9/4/2015 | Primary 1

Welcome to our 2015-2016 school year. With so many returning students, the P1 work cycles have been quiet and productive.

We are also happy to report that several of our new students are siblings of former Kindergarteners, so many of them had a sense of how to move around the classroom and follow the basic guidelines.

We are emphasizing our grace and courtesy lessons, such as turn taking especially in highly demanded areas in the classroom (like art and snack) and how to handle disappointment when the first choice is not available and a different job has to be chosen.

The aim of a Montessori classroom is to have it organized and logically sequenced so that the first job, found on the top left place on a shelf gives the foundational lesson on the subject, and the jobs become more advanced and detailed as the student moves to the right and then down a shelf.

With our new students, it is important to carefully deliver the lessons (especially the first time) so that the student can repeat the process successfully and master the skill intended with practice.

Our curriculum is guided by a monthly cultural theme. The first month we are focusing on “land, air and water.”

Ms. Nancy delivered a group lesson where the students learned that they were standing on land (the carpet) and the rock they were holding actually was originally part of a mountain. Air was felt by blowing on their finger. When Ms. Nancy blew air through the flute, the sound was made because it traveled through air.

Finally, we listened to water being poured into a pitcher and a student pointed out that there were three areas in our classroom that brought water to our room.

We encourage you to continue the conversation at home about these cultural topics as it enhances your child’s understanding of the ideas presented and it engages their communication skills. We were amazed by some of the questions and comments our students expressed during the lesson.