An Extraordinary Ordinary Time in March March 19, 2014

Every Wednesday, Dayspring children get to have special ballet class and do warm-ups and moves using fun songs and movements.

It’s ballet time. Children follow the ballet teacher in warm-ups.

Everyone’s eyes and ears are attentive as they follow the movement.

Please line up to receive your handkerchief.

Children are excited to use the colorful handkerchief and dance.

Are you ready?

Gracefully and beautifully…with control and subtleness

The children are able to exercise coordination and concentration as they hone their skills in balancing, twirling, bending knees, and coordinating ballet movements into a song.  The dance the children are doing with the handkerchief is especially beautiful for they become entranced with the story of the music (about searching for a “rose”, finding it, and being so supremely happy that they twirl and toss the “rose”).

In Music class, the children have begun to sing two special songs using 4 different kinds of xylophones.  These songs will be sung by all the children as 4 xylophones are being played.  These songs, in addition to piano performances, and choir songs will be displayed in our upcoming Spring Sing Ceremony in May 2014.

Ta Ta Tee Tee Ta…let’s see who can follow the beats correctly!

Every xylophone player will have different parts to play for the song.

“Who would like to try this xylophone?”

Making an orchestrated music as we add more xylophone parts

And now, the full xylophone band! Each child plays a special beat that is different from the rest, creating harmonious melodies.

Also, we can always bring in a special item that we’ve earned or caught over the weekend!  A child who went ice fishing brings back his prize to share to the rest of the class.

“Wow, what is this that you have brought for Show and Tell?”

The size of the fish is so long, the directress slowly brings it sideways.

The child shares who, what, where, when, why, and how as he holds up his trophy.

Look at the prize trophy! Everyone stares at it in wonder.

Daily Project Time is always an opportunity to create, learn, and exercise the skills they are mastering.

For today’s project time, the children learn to sew using paper and yarn.

What a great way to hone their fine motor skills!

Every day is an extraordinary day for Dayspring Montessori.  We constantly encourage finding new discoveries, as well as mastering the materials presented to us.  As Maria Montessori quotes, “Free the child’s potential, and you will transform him into the world.”

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Month of Valentine’s and International Awareness March 5, 2014

It’s a month of celebration in many ways.  First off, we celebrate a day of love and care for others through expression of giving.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

With the goody bags each child has made, they all sit on the line to begin Valentine’s Day party.

Beautiful drawings are done by the children for their goody bags.

Singing songs and doing motions

“We love you~”

Many gifts have been prepared by children and parents the night before.

Passing out Valentine’s Day gifts

And another special theme has surrounded our learning here at Dayspring.  Our children come from many different ethnic groups, and they share their culture and foods through presentations and our very special International food festival!

A presentation about Ukraine is given by a parent.

Afterwards, each child gets to decorate their own Ukrainian egg called Pysanky on paper. Begin with the lightest colors white and yellow. Then, add a darker color on the egg. Keep coloring till the whole egg is full of color!

Here is a presentation of traditional Romanian clothing.

A Korean parent brings in traditional children’s clothing. One child experiences wearing a “hanbok.”

Other children try on hanbok as well!

A Canadian parent brings a map to show different regions of Canada.

Children try on hats from Canada, too!

And finally, we celebrate all of our cultures together at a potluck lunch, and we invite parents to join in on the fun! Let the International Food Festival begin!

Before having the potluck, our children enjoy watching and participating in a puppet show.

Everyone, including the parents are mesmerized by the story of the show.

“Hello there!” says the puppet.

Let’s see what’s in the bag!

With a lot of energy and excitement built up from the puppet show, both children and parents experience different cultures and history through eating various types of food.  We have families representing Canada, Ukraine, Norway, Russia, Poland, Germany, Italy, Bulgaria, Romania, India, China, Korea, Mongolia, and the Philippines.

Look at all these cookies and appetizers!

Everything smells delicious.

And after presenting each food and country, the feast begins!

We hope our children are able to continue to embrace each other’s cultures and backgrounds by learning that every country brings a special element and meaning in this world. Through this, each child can be a vessel for peace and love for one another and the world.

“Children are human beings to whom respect is due, superior to us by reason of their innocence and of the greater possibilities of their future.”

– Maria Montessori