February was a month of friendship and love. The infants enjoyed books about animals, family and hugging. “Heart” shaped objects were the focal point of the work and conversation in the classroom. The babies really liked seeing, pointing to and touching heart shaped window clings that were added to several windows. We talked about “red”, “pink” and “purple” hearts and counted them on a regular basis. We made bright colored butterfly valentines for families and enjoyed eating our “friendship fruit salad”. Both activities were fun sensory experiences as little hands went to work. Much thanks to our parents and toddler friends who provided an array of fruits. Yum! Yum! And, hugs to all!!
During the month of March, we will continue to learn about respect and “gentle” touching when we approach our friends. The infants are attracted to their peers and like to pat, hug and crawl on one another. Their interactions usually include babbling, smiles and laughter. It is such a joy to witness!! Now that the weather is warming up, we look forward to being outside more often which is a favorite activity for all the babies. There is so much to learn in the outdoor environment!! We will also talk about “shamrocks” and the color “green “in recognition of “St. Patrick’s Day!
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January was a whirlwind month of activity and growth in the infant classroom. The climbing apparatus highlighted the days for Clara, Keira and Sammy as they practiced their climbing skills over and over again. Orion spent hours perfecting a “commando crawl” which enables him to explore his environment at a much faster rate and Violet enjoyed “floor time” in front of a mirror where she smiled at the beautiful baby looking back at her. Throughout the month, Sofia worked hard to regulate her emotions as she gradually developed a sense of trust in her new environment. We love seeing her smile!
Recently, we said “goodbye” to Ethan as he transitioned into toddlerhood and joined the El Salon Rosa classroom where he was welcomed with open arms. We will miss Ethan and his family but will look forward to seeing him on campus. Throughout the month of February, we will focus on our “friends” and all the “heart” shaped objects added to the classroom. We will prepare a special valentine greeting for family members and we will share a “friendship fruit salad” in celebration of Valentine’s Day. There will be respect…kindness…hugs, squeezes, and smiles. Happy New year to all our MCH friends and families!! We hope your holiday season was full of warmth, love and good cheer!!
The month of December was a joyful time in the Infant Classroom with much activity and many smiles. We listened to the classical music of the “Nutcracker” which stimulated our brains and motivated us to dance. We also enjoyed clapping to “Jingle Bells”, looking at books about snow and snowmen, and working with an array of materials that were red and green in color. We really liked touching and listening to a musical snow globe. It was a favorite!! We also made a holiday gift for “Daddy and Mommy” which enabled us to have our feet painted. Most of us enjoyed the tickling sensation of the experience. Oh what fun! This month we have welcomed Sofia and Violet to our classroom. Both girls are beautiful and alert… adding much happiness to our environment!! It is such a pleasure having them as part of our MCH community and we are excited to get to know them and their parents better! Formal observations will be done and new materials will be added to the classroom to meet the developmental needs and interests of each child. I am pleased and thankful to announce that Jeff will be spending more time in our classroom throughout this month. The infants love him! We all welcome him with open arms! It is such an honor to work with each infant at MCH and I continue to be amazed at the growth and development that occurs on a daily basis. Enabling a child to be Independent is “key” to optimal development and is a primary goal of the classroom. Independence builds confidence and promotes self worth in children. Maria Montessori once said, “We must not help the child to walk, and if his hand wants to work, we must give him motives of activity, and leave him to proceed to ever greater conquests of independence.” This month we bid adieu to Wyatt who has entered the Toddler community. He slowly transitioned throughout the month of November and is now happy to be among his older friends full time. He especially enjoys all the outdoor time he gets and appears to be stimulated by the variety of work in his new environment. We wish him well and look forward to seeing him on campus. Hugs to Wyatt and his parents in celebration of his transition to toddlerhood!!
