SES Blog

Dear Parents, 

As the semester progresses, we continue to enjoy meaningful learning experiences across all areas of the classroom.

The Nursery children were introduced to the Montessori Culture by exploring the globe and the world map. They were able to visually observe that the world is made up of land and water. They also learned that there are seven continents, each represented by a different colour.

The Reception children, who are already familiar with this work, progressed to using the continent puzzle maps. They explored maps ranging from South America to Africa, with Africa presenting the greatest challenge due to the larger number of pieces representing its countries. As part of developing their self-help and problem solving skills, they used the control paper maps to support them in completing the puzzles independently.

As always, the whole class continues to work across the different areas of learning at their own pace, building confidence, concentration, and independence each day.

Units

We continued our Idul Fitri (Eid) celebrations, where the children explored date fruit by observing their appearance, tasting them, and learning about how they are grown.

This week our focus was on our Easter celebrations. The children discussed the meaning of Easter, fostering an understanding and respect for different cultures, while identifying key Easter symbols. They engaged in a range of creative activities, including painting Easter pebbles, creating watercolour cards, and making Easter bunny baskets in preparation for the Easter egg hunt. The children thoroughly enjoyed the hunt at the playground, excitedly discovering their Easter eggs and the special surprises inside.

Year 1 additional learning covered – Week 2 and 2

Phonics   

To identify sounds represented by more than one letter, for example /ch/, /th/, /qu/, /ng/, /ay/

Some children are beginning to learn about alternative sounds such as /ee/ can also be written with ‘ea’, ‘e-e’, ‘y’.

To use phonic knowledge to read decodable words. Reading and writing CVC words,words with adjacent vowel / consonants using sounds covered, words with double consonants such as bell, mess, mitt, back. 

Language / Literacy – Reading. Guided Reading groups – Practising fluency of reading and gaining the confidence to recognise sounds and blend them to read words and sentences.  Reading comprehension, to be able to answer direct questions about the book.

Language – Letters 

As the children are familiar with the sounds of the letters of the alphabet, we played some fun games which helped them to learn and reinforce the names of the letters. 

Language – Writing

Using vocabulary associated with the unit on Easter, the children wrote some sentences following some pictures. They were encouraged to use new words and make sure that they used the correct punctuation. 

Maths –

Position and Direction

A fun time was had as the children got to learn how to move the battery operated digital robot – Bee Bot. They learned how to direct Bee Bot using words such as forward, backwards, left and right. 

We also discussed the use of Algorithms and how it is a set of instructions used to tell a computer programme what to do.

Ordinal Numbers

The children learned to recognise and use Ordinal numbers , 1st to 10th.

 

Important dates for Semester 2

Further information will be shared closer to each date. Please note that unless otherwise stated or indicated as ‘parents are invited,’ these events are for children only

13 Apr – School Photos

23 Apr – World Book Day (parents are invited)

22 May – Fun day

2 Jun – First dress rehearsal for the End of Year Performance

3 Jun – Second dress rehearsal for the End of Year Performance

4 Jun – End of Year Performance (parents are invited)

 

Kind regards,

Montessori Team

Dear Parents,

The student-led presentation was a key moment of the month. The children were very proud to show you what they have been learning. Your attendance and full attention to your child were very meaningful to them. Thank you for taking the time to be present and to support their learning journey.

The Montessori approach places great importance on uninterrupted work periods, allowing children to explore different activities at their own pace while following their individual interests.

We would like to gently remind you of a part of our classroom guidelines on ‘Why Being On Time Matters’. Arriving on time in the morning helps your child settle in calmly and take part in important parts of the morning routine and learning. A smooth start supports their confidence and sense of belonging in the classroom.

Units
Continuing our unit on Clothing, we explored the variety of traditional garments worn around the world and discussed the significance of wearing particular clothing for special occasions and celebrations. As part of the activities, the afternoon group had the opportunity to learn how to sew a button.
It was wonderful to see the children come to school wearing the colours of their home countries, as well as outfits that represent their cultural heritage. This created a meaningful and insightful experience for everyone.

Idul Fitri
Idul Fitri (Eid) is an important celebration in Indonesia. The children learned to recognise and understand some of the common symbols, traditions, and celebrations associated with Idul Fitri, as well as their meanings. They explored several important symbols, including the moon, which marks the end of Ramadan and the beginning of Eid; dates, which are traditionally eaten to break the fast; and ketupat, a special food that symbolises togetherness and blessings. The children were also invited to taste ketupat if they wished. In addition, they were introduced to the Arabic alphabet, learning that it consists of 28 letters. As part of a creative activity, the children practised skills such as sticking, colouring, and working with intricate patterns to design and make their own cards.

Year 1 additional learning covered – Week 26 and 27

Phonics  
To identify sounds represented by more than one letter, for example /ch/, /th/, /qu/, /ng/, /ay/
Some children are beginning to learn about alternative sounds such as /ee/ can also be written with ‘ea’, ‘e-e’, ‘y’.
To use phonic knowledge to read decodable words. Reading and writing CVC words,words with adjacent vowel / consonants using sounds covered, words with double consonants such as bell, mess, mitt, back.

Language / Literacy – Reading
Guided Reading groups – Practising fluency of reading and gaining the confidence to recognise sounds and blend them to read words and sentences.  Reading comprehension, to be able to answer direct questions about the book.

Language / Literacy- Grammar and Writing

The children developed their skills by using adjectives to describe a piece of clothing. They wrote their sentences after choosing the vocabulary associated with our unit on clothing.

We reviewed the importance of word order in sentences, learning where to include an article, adjective, nouns, verb, conjunction word and preposition words.

Maths – 3D shapes 
We continued to identify and describe the shapes by learning their names and the properties of each shape. The children created their own 3D shape of their choice by cutting along the lines,colouring and sticking the edges together.

Position and Direction
The children learned how to use familiar language to describe position. Through practical activities, we looked at what vocabulary we can use to describe the position of an object:on top of, next to, beside, behind, under, between.

Important dates for Semester 2

Further information will be shared closer to each date. Please note that unless otherwise stated or indicated as ‘parents are invited,’ these events are for children only

2 Apr – Easter Egg Hunt
13 Apr – School Photos
23 Apr – World Book Day (parents are invited)
22 May – Fun day
2 Jun – First dress rehearsal for the End of Year Performance
3 Jun – Second dress rehearsal for the End of Year Performance
4 Jun – End of Year Performance (parents are invited)

Kind regards,
Montessori Team