Manotick Montessori

Merry Christmas to all our families!!!

2011-12-21T12:10:00.000-08:00

We would like to thank all the moms, dads and grandparents that came to watch and support their child’s performance for the Christmas concert. It was a great success!

All the children performed and sang wonderfully. We couldn’t be more proud of their efforts, as I’m sure all of you are as well.

So on behalf of Manotick Montessori we would like to share a little gift with you all, these beautiful photographs that were taken during the Christmas concert. Just a little something to show those who were not able to make it, and for those that were a part of it, another reminder of how wonderful each and every one of your children are!

Hope you all have a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, we will be looking forward to seeing you all back in the new school term!

Boo!

2011-10-31T13:17:00.000-07:00

It’s that time of year again! Time for all the princesses and dragons to climb out of towers and castles and show yourselves.

All our classes at Manotick Montessori celebrated Halloween in the traditional way with treats and goodies for all! All students, or should I say intruders, got the chance to walk around to each class and show off their fun and adorable costumes for all to see. The children participated in various spooky activities and crafts. The early start to Halloween was a drooling success.

Here is a sneak peek of some of the celebrities, heroes, and villains that visited Manotick Montessori this freaky Friday…

On behalf of the staff at Manotick Montessori, we wish all the children a safe and spoooooky HALLOWEEN!!!

Back to School!

2011-10-12T11:21:00.000-07:00

First, I would like to start this blog by saying WELCOME and WELCOME BACK! September was a very busy month with new and old faces returning to school. The children are now settling into their classrooms and working on fun and exciting activities. In keeping with the Thanksgiving theme, Miss Julie’s class chose to have a Thanksgiving lunch. All the children participated in bringing in ingredients and snacks and together they created a delicious Thanksgiving meal –not a trace of any leftovers.

As you can see from the photos below, everyone enjoyed vegetable soup, apple crisp and apple cider. The children received a hands-on lesson on what giving thanks is really about.

Stay tuned to see more pictures and read about our Halloween Celebration!!

Sprinkler Day!

2011-06-23T14:10:00.000-07:00

As the year comes to a close Manotick Montessori celebrates their traditional Sprinkler Day!

All the children joined in the fun playing in the sprinklers, and slip and slide. The sun was shining and it was another great ending to another fabulous year!

Hope everyone has a beautiful summer break!

Manotick Montessori Celebrates Father's Day in a BIG Way!

2011-06-16T12:08:00.000-07:00

This year, the children and their dads had to complete the ultimate obstacle course.

It included a canoe race to the other side of the pond where they had to find 6 coloured balls, a work out session that included the treacherous hill run and a skilled knowledge test!

And last but certainly not least, the dads had to dress up as moms and change a babies diaper!

(that was our favourite part)

Finally, the toddlers gave a special performance to their special dads!

Overall, a great day with our dads - thank you to all who came out and supported Father's Day at Manotick Montessori!

Stay tuned for pictures from our Sprinkler Day!

Manotick Montessori Tells Us What they Want to be When they Grow Up!

2011-06-15T06:49:00.000-07:00

Abdou took pictures of our students to bring to his friends in Africa!

Our children shared what they want to be when they grow up with the children in Africa!!

Mother's Day at Manotick Montessori!

2011-05-25T07:06:00.000-07:00

Mother's Day was a fun-filled afternoon with the moms of the Manotick Montessori students.
We had the moms in for a show, yoga and fresh butter tarts from the Gingerbread Man!

Check out all the fun here!

Thank you to all the mother's who took part in the activities that day!

Manotick Montessori Student Celebrates a Very Special Birthday

2011-04-05T08:24:00.000-07:00

One of our students at Manotick Montressori celebrated her birthday a few weeks ago in a very special and unique way.

After working on the Art Show to raise funds and toys for kids in Africa, one of our students felt she needed to do more.

In March, Rebecca devoted her birthday party to the kids of Togo, Africa, requesting that all of the children bring gifts for Togo instead of for her.

Janine Marcotte, MM's Principal, caught up with Rebecca to learn more about her special birthday.

