager to see the end of winter …snow pants, mitts, hats and heavy boots.

We are in the preliminary stages of gardening; discussing what we would like to grow, when to begin, and how to take care of young plants. So far there is interest in carrots, daisies, beans, watermelon, tomatoes, and ice cream. Further discussion appears to be warranted. This has led to conversations about seasons, characteristics of each, and how one leads to the next.

Another topic of interest currently is the human body. We added a terrific book all about this with detailed illustrations. It’s generated questions and conversations about bones, organs, the five senses, and blood and muscles. This has led to learning more about vertebrates and invertebrates, similarities and differences between five classes of animals, as well as how parts of our bodies work. Signs of growing awareness abound — overheard in the classroom, “I fell and bumped my skull, hope my brain is okay!”

Of course, not all children show similar levels of interest in these or any other given topic. One of the beauties of an organic curriculum is having the freedom to go deeper into subjects that interest both children and adults and to go around those that do not. There is always something that catches the attention of every child. When this occurs, we use materials to support it to enable children to work at a level that challenges them in ways that build their knowledge and skills, whatever their age.

Here’s hoping for a faster transition to Spring! 😉

Ms. Robinson.

Elementary

Spring has sprung! The Elementary students were thrilled to return to campus after the March Break and eager to use our outdoor classroom space as we anticipate the return of warm weather. We have been preparing our garden beds for planting season, and are planning our vegetable garden. Our younger students have been busy setting up experiments to explore the fundamental needs of plants, as well as the functions of roots, stems, and leaves. Upper level students are learning to classify plants by phylum and class using the Tree of Life material. We look forward to more work in botany throughout the term!

Wishing you a wonderful weekend ahead,

Michelle and Marissa

Photo Gallery

Happy March Break Lyonsgate Community,

We’re wishing you all fun times, restful times, and healthy times over the next two weeks. The first day of the spring term is Monday, March 28.

We have a few items for you this week as well as a larger than usual gallery of photos from the Primary campus.

COVID-19 Updates

As you all know, most COVID-19 restrictions in Ontario are being lifted as of March 21. This means there will be some changes when we return from March Break. While we know some details there may be other changes to come as Hamilton Public Health assesses the new guidelines. Here’s what we know so far:

• International Travel: Unvaccinated or partially vaccinated children 11 years of age and under are no longer required to stay home from school for 14 days if they travelled with fully vaccinated adults. Masking is still required upon return — from the Ministry of Education on March 9: “under current federal travel requirements, upon return from international travel, individuals must, wear a mask at all times when in public spaces (including schools and child care), maintain a list of all close contacts for your first 14 days in Canada, and monitor yourself for signs and symptoms of COVID-19.”

• Isolation Requirements: If staff or students have a positive COVID test result or COVID symptoms, the isolation requirements currently in place remain the same. We have replaced the “Sick Child at Home/School” decision charts from Hamilton Public Health with updated guidance provided by the Ministry of Education this week. Please find “COVID Symptom Flow Chart” and “COVID Isolation Period Table” on the Home page under the Parents tab at lyonsgate.ca.

Those charts are taken from the updated guidance document released this week. We have also extracted the relevant pages from that document to create a reference guide for Lyonsgate families that covers masking after isolation, clearance from symptom isolation using rapid tests, household members, and close contacts (definitions of and requirements). Please click here to view the 8-page reference document.

• Household Isolation Exemptions: There are new exemptions to isolation requirements for household members when there is a positive COVID test result or an individual with COVID symptoms. The following are not required to isolate, but are required to wear a mask in public settings for 10 days [NOTE: Children under 5 who are asymptomatic household contacts are required to stay home for 5 days.]:

• • Household members who are 18 years of age and older and have already received their booster dose are not required to self-isolate.
  • Household members who are under 18 years of age and are considered fully vaccinated are not required to self-isolate.
  • Household members who have previously tested positive for COVID-19 in the last 90 days (based on positive rapid antigen test or molecular test results), are not required to self-isolate and can attend high-risk settings, as long as they are currently asymptomatic.

