On the last day of Term 3, the four to six year old group at the Waverley Montessori Preschool had a Robotics incursion. We had Simon come to show the children about robots and programming robots. The children learned the definition of robots and big words like algorithms. The children then had the opportunity to programme their own robot to find the treasure on a treasure map. It was a very educational and interesting incursion that is very much relevant to the future of our workforce. Hopefully the children learnt something new and maybe took an interest in a growing field of work.
Activities
 
 
 
 
 
 
Here are some photos of some of the activities the children have enjoyed this term at the Waverley Montessori Preschool. Our Montessori has a strong emphasis of Language, Mathematics and Sensorial activities as well as Practical Life and Cultural.
We encourage parents who are looking for a safe environment to enrol their almost three or four years olds in 2018 to contact us if they would like to observe the room during our session times.
Fathers Day / Pyjama Day
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Last week at the Waverley Montessori Preschool we celebrated Fathers Day by hosting a breakfast for the fathers. The children served their dads croissants, cereal and toast, and gave them a gift of a mobile phone holder they made at the Preschool. They also sang a song we had created especially for Fathers Day. The breakfast was on the same day as our pyjama day where the kids dressed up in their favourite pyjamas. It was so lovely seeing the children bring their favourite blankets or soft toys that must be part of their bedtime routine. We capped off the day by playing outside – now how often can the children say they get to play on the playground in their pyjamas!
Enjoy the (many) photos
Mrs. Zarine
Book Week 2017
Hi all
Last week we celebrated Book Week at the Waverley Montessori Preschool. We did a number of craft activities based on some of the children’s favourite books including The Very Hungry Caterpillar and The Cat in the Hat. On Thursday the children dressed up as their favourite book character. We had a dragon, a Peter Pan and a Captain Hook in the room as well as Ana and Elsa from Frozen. Classic characters such as Red Riding Hood and Sleeping Beauty also made an appearance. And some newer book characters such as Paw Patrol and Harry Potter.
The children were so excited to introduce themselves as their favourite characters.
Mrs. Zarine
Mother’s Day 2017
Hi everyone
This is a late post however it is one I cannot miss. In May this year we celebrated Mother’s Day with a morning and afternoon tea at the Waverley Montessori Preschool. The children served their mother’s vegetables with dips and fruits – keeping in line with our regular discussions about healthy eating at the preschool. The children gave their mother’s a key chain which they beaded themselves. Afterwards the children showed their mother’s their favourite activities in the room.
Enjoy the photos!
Mrs. Zarine
A bit about me…
Hi everyone
Today I am going to talk about how I came about to start the Waverley Montessori Preschool many, many years ago.
Two of my three children have completed cycle 1 of the Montessori method. Unfortunately I did not know about Maria Montessori when I had my first daughter however six years later when I had my son, I knew it was where I wanted him to start his education. I saw a big difference in his academic as well as social development from his time at the Montessori however when I went to enrol my second son, the centre had closed down and there was no Montessori in the area where I lived. That was when I decided I would start my own! It was a slow start however what a journey it has been. My youngest flourished at the Waverley Montessori Preschool and over the many years I have seen hundreds of more children benefit from our dedicated staff and the Montessori method.
During my years with the Montessori I have completed my Graduate Diploma in Early Childhood and my Diploma in Montessori Studies. I enjoy practicing the Montessori method in the classroom and ensure our Preschool follows the Montessori method. I see such a difference in the children’s development from the start of the two year program to the end.
All the staff at the Preschool have a world of knowledge and experience with the Montessori method and I believe this makes a difference in the quality of education we provide to the children. Over the next few months I hope to do a staff profile for all our staff.
Mrs. Zarine
Fathers Day photos
Hi everyone
Today I am sharing the photos from our Father’s Day morning tea at the Waverley Montessori Preschool. I think the photos speak for themselves as everyone had a really enjoyable morning  my favourite part was when the children took their fathers with them to do mat work and the shelves were all empty as all the activities were on the floor! All the children were so excited to have their dads there and it’s moments like this that are really special to them. Thank you to all the dads for taking the time to spend the morning with us. Enjoy the photos!
Mrs. Zarine
Getting on board the Montessori train
I may be late to the game however I just discovered Prince George is attending Montessori in London. This makes me so excited as I can only imagine more and more people around the world will be exposed to the Montessori method. I imagine his parents are very conscientious about their sons education, a trait I see in all the parents of the children who attend the Waverley Montessori Preschool. I have to say I am very lucky to have such a wonderful group of children and parents every year and their devotion to their children can be seen in their dedication to the Montessori method  and our Preschool’s curriculum.
Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions or comments about how your child can benefit from the Montessori method.
Mrs. Zarine
Language
The Montessori classroom is designed around encouraging and developing the language skills of a child. This not only includes reading and writing, but also talking and expressing oneself.
Children are introduced to sandpaper letters early on where they trace their alphabet with their fingers (Maria Montessori believed “Touching the letters and looking at them at the same time fixes their images more quickly because of the cooperation of the senses.”.) The Montessori method advocates lower case, phonetics based learning as this directly promotes reading and writing.  Once children are able to sound out the phonetical alphabet, we move onto the pink cards (pictured above) where children blend and form three letter words. Children also complete a small book where they write out the words they have read, developing their writing skills. Reading and writing skills are also developed through the moveable alphabet (pictured above) where children can form words themselves and  practice writing them out.
Language is also encouraged by the free expression of the children with other children. We have circle time every day where children can bring something to show and tell to the class. This builds confidence and public speaking skills which is an important skill to develop all the way through adult hood. We have reading time where we sit and read a book and singing time where the children join in songs. Often we find this to be the first time children whose second language is english, really come out of their shell and express themselves through song. Children sit together at meal times and chat amongst themselves while eating which is important for social development as well as language skills. There is also a reading corner where children can take some time to themselves and look through some books – this also turns into a little social area and often we see older children explaining books to the younger ones – a real delight.
Thanks for reading!
Mrs Zarine
Montessori Activities
We have already discussed sensorial and mathematics activities that are part of the Montessori method. In the coming weeks, we are going to talk about practical life and language. Stick around and check the blog for updates to read about these activities at the Waverley Montessori Preschool.
Mrs. Zarine
Waverley Montessori Preschool Blog 
