AMIGA Montessori Burwood

Today in Mandarin class, the children learned about the history of the Dragon Boat Festival and discovered how people celebrate this special cultural event. They explored the story behind the festival and learned about traditions such as dragon boat racing, eating zongzi, and spending time with family and friends.

This experience helped the children develop an appreciation for different cultures and traditions while expanding their Mandarin language learning.

Our children had a wonderful time creating tunnels and water spouts using bamboo waterways. Through collaboration, creativity, and hands-on problem-solving, they designed their own pathways for water to travel, experimenting with flow, direction, and cause and effect.

This open-ended experience encouraged teamwork, critical thinking, and a deeper connection with the natural environment while fostering curiosity and discovery through play.

We began our Bush Kinder session with our Acknowledgement of Country song, reflecting on how we can care for and respect the land, plants, animals, and all living things around us.

After reading Sea Country by Lisa Kennedy, the Discoverers used fallen leaves and flowers to create imaginative meals in their nature kitchen. By choosing only natural materials that had already fallen to the ground, the children demonstrated respect for Country and the environment.

From paneer and flower soup to nature-inspired ice cream, creativity, collaboration, and environmental stewardship were on full display. 🌱✨

Today during Mandarin class, we practised counting to five by counting the monkeys climbing up the tree. The children enthusiastically joined in as we counted together in Mandarin, building both their language and numeracy skills.

We also explored the importance of kindness and learned some polite words and phrases in Mandarin, including "please" and "thank you". Through songs, stories, and conversation, the children discovered how kind words can help us show respect and care for others.

Musical Minds Incursion 🎶🎵

Today, our Discoverers enjoyed an exciting musical instruments incursion where they explored a variety of instruments, including egg shakers, drums, and xylophones. Through interactive songs and hands-on experiences, the children learnt about colours using sign language, explored transport-themed music, and experimented with creating different sounds and rhythms.

Combining music with sign language encouraged communication, creativity, and self-expression while supporting listening skills, coordination, and confidence. It was wonderful to see the children so engaged as they learned through the joy of music! 🎼

🌿🐞 Adventure, discovery, and creativity!
Today, our Adventurers enjoyed a regular outing to the park where we read a book about insects and explored the natural environment with magnifying glasses, searching for tiny creatures hidden amongst the grass and leaves.

As autumn colours surrounded us, we collected beautiful fallen leaves and worked together to create a nature bouquet. Experiences like these encourage curiosity, observation, creativity, and a deeper connection with the world around us. 🍂🔍✨

🧹 Practical Life in Montessori 🧹

Sweeping may seem like a simple task, but in Montessori education it is a meaningful activity that supports a child's development in many ways.

As children sweep, they strengthen their coordination, concentration, independence, and sense of responsibility for their environment. Through purposeful movement and repetition, they learn to care for their space while building confidence in their abilities.

These everyday tasks help children develop valuable life skills, foster a sense of belonging within their community, and encourage pride in contributing to their classroom.

"Help me do it myself." ✨

The Addition Strip Board is a wonderful Montessori material that supports children to explore and understand addition in a hands-on way. 🔢✨

Through self-directed investigation, children combine quantities, recognise number patterns, and build confidence with early mathematical concepts. By physically manipulating the strips, abstract ideas become concrete, helping children develop a deep understanding of number relationships and problem-solving skills.

Learning through discovery, one equation at a time! 🌱➕💡

🌿 Connecting with nature through play and exploration 🌿

Our Kindergarten children immersed themselves in a nature play experience using native Australian plants. Through hands-on discovery, they explored different textures, scents, colours, and shapes while developing a deeper appreciation for the natural environment around them.

Nature play encourages curiosity, creativity, and problem-solving, while fostering a sense of responsibility and respect for our local ecosystems. Experiences such as these support children's wellbeing, imagination, and connection to Country as they learn through meaningful interactions with the natural world.

🌱 Learning through nature, growing through experience. 💚

Celebrating Reconciliation Week through hands-on learning. 🌿✨

The children enjoyed making cookies using native Australian ingredients, lemon myrtle and wattle seed, while learning about the rich cultures and traditions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.