• Masks: At present, according to provincial guidelines, masks will not be required for staff or students when we return from March Break. As you have probably seen in the news, this is causing some controversy which leaves us in a difficult position while we endeavour to do what is best for the students, and the community as a whole. While we understand and agree with the need to move on and start living, and schooling, in a more normal fashion, we would also like to take into consideration the concerns of health specialists regarding mask mandates being removed this early. Therefore, we will continue to implement the mask policy for at least two weeks following March Break, leaving mask requirements in place until at least April 8. This will give us time to re-visit the masking policy upon our return. We understand that any decision made in this regard will leave some families unhappy. We ask that you kindly respect the decision making of the school at this time, and are respectful of the feelings and opinions of those that may differ from your own. Ultimately, our goal is to have a happy, and healthy community.

Masking will remain a provincially mandated requirement when:

• • You return from international travel (see above).
  • You complete an isolation period: “If your isolation period is 5 days, from days 6 to 10 after developing symptoms …continue to wear a well-fitted mask in all public settings.”

• Screening: Screening by staff and students will still be required each day. However, it will no longer need to be validated. The screening forms on the Home page at lyonsgate.ca have been replaced with a link to the provincial school screening tool. Please use this screening tool every day before arriving to school. You can also use the screening tool to find the most up to date requirements for different circumstances (symptoms, travel, close contact, etc.).

• Cohorting: Cohorts will no longer be required. This means that students from the different Montessori environments can intermingle and work together. We will review how this change may impact the Primary (Casa & Toddler) campus and let you know of any changes we may implement after the March Break.

• Rapid Tests: Each student at both the Primary and Elementary campuses has been provided a kit of two rapid tests. If you happen to need to use them over the  break, please click here for an instruction letter from the Ministry of Health. Rapid tests can still be used after the March Break to clear staff or students from symptomatic isolation (two negative rapid tests at least 24 hours apart and symptoms improving for 24 hours, or 48 hours for nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea).

• Still in Effect: The following COVID mitigation measures will remain in place:
  • Ventilation: HEPA air filter units and open windows with fans.
  • Hand hygiene, respiratory etiquette, and enhanced cleaning and disinfection.
  • Absence reporting: schools and child care are still required to report absence rates of 35% to Hamilton Public Health.

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  Montessori Neuroscience

  An article was shared amongst the Montessori community this week describing the results of some recent research into learning and development: “The researchers were particularly interested in determining the long-term effects of Montessori versus traditional education.”

  Click here to read the article, which contains a link to the study, “Education shapes the structure of semantic memory and impacts creative thinking.”

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  Children’s Vaccine Information from Health Canada

  Hamilton Public Health has shared more resources to share with families about COVID-19 vaccinations for children.

  Health Canada Ask the Expert videos: medical experts answer common questions about COVID-19 vaccines for children 5 to 11 years old. (These are short 1-2 minute videos).

  o What are the benefits of vaccinating my child against COVID-19?

  o How are children’s COVID-19 vaccines monitored for safety and side effects?

  o My child is big for their age or turns 12 soon. Should they wait to receive the dose for ages 12 and up?

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  Photos from the Past Week at Lyonsgate

Good Afternoon Lyonsgate Families,

We are heading into the end of the winter term and March Break is coming up. Lyonsgate will be closed March 14 to March 25. The first day of the spring term is Monday, March 28.

This week, your children’s Montessori guides have some term wrap-up messages for you.

Next week, we will outline any changes to COVID-19 protocols that may be in place following the March Break. We are expecting some changes, and this week we received notice from the provincial Ministry of Education that the requirement for children to remain absent from school for 14 days after international travel is no longer in effect (screening forms have been updated accordingly):

Starting February 28, 2022: If you qualify as a fully vaccinated traveller, your unvaccinated or partially vaccinated children will be exempt from quarantine, without any limitations on their activities. This means, for example, they no longer need to wait 14 days before attending school, camp or daycare.

Some federal rules for children entering Canada may be different from the provincial or territorial rules. In this case, you must follow the stricter rules. [https://travel.gc.ca/travel-covid/travel-restrictions/covid-vaccinated-travellers-entering-canada#children].

Last week, we sent a notice about the City of Hamilton and McMaster Children’s Hospital’s Vaccine Information Session. A recording of that session is now available (it will also air a few times on Cable 14):

Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Book Titles

A parent reached out this week asking for the titles of the equity, diversity, and inclusion books that were provided to Lyonsgate by ASCY so they could purchase some for home. ASCY graciously provided us with the full list of book titles and authors, and you can access the list here if you are also interested.

