Category Archives: practical life

High School Sewing Projects

McGuffey High School students have loved visiting our next door neighbor, Thread Up Oxford, which has an abundant supply of fabrics and sewing notions. Students are inventing new projects every week with their inspiring finds while learning how to use … Continue reading

Posted in art, High School, practical life

Gardening+Cooking=Pizza

Practical life in a Montessori school is designed to develop independence, concentration, and a sense of responsibility. Practical life activities are different by age range and include self care, cooking, cleaning, and gardening. At McGuffey, each classroom has their own … Continue reading

Posted in cooking, Lower Elementary, practical life

Celebration of Learning

The Upper Unit students were proud to welcome their families to this year’s Celebration of Learning. They cleaned the whole classroom, arranged flowers, decorated the board, and created work plans so that their families could sample their Upper Unit work. … Continue reading

Posted in community, intermediate unit, language arts, math, McGuffey, Middle School, Montessori method, parents, practical life, science, sensorial, social studies, technology, Uncategorized, Upper Elementary, upper unit

Aeroponic Garden

High school students have been learning from and experimenting with an indoor, aeroponic garden this semester.  We have been monitoring how long it takes for different kinds of seeds to germinate and then produce enough yield for a harvest.   We … Continue reading

Posted in community, cooking, gratitude, High School, McGuffey, Montessori method, practical life, science, sensorial, Uncategorized

Farming

In January we were happy to host Scott Jasper with his farming equipment. Scott has designed special equipment for children to have hands-on experiences in the planting and harvesting process. Students in Kindergarten and Lower Elementary got to spend some … Continue reading

Posted in community, guest speakers, Lower Elementary, McGuffey, Montessori method, outside, practical life, pre-primary, preschool, Primary, primary unit, sensorial, Uncategorized

Primary Social Studies

This week we learned about our second Asian country, India, with many unique characteristics. It’s a peninsula, just like Florida. Many people wear clothing made out of beautiful, decorative fabrics. The Bengal tiger, for which our local football team is … Continue reading

Posted in McGuffey, Montessori method, practical life, pre-primary, preschool, Primary, primary unit, sensorial, Uncategorized

1800s Day

1800s Day is a McGuffey tradition where the Primary and Lower Elementary classrooms go back in time. All modern materials are put away, leaving only items they would have in the 1800s. Other than toilets, they do not have access … Continue reading

Posted in language arts, Lower Elementary, McGuffey, Montessori method, outside, practical life, pre-primary, preschool, Primary, primary unit, social studies, Uncategorized

Sewing stuffed creatures

As part of our practical life curriculum, our Lower Elementary students are spending time each week learning to sew. Third graders have been working on designing and crafting their own stuffed animals and dolls. They put the final touches on … Continue reading

Posted in Lower Elementary, McGuffey, practical life

Planning their week

Although the first graders had work plans in Primary, they are getting used to how to manage their more complicated Lower Elementary work plan. When they received their first work plan, they were paired with an older who student who … Continue reading

Posted in Lower Elementary, McGuffey, practical life

Leaf piles to keep and share

Last week Lower Elementary gathered rakes and wheelbarrows so they could build leaf piles for jumping. Our big tree out front has finally dropped most of its leaves, so it’s the perfect place for raking. Half the class worked to … Continue reading

Posted in Lower Elementary, McGuffey, peace, practical life, Primary