The Saplings Times

"We shall walk together on the path of life, for all things are part of the universe and are connected with each other to form one whole unity."

Maria Montessori

Here is a great resource for learning all about Maria Montessori and her philosophy for those of you who would like to learn more about this amazing woman's life, philosophy, and contributions to education.

IBiography of Maria Montessori | Association Montessori Internationale

The First Great Lesson is one of five lessons in Montessori curriculum called The Great Lessons. In these lessons, students are introduced to the history of the universe and their place within it (more information on Cosmic Curriculum coming soon!). In the First Great Lesson, students are presented a story of how the universe began up to how planets were formed. This lesson provides a broad overview with the intention of sparking interest and curiosity. Through follow up lessons, students dive deeper into various concepts and areas of study based on curriculum plans as well as personal interest. This year is year 3 in Lower El's 3 year cycle in our cultural curriculum, where we focus on water (air and land make up the other 2 years in the cycle). We will be studying the formation and composition of Earth and other planets in our solar system, land and water forms, states of matter, the water cycle, and NH's bodies of water. There are many exciting observations, experiments, and research topics on the horizon this year!

Saplings are introduced methodically through "guided discovery". Each step in the process of using a certain material is introduced with intention. This week, the Saplings learned about watercolors and how we use them in our classroom. From laying out an art mat to how we rinse a paintbrush, Saplings learned that importance of using materials for their intended purpose and caring for them so that we can continue to use them for years to come! Once the children are given a demonstration on how to use the materials, they get the opportunity to get their own hands on them. This week, you will have seen your child's beautiful watercolor painting come home in their home folder. There will be lots more watercoloring on the way as this is a material we use for many different work and projects in our classroom!

Happy 9th birthday, Fletcher!!

Open House is coming up on Thursday, the 11th. For lower el, open house runs from 5:00-5:45 and from 6:00-6:45 for Upper El and middle school. This will be an opportunity for you to explore the classroom, get a look at what we'll be learning this year, ask questions, and even get lessons on some of the materials that your Saplings will be learning this year! This is an event for caregivers only. Your Sapling has the opportunity to show their classroom and personal work during Family Friday events.

Please note that if you are hoping to check in individually about your child, Open House is not intended for this purpose. We are always happy to set up meetings if you'd like some personalized information about your child's time at school. We hope to see you all there on Thursday!

We've added some books to our wishlist that align with our focus on water this year. I will likely continue to add to that in the coming weeks as I'm realizing that we don't have a strong collection of books about water and water forms. This is our first year having water as an overall focus of our curriculum! So exciting! As always, thank you SO much for your support. Many of you have already done so much to support our classroom, and we are endlessly grateful!

Amazon.com