Good Afternoon Lyonsgate Families,
In this week’s update:
- Casa and Elementary graduation photos for graduating third-year Casa students and sixth-year Elementary students take place tomorrow, Wednesday, April 23, in the morning.
- Toddlers are talking bugs.
- Casa students are ready to show what they know.
- Elementary students are out in and a part of their community.
Please click the links below for updates from your children’s levels and for recent photos at Lyonsgate:
Hello Toddler Families,
This week, the Toddlers have been working extremely hard in the language section of the classroom. They are enjoying independent and co-reading with peers. A group of children have been gathering to look through the cook books, which engages peer talk by talking about different foods the children like as well as learning what types of food family members enjoy. It also allows children to learn more about their peers in terms of similarity and differences. In our language section, we have some spring season bugs for outdoors: a fly, a butterfly, and grasshopper, while they are learning about some bugs that can be found indoors as well. The children are taking from their language and applying to it outdoor play. During outdoor play they are going on ant hunts or playing “I spy” for butterflies and flying insects.
Just a friendly reminder please label all your children’s clothes, and to please send hats and mitts still as we are never sure how the weather is going to be for our outdoor play.
Hope you all had a lovely long weekend!
Ms. Kubiak.
Click to view and/or sign up for Toddler flower contributions
The third and final term of the school year is always a joyful one, both because the weather is nice, and because your Montessori students really begin to show us how far they have come over the school year so far, and how ready they are for their next big step, whether they are moving on to the world of Elementary, stepping into the role of classroom leader as a senior Casa student, or reveling in the confidence they have worked so hard to build as first-year Casa students in the classroom, the school, on the playground, and with the stable of Montessori materials they now have available to work with.
The warm weather and general spring fever bring an energy to the classroom that Montessori students can harness to complete some big work. Some may take on the challenge of new materials and presentations, finding that their experience and knowledge enables them to progress and master materials at a greater pace; others may find success in areas they have found challenging as their confidence and skills (and neural networks) grow. Some may simply enjoy the freedom a few inches of growth and improved motor skills bring.
We hope you are starting to see your children’s growth and progress at home, too (although we know children often treat the school and home environments differently), and are ready for more independent little family members over the next few months.
Click to book a parent observation in: Casa North | Casa South
Click to view and/or sign up for flower contributions in: Casa North | Casa South
We hope everyone enjoyed a lovely long weekend and what finally feels like spring! Last week, the children were eager to create 3-D spring rabbit crafts by combining a variety of art skills, including painting, stamping, cut-and-paste, crocheting soft bunny ears or trim, and even knitting tiny sweaters. During their day of Ultimate Frisbee, the older students enjoyed learning basic forehand and backhand throws, playing a series of games, and making friends with students from Dundas Valley and Waterdown Montessori schools. Back on campus, the younger students had a lot of fun with musical rhythm games, learning to “pass the beat” around a circle of friends. This week, we will be celebrating Earth Day and getting to work in our garden. We hope you have the chance to do the same!
Warmly,
Marissa and Michelle.
Wednesday, April 23: Graduate Photo Day
Our sixth-year students will soon be graduating from the Elementary program! On Wednesday morning, the graduating students will be accompanied by a staff member to walk to the Primary campus and have their graduation photos taken by Lifetouch Photography. Students are welcome to dress up for their photos or be captured in their everyday comfort clothes. The group will be leaving promptly at 8:45, and returning to the Elementary campus before the Upper Elementary cohort departs for their outing to McMaster University.
Wednesday, April 23: Upper Elementary Outing – LIVELab at McMaster University
The Upper Elementary students will be visiting the LIVELab at McMaster University, a research-based performance theatre with acoustic controls to replicate different types of venues, as well as technology to measure the neurological activity and physical responses of performers. Students in Years 4–6 should come prepared with their red Lyonsgate t-shirt, and Presto card or bus fare.
Friday, April 25: O.W.L. Workshop # 7: Reproduction and Staying Healthy, Part 2
Students in Years 4–6 are reminded to complete any remaining readings listed at the bottom of Home Link #6 before the conclusion of Workshop 7. Following this week’s workshop, students are asked to follow-up with Home Link #7, reviewing vocabulary definitions and completing the required readings in advance of Workshop #8: Decisions and Actions.
Monday, April 28: Food Drive Collection Bag Delivery
Each spring, the Kirkendall Neighbourhood Association organizes the “Fill a Bus, Feed a Family” event, coordinating the collection of thousands of pounds of pantry donations — enough to fill a city bus! — for Mission Services of Hamilton. The Elementary students contribute to this community event with their boundless energy and desire to help others by adopting neighbourhood routes for the delivery of food collection bags to people’s front doors. To donate to the food drive, people can simply place their donations in the bag provided and leave it outside their home for pick-up by other volunteers on Saturday, May 3. Students that live outside the Kirkendall area who still wish to donate may bring peanut-free pantry items to the school, or donations can be made online to Mission Services.
All Elementary students should wear their red Lyonsgate t-shirts to go out with their team to deliver the food collection bags nearby.
Monday, April 28: Student Vote
Over the next week, we’ll continue learning about governance, citizenship, and our electoral process, and participate in the Student Vote version of the Federal election. All elementary students are eligible to vote, and some will also take turns to run our class election site, acting as poll clerks, scrutineers, or deputy returning officers.