The chilly air of November kept us inside more than we liked, but we did get out a few times to enjoy the changes in nature that the cooler temperatures brought. On one of our outings, we met a few of our local fireman who showed us their big, red fire truck. It was so nice to mingle with some of the early childhood classrooms on this excursion! We learned about turkeys this month as we looked at books, listened to songs and watched Ms. Kim do finger plays. Our favorite song was “Gobble, Gobble, Gobble” which some of us enjoyed dancing and clapping to, and our favorite book was “Spot’s Thanksgiving”. Circle time activities are some of our favorites these days. We also enjoyed helping make a Thanksgiving card for our families which involved having one of our hands painted. We all really liked the feel of wet paint! During the month of December, we will spend time listening and dancing to holiday music, looking at books about snow and snowmen, and working with an array of red and green materials. I predict the favorite song of the month will be “Jingle Bells” since it has such a catchy rhythm and we will be using real bells. We love moving our bodies to music!! Throughout the month of October, the Infant classroom buzzed with activity and was full of good cheer.
We welcomed Orion and his parents to the MCH community with open arms and have been enjoying getting to know them. Orion adds so much joy to our classroom as he rolls about in exploration. His gurgling, happy cooing and laughter is so nice to hear! We learned about pumpkins big and small by touching them, tasting them, sitting on them and pushing or carrying them around. Books about pumpkins and animals were by far the favorite stories of the month with “The Pumpkin” by Lily Kerr rated the best of them all. We talked about the eyes, nose and mouth on several different “Jack -o –lantern” works in the classroom and also pointed to our own facial features many, many times. All the children enjoy looking at their reflection in the mirror; especially the face that looks back at them!! We have been enjoying the fall-time season…the beautiful colors of nature…the occasional sunny days…our walks outdoors whenever possible… and the sounds of the wind and the rain as we open our classroom windows and constantly look outdoors. We hope to do more of the same during the month of November. We will be learning about turkeys this month as we look at books, sing songs and do finger plays. You might want to try this one at home: Gobble, Gobble (Sung to "If you're Happy & You Know It") "Gobble, gobble, gobble, gobble", says the bird- "Gobble, gobble, gobble, gobble", says the bird. Mr. Turkey gobble-gobbles And his head goes wobble-wobble "Gobble, gobble, gobble, gobble", says the bird. A very happy November and Thanksgiving to all!! It has been a great start to the new school year as we welcomed Sammy and Keira to the Infant Classroom. Both girls have added energy, noise, and happiness to our environment!! We spent the month of September learning about each other as we watched each other’s every move, touched each other’s faces, and became familiar with the vocalization we all like to make. Becoming familiar to a new “routine” and developing “trust” in one another has been the key to opening the door to a harmonious and happy environment. The classroom is a place of movement, exploration, warmth and smiles.
I am very excited to share that we also welcomed Deanna to the Infant community. She is our primary classroom Assistant that works a full day. As I have mentioned to a few of our parents, “she is a diamond in the rough”. She is eager to learn about the Montessori philosophy and her presence adds warmth to our environment. We are so lucky to have her! I have added pumpkins, gourds, Halloween books and various Jack-O-Lantern objects to the classroom in celebration of fall time. We talk about “big” and “little” pumpkins, “smooth” and “bumpy” gourds, face parts of the Jack- O-Lanterns, and the color “orange”. Placing bracelets on the stem of a “big” pumpkin is a well used work. At circle time, we sing about five little pumpkins on Halloween night. The infants are thoroughly enjoying themselves as they explore all the new seasonal materials! We get outside as much as possible to enjoy the beauty of nature and to visit the animals that highlight our wonderful school. We also like smelling the fresh outdoor air, feeling the breeze on our skin, and watching the leaves on the trees change color. There is so, so much to learn as we absorb information through our senses!! We love to go outdoors!! May was a month of “firsts”, smiles and clapping in the Infant Classroom! Ethan pulled to a standing position and now practices this new skill over and over again. Wyatt surprised himself by standing independently for a few seconds. Charles Wallace and Jack took their “first” walk to the main campus playground with their toddler friends and Eloise started visiting a Toddler Classroom without the assistance of Ms. Kim in preparation for full time enrollment in the class. It is amazing how rapidly growth and development occurs during a child’s “first” 18 months after birth. “Firsts” are such joyous moments to witness!!