Janine: Rebecca I heard that you had done something special for your birthday this year, what was that?

Rebecca: Yes, I decided to ask all of the children that I invited to bring presents for the Togo children instead of for me.

J: That is just wonderful, what made you think of that?

R: I don’t know I just wanted too.

J: Did the children who came to your party like this idea?

R: Yes, they all thought it was good, they were excited to get the chance to buy gifts for Togo again.

J: Would you do this again, or tell others to try it for other people in need?

R: Yes, I would.

J: Rebecca would you like to go to Africa one day?

R: Yes I would like too.

Abdou was thrilled and grateful for the birthday donations and for helping the children in Togo as a whole.

"I just what to say thank you for everything you are doing for kinds in Africa. May God bless you, and protect you."

Check out some of the pictures from the fun-filled day!

Manotick Montessori put on Goldilocks & the Three Bears Play!

2011-03-16T10:00:00.000-07:00

The Story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears

To kick off March Break, Manotick Montessori's Casa Program with Miss Bonnie put on a play for the students!

The students did an excellent job and everyone enjoyed the show.

Here's the story in case you missed us!

Once upon a time, there was a little girl named Goldilocks. She went for a walk in the forest. Pretty soon, she came upon a house. She knocked and, when no one answered, she walked right in.

At the table in the kitchen, there were three bowls of porridge. Goldilocks was hungry. She tasted the porridge from the first bowl.

"This porridge is too hot!" she exclaimed.

So, she tasted the porridge from the second bowl.

"This porridge is too cold," she said

So, she tasted the last bowl of porridge.

"Ahhh, this porridge is just right," she said happily and she ate it all up.

After she'd eaten the three bears' breakfasts she decided she was feeling a little tired. So, she walked into the living room where she saw three chairs. Goldilocks sat in the first chair to rest her feet.

"This chair is too big!" she exclaimed.

So she sat in the second chair.

"This chair is too big, too!" she whined.

So she tried the last and smallest chair.

"Ahhh, this chair is just right," she sighed. But just as she settled down into the chair to rest, it broke into pieces!

Goldilocks was very tired by this time, so she went upstairs to the bedroom. She lay down in the first bed, but it was too hard. Then she lay in the second bed, but it was too soft. Then she lay down in the third bed and it was just right. Goldilocks fell asleep.

As she was sleeping, the three bears came home.

"Someone's been eating my porridge," growled the Papa bear.

"Someone's been eating my porridge," said the Mama bear.

"Someone's been eating my porridge and they ate it all up!" cried the Baby bear.

"Someone's been sitting in my chair," growled the Papa bear.

"Someone's been sitting in my chair," said the Mama bear.

"Someone's been sitting in my chair and they've broken it all to pieces," cried the Baby bear.

They decided to look around some more and when they got upstairs to the bedroom, Papa bear growled, "Someone's been sleeping in my bed,"

"Someone's been sleeping in my bed, too" said the Mama bear

"Someone's been sleeping in my bed and she's still there!" exclaimed Baby bear.

Just then, Goldilocks woke up and saw the three bears. She screamed, "Help!" And she jumped up and ran out of the room. Goldilocks ran down the stairs, opened the door, and ran away into the forest. And she never returned to the home of the three bears.

We hope everyone is enjoying a wonderful March Break!

We look forward to having you all back soon!

Manotick Montessori's Fun Week!

2011-03-15T08:00:00.000-07:00

Last week Manotick Montessori's students and teachers all got to participate in Fun Week!

Each day, we all had the opportunity to think outside the box and have fun while getting ready for school!

We had pajama day, backwards day, crazy hair day, favorite team day and we even got to go tobogganing!

Here are some of the jersey's we wore:

And for crazy hair day, we went all out!

Thanks to all who took part in such a fun week!

From all of us at Manotick Montessori, we wish everyone a safe and fun-filled March Break!

Manotick Montessori Gives Back!

2011-02-23T09:21:00.000-08:00

Abdou has officially picked up all of the donations!!!!

He was literally speechless with tears in his eyes when he saw everything that was donated by the Manotick Montessori staff, children and their families.

