Sunshine Montessori

We can’t believe that it is almost the end of the school year. We have had so much fun learning and playing together. The students have learned so much this year, not only academically but also socially and emotionally.

The children started their week with an exciting surprise! Over the weekend, the chrysalis had transformed into butterflies. The children were thrilled to observe the butterflies clinging to the butterfly garden net, stretching and drying their delicate wings. As the butterflies prepared for flight, the children eagerly anticipated our special release celebration.

On Thursday, May 28th, we held our butterfly release party and released ten beautiful butterflies. Before setting them free, we read a touching poem by Jill Haley. The butterflies had been so comfortable in our classroom that they were reluctant to fly away. One monarch butterfly even seemed to refuse to leave Ms. Elizabeth’s hand. We gently encouraged them to fly, and the children joyfully watched as the butterflies landed on flowers in our playground for the first time before fluttering away into the open air.

Last week we focused on the study of amphibians. We discussed the three main groups: frogs and toads, salamanders and newts, and caecilians. The children learned that amphibians differ in body shape, lifestyle, and reproduction. They also learned that amphibians have smooth, moist skin that allows them to breathe through it, lay eggs in water, and undergo metamorphosis. The young begin life with gills and later develop lungs, moving from water to land.

The children also enjoyed learning about the life cycle and body parts of a frog.

As part of our learning, Miss Sarah from the Mass Audubon Society brought in two amphibians: two tree frogs and a salamander. The tree frogs can change color from brown or green to gray as camouflage to protect themselves from predators. They also produce a sticky slimy secretion from their skin that tastes unpleasant to predators as a defense mechanism.

She taught us that bright colors such as black, orange, red, and yellow are danger colors, as they may indicate that an animal is poisonous or tastes bad. We also learned that axolotls are relatives of salamanders that remain aquatic, keeping their gills and tail throughout their lives. Newts also have tails and spend part of their lives in water.

As many poisonous amphibians live in South America, we spent this week learning about South America. We learned that there are 12 countries and 3 territories. We practiced naming each one and locating them on a map. Brazil is the largest country, covering nearly half the continent. Spanish and Portuguese are the main languages, and the Andes is the longest mountain range, extending from Venezuela to Argentina. Guyana is the only country in South America with English as its official language.

We also explored the flags and cultures of South America. The children were fascinated to learn that the largest tropical rainforest in the world, the Amazon Rainforest, is located there and is home to many exotic animals. Their favorite animals included sloths, spider monkeys, and toucans.

We also learned about famous landmarks and connected our learning about landforms and waterforms. North America and South America are connected by a narrow strip of land called the Isthmus of Panama. Cape Horn, the southernmost point of South America, is a cape where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Pacific Ocean. The Galápagos and Falkland Islands are archipelagos, and Lake Titicaca is one of the highest navigable and inhabited lakes in the world. Antarctica is about 500 miles from Cape Horn.

If you are looking for a weekend activity with children, the Stone Zoo is a great option. In the Animal Discovery Center, you can see the Panamanian Golden Frog, Tree Frog, Green and Black Poison Dart Frog, and Dyeing Poison Dart Frog, along with exciting exhibits featuring a Jaguar, Iguana, and a Sloth Experience. The Franklin Park Zoo also offers wonderful animals to see, including the Ring-tailed Lemur and the Andean Condor.

We hope you have been able to enjoy the warm weather we have been getting. The children sure have. Between the cool breezes and the shade from the trees, the children have been enjoying themselves.

With the warm weather the children have been noticing ants and this led us into the study of insects. The children first learned about what insects are and what are the special characteristics that classify them as insects. The common characteristics of insects are- head, thorax and abdomen, 6 legs, 2 antennae, compound eyes, and some have wings. They love singing our insect song, which solidifies their learning of the insect’s characteristics. If you have not heard the song yet, please request your child to sing it, as it's their favorite song in the classroom. The children also learned that spiders, ticks and scorpions are not insects but arachnids as they have 8 legs.

We then continued to study the life cycle of a butterfly, including its various parts. We learnt about the life cycle of a butterfly using miniature objects to visually represent each stage - egg, caterpillar, chrysalis and adult butterfly. The children are very excited to have caterpillars in the classroom as it gives them a chance to observe the life cycle of a butterfly. Every day, the children are excited to come to the classroom in the morning and check on the caterpillars, reporting their progress. Our caterpillars are now in the chrysalis phase, and we will report their next stage of development during our next newsletter. As we watch the life cycle of the butterfly firsthand, the children are not only learning about the life cycle of a butterfly, but also learning valuable lessons on how to observe a living creature. If you are looking for something to do over the weekend, please plan a trip to the Butterfly Place in Westford for the children to enjoy different types of butterflies.

