Nov. 11-St. Martin de Tours

Today was the feast day of St. Martin de Tours. The children were told about St. Martin de Tours and how he cut his cloak in two to share with a poor beggar who was cold on the side of the road. Later that evening St. Martin had a dream that the beggar was actually Jesus. The 3-6 year old children were very curious and asked why St. Martin decided to cut his cloak. It was the perfect opportunity to relate to them how St. Martin loved Jesus and how we should also follow his example in kindness and charity. Some of the children worked on a poster to place in our church vestibule for coat donations, while one of the older children searched for and read verses in the Bible that corresponded to the corporal and spiritual works of mercy. The children learned that in Matthew 25:35 Jesus says: "I was naked and you clothed Me". Today, after a review of what St. Martin did, we took the children over to a local news station to donate the coats, along with a picture and story about St. Martin, for their yearly kids coat drive. Graciously and unexpectedly, the children received a tour of the station and were even able to see themselves in front of the weather screen on a tv monitor. Afterward the children were shown the room were their donations would be kept to later be given out to needy children across the state. They were told that there were children who didn't have coats and that their donations would truly help keep them warm. It was a wonderful opportunity for the children to learn about spreading the Faith and blessing others by performing works of mercy.

The Children took a look at the coats they were about to donate and say a little prayer to help see Jesus in everyone they meet.

In front of the news stations helicopter
In front of the news station building

Inside the news room
In front of the weather screen
Look it's me! The children on the tv monitor
In the control room
The happy children in front of donated coats

School Days: Past Month Snapshots

3-6 Classroom

Practical Life: Matching nuts and bolts

Language: Looking at a book on baby animals

Culture-Art: Working with wet chalk pastels

Practical Life: Learning to set the table

Language & Culture (Performing Arts) Field Trip:
Pope Joy Hall- Good Night Moon and The Runaway Bunny puppet show based on the books

Catholic Living: Feast of St. Anthony Mary Claret visit to the Blessed Sacrament in honor of this Saint's mission to spread this devotion

6-9 Lower elementary class Science-Astronomy & Geography: Learning the order of the planets

Snack Time: Suns in commemoration of October 13, miracle of the sun at Fatima. The children learned about Fatima and Our Lady's message to pray the Rosary.

Language: Phonics lesson on the short vowel i sound with 3 year old

Language, Math, & Sensorial: Lesson on difference in lengths, long, longest, etc..
(preparation for math number rods 1-10)

Language & Culture-Botany: Working with life cycle of a pumpkin cards

6-9 Lower elementary class Language & Science-Zoology: Researching and observing a real bee

Language & Practical Life: Practicing fine motor skills for writing by tracing geometrical insets

Practical Life: Practicing precision and control of movement by
transferring floating ping-pongs with a ladle

6- Lower Elementary Math: Working on memorizing math facts with addition charts

Catholic Living: Learning the Liturgical colors at the class altar

Practical Life-Care of the classroom: Watering a class plant

Language, Math, & Sensorial: Lesson on diameter and height, short, shortest, tallest, etc.

6-9 classroom Geography: Continent research on North America

Language: Phonics lesson with the sandpaper letters

All Saints Day 2009 at St. Peter & Paul parish hall

Snack Time Videos!

The Montessori lessons in Practical Life help the children to become independent and successful participants in real life activities. Below you will find two short videos from today's snack time.

Fall Fun at the Pumpkin Farm

Photos Copyright Juan Lucero- All Rights Reserved

On Monday, the children of St. Francis of Assisi Montessori Academy got to take a trip to a local pumpkin farm. The kids have been working with some "life cycle of a pumpkin cards", and were really excited to get to harvest a pumpkin of their very own. The day was beautiful and sunny, and started out with a visit to the farms' "bunny village", and then to see some goats, geese, and a steer. Then it was on to the hayride out to the pumpkin patch. The kids had fun looking out on the farm property, pointing out all of the tractors in the field and finally spotting the pumpkin filled patch. The kids had fun choosing the best pumpkin they could harvest that, per the drivers advice would be, "no bigger than your own head!" ;)

Afterward it was on to a healthy lunch and various activities provided by the farm such as, giant tractor tires for climbing, a corn kernel pit to dig and play in, a giant tube slide on the side of a hill, hay bale climbing, a corn maze, and some more fun in the corn kernel pit!

The children really enjoyed themselves, as did the adults. It was a blessing to see our children among good Catholic company, having fun, learning, and just enjoying the beautiful weather God had given us that day. Some of the dad's and a mom even got in on the action and joined their children down the very tall and fun tunnel slide!

