March was full of colorful works in Ambarino. The infants have loved exploring a new work of colored nesting buckets with a matching colored ball that sits on top of the bucket when it is on the shelf. Each of the infants interacts with this work differently, but the one common thing that draws them to it has been the balls. The ball basket is another work that is always being used. The older infants can be seen moving quickly after balls of all sizes that they roll about the room. Younger infants love to feel the balls with their hands and mouths. If you’ve ever walked in when all the balls are out and about, you know that you need to watch your step when navigating the room!
With the many changes in the weather this month, there has been a lot to see and watch through the windows in the classroom. Several times during the day, one or more of our friends can be seen watching out the window at all there is to witness on our end of campus. There have been lots of conversations about the trees, wind and sunshine; older friends we see outside on the playground and in the driveway, and the cars that drive by. The infants have also been interested in the shamrocks and bunny gel clings and the colorful rainbow ribbon mobile that have adorned the windows of the classroom to celebrate the beginning of spring. Favorite books to look at and read were Hop! Hop! by Leslie Patricelli and a soft book of Pat the Bunny. Next month, there will be lots of talk of farm animals. We will learn what each animal sounds like through different farm themed books, many rounds of “Old MacDonald Had a Farm” and several farm animal works.
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February was a month of celebrating friendship. We had a special circle time just before Valentine’s day where we read the book, Happy Valentine’s Day, Mouse and sang a new song called “The More We Get Together”. This song even has hand motions that were signed during the song. The infants really seemed to enjoy themselves! We also spent time talking about different red and pink items that could be seen and touched throughout the room. A soft red pillow was a favorite with many of our friends. They were often seen touching it or even resting their head on it during a quiet moment. Towards the end of the month, we welcomed our new friend Ryan. It has been wonderful getting to know him.
Ambarino is a very busy place with all of the infants moving all about the room all the time. One thing that all of the infants love to do is dance! Whether there is music being sung or a teacher can be heard clapping, at least one or more infants can be seen moving their bodies to the beat. The climber and pull up bar at the mirror are some popular spots to move and groove. For those infants who aren’t to the point of pulling up, they can be seen rocking their bodies and bobbing their heads when they hear a song they like. March will be full of colorful exploration of works, conversations about the “green” shamrocks that can be seen on our windows and books about bunnies. The start of the new year brought lots of new movement, sounds and friends to the infant room. We welcomed William and Sylvia to Ambarino and it has been such a wonderful experience getting to know our new friends! Upon returning from break, many of the infants are more mobile and finding new ways to reach works they are interested in on their own terms. Anyone who stops by or looks in the window can see what a busy place Ambarino is these days with infants in various stages in mobility!
With the first full month of winter behind us, there has been lots of talk about snowmen. A favorite book to look at and read has been How to Build a Snowman. The infants love to touch the different sensory sections on each page-from a smooth carrot for his nose, to the fluffy snowball used to create the round snowman at the end of the story. Some of our friends have even attempted to taste and even kiss the snowman on the page. There was also a snowman stacking work that the older infants enjoyed working with and a soft snowman bag all of our friends have enjoyed touching that hung near the mirror. In February, we will be reading a special book for Valentine's day that talks about friendship. We will talk about "red" and "pink" works that are in the classroom and many hearts that can be seen all around. Happy New Year, everyone! So far 2016 is starting off busy in Ambarino with everyone coming back and settling into the routine of school. I hope you all had a wonderful time with family and friends over the holidays.
December flew by! Last month, the infants helped to create a gift for their loved ones by having their feet painted green and then stamping their foot onto green paper. Some of the older infants even tried to help hold the paper during the process. We also worked with several red and green works throughout the classroom. A favorite work with these colors are two large rubber ducks that the infants enjoy taking off the shelf and throughout the day; they can be found all over the room. The infants also enjoyed working with a stacking snowman as well as singing and clapping to the song “Jingle Bells” during circle time. Next month, we will continue to talk about snowmen and read books about winter. In November, we spent a lot of time talking about turkeys! There was a colorful turkey to look at on the door to the playground and a counting book called Five Silly Turkeys. We enjoyed singing an interactive song about the gobble sounds turkeys make, how they flap their wings, and how they scratch the ground with their feet. The infants really enjoyed the hand motions that go with the song. It is such a delight to see how excited they get when we start to sing songs with them. The most joyful sound to hear is the sound of their delighted squeals and laughter even before a song begins.
The infants were often found looking out the windows and observing nature. We talked about the leaves they saw on the classroom windows inside and the trees outside. Along with daily observations of their environment, the infants helped to welcome Caroline and Diego to Ambarino. It has been just a pleasure to get to know them! In December we will be working on a holiday gift for our family, interacting with snowmen and works that feature the colors “red” and “green”. Enjoy all the sights and sounds this holiday season brings! October was a month of hellos and goodbyes. We welcomed Celia at the start of the month, and said goodbye to Orion as he moved up to the toddler room, in Celeste as the month came to an end. Even though it is sad to see our friends move on, we know they will be close by to say hello.
