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Winter/Spring NewsletterIssue 3
Curlew Montessori Newsletter
Dear Parents,
With the change of seasons already upon us and the anticipation of spring in the air, our classroom is buzzing with a cornucopia of activity - from the Pouring activities in our Practical life area to multiplication in our Math area, our students have mastered routines, learnt a new language (or two!) and are steadily advancing in the Montessori classroom by working diligently with a wide variety of materials. The progress of our students, whether it is their first, second or third year in the classroom always promises to fascinate. What is truly amazing though is the ease in which they seem to absorb the information they receive and then transfer it to their everyday life! Our Show and Tell circles are showing great progress. We are pleasantly surprised to note that even our first years are eager participants! Curlew Montessori is pleased to announce some major purchases in our classroom like the Bead Cabinet, Clock Material, The Stamp Game, Storybook Alphabet and a variety of other materials that enhance the quality of learning. Although these purchases are primarily intended for our third years, they also arouse healthy
Welcome Spring!
Contents
Administrator’s News 1
Birthdays 1
Passage of Time 2
Water Colour Painting 3
Susan Barter 4
Birth Announcements 5
Page 2 of 6Newsletter
curiosity and exciting expectations in the younger children of the classroom. We are especially pleased about the purchase of our new cubbies and revamped cloakroom area. We anticipate this change to greatly help during transition times.We extend a warm welcome to all the new families that have joined our school community during the school year and are happy to observe our school continue to grow and flourish. We thank our existing parents for their referrals and recognize that the best reputation for a school is by word of mouth.Let us strive to make as much progress in the remaining months of our academic year and remember to have fun as we continue to make the most memorable memories!
Ms. Raihana
Where every child matters!
Raihana MohideenAdministrator
One of the areas of History in the Montessori Culture curriculum is the Passage of Time. This includes a series of lessons that introduce the child to an idea of history. Montessori had a “panoramic vision of history” which involves the story of humans since they appeared on the earth. History makes humans unique from other mammals. We have a sense of time and can record the passage of time. We are able to learn from the past to change or create our future. The concept of history creates a sense of belonging to our family, community, country and as part of humankind. Montessori believed that giving the young child a concept of the passage of time is an important way for the child to develop the ability to deal with change. The History curriculum does this by introducing concepts in three major categories: understanding a succession of events; by looking at the changing seasons and finally by seeing changes in the child’s own body. In order to develop the child’s sense of history, we have the following lessons:Sequence of Time- this is a simple but important lesson that includes picture cards of everyday tasks in the child’s life. For example, taking a bath, doing the dishes, writing a letter or getting dressed. Each picture is discussed and placed in order while the story of the event is given. The child is then asked to place the cards in the correct order and tell a story of the event.Seasons-this introduces the child to the four seasons through the use of pictures or objects that the child can sort into one of the categories. In our classrooms we
Passage of Time in Montessori have pictures of trees that show
the changes they go through as the season changes.Daily Calendar and Weather Chart- these lessons allow the child to keep track of the days of the week and month and also the weather. Through this, conversations about how the weather is changing through the seasons give the child further understanding of each season and a sense of time passing.Personal Timeline- this is a lesson in which the child is able to discuss the changes in their lives up to this point. The child uses pictures of special events that have happened in order to develop a timeline of their life. The pictures provide a visual concept of the growth and development of skills that the child has gone through over a period of years. Clock Presentation- as the child’s sense history develops we introduce them to the concept of telling time. First we teach the time on the hour, then half past the hour and finally we teach a quarter past and a quarter to the hour.These are the formal lessons given in the History curriculum, however one other major part of giving the child an understanding of the passage of time is the Birthday Celebration. Since this is done in circle, children of all ages are exposed to this lesson from the beginning of their time at Curlew Montessori. This celebration brings together the concepts of the seasons and the personal timeline in an individual way. By the end of the child’s three years in a Montessori classroom hopefully, they are able to better understand the concept of the Passage of Time and the importance of their place in it.
