Springtime not only brings new plant life but also new life in the animal kingdom. Going to the park has been extra special over the past few weeks, as we have found countless ladybug larvae and pupae hidden in the bushes. Of course, we brought some back to school and observed them change into fully grown ladybugs. After spending much time with our eyes almost glued to the tank, we drew pictures of them and noticed that they all had unique designs on their shells. Each day we

Celebrating Spring at Dandelion Montessori School. A Month of Blossoms and Learning We began the month by enjoying the cherry blossoms during a picnic at the park. It was lovely to finally sit out in the sun! The beauty of the blossoms surrounded us, and we felt the warmth of spring in the air. April was filled with so many cooking opportunities. We started by making "Stone Soup," a Dandelion favorite. Each child brought in a vegetable, which we chopped and added to the pot w

Celebrating Growth and Learning at Dandelion Montessori School A Month of Joyful Discoveries Time seems to move faster each month! We are fully into the swing of things, and the guides are amazed daily by how quickly the children are developing and internalizing new skills. Celebrating Girl's Day We began March by celebrating Girl's Day, where we tested our paper-folding skills to create princes and princesses. It was a delightful way to honor tradition while engaging in a fu

After Setsubun at the start of the month (a celebration in Japan marking the end of Winter and the start of Spring), we've been feeling the hint of Spring in the air on some days and have seen many changes in how we work, play, and interact with our friends! Setsubun filled the classroom with little Oni (ogres), scaring away bad luck and bringing in all that is good into the classroom and our lives! We have been looking at animals that live in the Arctic region. We compared o

January has passed by quickly, and it has been a wonderful start to the new year. We introduced our new 2026 calendar and learned that it is the Year of the Horse. The children enjoyed making movable horses and learning a song about horses and their hooves, clipping and clopping along. We also celebrated the Japanese New Year by exploring traditional customs. The children created their own "osechi" displays, pasting various foods into a "jyubako" (stacked box). A few of us r