Toddler

As we approach the end of the winter term I am pleased to report that our class is finally full with 15 toddlers. I want to thank all of the toddlers that have been with us from the beginning of the year for the warm welcome that was given to our two new students earlier this winter. Our two new girls are adjusting well and finding their place in our community.

This week, I added a few new activities to answer the growing needs of our capable toddlers. I am always delighted at how quickly and enthusiastically new work is received in the classroom. There has been a great interest in helping with care of the classroom environment, and we often have a lineup of helpers offering their services!

Reminders: Consult the weather report — as we transition out of winter and into spring there can be great fluctuations in temperature. Please send the appropriate outdoor gear. Rain boots and splash pants will be a useful investment very soon.

For those who might be travelling over the March break, I am including a link to an article by Janet Lansbury with some important tips for travelling with babies and toddlers. — Ms. Gervais

Casa North

The second semester has come and gone. As we finish recording the children’s height for March (as we do each month), our Casa North team cannot believe how both time and the students have GROWN.

As restrictions begin to ease (hopefully), we have started to slowly reintroducing food activities into our classroom (we loved making popcorn earlier this week).

We are seeing a huge surge of interest in letter sounds from our students. Our 1st & 2nd years are working daily with Sound Game Bingo, Sandpaper Letters, and are beginning to write the letter symbols they know on the Blank Chalkboard. Our 2nd & 3rd years are writing absolutely everything — making lists, writing books, and labelling the entire environment (farm animals included!).

We are also observing a huge preoccupation with age at the moment — Who is the oldest? Who is the youngest? Birthday celebrations have been a huge treat, and the student are beginning to understand that one full trip around the sun is the same as one year or twelve whole months.

Some funny conversations regarding age that were heard this week were Mr. Philips visiting our classroom, asking a 1st year how old she was:

“I’m 4”

“Did you just turn 4?”

“No, I’ve been 4 for a while”

“Oh, and when do you turn 5?”

“After 4”

We also had a 3rd year share that it was her aunt’s birthday on the same day as a student who was turning 6:

“It’s my aunt’s birthday too, but she’s much, much, MUCH older!”

“Oh, how old is your aunt turning?”

“33!”

Please continue to send in feedback regarding the Parent Education evening. We would love to know what time suits you, and what topics we should do next!

Best,

Ms. O’Sullivan

Casa South

Greetings from Casa South

Time seems to be picking up speed with March Break just around the corner. The children continue to grow physically, socially, and intellectually. Recently, we have been reminded of all the physical growth as our group gatherings require more space compared to the beginning of the school year. We take up more room these days!

Our rock collection has grown this week with the introduction of pairs of polished and unpolished rocks to match and identify. The polished stones are especially lovely to hold in one’s hand when compared to their rougher partner. They appeal to many, and have such interesting names including carnelian, sodalite, rose quartz, malachite, and tiger’s eye. We use our rock and mineral book to identify them and learn more about where they come from. If you have anything to add to our collection or information to share, please let us know.

Children are sharing increasingly about their lives outside of school. One child informed me that it was her dad’s birthday. When I asked how old he was, the reply was “101.” Looking good dad!

Thank you very much for your patience with us as we attempt to keep track of mittens, socks, hats, etcetera. Our cloakroom is a busy place during transition times with assorted belongings ending up hidden in corners and under backpacks. Labeled items are much easier to sort out.

Enjoy the weekend 😊

Ms. Robinson

Elementary

This week, the Elementary students turned their attention to the celebration of Mardi Gras! Rooted in pagan celebrations of spring, Mardi Gras is a time of merriment and indulgence for Christians about to enter the season of Lent. The students loved learning about the sweets, treats, and street food enjoyed before the forty days of fasting. Some of our youngest students were thrilled to have a demonstration of the chemical reactions that take place when making pancakes and, ultimately, eating their work! Everyone investigated the music, costumes, and Carnival parades of countries such as Trinidad and Tobago, with steel pan music welcoming them each morning. French lessons this week focused on the Venetian masquerade and everyone’s favourite part — creating their own masks!

Wishing you a wonderful weekend,

Marissa and Michelle

Photos

Hello Lyonsgate Families,

Well, another bit of a surprise snow day today. Hopefully that is the last one for this school year. This week, your Casa and Toddler children’s French language assistants are speaking to how they use Montessori materials in their French instruction.