It was a great day and wonderful for the children to not only work with pumpkin life cycle cards in the classroom, but to actually get out in the field and experience the harvest for themselves.
 Please enjoy some photos from our wonderful day below!:

Feeding the Goats


The Perfect Pumpkin!

Playing in the Kernel Pit

Taking a Break from climbing Hay Bayles for a Photo

"Discoveries" in the Corn Maze

Down the Slide!

The End of a Great Day!

Feast of St. Michael

On September 29, the children of St. Francis of Assisi Montessori Academy (SFOAMA) celebrated the feast of St. Michael. At circle time the children heard all about St. Michael and the battle in Heaven. They also heard about how he is the defender of the Church and that Pope Leo XIII composed a powerful prayer to St. Michael the Archangel. The class then recited the prayer to St. Michael and then had an interesting surprise! It was a dragon pinata that they had to hit with their "sword" while saying, "Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle!". One by one the children took turns hitting the pinata while reinforcing that verse in the prayer. We told the children that each time they have a temptation to call on St. Michael to help us defeat the devil, and that God will have his sweet reward for us in Heaven. Soon enough, the children had a sweet little "earthly" reward when the pinata finally gave way with some fruit leather and snickers bars!
At snack time the children enjoyed a treat of "devils food" cupcakes that they had to stab with little toothpick "swords", and they also received St. Michael holy cards and medals. To end our day, the children played our version of "pin the tail on the donkey", and had to match little paper swords to St. Michael's sword while blindfolded.
It was a very fun day for the children, and we can still hear them saying, "St. Michael the Archangel defend us in battle!", which is both very cute and rewarding to us moms/teachers! :)
Enjoy a few photos from our celebration below:

State Fair Day!

On Tuesday September 22, Saint Frances of Assisi Montessori Academy had their State Fair day! The children had a lot of fun looking at baby animals, participating in a mock "farmland" experience, and watching shows with performing pigs and even endangered tigers all the way from Asia! It was a fun day for everyone. Here are some pictures from our State Fair day below:

Picking "apples"

Learning to lasso a "bull"

"Riding" a tractor

Learning where wool comes from
Next to a crop of wheat on the "farm"
"Milking a cow"
"Harvesting their crop"
Participating in the "backyard circus" parade
This little cowgirl won a trophy at the "pee-wee stampede"

Yet another winner at the "Pee-wee Stampede" for "riding the bull"

September 21: Feast of St. Matthew

Above: A primary student placing a miniature priest vestment on our class model, "Fr. Pine".

Today the children heard about St. Matthew at circle time. They learned that today was a Martyrs feast day and that today the priest wears red for the martyrs who spilled their blood for Christ. Then one of the children got to put a miniature sized red priest vestment on "Fr. Pine", our little wooden priest model. They also learned about how St. Matthew went from collecting coins for taxes to collecting souls for Christ, as Jesus told Matthew "Follow Me". During the work period, the children took turns wrapping up little stacks of coins to donate to Project Defending Life. They learned that money is not what brings one happiness and peace in this world, but that following Jesus will bring us peace in this world and happiness in Heaven. At Project Defending Life, the children were able to see pictures of babies in need that would be helped by their donations and prayers. Afterward, the children made a visit with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.Above: Primary & Lower Elementary Class paying a visit to the Blessed Sacrament.

The 3-6 year old Primary class had a wonderful day back after the weekend. The children all seemed to be very focused and stayed very busy choosing various practical life works from the shelves. It was very exciting to see them so concentrated and remembering to practice class etiquette such as carrying their trays carefully, rolling up their work rugs, and keeping low voices so as not to disturb others at work.
The 6-9 lower elementary class got to enjoy the feast day activities along with the 3-6 primary class today. They also got to dive in a little deeper into St. Mathew as an evangelist. They learned about how he wrote his Gospel to, "convince the Jews that their anticipated Messiah had come in the person of Jesus". The children brought up how the parable of the publican and the pharisee made them think of St. Mathew, and a very great discussion was held about humility and hearing the call of God.

Above: Jinny sharing art techniques the children might enjoy.

To end our day, the moms/teachers were very blessed to receive a visit from an actual Montessori art teacher who volunteered her time to share techniques and ideas for presenting art activities to the children

Below is a short video and a few more pictures from our wonderful day. Enjoy!

Above: A primary student taking a closer look at Fall photograph cards with a magnifying glass.

Above: A primary student learning to carefully polish a mirror as part of the Montessori practical life activities.

Above: A primary student wrapping coins to donate to Project Defending Life as part of our St. Matthew feast day activities.

Above: A primary student practicing to use a toothbrush by scrubbing sea shells as part of the Montessori practical life activities.

Above: The children donating their coins at Project Defending Life and receiving holy cards from the staff.

Above: The students looking at pictures of babies that Project Defending Life helped to save.