2026 Newsletter Term 01 | Issue 02 – Farmhouse Montessori School

Dear Families,

As the term settles into a steady rhythm, we find ourselves reflecting on the importance of partnership within our community. At Farmhouse Montessori, education is not something that happens only within the classroom; it is a shared journey between the child, the school and the family.

Over the past few weeks, we have observed the children growing in confidence as they become more familiar with their environments. They are developing independence in their daily routines, forming connections with peers, and beginning to engage more deeply with their work. These moments of growth are most meaningful when they are supported consistently between school and home.

A strong partnership is built on open communication, mutual respect and a shared understanding of the child’s development. We deeply value the insights you bring as parents. Your observations, questions and reflections all contribute to understanding each child. In turn, we are committed to ensuring that you feel informed, supported and connected to your child’s experience at school.

There are many small but meaningful ways this partnership comes to life in a child’s daily experience. When children are given the time to complete tasks independently, encouraged to take responsibility, and trusted in their capabilities, they begin to develop a strong sense of confidence and self-belief. When these approaches are shared consistently between home and school, they provide children with a deep sense of security as they navigate their learning.

We also recognise that partnership means ongoing dialogue. Whether through daily interactions, emails, or more formal conversations, we encourage you to reach out, share, and engage with us. These exchanges are invaluable and allow us to continue refining our practice in meaningful ways.

As we approach the end of term, we look forward to continuing to strengthen this connection with you. Thank you for your support and participation.

Warm regards,

Harshitha Ravikumar | Principal

Strong partnerships with families are a focus of our growing school. Parent conferences and written reports are two key ways we build a shared understanding of each child’s development. Conferences offer space for meaningful dialogue—where we can listen, reflect together, and align on how best to support each child. Our reports aim to give a clear, thoughtful picture of progress over time, highlighting not just academic growth, but independence, social development, and emerging interests. Together, these moments create continuity between home and school, ensuring that each child is supported in a consistent and informed way.

We also value the opportunity for families to come into the classroom for observations. Seeing the environment in action often brings clarity and insight that written communication alone cannot provide. It allows parents to better understand the rhythms of the day, the purpose behind the materials, and the ways children engage in their learning. As a school, we see these experiences as part of an ongoing partnership—one built on trust, transparency, and a shared commitment to each child’s growth.

In the Elouera classroom, we truly value the partnership between home and school as we support each child’s growing independence, confidence, and emotional development. Throughout the year, we offer information nights to share insights into the Montessori approach and help families feel connected to their child’s learning journey.

We encourage families to nurture independence at home through simple, everyday tasks, and we share ideas to create consistency between home and school. We also work closely together on important milestones, such as toilet training, using a respectful, child-led approach.

Supporting children’s emotional regulation is another shared focus, as we guide them to recognise and express their feelings. Together, we create a warm and consistent environment where children feel secure, capable, and empowered to grow.

Warm regards,

– Annabelle, Karen, Nina and Yuko

Partnerships with Families: Bonnie’s Arrival

In our Montessori classroom, strong partnerships with families are at the heart of each child’s learning experience. When children share moments from home, these experiences become a meaningful bridge between home and school. By listening carefully and taking time to revisit these stories together, we help children feel seen, valued, and connected across both environments.

Recently, we shared in the excitement of one child who was eagerly awaiting the arrival of their new puppy, Bonnie. Over several weeks, the child spoke about visiting Bonnie while she was still with her litter, preparing for her arrival, and counting down the days until she could come home. This anticipation became a shared experience within the classroom, with many children asking questions and showing genuine interest.

We extended this interest by introducing stories about dogs and exploring how we care for animals. When Bonnie finally arrived, the family kindly shared photos, which the child proudly presented during news time. These moments highlight the importance of collaboration between home and school. When families share experiences and educators respond with intention, children see that their worlds are connected, and their learning becomes richer, more personal, and deeply meaningful.

Welcome Home Bonnie!

Warm wishes,

—Vanessa, Merrill, Zaneta, Teresa.

Parent Connection

At Farmhouse, we view education as a meaningful partnership between home and school, where open communication and shared understanding support each child’s development. When families and educators work together—sharing observations, celebrating progress, and offering consistent expectations—children develop a strong sense of security and belonging. This connection is especially powerful when learning is mirrored across both environments. Simple practical life experiences at home, such as helping to peg out washing, preparing food, setting the table, or caring for shared spaces, reinforce the independence and responsibility children are building in the classroom. By valuing and encouraging these everyday contributions, we create a cohesive bridge between school and home, where children feel confident, capable, and deeply connected in their daily lives.

— Dawn, Claudia, Yuko, Claire, Anniebelle.

In our outdoor program, we value meaningful connections with families and recognise the importance of sharing children’s learning experiences.

We use the OWNA platform to communicate with families, regularly sharing photos and snapshots of the children’s beautiful nature-based work. These updates provide a window into the child’s learning journey, allowing families to see their exploration, creativity and connection with the outdoor environment.

As our Outdoor Educator is not always directly available to connect with families, OWNA offers a thoughtful way to maintain this connection and ensure that families remain informed and engaged.

We also welcome communication from families by encouraging families to share nature experiences, interests or moments from home that they would like to share. These are sometimes passed on to the Outdoor Educator via the Amaroo classroom email, often including photos. This exchange helps strengthen the connection between home and preschool, supporting continuity in children’s learning.

We appreciate all the ongoing partnership and the different ways that families contribute to our shared learning community.

