Tips for a Successful Home Visit

October is when PFM teachers conduct home visits! It is one of our favorite activities on the PFM calendar.

Home visits are voluntary, but we highly encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity, as it is such a special process that we offer at PFM! Visiting the home of a student provides the teacher insight on what the child’s interests are and how they interact with family, while also giving them a clearer picture of what the child’s life is like outside of the classroom. The visit usually last 30 minutes. Please be aware that some teachers will be commuting by bus or driving to your homes for the first time and this can cause them to be later than planned. A sign-up sheet will be placed in the lobby soon with dates and times for your child’s teacher to come and visit your home.

Tips for a Successful Home Visit:

It is a good idea to have your child open the door and greet their teacher themselves. Practicing this with your child before the visit is a good idea. It is okay if they turn shy at the last minute and want you to open the door for them.

During the visit you can have things planned such as tea time, a little snack, a tour of the house (you do not have to show every room, just the ones your child uses most). The children usually like to show their teachers their bedroom, and where their toys are kept. Having a special book or toy to show their teacher is always a good idea. This creates an easy opening for communication.

Home visits are not a time to talk about your child’s progress or the issues they may be having in the classroom. Discussions such as these should be scheduled during school hours with your child’s teacher.

Some good topics to discuss are: who your child is playing with, what your child likes to do on the playground, what songs they like to sing, what foods they like to eat at lunch, etc.

When the visit is coming to a close, the teacher will ask to see one last thing and then you can help your child say their goodbyes. A hug and a thank you are always nice ways to end a home visit.

For additional information on home visits, we invite you to read this article or connect with your child’s teacher!

October Infant Newsletter

Hello October~

This month’s theme is autumn! We will celebrate the autumn season by going to the market and selecting pumpkins for our classroom. The pumpkins will be a sensory work for the infants to enjoy! Additionally, we will complete a corn-husk painting project for you to take home at the end of the month.

Many infants are trying new foods at school. During feeding times (such as breakfast and lunch), we utilize low-seated chairs and tables. We also hold infants—who are too small for the chairs—in our laps. They are encouraged to self-feed by drinking from open cups and using utensils. When babies practice self-help skills (such as feeding), the develop large and small motor skills, gain confidence, and become more independent.

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“Learn to move, move to learn:
Babies need to move freely in a safe
place. When babies are allowed to move
and explore on their own, they learn about
their environment and abilities. Babies
develop confidence and problem-solving
skills as they move, explore, and relate to
their environment. ”

— RIE Principal

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Dates to remember:

• Home visits begin this month!
• October 3: Infant photos (Please have your child dressed and ready for individual and sibling photos.)
• October 8-10: PFM closed for playground remodel
• October 31: Preschool Halloween sing at 9:30am

Classroom reminder:

If your child needs formula (for bottle-feeding), please have bottles pre-made when arriving at school. It is helpful to keep extra forumla in your child's cubby. Please also ensure your child has a rain coat and pants in their cubby. Thank you!

October Toddler Newsletter

Hello October~

This month, the toddler students will learn about farming! They will enjoy pumpkin washing and work with pumpkins and cornmeal in the sensory bin. The toddlers will complete farm-animal puzzles and study animal tracks using playdoh. Expect to see ample pumpkin-inspired art work adorning our toddler classroom!

“The senses, being explorers of the world, open the way to knowledge.”--Maria Montessori

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Dates to remember:

• Home visits begin this month!
• PFM will be closed October 8-10 for our playground remodel

Quick Classroom Reminders:

• We invite you to have your child wear their Halloween costume to school on October 31—we will watch the annual preschool Halloween Sing

• Please store rain gear (including boots, coats, and rain pants) at school

• If you have questions about your child's day, we invite you to email us at toddlers@pacificfirstmontessori.com

October Birthday:

Camilla (2) October 15!

NEW -- October Afternoon Preschool Newsletter

Hello October~

New to our newsletters—welcome to afternoon preschool. =)

In September, we launched into space! The students took turns being astronauts and rode the PFM “rocket” to the moon. We explored the terrain and communicated with the control center at NASA. We also learned about the weather on earth and dressed up for rainy and snowy days.

