Hello Lyonsgate Families,
Casa & Toddler families: Show & Share is next week. If you haven’t selected a day to visit yet please click here to do so.
Elementary families: Open Classroom is next Monday, Nov. 21. Parents are welcome to visit the classroom after school to view the students’ work and mingle with the classroom community. The classroom will be open to guests from 3:30 p.m.-4:15 p.m.
Details for both events can be found on your Lyonsgate calendar.
Parent-Teacher Conferences will take place on Friday, Dec. 2. There is no school that day. Child care is available during your conference. Look for an email entitled “Parent-Teacher Conference Sign-up Link” to select your conference time-slot.
A New Tank for Oscar
This week in the Toddler classroom, Oscar the fish received a new fish tank. It is a little bit larger and a little bit brighter so hopefully the children might be able to watch Oscar swim up to the surface to eat the tiny specks of food that the children put in for him.
We have been noticing so much excellent work happening in the classroom lately. It seems that all of the hard work of adapting and receiving lessons on various jobs has begun to really take root. We have noticed a lengthening of focus on activities as well, which makes for a happy classroom because, “A child who concentrates is immensely happy,” according to Maria Montessori. Those good feelings of peace and happiness tend to proliferate and we all find the experience of school very pleasurable.
Another thing we have noticed lately is the need for children to take care of each other. They have really begun to notice one another. Someone might bring another child their shoes or try to cover someone up with a blanket or try to wipe away another child’s tears after a tumble. It is quite sweet to see such kind-hearted children driven by a desire to nurture and care for one another.
We are looking forward to inviting all of you into the classroom for a Show and Share.
Ms. Gervais, Mme Craigie, and Mr. Davis.
Hello Casa North Families,
Reading John McCrae’s “In Flanders Fields” for Remembrance Day last week was a great reminder to share some of our favourite poems with you!
We use a variety of language in our classroom. We read picture books, wordless pictures books, tell stories aloud, sing, and use poetry often. Poems can rhyme, have rhythm, or be abstract in whatever way. We like poems with descriptive language & lots of adjectives to soak up! Any exposure to language is beneficial to the child!
Some of our favourite poems include:
- “My Puppy Makes Pizza” by Kenn Nesbitt
- “Tree House” by Shel Silverstein
- “Halfway Down” by A.A. Milne
- “Mice” by Rose Fyleman
- “The Perfect Cup of Cocoa” by Barbara Vance
- “Green Giant” by Jack Prelutsky (we often recite this as a visual poem. We take out paper, draw as each line is said, and compare our pictures afterwards).
Ask your child about these poems — we are curious to hear their favourites, or know which words they have memorized/pick-up during our readings together.
Please sign up for Show & Share, as well as a Flower Arranging date, if desired.
Best,
Ms. O’Sullivan, Mme. Murati & Ms. Canessa
Greetings from Casa South,
What are the benefits of mixed-age groups in a classroom? This an often-asked question.
“The main thing is that the groups should contain different ages, because it has great influence on the cultural development of the child. This is obtained by the relations of the children among themselves,” Maria Montessori.
We know that children learn through:
Observation: Younger children learn by watching older children as well as adults. In a mixed-age classroom, older children who are completing challenging work are an example to the younger children; they show them what is possible.
Practice: In a mixed-age class, children usually stay with the same guide for three years, giving them plenty of time to repeat work, practice skills, and advance at their own pace; they are not rushed.
Teaching: Older children are viewed as role models. They teach by example, and it is not uncommon to see a child giving a presentation to another child. And, in teaching something to a younger child, an older student deepens their own understanding of the lesson. In teaching, we learn.
What Dr. Montessori observed all those years ago is still true today. Children of various ages, working together, will learn from each other, both as students and teachers. Just as siblings learn and work together, collaborate, and solve problems, so do children in a mixed-age environment. Our class is very much a family growing together.
And in case you were wondering, this collaboration resulted in a rescued mitten!
See you at the gate,
Ms. Robinson, Mme. Perrazo and Ms. Dewey.
During our trip to the Museum of Steam and Technology last week, the Elementary students were thrilled to visit the huge steam pump mechanism and learn about how the City of Hamilton first transported clean water to homes. They enjoyed a water pump demonstration, and were excited by the working models of steam engines. Working in small groups, they engineered bridges from a variety of materials such as foam bricks, cardboard, and plastic lacing. Each bridge was subjected to a variety of challenges, such as a ship passing below, a person or a truck on the deck, and the force of wind provided by a fan.
In preparation for Remembrance Day, the class explored symbols of peace from around the world and worked to create peace wreaths to display outside the school. Whether on campus or at the rock climbing gym, we stopped for a moment of silence to honor all of those who have been affected by war.
This week, we’re excited to continue our work at school. We look forward to sharing more with you during our Open Classroom event next Monday, November 21. Parents are welcome to visit the classroom after school to view the students’ work and mingle with our classroom community. The classroom will be open to guests from 3:30 p.m.-4:15 p.m.
Michelle and Marissa.
