Hello Lyonsgate Families,
Read below to learn about the start of the school year in Lyonsgate’s Toddler classroom, important upcoming dates and other information, and for photos of Lyonsgate’s Montessori students at all levels engaged with their Montessori materials and in their Montessori school days.
This Week’s Classroom Update
Welcome to our Montessori Toddler Community! We are so excited to begin this meaningful journey with you and your family. One of the most important foundations of early childhood development is the feeling of safety and security. In our classroom, we strive to create a warm, predictable, and nurturing atmosphere. We have spent the first week together getting to know each other, doing very familiar things like singing “Wheels on the Bus,” reading books about cars and farms, and enjoying lots of sensory play. We know that young children thrive when they feel emotionally and physically safe, and that trust is essential for their learning and development. We understand that toddlers need time to build trust, and we gently support this process through respectful communication, consistent routines, and reflective observation. Over time, this secure bond will allow your child to feel confident and free to explore, try new things, and take healthy risks in their learning.
When children feel safe and connected, they are better able to regulate their emotions, cooperate with others, and engage fully in their environment. Our classroom encourages the development of self-regulation through gentle limits, clear expectations, and supportive guidance. Throughout the year the children will learn to express their feelings, manage frustration, and resolve conflict with kindness — all essential skills for lifelong emotional health.
“The education of even a small child, therefore, does not aim at preparing [them] for school, but for life.” Maria Montessori.
The Toddler Team.
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
Elementary Upcoming Important Dates
Check your Lyonsgate calendar regularly for up to date events and information.
Lyonsgate Upcoming Important Dates and Information
- Tuesday, Sept. 23: School Photo Day! All Lyonsgate students will have their school photos taken by Lifetouch.
- Friday, Sept. 26: PD Day. Both Lyonsgate campuses are closed.
- Monday, Oct. 13: Thanksgiving Holiday. Both Lyonsgate campuses are closed.
- September 17, 18, and 19: City of Hamilton Fall Recreation program registration opens; click here for info.
- Hamilton Public Health offers a Group Theraplay program that is free for caregivers and children ages 2-6; click here for more information.
Toddler and Casa Upcoming Important Dates
- Thursday, Sept. 18, 3:45-4:30: Lyonsgate principal Rachel Lyons will present the first Parent Education Session for Toddler and Casa families at the Primary campus on Aberdeen Ave. The topic will be Montessori’s First Plane of Development. Students of attending parents will have child care provided by Lyonsgate staff, and we will provide a snack to tide them over. Please register for the Parent Ed. session here and for kids’ snack no later than Monday, Sept. 15.
- Monday, Sept. 22: Vaccine history forms for Casa and Toddler students are due. Please complete and return the provided Public Health form (do not just send a copy of an immunization record).
- Thursday, Sept. 25: Toddler and Casa Scholastic book orders are due. Fall catalogs will come home with your children. Please order online using the school’s “class code.”
- Friday, Oct. 24: PD Day. Both Lyonsgate campuses are closed.
- Friday, Oct. 31: Casa and Toddler field trip to Brantwood Farms. [Toddler Parents: please plan to attend the field trip with your toddler student].
Elementary Upcoming Important Dates
- Friday, September 19: Elementary Our Whole Lives (O.W.L.) Workshop 1. During the afternoon work cycle, students in Years 4 – 7 will have their first OWL workshop of the year, where they will discuss the concept of developing values and collaborate to create a set of social guidelines to keep OWL workshops, fun, informative, and ensure everyone is both comfortable and supportive of their peers. Students will receive an OWL handbook with a list of readings to complete at home from the book It’s Perfectly Normal, as well as follow-up activities to do with a trusted adult. Families are strongly encouraged to purchase a copy of the book for use at home, and children also have a copy in the classroom. There are no required readings before the introductory OWL workshop.
- Tuesday, Sept. 23: School Photo Day! Elementary students should be sure to arrive on time, as the class will be leaving campus at 8:50 a.m. to walk together to the other campus for photo day. Once all the elementary students have had their picture taken, the class will return to the Elementary Campus together for the rest of the morning work cycle.
- Wednesday, September 24: Upper Elementary Outing. During the afternoon work cycle, students in Years 4 – 7 will be travelling by public bus into Westdale to hike the Royal Botanical Garden trails at Cootes Paradise. They are kindly reminded to wear their red Lyonsgate t-shirts, and bring along their child fare-free Presto card or bus fare ($3.75 cash in each direction). Students should be prepared with comfortable, closed-toe footwear, and are welcome to bring along a pocket-size, nut-free and nutritious snack (e.g. granola bar, dried fruit), and water bottle.
- Thursday, September 25: Elementary Parent Education session. Please join us for our first Parent Education Event of the year on Harnessing the Power of Imagination: Learning in the Second Plane of Development. Parents are invited to join us on campus from 3:30 – 4:20 p.m. During the event, child care for elementary students will be provided at the HAAA park with Lyonsgate staff, with the children returning to campus at the end of the presentation. Younger siblings enrolled at the Primary Campus may remain there for aftercare during the event. Please let us know how many adults plan to attend, and whether your children will be staying in childcare by completing the registration form by Monday, September 21. All Elementary students will travel to the HAAA park ahead of the event for dismissal, even if they are not staying for childcare. Students regularly registered for aftercare will also be at the HAAA park, if you plan to pick up before the group returns to campus at 4:20.
- Thursday, Oct. 2: Elementary cross country with area Montessori schools.
