This Month in Mountain Laurel Cottage...

Cedar’s Montessori School
Mountain Laurel Newsletter
October 2018
Important and Upcoming
● October 31 - Student presentations (8:30 - 10:00 AM)
● November 1 & 2 - NO SCHOOL (Conferences)
● November 19 - 23 - Thanksgiving Holiday
● December 19 - Holiday Bonfire
● December 21 - Jan 7 - Winter Break
Please Note: The Full Cycle Camping Trip has been postponed. We are currently discussing with the students an alternative day/activity for our full cycles to enjoy in
its stead.
“How Was Your Day?”
Sometimes, even when we ask each other as adults “How was your day?” or “How is your day
going?” we draw a blank. We shrug. We say, “Oh, fine.” We know we’ve done something besides
stare at a wall all day, but it fails to come out. For some reason, “How was your day?” is the best
way to shut down a human brain.
Your kids do the same thing. When they get in the car after a long day and they are asked, “How
was your day?” chances are they don’t just start gushing the events of the day starting from 8:30
AM when they entered class, and end when they reach the car.
In order to help your child express themselves, and for you to learn more about what their day
was like, we’ve compiled some useful, more specific questions to ask them that might spark a
discussion of the day’s events.
● “What was something that went really well?”
● “What was something that was really challenging?”
● “What made you laugh?”
● “Did anyone do anything nice for you?”
● “What was the nicest thing you did for someone else?”
● “What was really fun?”
● “What new thing did you try today?”
● “Who did you sit with at lunch?”
● “Who did you play with outside?”
● “How did you help a friend today?”
● “When did you feel most proud/accomplished?”
● “Did you hear/learn any new words?”
● “Did you read a book today? What was it about?”
● “Who did you work with?”
● “Who did you have snack with?”
● “Did you get a new lesson?”
● “How are you feeling?”
You might notice many of these questions assume a thing happened. That is intentional. For
example, asking, “What went well today?” instead of “Did something go well today?” Many times,
asking an open-ended question like “Did something go well?” can lead a child to respond with,
“No, nothing happened.” But if the question assumes something good did happen, the child will
instead pause to remember what did happen.
In addition to these questions, here’s a fun little rhyme about this very subject:
“I Did Nothing Today”
-Unknown
When children come home at the end of the day
the question they’re asked as they run out to play
is “Tell me, what did you do today?”
And the answer they give makes you sigh with dismay.
“Nothing. I did nothing today!”
Perhaps “nothing” means that I read a book.
Or, with a teacher I got to cook.
Maybe I painted a picture in blue
or heard a story about a mouse that flew.
Maybe I wrote in my journal myself
or found a great book on the library shelf.
Maybe I helped a friend
or went to a favorite area alone.
Maybe today was the very first time
my scissors followed a straight line.
Maybe I sang a song to the end
or worked with a new special friend.
When you’re six to nine your heart has wings
and “nothing” can mean so many things.


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