– Merrill Tilwani (Coordinator on behalf of the Amaroo Educator)

Building Strong Connections from the Start

As we move through the term, we would like to take a moment to celebrate the partnerships we have built together. From the very beginning, open and consistent communication has been a priority.

During the first few weeks, as the children settled into their new environment, we greatly valued connecting with you during morning drop-offs and afternoon pick-ups. These daily interactions allowed us to share meaningful insights about your child’s day and support a smooth transition into classroom routines.

Parent Conferences – Working Together

Our recent parent conferences were an important opportunity to strengthen our collaboration. Whether meeting face-to-face or via video call, these discussions allowed us to share each child’s academic progress, social development, and overall adjustment to the classroom.

We discussed growth in areas such as mathematics and language, while also highlighting each child’s unique interests and strengths. Just as importantly, we gained valuable insights from you—about your child’s experiences at home, emerging interests, and any specific developmental or health needs.

This shared information has been carefully noted and will guide our planning and lesson development in the coming term, ensuring our approach remains responsive and centred on each child.

Classroom Observations – A Window into Learning

We were delighted to welcome parents into the classroom for observation sessions. These visits provided a snapshot of the daily classroom environment, where you were able to see children working independently, collaborating with peers, and engaging with teachers.

It was wonderful to share this experience with you and to showcase how the children are growing in confidence, independence, and social awareness.

Supporting Learning at Home

Your involvement at home continues to make a meaningful difference. We appreciate your support with:

Show and tell contributions, helping children build confidence and communication skills
Communication via email regarding absences and important updates
Engagement with phonics packets and reading resources provided

The use of literacy links and shared reading experiences at home plays an important role in strengthening the children’s language development and love for learning.

Looking Ahead

As we look forward to the next term, our planning will be guided by both our classroom observations and the valuable feedback you have shared. Together, we will continue to support each child’s growth, interests, and individual learning journey.

Warm regards,

Larissa, Chris

Term 1 is always a significant time in the life of a classroom. It is a period of settling, observing, and gently guiding each child as they begin to find their place within the rhythm of the environment for the new year. During this time, partnerships with families are especially important, as they help create a strong and consistent foundation for each child’s growth and development.

A key part of the Montessori approach is careful observation. As teachers, we observe closely in order to better understand each child’s readiness, interests, needs, and patterns of engagement. This allows us to prepare the environment thoughtfully and respond with intention. Early in the year, parent observations and conferencing form an important part of this process. These touchpoints offer a valuable opportunity to build connection between home and school, to share observations, and to develop a clear and supportive sense of how best to guide each child forward.

Throughout the term, I have felt genuinely grateful for the support of families in this work. This partnership is often strengthened through the small, everyday conversations that happen at pick-up, where parents may share reflections from home or observations of their child. These insights can offer meaningful context and help us to better understand the child across both home and school. Children often continue to process their day once they return home, and that shared awareness between school and family can be an important support during periods of growth and change.

This shared trust has also been especially felt in our outdoor learning experiences, where a common understanding of the value of hands-on learning in the natural world has helped make these opportunities possible. Our recent social gathering at North Balgowlah campus was also a lovely reminder that a strong school community is built through connection, goodwill, shared purpose and understanding.

Maria Montessori wrote, “The vision of the teacher should be at once precise like that of the scientist, and spiritual like that of the saint.” This beautifully reflects the balance of the prepared adult in Montessori education: to observe carefully, guide thoughtfully, and support the child towards growing independence.

Thank you for your ongoing support and partnership this term.

Warm regards,

—Toby, Bruno, Nicole.

Partnerships with families are often spoken about in education, but in a Montessori setting, it is less about constant communication and more about alignment. It is the shared understanding between school and home that supports the child to grow in independence, responsibility, and confidence. This doesn’t require doing more, but rather being intentional in the small, everyday moments that allow children the space to reflect, process, and make sense of their experiences.

One of the simplest ways this partnership can come to life is through conversation at home. Not a series of questions to be answered, but a genuine curiosity in how your child is thinking. We often notice that questions beginning with ‘why’ can be tricky for children, as they are still developing the ability to connect their actions, feelings, and reasoning. A small shift to ‘what’ and ‘how’ can open things up. For example, if your child says, “I really like maths,” rather than asking why, you might ask:

What is it you enjoy about maths?
How do you work when doing maths?
What is it about math you find most satisfying?

These kinds of questions gently support children to build that link between their experiences and their thinking. In this way, partnership is not about stepping in, but about creating the conditions for your child to understand themselves more deeply – something we are working towards together, both at school and at home.

— Thomas, Ella, Nicole.

Apr	20th	Term 2 Student Start Date
Apr	22nd	Parent Information Session : Kindergarten at Farmhouse
Apr	27th – 29th	School Camp
Apr	29th	Primary School Parent Information Evening
May	1st	Primary School Open Day
May	5th & 7th	Preschool Mother’s Day Morning Tea
May	8th	Primary School Mother’s Day Morning Tea
May	20th	Preschool Evening Tour
June	2nd	Combined Montessori Sports Carnival-Pymble-TBC

Farmhouse News

2026 Newsletter Term 01 | Issue 02

Upcoming events & Important Dates

Principal’s Message

Primary School COORDINATOR’S MESSAGE

ELOUERA | Infant Community

BURBANGANA | Cycle 1

COOINDA | Cycle 1

AMAROO | Cycle 1 OUTDOOR CLASSROOM

ORANA | Cycle 2