This week, we learned about landforms and waterforms. Some of the landforms we explored included islands, archipelagos, peninsulas, capes, and isthmuses. The children also learned that each landform has a corresponding waterform: lakes, systems of lakes, gulfs, bays, and straits. We had fun identifying the different landforms on the map of North America and discussing different landforms we have visited. The children especially enjoyed creating models of each landform and waterform, which helped bring their learning to life.

On Friday, we learnt about Memorial Day by sorting pictures representing each branch of the military. We talked about how grateful we are for the people who work every day to help keep us safe. Finally, each child chose the branch of the military they found most interesting and shared their thoughts with the class.

At the beginning of spring, we learned about Holi, the Festival of Colors. If you and your child would like to experience a Holi celebration, please visit: https://www.saab-bedford.org/events

The children returned to school after Spring Break buzzing with renewed energy. They were especially excited to see the chicks and were amazed to find how much bigger and fluffier they had grown. They thoroughly enjoyed holding the soft chicks in their hands. We bade a sad goodbye to our chicks as they headed off to live on a farm. We wish them a healthy and happy life.

We started our week learning about the smallest continent in the world- Australia. The children explored the map of Australia and learned that there are six states: New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia, and Tasmania. They were fascinated to discover the similarity between the flags of Australia and the United Kingdom, both featuring the Union Jack due to Australia’s history as a former British colony and its continued membership in the Commonwealth.
The children enjoyed exploring our cultural basket, which included artifacts from Australia such as a boomerang, koala figures, coins, and pictures of Australian landmarks. Australia is known for its unique wildlife, much of which is found nowhere else in the world. The children learned about animals such as the kangaroo, koala, Tasmanian devil, platypus, wombat, dingo, emu, cockatoo, kookaburra, and saltwater crocodile. They especially enjoyed working on puzzles featuring Australian animals.

We also learned about Aboriginal Australians, the First Peoples of Australia. The children engaged in Aboriginal-inspired dot painting and decorated their own boomerangs using this technique. They also explored famous Australian landmarks such as the Great Barrier Reef, Sydney Opera House, Uluru, the Great Ocean Road, Nan Madol, and Ball’s Pyramid.

In celebration of May Day (May 1st), we explored flower arranging, a traditional spring activity. Flower arranging helps children develop fine motor skills, independence, focus, and concentration while creating beauty in their environment. The process involved carefully fetching water, pouring it into a vase using a funnel, selecting flowers, measuring and trimming stems, discarding extra pieces, cleaning spills, and thoughtfully placing the finished arrangement. We are very grateful to all families who contributed flowers, allowing the children to enjoy this meaningful activity.

This week, we also learned about the Mexican celebration Cinco de Mayo. Cinco de Mayo means “Fifth of May” in Spanish and is a festive holiday in Mexico. Mexico is a country in North America, and its capital is Mexico City. The Mexican flag features green, white, and red vertical stripes, with an eagle eating a serpent on a cactus in the center.

The children learned that Cinco de Mayo is celebrated with parades, music, dancing, and festive foods. They explored Mexican culture through maracas, matching cultural cards, artifacts, and music. We also celebrated in class by dancing to Spanish music and tasting tortilla chips with salsa.

In Science, the children learnt about the parts of a seed, the lifecycle of a seed, and the parts of the flower. The children learnt that seed needs soil, sun, and water to grow. While learning parts of a flower through the three part cards and puzzle the children were fascinated to know that the petals of the flowers have a scientific name, “corolla”. The petals are always bright and colorful to attract pollinators such as bees for pollination. The children also learnt to identify commonly found flowers like sunflower, rose, black eyed susan, carnation, lily, dandelion, and tulip through three part matching cards.

In Art, the children were introduced to watercolor painting. They created beautiful Spring Tea invitations and will continue exploring watercolor techniques in May. They also extended their Australian dot painting work into floral designs.

We had a wonderful Teacher Appreciation Week. We sincerely thank all the parents and children who made our week so special. Your thoughtfulness and kindness truly mean a lot to us.

The children worked hard preparing for the Spring Tea for their families, our most anticipated event of the school year. Spring Tea is a special occasion for our children and their adult guests to spend time together. To prepare for it in Practical life, the children learnt how to hold a tray with a teacup, how to pour tea from a teapot, flower arranging, and how to set the table. The children learnt how to cut fruits and put together a fruit salad. The children also made cream cheese and cucumber sandwiches for their guests. Spring Tea prepared the children for how to be a host, set the table with dishes and silverware, take food orders, serve the food they prepared to their guests, carry a tray with food and drinks and have polite conversation with their guests. The children also got a chance to perform their favorite songs that they learnt during the year, spring holiday celebration songs and Mother’s Day songs. We sincerely thank all families for joining us for this special event.

