AUGUST 2022

Honeybee

Hello Honeybee Famillies,

It’s been such a joyful start to the school year! We had several returning students and a couple of new students join our Honeybees. If you see a new face, please say hi and welcome them to our Creo familia! 

As many of you know Ms. Maria and I are both having babies in October, so we are welcoming another new face… Ms. Shelby will start opening our classroom and being more of a presence as we prepare the children and families for our absence. Please give her a warm welcome!  
Looking forward, we will have our first Community Meeting at the end of September. We would like one parent from every family to attend! This is a great way to connect with other families and gain important knowledge regarding the Montessori classroom.  

Finally, while all babies are sensory seeking, we have some of our older babies who are very curious these days! Following is a taste-safe kinetic sand you can make at home for exploring from Mother Could.  

Recipe:  

1 c. baking soda 

½ c. sugar 

½ c. corn starch 

1 tbsp cream of tartar 

4 tbsp water, separated 

Food coloring 

Medium bowl 

Whisk 

1. Pour baking soda, sugar, corn starch & cream of tartar into a bowl and mix well.  

1. Add a few drops of food coloring to ¼ c. water.  

1. Add 2 tbsp of water to the mixture and mix using the whisk. 

1. If it’s too dry, add 1 tbsp of water at a time and mix well using the whisk.  

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.  

Warmly,

Ms. Erika, Ms. Maria and Ms. Roseanna

Butterfly

Hello Butterfly families,

We couldn’t have asked for a better start to the school year. We are eager to see new faces around campus and in the classroom ready to explore all the materials. Throughout the year, I will share a little bit about what the children are learning and the purpose behind it all. As we start off August, we encourage the children to explore the classroom to best observe their interests and sensitive periods which will help them develop a sense of self, movement, and independence. Our returning children from last year have acclimated well back into our routine and have gained so much independence to find a material to work on and even guide our newest peers to explore and show them how the classroom works. 

This month we are baking Cream Drop Biscuits. We make the best effort to find simple recipes for the children to mix the ingredients on their own and at the end, the adult puts the dough in the oven. 

Here is the recipe to try at home!

¾ cup flour

½ tbsp baking powder

¼ tsp salt

⅔ cups of heavy cream.

Make about 6-8 biscuits

Warmly,

Ms. Rebeca and Ms. Yohanna

Hummingbird

Hello and Welcome to the Hummingbird Class! 

We are excited for a new school year, and so far we have had a wonderful start. The children that have returned from the previous year have jumped right back into routine. They have been so helpful with their new classmates. We appreciate all the support from the parents. Thank you for walking the children to the door at drop off. It has also been helpful to have the proper lunchboxes and containers provided. 

Throughout the day the children have the opportunity to drink water whenever they would like. At the table they have their own cup with their picture and a small pitcher. They have received a lesson on how to fill the pitcher with drinking water and also how to pour it in their small cup. With the younger toddlers that are still learning to control the pitcher they typically get help filling it up with a small amount of water. This is great practice to control their moto skills, and they also love being able to work with water! 

We have also started baking in the class. This month the children have had the opportunity to make biscuits. Even in the toddler community they can begin baking with much independence. The biscuit ingredients are ready and measured out individually into bowls. The children pour the ingredients and stir it on their own. With the help of the adult they place on the baking sheet and into the oven. This is a treat they get to enjoy in the afternoon.  

Links for drinking items: 

https://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/90091996/ 

https://www.montessoriservices.com/italian-bistro-pitcher-8-oz 

Cream Drop Biscuits 

Ingredients 

• 1 3/4 Cup Flour 

• 1 Tablespoon Baking Powder 

• 1/2 Teaspoon Salt 

• 1 1/3 cup heavy cream 

Recipe 

1. Spray baking sheet with cookie oil 

1. In a large bowl, mix flour, baking powder and salt 

1. Stir in whipping cream and mix until dough forms 

1. Create drops of dough onto baking sheet 

1. Bake 10-12 minutes at 425 degrees 

1. Remove immediately from baking sheet 

Warmly,

Ms. Becky, Ms. Kat and Ms. Susan

Squirrel

"The child has a different relation to his environment from ours... the child absorbs it.  The things he sees are not just remembered; they form part of his soul.  He incarnates in himself all in the world about him that his eyes see and his ears hear." (The Absorbent Mind, p.56) 

 Hello Squirrel Families,

The beginning of a new school year always brings lots of emotions. For the new and returning students, getting back to our school routine and new faces can take some time to adjust. It is so great to see them explore and get to know one another, as they begin to adapt and feel part of their community.  

The children at this age are in the process of self-construction and in order to adapt to their environment they need to explore. That is where our practical life material supports the development of feeling part of their community as they prepare snack for each other, clean up messes, and water the plants. These are a few tasks your children get to do as they build their confidence and independence as well as feeling part of the Squirrel Community as they take care of the environment.  

The children get lessons on how to use a material and as they progress and master tasks they begin to do more intricate material with more steps. We follow the child’s lead and their sensitive periods as Maria Montessori called them. The sensitive periods are internal guides that motivate the child to focus on a specific aspect of their environment only for a specific time. It is through their senses they are receiving important information about the environment.  

It is so beautiful to see the children interact with the environment and work like busy bees. Hearing them ask for help and most importantly saying “I can do it!”. This is another milestone for the child. By having child size material, furniture and easy to open containers supports them in being successful in a task. In which will keep them wanting to do more things independently. It has been a great busy first month! Thank you all for your continued support and trust. [Text Wrapping Break] 

Ms. Nadia and Ms. Lauri