Hello Lyonsgate Montessori Families,

Next Wednesday, Oct. 3, is your first Parent Education Evening at Lyonsgate. These evening events are very important and we strongly encourage you to attend. At Parent Education Evenings, you will learn a little more about Montessori education and what goes on in the classroom, and why. Childcare is available during the event. Please scroll down to the “Next Week” section for event details and to register for childcare.

This Week:

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Toddler:

Now that your children are out in the larger world of school, we’d like to let you know you that illness and injuries are going to become a regular part of their lives. Accidents resulting in minor injuries are a normal part of growth and exploration. If your child is injured at school during the day (bumps and scrapes and such) you will receive a report at the end of the day with details pertaining to the accident. For any (very rare) more significant injuries we will contact you during the day if medical attention is required. We will also call you if your child becomes ill while at school. Hamilton Public Health sets the rules for which illnesses require children to be absent from school, and for how long. For your convenience, we have made their “Illness Exclusion Table” available here (it’s a good one to bookmark).

A few other reminders from the Toddler guides:

  • Please remember to check the weather forecast each morning and ensure children have appropriate clothing for the weather — boots for rainy days, jacket for cooler days, hats and mitts for cold days — and, as always, please do your best to provide them with clothing they can put on and take off themselves to help encourage and develop independence.
  • Speaking of independence, it might not look perfect, but please join us in celebrating their successes throughout the process; clothes might be inside out and shoes might be on the wrong feet, but the children got them there themselves!

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Casa:

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Casa South has seen a lot of yoga and meditation activity over the past week. These are excellent activities for children still learning to refine the mind-body connection — being able to control our bodies so they do the things our brain wants them to do. Geography work with the Montessori Puzzle Map materials has also been popular. This material not only helps children learn basic geography, but also complements their sensori-motor skills as they develop the coordination and hand strength required when they start to write. Phonogram work with consonant blends — things like sh, th — is well underway in Casa South.

We are also excited to welcome you all to our first Parent Education Evening on Wednesday. Remember, childcare is available, and we hope all of our families are able to attend.

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Casa North:The early months of school tend to have many changes-of-clothes as children adjust to new washrooms, being extremely engaged with their work and forgetting to use to toilet, and so many water activities in the classroom. Please make sure that everything you send with your child is labelled so that in case of a mix-up (a child mistakenly taking someone else’s clothing home) we can easily return items back to their rightful owners. Thank you!

In terms of what has been happening this week, we have noticed a surge in independence in Casa North as the children are cleaning up their environment after lunch. We have been observing them with pride as they take ownership of their classroom and make sure their plates are scraped, their placemats are cleaned and returned to their designated spots, and their tables are wiped and the floor swept. We are thrilled to see their adjustment to this busy transition so early in the school year.

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Elementary:

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The Elementary class dove into the past this week, examining the history of life on Earth from the Paleozoic Era and exploring different impressions of the enormity of time with classic Montessori materials such as The Black Strip and The Clock of Eras. Students engaged in discussions of how geologic changes and events have affected the diversity of life seen today. The group also participated in their first outreach outing this year, delighting the residents of Aberdeen Gardens with a variety of Show and Tell items, including ballet demonstrations, a chess set, a storm lamp, as well as a variety of trophies, medals, and art pieces!  A few elementary notes:

  • Lyonsgate Elementary students will once again be participating in a fun run with students from other Montessori schools on Wednesday, Oct. 10, at LaSalle Park in Burlington. More details to come soon, but for now:
    • This year, the host school, Fairview Glen Montessori, is asking that each student make a $10.00 donation to their charitable support of SOS Children’s Villages-Uganda.
    • Parents are unfortunately not able to attend; the permit required to use the park has capacity limits. Thank you for understanding.

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Next Week:

As noted above, Wednesday, Oct. 3, is your first Parent Education Evening of the 2018.2019 school year. Here’s what you need to know:

  • Toddler, 3:30-4:00: Ms. Dee will be covering the Montessori approach to toileting.
  • Casa, 4:00-4:45: Ms. Boyle and Ms. Moffat will be discussing critical thinking and problem solving relative to the Casa child, and why making mistakes is a good thing.
  • Elementary, 5:00-5:45, at the Elementary campus on Locke St.: Parents are invited to take the stroll to our Locke St. Elementary campus where Ms. Achong will show you the Montessori history curriculum.
  • Childcare:
    • Children registered for childcare will have pizza available. If you already take advantage of after school care and/or extended care, and will be attending the Parent Education Evening, please also register for childcare for this event so that we know how many children to expect.
    • Please click here to register for Parent Education Evening childcare.
  • All parents are welcome and invited to attend all of the Parent Education sessions at each level.

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