The Children's House

Classroom Highlights

3/16/23

This week, children have been showing excitement about St. Patrick’s Day and the significance of wearing green. We took a look at our painted globe and discovered Ireland is an island located in Europe. We talked about the holiday as a celebration of culture and Irish heritage for people across the world. We also read a story about an Irish fishmonger from Dublin, Ireland known as Molly Malone. The song about her life is one of the most popular this time of year! 

Over the past few weeks we have been compiling a list of all the delicious fruits, vegetables, herbs and flowers we would like to plant this spring in our community’s garden beds. In preparation, we have started a study on plant stems. Tap roots are straight tapering roots that grow vertically downward, where fibrous roots grow in many thin strands branching off the main stem. Some stems we looked at had thorns, some were thin or thick, and some had many stems while others had just one. We have planted a variety of seeds in a table-top greenhouse that we are curious to see how their stems and root systems may be similar or different as they grow.  

In our classroom we have been singing a song about a Kookaburra. This bird is native to Australia and New Guinea but also similar to the Kingfishers we see here in Northern Michigan along the rivers! See the words below:

Kookaburra
Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree
Merry merry king of the bush is he
Laugh Kookaburra Laugh
Kookaburra sweet your life must be

Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree
Eating all the gumdrops he can see
Laugh Kookaburra Laugh
Kookaburra full your belly must be

Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree
Counting all the monkeys he can see
Stop Kookaburra Stop
Kookaburra that’s not a monkey its me 

2/23/23

Hope everyone enjoyed their most recent snow day!

We would like to reschedule Parent Visiting Day for Wednesday, March 1st. We invite one parent from each family to join us from 8:30 to 9:30am. 

When you visit our classroom, your child will have an opportunity to share work with you, that they have had a lesson on. Please keep in mind, your child is working toward mastering many skills and will more than likely carry out their work in a different way than our adult brains would guide us! As Dr. Montessori would say, “follow the child, and sit on your hands.” Each work they share with you, they will know how to precisely carry each work, how to set it up, how to carry out the work, and how to restore it. If they are stumped in those tasks, it’s very likely your child hasn’t had the lesson yet. You will see most clearly into your child’s interests/skill mastery in our classroom by inviting them to show you what they can do! When your child asks you to carry, or do their work, you might say, “How do you carry the work? Show me what you do with this work? How do you clean up the material? Where do you put it back on the shelf?” We look forward to hosting you next Wednesday!

The art shelf in our classroom has been most popular lately! Art in a Montessori environment starts with children learning basic techniques with various tools. After an initial lesson, children are free to explore using the techniques or tools to create what calls to them. Our goal is to give each child just enough for their natural curiosity and creativity to take over. We do our best to not offer experiences where the child learns to imitate creations of an adult or create end products that all look alike. Most recently, Kindergartners have been exploring clay in our classroom. They were carefully shown how to take the clay out, the basic uses of tools, how to form a basic pinch pot, and finally left to explore other uses in creating with clay! Younger children in our classroom are getting opportunities to observe and then try out skills on playdough. 

As the weather has been changing and the outdoors has been muddy recently, children have been coming off the playground wet and changing more frequently at school. We have a collection of clothes at school without names on them starting to pile up. I will set out our classroom’s lost and found next Wednesday. We will also send home everything we have for your child at school tomorrow. Please label all items of clothing you send back to school in your child’s wet bag next week.

2/9/23

We are exploring stories and languages people use all over our Earth. The children have shared a lot of excitement in counting to 10 and naming fruits in Spanish. We will also be looking into how many different ways we can say “hello” to each other! 

Angela came to share an instrument that dates back to Ancient Egypt with us, called a Sistrum. Each child got a turn to play the instrument. We took a deeper dive into Ancient Egypt with the legend of King Djoser and the Famine. Children found it interesting that the Nile River water lowering could have such a huge impact on the food supply for the people of Egypt.  We might have some exploration coming up of how our rivers right here in northern Michigan can recycle, reuse, and share water with other bodies of water too!

