Good Morning Lyonsgate Families,
We have a few updates for you this week, but unfortunately no photo gallery. The illnesses that have been spreading amongst the children the last couple of weeks took down a few staff members last week too.
Casa Open Classroom Observations: Parents of Casa students are invited to contact their child’s classroom guide to arrange a date and time for a 20 minute observation in your child’s Montessori classroom, during the morning work cycle. Please contact your child’s Montessori guide at:
- Ms. Beach in Casa North: casanorth@lyonsgate.ca
- Ms. Robinson in Casa South: casasouth@lyonsgate.ca
Primary Parent Education: Parent Education events for Casa and Toddler families will take place in a couple of weeks:
- Toddler Parent Ed.: will take place on Wednesday, February 21, from 3:00-3:30.
- Casa Parent Ed.: will take place on Thursday, February 22, from 3:45-4:30.
We will have more details next week.
Toddler Show & Share: Show & Share in the Toddler classroom will take place Wednesday, Feb. 28, to Friday, March 1. You will be welcomed into your child’s Montessori environment with up to five other families between 3:30-4:00 to enjoy some of your child’s favourite activities with them. Sign-up will be available later this week.
April PD Day Switch: As you may have seen, the Hamilton Wentworth District School Board, as well as a few other area school boards, have moved an upcoming PD day to Monday, April 8, due to the total solar eclipse. Lyonsgate is following suit and the PD day originally scheduled for April 19 will now be on Monday, April 8. Please click here to view the full release from HWDSB including Hamilton Public Health’s support for the move.
This past week in the Toddler classroom there have been a lot of emotions. When we notice a child that is experiencing some big emotions we offer our support and attempt to figure it out with the child. Working with toddlers requires some detective work because most of them have not developed the self-awareness or the language skills to express their emotions. We are working on that.
The first thing we consider is if there is a biological that needs attending to? Are they uncomfortable physically? Are they hungry or tired or not feeling well? Next we might try to figure out if there is something in their world that might be affecting them emotionally. Is there a new baby at home? Has their routine been altered in some way and they are struggling to recalibrate? Are they trying to navigate the delicate social dynamics of the classroom?
Sometimes the answer is simple. We had a child last week who was simply tired. Trying to get through the day was like trudging through sand so when it came time for nap they were very grateful and they slept more than usual and woke up in a much better mood.
Other times it is more complicated. There might be things happening at home that we don’t know about. Perhaps there are renovations happening or relatives from out of town visiting which has led to some shifts in the normal routine. Anything out of the ordinary can disrupt a child’s regular routine and make them more vulnerable to big emotions.
We acknowledge these emotions and begin to help them name and tame them: “I can see that you are feeling sad right now and you are missing your mother.”
Then we might try to anchor these emotions by reminding them about the familiar routine: “Well, let me tell you what is happening next. We are going to have a snack and then we will go outside and play and very soon it will be home time. You are almost there!”
Or we might help them solve a social problem in the classroom: “I noticed that you were working on that puzzle and someone took some of the pieces away. That is frustrating! I can see that you are feeling frustrated right now. Maybe we can ask them if they can give back the puzzle pieces so that you can finish the puzzle.”
It probably isn’t easy to be a toddler and it will be a while before they will be able to manage and regulate their emotions. The best we can do to help them is to validate where they are at, help them talk about it, and model emotion intelligence in ourselves. We can set the stage for good mental health when we help them express and manage their emotions.
Ms. Gervais.
This Casa update highlights one of our perennial Practical Life activities — silver polishing. “Why bother to polish silver these days?” is a commonly asked question; what is the purpose? It’s a reasonable question; who has time to take care of such high maintenance items? The short answer is, we do!
Why do we do it? There are a few reasons for this work. It invites concentration as children follow a logical a sequence of steps to achieve a goal. It is very satisfying to bring a dull and tarnished surface to a lustrous finish. Also, it brings awareness to the difference between metals, silver and stainless steel for example. Inevitably, the question arises, “Where does tarnish come from?” This opens the door to discussions about the chemical reaction involved — oxidation — new vocabulary, and a little science is added to the activity.
And finally, it brings beauty to our classroom whether it’s a vase for flower arranging, a candelabra, or a shoehorn, etcetera. So if you have any silver at home that could use a polish, Casa children will be happy to put a shine on it.
Ms. Robinson.
from the Classroom Historians
Hi Everybody,
Recently, the upper elementary students went on a hike at Princess Point. Some of the upper elementary started lit circles this term. A few of the fourth year have been practicing long division and flat bead frame. Some of our younger students have been using the story cubes and using their imagination to make a story. Some of the students have been making model of a canyon. Have a great week.
Written by Sam.
Photos by Harrison and Sam
Elev8 Dance — Friday, February 9
The class will be attending P.E. outings at Elev8 Dance on Friday afternoons throughout the month of February. Please help your child remember to wear their red Lyonsgate t-shirt on Friday, February 9, for dance class!
O.W.L. Workshop 5 — Friday, February 9
This second half of this month’s O.W.L. workshop on gender will be held from 9:00-10:30 a.m. on Friday, February 9.
Parent Education Event– Thursday, February 15
Our next parent education event will be taking place after school on Thursday, February 15, from 3:30-4:15. Parents are invited to join Marissa and Michelle to discuss a Montessori approach to supporting children’s mental health and social wellness during the Elementary years.
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, Feb 13.
