“Children belong to nature, especially when they are young. Without the influence of nature the child misses an important basic instinct that is naturally a part of them. Keeping this in mind, we need to give our students as much exposure to their outdoor environment as possible.” — Ms. Val, FMS Outdoor Classroom Specialist [button […]
This month, primary and lower elementary students have been exploring South American geography and culture and learning all about the amazing biodiversity of the Amazon rainforest. Many had the chance to meet two capybaras (the largest rodent in the world, indigenous to South America) and a grey parrot named Buckley. Students sampled delicious tropical fruits […]
Many students have been out and about on field trips recently, learning in a sensorial, hands-on way. Primary and Kindergarten students went to the Natural History Museum, where they learned about dinosaurs, sharks, wild animals, fossils and more. They also recently visited the Estes McDoniel Marine Lab, where they explored the many creatures of our […]
This week is Teacher Appreciation Week, a chance to pay tribute to our wonderful teachers and staff. This year at Foothills Montessori School, we have focused on providing our teachers with the knowledge and platforms they need to reach their full potential. We have attended conferences, seminars, in-services and workshops; hosted nationally recognized guest speakers, […]
Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better. — Albert Einstein Spring is here! Okay, officially spring doesn’t start until March 20, but spring weather has come early to our outdoor classroom. Our beautiful trees are blossoming, and the students have been busy planting flowers, tomatoes, eggplants and all kinds of peppers! […]
Last week, the students in P3 wrote letters to the President. All were then laminated and sent straight to the White House. Obviously the President is a very busy man, but we hope he is able to sit down and read these notes — he just may get some inspiration! Here are a few: “I […]
Beginning in the 1940s, numerous studies have linked intelligence quotient and childhood environment. More stimulating, engaging environments have been proven to increase the number of synapses and neurons in the brain; increase dendrite complexity; increase synapse activity and increase cortex volume. The effect is especially pronounced during childhood, when the brain is still developing, but […]
Let’s take a look into the window of P1, one of our Spanish Immersion classrooms. “Hola, como estas?” (Hi, how are you?) “Por favor” (Please), “Gracias” (Thank you) are a few of the common Spanish phrases heard in our classroom as we begin our day together. “Uno, dos, tres” (one, two, three) can be heard […]
Last week parents were treated to a comedic version of Shakespeare’s classic play about ghosts, guilt and magic spells. Teachers Ms. Erica and Ms. Arlene recount: “E1 presented their rendition of a comedic spoof based upon Shakespeare’s tragedy, Macbeth. The students had such fun transforming the quite violent tale into a lively — and sometimes silly […]
Recently, an FMS parent was kind enough to share a video with us on our Facebook page. You may have seen the viral hit — an older, bigger dog teaches his puppy friend to go down the stairs. That got us thinking about the benefits of multi-age grouping in the classroom. A few teachers share […]