Off We Go!

Heidi Kelly
Aug 31
4 min read

Updated: Sep 2

Welcome to the 2025/26 School Year. The classroom got a little spruce-up for the start of the year, with some new materials, several areas rearranged, and everything scrubbed and dusted.

Moving our meeting area to the other side of the room will avoid being interrupted each time someone needs to pass through to Upper Elementary. Not sure why it took me so long to figure this out, but it sure opened things up!

The construction on the new Library downstairs meant that we got first dibs on our Art Auction project from 2022! We love it SO much.

We don't use the television (shown here on the low table) very often, but when we do, it's usually to share photos and videos that correlate with a particular subject or presenter. The old location of the TV was high on a shelf and the children couldn't really see it. Each time we had a visitor, we ended up moving it to this area anyway. Now, its permanent home means we simply have to plug in and go. We've already been able to put it to good use! When it's not in use, it just stays in place alongside other lessons.

All of language shelves can be found in the same room now, Beginning with the Metal insets here and ending with the Grammar shelf on the other side of the room.

Supply shelf in a very logical and central location

The Peace area has a beautiful home between the end of the Math Works and the teacher's desk.

All the Math materials are also now contained within one room as well. Our "observation" chair has a lovely, central location with a wall for support.... as many of our guests (including myself) have learned in the past that this chair is very apt to tip backward....

And now... to add students!

As always, the first days mean a lot of time in community, learning about the structure and function of the environments, and how we operate peacefully within them.

Learning the boundaries of the outdoor environment

Eventually, there's nothing left to do, but to do it! Let the work begin!

Children do not view their "work" as adults often do... as a chore... something to be drudged through in order to get to the real fun. Their work IS fun. The children's "work" is to create themselves and begin to learn where they fit within this wonderful interconnected universe of ours, and it truly brings them joy. This is not the hyped-up, externally driven excitement that most adults think children find "fun". We Montessori guides don't have to hype anything up to make it seem alluring and interesting. In fact, our job is to lovingly, meticulously prepare the environment, introduce and quietly observe the children, and then create a point of contact with as little external input as possible, removing ourselves as quickly as possible in order to let the love of learning "catch fire" with as little external interference as possible. This love of work is entirely internal, emanating naturally from the child.

Learning from peers is essential for both the child who is teaching and the child who is receiving guidance from their friend.

Learning how to tell time is central to our day.

Buddies sometimes work on their own works, near each other. In this way, older children can work on their more advanced work while still providing guidance and support for new students.

The more experienced student reinforces their own learning and builds their confidence while the new student is gains new knowledge and another level of independence.

Returning students enjoy challenging themselves

New and returning students exploring the new reading towers

Even our classroom library got a glow-up!

This young man has been working hard on his division facts, which he knows are a prerequisite for long division with the racks and tubes material. Coming soon!

Many of the materials in our environment are already familiar to the children from the Primary environment.... calling to the children to deepen and further their knowledge.

Getting our bodies ready to learn some cursive!

Use of resources like the dictionary and the encyclopedia are central to a LE classroom. We want the children to know where to go, in order to find the information they need, independently!

Follow-up work after a lesson on periods for abbreviation

Using the known quantities of Montessori math materials to connect with coin equivalencies makes learning easy!

Older students using sealing wax on a piece of written correspondence.

The alphabet roll is an excellent intro to the cursive alphabet

We had the most wonderful treat this week when James' grandmother, on a visit from her home in South Africa, joined us to share about the wonderful Kruger National Park, where she frequently volunteers. Ms. Dalene, or "Dinks", as she is affectionately known, shared her experience, her wisdom, and a virtual visit through the park. It was so wonderful. We are so lucky to have such a generous community willing to share themselves with us!

Finally, Friday brought with it our first Community Peace Meeting, during which we come together each week to discuss items that might need some community resolution/problem solving. This week, we began work on our Community Peace Contract, which is our class-created guide to a peaceful classroom.