Hello Lyonsgate Families,
This week:
- Casa and Toddler vaccine history forms are due back to Lyonsgate today. Thank you.
- This Friday, Sept. 29, is a PD Day. Both Lyonsgate campuses are closed.
Free Cars!
- Lyonsgate has three of these little cars that are available to good homes on a first-come, first-served basis. Please let us know at admin@lyonsgate.ca if you would like one:
[Please note: back to school germs have hit staff as well as kids; we’ll have more Toddler photos next week]
Greetings Toddler Families,
This week in the Toddler community, we welcomed a new member to our classroom. We invited Kelly the snail to live in our aquarium along with our beta fish, Oscar. She has been delighting us and surprizing us all week. She is very graceful and peaceful. The children in the classroom have been observing as she explores the tank and eats the lettuce floating on the top of the water. “She is moving!” She is a lot more active than we anticipated.
Our small community has begun to feel like home and we are starting to find a nice flow. Many of our new friends are arriving at school with enthusiasm and joyful spirits, ready to explore. We are enjoying all of the helping hands throughout the day. Toddlers are almost always enthusiastic to help with the daily routine. We include them in trips to the kitchen to carry bins of dishes, or select items for our snack, they help to rearrange furniture before lunch and help to lift and stack the beds at the end of the day. All of these tasks help to build their sense of belonging in our small community and also help to build their gross motor strength at the same time. By doing important work in the environment, a small person can begin to build self esteem.
“In reality it is useful to repeat. It is only their bodies that are small, not their minds or ability to do things.” Understanding the Human Being, The Importance of the First Three Years of Life, Silvana Quattrocchi Montanaro, M.D.
Ms. Gervais.
Good Morning Casa Families!
My name is Jessica Dewey and I’m the English Assistant for Casa South. This will be my fourth year at Lyonsgate and my second year in Casa South full time. It has been lovely reconnecting with our returning students and getting to know each new child in the class.
In early education we talk a lot about the developmental phases that children go through: critical learning periods, physical growth and needs, what to expect, and what to watch out for. Each age has its own joys and challenges but I have to say that the three years a child is in Casa are my favorite. Each little person has their own unique interests and abilities, yet they do tend to follow certain patterns which can be especially apparent at the start of the school year.
The oldest children who have usually been in this class for two years exhibit a comfort with the routines and staff, settling into working and learning quickly. Many take to leadership easily and will help and mentor younger students. While they’re often hungry for new, difficult work, it’s not unusual to see them practicing foundational skills from time to time.
The middle group, typically second year students, are also quite comfortable returning but may need reminders about classroom etiquette. This age group is quite focused on their social development. So many of their skills are tied to peer interactions: verbal communication, social problem solving, collaboration, competition, sharing interests. For adults, it’s important to recognize this driving need and guide it appropriately.
Finally, our youngest students, whether new to the school or moving up from the Toddler class, always bring fresh personalities to the classroom. For these children everything is new. They may feel eagerness or trepidation, but I would say their first weeks are most characterized by the wonder of discovery. Many need extra care and patience as they become accustomed to the pace and expectations of the classroom, but they all find a welcome place in our community.
It is a teacher’s privilege to observe these patterns over years and become closely acquainted with each child and family in our care.
Thank you for trusting us and thank you for reading,
Ms. Dewey.
[Casa North Families: please note that there is a cinnamon allergy in Casa North; please ensure if cinnamon is enjoyed for breakfast that hands are washed before arriving at school. Thank you.]
Thursday, September 28 — Upper Elementary Outing
Upper Elementary students will be traveling by city bus to the Westdale branch of the public library. They will have a tour of the library and lessons with the librarians on how to effectively use the catalogue system. Please support your Upper Elementary child in developing a system at home to remember their red Lyonsgate shirt and bus fare or Presto card for Upper Elementary outings.
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 age 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 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
From the Guides
Following stories of the creation of the universe and the emergence of life on Earth, the children receive the third Great Lesson: The Coming of Humans. This oral tale emphasizes three distinct gifts possessed by humans that have enabled them to thrive and develop complex cultures: the head, the hand, and the heart. The children are asked to consider the many ways in which they use their mind: to wonder, to imagine, to think. Attention is called to the special role of human hands, freed to work and create, thanks to our ability to walk on two limbs instead of four. Finally, the children honour their heart, not only as an organ to circulate blood, but as a symbol of their great human ability to love. The children were then presented with the Timeline of Early Humans, learning about other members of the genus Homo, and how they met their needs thousands of years ago. We look forward to many more investigations of the diversity of life on Earth.
Marissa and Michelle.
From the Classroom Historians
Some students made a model of Pompeii.
Others use the slappers to slap the word Anne said in French.
This is when a 5th year student is reading to her sister and best friend. They like the pictures.
A reading circle with Danielle sharing the story of The Littles.
“I made a dinosaur and a tree. To make those leaves I usually make a ball and then squish it down and make the shape I want it to be.” – Edmée
Pippa and Edmée.
