Back to school... how is you child doing in Montessori?

[carmel23]

We are still out for school for one more day, but wanted to know how school is going.

Is your little one returning to a class they were in last year?

If they are transitioning, how is it going?

What is you child(ren)'s favorite work?

[AllyRae]

Brandon's been in school for almost 2 weeks already--he moved up to lower elementary this year (formerly known as "primary" in our school...1st grade.) He has a new set of teachers and is on a new side of the building. He actually absolutely loves it--last year, he didn't really like it very much, but this year, the work's less practical life and more sciency-type stuff which he loves. Actually, he came home the first day thrilled as punch that they get their own dictionaries and encyclopedias to use for the year. :

He doesn't have a favorite work yet this year though...

[cakemama579]

Week 2 and so far it has been rough, rough, rough. DS is 2.5 and this is his first year in primary. He's been home with me since birth up until this point. This morning was the absolute worst it has ever been with the drop off (tears, shreaks, pleading for me to take him home and not make him go to school, etc.).

The good news is that once he is in class for a few minutes, he seems to get into it. His directress occasionally plays guitar for the kids, which really speaks DS's language. He loves that! His favorite things to work on so far are the tower (which he calls the "lighthouse") and squeeging the window clean. His school also has a brand new playground this year, so DS is thrilled to be one of the first to venture down the "really BIG SLIDE!"

Hopefully it is only a matter of time before he starts to get excited to go to school in the mornings.

[mama2rey]

Started week three. My son (2 and a half) LOVES it. He gets excited about going and seems to really like the teachers. I don't know what his favorite work is yet-still adjusting. This is a huge change from the daycare center he started in January. He cried at all the drop offs, and when I mentioned school. Now, I have to tell him we are going to the school, and he gets super excited.

[RiverTam]

Today was the first day for us.

DS#1 is moving to upper elementary. (He's grade skipping from 2nd to 4th grade.) He was talking a mile a minute as soon as we got to his new classroom.

DS#2 is in his last year of primary. I gave him his lunch box and he ran to his class. By the time I got there, he was putting his stuff away, saying "Hi!" to his friends, and finding work.

[daytripper75]

We're on our second day and so far, so good! DD's school is in a brand new building and it is so beautiful it would take your breath away.
She is transitioning to a new building and a new but familiar teacher this year. I can't wait to pick her up today to see how it went!

[musikat]

End of week two here (first week was all 5 days but this week was TWF due to Labor day and Rosh Hashana). My oldest is in his third year of lower elementary and is absolutely thrilled to be the oldest group. He is way into being "cool" and is enjoying seeing his friends. His favorite work is reports, and is working on a shark report with his two best friends.

My middle son moved up to lower el this year in first grade in the other class (there are two and his brother is in one and he is in the other). This is his first experience changing teachers and so far so good. He had a wonderful primary teacher but like the above poster had a so-so year last year. I think he was more than ready to move up! He came home the first day this year with the biggest grin on his face! He is thrilled with all the new work and challenges. Loves the reading and is extremely excited about more math. When we visited the classroom he actually jumped for joy when he saw they had division flashcards.

My youngest just started primary. He is loving it so far and goes off without a glance back at the car.

Fingers crossed this will be an awesome year for all three.

[carmel23]

We finished our first short week and all of my kids loved it.

I have one in primary, one in lower el, and one in upper el.

[lach]

DD finished the "phase in" period yesterday! She just started in the Children's House. They start having 1 hour 15 minute days until the teachers feel that each child is comfortable in the classroom, and then they're invited to stay the whole 3 hours. She went Thursday and Friday, and on Friday the teacher told me she can stay the whole day on Monday.

She seems to really enjoy it. She went to a Montessori toddler program last year (at a different school) so she is already versed in a few of the works and in the terminology. She was quite disdainful of the little girl who wouldn't sit on the mat for attendance/circle time on the first day! LOL, she's always been a stickler for rules and protocol. She lectures me constantly about things that I'm doing wrong.

I'm not sure how much work they've done. On the first day she said she did puzzles and prepared the snack, and on Friday she said she didn't do any work (but who knows... she is barely 3 and not always reliable about recent history). I think so far it's just been getting the kids used to the environment and the staff, and making sure they know where the bathrooms are, and getting into the rhythm of the day and the basic classroom rules. I'm almost positive DD is the only one with any classroom experience. It's also been a small class: on Thursday, 4 of the new three year olds started (including DD) and on Friday the other 4 started. Next week the older kids are phased in. I'm not sure how that works, but I think it won't be the full 28 kids who are in the class until Wednesday.

I have been very impressed with how they did the phase in period: I think it shows a lot of consideration for the needs of the young kids. And I think that DD lucked out and got the best teacher in the place and the best classroom. (And I've only heard good things about all of the teachers, so I'm definitely not knocking them... I've just heard that this woman is phenomenal.) I love the classroom. It's huge with cathedral ceilings and lots of windows and quilts hanging on the walls. I also met the Spanish teacher, and it turns out they have Spanish 3 times a week... I had no idea. Which makes me feel real on top of things about my daughter's education, but I swear no one mentioned this to me before. So I'm thrilled with the school, too. I hope that everything works out!