Birch Tree Community – April
April has been a month full of collaboration, classroom visits, and some special projects and activities sprinkled in to celebrate Earth week. Spring feels in full force as the weather warms up and nature is in bloom – including pollen! Our new recess schedule has allowed us more space and time on the playdeck. New […]

April has been a month full of collaboration, classroom visits, and some special projects and activities sprinkled in to celebrate Earth week. Spring feels in full force as the weather warms up and nature is in bloom – including pollen! Our new recess schedule has allowed us more space and time on the playdeck. New routines and transitions can be tricky initially but I have noticed the children come back to the classroom calmer and ready to work after getting some initial play time in. We put out some Earth and nature themed work in the classroom and have been having daily discussions on topics like how we care for our Earth, different kinds of seeds and eggs that exist, and paying particular attention to different species of birds.



I’ve observed many new connections happening in the classroom and spreading beyond to different rooms. Siblings are visiting each other more often and are now comfortable hosting one another in their space, showing a favorite work or just doing something side by side. The Kindergarteners have also been swapping visits and hosting duties again with the help of other interested classmates who welcome a new face and quickly take initiative to show a new guest around.










Earth Day is one of my favorite occasions to acknowledge and celebrate. We extended the theme and honored our Earth into the week by creating a poster of ways we can be good stewards to our planet, planted snow peas, and had fun with worms, lettuce, and compost with some volunteer parents. The Kindergarten classes also tended to some trees along Arch Street, breaking up the soil and putting down fresh mulch.










We are so lucky to host eggs from Quiver Farm each year and get to be the caretakers of baby chicks. It is a very exciting time and provides great lessons in life cycles, birth and death, patience, and taking turns viewing the action. Of course we’ve got chick themed work too! We are looking forward to receiving caterpillars soon and watching that metamorphosis occur as well.







There is lots of activity happening in the classroom and emotions can be high around this time. Children have spent a long time together navigating the many facets of relationships and balancing socialization with learning. One of the best anecdotes is engagement in the environment. That is one of the amazing and unique qualities of a Montessori classroom. Interests and readiness for the perfect challenge or practice of a skill and concept are observed and the child is shown new things available to them – re-engaging their focus, energy, and joy for learning. And of course, sharing with a friend.













Last Call: Continued Partnership with Penn for Research on Children and Language Learning
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