August 2026
Dear Primary Montessori Families,
Welcome to a brand-new school year! We are so excited to begin this journey with your child and look forward to getting to know each of our students as unique, capable, and curious individuals.
We are also excited to introduce our Primary Montessori Classroom Website! This website will be a helpful place for families to learn more about what is happening in our classroom, explore Montessori activities and ideas, and stay connected throughout the school year. We hope it becomes a valuable resource for your family as we work together to support your child's growth and independence.
The Montessori philosophy recognizes that children learn best through hands-on experiences, purposeful work, independence, and exploration. In our classroom, children are encouraged to choose meaningful work, practice skills at their own pace, and develop concentration, confidence, and a love of learning.
Our classroom is thoughtfully organized into several key areas:
👐 Practical Life
Children develop independence and coordination through everyday activities such as pouring, transferring, washing, dressing, cleaning, and caring for their environment.
👀 Sensorial
Children explore and refine their senses through hands-on materials that help them notice differences in size, shape, color, texture, sound, smell, and more.
🔢 Mathematics
Children build a strong foundation in mathematical thinking using concrete materials that allow them to explore numbers, quantities, patterns, operations, geometry, and problem-solving.
📚 Language
Children develop communication, vocabulary, phonological awareness, pre-reading, reading, and writing skills through rich conversations and hands-on Montessori materials.
🌎 Cultural Studies
Children learn about the world around them through geography, science, history, art, music, nature, and an appreciation for different people and cultures.
August is a very important time in our classroom. Before we can jump into all of the exciting learning ahead, we want to take time to get to know each child.
During the first few weeks, we will spend lots of time observing children as they work, play, interact with others, and explore the classroom. These observations help us understand each child's interests, strengths, independence, concentration, and areas where they may need additional support.
We will also complete some short, informal assessments in Math and Language. These assessments help us understand what each child already knows so that we can thoughtfully plan lessons and activities that meet their individual needs. Our goal is to learn with your child—not simply measure what they know.
A major focus this month will be learning how our classroom community works together.
Ground rules are the simple, shared expectations that help everyone feel safe, respected, comfortable, and ready to learn.
We will practice things such as:
Caring for ourselves, our friends, and our classroom
Walking safely inside the classroom
Using materials carefully and returning them when finished
Respecting another person's work space
Using kind and respectful words
Listening when someone is speaking
Choosing appropriate work and working responsibly
Solving problems peacefully
Helping to keep our classroom beautiful and orderly
These expectations help create the calm and respectful environment that is so important in a Montessori classroom.
This month, we will begin introducing children to the Practical Life and Sensorial areas of our classroom.
Children will learn how to use many different Montessori works, including how to carry, use, care for, and return materials properly. They will practice skills such as pouring, transferring, sorting, cleaning, and other purposeful activities that build independence, coordination, concentration, and confidence.
As we explore the Sensorial area, we will also begin learning about our five senses:
👁️ Sight
👂 Hearing
👃 Smell
👅 Taste
✋ Touch
Children will have opportunities to use their senses to explore and make discoveries about the world around them. We can't wait to see what they notice!
August 18 — MAP Testing
Kindergarten students
August 25 — MAP Testing
Kindergarten students
August 28 — Picture Day 📸
Please keep these dates in mind as we begin our busy and exciting school year!
The beginning of a school year is filled with new experiences, new friendships, and many opportunities for growth. Thank you for trusting us to be a part of your child's journey.
We are looking forward to a wonderful year of independence, discovery, kindness, curiosity, and learning!
Warmly,
Your Primary Montessori Team Mrs. Boyd, Mrs. Niki & Miss Aubrey 🌿
Zio's Pizza Night Aug. 12th
MAP Testing for Kindergarten
Aug. 18th Reading
Aug. 25th Math
School Picture Day
Aug. 28th
One of the beautiful things about Montessori is that learning doesn't stop when children leave the classroom! Many everyday activities at home provide wonderful opportunities for children to practice independence, concentration, language, math, and sensory exploration.
This month, we encourage you to try some of these simple activities at home.
Give your child opportunities to participate in everyday household tasks. These activities help build independence, coordination, concentration, and confidence.
Try:
Pouring water from a small pitcher into a cup
Using a spoon to serve food
Helping prepare a simple snack
Washing fruits or vegetables
Folding washcloths or small towels
Matching and sorting socks
Setting the table
Wiping the table after a meal
Putting toys and belongings away
Helping care for a pet or plant
Montessori tip: Whenever possible, allow your child to do the task independently—even if it takes a little longer. We want children to develop the confidence that comes from thinking, “I can do it myself!”