The Elementary students were finally able to embark on their first field trip in quite a while. Please see the Elementary section below for an explanation of the importance of learning beyond the classroom for the Elementary-aged student.

Toddler

Hello families!

In our Toddler community we have such a beautiful array of materials and activities which makes our classroom so exciting (especially when you get to really watch the children work!).

On our shelves we have many activities that can easily be shown in French, for example, we have colour sorting (yellow, red, and blue), we have an activity where I present to a child the difference between hot and cold (froid et chaud), we learn the difference between wet and dry (a lot of water works these days😊), and the basics of big and small — activities that help Toddler students’ development, and that prepare them for activities and materials in Casa.

I like to make sure I give clear instructions since I am speaking another language, so keeping the activities concise helps keep their engagement with what we are working on, and we never forget to HAVE FUN and keep it light!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Mme. Craigie

Casa North

Bonjour la famille Casa North!

This time I will talk a bit about the use of Montessori materials in French.

French is integrated into the work cycle. It is both a separate subject and something the students are exposed to daily and feel secure and confident about.

I use Montessori materials such as Colour Boxes, Classified Cards, Sandpaper Numerals, Number Rods, Numbers & Counters, surveys, and many more, and use the Montessori 3-period lesson that the Casa students are comfortable and familiar with.

I also use materials that I have created that are only French materials, such as a Phonetic Object Box, Phonetic Cards, Phonograms, “Ou est?” classroom labels, and fruit/vegetable basket, pizza, and lunch box identifiers and vocabulary builders.

We are a team in Casa North. When a student has mastered a lesson in English, we communicate to ensure they are also given the presentation in French.

Merci!

Mme Murati

Casa South

Bonjour! Salut tout le monde!
Comment ça va?

I am so grateful for the bright and welcoming environment our classroom offers! It is a rich environment filled with diverse, educational, and engaging materials. As their French teacher, I appreciate the opportunity to use them for my presentations. A favourite for our group is Colour Box 2. During this activity, I say the colour. The child repeats it. I then ask, “Fait le tour de la classe et trouve-moi 3 choses bleues, rouges, oranges…”

Another class favourite is “gros, moyen, petit”. It is a lesson where I present 3 similar items of different sizes to the students and they have to sort them into their corresponding sizes (gros, moyen et petit).

I like to switch up the materials to make it more exciting and to enrich their vocabulary.

Bonne semaine!

Mme Renée Perazzo

Elementary

It’s been a joyful week on the Elementary campus with lots of anticipation for our field trip to Beyond Van Gogh! We explored his ¾ portrait style this week and students continued with a variety of still life and landscapes. Opportunities to explore beyond the classroom are essential to the elementary child. They need to experience the world with their peers separately from their parents. The sense of wonder and curiosity are shared from a child’s perspective, instead of being imparted from the adult’s point-of-view. For many of our younger students, it was their first time riding a big yellow school-bus, with the excitement of no booster seats, big bumps, and sitting beside a special friend. For older students, the experience was one of greater freedom and independence in a public space. These outings enable them to discover their capabilities, share their knowledge with each other, and allow their self-esteem to blossom!

Everyone’s favourite part of the exhibit was the immersive room. The students were amazed by familiar paintings projected as moving works of art surrounding us. We were amazed by their passion for van Gogh and their joy in time spent together.

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend,

Marissa and Michelle

Photos

Happy Family Day Long Weekend Everyone,

Remember, tomorrow (Friday, Feb. 18) is a PD day and Monday is the Family Day holiday.

This week, we sought out some great stories and moments from your children’s teachers. Enjoy!

(Here’s one from today: lunch was a quiche-type entree and one student said, “It looks like pie.”

“You’re right it does. Do you like pie?”

“Yes.”

“What’s your favourite type of pie?”

“Cake pie, with candy on top.”)

Toddler

In the toddler community, Grace and Courtesy is continuously on display. The children look out for one another, ask about their classmates when they are absent, and genuinely enjoy spending time with one another. One thing that I find particularly special is how much they enjoy helping each other (and the teachers) during mealtime. Snack and lunch are exciting times in our classroom and the children really light up at any opportunity to assist. Whether it is handing out plates or bowls, or distributing water to their friends, it is a task done with pride and consideration. After our meal is finished, some of the children love to accompany their teachers in sweeping the floor and wiping down the table, while others love to deliver our lunch cart and dishes to the kitchen. As you can imagine, toddler lunch can be a messy affair, so there is always plenty of work to be done!

