A Moment of Silence

Celebrating St. Lucia Day

Just a few favorite photos from a wonderful day at Helping hands Family School!  See my same name post at my other blog: Montessori Mama. 
PEACE and Happy St. Lucia Day from our family to yours.
xoxoxox

Orange Peels Potpourri

 Clementines are on sale!  Here at Helping Hands we save the peels, we dry them and then we take turns breaking them into tiny pieces.  This is a wonderful fine motor exercise by the way and is helpful in strengthening the same muscles you use to hold a pencil.  This aromatic activity is very popular presently; every child wants to have a turn doing this.
 

Once the orange peels are broken up we will begin the next step in making our holiday potpourri.  Then when the fir tree needles have all been snipped and the whole cloves ground up into powder; we will mix all the ingredients together! 

Next the children will prepare small satchels filled with the combination of yummy smells that they, together as a class community, helped to prepare.  These potpourri satchels will be small enough to fit in your children's pockets and treasured by their little hands.

This is a beautiful tradition taught to me by my son Max's wonderful kindergarten teacher.  I am grateful, especially every holiday season, for having been a student/parent/teacher at such a lovely Montessori school.  And I appreciate that from our children sharing their special school traditions, often family traditions are born.    
Blessed Be,
Jennifer
 

A You're Adorable, B You're so Beautiful..

 D is for Drew ~

 J is for Jack ~

and
J is for Jane ~

Many more letters to discover.  Names to be written.  It all starts with one little letter.
Thank you all for the well wishes.  I'm on the road to recovery.
I miss your children!
Hugs all around,
Jennifer

A Family of Flowers

 The day of our Fall Family Potluck we asked the children to choose a flower to add to an empty vase.  One by one they added the flower they liked best.  Once all the flowers were added, we sat in silence and admired the bouquet that WE had created.  The silence broke when a little boy said,
"Miss Jennifer, we made a flower family!"

What a wonderful Family Potluck we had and yes, the flowers were absolutely beautiful.  Thank you to everyone!
PEACE,
Jennifer

What will happen to our insect friends?

Okay, so this Friday Oct. 28th is our first Family Pot-Luck.  The kids are excited, I'm excited, it can't come soon enough.  However now they are mentioning SNOW!  Whoa people, snow?
One of the children mentioned this at morning circle and not much was said about it.  However, later on the playground, questions arose.
"What will happen to our insect friends?"

That's a very good question.  What does happen to insects during winter? Curious minds want to know.  I'm going to have to find the answer.  Please Mother Nature, don't let it snow before I figure this out. See you ALL on Friday! PEACE ~ Jennifer

Happy Birthday John Chapman

Wearing pots on their heads....

Reading Johnny Appleseed together under an apple tree.

We introduced John Chapman, our first Peace Maker of the school year. His picture now hangs in the Peace Corner in our classroom.  By June he will be in good company, 8 other Peace Makers will join him.  Each month we will introduce a new person to the children who believed in peaceful conflict resolution.  A person they can relate to in some way, who loved children and respected all.   

John Chapman was such a man.  Ask your children who he was, what he did, where he traveled.  Children are our greatest teachers.
PEACE be with you,
Jennifer