Moving into the month of February we have begun taking a look at our heart! We looked at our wrists where many children noticed the blue veins traveling up and down their arm. We talked about how these veins carry blood back to our heart, and arteries carry blood from the heart to places all over our body. When children were asked to open and close their fists for 30 seconds, they were very tired once the time was up! We were all fascinated how our heart can work around the clock and is never tired. We look forward to celebrating Valentine’s Day together next week. 

Have a great weekend!

1/25/23

We have been exploring the Lunar New Year that was celebrated in China this past Sunday. 2023 is the year of the rabbit and is celebrated for over 2 weeks! We have read about traditions to mark the Chinese New Year that takes place across the globe from us. Families clean their homes, and themselves to wash away the bad from the previous year. Next, families come together to honor each other, their ancestors and prepare luck for the year to follow. The children have really enjoyed the story of Nian the dragon who comes out of hiding once a year to scare people. They have been curious why this dragon is afraid of the color red, and giggle at the thought of a big dragon being frightened by firecrackers. 

Children were also interested in what the word Lunar meant. Next week, we will begin taking a closer look at the moon through some cards on our shelf to discover the various phases of the moon. We might even add the moon phases to our calendar! 

Another story in our classroom we have been reading in small groups is, “Have You Filled A Bucket Today?” The story gives examples of how happiness spreads through kindness towards others to fill their bucket up. At the same time, sharing unkindness can empty another person’s bucket. Like many of the materials in our classroom, this book shows children in a really concrete way, how our words/actions can affect our friends and family.

During Angela’s visit these past few weeks to share music with our classroom, the children have loved playing with the steady beat we have been practicing. See the words below if you would like to invite your child to sing along!

My Paddle Keen and Bright

My paddles keen and bright
Flashing with silver
Follow the wild goose flight
Dip dip and swing

Dip dip and swing her back
Flashing with silver
Follow the wild goose track
Dip dip and swing

12/15/22

Wow, time has flown by this fall! Children are very eager to wear pajamas to school on Friday. They are also thinking lots about their excitement in sharing a song they have been practicing with you at the Seasonal Sing. We expect many children in Primary will be in pajamas on Friday, children will come down to the seasonal sing in whatever they wear to school that morning. Pajamas are okay, no need to send an extra outfit! 

Please take home all of your child’s belongings from their cubby when you pick them up following the Sing. It’s a great time to check sizes, and what clothing your child has at school. We will put all of your child’s extra clothes in their cubby. Resend an extra outfit and your child’s snow gear after the start of the new year!

Over the past few weeks, a favorite song in our classroom has been Hanukkah, Oh Hanukkah. Learning about ways all people celebrate across the world is a special way of gifting children an appreciation for all cultures, and appreciation for their own. Here are the lyrics to the song:

Hanukkah Oh Hanukkah

Hanukkah oh Hanukkah
Come light the menorah
Lets have a party
We’ll all dance the hora
Gather round the table
We’ll give you a treat
Sevivon to play with
And latkes to eat

And while we are playing
The candles are burning low
One for each night, they shed a sweet light
To remind us of days long ago
One for each night, they shed a sweet light
To remind us of days long ago

Wishing you all a wonderful, safe, and cheery Holiday season surrounded by family, friends! 

12/01/22

Thank you all for sending in ingredients for the children’s Harvest Feast! Monday and Tuesday of this past week were very busy for us in preparing decorations for our tables and windows, in addition to preparing our feast. Kindergartners then had the privilege to serve our classroom community lunch. Our feast was truly a special day!

We are practicing acts of kindness and exploring how special the gift of giving makes us feel! Over the past few weeks, our class has been baking banana bread or other culinary treats that we have been gifting to other classroom’s all over the school. Giving has carried over into other areas of our classroom! Children have begun making flower arrangements with the thought of sharing them with other classrooms as well. They have been joyful in receiving flower arrangements in return from other classrooms.