Students enjoyed taking a trip to the “library” (in our classroom) to practice checking out books and returning them to the appropriate shelf. The afternoon works were book themed—we wore cardigans, glasses, and issued library cards! We also visited to the hair and nail salon, mall, and many other fun places.

In October, our theme will be all things farm-related. We will take turns milking cows, collecting eggs, and plucking carrots. We will visit a Parisian cafe to enjoy crullers and sip “coffee.” Of course, all food items will be purchased with euros.

In addition, we will visit the market to buy fresh fruits and veggies and trick-or-treat throughout our PFM “neighborhood.”

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Afternoon Preschool Updates:

If you'd like to see our afternoon preschool program in action, we invite you to visit our space anytime between 4:00-5:00pm!

October North Preschool Newsletter

Hello October~

This month, the North Preschool students will work with pumpkins! We will enjoy pumpkin scrubbing and pumpkin painting. We will also carve jack-o-lanterns and bake homemade pumpkin bread to share.

“Whoever touches the life of a child, touches the most sensitive part of a whole which has roots in the most distant past and climbs toward the infinite future.”--Maria Montessori

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Dates to remember:

• PFM home visits begin in October (details to follow)
• School will be closed October 8-10 for our playground remodel
• Kindergarten Info Night 4:00-5:00pm on October 23
• Pumpkin farm field trip on October 25
• Halloween parade and sing at 9:30am on October 31

Quick Classroom Reminders:

• We invite you to have your child wear their Halloween costume to school on October 31 for our annual parade and “spooky” Halloween Sing (at 9:30am)—students will change after the performance

• Please be sure your child has extra clothes in his/her cubby

• Please store rain gear (including boots, coats, and rain pants) at school

October Birthdays:

Keira (3)--October 1 ; Melat (3)--October 8!

October South Preschool Newsletter

Hello October~

This month, the South Preschool students will learn about parts of a pumpkin—they will carve pumpkins in the classroom, too!

The students will enjoy making books about bats while also learning about animals that live on farms.

“Only through freedom and environmental experience is it practically possible for human development to occur.”--Maria Montessori

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Dates to remember:

• PFM home visits begin in October (details to follow)
• School will be closed October 8-10 for our playground remodel
• Kindergarten Info Night 4:00-5:00pm on October 23
• Pumpkin farm field trip on October 25
• Halloween parade and sing at 9:30am on October 31

Quick Classroom Reminders:

• Parents, please remind yourself you are doing a great job parenting, and your child’s teacher and support staff are a phone call, chat, or email away if help is needed

• We invite you to have your child wear their Halloween costume to school on October 31 for our annual parade and “spooky” Halloween Sing (at 9:30am)

• Please be sure your child has extra clothes in his/her cubby

October Birthdays:

Coming soon!

September Infant Newsletter

Hello September~

We are excited to begin our fall curriculum! A warm welcome to our new students, Dax, Cruz, Quinn, and Emery. Daphne, Mackenzie, and Lily will transition to the toddler classroom. We will miss them, but they show signs of readiness for joining the toddler community!

Each week, the infants will focus on a different type of work. Lessons will be posted on the bulletin board outside our classroom and referenced in our weekly email. The weekly focus gives the infant teachers an opportunity to observe the babies working in a structured manner while watching the types of work they most enjoy. This month, we will focus on sensory work, language (colors and shapes), and gross motor skills. 

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“Learn to move, move to learn:
Babies need to move freely in a safe
place. When babies are allowed to move
and explore on their own, they learn about
their environment and abilities. Babies
develop confidence and problem-solving
skills as they move, explore, and relate to
their environment. ”

— RIE Principal

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Dates to remember:

September 3: PFM closed for Labor Day

Weekly Focus:

September 4-7: Sensory (biting work)

September 10-14: Language (wooden house with shapes)

September 17-21: Cognitive (bell shaker; put-and-take work)

September 24-28: Gross motor (wood climber)