October 2025
Peek Inside our Children’s House Community
Dear Bobcat Families,
What a wonderful month it has been! Our classroom has been filled with the joy and focus that comes from engaging, practical life activities, and this month, we had a particularly delicious experience: baking cornbread.The children absolutely loved every step of the process. In the Montessori environment, baking is so much more than just a treat—it’s a powerful lesson in Practical Life, Mathematics, and Culture.
Why We Bake
Practical Life: From scooping flour and cracking an egg to whisking the wet ingredients, the children were practicing fine motor control, concentration, and order. Each step required careful attention, fostering independence and a sense of responsibility for the task.
Mathematics: Measuring 1/2 cup of cornmeal, counting the teaspoons of baking powder, and understanding the concept of a "whole" recipe broken into "parts" is a direct, concrete lesson in fractions, addition and volume.
Culture & Community: Sharing the finished cornbread together at our snack table provided a wonderful opportunity to practice grace and courtesy and appreciate the delicious result of their hard work.
Cultural and Language Enrichment
This month, our classroom has been cheerfully humming with the sounds of Spanish! The children have especially enjoyed singing the song "Mariposita" (Little Butterfly). We hear them singing this tune as they concentrate on their work.
If you'd like to sing along at home, you can find the version we use here: Mariposita by Galinha Pintadinha - Topic
Our Circle Time Favorites
Reading time at circle is a cherished part of our day, building language skills, comprehension, and a lifelong love of books. The children had two favorite books this month:
The Hare Who Wouldn't Share by Steve Small
The Rabbit Listened by Cori Doerrfeld
These stories prompted wonderful discussions about empathy, listening, and friendship. Thank you Mia for sharing your wonderful books with all of us.
A Note on Home Reading and Blending
I strongly encourage you to continue reading to your child every night. This shared ritual builds connection and language skills that are priceless.
If your child is currently working on blending sounds (sounding out words like C-A-T to form "cat"), I encourage you to read together for a focused 5 to 10 minutes each night. Remember:
Keep it Fun! This should be a joyful and enjoyable experience, not a stressful one.
Be Patient: In the beginning, it is perfectly normal for children to sound out each letter to form a word slowly.
Trust the Process: With daily, positive practice, their reading will gradually begin to resemble their everyday speech, becoming more cheerful and engaging. This is a gradual process, and every child moves at their own unique pace.
I love Bob Books - Set 1: Beginning Readers Box Set by Bobby Lynn Maslen
Bringing the Lesson Home: Simple Cornbread Recipe
We encourage you to try this wonderful baking activity with your child at home, reinforcing the skills they practiced in the classroom!
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons of sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk
1 large egg
1/3 cup vegetable or canola oil
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 425° degrees and coat the inside of a 9- inch pie plate, cast iron skillet, or 8x8 casserole dish with non- stick spray (or butter for more flavor).
2. In a large bowl, stir together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt until evenly combined.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, egg, and oil.
4. Pour the bowl of wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients and stir just until everything is moist. Avoid over stirring. It's okay if there are a few lumps.
Pour the batter into the prepared dish and bake for about 20 minutes, or until the top and edges are golden brown.
We look forward to another fruitful month of learning!
Warmly,
Ms. Hany and Ms. Rocio
Dear Cactus Wren Families,
It has been an amazing October, and we are excited for the colder mornings, with the children enjoying the outdoor environment. This past month, we have been learning about fall and what happens during this beautiful season. The children have also been practicing hammering wooden golf tees into pumpkins and washing some pumpkins, both activities are great to refine fine motor skills. We have talked about the different kinds of pumpkins we can find at stores and we have learned about differences between them.
Another thing we enjoyed so much was our delicious cornbread. Below is the recipe for the cornbread for your family to enjoy at home!
Corn Bread
· ½ cup yellow cornmeal
· ½ cup all-purpose flour
· 4 tablespoons of sugar
· 1 tsp baking powder
· ¼ tsp salt
· ½ cup milk
· 1 large egg
· 1/3 cup vegetable or canola oil
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees and coat the inside of a 9-inch pie plate, cast iron skillet, or 8x8 casserole dish with non-stick spray (or butter for more flavor)
2. In a large bowl, stir together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt until evenly combined.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, egg, and oil.