"I don’t know what to say to everyone," Abdou said. "I don’t think that I can say the right words to let you know how happy you have made me."

I thought those words were pretty perfect!

Everyone worked so hard to get everything together!

We were able to fill an entire van with ALL of the amazing donations... AND he's coming back for more!!

Although we have completed our part with all of the donations, we'll make sure to follow Abdou in his travels from April to June, when he meets the container.

We all had so much fun together, and all for a great cause...

Again, thank you to everyone, this could not have been such a HUGE success without all of your generosity and kindness!

Art Show at Manotick Montessori a Great Success!

2011-02-07T12:42:00.000-08:00

The Art Show this year to raise awareness and collect donations for Togo, Africa, went extremely well on Friday night.

The energy and excitement in the school was more than we could of asked for.

The children’s art displayed at the school for all to see, was more beautiful than any of us could have imagined!

The parents loved the idea that all of the items and art work purchased, was being shipped directly to the children in Togo Africa by Abdou himself.

We would like to thank all of our parents for being so supportive and for their amazing generosity!

Come visit our blog again soon!

More to come!

Wishing You a Happy New Year!

2011-01-05T11:01:00.000-08:00

From All of Us at Manotick Montessori...

Image from http://tribwekchron.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/fireworks.jpg

Chistmas Concert is a Big Success!

2010-12-23T12:21:00.000-08:00

Thank You to ALL who came out to celebrate and watch the children!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

See You in the New Year!

Santa Comes to Manotick Montessori!

2010-12-09T11:16:00.000-08:00

Santa Came Early This Year at Manotick Montessori!

The boys and girls were thrilled to see Santa at the school yesterday.

Each child had a turn to sit on Santa's lap and ask what they want for Christmas this year.

The children all sat in a circle and waiting intently to speak to Santa!

Not only were the children excited to see Santa, he was excited too!

Each child got a little gift and a BIG hug from Santa!

Even the teachers wanted hugs from Santa!

Stay tuned as we will be posting a video of all the photos from the event soon!

Outdoor Fun for All!

2010-11-17T12:19:00.000-08:00

The casa class had the fun opportunity last week to take a walk in the woods, discovering Manotick Montessori's vast backyard!

Madame Julie and Miss Robyn were the children's guides for the morning as they hopped and climbed and laughed their way through the trail.

Outdoor Gym is an important tool at Manotick Montessori. Not only are the children having fun, but they are also being active in the fresh crisp air of fall.

After the casa class had their exciting journey through the trails, they went back inside, unloaded their layers and finished the rest of their day!

Tune in for more fun, learning and events at Manotick Montessori!

Halloween at Manotick Montessori!

2010-10-29T08:28:00.000-07:00

All the children were dressed to the nine's today at Manotick Montessori.

From Buzz Lightyear to policemen to witches, each costume was unique!

Even the teachers got into character for the season!

Here are some pictures of the events and more importantly, the costumes!

Miss Natasha's Class (casa 2) enjoyed making a magical potion together with all kinds of ingredients.

Miss Robyn's class (casa 1) had gym, where they did the limbo and played games!

Miss Krystal's class (toddler 1) got to stop by Rinaldo's Hair Salon and went Trick or Treating!

Yum Yum!

Miss Anne's class (toddler 2) enjoyed their Halloween snacks

Thank you all for participating in the fun and have a safe and fun Halloween Weekend!

Manotick Montessori Welcomes New Teacher, Miss Danielle!

2010-10-26T06:37:00.000-07:00

Manotick Montessori is thrilled to have a new teacher added to their roster, Miss Danielle.

Danielle wears many hats over at the school.

She is the Toddler French/Phys-ed teacher, as well as the phys-ed teacher for the casa students.

Danielle also greets the parents in the morning at the front door, and goes out for recess with all of the children.

Miss Danielle is bilingual and acquired her French Academic Scholar certificate after high school.

Once she received her French Academic Certificate and finished High School, Miss Danielle attained a Bachelor's Degree in Community Studies, Business and a Sports Business Management Diploma.

She also loves to be active and has participated on sports teams throughout her life.