One student also likes to help me when we are getting ready to go outside for recess or at the end of the day. When it is time to put boots on, he always brings me my boots before putting on his own. Very cute and very much appreciated. — Mr. Davis

Ms. Covic made banana bread for each class today and a student asked her if she had made it for them. She said yes and he both said “Thank you,” and signed it to her as well.

Casa North

We know from Albert Einstein that “play is the highest form of research,” which aligns very much with the pedagogy and sensorial exposure we aim to provide in the Casa classroom. Our students are playful, purposeful, and explorative every day at school — we work hard to prepare an environment that is safe and inspiring so their thoughts and ideas can be valued and made reality.

Because we encourage such exploration in our classrooms, it’s hard to name the amount of funny quips and conversations we hear in a week — it’s a lot!

That said, I am reminded of this past week when, after our daily small group lesson with the farm animals (learning the male, female, and baby names of each farm family), a student (with the most serious face) told me, “You know, I haven’t really told you before, but I can speak bird, you know.” Matching the same seriousness back (of course), I asked if she’d like to share it with me, to which she said, “Well it’s sort of easier when they speak to me first, and there’s no birds in the classroom!”

Also, over the past month, we have had consistent declarations from two of our students claiming they want to be artists when they grow up. We have presented Art Cards, and added additional Modern Art examples and books to the classroom to support their interest. This past week, one of these students took out Colour Box 3 — a box of many colour tablets, 8 per colour family, to be graded from lightest to darkest — but upon finishing, his work got bumped by another student and mixed up. I watched as his purposeful work was ruined, and waited for an upset response, but sure enough, he ran to the Art Cards on the shelf, shuffled through them quickly, as I watched on. He returned with a photo of Bridget Riley’s “Nataraja” and started maneuvering and skewing his bumped colour tablets more to match the famous masterpiece. He found art in his ruined effort — what a fabulous moment! — Ms. O’Sullivan.

Casa South

While a child was holding a dropper for colour mixing he excitedly said, “I suck it up, it disappears, it’s magical!”

His expression & joy was awesome! — Mme Perazo

Elementary

History in the early years is currently focused on ancient Egypt! The students have been excited to learn about the geography of ancient Egypt and the Nile River. We have begun exploring Egyptian mythology, hieroglyphics, and monuments. To help us understand the daily lives of the ancient Egyptian people, the students participated in a role-play of Egyptian society. The youngest members of the our class have been hard at work on a variety of activities, from writing poems about our hands to creating a diorama of ocean creatures. Upper level students have continued with their work of essay-writing and body system research, and were very excited to dive into the world of integers with adding negative and positive numbers. — Marissa & Michelle.

Photos

Hello Lyonsgate Families,

This week, your children’s Casa and Toddler Montessori guides have information for you about the Culture areas of the classrooms and their relation to holidays and celebrations. Valentine’s Day is Monday and we’d like to remind everyone that if your child wants to give out Valentine’s cards at school we ask that you have one, homemade card for each child in the class and that they do not have names on them (only your child’s name). Please do not send candy or other treats to school. Thank you.

Speaking of culture, ASCY (Affiliated Services for Children and Youth — a Hamilton organization that works with the early years sector) has provided us with a great variety of books for your children’s classrooms that will help to increase introductions to and engagement with a diversity of cultures and cultural practices. There is also a book for each child to take home, along with information about literacy resources. This is part of Hamilton’s Early Years commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion.

Next week, each Primary (Casa and Toddler) family will receive a package that includes the children’s book, two rapid tests per child to be used for symptomatic testing, and 3-ply cloth mask for Casa children provided by the Ministry of Education.

We also learned this week that we will be receiving rapid test kits for Elementary students. They will be distributed as soon as we receive them.

Please see the linked letter that explains the rapid test program for symptomatic students: Rapid Test Letter to School Community

We’re back to including a photo gallery of the week at Lyonsgate, so be sure to read to the end.

