Hello Lyonsgate Families,

We hope you all enjoyed your long weekend and had the chance to spend some great time with family. There are a few items to update you all on this week.

Free Parent Webinar

The Canadian Council of Montessori Administrators (CCMA) is offering a free webinar for parents on Tuesday, Oct. 26, at 6:00 p.m. The topic is “Montessori Education & Inclusion – Do the pieces fit?” a webinar exploring the opportunity to include students with disabilities in Montessori schools. The webinar and a copy of the report are free but you must register in advance. For more information and how to register please click here.

Primary Buzz

With the children’s return after the long weekend, the Primary campus has been abuzz with stories of Thanksgiving, the food enjoyed, and the highly anticipated visits with family. It has created lots of wonderful conversations amongst the children. Interest in pumpkins is certainly starting to appear as they anxiously await the next “celebration” of the month, with special requests for pumpkin songs.

Staff News

This year we have a new Learning Resource Specialist at Lyonsgate: Kim Fiocca. Kim has been working at the Elementary campus  and starting next week will be also be working at the Primary campus. Kim joins us with a wealth of experience in her field and in Montessori learning environments. Kim will be working directly with Lyonsgate students, parents, and Montessori guides to ensure that students with diverse learning styles receive the services, accommodations, and educations they deserve, as well engaging with all students in their classrooms and during outdoor times.

Joining Kim at the Primary campus on a more regular basis will be Jason, who has been working out of the Elementary campus for the last few years. This will give us the opportunity to have our entire admin team together at one location.

These moves are made possible by the addition of Caitlin Pace to the Elementary campus as a program assistant. We’ll have more details about Caitlin for you soon.

Elementary Update and Photo Day Reminder

Speaking of the Elementary program, Montessori Guide Marissa Achong has an update for you all about the great work the Elementary students have been engaged with so far this year:

Through these first six weeks of school, the Elementary students have embarked upon the course set out by the Great Lessons: exploring the creation of the universe, the elements, and an introduction to the laws of physics; the emergence of life, the evolution of species, and the development of hominins; and an introduction to our human history, with its great discoveries and innovations. This week, Michelle shared the Story of Communication in Signs, guiding students to imagine how humans first began to write, from petroglyphs and pictographs, to hieroglyphs, to the development of different alphabets.

Remember Elementary parents, photo day for Elementary students is on Monday, Oct. 18. Photos will be taken outside so Tuesday, Oct. 19, is the rain date.

You can always find up to date information about events throughout the school year on the calendar at lyongate.ca, under the “Parents” tab.

Have a wonderful fall weekend everyone.