Happy Thanksgiving long weekend Friday!

We hope everyone has a feast- and fun-filled weekend. Remember, there is no school on Monday, Oct. 14.

It was a busy week at Lyonsgate with field trips, cross-country running, and Casa and Toddler Show and Share (Elementary families, it’s your Show and Share turn next Thursday).

We have a new photo feature for you this week: once you have read through the entire update ;), you will find a slideshow gallery of your Lyonsgate Montessori students learning about themselves and their worlds.

Your children’s Montessori guides have busy week re-caps for you and notes about how the classroom communities are coming together one month into the school year.


Toddler


Yesterday’s show and share solidified what has become apparent to us — the children are settling into the classroom beautifully. Their excitement about your presence was very apparent, and of course portrayed in various ways: water spillage everywhere, re-arranging materials on the shelf, stacking different materials on top of each other, etc. This was the children’s way of asserting that the classroom is their space, and everything that seemed out of order is completely normal. As adults, it takes extreme restraint to avoid interference; Dr. Maria Montessori cautioned the adult to avoid interrupting spontaneous learning and concentration. The Montessori environment minimizes the child’s need for adult assistance and maximizes self-regulated activity. Everything the child comes in contact with facilitates and maximizes independent learning and exploration.

Wednesday’s field trip to the Royal Botanical Gardens was another opportunity to combine the best of both worlds — school and home life that are completely separated were now combined into one. Some of the children were not fazed by the occurrence while others were understandably reserved. Both of these events in one week have certainly provided a turning of a page and have been the perfect precursor to the second month of school.

I was overjoyed to have you all join us in the classroom and I am hopeful that Show and Share has provided a small glimpse into your child’s day. Next week, I will be reaching out to provide a one-month update. I look forward to speaking with you about your child’s adjustment and address any questions that you may have.

Wishing you all a beautiful long weekend. Happy Thanksgiving!

Ms. Dee


Casa South


It was such a busy week at school! Field trip, Show and Share, and Thanksgiving celebrations!

We had such a great time at the Royal Botanical Gardens on Wednesday! Our tour guide Danielle was so lovely. She showed us different flora and fauna, taught us new games, took us for a hike, and let us feed chickadees! Field trip highlights for Casa South were lunch and playing in the beautiful natural playground!

Our first Show and Share was a great success! Thank you to all the parents, grandparents, and siblings that came for this special event. The children are so excited on Show and Share day and are so proud to show you the classroom. If you weren’t able to attend, don’t worry, there will be plenty in the future!

The past couple days we have been baking up a storm! It certainly smells like Thanksgiving in Casa South. We made pumpkin pies — FROM SCRATCH! We roasted the pumpkins, pressed in the pastry, stirred up the filling, and baked them ourselves. It was quite the endeavour but totally worth it!

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone and their families! We hope it is full of food, family time, and relaxation! See on Tuesday!

Miss Moffatt


Casa North


Happy Friday, Casa North Families!

This week, we had a field trip to the RBG as well as a Show and Share. It was chock full of excitement and adventure! Many thanks to our parent volunteers for helping out at our field trip. We had beautiful weather, lots of gross motor exercise, and plenty of fresh air.

Our Show and Shares are always a hit — the children adore inviting in their families and showing off what they’ve been presented (or not presented, for those ambitious ones!). It’s a great opportunity for me to see them reveal their interests and interact with their loving families. Thank you for stepping into the classroom and seeing how they thrive in their environment.

We did some holiday baking in the classroom as we discussed Thanksgiving this week. The children shared what they were thankful for, and some of your family traditions, with one another. Please enjoy our apple cinnamon bread, and feel free to try the recipe out for yourselves.

Happy Thanksgiving! See you on Tuesday.

Miss Boyle


Elementary


This week, the Elementary class joined with other Montessori schools at La Salle Park in Burlington to compete in a friendly cross-country race while raising funds for education projects in Uganda. Each of the students challenged themselves in different ways. Some were filled with nervous anticipation, eager to achieve a new personal best; some were wary of this group athletic pursuit, finding it more appealing to observe and cheer on their teammates; others fought to master their expectations and disappointments, and resolve to try again another day. The best thing about observing our students on these outings, however, is the way they connect with each other, and the world around them. Our team supported each other with wild cheering sections, hugs and words of consolation, and companionship over competition along the course. Many students paused during the race to enjoy the view of the lake, discover the water fowl, and chat with the teachers stationed on the trail.

Back in class, some of our younger students heard the Third Great Lesson: The Coming of Human Beings, followed by the Timeline of Human Beings, in which they explore pictures of life in the Stone Age. They were also presented with the Montessori Black Strip, a 30-metre long piece of fabric that helps the children imagine the enormity of time that existed for the Earth, and other forms of life, before humans emerged in order to give children a sense of humility in the face of time. The Upper Elementary students continued their comparison of party platforms on key issues in the upcoming Federal election, as well as different types of government.

We can’t wait to share some of our work with you next week during the Elementary Show and Share event! See you on Thursday, Oct. 17, from 3:30-4:30. (If you are changing your regular pick-up routine to attend Show and Share with your child, please let us know well in advance).

PLEASE NOTE: The Elementary photo day has been changed to Monday, Oct. 28.

Don’t forget to drop off Elementary students at the Primary (Aberdeen) campus on Wednesday, Oct. 16, for our outing to the Steam and Technology Museum, The bus will leave the Primary campus at 9:00 a.m.

We are so grateful for our families, friends, and community here at Lyonsgate. We wish you all a very happy Thanksgiving weekend. We’ll see you on Tuesday!

Marissa.


Handbook Highlight

This week we want to draw your attention to “Part 1” of your Lyonsgate Parent Handbook [p. 17 in the embedded viewer]. This part of your handbook contains summaries of each of the three Montessori programmes at Lyonsgate — Toddler, Casa, and Elementary — and each includes a typical daily schedule. Some days we do things differently, but most days run according to these schedules. It’s a handy reference for things like drop-off and pick-up times, and when might be a good time to schedule and pick up for things like dentist appointments.


Coming Up

Please remember to check your Lyonsgate calendar regularly for up to date information on what’s going on at Lyonsgate Montessori School. You can also click in the bottom right corner to add it to your own Google/gmail calendar.

  • Happy Thanksgiving! There is no school on Monday, October 14.
  • Elementary Families:
    • Don’t forget to drop off Elementary students at the Primary (Aberdeen) campus on Wednesday, Oct. 16, for our outing to the Steam and Technology Museum, The bus will leave the Primary campus at 9:00 a.m.
    • Elementary Show and Share: Thursday, Oct. 17, 3:30-4:30 at the the Elementary campus (Locke St.). Elementary parents, if you are changing your regular pick-up routine to attend Show and Share with your child, please let us know well in advance. Thank you.
  • Toddler and Casa Photo Day: Monday, Oct. 22.
  • PD Day Friday, November 1. No school.
  • Parent Observations in your child’s classroom will take place throughout November. Online sign-up for your 20-minute observation slot will be available Thursday, Oct. 24.
  • Parent-Teacher conferences are coming up on Friday, Nov. 8.

Photos

Click the gallery to view it separately.