She's taught swimming lessons to kids of all ages and was involved with many youth soccer camps. She also worked with the Women's U-15 Canadian National Soccer team training camp in Florida this past summer.

Image from Danielle Guffie.

"I am very excited to have been given the opportunity to help create a positive, fun, energetic environment for the children," Miss Danielle said. "I'm grateful to be a part of the Manotick Montessori School!"

Thanksgiving at Manotick Montessori Made Special by Students

2010-10-14T11:25:00.000-07:00

This past Friday, we were lucky to have the children and Miss Bonnie put on a delightfully entertaining play. It really was a tremendous display of the children’s early work with Miss Bonnie.

Our first years did a wonderful job considering it was their first time putting on a play in front of family!

Throughout the year Miss Bonnie performs two plays with the children in the intimacy of Miss Natasha’s room.

We also perform our “Christmas Concert” in the dance studio, which is a combination of movement, drama and song.

Creative expression is a very important part of our curriculum and will be for years to come.

Children grow through creative outlets and discover more about themselves.

Manotick Montessori would like to thank all of our parents who came to see the play and we hope all of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving Weekend with your families!

Integration is an Essential Part of the Manotick Montessori Learning Process

2010-09-23T12:27:00.000-07:00

We would like to welcome all of our new families and returning families back to Manotick Montessori. We are delighted to announce that our final integration date was this past Monday, September 20th. The children are settling in incredibly well at a very early stage, due to the importance of integration.

We believe that all children need to feel secure and comfortable the minute they enter their new classroom and environment. Our process is to slowly integrate 2 to 3 children a day so that each child gets this opportunity to be properly incorporated into the classroom.

This way, the teachers and other children in the room have the time they need to introduce themselves and welcome their new classmates. This non-invasive relaxed experience immediately helps the new child feel comfortable in his/her new environment.

This not only is a peaceful experience for the child but also for the teachers and the parents.

First Week Back at School With New Renos Complete!

2010-09-15T11:47:00.000-07:00

It was back to school last week and teachers and children alike are thrilled to be back at Manotick Montessori with all the new renovations complete!

Take a look at what we've done!

One of our Classrooms:

The Front Entrance:

Another Classroom of Ours:

And Another Classroom!

Come and Take Your Own Tour Today!

Manotick Montessori Currently Undergoing Renovations!

2010-08-18T08:53:00.000-07:00

New renovations are currently being done at Manotick Montessori this August!

In order to accommodate more children at the school, we have had to break down our walls!!!!

Our new larger casa room for Miss Natasha and Madmoiselle Manon will be completed just in time for our “Open House” on September 2, 2010 from 7-8pm!

We will also finish repainting ALL of our rooms and add some beautiful additional touches.

Check out what we've been up to this month!

We can’t wait till it's all finished and to welcome all of you into the upcoming school year!!!!

Summer Camp at Manotick Montessori!

2010-07-23T08:28:00.000-07:00

Come join us this summer at Manotick Montessori for our summer day camp program!

Haley (one of our summer camp teachers) with one of the toddlers enjoying the great weather outside at Manotick's playground.

The summer camp at Manotick Montessori runs from July 2nd to August 20th. You can sign your children up on a weekly basis for half days or full days (Monday to Friday). A full day is 8:30 to 4:30 and a half day is 8:30 to 12 pm.

"The kids love being at the school," Veronika, one of the day camp teachers said. "We make sure there are new activities daily to keep the kids entertained."

Manotick Montessori’s Summer Camp offers the program for toddlers (18 months to 3 years old) and casa (3 to 6 years old).

The teachers ensure the students have a schedule that they go by daily so there is a form of routine throughout their day at the camp:

8:30 - 9:30 – drop off and indoor play
9:30 - 10:30 – activity of the day
10:30 - 11:00 – snack

11:00 - 11:45 – outside play

11:45 - 12:00 – story time

12:00 - 1:00 – lunch

1:00 - 3:00 – quiet time/nap

3:00 - 3:30 – snack

3:30 - 4:30 – outside play/dismissal

Activities children take part in vary from week to week but for the most part it goes as follows:

Monday – Free Day
Tuesday – Cooking Day
Wednesday – Craft Day
Thursday – Water Day
Friday – popcorn and movie Day

"We've been very lucky this summer," Haley said. "The weather's been fantastic! The children have been able to swim, play and we've been able to participate in tons of outdoor activities."

