2023 Newsletter Term 02 | Issue 01

It brings so much pride and joy to the students when they practise the art of giving.

A week ago we decided to help Mum’s in need at Manly Women’s shelter. The preschool mums did an epic job pooling together an enormous bounty of supplies in just a week.

The students were proud as punch packing over 26 bags of pamper products for mums and children who are less fortunate. As we were packing a couple of the Kindergarten students were talking about how they saw people sleeping on the street. We chatted about how this made their hearts feel and what we could do to help.

We decided that everyone deserves a hot bubble bath this Mothers’ Day.

Thanks for all your contributions

—Alli & the Preschool girls.

In Elouera we have been doing different types of construction work including practicing using the screwdriver, sanding wood with sandpaper and hammering. The children have been enjoying developing their skills and independence with these tasks.

The children have been very persistent with these tasks. The repetition of using the screwdriver helps build focus and concentration skills, and the work naturally requires hand eye coordination and fine motor skills. While sanding we explored texture; feeling both the rough and smooth sides of the sandpaper. We then experimented with the sandpaper to see if we needed to use the smooth or rough side to make the wood smoother. Hammering helps children to develop various skills such as hand eye coordination, strengthening muscles and preparing the hand for writing.

The children have loved getting involved in their practical work and learning from hands on experiences. We look forward to seeing the children continue to grow their knowledge and skills.

— Nina, Rachel and Yuko.

The Montessori method promotes independence by giving a child the ability to make their own choices, providing gentle guidance and allowing them to learn through play at their own pace. Throughout the day, the children in Burbangana will independently complete tasks to meet their needs and those of others. This includes preparation of morning tea with their teacher, then children can decide when they are ready for a snack and help themselves. When finished they clean their plate and their space ready for others to enjoy.

— Helen, Teresa & Claire

Having Sushi, Snowy, Lucky and Mrs Sticky at our school helps the children to observe, interact and learn about animals.  The children are involved in caring for the chickens and our stick insect, ensuring they have food, water and somewhere clean and safe to live.  In return the children get cuddles and eggs for cooking and see up close how beautifully Mrs Sticky can camouflage herself amongst the leaves.  Building and developing the children’s natural curiosity about living creatures provides us with many learning opportunities eg life cycles and habitats. Who knows where this curiosity will take us this term!

– Dawn

— Samantha.

Greetings, Beautiful Farmhouse Montessori Families!

We are thrilled to share some news from our Aikya classroom. Our children have settled in nicely this term and it’s been a joy to witness their love for learning in our small community.

At this age, children learn through their senses, and we provide a variety of materials for them to explore. We believe that children use these materials to deepen their understanding of abstract concepts by manipulating concrete objects. The materials serve as a bridge between the concrete and abstract, and as children work with them, they move slowly towards abstraction.

Some have even started working on projects for the term or writing their own play! Every day they work with the materials with such enthusiasm, and it inspires us to see how much they are growing and developing their skills.

Our Montessori dance classes with Kei from Montessori Dance have officially begun! The children are loving it, and it’s a wonderful opportunity for them to explore movement and express themselves through dance. We believe that movement is an integral part of the learning process, and we are excited to see how this program will benefit our students. If you’re curious about Kei and her approach to Montessori dance, please visit her website at https://www.montessoridance.com.au/about.

We can’t wait to continue on this journey of learning and discovery with our amazing students. Thank you for your continued support!

Coming up: Mother’s Day celebrations and an exciting excursion to the Botanical Gardens! Stay tuned.

—Toby, Sarah, Amy & Fiona.

Dear parents and community, we hope this newsletter finds you well as we embark on another exciting term at our beloved school. First and foremost, we want to take a moment to bid a fond farewell to Nick, who is leaving us to pursue new adventures in his career. Nick has been an integral part of our school community, and it is with a heavy heart that we say goodbye. However, we are also filled with anticipation and excitement for the opportunities that lie ahead for him. We wish Nick the very best in his future endeavors and have no doubt that he will excel wherever he ventures next. I’m sure Nick will pop in for visits from time to time.

On a brighter note, we are thrilled to welcome our newest class member, Flynn, to our school community. Flynn has already made a positive impression on both the students and staff with his warm smile and enthusiastic attitude. We are confident that he will quickly find his place within our vibrant and inclusive learning environment. Let us join together in extending a warm welcome to Flynn and embrace the opportunity to make him feel at home in our school.

In other news, our students have been fully engaged in their learning journey, particularly in the realm of mathematics. Over the past weeks, they have been diligently working with Montessori geometry sticks, delving into the captivating world of angles and the relationships they share with various lines. We look forward to what the remainder of the term will bring.

— Tom, Nick, Ella & Amy.

Preschool Music

So great to be back for another term of music.

This term we will be working on body percussion, and exploring making our own ‘bars’ of music using crotchets and rests.

North Head Campus

This term the in-class sessions on Mondays will all be centered with an Australian theme.
From learning to play Midnight Oil and Gurrumul, to working through different rhythm combinations using Lummi sticks.

The Montessori Mixed Ensemble is back rehearsing on Wednesday afternoons. So lovely to hear the halls of the campus filled with music!!

The group have started working on ‘Minds Eye’ by Wolfmother.

— The Evergreen team.