All of our Primary classrooms would like to celebrate the end of the year 2022 by wearing pajamas to school on Friday, December 16th. Your child may wear any appropriate, cozy set of pajamas they would like. We ask that all stuffed animals, blankets, pillows, etc., stay at home. Keep in mind, our classroom can be a messy place for clothing near and dear to the heart. Plan accordingly, so a favorite pair of pajamas doesn’t come home with paint or stained. 

Angela shared a new song about snowflakes when she visited on Tuesday. The children seem to really enjoy it and we had an opportunity to listen and sing along as we continue to work on mastering the words. Look for the lyrics below!

Little Snowflake

Snowflake, snowflake, little snowflake, little snowflake
Falling from the sky
Snowflake, snowflake, little snowflake
Falling, falling, falling, falling, falling, falling, falling, falling, falling
Falling on my head

Snowflake, snowflake, little snowflake, little snowflake
Falling from the sky
Snowflake, snowflake, little snowflake
Falling, falling, falling, falling, falling, falling, falling, falling, falling
Falling on my nose

Snowflake, snowflake, little snowflake, little snowflake
Falling from the sky
Snowflake, snowflake, little snowflake
Falling, falling, falling, falling, falling, falling, falling, falling, falling
Falling on my hand

Falling on my head
Falling on my nose
Falling in my hand
Snowflake, snowflake, little snowflake

Music with Kindergarten 11/30/22
The Kindergarteners have started their ukulele journey! They have been eager to get underway playing and learning all about their new instruments. They have learned the name of several different parts of the ukulele, how to hold and strum, and are getting the hang of their first few chords. They eagerly ask when they are going to get a new chord to learn. So far we have several songs to play and sing for each chord individually and one song that they are learning how to change between three different chords. Ask them which one is their favorite!

Art with Kindergarten 11/30/22
For our first class together this year the students and I drew penguins together.  We started with the number 8 for our penguin bodies, first in pencil and then in black crayon.  We added one eye with our crayons and talked about how it looks different when something is looking to the side instead of straight on.  After filling in our penguins with black, leaving the bellies and the eyes white, we added orange beaks and flipper feet.  We then discussed how to make the penguin look like they were standing on ice with a blue painted sky.  The students painted a line on both sides of the belly and filled in the sky above.  They were a fantastic group of kids to work with for the first time and their penguins turned out fabulous!

11/10/22

Over the past few weeks we have been taking a look at all of the trees around our beautiful Children’s House campus. We were discussing why some trees have lost their leaves, some are still holding on, and some of our trees stay green all through winter. We gathered various leaves to look at all of their parts! Many children found it interesting that leaves have veins just like we do to help stay healthy and move things through our bodies. We used many of the leaves we collected to make leaf rubbings using paper and crayons!

This week we are making applesauce! Children helped juice the lemons, peel/slice the apples, and grate the cinnamon/nutmeg. We will get to taste our applesauce on Friday for snack. We enjoyed making banana bread this week and gifting it to other classrooms to enjoy as well. 

We have been practicing a Canadian Folk Song from the 1920’s that shares a story of the land and water of North America. The children almost have the first verse down! As we start on the second verse, we will see if we can add the steady beat we have been practicing with Angela (our music teacher)! Here is a link to a similar version of the song if you would like to hear the tune and sing along with your child to the verse they know! 

Link for Land of the Silver Birch (Canoe Song): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zDTdKRqZ9g

Canoe Song Canadian Folk Song 

Land of the silver birch
Home of the beaver
Land where the mighty moose Wander at will
Blue lake and rocky shore
I will return once more
Dip, dip and swing her back. Dip, dip and swing. 

Swift as a silver fish
My canoe of birch bark
By mighty waters
Carried afar
Blue lake and rocky shore
I will return once more
Dip, dip and swing her back. Dip, dip and swing. 