Our children are learning about their senses in the classroom. You can continue this exploration anywhere!
👁️ Sight: Go on a color hunt around your home. Can your child find three things that are red? Can they find objects that are the same color but different shades?
👂 Hearing: Sit quietly together and listen. What sounds can your child hear? Can they identify sounds coming from inside and outside?
👃 Smell: Explore different safe scents from your kitchen. Try cinnamon, lemon, vanilla, coffee, or herbs. Can your child identify each smell?
👅 Taste: During snack or dinner, talk about different flavors. Is the food sweet, salty, sour, or bitter? Which flavors does your child notice?
✋ Touch: Place several familiar objects in a bag or pillowcase. Let your child feel one object without looking. Can they guess what it is?
Montessori tip: Ask your child to describe what they notice rather than telling them what they should notice. There is no wrong answer when we are exploring and discovering!
Math is all around us! Look for opportunities to count, compare, sort, and notice numbers throughout your day.
Try:
Counting toys, steps, or pieces of food
Setting the table and counting how many plates, cups, or utensils are needed
Sorting laundry by color, size, or type
Comparing objects: Which is longer? Shorter? Heavier? Lighter?
Looking for numbers on signs, clocks, packages, or houses
Counting while climbing stairs
Finding shapes around your home
Playing simple board games that involve counting spaces
Try asking:
“Which plate has more?”
“Can you find something that is smaller?”
“How many do we need?”
“What number do you see?”
Every conversation is an opportunity to build language skills. Take time to slow down and talk with your child throughout the day.
Try:
Reading together every day
Talking about what you see while taking a walk or riding in the car
Asking your child to tell you about their school day
Introducing new vocabulary during everyday activities
Playing rhyming games
Looking for objects that begin with the same sound
Encouraging your child to tell or retell a story
Letting your child help make a grocery list
Writing your child's name together
Talking about the beginning, middle, and end of a story
Montessori tip: Instead of asking only, “How was school today?” try specific questions such as, “What work did you choose today?” “What was something new you learned?” or “Tell me about something that made you smile.”
The most important thing you can do at home is give your child time and opportunities to do things for themselves.
Invite your child to help. Let them make appropriate choices. Allow them to practice. Be patient when something takes longer than expected.
These small moments are helping your child develop the independence, concentration, coordination, confidence, and love of learning that are at the heart of Montessori.
This month, try asking yourself:
“What can I do for my child?”
and then consider asking,
“What can I invite my child to do for themselves?” 💚
Cooking with Kids!
This month, we are learning about our five senses in the Sensorial area of our Montessori classroom. Cooking is a wonderful way to continue this learning at home because children can use their senses while practicing practical life skills, following directions, counting, and building vocabulary.
Invite your child to be your chef and sensory scientist as you make a colorful fruit salad together!
1 banana
1 apple
1 cup strawberries
1 cup blueberries
1 orange or mandarin
1–2 tablespoons orange juice or lemon juice
A bowl
Child-safe knife or cutting tool
Spoon for mixing
Small serving bowls
Feel free to substitute whatever fresh fruits you have at home.
Have your child help wash the fruit.
Ask:
“What does the water feel like?”
“What do you notice about the fruit after we wash it?”
With adult supervision and an age-appropriate, child-safe tool, allow your child to help peel and cut soft fruits.
Practical Life Skills: peeling, cutting, transferring, and coordination.
Before putting the fruit into the bowl, pause and explore each one.
👁️ Sight: What colors and shapes do you see? Which fruit is the brightest?
👃 Smell: What does each fruit smell like? Which one has the strongest smell?
✋ Touch: Is it smooth, bumpy, soft, firm, sticky, or juicy?
👂 Hearing: What sounds do you hear when you cut, peel, or mix the fruit?
👅 Taste: What does each fruit taste like? Is it sweet, sour, juicy, crunchy, or soft?
Let your child gently place the fruit into the bowl and mix it with a spoon.
Add 1–2 tablespoons of orange or lemon juice and stir.
Serve your fruit salad and enjoy your creation together!
Ask your child:
“Which fruit was your favorite?”
“Which fruit was the crunchiest?”
“Which fruit smelled the strongest?”
“Which fruit was the sweetest?”
“Did any fruit surprise you?”
This simple activity incorporates several areas of Montessori learning:
Practical Life: Washing, peeling, cutting, pouring, mixing, serving, and cleaning up.
Sensorial: Exploring color, shape, texture, smell, sound, taste, and other sensory qualities.
