Music is a very important part of the day here at Indigo Primary!

Dear Parents,

Over the past two weeks, we are pleased to say that the children have been flexible in the transition of getting settled in at the Primary studio for the 2015-2016 school year.  We’ve got such a good-natured group of students with colorful personalities that brighten up the classroom.  These kids are motivated and eager to learn how they can participate in being part of our team as they begin practicing how to care for their environment, themselves, and others.  They are all working towards being “an example” to their peers as each child begins to understand their role here at the Indigo Primary Studio.

How to Utilize this Blog Site

So what’s this blog all about?  This blog is primarily for you to understand what your child has been up to lately and more importantly, the images, topics and stories can be used as a tool for you to help communicate with your child.  You can learn more about your child and you can help him/her to open up by sitting together and reflecting as you look over photos.  This is your chance to ask her/him questions and get some solid answers (because many of you know that when you ask, “what did you do at school today?” directly upon pick-up, kids often “forget” periods of the day in which they truly enjoyed).   I follow no standard format here as things are always changing, so every post is unique in what it has to offer.  My focus is often based upon lessons as well as observations of our students’ current interests, progress, needs, and development.  You can sign in at any time, share posts with your dearest friends and family on this mobile friendly website, and feel free to comment as well!  Also, if you are seeking more information on the Montessori Method, check out the menu/tool bar to learn more.  I just created a new post titled, “The Role of Indigo Montessori Teachers,” also found in the “Extra Extra” section, if you are ever looking for more information about us (and yes, all of my hyperlinks posted throughout these posts are safe and secure pages contained on this blog.  And no, you are not expected to read all of the additional pages– they are for your information only).  Last but not least, you can find a list of all of the students in our studio under the menu page, “The Cast.”  I just uploaded some new photos of this year’s students, so be sure to check out the adorable cast of Indigo Primary!  I hope you and your child/ren enjoy the blog and please reach out if you have any questions or comments.  Suggestions are welcome, too, especially if you catch any glitches in the system that I should fix.

Lessons & Reviews

In order for our studio to run productively, we give a variety of lessons early on, especially lessons that fall under our list of “ground rules.”  A lot of students are very familiar with our studio already, but it is still important to give reviews.  Below are images of some of the reviews and lessons that we’ve been practicing.

Care for the Environment

Wash cloths and sponges are used regularly in the Practical Life area to clean up a spill and to transfer water.

Every Monday, we have clean laundry to fold as our students have been using towels, wash cloths, and napkins to care for themselves and the environment, especially in the practical life area.  Everyone has had lessons on folding and each child is currently working on helping to keep our classroom in order as everything in our studio has a place.  Folding might seem like a simple task, but it’s a practical life skill that helps our little ones progress in building fine motor skills.  

Everything has a place in our studio. Rugs and table mats are rolled up neatly and placed in a basket or bin after use.

Alexandra, giving a lesson on caring for material in the Practical Life Area.

Care for Others

Included in the ground rules of our studio are keeping each other safe, helping one another, and being gentle.  Lately, we have practiced these rules in small group lessons as well as during work cycles.  This is especially an area of focus for our older students as they are beginning to help teach lessons to our younger students.

Jackie gave a lesson on the delicacy of handling a baby while the children practiced taking turns passing and holding a life-sized baby doll.

Luke H., lending a helping hand to Evelyn, one of our younger students this year.

Care for ourselves

Throughout the day, our students are practicing how to care for themselves.  Much of our material teaches children how to clean up after themselves and how to build practical life skills such as zipping, buttoning, tonging, etc.

Angelina, working on a buttoning frame.

For more information on how the order of our day comes together, I have included a general schedule in the Welcome Letter, which is always available under the Menu bar.  

Photos from Work Cycles

I often take dozens of photos of our students during a work cycle as it helps to document their progress and interests.  I can’t share them all with you here, but I promise that you will each receive a disk of many more photos of your child alone as soon as we have parent-teacher conferences.  I will do my best to share at least one photo of your child per post.  These photos are especially shared for you and your child to reflect on.  Enjoy!

Group time drawing project: What makes a house a home?

Thanks for following along and have a great week!

Angelique