Hello Lyonsgate Families,
Please enjoy this week’s update from the Elementary program about the Montessori perspective on the growth and development we see over the course of a school year. Sign-up for parent-teacher conferences is below for those who still need to select a timeslot.
This Week’s Classroom Update
As the spring term starts to speed by, with students often moving outdoors to work and exclaiming over new discoveries to their friends, it is time for the adults in their lives to slow down and observe what is truly unfolding: the children we are seeing today are not the same children we welcomed in September. Not only have they lost some teeth and grown an inch or two (or three!), they have also done the incredible work of constructing their own identities, bit by bit, by their own experiences. Dr. Montessori spoke of the importance of adults “seeing the child who is not yet there,” of recognizing the tremendous potential inside each of them, just waiting to emerge. It is a reminder to look beyond the day-to-day challenges or current behaviours to see the person a child may become given a loving environment that engages their natural curiosity toward new discoveries.
Regardless of age, all of the children have changed. Each demonstrates new confidence in growing academic skills and is more willing than before to risk trying something new. Most demonstrate greater camaraderie with their classmates and more satisfying collaborations with particular partners. Many have found the pleasure of expanding their social spheres or deepening a special friendship, and all of them have had a taste of the freedom that comes with developing self-discipline and “growing up.” They are excited to work further away from adults, find a solution to a problem on their own, and be trusted to experiment with new tools.
Over the past few weeks, these changes in the students have been visible in all of their endeavors. The classroom has been buzzing with the enthusiasm that comes from taking initiative and supporting one another. For some, it has been learning to weave fabric, tie shoelaces, or use the library catalogue system to request a book. For others, it has been researching a planet, historical events, or technological innovations. They continue to push their physical selves to achieve greater coordination and strength, from learning to dribble a basketball with one hand to leaping over a high jump bar onto a crash mat. The call to connect with the natural world is undeniable, as the students learn about fruits and seeds, investigate the family tree of Kingdom Plantae, or joyfully organize themselves to move a large tree branch brought down by powerful winds, and when they encountered a young squirrel missing the care of its mother, their obvious love and empathy for this creature sparked the moral impetus to learn the best way to help it.
While we will always remember with love the students who start with us each September, we are proud to celebrate the new children emerging before us, and look forward to the humans they will become.
Marissa and Michelle.
Please click the links below for important dates from your children’s levels, other valuable information, and for recent photos of Lyonsgate’s Montessori students at work:
Lyonsgate Upcoming Important Dates and Information
Toddler and Casa Upcoming Important Dates [find Flower Contribution sign-up links there too]
Elementary Upcoming Important Dates
Check your Lyonsgate calendar regularly for up to date events and information. You can add the school calendar to your own by clicking the “+” at bottom left on mobile or “Add to Google Calendar” on desktop.
Lyonsgate Upcoming Important Dates and Information
- Parent-Teacher Conference Booking: Please click here to book your parent-teacher conference with your child’s Montessori guide. Both Lyonsgate campuses will be closed to students on Friday, June 5, to accommodate the year-end parent-teacher conferences. Child care will be available during your conference.
- Thursday, June 18: Last full day of school. Friday, June 19, will be our annual Casa graduation ceremony and Family Park Day at Dundas Driving Park.
Toddler and Casa Upcoming Important Dates
- Parent-Teacher Conference Booking: Please click the relevant link(s) below to book your parent-teacher conference with your child’s Montessori guide(s):
Both Lyonsgate campuses will be closed to students on Friday, June 5, to accommodate the year-end parent-teacher conferences. Child care will be available during your conference.
- Friday, May 29: Casa and Toddler Scholastic orders due. If you are ordering from the recent Scholastic catalog, orders must be submitted by this date. When you order books from Scholastic, your child’s class earns credit to acquire books for the classroom.
- Thursday, June 18: Last full day of school. Friday, June 19, will be our annual Casa graduation ceremony and Family Park Day at Dundas Driving Park.
If you are able, please choose a week or two throughout the school year to contribute a bouquet of fresh cut flowers to your child’s class: Toddler | Casa North | Casa South
Elementary Upcoming Important Dates
- Parent-Teacher Conference Booking: Parents are invited to meet with their lead classroom guide during the first week in June to discuss their child’s growth and development. Please use the links below to reserve a timeslot with Michelle (years 1-3) or Marissa (years 4-7). If you are unable to attend during the listed dates and times, you are welcome to email your guide to make alternate arrangements.
- Friday, May 29: O.W.L. Workshop #10 Healthy Relationships. Students in Years 4-7 will be participating in the final O.W.L. workshop, focused on building and maintaining relationships. In preparation, students should read pages 106-108 in It’s Perfectly Normal.
- Monday, June 8: Open Classroom for All Elementary Families. Families and friends are invited to join us after school on Monday, June 8, between 3:15–4:15, for our last Open Classroom event of the school year, showcasing the students’ work from the third term. When you arrive, please come to the porch entrance to the Maple Room to meet up with your child and tour the classroom. Casa families are always welcome to join us, as well as students joining Mapleside Montessori in the fall. Our regular aftercare program will still be available to students until 4:30 p.m.
- Friday, June 12 – Saturday, June 13: Senior Sleepover for Years 3-7. Students in Years 3-7 are invited to stay overnight on campus with Marissa and Michelle to celebrate another great year together and welcome the third-year students to Upper Elementary. Those wishing to attend should arrive at school in the morning with a sleeping bag and overnight kit, and can look forward to a picnic dinner, outdoor games, skits, a treat buffet, MarioKart, and more! Check next week’s update for further details and the link to sign up.
- Coming Soon:
- Tuesday, June 16: Graduates Trip to Toronto,
- Thursday, June 18: Last Day of Class/Elementary Graduation at 3:00 p.m.<
- Thursday, June 18: Last full day of school. Friday, June 19, will be our annual Casa graduation ceremony and Family Park Day at Dundas Driving Park.
Elementary Parent Observations: Parents are welcome to email elementary@lyonsgate.ca to arrange a classroom observation time, at least one week in advance please. Observations take place on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday mornings between 9:00-11:30. (Other days and times may be available if needed). You will be observing the whole Elementary environment and classroom, not solely your own child.