Toddler

Culture and Holiday celebrations:

In the toddler community, young children have an opportunity to discover themselves and develop a sense of who they are outside of their immediate family. As they begin to make friends and develop a sense of responsibility for themselves and their environment a deeper sense of belonging grows. Dr. Maria Montessori considered herself a citizen of not one country or place but a citizen of the world. This was a fundamental idea that fueled her education for peace. Toddlers are adaptable and full of wonder. At this stage of development it is beneficial to expose them to many sensual experiences, music, language, flavours from all corners of the world, knowledge of the creatures and the plant life of the earth, and an understanding of how to live peacefully with others.

Happy Valentines Day and Happy Family Day. We will be celebrating Love in the toddler classroom this week and every week. Love for ourselves, love for each other, and love for our small community. This will surely translate into something larger as our ambassadors of the future make their way out into the world.

Reminder: Parent Education: Learning through the Senses. 4:00 p.m., Thursday, February 17. — Ms. Gervais

Casa North

Although we have a specific Culture area in our Casa classrooms, it is important to know that every activity in Montessori is an extension of culture. Every material is designed to propel your child toward becoming a member of their community and the world — socially conscious, gracious, and a knowledgeable member of society. Something as simple as Pouring has roots in Culture through Grace and Courtesy (offering a drink to someone), which helps each child connect with others by bringing value and kindness.

That said, our specific Culture shelves in the classroom are filled with materials and objects that connect to the natural world. We have an array of materials to introduce political and physical geography. Additionally, we include cultural celebrations, customs, songs, and foods (less of that this year, unfortunately) that help to expose the earth as our primary home and as a responsibility for all of us.

Some of our current favourites from the Culture shelf are the Geography Folders (photographs of children, traditions, animals, and food from each continent), Puzzle Maps, “Parts of” Jigsaws, and Yoga. We have been excitedly exploring percussion music with our African Kalimba; we read and painted Carole Lindstrom’s “We Are Water Protectors” (an Indigenous picture book); we enjoy singing “Little Bird on our Window” (an Irish lullaby), “Walking through the Jungle” (a call-and-response song from Great Britain), “Pirouette Cacahuète” (a French song), “Hello to All the Children of the World” (singing “hello” in various languages), and other songs from various countries. We also love using the Painted Globe during our special Birthday Celebrations.

Because Culture is so richly ingrained in our classrooms, we ask you, this upcoming Valentine’s Day, to please refrain from bringing Valentine’s cards to be shared out, as we want to be environmentally cautious and purposeful in our showing of love and kindness to one another. We will undoubtedly celebrate, but in our own Montessori way. Thank you for your understanding.

Looking forward to seeing you all (virtually) next Thursday evening for our Parent Education on our Language Program (and the changes we have observed this year).

Best,

Ms. O’Sullivan

Casa South

Greetings from Casa South.

February 14th has long been a day to let those we care about know how much we love them. Increasingly, as this custom is practiced more places around the world, our children are happy to share what they do at home. While we will discuss the ways people celebrate this day, we will continue to talk about what love feels like throughout this month and beyond. How do we give and accept it from our family and friends? We’ve been asking children how they know when someone loves them. A five-year-old responded, “When they take care of you when you’re sad.” A three-year old said, “When they make you pancakes.” A four-year old stated, in a matter-of-fact tone, “When they say it.” All are good answers, don’t you agree?

This day also helps us focus on specific ways to take care of each other and how it feels to be kind and caring. This can be anything from bringing a tissue to someone who is sad, to assisting with zippers, to helping friends solve a problem.

We’ve introduced card-making this week; be on the look out for them in your child’s folder. On that note, we request that children do not bring cards, treats, etcetera, to school next Monday. They tend to cause more stress than joy. Thank you for your support with this.

From our class to your home, have a lovely Valentine’s Day! — Ms. Robinson

Elementary

The Elementary students focused on developing their technical and expressive writing skills this week with a variety of tools, materials, and goals. Many of our students have welcomed the use of a pencil grip to improve their control in forming letters and line drawings and reduce fatigue. Others analysed simple sentences with the circle and arrow material, identifying subjects, the predicate, objects, and modifiers. The patterns discovered through this work are then used as models for composing their own sentences. Upper level students expanded their work on different types of paragraphs and are learning how to construct an essay about the life and art of Vincent Van Gogh.

Wishing you all a lovely weekend ahead,

Marissa and Michelle

Photos