Sunnybrook Montessori School

Please join us on Saturday, February 14th for a Family Valentine Breakfast!

All proceeds will go to the newly developed Sunnybrook Scholarship Fund.

Time: 8-11 AM

Cost: $5 children, $7 children 12 years and up & adults

Location: Lancaster Assembly of God Church – 637 Main Street – Click here for a map

Please spread the word!  All are welcome!

Friends

Brrrr!  The frigid temperatures kept us inside most of the week, but the children did not mind doing indoor activities.  On Monday it was warm enough to head out, so we travelled over to Colonel Town and went sledding on the big hill.  It was a lot of fun!

the big hill

sledding!

Winter Fun!

lines

During Monday art, the students continued to learn about lines in art.  After reading the story, The Line by Paula Bossio, we tried making art with one continuous line, which was a lot trickier than we thought it would be!

bird parts nomenclature match

bird parts books

examining a nest

We continued to learn all about birds this week.  We read about nests and the different methods and materials birds use to build them.  We examined and compared two nests donated by the Shannon family.  We observed that one was made of moss, mud, string, and some grasses, and the other was constructed almost entirely of grasses and roots woven together.  We also read about eggs and baby birds hatching.  We examined and learned about all the parts of an egg, including the shell, membrane, albumen, yolk, and the white spot on the yolk that would turn into a baby chick.  We also discussed predators and prey, and named many different animals and their roles as predator or pray, including penguins and leopard seals, robins and worms, and flamingos and shrimp.  Finally, we listened to a variety of bird songs and calls, including a robin, eagle, owls, and crow.

“Bluebird, bluebird, come through my window”

clean mud

practical life

morning work

sound game

rug work

painting

number line

puzzle challenge

sorting animals

table work

sharpening pencils

wooden word cards

vowel sound books

matching and identifying birds

At the science table the children enjoyed examining the nests and feathers, and locating and matching our bird models with the birds on the bird poster.  Many children can identify and name several birds, such as robin, eagle, flamingo, peacock, owl, chicken, duck, ostrich, and turkey.

studying birds

rubber egg

On Friday the children were excited to check out the egg we had been soaking in vinegar since Wednesday.  When we took it out, they observed that there was a lot of brown gunk at the top, and more on the egg that rubbed off.  They quickly determined that the vinegar had removed the shell, leaving the membrane only to protect the egg.  They took turns holding it, then bouncing it until it broke.  We decided to soak an egg in water over the weekend to see what happens.  It will be interesting to see if the water has any effect on it.

Friday morning work

recording bird facts

The kindergarten students began researching and recording information for a report on birds.  They listened to the book, All About Birds, then wrote down important facts.  They will read and record information from several more books before organizing it and writing a report.  They were so excited that they wanted to write as many facts as they could fit on the page!

inside recess fun

It was great to return to school this week.  We were all ready to get back to our friends and work!  The cold temperatures kept us inside for most of the week, but we had a lot of fun doing some inside recess activities and games, such as magna-tiles, Knex, Playmobile garden, Reptangles, Sleeping Queens, Rivers, Roads, & Rails, etc.

indoor games

plow truck

When it was warm enough to get out, the children shoveled roads all around the playground then pulled friends in sleds and drove trucks along them.

shoveling roads

sled ride

push and pull

3D hand drawing

During Monday art we learned about lines.  We read Lines by Philip Yenawine about lines in art, and Lines that Wiggle by Candace Whitman.  Then we used lines to trace our hands and create 3D hand images.

coloring a heron

We began learning about birds, which we will be studying through the month of January.  Everyone was excited to share all of the things that they know about birds.  We know that birds lay eggs, most of them fly, most of them build nests, they sing or call, but the thing that makes a bird a bird is feathers!  All birds have feathers, and they are the only creatures that do.  We read the book, Feathers, Not Just for Flying, and learned that there are different types of feathers that have different jobs – flight feathers for flying, feathers for repelling water, feathers for soaking up water, feathers for warmth,  feathers that act as snow shoes, etc.

We also began to learn about the seven continents.  We are learning their names and where they are located on a map.  We began to discuss where we live – on the continent of North America, in the country of The United States of America, in the states of Vermont and New Hampshire, and in the towns of Lunenburg, Maidstone, Groveton, Lancaster, Dalton, Whitefield, and Jefferson.

clean up time

“e” books

geometric solids

letter work

reading

rhyming pictures

shape matching

sight words

sound sort

floor work

keeping that black bird in the air!

On Thursday we pulled out the parachute and had a lot of fun shaking it to make a bird fly all around, singing songs, running underneath, and sitting underneath.

grating soap

In the sensory table the children made clean mud.  They unrolled several rolls of toilet paper, grated bars of soap, then mixed it up with a bit of water and created a seriously fun moldable dough that they smooshed, poked, mounded up, and formed into all sorts of creations.

more grating

unrolling the toilet paper

writing with quills

At the art table the children used feather quills and ink to write and draw.

dancing

testing out the fat mitten

Friday students further explored feathers for science.  They examined feathers with magnifying glasses, then drew pictures of the feathers to show the shaft, vane, and barbs.  They pulled apart the feathers then zipped them back up, as the sections have small hooks like Velcro called barbs so that if the feather is torn it can go right back together.  We also talked about migration and how some birds leave the cold to survive, and others use downy feathers to stay warm, but what about penguins who live in the coldest place on earth?  The children stuck their hands in a bucket of ice water then put on a “fat mitten” and tested the water again.  They discovered that the fat kept their hands from feeling the cold, just like the fat penguins have under their skin. They also tried walking like father Emperor penguins who have to hold the egg on their feet for 3 months.  That was very tricky!

walking with eggs on their feet

sleds and shovels

The much anticipated week before vacation was full of fun!

The students continued to enjoy all of the snow activities during outside time.  Wednesday rain kept us inside, but the children had fun doing rainy day activities, including Knex, magna tiles, magnets, etc.

snow fun with friends

sledding

rainy day activities

Knex

Monday Art

The art table was busy with lots of pastel coloring and water color painting on small mat boards.

The marbles in the sensory table were busy rolling through tubes, pouring through fingers, and bunching in bowls.

water colors and pastels

It was exciting to go upstairs to practice for the Winter Performance.  It was interesting to see the chapel, file up onto the stage, and sing and recite the songs and poems in that new, big space.

sorting the farm animals

reading

puppet show

number work

letters to Santa

letter sounds

rug work

dice addition

continent map tracing

blocks

stories in the fort

Pajama day was glorious!  A giant fort was constructed in the middle of the classroom, and everyone had fun snuggling up underneath, chatting with friends, playing, and listening to lots and lots of stories!  The children enjoyed yummy popcorn, hot chocolate, and muffins for snack, then they got to roll, cut, decorate, and eat sugar cookies.  Fun and delicious!

cutting time

rolling the dough

cookie decorating (and eating!)

holiday cards

Friday students were very helpful, hard workers.  They spent the day setting up and preparing for the performance, tidying up the classroom and putting away materials, moving the furniture away from the walls for the installation of new windows, then taking a break to create holiday cards.

The children put on a great Winter Performance.  It was so entertaining to see them singing and smiling up on the stage.  It was wonderful to have so many families there to support the children.  Thank you!

Down With Darkness

Happy Holidays!

Tis the season