September 2026
Peek Inside Lower Elementary
BLACK BEAR
Dear Families,
September has brought a balance of rain and fair weather, creating many opportunities for the children to participate in the changing world around them. Throughout the month, the children have been engaged in caring for their classroom community and environment while receiving and practicing lessons across all areas of the Montessori curriculum.
It has been truly awe-inspiring to witness the children self-constructing their community—developing independence, responsibility and cooperation. Their work and natural desire to contribute continue to remind us of the profound wisdom within the Montessori approach.
Ms. Carmen has been sharing many opportunities for handwork with the children andincorporating Spanish into the children's days through conversations and lessons, allowing language to develop naturally within the context of our environment.
Among the many lessons offered this month, our Biology studies have provided opportunities for wonder and discovery. The children have dissected flowers, observed plants growing from seeds, and explored the functions of plants and their various parts. They have learned about the role of the leaf as the plant's food factory, deepening their understanding of the living world around them.
Another joyful experience was witnessing the hatching of eggs in our incubator and welcoming the chicks into the world. The children's excitement as they observed this process offered a beautiful opportunity to experience the wonder of life firsthand. Through direct contact with nature the children are developing a profound sense of gratitude and respect for life—an essential foundation of Montessori education.
We also celebrated Peace Day together as a school community. We gathered to sing songs of peace and listened to presentations about peacemakers from around the world. These experiences continue to nurture the children's understanding that peace begins within ourselves and grows through our relationships and the way we care for one another.
As the weather becomes increasingly welcoming for outdoor work, Ms. Laura is beginning to spend more time in our gardens with small groups of children. Gardening offers a wonderful opportunity for purposeful work and connection with nature. There is something special about tending to the earth and experiencing the rhythm and patience of the natural world.
We are continually grateful for your support and your dedication to the Montessori approach to learning at Creo. Together, we are creating an environment where children can grow in knowledge and independence as well as compassion and respect for all living things.
Warmly,
Ms. Rebeca and Ms. Carmen
COYOTE
September has been full of curiosity, discovery, and growing connections in the Coyotes classroom.
We began the month incubating eggs and observing the chicks develop. The children had the opportunity to candle the eggs, look for signs of growth, and witness our first chick hatch. Seeing a living process unfold sparked thoughtful questions and gave the children a chance to practice patient observation, an important part of learning in a Montessori classroom.
In art, we studied primary and secondary colors through the work of Robert and Sonia Delaunay. The circles in their artwork connected beautifully with our geometry lessons. Using materials and artwork, the children explored the parts of a circle, including the circumference, radius, diameter, and chords. It was wonderful to see them recognize geometric ideas in the art they were creating.
Our math work has also expanded into fractions. The younger children have been exploring equivalent fractions, while the older children have begun adding and subtracting fractions. Montessori materials allow children to see and handle these relationships before moving toward more abstract work. Our second and third year students have also begun a new spelling curriculum. They have been working diligently through activities that strengthen their understanding of phonetics and spelling patterns.
As fall approaches, the children learned about the fall equinox and planted seeds with Ms. Laura. They will later move their seedlings into our garden area, where they can continue to observe how living things grow and change.
In celebration of International Peace Day, we continued our Grace and Courtesy lessons and reflected on ways to bring peace into our everyday lives. Each child wrote a page for a classroom Book of Peace. Together, their thoughtful contributions created a beautiful reflection of the caring community we are building in Coyotes.
Thank you for sharing your children with us. It has been a joy to watch their curiosity and confidence grow this month.
Warmly,
Ms. Samantha and Ms. Maria
Peek Inside Upper Elementary
FALCON
Dear Falcon Families,
What a wonderful and busy month it has been in the Falcon Classroom! We have been building our classroom community, developing new academic skills, and beginning several exciting new areas of study. It has been wonderful to watch the children grow in confidence, independence, and responsibility as they settle into the rhythms of our classroom.
Building Community
One of our focuses this month has been strengthening our classroom community. We have played a variety of community-building games and have been learning new games to enjoy together at recess. The children have practiced hopscotch, jump rope, and several basketball shooting games, including HORSE and Around the World. These activities have provided opportunities to practice cooperation, patience, sportsmanship, and encouraging one another.
We also enjoyed a special Fancy Friday Lunch! The children helped create a restaurant-like atmosphere with tablecloths and practiced using conversation starters to develop their conversation skills. It was a fun opportunity to slow down, enjoy one another's company, and practice the social skills that are an important part of our classroom community.
Peace Day & Peacemakers
In celebration of Peace Day, the children researched and presented information about important peacemakers. They practiced researching, organizing information, speaking in front of a group, and listening respectfully to one another's presentations. It was especially meaningful to see the children learn about people who have worked to create positive change in the world.
