October 2026
Peek Inside Lower Elementary
BLACK BEAR
Black Bear Families,
October has been a wonderful month in our Black Bear community as the children continue to find a comfortable rhythm and balance between their academic work and social experiences. We are seeing a beautiful sense of community emerge as the children grow more confident in their routines, build meaningful friendships, and engage in purposeful work. The classroom is filled with the hustle and bustle of learning, conversation, collaboration, and discovery, within an active and peaceful atmosphere.
Ms. Catie has continued to provide the children with meaningful, service-oriented experiences through visits to St. Vincent de Paul and Clearwater Assisted Living. These opportunities allow the children to connect with the community and discover the joy that comes from helping and spending time with others. The children seem to truly enjoy these visits, and we are grateful for the ways these experiences nurture kindness and compassion. Back in the classroom, these same values are reflected in the children's daily interactions as they learn to work together, care for one another, and contribute to our shared community.
Outdoors, Ms. Laura continues to guide the children in caring for our gardens, offering opportunities to deepen their understanding of the natural world. As the children reflect on their Botany lessons, they are able to connect their classroom learning with the living plants and changing environment around them. With the arrival of cooler weather, we look forward to spending even more time outdoors, where meaningful work and discovery continue to unfold. As always, we are deeply grateful for your trust and support and feel fortunate to share in your children's growth and learning each day.
Warmly,
Ms. Rebeca and Ms. Carmen
COYOTE
Dear Coyote Community,
As fall has arrived, bringing cooler breezes and beautiful changes to the world around us, our classroom has been experiencing some exciting changes of its own! We have begun sowing seeds for our classroom garden, and the hatchlings we welcomed earlier this year have grown into chicks and settled into their coop on our patio. These experiences have given the children wonderful opportunities to observe the natural world, care for living things, and witness the processes of growth and change firsthand.
Alongside our growing garden, we have also enjoyed watching the children continue to grow within our classroom community. As we settle further into the school year, the children are becoming increasingly comfortable with the routines and expectations of the Elementary environment. In Montessori, we refer to this process as normalization, when children begin to develop deeper concentration, independence, and a sense of responsibility for themselves and their community. It has been wonderful to see the children become more engaged in their work, take ownership of their learning, and approach new challenges with curiosity and enthusiasm.
This month, our studies have taken us on some exciting journeys! In geography and science, we have been exploring the relationship between the Sun and the Earth, including the Earth's rotation and revolution and how these movements, along with the tilt of the Earth's axis, influence our days, temperatures, and seasons. Through hands-on demonstrations and lessons, the children have been discovering the natural laws that shape the world around us. These lessons encourage children to look beyond what they can immediately observe and begin to understand the interconnected systems that make our planet so remarkable.
October has also brought an exciting exploration of the human body. The children have enjoyed learning about the different body systems and discovering the incredible ways they work together to keep us healthy and functioning. From the skeletal and muscular systems to the organs that help us breathe, digest food, and circulate blood, the children have been fascinated by the complexity of the human body. These studies have inspired thoughtful questions, conversations, and further exploration as the children develop a greater appreciation for the amazing capabilities of their own bodies.
Throughout the month, we have also continued our Grace and Courtesy lessons, with a focus on the ways we can contribute to and support our classroom community. In the Montessori Elementary environment, children are naturally drawn toward collaboration, friendships, and a growing awareness of fairness and responsibility. We have been exploring what it means to work together toward common goals, offer help to others, and recognize that each member of our community plays an important role. These experiences help the children develop not only social skills but also a deeper understanding of empathy, cooperation, and respect.
As we move into the holiday season, we will continue building on these ideas through conversations and activities centered around gratitude. We hope to encourage the children to recognize the many people, experiences, and opportunities that enrich their lives and explore meaningful ways to express appreciation through both words and actions.
As we reflect on October, we are reminded of how much growth takes place in an Elementary classroom, often in ways that extend far beyond academics. Just as the seeds in our garden require time, care, and the right environment to flourish, so do the children as they develop confidence, independence, friendships, and a lifelong love of learning.
