Hello Lyonsgate Families,
A few upcoming dates to note as we head into February:
- Feb. 15: Elementary Parent Education (see Elementary section for details and RSVP)
- Feb. 16: PD Day
- Feb. 19: Family Day statutory holiday
2024.2025 Registration Payment and Signatures
Thank you for your 2024.2025 registration form submissions. If you still need to make your initial payment, please do so as soon as possible. You can find the payment options and dates here: https://lyonsgate.ca/returning-student-sibling-tuition-fees-and-schedule/. If you have any questions, please email Sarah at accounts@lyonsgate.ca.
Signatures: On Thursday, Feb. 1, and Friday, Feb. 2, we will have your registration forms ready for signatures.
- Primary Parents (Casa & Toddler): please come to the glass foyer after dropping off your children to sign the hard copy of your registration form. Thank you.
- Elementary Parents: please come to the front porch before picking up your children at the end of the day to sign the hard copy of your registration form. Thank you.
Beginning next week, we will begin offering available spaces to families on our waitlists.
This past week, we had a delightful but brief encounter with snow. We took full advantage of the moment and worked together to build a snow wall, using containers from the shed. This provided lots of opportunity for heavy lifting and sensory exploration. Small children are all scientists. They conducted experiments with the snow using all of their senses. We admired the snow falling from the sky, the children took off their mittens and handled the snow and many of them tasted the snow which is a sacred rite of passage for children. Eating day old snow was discouraged.
“Good morning! How are you??” Is a familiar greeting at drop off. As educators, this is our first opportunity to gain information about your child, how they are feeling, and how we can help support them during the day. Please let us know if there is anything out of the ordinary or remarkable about your child. Did they sleep well? Rise early? Not eat breakfast? Upset about a lost stuffy?? Excited about a grandparents’ visit? All of these pieces of information and a quick health & wellness check-in give us insight into the care that your child needs to have the best possible day and learning experience.
Ms. Gervais.
“The teacher’s task is not to talk, but to prepare and arrange a series of motives for cultural activity in a special environment made for the child.” — Maria Montessori.
January always seems to be the pivot month for me in Casa. The children return from vacation and seamlessly fall back into the swing of things. They come back with the confidence of knowing the rhythm of the classroom. They come back to the smiles of all their friends who they have built relationships with. They come back to knowing what they know they know.
We as educators are afforded the privilege to look back on how far they have come: dressing independently, working confidently on classroom activities, and playing with friends with care and patience.
Some call January the dark and gloomy month, but in the world of Montessori all our little seeds are beginning the journey to poke their heads up from the soil and show all their radiant colours of knowledge, emotional growth, and independence.
Ms. Canessa.
Although it was a short school week, the students were busy! Several students completed independent projects, including a diorama of an NHL game and a research poster about lacrosse, while others continue investigating black holes, stars, and even pomegranates. Younger students have been exploring the concept and measurement of time in geography and human history. Some were introduced to the BC/AD timeline and learned to represent their ages in years on a graph, while others started building a timeline of human inventions and important events for each century of the common era. Many students also enjoyed an introduction to the cardiovascular system in biology. The Upper Elementary students happily finished off the week with a foggy hike at Princess Point and fun discoveries like turkey tail fungi and improvised fishing lines. Next week, our Classroom Historians Sam and Harrison will bring you the kids’ perspective!
Marissa and Michelle.
Elev8 Dance — Friday, February 2
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 2 for dance class!
O.W.L. Workshop 5 — Friday, February 2
This month’s O.W.L. workshops on gender will be held from 9:00-10:30 a.m. on Friday, February 2, and Friday, February 9. Activities and readings from Home Link #4 will help your child connect with the previous workshop and prepare for the next topic.
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.
