Happy Monday Lyonsgate Families,
Next Monday, Oct. 9, is the Thanksgiving Holiday and both Lyonsgate campuses will be closed.
Please see below for photos and updates from your children’s Montessori environments:
Toddlers are on the move!
Toddlers are naturally inclined to be on the move. Physical movement helps to develop the brain, build strength and coordination, and it encourages an awareness of other people. Movement is a part of every moment of every day in the Toddler Montessori environment. The children work to perfect their movement with a purpose in mind. They enter the school and climb a set of stairs, then they use their fine motor skills to unclip their backpack, reach and hang it up on a hook, after which they find their indoor shoes and switch them for their outdoor shoes. Inside the classroom, the children participate in the daily work of watering the plants, mopping the floor, and moving the furniture when it is time to transform the room for snack time. These movements of practical life and met with enthusiasm and have many benefits. I often find myself moving a table with two or three other children! By performing intelligent work with a purpose behind it children build strength and coordination in their bodies, and develop a strong sense of self by forming a connection to their community.
“All natural work like this has a higher purpose. It develops character. We must understand that if we give children this active life with a great many motives of activity, activities that have a useful purpose, the children perfect their movements… You cannot have effort without interest and purpose. There is no interest if the intelligence does not cooperate. The person must be interested. If the person is not unified he will not be interested. So we must have interest first and then work with an intelligent purpose, work that is freely chosen by the individual.” Movement and Character, Maria Montessori.
Ms. Gervais.
Bonjour,
My name is Fatia Murati and I’m the French language assistant for Casa North. This will be my eleventh year at Lyonsgate.
It has been exciting starting a new school year, getting to see our returning students and how much they have grown over the summer, and also meeting all our amazing new students.
Only a couple of weeks have passed since the start of school and I can confidently say that our students have already made a lot of progress. The first-year students who made those big eyes when I just said “Bonjour” at the beginning now feel much more comfortable hearing French and are all able to answer, “Bonjour, comment ça va?” with “Ça va bien!” They are also really enjoying French songs.
It fills my heart with joy every single day to see the second and third year students helping, encouraging, and translating for the first years. C’est juste formidable! I couldn’t wish for a better crew.
Looking forward to a wonderful school year!
Mme Murati.
Thursday, October 5: Annual Run for Charity
The whole class will be traveling by chartered school bus to La Salle Park in Burlington for an Annual Run for Charity hosted by Fairview Glen Montessori School. This year’s event will be in support of the Red Cross Canadian Wildfire Relief, with Lyonsgate making a donation on behalf of each elementary student. Additional donations are always welcome.
On the day of the event, students will be grouped with others of the same school year and gender from five different Montessori schools to complete a fun trail run through the woods. Staff from each school will be along the well-marked route to guide students and offer encouragement along the way! Following the race, the students will enjoy an outdoor lunch and playtime at the park before a short awards ceremony. Students will return to school for the remainder of the afternoon. Please help your child remember to wear their red Lyonsgate shirt that day, along with packing a healthy litter-less lunch and full water bottle.
Weekly Update
Last week students were busy studying and researching different forms of life. They classified organisms from the five classes of the animal kingdom and compared different types of invertebrates. They learned about the characteristics of different species of humans.
In recognition of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, our younger students heard the Anishinaabe creation story of Turtle Island or explored the meaning of the seven sacred teachings. These stories were the creative inspiration for an art display of paper orange shirts decorated by the children to affirm that every child matters and an appreciation for the traditions, history, and modern experience of Indigenous peoples. Older students worked with the Timeline of Canadian History to explore when Europeans first arrived here, who returned as settlers, and important differences between European and Indigenous cultures. They participated in a discussion of the government’s intended purpose in establishing residential schools, and some of the harms that Indigenous children experienced as a result.
The Upper Elementary students were thrilled to begin navigating the city using public transit, travelling to the Westdale branch of the public library. They were delighted to browse the larger collection, test out the children’s learning software, and even stage a few puppet shows.
Wishing everyone a wonderful week ahead!
Marissa and Michelle.