Wishing all the wonderful and amazing mothers a very Happy Mother’s Day!

To our incredible teachers- Ms. Elizabeth and Ms. Sathya who inspire, guide, and go above and beyond every single day — thank you.
Your patience, dedication, and passion shape not just lessons, but lives. You spark curiosity, build confidence, and create a lasting impact that reaches far beyond the classroom.
This week, and every week, we celebrate you and all that you do. Happy Teacher Appreciation Week!

With the arrival of a new month come new materials and activities. The children have been especially enjoying the April additions, particularly in Practical Life. Some of these activities include hanging clothes on a clothesline, pouring from a teapot, opening and closing nesting eggs, sewing buttons onto cardboard, and flower arranging. It has been wonderful to see their fine motor skills continue to develop throughout the year.

Our classroom has been full of excitement since the arrival of the eggs. The children have been waiting patiently and have been counting down the days for our eggs to hatch. And yes, they did indeed hatch on Wednesday April 15th- all seven of them! We have three black, one yellow mixed with brown and black and two black mixed with yellow and one brown. They are absolutely adorable, and the children love observing them as they hop around, eat, and drink.

This month, much of our learning has focused on eggs and chicks. We explored the parts of an egg and how each part supports the developing chick. The children examined images showing the stages of development over the 21-day hatching cycle and practiced sequencing them. They also learned the parts of a chick, and some children created their own booklets. In addition, we discussed the chicken life cycle and learned that a female chicken is called a hen and a male is called a rooster.

Building on this theme, the children also explored the names of baby animals through matching activities and learned about animals and their homes using nomenclature cards.

During circle time, we read Make Way for Ducklings, the Caldecott Award - winning book by Robert McCloskey, set in Boston. The story introduced the children to mallard ducks, the Boston Public Garden, and the Swan Boats. To enrich this experience, Ms. Sarah from the Mass Audubon Society visited our classroom with a Call Duck named May. The children learned that Call Ducks are domesticated ducks once used by hunters to attract wild ducks, though this practice is no longer allowed. Today, they are often kept on farms to help control pests or assist in training herding dogs.

The children were fascinated watching May eat mealworms, swim, and splash in her water tub. They learned that ducks have webbed feet that help them swim. They also observed how water beaded on May’s feathers and learned about a special oil produced by a gland near a duck’s tail that makes feathers waterproof.

The children discovered that ducks have a mouth shaped like a shovel, called a bill, which helps them scoop up plants growing in the water as well as worms. Ducks also use their bills to “zip” their feathers, keeping their soft underlayers dry.

We discussed how female wild ducks, such as mallards, have brown and gray feathers to help camouflage and protect their eggs. Male ducks, on the other hand, have bright yellow, green, and orange feathers to attract females, while Call Ducks have white feathers that make them easier for farmers to see. The children were especially interested to learn that, like chickens, duck eggs take about 21 days to hatch.

If you are looking for a fun Spring Break activity, please consider visiting Boston Common with your children. They can see the Make Way for Ducklings sculpture, enjoy a ride on the Swan Boats, and experience the real-life settings from the book Make Way for Ducklings.

As April showers arrived, we explored the water cycle. The children enjoyed learning a song about evaporation, condensation, and precipitation, and discussed how water is essential for all living things. They were amazed to learn that the same water on Earth has been around since the time of the dinosaurs.

We also learned about the New Year celebration in Cambodia, called Khmer New Year, which takes place from April 14th to 16th. A big thank you to Larissa’s family- for sharing a book that explained how Khmer New Year is celebrated, as well as for bringing in an Apsara doll for the children to explore. There is a Khmer New Year celebration on Saturday, April 18th at the Clemente Park in Lowell from 12:00 - 5:00 PM. More details can be found at: https://mosaiclowell.org/event/16th-lowell-khmer-new-year-at-clemente-park/

Lastly, we learnt about our beautiful planet Earth. It is our responsibility to protect and preserve our lovely planet for future generations. As Earth Day is celebrated on April 22nd and we are going to be on spring break, we celebrated it early. We discussed that conserving water, disposing trash properly, and planting trees is the best way to take care of Earth. We learnt the 3 R's-Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. They learned that by taking good care of their clothes and toys, and donating them when they no longer need them, items can be reused instead of ending up in landfills. We also talked about the importance of recycling. The children learned that materials like paper and plastic can be recycled and should be placed in a special recycling bin - often blue or green and marked with the symbol of three arrows forming a triangle - rather than in the trash.