Hello Lyonsgate Families, and Happy Halloween Week!
We know that Halloween is a very exciting time for children. However, we ask that costumes and candy are not brought to school, and are saved for after-school fun with family and friends. Thank you.
Our Casa and Toddler students are also excited about their field trip to Puddicombe Farm tomorrow, and our Elementary students will be taking a trip to see the Brott Education Concert on Thursday.
As a Registered Early Childhood Educator working in a Montessori program I am at home with so many of the core values of my training. How Does Learning Happen, Ontario’s Pedagogy for the Early Years shapes my day as children are viewed as “competent, capable of complex thinking, curious, and rich in potential. They grow up in families with diverse social, cultural, and linguistic perspectives. Every child should feel that he or she belongs, is a valuable contributor to his or her surroundings, and deserves the opportunity to succeed.”
The children are welcomed into Lyonsgate every morning through the lens of being valued members of our school community. They are encouraged and supported through self-help skills such as taking on/off their shoes and coats. (This may soon include mitts, snow pants, and boots!.) They take care of the classroom as they choose to mop up spills, seek out their own interests in the prepared environment, and then put their work away. At lunch we role model proper eating etiquette, scraping their plate when finished, and how to wash their face and hands. Children are afforded the time to try new skills, to make mistakes, and to try again.
Learning is viewed as an individual journey for each child and everyday we welcome the opportunity to be a part of it!
Vanessa Findlay.
Hello Casa Families,
I can’t believe we are already almost done our second month of school. We have been very busy in the classroom. We are all very excited for our upcoming field trip to the pumpkin patch on October 31.
In the classroom, we have been working on independence. Independence is very important to help children build their confidence. The children have been working on dressing themselves on their own when we are coming in or going outside, as well as when they need to change clothes. We allow the child personal pride in their skill to dress themselves. We also work on independence when eating by having the children serve themselves snack. Our whole day supports the child to do things independently.
“The child seeks for independence by means of work; an independence of body and mind.” — Maria Montessori.
The Casa Team.
Halloween
On Tuesday, the class will enjoy some Halloween fun in the classroom, learning about the holiday with some collaborative work and art exercises. Students celebrating Halloween should save their costumes for after school, and sweet treats for at home. Thank you.
Brott Education Concert — Thursday, November 2
On Thursday, the whole class will be traveling by chartered school bus to the First Ontario Concert Hall for this year’s Brott Education Concert: The Search for the Magic of Music. We will be attending the 11:30 a.m. performance, and returning to school for a late lunch and the afternoon work cycle. All students are reminded to wear their red Lyonsgate t-shirt for this event!
LRS Conferences — Friday, November 17
Our next P.D. Day is Friday, November 17. Our learning resource specialist, Kim Fiocca, will be available for conferences with parents. If your child regularly works with Kim, you’ll receive an email to sign-up for a conference time slot in the coming weeks. Child care is available for students whose parents are in conference.
from the Classroom Historians
“This student was working on language work with the pronoun grammar boxes.”
“This is the carpet of beads. It shows all the times tables.”
“A first-year was working on decorating his art portfolio.”
“He is playing on the xylophone. I think he was playing Dance of the Sugarplum Fairy.”
“This sixth-year is working on geometry with the box of sticks.”
Polly and Hugo.