We also began our auction project by working together on woodburning. The children practiced using tools carefully and thoughtfully while contributing their individual creativity to a collaborative project. We also put together our herb shelf, which will allow us to continue incorporating hands-on care for living things into our classroom environment.
Capstone Research
Our 6th graders have officially begun their capstone journey! This month, they practiced presenting information from their first research topic. This gave them an opportunity to begin developing presentation skills while also receiving feedback and thinking about how to communicate their research clearly to an audience. We are excited to see how their projects develop throughout the year.
Mathematics
We have also begun incorporating daily math practice for some of the children. These short, consistent practice sessions are designed to strengthen foundational skills and build fluency while allowing children to continue progressing through their individual math work. As always, we are working to meet each child where they are and provide opportunities for both practice and challenge.
Writers Workshop
Our Writers Workshop groups have been busy developing their writing skills!
Our beginning writers are focusing on building strong paragraphs. They are learning how to organize their thoughts using a hamburger paragraph outline and are practicing the use of transition words to help their writing flow smoothly from one idea to the next.
Our advanced writers have moved into the structure of a three-paragraph essay. They are learning how to organize an introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion, with a particular emphasis on writing a strong thesis statement. The children are beginning to understand that a thesis is more than simply stating a topic—it gives the reader a clear idea of what the writer will explain or prove.
History: The Italian Renaissance
In History, we have officially begun our unit on the Italian Renaissance! Rather than simply receiving information through lessons, the children have been working collaboratively in teams to learn and teach one another important information about this fascinating period of history.
As we continue through the unit, we will explore the people, ideas, art, inventions, and changes that made the Renaissance such an important period in European history.
Science & Spanish
Our Science studies have taken us in several directions this month. The children have been working on smaller, hands-on projects and areas of study, including atomic numbers, pollination, and economic geography. These projects give the children opportunities to explore different scientific concepts while practicing research, organization, and independent work.
In Spanish, we have been building a foundation of everyday vocabulary. Our lessons have included greetings, school vocabulary, numbers, and the months of the year. We are continuing to build confidence with listening, speaking, and using new vocabulary in context.
Looking Ahead
As we move into the next month, we will continue building on the skills we have introduced while encouraging the children to become increasingly independent and responsible for their work. There is a wonderful balance developing in our classroom between academic growth, hands-on learning, collaboration, and community.
Thank you for your continued support of our classroom and for partnering with us as we help the children grow into confident, capable, and compassionate learners. We are so proud of all they are accomplishing!
Warmly,
Ms. Emily and Ms. Carla
ROADRUNNER
Dear Roadrunner Families,
The month of September sure did go by fast! It has been a full month of meaningful work, growing independence, and lots of discovery in the Roadrunner classroom.
Our study of the Middle Ages took us through innovations in music, art, technology, and inventions. The children were especially fascinated by the origins of musical notation through Gregorian chant and its evolution into the notes we use today. They even began requesting Gregorian chants during our work cycle, discovering that the music helped create a calm atmosphere for concentration. With Mr. Jason, many children have also been experimenting with different art mediums as we explored artistic styles from the period. We wrapped up our study with a Jeopardy-inspired review game, drawing on the many lessons and projects they completed throughout the unit. This work also gave us wonderful opportunities to strengthen note-taking and formal informative paragraph writing lessons.
Peace Day was another highlight this month. All of the children finalized their research on Peace Leaders and a few of the groups chose to present their presentations for our school wide celebration on September 21st. Several children took the initiative to create a mini puppet show for our younger students. This created a wonderful challenge as it was the first time many of them had to present with a microphone or in front of a large audience. It was wonderful to see each child find a meaningful way to contribute.
Our daily routines are becoming increasingly smooth and familiar. The children are settling into their spelling practice and especially enjoy our Word Study of the Week, frequently searching through texts for interesting words to add to our classroom collection.
We have also begun preparing for our Taco Tuesday fundraiser next month. The children have thoughtfully chosen tasks in which they can participate and are learning what it means to contribute to a larger community effort. Be on the lookout for a survey coming your way! Your responses will help us make sure we have enough food for our event.
And, of course, we had a very special surprise visitor when Harmony came to celebrate her birthday! The children's excitement, gentleness, and affection toward her were truly heartwarming. They could have happily spent the entire day watching her!
As we move into our study of the Renaissance, the children are already eager to begin some big projects. In science, we have begun experiments centered on observation, asking questions, and keeping careful records. Alongside this work, children continue to explore history, mathematics, and science concepts in smaller groups and through individual research.
It has been exciting to watch the children settle into our days and become increasingly engaged in purposeful, meaningful work. We look forward to another month of discovery and adventure together!
Thank you for everything you do to support our classroom.
Warmly,
Ms. Lauren and Ms. Juany
