November 2022

Honeybee

Happy November Honeybee families!

As these winter months start passing us by, our baby honeybees are buzzing with new news. Seasons of growth are always welcomed in our community!

With the consistent cool air, we’re able to spend our time as a class outside visiting the other classrooms during their recesses and outdoor activities. There are lots of friendly faces around campus who are eager to greet our babies! Both indoors and outdoors, many of our babies are become more and more mobile! Movement in our classroom is nonstop. As your child becomes mobile, consider the clothing you choose. Does it allow for mobility? Do the socks cause him to skip on the floor? Are her legs getting caught on the length of her dress? Appropriate clothing is a huge part of supporting movement development.

This November, we’re so lucky to have Ms. Erika back from her maternity leave. If you see her or baby Etta around school, please give them a warm welcome back!

With love,

The Honeybee Team 🤍

Butterfly

Happy Day to all!

We are enjoying the cool weather and crisp mornings over the past couple of weeks. Please remember to bring a sweater for your child. Our play area is shaded, and it feels much colder in that space in the early morning. We can keep an extra jacket for them and always have one available in the class. Just let us know it is an extra that way we do not send it home every day.

This month we have been working hard on observation. Just as we observe the children, we ask the children to observe their environment; other children working, the fish in the tank, when a snack tray is out. When the child is interested in watching a child work, we ask that they observe quietly and keep their hands at their side or behind their back, that way they are less likely to take a material from the table they are observing. We typically ask this of the older children (+20 months) for our younger crowd, we try our best to stand with them if they’d like to observe to remind them to keep their hands by their side and if they would like to use that specific material, we will wait our turn when the material is back on the shelf. It can be tough to be a toddler observer. Consistency is key!

Phrases we use in the classroom

“I see you want to use this work, but Timmy is using it right now. Let’s wait for him to put it away.”

Oh, yes, He is using that basket of language objects, but we can go together to find a different basket of objects on the shelf.”

Do you see Katie pulling off the orange peel? Let’s keep watching her peel the entire orange.”

“Tommy is working with those shapes, would you like to watch?”

I hope you found this helpful!

Warmly,

Ms. Rebeca and Ms. Yohanna

Hummingbird

Hello Hummingbird Families,

Maria Montessori believed that it is the duty of every person to work toward and be part of something great which not only serves individual interests but those of all humanity. To understand this great relationship, children must be nurtured in the ways of grace, courtesy and service in order for it to flourish and grow throughout their lives. In the toddler classroom the children are learning to ask kindly and give thanks each day by using the simple words "please" and "thank you".

The toddlers have been doing great learning “grace and courtesy” in a natural way. They are learning to be patient and communicate with their peers as they wait for an activity or ask their classmates to not touch their work.

This nice chilly weather has given each toddler the opportunity to further practice the “care of self” with putting on, taking off, and hanging up their jackets! They are practicing their fine motor skills with zippers and buttons. It is a joy to see how quick they learn that like everything else in the classroom, their jackets have a proper place where they belong. As they also put on and take off their jackets at home please continue to show them how to slowly open and close their jackets properly. (They love doing this independently!)

Along with this cool weather it has brought runny noses to our community. The children are learning to use tissues and clean their noses on their own. In the class we give the child a lesson on how to properly clean or wipe their nose with a tissue in front of a mirror. From then on we then invite the child to clean their nose on their own. After the child has finished and if there are still boogers on their face then the adult steps in and says, “You still have some boogers on your face, can I please help you wipe it?” This way the child has the chance to do it again or let the adult help. We hope this is something you can practice at home as well!

Warmly,

Ms. Becky and Ms. Kat

Squirrel

Hello Toddler Parents!

As the holidays approach and vacations are taken, please let us know if your child will be out. This helps us prepare for the day in the environment and provides a language opportunity for them when they come back as we talk about where they went or who they went to see! The children always get excited when Ms. Nadia and Ms. Alexis know about their fun activities outside of school and they cannot wait to tell their friends!

The Holidays can be a bit overwhelming for you, the parents, but just imagine how your toddler is feeling too. Lots of different things are happening and new decoration and wardrobe to change into or even have on, as the weather gets cooler. Remember to take things slow and take a quick 5-10 minutes to check in on your toddler and stop to read a book, reconnect with your little one with an activity that you both enjoy. Also, giving them choices with things you do not mind the outcome such as what pants to wear, what they can play with, etc. Offering 2 choices so it is less overwhelming for them to choose from. BREATHE and enjoy this wonderful time of the year.

This month we have taken so much care in washing our hands and blowing our noses when needed. As the booger season is back, we have taken the time to do extra lessons on wiping noses and hand washing at the sink or station.

The children have had a chance to bake banana bread this month, I will add the recipe for you guys to try at home too. They use their maximum effort to mash the bananas and whisk all the ingredients together once they are done, they get to clean their baking area.

Banana bread

Ingredients:

-1/3 cup sugar

-2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons oil

-1 cup flour

-1 teaspoon baking powder

-1/8 teaspoon baking soda

-1/2 cup banana

Directions:

1. Mash well ripened bananas in a small bowl and set aside.

2. Mix baking powder, baking soda, flour and sugar.

3. Add mashed bananas and oil. Stir well. This batter will be very thick.