Music 11/09/22 - Kindergarten
The Kindergarteners have started their ukulele journey! They have been eager to get underway playing and learning all about their new instruments. They have learned the name of several different parts of the ukulele, how to hold and strum, and are getting the hang of their first few chords. They eagerly ask when they are going to get a new chord to learn. So far we have several songs to play and sing for each chord individually and one song that they are learning how to change between three different chords. Ask them which one is their favorite!

10/12/22

I am sure many of you have heard of the swimming friends we have welcomed into our classroom! Many children have been asking over the past few weeks what animal I would be bringing into the classroom. I was hoping the wild birds we were feeding would be enough! When I asked children what they would have in the classroom if they got to choose - fish was the most popular choice. We read together a little about freshwater fish and what they need. Our fish tank is also home to several aquatic plants. The children discovered that our aquatic plants have all the same needs as the plants in our classroom with the exception of soil. 

Last Friday, children in our classroom took turns rinsing the gravel and putting it into the tank. Then children took turns using a pitcher to fill the 20 gallon tank with water. In the afternoon, the children that were awake, helped choose where to place the aquatic plants. On Monday, many children got to enjoy some time observing our 8 new fish! We have Fancy Guppies, Long-Finned Zebra Danios and a Clown Plecostumus. 

We have been exploring a variety of apples this week for snack. Yesterday, a small group of children made baked apples for our classroom to enjoy as our afternoon snack. The butter and cinnamon sugar topping was a very big hit! 

Next week, the Kindergartners will have an opportunity to participate in their first field trip! It will be taking place in the barn (gym) here at The Children’s House. Food Rescue of Northern Michigan be joining us for a presentation on what the food rescue does and how we can be mindful of ways we can reuse food. 

Next Tuesday (October 18), is our school picture day!

We look forward to welcoming you to Parent’s Visiting Day on the 19th! Please drop your child off in carline and park. Reminder, we ask each child to have one parent or special friend to join them in the classroom. We have a second visiting day in the spring when the other parent or friend can attend. The space in the classroom gets very crowded when each child has multiple people, and we want the children to each have enough space to move and work so you can get the best example of what they do at school here each day! Thank you.

Have a wonderful fall weekend!

9/15/22

Welcome to Primary Northeast Classroom Highlights!

Every other week, I will be sharing updates of exciting things taking place in our classroom! 

We have all made it part way through this wonderful second week together. It was special to see so many of you at The Children’s House back to school night last week. I am so grateful to be a part of your child’s development and life each day! 

This week we have been singing many new songs about peace and bringing people together. Next Wednesday, at the end of our morning, we will celebrate the International Day of Peace together as a school community with a sing-a-long. One of the songs we are practicing is called, “Let There Be Peace On Earth.” In our classroom we are also singing a song called, “The Welcome Table.” The Welcome Table is a traditional African American folk song. Look for the words to this song below! 

In the garden outside our classroom’s window, we are patiently awaiting any bird’s discovery of our new bird bath. The children are eager to fill it each morning! We have also been pulling dried corn off the cob, and using a mortar and pestle to grind the corn. In the upcoming week, children will have an opportunity to practice measuring skills as they follow a recipe to create bird food for our bird feeder. We will be using millet, sunflower hearts, safflower seeds and the ground corn to make the food for our feathered friends.

Welcome Table 

We’re gonna sit at the welcome table
We’re gonna sit at the welcome table one of these days
We’re gonna sit at the welcome table
Gonna sit at the welcome table one of these days
One of these days 

We’re gonna feast on milk and honey
We’re gonna feast on milk and honey one of these days
We’re gonna feast on milk and honey
We’re gonna feast on milk and honey one of these days
One of these days 

All the children gonna come together
All the children gonna come together one of these days
All the children gonna come together
All the children gonna come together one of these days
One of these days