4. Pour the bowl of wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients and stir until everything is moist. Avoid over stirring. It is okay if there are a few lumps.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared dish and bake for about 20 minutes, or until the top and edges are golden brown. Cut and serve.
In our Cactus Wren family we love to sing and dance. Our favorite song this month was ‘’ En otoño las hojitas” by Trepsi. This calm song talks about leaves falling from the trees involving different movements.
Thank you, families, for all your support and letting us be a part of your child’s journey!
Warmly,
Joselyne and luisana
Dear Gray Fox Families,
As we bid farewell to September and welcome October with open arms, I am excited to share the highlights of this fun-filled and vibrant month in Gray Fox. The arrival of fall has brought cooler weather, colorful leaves, and new opportunities for learning and exploration.
Exploring the Wonders of Fall
Since the start of the season, our classroom has been immersed in learning about pumpkins and gourds. Our museum table is filled with a beautiful collection of different kinds of pumpkins and gourds, sparking curiosity and hands-on exploration. The children have been learning about the parts of a pumpkin and using these natural materials for counting activities with pumpkins and pinecones.
In our outdoor environment, we’ve added new seasonal works like washing pumpkins and hammering nails into pumpkins, which have been a big hit with the children! These activities help strengthen fine motor skills and provide wonderful sensory experiences while connecting with the season.
Cultural Exploration and Food Sharing
We always enjoy introducing our children to new foods and seasonal flavors. This month, we baked corn bread, and it was a delightful treat that everyone enjoyed together! If your child has access to seasonal, culturally special, or exciting ingredients that can be shared safely (while keeping allergies in mind), we welcome your contributions to our food experiences in the classroom.
Here’s a simple and delicious Corn Bread Recipe you can try at home with your family this fall:
Corn Bread
Ingredients:
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil (or melted butter)
2 large eggs
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C) and lightly grease an 8x8-inch baking pan.
In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
In a separate bowl, mix milk, oil, and eggs until well combined.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir just until blended—don’t overmix.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 20–25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Let it cool slightly before cutting into squares. Enjoy warm with butter or honey!
Transitioning to Cooler Weather
With fall in full swing, we encourage children to practice independence by zipping and buttoning their jackets. This helps them build confidence while keeping warm during outdoor play. Please ensure jackets and sweaters go home daily, as we have limited cubby space.
Thank you, as always, for your continued support and partnership.
Warmly,
Ms. Rama and Ms. Silvia
Hello Jackrabbit Families,
What a great month we had at the Jackrabbits, we hope everyone had a fun and restful Fall Break. Now that the weather is changing, the children have been enjoying more our beautiful outdoor environment, as well as spending time gardening and taking such care of it. We have been reading about pumpkins, and we also have on our museum table some types of pumpkins which the children have been enjoying.
Thank you to each one of our beautiful families and to our amazing parent helpers (Crystal, Riley, Rachel, Stephanie and Lynn) we can’t thank you enough for all your support for our “Speakeasy event”, we are excited to help raise funds for our “Esperanza Charity Foundation”, your help is appreciated, and the event is just around the corner.
The children have been baking Corn Bread, here is the recipe if you would like to bake at home with your child.
Corn Bread
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons of sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk
1 large egg
1/3 cup vegetable or canola oil
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and coat the inside of a 9-
inch pie plate, cast iron skillet, or 8x8 casserole dish with non-
stick spray (or butter for more flavor).
In a large bowl, stir together the cornmeal, flour, sugar,
baking powder, and salt until evenly combined.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, egg, and oil.
Pour the bowl of wet ingredients into the bowl of dry
ingredients and stir just until everything is moist. Avoid over
stirring. It's okay if there are a few lumps.
Pour the batter into the prepared dish and bake for about 20
minutes, or until the top and edges are golden brown. Cut into 8 pieces and serve.
A few reminders:
-The children need to bring back their clear plastic work folder after they empty it at home once a month.
-If your child was sent home with a bag of clothes, please bring back the next day a change of clothes for your child (all clothes need to be labeled with your child’s name).
- If your child would like to bring a Show and Share on Fridays, it should be something meaningful, and they should be able to answer questions like who, why, what, where? (No toys please).
Our conferences have started, and it has been wonderful to share your child’s progress. We want to thank each and every one of you for your trust and support, we feel grateful to be part of your child’s journey.
Thank you Jackrabbit Families!
Kindly,
Ms. Yadira and Ms. Karen