Students are Responsible to bring their own:

• Sunscreen

• Water

• Hat

• Change of clothes

• Bathing suit/towel

• Pillow and blanket (for children participating in full day camp)

• Snacks/lunch

And we take care of the rest!

If you're interested in having your child participate in Manotick Montessori's Summer Camp, please call 613.692.1969. Spaces are still available for the remainder of the summer!

AIM Program Facilitates Success at Manotick Montessori

2010-07-06T10:08:00.000-07:00

AIM, which stands for Accelerative Integrated Method, is a relatively new program at Manotick Montessori that teaches the French language through gestures, literature, music and dance. Children learn how to speak and communicate first, then reading and writing follows.

Wendy Maxwell created the AIM program to teach French to her students when she realized that her students weren’t responding as well as she wanted them to in the way French is traditionally taught (students sitting in the class trying to memorize verb conjugation). After much success, the program meets the requirements of the Ministry of Education’s guidelines for a French 2nd language course.

“We decided to incorporate the AIM program because it’s an additional teaching tool for children between the ages of 18 months old to elementary levels,” Janine Marcotte, owner and principal of Manotick Montessori explains. “AIM’s methods help them grasp French quicker because of the relationship between the spoken word and the visual use of signing.”

Manotick Montessori has had the AIM program for over a year now and is taught by Julie Dupuis, who has over five years experience with the material.

“It’s such a powerful method of teaching,” Julie says. “It’s highly interactive and fun for the children; and when the program is enjoyable, children learn faster.”

Janine believes that the program is unique simply due to the fact that, “the children not only hear the spoken French word, they can also visually see it in the form signing- which is a more concrete form of teaching.”

The AIM program uses several techniques to help children remember. Julie uses the strategy of “sandwiching” at the beginning of the year, where you say a word in French, then say it in English, then in French again. Julie believes in its success because not only does the student associate the French word with the English word, but the French word ends up being the lasting impression.

“Children aren’t sitting at a desk while I’m at a board,” Julie explains. “It’s very interactive; they sing, dance and act. Not so much textbook, more hands on. There are no grades...I have a check list instead to monitor their progress. We’re not focused on how much work is on paper, it’s about how much a student can learn.”

A perfect example of how successful this program has already been at Manotick Montessori is Kyla, who before taking this program was fully Anglophone.

“Her parents didn’t speak any French, nor did Kyla,” Julie explains. “By the end of the year, with only 45 minutes of French class a day, Kyla was fully bilingual. It got to the point where she could even make jokes in French; that’s a tell-tale sign of someone who fully understands the language they’re speaking.”

The AIM program is also beneficial for children who are on modified programs or who are developmentally delayed. “This is because it’s so visual,” Julie says. “They learn best through routine and memory, and that’s how we teach the AIM program.”

With elementary students, the program is designed with more reading, incorporating vocabulary to write their own stories, reading questions and answering them, using all correct spelling and grammar. The elementary students also memorize plays and act it out.

The AIM program has already made lasting impressions on the students and their parents alike at Manotick Montessori. But the most important thing about the program is continuing with it.

“Like any form of learning, it’s Important for parents to have their children speak French, teach gestures to them and to keep them working creatively at home,” Julie says. “Parents need to keep their children’s minds active in what they learned at school or else it won’t stick.”

Manotick Montessori Congradulates Graduating Students!

2010-06-22T11:05:00.000-07:00

This past Friday marked a very special, and bittersweet day for the students, their parents and teachers at Manotick Montessori.

Several students from both our Casa and Elementary programs graduated on Friday with their fellow students, proud parents and teachers joining them in celebration.

Adorned in their velvet capes, children receiving their diplomas were those returning to elementary classrooms at Manotick Montessori, while others were saying goodbye for good, moving onto new schools to further their education.