We are happy to announce that Clara has joined our classroom. Her smile and beautiful blue eyes add a “sparkle” to the environment. It is great fun to interact with her and listen to her voice! We “welcome” her and her family to our community and look forward to getting to know them better. During this month of June, we will continue to spend as much time as possible outdoors as the beauty and smells of nature are so invigorating and there is much to learn about the animals and gardens that surround the MCH community. Airplanes, birds, rabbits, goats, blossoms, and water always attract our attention. I expect there will be much pointing, splashing of water, and petting of animals throughout the summer months! Oh what fun!! The infants will be participating in an art activity this month in recognition of their “wonderful fathers”. This activity will be a tactile experience as they will be using their little hands to create a signature representing much thanks and love. “Happy Father’s Day” to all father’s of the MCH community!! We hope everyone has an enjoyable summer!! April was a month of growth and constant motion! We welcomed Ethan and Charles Wallace to the Infant Classroom with open arms, smiles and good cheer. Both are adjusting nicely to their schedules and enjoy being among other children. It is such fun to watch the dynamics between the children as they learn about one another. They are also learning to be “gentle” as they reach out to touch each other. They really like each other’s faces!
We have been spending more time outdoors now that the weather is nice. The infants are curious about the birds, the chickens on the main campus, toddlers on the run, and the construction vehicles that are at work on campus. The students, staff, and parents that we encounter on our walks always add warmth to our outings with their pleasant greetings. We look forward to even more outdoor exploration throughout the month!! The infants will be doing a “hands on” art project for their mother’s in celebration of Mother’s Day. I look forward to witnessing each child’s reaction as their hands go to work! We would like to extend a big thanks to everyone who made the Scholastic Book Fair happen and to the parents who donated several board books to our classroom. We love our new books and look forward to reading them over and over again!! The Infant Classroom has welcomed Jack into our community at MCH. We have enjoyed getting to know him and his family during the last few weeks as he has been adjusting to the classroom environment. His smile and pleasant disposition add such warmth to our environment!
It is a pleasure to announce that we have also welcomed April to the classroom. She is a full-time Assistant that has years of experience working with young children. She is such a valuable asset to our community and we feel lucky to have her! The Spring-time weather has enabled us to be outside at times. The infants really like being outside where they learn about nature. They explore bark, rocks, branches from the Evergreen trees and get excited when hearing or seeing birds or airplanes. They are such keen observers! They enjoy watching the rabbits and chickens as we talk about their body parts and the movement or sounds they make. It is a joy to see the sparkle in the eyes of the infants as they learn about the “great” outdoors! We look forward to more good weather and the continued opportunity to explore the beauty and wonders of nature!! February was an exciting and busy month as we finally made our move to the new building on the main campus! It is such a beautiful space and the infants are happily exploring every inch of their environment. The large windows enable us to see and feel a part of nature on a daily basis and provide so much natural light. We love our new surroundings!!
Also in February, the infants left their hand prints on butterfly Valentines that were given to parents. It was a fun sensory experience as they laid their hands on an ink pad, feeling the wetness of the ink and seeing the color purple all over their little hands. Oh, what fun!! The Valentines were bright and beautiful! We are hoping for better weather in March as we would like to spend more time outdoors to experience the beauty, sounds and smells of spring. Indoors, the babies continue to perfect their gross and fine motor skills as they climb, pull up to a standing position, walk around furniture, stand independently, walk, handle a variety of works with purpose, and learn to be more independent. I expect they will all be walking with greater confidence and ease by summer, maybe even running! Currently, some of their favorite activities include looking out the windows of our new classroom, taking walks in the stroller, looking at books, and banging objects together or against shelves, doors and windows. Such great noises can be heard in the infant classroom! Recently, we welcomed Liv into our community at MCH. We have enjoyed getting to know her and her parents during the last week or so as she has been slowly adjusting to the Infant Classroom. We look forward to her attending full-time this month...her smile adds such warmth to our environment! |
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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