Sunnybrook Montessori School

Block Road

We welcomed two new students this week.  We were excited to have new friends to play with, and they were quickly integrated into the class.  Welcome, welcome to our new friends!

Number Rod Addition

Tree Rings

We began to learn about trees this week.  At the science table we examined a cross cut of a tree and learned the names for the different sections – outer bark, cambium, sapwood, heartwood, and pith.  We are also using nomenclature cards to learn about the parts of a tree – crown, leaves, branches, trunk, and roots.  On Thursday we made pancakes and read the story Sugarbush Spring, about a little girl who helps her grandfather tap trees, collect the sap, and boil it down into syrup.

Pancakes

During music time on Tuesday we took out the parachute and had fun pulling it down over us, sitting on it, and singing songs together in our big orange cave.  We also had a great time taking turns running underneath and switching spots.

Bubble Painting

At the art table we did some bubble painting.  Children took straws and blew into small cups of paint, water, and dish detergent to create colorful bubbles, then set the paper on top to take a bubble print.  Some children also used the straws to blow the paint across the paper, creating a different effect.

We started working on some long overdue thank you cards to our classroom visitors, which everyone will sign next week.

Thank You Cards

Continent Maps

The kindergarten students have started tracing, pin punching, and coloring the continents for their continent maps.   We are looking forward to seeing the completed projects.

Teen Board

Block Structure

Bunny

On Thursday morning we had some special visitors.  Eight baby bunnies came to our classroom, and we all very carefully and quietly sat in a circle to help them feel calm and safe.  They hopped around, visiting and exploring.  Everyone had a chance to hold them, and many of them fell asleep on laps.

Bunnies Sleeping

Rubio and the Three Osos

During Spanish we continued to learn about duro (hard) and suave (soft).   Zeanny read Mortimer again, one of our very favorite books because we get to sing very, very loudly, and Rubio and the three Osos.  We also sang and moved to some of our favorite songs.

Next week we will continue to learn about maple sugaring, and begin to learn about composting, recycling, and worms.

MUD!

Mud season has officially arrived!  All of those low spots in the playground did a glorious job of becoming mud holes for the children to wallow in.  We still have a bit of snow left, so all that lovely brown stuff will be with us for a while longer, much to the children’s delight.  They enjoyed sending the toys through the puddles for a “wash” and pouring the dirty water over sleds full of snow.  They also had fun getting their boots stuck and yelling for help to free them.

The Mudwash

Growing Beans

In honor of spring we began growing beans.  The children rolled up some paper towels and placed them in clear plastic cups.  They poured water in the bottom which wicked up the towel, then dropped beans in the side.  We will observe them over the next few weeks to see what happens.  We talked about what plants need in order to grow, and the children agreed that sun, water, dirt, and air were needed.  We began to learn “The Garden Song,” also known as “Inch by Inch.”

Cutting

Beanbag Toss Letter Game

Stringing Beads

We finished reading the story How Full Is Your Bucket? and the children shared some things that make their buckets full.  We recorded the comments on pieces of paper and dropped them into our own bucket.

We have been doing some brainstorming during circle for a class story project.  So far the children have picked a theme – trashcans.  They have picked the characters – Luigi the trashcan, Trashcan the trashcan, and another trashcan, whose name I can’t remember.  We have narrowed down the setting and will decide on that next week, after which we will begin to write our story!

Yarn Balloon Eggs

At the art table we did a couple of projects this week.  On Tuesday we attempted to make yarn covered balloon eggs, but found that the balloons were much more interesting than the project.  On Wednesday we used up the rest of our ice cube paints.

Ice Cube Painting

Star of the Week

Our star of the week shared her fabulous book about herself, and we enjoyed all of the pictures she drew and the writing she did.  We learned that she prefers to swim in a pool (NOT the ocean), she lives with her mom, dad, and Babushka (grandmother), and she plays the piano.

Writing

Scooping Marbles

Pin Punching

Letter Work

We celebrated our fourth birthday of the month on Wednesday.  We did not have the birthday girl walk around the sun, but we enjoyed singing funny birthday songs to her.  Happy Birthday Sue!

