Good Morning Lyonsgate Community,
Elementary families:
- A reminder that your Parent education session was moved to this Thursday, March 2, from 3:30-4:15. You will learn about the different aspects of our Arts program and how art is used as a medium for exploration of all subjects. Please RSVP to elementary@lyonsgate.ca
- Also, see the Elementary section for info about the Open Classroom event next Monday, March 6.
[Sorry, no Toddler photos this week]
This week in our toddler community we experienced a very chopped up week with family day and a snow day. It was difficult to get into the flow and it seemed as though the children were a bit discombobulated. Young children really rely on a predictable routine.It makes them feel safe and secure to know what is happening next. Of course life is always tossing us unexpected disruptions and it is good to find a way to cope with changes as they come. Small children benefit from being kept in the loop. We had some conversations with the toddlers today about how strange it was to be away one day and back the next. Then we spoke about our daily routine, about what was coming up next in the course of our day and how we would be going home for the weekend at the end of the day.
Changes in routine can be challenging. We can make things easier on young children by being prepared. We can prepare them before hand for alteration in their routine by explaining what will happen and also by being prepared ourselves.
If you are thinking about introducing a new routine of toilet learning to your toddler you can prepare the environment in the bathroom by having a small container with extra clothes to change into when their clothes become wet or soiled and a few books to look at for when they are sitting on the potty or toilet waiting for something to happen.
Here are a few tips for toilet learning the Montessori way to help guide those who might be beginning to introduce this as part of their routine at home.
Toilet Learning — The Montessori Way
1. Prepare the environment — get organized, set the bathroom up for maximum independence. Have lots of extra underwear, clothes, clothes that allow for independence, a small basket in the bathroom with clothing, a potty, a stool to be used for getting dressed or for climbing up to the toilet, a hamper to place soiled clothing, a small basket of books to look at while waiting for something exciting to happen.
2. Dress for Success — No tight clothing, nothing with complicated closures like buttons or snaps, elastic waistbands are best, something that they can manage to put on and take off easily without assistance.
3. Invite your child to use the potty, (Toilet learning becomes the choice of the child after 24 months). Once you have had some success invite them to wear underwear throughout the day. Diapering during nap and at night for sleep. Sleep is sacred! Once you notice a dry diaper after nap or night you will know that they have gained control during sleep.
4. Create a routine — observe and take note of when your child is dry, what times of day they tend to have bowel movements etc., remember that establishing new routines can be challenging but it is temporary. Every 30 to 40 minutes invite your child to sit on the potty, we can assist them if their clothes are wet or soiled, get cleaned up and wash their hands. There are many independence skills being gained all at once!
5. Focus on the Senses — Toddlers are sensorial learners. “I see that you are wet, let us get you into some dry clothes.” Do not leave them in wet or soiled clothing — we want to establish the desired state is clean and dry.
6. No rewards or punishment — The acquisition of a new skill has its own personal rewards — let them own it. You are not potty training — your child is doing the work of toilet learning.
7. Keep it upbeat and positive — no pressure, no stress — Involve the child — resist the urge to jump in and finish the job, competency with dressing takes time and practice. Assist when needed In Montessori we say things like, “You did it!” and “Look at you!” Allowing them to take credit for the experience.
8. Don’t get discouraged. It will soon be a distant, hopefully fond memory. Interruptions in a child’s routine or health can cause disruptions but once things stabilize you can get back to the collaborating with your child on these independence skills.
Have a delightful week!
Ms. Gervais.
Hello again!
We have completed one full cycle of Casa Weekly Updates. If you have been following along, you have now heard from each member of our Casa team, on both sides of the hallway (Casa North and South).
Creating a united voice from our Casa team has been an important part of collaborating, overlapping, and mirroring both Casa programmes here at Lyonsgate. Our students have started to connect more frequently with one another this term, whether it’s writing letters to one another & delivering them via shared mailbox, or assisting our Toddlers during transition times.
This same spirit of collaboration aligns itself fully with the Montessori approach to cosmic education. We are always striving to foster the development of “the universal child” — meaning, Montessori aims to create children of their world, who not only recognize their role in their immediate community (their family, their classroom), but their greater surroundings (their school community, their city, their country) and their planet, as a whole.
This is why our Practical Life materials reflect things in the home or things that are purposeful and valuable in today’s society, to provide students with “keys to the world” around them; why our Culture area includes both physical and political geography (exposure to continents, countries, capitals); why we give exposure to art, music, instruments, books, poems, songs, photographs, animals, botany from all around the world.
We are challenging our students to look beyond their immediate surroundings and to connect with any & all human beings as a united force. Perhaps modelling these opportunities for collaboration — amongst our Casa staff or our students in both Casa classroom (and Toddler, too) — can act as a gentle reminder to engage, think, care about what’s across the hallway, around the corner, in the next town or city over, or world’s away…
Ms. O’Sullivan.
In preparation for their introductory cricket lesson, the class learned about the history of cricket. The children were eager to discover the rules or “laws” of cricket, and enjoyed learning about the roles of various members of a cricket team. They were thrilled to watch a few highlights from professional cricket matches, and to discover the names of professional cricket teams in Canada. Most children agreed that while a five day test match was too much cricket, Twenty20 matches, lasting about 3 hours, would be a lot of fun to watch. Last week at their first cricket lesson, they learned to cup and bat. We look forward to another cricket lesson before the March break!
Parent Education
We would like to welcome you to join us this coming Thursday, March 2, from 3:30-4:15 p.m. for a Parent Education session. We are excited to talk about the different aspects of our Arts program and demonstrate how art is used as a medium for exploration of all subjects.
Open Classroom
The children are eager to welcome their families to our Open Classroom event on Monday, March 6, between 3:15-4:15. This is an opportunity for family members to visit the classroom and see samples of their child’s work.
We look forward to seeing you soon!
Warmly,
Marissa and Michelle.
