As we settle into the new year, we encourage families to use drop-off at the vestibule.  Routines are in place, and children know where they are going. Psychologically it is more empowering for your child to walk away from you at the door. We’ll be at the classroom waiting to greet and help as needed.

This month we are focusing our continent study on North America. Your child is experiencing Pin Map, nonfiction reading on the countries, biome readers, and the Animals of Biomes materials.  There was also a third grade baking project of vegan pumpkin muffins. Here is the link if you and your child would like to bake some at home.  www.wellplated.com/vegan-pumpkin-muffins/

To begin the year we also enjoy hearing the First Great Lesson: The Coming of the Universe. While each Lower Elementary classroom heard a version of this story, soon we will get to experience a presentation of the story from our Upper Elementary friends. As a follow-up activity we are learning about our Cosmic Address (We live in the Universe, the Solar System, the Milky Way, the Earth, on the continent of North America, in the United States, in Wisconsin, in Janesville/Milton/Beloit etc, and Me!). Students also created some art as to how they envisioned the Coming of the Universe, using oil pastels on black paper.

The first “Great Lesson” in a Montessori elementary classroom is “The Coming of the Universe.”  Maria Montessori teaches that the study of history must begin by giving the children the general view of the universe. She believed that the whole should precede the study of detail, and that the grandness of such ideas would create amazement and wonder in the child.  The other Great Lessons are “The Coming of Life on Earth”, “The Coming of Humans”, “The Creation of Language”, and “The Creation of Numbers”.  All of these are intended to not merely teach facts or theories, but to spark interest, create amazement, and cause wonder.