February

Our theme for February was “World of Work: Occupations and Transportation.” We had fun discussing jobs, from community helpers to our parent’s varied occupations. Some students brought in items representing their parents’ jobs for show-and-tell. Our class this year had a great interest in the firefighting profession, and we read many books on the subject. We planned a trip to the airport fire station for the first week in March, so we could see a number of occupations in one trip.

Transportation was a popular topic, and nonfiction books on transportation have remained on our shelves and are pored over every day. At circle, we read fiction stories about transportation, from the horse and cart to a futuristic fantasy car. We practiced classification by sorting modes of transportation into “land,” “air” and “water” categories.

Our continent of study was North America. We concentrated on the three largest North American Countries: The United States, Canada, and Mexico. Some topics and symbols that we explored: The White House, hockey in Canada, The Star Spangled Banner, beavers, bald eagles, totem poles, sombreros, Mexican music, and music of New Orleans (very popular!).

Of course, we can’t forget Valentine’s Day! This year’s Valentine’s Day was bursting with love, as students work pink and red, created Valentine’s Day cards and colored “love heart” pictures. We sang lots of songs about love, like “Love in My Pocket,” and “Sing out Love,” and gave answers to the question “What Makes Your Love Light Shine?” Some of the answers would make you giggle, and others were deeply from the heart.

We wrapped up the month by exploring the topic “When I Grow Up.” You can see the projects done by our second-years and kindergartners on our classroom wall, in their various forms. In true Montessori form, some participated with writing, others with drawing, and still others collaborated on a group collage. All had fun thinking about the many possibilities available for their futures!