Good Afternoon Lyonsgate Families,
We are heading into the end of the winter term and March Break is coming up. Lyonsgate will be closed March 14 to March 25. The first day of the spring term is Monday, March 28.
This week, your children’s Montessori guides have some term wrap-up messages for you.
Next week, we will outline any changes to COVID-19 protocols that may be in place following the March Break. We are expecting some changes, and this week we received notice from the provincial Ministry of Education that the requirement for children to remain absent from school for 14 days after international travel is no longer in effect (screening forms have been updated accordingly):
Starting February 28, 2022: If you qualify as a fully vaccinated traveller, your unvaccinated or partially vaccinated children will be exempt from quarantine, without any limitations on their activities. This means, for example, they no longer need to wait 14 days before attending school, camp or daycare.
Some federal rules for children entering Canada may be different from the provincial or territorial rules. In this case, you must follow the stricter rules. [https://travel.gc.ca/travel-covid/travel-restrictions/covid-vaccinated-travellers-entering-canada#children].
Last week, we sent a notice about the City of Hamilton and McMaster Children’s Hospital’s Vaccine Information Session. A recording of that session is now available (it will also air a few times on Cable 14):
Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Book Titles
A parent reached out this week asking for the titles of the equity, diversity, and inclusion books that were provided to Lyonsgate by ASCY so they could purchase some for home. ASCY graciously provided us with the full list of book titles and authors, and you can access the list here if you are also interested.
Toddler
As we approach the end of the winter term I am pleased to report that our class is finally full with 15 toddlers. I want to thank all of the toddlers that have been with us from the beginning of the year for the warm welcome that was given to our two new students earlier this winter. Our two new girls are adjusting well and finding their place in our community.
This week, I added a few new activities to answer the growing needs of our capable toddlers. I am always delighted at how quickly and enthusiastically new work is received in the classroom. There has been a great interest in helping with care of the classroom environment, and we often have a lineup of helpers offering their services!
Reminders: Consult the weather report — as we transition out of winter and into spring there can be great fluctuations in temperature. Please send the appropriate outdoor gear. Rain boots and splash pants will be a useful investment very soon.
For those who might be travelling over the March break, I am including a link to an article by Janet Lansbury with some important tips for travelling with babies and toddlers. — Ms. Gervais
Casa North
The second semester has come and gone. As we finish recording the children’s height for March (as we do each month), our Casa North team cannot believe how both time and the students have GROWN.
As restrictions begin to ease (hopefully), we have started to slowly reintroducing food activities into our classroom (we loved making popcorn earlier this week).
We are seeing a huge surge of interest in letter sounds from our students. Our 1st & 2nd years are working daily with Sound Game Bingo, Sandpaper Letters, and are beginning to write the letter symbols they know on the Blank Chalkboard. Our 2nd & 3rd years are writing absolutely everything — making lists, writing books, and labelling the entire environment (farm animals included!).
We are also observing a huge preoccupation with age at the moment — Who is the oldest? Who is the youngest? Birthday celebrations have been a huge treat, and the student are beginning to understand that one full trip around the sun is the same as one year or twelve whole months.
Some funny conversations regarding age that were heard this week were Mr. Philips visiting our classroom, asking a 1st year how old she was:
“I’m 4”
“Did you just turn 4?”
“No, I’ve been 4 for a while”
“Oh, and when do you turn 5?”
“After 4”
We also had a 3rd year share that it was her aunt’s birthday on the same day as a student who was turning 6:
“It’s my aunt’s birthday too, but she’s much, much, MUCH older!”
“Oh, how old is your aunt turning?”
“33!”
Please continue to send in feedback regarding the Parent Education evening. We would love to know what time suits you, and what topics we should do next!
Best,
Ms. O’Sullivan
Casa South
Greetings from Casa South
Time seems to be picking up speed with March Break just around the corner. The children continue to grow physically, socially, and intellectually. Recently, we have been reminded of all the physical growth as our group gatherings require more space compared to the beginning of the school year. We take up more room these days!
Our rock collection has grown this week with the introduction of pairs of polished and unpolished rocks to match and identify. The polished stones are especially lovely to hold in one’s hand when compared to their rougher partner. They appeal to many, and have such interesting names including carnelian, sodalite, rose quartz, malachite, and tiger’s eye. We use our rock and mineral book to identify them and learn more about where they come from. If you have anything to add to our collection or information to share, please let us know.
Children are sharing increasingly about their lives outside of school. One child informed me that it was her dad’s birthday. When I asked how old he was, the reply was “101.” Looking good dad!
Thank you very much for your patience with us as we attempt to keep track of mittens, socks, hats, etcetera. Our cloakroom is a busy place during transition times with assorted belongings ending up hidden in corners and under backpacks. Labeled items are much easier to sort out.
Enjoy the weekend 😊
Ms. Robinson
Elementary
This week, the Elementary students turned their attention to the celebration of Mardi Gras! Rooted in pagan celebrations of spring, Mardi Gras is a time of merriment and indulgence for Christians about to enter the season of Lent. The students loved learning about the sweets, treats, and street food enjoyed before the forty days of fasting. Some of our youngest students were thrilled to have a demonstration of the chemical reactions that take place when making pancakes and, ultimately, eating their work! Everyone investigated the music, costumes, and Carnival parades of countries such as Trinidad and Tobago, with steel pan music welcoming them each morning. French lessons this week focused on the Venetian masquerade and everyone’s favourite part — creating their own masks!
Wishing you a wonderful weekend,
Marissa and Michelle
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