School News | Montessori of Woodridge Updates

Each school year, our teachers select a curriculum theme to integrate across classrooms. This year, our focus is on nutrition and wellness through hands-on experience. Children are learning about:

Food groups and healthy choices
Where fruits and vegetables come from
Preparing simple snacks
Cultural food traditions
Seasonal menus and gardening basics

By tying in these concepts through Practical Life and Cultural Studies, children gain real-world awareness while reinforcing independence.

All food served at our school is:

Fresh and child-friendly
Organic when available
Hormone- and antibiotic-free dairy
Non-GMO produce
Aligned with health, cultural, or religious dietary needs

As always, children help with food prep, snack setup, and clean-up, reinforcing care for the environment and community.

In addition to our daily Montessori curriculum, we integrate seasonal enrichment activities designed to extend learning through the arts, movement, and imagination.

Recent Highlights:

Creative Dramatics: Students created puppet shows and acted out short plays using handmade props.
Music Integration: Children explored rhythm through instruments and movement-based songs.
International Week: Each classroom explored a different country, learning about flags, foods, traditions, and language.
Nature Studies: Teachers introduced nature walks, leaf collections, and simple science experiments based on seasons.

These activities reinforce curiosity, communication, and global awareness while keeping learning joyful and active.

Each month, our teachers highlight specific materials or lessons that have resonated strongly with the children. Here are just a few examples:

Toddler Room:
Children have been working with stacking rings and pull toys while practicing balance with soft tunnels and floor ladders. Language enrichment includes naming everyday objects and singing interactive songs with puppets.

Twos Classroom:
Students are learning to help set up snack stations, put away materials independently, and express their feelings using picture books and verbal cues.

Primary Room (3–6):
Children are diving into geography puzzles, bead chain math, and sentence-building cards. Creative writing stories are being illustrated and shared at circle time.

These hands-on experiences create a foundation for literacy, numeracy, cultural awareness, and independence.

We continue to maintain high health and safety standards, including:

Monthly pediatric nurse inspections for infant/toddler rooms
Monthly kitchen checks by DHS
City water quality testing six times annually
Routine fire and sprinkler system inspections
Daily sanitization of all props and materials
Allergy accommodations based on child-specific health plans

We’re grateful for the cooperation of our families in supporting wellness practices, such as keeping children home when sick and maintaining updated emergency contacts.