Math: Counting pieces, comparing amounts, and measuring ingredients.
Language: Learning descriptive words and talking about observations and experiences.
Before your child tastes each fruit, ask them to make a prediction:
“What do you think this will taste like?”
After tasting, ask:
“Was your prediction correct? Why or why not?”
This encourages children to observe, think, make predictions, and describe what they discover—all while having fun in the kitchen!
Most importantly, enjoy the process! Cooking together is not just about making a recipe. It is an opportunity for children to slow down, use their senses, practice independence, and discover that learning can happen in everyday moments. 💚
Tuesday- Younger Friends Music 10:00
Wednesday- Music 9:40 & Guidance 10:00
Friday- Library 9:45
Younger Friends Prepare for Rest Time
1:00 Monday and Friday Older Friend Lesson
Tuesday and Thursday Gym 12:00
Tuesday and Thursday Older Friend Music 1:00
Younger Friend- Rest Time
2:00 - work time
Wednesday
9:40-10:00 Music O.F.
10:00-10:20 Guidance
Art @1:00
2:20 Dismissal
Backpack Check: Please check your child's backpack every night for papers they made but also clothing that may have been soiled at school.
Friday Folders and Lunch Menus: Every Friday your child will take home a folder containing the lunch menu as well as other important communications. Please check this folder every Friday and fill out the Lunch Menu for the next week.
Clothing Change- Please send a change of clothes for your child in their backpack. Mark all clothing with your child's name (not just the bag). If your child borrows clothing from school please return it after washing. If you have some old clothes sized 3T-6x you would like to donate for spare clothing that would be wonderful. We are in need of elastic waist pants and socks and underwear.
Library- We have Library on Friday. Please send your child's library book back on or before Friday.
Snack and Wellness- Please refer to our wellness plan when purchasing snacks for the classroom. Wellness plan Refrain from sending sweets like cookies and candies. Water bottles need to contain only water. Please do not send juice or additives like flavoring in your child's water bottle.
Birthdays- Birthday snacks can be different than what is scheduled. It still needs to be a healthy snack but can be a fun festive treat. Please see the birthday section in ABC's of Montessori for more information about birthday celebrations or see the Birthday section below. Wellness Plan
Our Classroom is a Peanut and Tree Nut Safe Classroom. Please do not send any snacks that include peanuts or tree nuts. We have child that have allergies to nuts. Any snacks sent to school that contain nuts will be sent home.
The ABC's of Montessori is always available to refer to if you find you have a question. Just click on the Parent Reference page at the top and you can find it there.
Family Pictures- We like to display a family picture for all our students in our classroom to help remind all of them that we are one big family. Please have your child bring a small framed family picture (no bigger than 5/7) to display in our room.
The ABC's of Montessori is always available to refer to if you find you have a question. Just click on the Parent Reference page at the top and you can find it there.
Happy Birthday to our Friends!
August
Trishika Aug. 6
Steven Aug. 7
Amara Aug. 26
Keyah Aug. 31
Please remember birthday invitations should be sent through the mail unless inviting the whole class.
Birthday Celebrations
On your child's birthday we would like to instill a sense of giving back to our school or larger community. Rather than favors or goodie bags we would like to encourage a philanthropic mindset. If you wish to donate a class or community/world gift from the list below, we would be honored and will have your child share their donation with the class. For every donation given we will add a heart to our classroom giving tree. By the end of the year the children will be able to see the culmination of all their good will donations. Please do not send small toys or candy for each child in the classroom. Your child is welcome to bring in a snack of their choosing to share with the class. This can be a fun festive snack or something your child enjoys eating but it still must be a healthy choice from our Schoolwide wellness plan.
Community/ World Gift Ideas
Ocean Conservancy
Donations to the Little Free
Pantry or books for the Little Free Library in our neighborhood.
Humane society
Nebraska Wildlife Rescue
Scatter Joy Acres
Big Garden
City Sprouts
Heifer International
World Water Council
Red Cross
Make a Wish
Habitat for Humanity or any other donation to service projects or charity of your choice.
School/ Classroom Donations
Books for the classroom or school library
Art supplies
Playground toys
Montessori Materials (Montessori Services) or Mrs. Boyd’s Amazon Wish List Amazon Wish List
Cultural/ Science items
A piece of Nature or Music
Thank you for your support! We want to make this a more peaceful and loving and empathetic world, one child at a time!
I just want to give a heart felt THANK YOU for all the donations that have been made to the classroom.
They all help our classroom run better and help our children learn. You are all amazing families and can't wait to work with you more this year.