Among the students graduating, younger students from the classroom as well as friends graduating, each prepared small speeches about the graduates.

With each having something unique to say, the children all went around the room telling one another how they’ve touched each other’s lives and what they’ll miss. The graduates then gave their speeches about what they loved and will miss about the school and their friends.

Lastly, the teachers and principal, each shared their stories and memories and what they’ll miss about the graduating students.

Although many tears were shed, (mainly by the teachers) it was all smiles as students, parents and teachers congradulated the graduates with clapping and cheers as they were handed their diplomas.

At the end of both ceremonies, there was a piano recital with Miss Bonnie in the library. A few students played for others to watch and enjoy the music.

After the festivities finished indoors, the students were greeted by the

Gingerbread man outside, handing out cookies to all the students...

Another wonderful and memorable day in Manotick for all the students and teachers alike!

This past Friday, Father’s Day came early at Manotick Montessori!

2010-06-11T09:12:00.000-07:00

With the sun on our side, we played, we laughed, we even sweat; all for a day of fun and memories with our dads.

To start the morning off, our casa class shared their excitement with directresses: Miss Anne, Miss Jeanette, Miss Robyn, Miss Randa, Miss Natasha, Miss Kathy, Miss Jennifer, Madmoiselle Dupuis, and Madmoiselle Manon, our friends and of course our dads.

After a brief explanation of how the games would play out, dad’s set out on a canoe race, with a total of three groups, all from different classes. The competitive nature was out in full force!

From there, dads and their children set out on the most challenging obstacle race of their lives…with hill terrain races, noodle relays and hoop jumps, they were in for a tough ride…

But they pushed on successfully, and moved to the next station… TUG OF WAR!

In teams of three, each group of men (divided again by classrooms) pulled and tugged their way to either victory or peril… it was a close call, but it was Miss Natasha’s classroom who prevailed the victors!

Next up was the most challenging match of all… a tri-nomial cube learning game that the children use in the classrooms… let’s just say the dad’s couldn’t figure it out without our kids there to help!

Lastly, the children surprised their dads with gifts, hugs and kisses, and a song they had been working on just for this special event.

Afterwards, our elementary students and their dads enjoyed an afternoon together… canoe racing, sumo wrestling matches, pizza and rootbeer!

All in all, a day to remember for all of us here at Manotick Montessori!

Stay Tuned for more events!

Manotick Montessori: Where Creativity Meets Learning!

2010-06-08T14:14:00.000-07:00

Manotick Montessori is a cutting-edge, early childhood education private school in the heart of Ottawa-South.

This year, we’ve decided to start a blog to inform and perhaps entertain all those interested in learning more about our school and all it has to offer to the children attending, parents as well as the community.

Our mission is to facilitate social interaction at the early ages with our students, but we also want to encourage more interaction with our surrounding community.

We believe that it’s essential to acquire the love of learning and self-motivating skills in the childhood stages. So why not motivate ourselves, parents and soon-to-be parents to become more involved socially as well!

We accept children from the ages of:

• 18 months to 3 years

• 3 years to 6 years

• 6 years to 9 years

This gives our directresses an opportunity to work one-on-one with students while maintaining a social environment.

Among our amazing staff, we also have Baer, our therapy specialist...

Baer is our newest addition and we are PROUD to have him aboard!

Our calendar (located on our website http://www.manotickmontessori.com/whatsnew.html) is full of exciting new ways to challenge and entertain our children.

That’s why Manotick Montessori is ever-changing, and continues to revive classroom material to meet the highest standards in education.

With our blog, we’ll capture those special moments in time and share them with you!

Here are a few from past events we've had...

few of our students preforming at their Spring 2010 concert.

Students enjoy their private skating sanctuary in Manotick Montessori's very own backyard!

Directresses Julie Dupuis and Jennifer Sorensen enjoy the scenery of Manotick Montessori's backyard

We also encourage our students to take part in their community, their city, their nation and their world...

The students of Manotick Montessori raised money for Haiti, with an Art Auction filled with collective works by the kids!

Next up is our Father’s Day Celebration held on June 4th so stay tuned!