BirthdaysJan 10 Sierra
Feb 16 Brandon
Mar 23 Jorja
Mar 17 Ms. Christine
Mar 9 Ms. Hossai
Mar 6 Olivia
Apr 3 Tom
May 12 Megan
May 13 Kayden
May 23 Jessica
May 28 Gennie
Page 3 of 6Newsletter Where every child matters!
Montessori believed in teaching children about art in our culture and the importance of surrounding ourselves with beauty. In our classrooms we have many art activities on our shelves. One of the most unusual perhaps for this age group is Water colour Painting. When giving this lesson, the directress emphasizes the importance of having a “lightness of touch”. This is a concept that is promoted in the child’s previous work with the touch tablets and the continued work the child does with the Sandpaper Letters and Numbers.
Initially, the child is shown how to wet the delicate brush and gently dab paint onto it. A discussion may take place about how the paint is not dark in colour as the paint at the easel, but more watery and “transparent”. When we give the lesson we make patterns with the paint, this is done so that the child does not imitate a picture we have made but rather may create something that has meaning to them. By the end of the child’s third year, it is utterly amazing the beauty and detail they may create with this medium.
Water Colour Painting
Curlew Montessori School hosted a Teacher initiated Parent Education Night at the beginning of the Montessori academic year.We thank all our parents for taking time off their busy schedules to attend this fantastic event!
We hope that this evening has helped bridge the understanding of the Montessori curriculum and why things are done a certain way in the Montessori Classroom.
Parent Education Night – Oct 2010
Arts and crafts
“When we give the lesson we make patterns with the paint, this is done so that the child does not imitate a picture we have made but rather may create something that has meaning to them”.
Page 4 of 6Newsletter Where every child matters!
I thrive on learning something new every day and working with children so it was only natural for me to be involved in education at an early age. I worked at a Toronto independent school for girls for over 25 years where I enjoyed many different opportunities along the way –highlights were being an elementary teacher, a computer teacher and the administrator of the Junior Kindergarten to Grade 6 school. I worked with other educators in many different areas - enriched curriculum, professional development for parents and teachers, bullying programs, collaborative learning and leadership, strategic planning and fund raising.After retirement I researched the Montessori philosophy and accepted an Administrative position at a Toronto Montessori school for 5 years. During this time I witnessed how a Montessori child learns valuable life-long skills which contribute to a successful academic career. I was thrilled to combine my knowledge and experience on enriching learning for children and the Montessori’s unique and successful philosophy.
Currently I work as a part time educational consultant working with Montessori administrators. In addition I counsel parents who would like to send their child to a private school and offer Secondary School Academic Testing tutoring. This allows me to continue to learn something new every day and share some family time with my husband, my son and my dog.
REMINDERS!
Front DoorPlease remember that the front door is closed after 9 a.m. If this is your expected time of arrival please be patient with wait times at the door. Class is already in session and we have to ensure that students are supervised prior to leaving them. We thank you for your cooperation and understanding.
Re-enrollment FormsRe-registration forms will be sent out in March. We would appreciate your response by the due date as this will help us prepare for the next academic year.
Parent Survey Please take a moment to complete our survey. It is intended to be used as a strategic planning tool to enhance our program and services. We thank you for your time and appreciate your effort.
Susan Barter – Curlew Montessori Consultant
Page 5 of 6Newsletter Where every child matters!
Eva Kathleen Traikos was born on October 18th at 1:43pm; weighing 7lb 10oz. James is very excited to be big brother!
Welcome to the world Eva Kathleen Traikos!
Curlew Montessori School81 Curlew Drive
Toronto, ONM3A 2P8Phone:
(416) 385-7373Fax:
(416) 385-3686E-mail:
We’re on the Web!www.curlewmontessori.com
We would love to hear from you!
Page 7 of 7Newsletter Where every child matters!
