Give thanks for each new morning with its light, for rest and shelter of the night, for health and food, for love and friends, for everything thy goodness sends !!!!!!
Happy Thanksgiving too all at FMS !!!!
Please remember the biggest gifts of all, are our children!!
Love, Ms. Val
October brings a change, it’s the season that ushers in the fall. It becomes noticeable as the temperatures begin to cool and as the leaves start to change their colors. This is the time of year we all seem to enjoy, with the new shared crispness in the air. Our outdoor activities also have a new momentum for the fall, they suddenly become new and exciting.
Dr. Maria Montessori stated that children belong to nature, keeping this in mind outdoor exposure has a positive effect on the well being of children.
We flourish in the outdoors, October has been full of learning. We have planted seeds such as carrots, beets, turnips, peas and beans for starters.
We have carved pumpkins and toasted the seeds which tasted so good!
The children also scrubbed the pumpkins, they had so much fun!!!
Our artists have been creating and drawing everything they see.
We also had a great time marble painting!
In early childhood settings, children need time to explore literacy, math, science and more through indoor and outdoor activities. This approach ensures young children’s healthy development and learning.
A perfect description of a typical young child is: we are born to move and to learn from moving. The outdoors belongs to everyone.
The sky, the clouds, the rain, the sun and the wind are for everyone equally to enjoy as are the birds and insects. Watching and listening to these living creatures lift our spirits. Children remember when they are involved.
Please remember the weather is changing, so please send your children in layers of clothing so they will be comfortable!
Remember, learning is endless…
Love, Ms. Val
I would like to take this time to welcome you to our outdoor classroom!
What is an outdoor classroom?… Our pictures will tell a story we hope you will enjoy. It is nature, combined with an abundance of learning. It will give our children the opportunity to explore, question, and experience nature’s gift to all of us.
Dr. Maria Montessori had a vision that gives children the opportunity to make choices, developing a well-rounded individual. Let me take you on a visual tour of the outdoor world.
I will encourage creativity, as well as artistic values and imagination, as keys to producing life-long learners.
I have a greenhouse that will flourish before their very eyes.
Students will become backyard detectives, solving nature’s mysteries and secrets. Their final analysis will be fascinating as they follow their interests.
The weather will be important, so kindly dress the children appropriately each day. Layers and sturdy shoes are always suggested.
Albert Einstein said, “Imagination is more important then knowledge.” My goal is for children to flourish in our outdoor classroom. I look forward to having a very productive year. Feel free to visit us and watch our progress.
Remember, learning is endless !!!!
Ms. Val
May and June have come so soon, now it’s time to write our last tune. What have we learned throughout the year?
We have made time each day to:
Create…
Move…
Discuss…
Read…
Garden…
Taste…
Build…
Discover…
But the most important thing is to appreciate what the outdoor environment has to offer… EVERYTHING!!
A special thanks to our volunteers: Ms. Barbara, Ms. Marianne, and Ms. Melissa for spending time reading to our children. We are so lucky to have dedicated parents and grandparents who take an interest in assisting and educating our children.
Now that our children’s work in the greenhouse is complete, all plants will be up for adoption because they will not survive the summer heat in our greenhouse. Please stop by and help yourself to a plant. We will welcome the plants back for a new year in the fall!
Children who have been in environments that celebrate discovery and wonder become adults who do the same. It is said that education is not the filling of a bucket, but rather the lighting of a fire. It is our job to keep that fire burning and to keep the flame alive.
As we go through life remember Montessori classmates are forever, and learning is endless!
Enjoy your summer and make many memories!
Love,
Ms. Val and Ms. Marian
Can it be that what we see is that April has finally taken hold in our garden? The trees have budded and the flowers have bloomed. Spring is in the air!
The outdoor classroom has new tenants to keep a watchful eye on our fruits and vegetables. Who may they be pray tell? The ladybugs have checked in, escorted by two egg cases of praying mantises. Happily, one of the egg cases has hatched! If you look closely in the third picture below, you can see a new baby that one of the children found hiding under a leaf. Each egg casing contains 50-200 praying mantises, so help is on the way.
Ladybugs love to eat aphids, mealybugs, spidermites, thrips, and other soft-bodied insects that are harmful to our plants and vegetables. We have released 1,500 ladybugs to patrol our greenhouse. The ladybugs and praying mantises are officially on guard duty. This is done organically without the use of chemicals…nature’s true circle of life.
The children are as busy as bees this April, and we will continue to let our imaginations run wild with curiosity and spontaneity.
Remember, learning is endless!
Love,
Ms. Val & Ms. Marian