Winter in Maine seems to last longer than one season! Here are some resources for ideas for gross and fine motor activities that could be just the right indoor activities for your toddler or preschooler. Also, some background on the importance of gross and fine motor activities for young children. The ability to write is a cognitive and physical achievement. The brain has to learn the minute differences between 26 similar letters and direct the...

An annual holiday tradition at Winfield Children’s House is to hold a drive to collect gifts for those in need. Each year, Winfield chooses a different local organization that delivers gifts to families in the area. We call this tradition The Giving Tree. Each classroom hangs ornaments that list a kind of gift to donate on a small tree or display. This year, our gifts benefited the Gray-New Gloucester Caring Community. We participated in...

      Peace is an important aspect of the Montessori classroom. The Winfield Children’s House campus has two Peace Poles inscribed with the words “May Peace Prevail on Earth” in different languages. These Peace Poles are part of an international movement and can be seen at schools all around the world. The children pass by these symbols of peace each day. We think it is important to revisit their meaning each...

Winfield Children’s House is seeking re-accreditation this year from the American Montessori Society (AMS). We are on-track towards that goal, having recently submitted our self-study report to the school accreditation program at AMS. Thus, we are delighted that the AMS accreditation program was just re-accredited by the National Council for Private School Accreditation, a national organization that serves as a review panel for the...

Are you wondering about the value of a Kindergarten year at Winfield Children’s House? Many families choose this option to provide continuity to a child’s experience in the Preschool classroom. There are many benefits that this continuity provides, both socially and academically. The American Montessori Society produced a new video describing the learning that takes place in the Montessori Kindergarten year. It is only three minutes...