Writing on the Chalkboard

Sharing Her Gymnastics Trophy

Counting Pegs

Building Cube Towers

Counting Deditos Song

During Spanish this week we continued to discuss things that are duro (hard) and suave (soft).  We found out that suave can mean both how something feels, and the kind of sound that something makes.

Easter Bunny

On Friday the students enjoyed spending the day with Emily.  They had a visit from the Easter Bunny, made a special Paul Klee Castle and Sun art project, did a special spring reading activity, built another obstacle course, and had fun getting wet and muddy outside.  Thank you so much to Emily for a great Friday!

Spring Reading Activity

Paul Klee Castle and Sun Art

Watering the Plants

We had another full week working together!

We welcomed a new student to our class.  Many friends already knew her from visits to the library.  She was warmly welcomed and quickly integrated into the group.

Cindy in the Sand

We were thrilled to have Cindy visit us on Tuesday while she is home for spring break.

Reading to Cindy

Happy 4th Birthday!

On Tuesday we celebrated our third birthday of the month.  Our friend was excited to hold the globe and circle the sun four times in honor of his fourth year.  He shared tie-die cupcakes with blue frosting and chocolate chips – yum!  Happy birthday friend!

Enjoying Birthday Cupcakes

Star of the Week

Our star of the week wrote and illustrated a great book about himself, and we enjoyed listening to him read it to us and looking at all of the pictures he drew.  We learned that his favorite toy is a bow and arrow that he made (with a little help), his favorite Wii game is “Mario Cart,” and his favorite book is Don’t Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late!

Sledding

Goofy Friends

We learned about feelings and friendship this week.  We read the story Have You Filled a Bucket Today? and began the story How Full Is Your Bucket?, which we will finish this coming week. (This 6 minute video reads the story How Full Is Your Bucket? if you would like to share it with your child and see what bucket filling is about.)  We learned the song “Make New Friends, But Keep the Old.”  We looked at some faces of happy children, and some faces of sad children, and made happy and sad faces of our own.  At the art table we drew pictures of happy and sad faces.  We will continue to talk about how we can help others who may be feeling unhappy, what we can do when we are feeling negative emotions to help ourselves, and ways that we can be good friends to each other.

Angry Face Monster

Spindle Boxes

A Shark Story

Everyone was so excited when our friend, who had been travelling for over a month, returned to school!  She told us about seeing a shark while she was at the beach in Florida, and showed us a picture that she drew of herself when she saw the shark.  Can you tell how she was feeling? Welcome back!  You were missed, good friend!

Cutting

Map Tracing

Marble Transfer

Copying a Quote

Making Cajeta de Coco

On Wednesday afternoon Zeanny came in to cook with us.  We mixed up some Cajeta De Coco, a sweet coconut treat.  It was so yummy!

Reading

Just As I Am

Thursday was Down Syndrome Day.  Many students wore their yellow and blue in honor, and we enjoyed yummy yellow and blue cupcakes.  Emily brought in some yellow and blue ribbons and tied them into the children’s hair.  Sue talked to us about what Down Syndrome is.  We learned about chromosomes and that people with Down Syndrome have an extra copy of chromosome 21.  This extra chromosome causes difficulties, including some possible health problems, learning delays, and physical characteristics.  We each made a model of a chromosome by wrapping a pipe cleaner around a pencil to make it all curly, then folding it in half.

Painting

Oso Hide and Seek

During Spanish we learned about how things feel – duro (hard), suave (soft), aspero (rough), and liso (smooth).  We did our favorite activity of telling a hide and seek story with the flannel board oso familia (bear family).

Friday students enjoyed making paper mache bowls in the morning with Tammy.  They all decided that they needed some money, so they began making bills and adding them up.  In the afternoon they decided to create an obstacle course, so they pulled the tables and chairs together, and we set up some other activities.  They had fun crawling under the tables, over the chairs, walking the line, helping each other sound out words, building towers, and writing sight words.  It was a great end to another great week!

