Hello Lyonsgate Families,
Primary Show & Share is This Week: From May 1-4, parents of Casa and Toddler students have the opportunity to participate in Show & Share in your child’s classroom. Show & Share is an opportunity for Montessori students to invite their parents into the classrooms to show you some of the materials they work with. Please click here to select the day of your Show & Share visit.
Hello Toddler Community,
We have some exciting news to share with you; we are going to grow and release some butterflies in the next few weeks and we are so looking forward to sharing this experience with the children. Each day, we will be able to watch them as they make their transformation right before our curious eyes which will make more great conversations.
We encourage all of you to take some time to talk about how important it is to take care of the natural world around us and how sometimes its best to leave nature in nature when you and your child are out and about on walks and to take care of the plants and animals around us, perhaps you can partake in a neighborhood clean up or take your child to a community garden and write down all the different life forms you can spot.
All the best,
Mme Craigie.
May we raise children who love the unloved things — the dandelion, the worms & spiderlings. Children who sense the rose needs the thorn.
And who run into rainswept days the same way they turn towards sun.
And when they’re grown & someone has to speak for those who have no voice, may they draw upon that wilder bond, those days of tending tender things…
…and be the ones.
(Nicolette Sowder)
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In Montessori, we are constantly modelling the care and appreciation of all things, big and small. We are providing for the child a look at our version of happiness, by taking genuine interest in all the little details of daily life & the world that surrounds us. We encourage the idea of stopping to smell the roses — and more over, we want to question, explore, empathize, and take the time to consider the rose, as best we can.
As parents, when you demonstrate joy, you promote your child’s well being. When they observe you in states of concentration, fascination, and awe, they believe they can have that, too! When you offer yourself in front of them as a pure being, content to exist as you are — and happy to be yourself — they learn how to access their own joy.
At Lyonsgate, it also begins with the child watching us, and trusting that we have something they want for themselves. Our staff bring their authentic selves, their interests, and their joy to work each day to share with your children. Along with the support of the environment, materials, and open work cycle, your children are observing & experiencing everything that they need to unlock joy, passion, curiosity, confidence, and engagement each day that they spend in our Casa & Toddler classrooms.
Best,
Ms. O’Sullivan
The third term of school is often a wonderful time in the classroom as students demonstrate the growth they have achieved through the year and are eager to put into practice their new skills. The elementary years are when children develop their moral compass, their sense of justice, and the self-discipline to care not only for themselves but others in their community as well. Last week, the students were excited to prepare grace and courtesy skits about how to manage the daily conflicts of childhood, such as a fair-weather friend or establishing the rules of a game. The children worked in small groups with a given scenario to present a problem and how it could be solved without adult assistance. Their skits hit the right note of advice and humour, and were a delightful end to the school week.
Other activities during the week included botany explorations into the parts of flowers, the location of plant ovaries, and different types of fruit. The children were excited to investigate the inside of a tomato, bell pepper, honeydew melon, pineapple, and even broke into a coconut! They enjoyed sampling the different fruits and discussing how the different types of seeds use different migration strategies to new planting grounds.
We look forward to working more in our outdoor garden as the spring days warm up. Wishing you all a great week ahead,
Marissa and Michelle.
Elementary Summer Camp
Camp registration is open for this coming July and we encourage interested families to sign up soon. While each week of camp has a specific theme with different activities for campers attending both sessions, both sessions include a variety of classic camp activities, waterplay, and can be adapted to the interests of the campers. Please click here to register for summer camp! Payment can be made to accounts@lyonsgate.ca
- Week 1: July 10- 14 Art Explorers: Draw, Sculpt, Shoot!
Work with a variety of mediums, photography and video equipment to create a short movie. Clay, papier mache, and underwater filming are just a few things we have planned for this week!
- Week 2: July 17 – 21 Around the World: Exploring the Seven Continents
Gather stamps in your Montessori passport each day as we explore the seven continents. Learn how the Maori of Oceania dance the haka and cook over a hot rock pit, play outdoor games from Bangladesh and India, and try art techniques from Ghana, Nigeria, and Tanzania.
