Lyonsgate Weekly Update | Friday, Sept. 27, 2019

September 27, 2019
|In Updates & Announcements
|By Jason Phillips

Good Afternoon Lyonsgate Community,

Parent Education

Thank you to all of the Casa parents that attended your first Parent Education session of the school year. We host these events for you because we know Montessori can be a little mysterious once you leave your independent little Montessorians at the door. The Parent Education events are intended to explain some of what we do, and why.

Toddler  and Elementary parents, it’s your turn next week. This year we are asking ALL parents to let us know if they will be attending Parent Education events, or not, so that we can better plan and accommodate.

Classroom Photos

Speaking of mysterious Montessori, we have photos from each Montessori environment in this week’s update for you. The photos are a way to give you a glimpse inside the classrooms each week to see what your children do once they are done making you feel guilty in the morning.

You can use the photos to spark conversations with your child about what happens in the classroom (beyond the standard “I dunno” and “Nothing”). Ask children, “What material is that?”; “What are you/What is that child doing in this picture?”; “Have you had a presentation with that?”; “Is this work that you do sometimes?”; “Who is this in your class?”; the more specific the question, the more likely you’ll get an informative answer.

Click on an image to view a larger version, and if you ever want the full version of a photo of your child just let Jason know at jason@lyonsgate.ca.

Hot Lunch

Our hot lunch caterers, Wholesome Kids Catering, announced this month that they are now incorporating Ontario Dietitians in Public Health (ODPH) guidelines into their menus. Click here for the announcement from Wholesome Kids.

Updates from Your Child’s Teachers

Last week you had introductory updates from your children’s French-language assistants. This week, the English-language assistants in your children’s classrooms would like to introduce themselves.

Toddler

It is hard to believe we are already one month into the school year! We have already seen lots of progress with the children during drop-off, largely due to parents giving speedy goodbyes, which goes a long way towards minimizing tears. Their resilience and ability to bounce back and have a productive day is truly inspiring. We have been working hard at letting them do things for themselves: putting on and taking off shoes, hand washing, putting away their own work, and this really gives a jumpstart to that process.

I have been really enjoying my new role as English assistant in the Toddler room. As many of you know, I spent the previous two years in Casa North, often getting to know older brothers and sisters, and it has been great to get familiar with the important role the Toddler program has played in shaping many of those Casa students. I also feel substantially taller in this environment, which is a bonus! I am looking forward to an amazing year and growing alongside the Toddler students.

Mr. Davis

Casa South

My Name is Mlle. Kamongue and I am an assistant in Casa South. I grew up in both Africa and France learning to speak French as my first language. I have experience working with children since the age of 18. My love for children started when I was young and, growing up, I decided to pursue my career in teaching young children. My role as an assistant is to be in class and engage myself  with children, preparing materials, doing activities with children outside when they are on the playground for recess, and helping them with nap. I observe children and be attentive to their needs and identify proper solutions when there’s an issue with the students, assist with the classroom instruction, and provide support and guidance, working and communicating closely with Miss Moffatt to identify children’s developmental needs and find an appropriate solutions.

Casa North

Families of Casa North,

My name is Ms. Sullivan, and I am the English Assistant in Casa North. I’ve been able to meet most of you as September progresses, and I look forward to getting to know you as the year continues.

As the English Assistant, I divide my time between preparing the classroom and participating in the class. On a typical day, I will be in the class during the morning, on the playground for recess, and in the nap room throughout the afternoon.

While in the classroom, I have had the opportunity to interact with the children in groups and individually. We’ve had the chance to sing songs, read books, practice deep breathing, and share stories in our small group gatherings. One-on-one, we’ve worked on sets of classified cards together, which help enrich the language of the child as they interact with the world around them. It has been wonderful to see the children’s personalities emerging as they become more comfortable in the classroom. I’ve learnt so much from your children already as they open up about their interests and what inspires them. We’ve been able to explore those topics that entice them through discussion and books in the classroom, and on the playground.

I am constantly surprised and inspired by the amount of kindness I’ve witnessed between the children, the scope of their imaginations, and their ability to soak up what they experience in their environment.

I’d like to extend my gratitude for welcoming me into your community. It has been an absolute joy to get to know your children and I am excited about what the coming year has in store for Casa North.

Have a beautiful weekend,

Ms. Sullivan

Elementary

As we approach the end of our first month, the students at the Elementary campus have settled into their routine. Each week, our students take responsibility for caring for our classroom. These contributions include keeping our classroom clean, our yard raked, our pencils sharpened, and preparing snack for their classmates. A popular contribution this year is breadmaking. Students have been baking white, herb, and cinnamon raisin bread to add to our snack menu each day. Another favourite contribution is the care of our bearded dragon, Zeus. Students prepare her salad of arugula and raspberries, offer live superworms, care for her environment, take her out to visit, and even give her a bath.

As we settle into our work routines, the first years have been keen to count the Montessori Golden Beads and label the Bead Chains. As some of these chains are quite long, this can be a serious investment of time and effort. Our second and third year students have had the opportunity to demonstrate their mastery of the Bead Chains by providing their advice and support. This material helps support the students in reading large numbers and learning to skip count, which aids in learning multiplication facts.

This week was our first outing to Aberdeen Gardens to visit the senior residents. Our younger students brought in a special item that they could share with the residents, and our older students brought along a piece of work that they could discuss. Students brought along things they have made, including a model airplane and an origami boat, as well as work such as a musical composition and a volcano project. Before we set out, we practiced introducing ourselves, having conversations about our special items, and politely concluding a conversation. The experienced students had the opportunity to mentor their younger classmates and assist in introductions. The residents of Aberdeen Gardens enjoyed meeting our students and discussing their work with them. It was a wonderful opportunity to contribute to our community, meet interesting people, and practice our social skills.

The Upper Elementary students have had their first O.W.L. class this week. They have also been studying democracy and learning about our upcoming election. As part of this work, they have voted to participate in Friday’s School Strike 4 Climate event. They have researched climate issues and prepared signs in anticipation of the event.

Michelle

Handbook Highlight

This week, we are highlighting the “Daily School Procedures” section of your Parent Handbook [p. 31 in the embedded viewer]. This section covers important procedures and information regarding:

  • Arrival
  • Late Arrivals
  • Absences
  • Dismissal
  • Authorized Pick-ups
  • Early Pick-up
  • Late Pick-up
  • Extra Care programs; and
  • Parking

Please take a few minutes to familiarize yourself with the “Daily School Procedures” section. Thank you.

Coming Up

Remember to check your Lyonsgate calendar regularly for up to date information.

PD Days (due to Rosh Hashanah the Primary (Aberdeen) campus is closed).
  • Monday, September 30, is a PD Day. Both Lyonsgate campuses are closed.
  • Tuesday, October 1, is a PD Day for the Primary (Aberdeen — Toddler and Casa) campus ONLY. Elementary is open for a regular school day; Before Care, After Care, and Extended Care will be at Elementary.
Parent Education

Toddler  and Elementary parents, your first Parent Education events of the school year are coming up next week. This year we are asking ALL parents to let us know if they will be attending Parent Education events, or not, so that we can better plan and accommodate.