We are incredibly grateful for our Coyotes community of learners and for each of you. Thank you for allowing us to be part of your children's journey and for the continued trust and partnership you bring to our classroom. We look forward to all the wonderful learning and growth the coming months will bring!
Warmly,
Ms. Samantha and Ms. Maria
Peek Inside Upper Elementary
FALCON
Dear Falcon Families,
Our classroom has been full of meaningful learning experiences, opportunities to serve others, and exciting academic growth! The children have been exploring new cultures, building relationships within our community, and strengthening their skills across all subject areas. Here is a look at what we have been working on recently.
Celebrating Culture and Learning Spanish
We have been learning about Día de los Muertos, exploring the traditions and meaning behind this Mexican holiday. As part of our study, we have been creating an altar, or ofrenda, to help us understand how families honor and remember loved ones who have passed away.
Our Spanish lessons continue to build practical vocabulary and conversational skills. The children have been practicing numbers, months of the year, days of the week, family vocabulary, and hobbies. These lessons give the children opportunities to connect language learning to their own lives and practice communicating in Spanish.
Serving Our Community
Service continues to be an important part of our classroom experience. The children have been visiting St. Vincent de Paul and Clearwater at Agritopia, where they have had opportunities to connect with and serve members of our wider community. During our visits to Clearwater, the children have enjoyed making crafts with the elderly, sharing their creativity, and building connections across generations. These experiences help the children develop empathy, compassion, and an understanding of the many ways we can contribute to our community.
We have also been baking together for snack! Baking provides a wonderful opportunity to practice practical life skills while incorporating measuring, following directions, sequencing, cooperation, and teamwork. Of course, enjoying the finished product is always a bonus!
Exploring History: From the Middle Ages to the Renaissance
Our history studies have taken us into the exciting transition from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance. We are comparing these two periods to better understand how daily life, culture, and society changed over time. So far, our research has included clothing, food, names, and maps of Italy. The children are discovering how geography and historical events influenced the way people lived, worked, dressed, and ate.
As we continue this study, the children will build on these comparisons and develop a deeper understanding of the Renaissance and the changes that helped shape the modern world.
Book Clubs and Reading Comprehension
Our small-group book clubs are underway! The children are beginning to engage in thoughtful discussions with their peers, sharing ideas, responding to one another, and exploring the books they are reading together. They are also completing daily journal entries to reflect on their reading and strengthen their written responses.
These experiences help develop reading comprehension, critical thinking, communication, and the ability to support ideas with details from a text. We are excited to see the children become more comfortable expressing their thoughts and learning from one another.
Math: From Concrete to Abstract
In math, the children are working with Montessori materials that allow them to explore mathematical concepts in a hands-on, visual way. These materials help make abstract ideas concrete and give the children opportunities to investigate mathematical relationships at their own pace.
We are also focusing on translating these experiences onto paper. The children are learning to recognize how the concepts they explore with materials can be represented through numbers, symbols, equations, and written work. This progression from concrete materials to abstract representation is an important part of developing a deep understanding of mathematics while meeting Arizona State Standards.
Spelling: Understanding Patterns and Rules
Our spelling work focuses on a weekly word list connected to a particular spelling rule or pattern. Recent and upcoming topics include homophones, silent letters, and other common spelling patterns. Rather than simply memorizing words, the children are learning to recognize patterns and understand the rules that can help them become more confident spellers. We encourage them to apply these patterns in their everyday reading and writing as well.
Writers Workshop: Building Strong Writers
During Writers Workshop, we are continuing to explore the five steps of the writing process: prewriting, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing. Our recent work has focused on editing and paraphrasing.
The children are learning to carefully review their writing for errors and make corrections that improve clarity and accuracy. We are also practicing paraphrasing, or putting information into our own words while preserving the original meaning. This is an especially important skill as the children conduct research, take notes, and prepare written work of their own.