We said hello to fall with lots of talk about “orange”, round pumpkins. We read pumpkin themed books and sang songs about pumpkins. The infants really enjoyed working with the pumpkins in the classroom. Some were small enough for them to handle, while others were a bit larger. It has been wonderful to see how each infant interacts with these colorful squashes and gourds. The most popular pumpkin book has been Five Little Pumpkins which is also a song that could be heard during the day. Trucks were also a big conversation topic as well. The Redmond Fire Department came to campus and our older infants were able to see the truck with the toddler classes. We sang our fire truck song, which includes hand motions that the infants like to watch. We also read books about fire trucks and talked about how firefighters help people in need. Our friends have been finding new ways to move about the classroom! It has been such a busy month watching them discover ways to move to reach works they are interested in by rolling, scooting, or crawling to get to where they want to go. It is great to see our friends on the move! In November we will continue to see “orange” pumpkins in the classroom as well as some “red” apples. We will also talk and sing songs about turkeys. This will include the sounds they make, and how they move their wings. Enjoy the cooler weather as we move further into fall! We have welcomed many new friends, big and small, to Ambarino! Our new comers are Luna, Tallie and Kavin. We also welcomed Ms. Xianxian who will be supporting the classroom as an assistant. We are so happy that she has chosen to join the MCH community. The infants are learning about farm animals and the sounds they make. They partake in circle time daily where we sing “Old McDonald Had a Farm” and talk about the book Noisy Farm, that highlights 6 different animals and the authentic sounds associated with each. All of the infants have also enjoyed interacting with a barn and farm animal work in the classroom. It is so much fun to hear some of the infants use the animal sounds!
Another exciting part of our day is when we are singing songs and working with musical instruments. The drum and maracas have gotten a lot of use each day by all of our friends. Our friends love to move their bodies to the rhythm of the songs and dance when they hear a favorite song. Popular tunes have been “Open Shut Them” and “The Itsy Bitsy Spider”. Both of these songs include hand motions that our older friends enjoy participating in. It has been such a joy to watch all of our infant friends delighting in music that is shared in our room. Next month we will be adding pumpkins and gourds to the classroom in celebration of fall. We will also be reading fall themed books and signing songs about “orange” pumpkins throughout the month. Happy Fall everyone! The infants have had a wonderful month! In May, we celebrated Mother's Day by painting a garden-inspired tote. While some enjoyed the sensory experience, others were unsure of the cold, colorful paint on their fingers. We hope each of our mothers had a memorable day!
In addition, the infants spent more time exploring their outdoor environment. They enjoyed the warmer temperatures and smells of springtime, particularly lavender and lemon balm. We continued to practice animal sounds and love to hear the infants "neigh" and "moo" unprompted. A few of our favorite books as of late include "Farm," "Itsy Bitsy Spider" and "Hey, Wake Up!" These books are in constant rotation! In June, our focus will be on the body; we will identify different body parts and practice naming our head, eyes, nose, mouth and ears. We have many songs and books that make learning about the body a fun, meaningful experience! We will also focus on self-care, an important component of the Montessori philosophy. The infants seemingly enjoy washing hands before and after eating, blowing noses when applicable, and combing their hair. With the rising temperatures, we have introduced water play. It has been wonderful to watch the infants explore and splash in the water - an excellent sensory experience and a simple means of keeping cool. It has been a wonderful school year as we welcomed many new friends. We look forward to spending time together this summer! To all of our dads, Happy Father's Day! Classroom Ambarino is now a full house as we recently welcomed Elena and Connor. It is such a pleasure having them in the classroom as we learn about each other in a caring and respectful manner. They are the youngest members of our MCH community and are adjusting well to their new environment. Their smiles and soft gurgles add entertainment as we observe and interact with each of them. We are happy to have them as part of our MCH community!
The warmer weather of April enabled us to be outside more frequently. The infants really like learning about their outside environment. Some of our older infants are now walking and have been learning to navigate on uneven surfaces such as bark and hills. They are working hard to perfect their new skill of walking, and the outside environment motivates them to move and explore. The infants are very interested in the rabbits located throughout our campus. They are learning that rabbits have eyes, ears, and a nose. The infants show curiosity and display excitement when the rabbits move about their cages. Theirs is a look of wonderment. We look forward to more and more outside time and the opportunity to explore the beauty and wonders of nature!! This month, the infants participated in making a gift for their mother’s in celebration of Mother’s Day. Their hands or feet were painted to create garden scenes on tote bags. The infants enjoyed this sensory experience…and we hope their mothers enjoy the gift. We would like to wish all mothers a very happy Mother’s Day!! The Infant Classroom has welcomed Megan Pribble into our community at MCH. She recently completed her Montessori training at the Infant/Toddler Level and joins us with the knowledge, professionalism and commitment that will enhance our program. The infants warmed up to her quickly. We are so happy to have her!
In March, we spent lots of time looking at books and naming objects that the infants are pointing at. They all listen intently while learning the sounds that cows, horses, sheep, pigs, dogs and cats make. Some of the infants are beginning to imitate these sounds; especially “moo”, “baa”, “neigh” and “meow”. We also counted five shamrocks over and over and learned that they are “green”. The warmer sunny weather has enabled us to be outside more frequently which we are thoroughly enjoying. The infants really like watching the chickens and react with a look of wonderment when they “cluck”. They are a little unsure of the rooster who has a loud, strong voice and are occasionally startled by his crowing. It is such a joy to see the sparkle in the eyes of the infants as they learn about the “great” outdoors! Throughout the month of April, we will talk and sing about “hopping” rabbits and “jumping” frogs. The infants love to dance and sway to music and singing. Some of them are attempting to jump to a song “there was a froggie in the pond jumping up so high-o…” The smiles we witness during circle time are infectious! We will attend a whole school concert with Eric Ode toward the end of the month which I am sure the infants will love. We hope you all have a restful and enjoyable time with family during spring break! |
Ms. SaraEl Salon Ambarino Lead Teacher Archives
June 2018
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Montessori Children's House
5003 218th Ave. NE Redmond, WA 98053 Phone: 425-868-7805 [email protected] For Records Requests, please reach out to [email protected]. |
Founded in 1987
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