Through the Tables

Sight Word Writing

Building a Tower

Sounding Out Words

Over the chairs

Next week we will continue to focus on emotions and friendship.  We will also begin to look forward to spring!  Parent Teacher Conferences are scheduled for Friday, April 5^th.  The sign up sheet is posted on the bulletin board. Please be sure to schedule a session.

Building a baricade

The children enjoyed another industrious winter week.

The winner of the Iditarod crossed the finish line on Tuesday, and Lance Mackey, who we were following, finished in 19th place on Wednesday.

MUD!

Fat and Fur

We began learning about New Hampshire Wildlife.  We talked about how animals stay warm in the winter without clothes.  All of the children recognized that most animals have nice warm fur, but there are some animals, like seals and whales, that have fat under their skin to keep them warm.  We took turns holding ice in our bare hands, then with a wool mitten, and again with a “blubber mitten.”   The afternoon students spent some time exploring the fur from a bear, raccoon, coyote, fisher cat, and bobcat.

Reading

Magnets

Animal Tracks

At the art table we used small and large stamps to make animal tracks across our snow white paper.

The Bear and the Princesses

Tong Transfer

Tracing Maps

Star of the week

Our star of the week celebrated her fifth birthday on Tuesday.  During circle we enjoyed learning about her family, that her favorite animals are unicorns and butterflies, and her daddy helped her make her book about herself.  Happy 5^th birthday!

Happy 5th Birthday!

Banana Bread

On Wednesday afternoon some of the students made banana bread by mashing up bananas and combining them with flour, oil, eggs, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.  They did an excellent job measuring, pouring, and mixing. We enjoyed eating it with our lunch on Thursday.

Stamp Game

Cylinder Blocks

Copying a Quote

Dividing up the Leprechaun Gold

When the children arrived at school on Thursday morning, they were surprised to see little green footprints all over the room.  They followed them from the front door, past the easels and snack table, by the piano, through the shelves, and into the fireplace.  They searched and searched for the leprechaun’s gold, and finally found it in the washcloth basket.  They distributed it evenly so that everyone got some.

Reading

Puzzles

Water Transfer

Working

Stamp Game

I Can Read With My Eyes Shut

The Cat in the Hat came later in the morning, in honor of Dr. Seuss’ birthday.  We listened to the story, I Can Read With My Eyes Shut, then we each got to pick a book to take home.  Everyone was so excited about their new books that we spent some time reading them before heading outside.

Hugs for the Cat

Browsing Books

On Thursday evening many students returned to school for Teddy Bear Story Time.  They dressed in cozy pj’s, brought their blankets and stuffies, ate popcorn and grapes, and listened to some bedtime stories.  One of our friends read Quack Quack Come Back, then we listened to This Little Chick, Goodnight Moon, Time for Bed, and Sleep Like a Tiger. It was fun to be at school with many of our friends and parents at night!

Tortugas

During Spanish we continued to practice and learn the Spanish names of various animals.  Zeanny played a game where she called out an animal name and everyone pretended to be that animal.   We also played  the gigante game, where we stand way up tall to be giants, and shrink way down small.

Friday Fun House

Iceberg

Friday students learned about icebergs and water displacement.  They measured water in a container, then added ice and saw how much the water rose.  They watched it throughout the day to see if the water level rose, stayed the same, or went down as the ice melted.  They observed that the ice floated, but that very little of it was visible above the water.

Gerrie Scott read Goodnight Moon to us.  We also read Click, Clack, Moo, Cows That Type and some of the children wrote letters to Farmer Brown.

Dear Farmer Brown

A Sign for the Fence

For a special project the children painted a beautiful sign for our playground fence.

Next week we will celebrate our third birthday this month.  Thursday is Down Syndrome day, and Sue will be talking to us about Down Syndrome.

Monday night, March 18, from 6-7 PM we will present the second of three Montessori Workshops.  We will be demonstrating and talking about the Sensorial and Math Areas of the classroom.  We hope you can join us!  If you need childcare, please contact me to reserve a spot.