Sixth Grade Capstone Projects
Our sixth graders are continuing to make progress on their capstone research projects. They are beginning Sections 3 and 4 of Chapter 1, researching their individual topics and using the information they gather to write and type paragraphs in their own words.
Each Friday, the sixth graders give a mini presentation about what they have learned that week. These weekly presentations provide valuable practice in organizing information, speaking clearly, and sharing their growing knowledge with an audience. We are proud of the responsibility and effort they are putting into this long-term project!
Looking Ahead
It has been wonderful to see the children grow as researchers, writers, mathematicians, readers, and community members. Whether they are exploring history, collaborating during book club, preparing food together, or connecting with members of our community, each experience provides an opportunity to develop both academic skills and personal responsibility.
Thank you for your continued support of our classroom and the many opportunities we provide for the children to learn through meaningful work and real-world experiences. We look forward to all the learning still to come!
Warmly,
Ms. Emily and Ms. Carla
ROADRUNNER
Dear Roadrunner Families,
We hope everyone had a lovely fall break! The children returned to the classroom ready to work hard and full of excitement for our upcoming Taco Tuesday event. It has been a busy and rewarding month filled with collaboration, creativity, and meaningful learning.
The children have each had three opportunities to contribute to our upcoming Taco Tuesday fundraiser. They have helped organize the event and prepare announcements, practiced their culinary skills in preparation for our larger orders next week, and will each have a designated shift to work during our two-hour event.
As a reminder, Taco Tuesday will take place on Thursday, October 29th, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. A group of children have also thoroughly enjoyed learning how to create QR codes, as you may have noticed in the car line! They have taken this learning a step further by creating an online schedule for families to view. This schedule will be shared with parents in an email during the week of the event. If you plan to join your child for tacos, please refer to the schedule so you can plan your visit around your child's shift. We are excited to see the children put their planning, communication, and practical life skills into action!
This month, we also wrapped up our Book Club study of Hamlet with an in-depth comparison to Disney's The Lion King. The children explored the similarities between the two storylines, identifying shared themes, character relationships, conflicts, and major plot points. They also contributed examples of other books and movies that share similar storylines, discovering how authors and storytellers often build upon universal themes and familiar narrative structures. The children are now beginning a new Book Club experience, reading a book of their choice with a partner. This provides an opportunity to practice reading comprehension, thoughtful discussion, collaboration, and the exchange of ideas while developing a deeper appreciation for literature.
Our study of the Renaissance continues to deepen as the children explore the ways trade, commerce, and new ideas transformed European society. We have examined clothing styles and artistic developments that emerged during this period, considering how trade routes through Italy helped introduce new materials, ideas, and influences. The children also enjoyed imagining themselves living during the Renaissance by designing themselves as fictional characters from the period. This creative work allowed them to connect historical information with their own interests while thinking more concretely about daily life in another time.
We have also explored the transition from barter systems to the use of money and the development of banking systems. Through these studies, the children are beginning to recognize how changes in trade and economics influenced the growth of cities, the spread of ideas, and the opportunities available to people during the Renaissance.
Our sixth-grade Capstone students are nearing completion of their first chapter of research, and it has been wonderful to see their confidence grow as their efforts begin to add up. For many, a long-term research project can feel overwhelming at first, but they are now seeing how consistent effort, organized notes, and small steps lead to meaningful progress. It is especially rewarding to see the children beam with pride as they recognize how much they have accomplished. We look forward to watching them continue to develop their research, writing, and project-management skills as they move into the next stages of their Capstone journeys.
It has been a wonderful month of learning, collaboration, and growing independence in the Roadrunner classroom. We are continually encouraged by the children's willingness to contribute to our community, explore new ideas, and take pride in their work. I look forward to connecting with everyone in person during our conference season and, hopefully, seeing many of you at our Taco Tuesday fundraiser!
Warmly,
Ms. Lauren and Ms. Juany
