Hemlock Class

Thank you all for attending the conferences. It was truly delightful to see everyone and share in the learning experiences of your children in the class.

This month, we delved deeper into our lessons on various modes of transportation: land, water, and air. We explored different types and conducted science experiments related to each mode. The kids thoroughly enjoyed creating art and crafts centered around the theme.

We were fortunate to have a parent who works at Alaska Airlines visit to discuss safety rules regarding air transportation. They even brought along a model seat belt, which was quite informative.

Additionally, Mrs. Fidelis’s son, who is a junior studying aerospace engineering at the University of Washington, visited our class to talk about rockets and space stations. The children were highly engaged, asking numerous questions and showing genuine interest in the topic.

Thank you for your ongoing support, and please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions.

Buckeye Class

Spring has finally arrived!

Thank you all for taking the time out to attend conferences. We really enjoyed sharing things about friendships, learning activities, and things that peak your child’s curiosity. Seeing their individual growth in kindness, confidence and academics made it fun to share!
In our practical life area, children are now washing their own dishes after eating a snack! This is just one of the many skills they will collect as they learn to care for their environment. We have also introduced chalk board washing and eggshell grinding with a mortar and pestle. Eggshells are loaded with calcium to stimulate plant growth.
It was so much fun having a firefighter visit to share with us fire safety tips and give us a tour of the fire truck and its tools. The children even got to sit in the fire truck. Considering it is Women’s History Month, it was a bonus to highlight a female firefighter and to show appreciation for her contributions.

We also enjoyed three more classroom visitors. Roshanna’s family shared with us the music of the santoor instrument, singing, and the many traditions surrounding Nowruz. Dante’s mother, Fernanda, came in to teach the children some dances. They had so much fun! Jahvan’s family shared with us traditions behind the Persian spring celebration of Nowruz, including the meaning behind the various symbols. This marks the rebirth and renewal of nature and the beginning of a new year.

In class we too put focus on the vernal equinox, Spring, and how season changes are related to the Earth’s movement around the Sun and the tilt of the Earth.

In music, the children have been experimenting with the xylophone and the incredibly special Montessori bells and music notes.
As the weather is beginning to get warmer, please remind your child to bring a filled water bottle to school. We will be spending a lot more time outside both working and playing.
People are curious by nature and in science we learned that we use our five senses to make observations and to learn about the world around us. We are noticing small signs of spring in nature daily. Maria Montessori believed that nature helps to awaken a child’s senses, stimulates their curiosity, and encourages them to explore and experiment.

Our larger unit study began this month and is centered in Earth science. It is difficult to imagine that the universe is much bigger than what we see around us each day. We began with the birth of the universe, the Big Bang. A science experiment helped us to visualize this creation story by showing the cosmic dance of particles. Another science experiment demonstrated the expansion of the universe with stars and galaxies moving further and further apart. We moved on to discussing the ongoing “element factory” (stellar nucleosynthesis) that is going on in the cores of all stars and their life cycle. Then it was on to the largest mass in the Solar System, our star, the Sun. Without its heat and light, plants and people could not exist on Earth. The Sun’s gravity holds the entire solar system together and drives the Earth’s weather, ocean currents and temperatures. Throughout the next few weeks, we will learn all kinds of interesting things about our planets, our moon, asteroids, comets, and space travel too. I think, by the end of the week, many children will have the song “The Family of the Sun” committed to memory!
Thank you to Mrs. Leach who shared with the class some of the traditional activities she has enjoyed during her family’s celebration of St. Patrick’s Day including parades, storytelling and spreading love.

In honor of Spring and right before the Easter holiday, each child will have a chance to hunt for a Spring surprise in our school yard at the end of this month.

We cannot wait to dig into plants and gardening!