October has flown by in Solano, filled with deep inquiry, storytelling and plenty of community spirit. As autumn set in, the children settled into a wonderful rhythm of research, creative work and collaborative projects right across the classroom.
A major highlight this month was the culmination of our Great Civilisations research projects. Four student groups took the floor to present their findings on the Ancient Chinese, Vikings, Inuit and Egyptians. Beyond sharing their reports, the children brought history to life by crafting dressing models and cooking traditional dishes inspired by their chosen civilisations. To top it off, the group studying the Egyptians had the fantastic opportunity to visit the Egyptian Museum here in Barcelona, connecting their classroom research directly with real-world artefacts.
We also continued our cosmic journey with two pivotal Montessori Great Stories. In true upper elementary fashion, these were presented by the children themselves while we guides provided support from backstage. The children shared the Great Story of Language, tracing how the Phoenicians became the first to connect sounds to symbols, with the ox, the house and the stick evolving into our letters A, B and C. Following that, they introduced the first part of the Great Story of Numbers, exploring how ancient civilisations first developed ways to count, trade and keep track of quantities. As Maria Montessori wrote, “The greatest sign of success for a teacher is to be able to say, ‘The children are now working as if I did not exist.’”
Alongside our cosmic studies, our Model Montessori United Nations (MMUN) delegates kicked off their initiative in earnest this month. They organised and held their very first fundraising activity, a lively auction, taking a confident step towards their upcoming conference.
We finished the month on a real high note just before the midterm break with our beloved Castaween celebration. Solano had the special responsibility of being the classroom in charge of preparing all the games and activities for all the Primary children to enjoy out on the patio alongside the whole school. The atmosphere was buzzing as everyone dressed up for the occasion. The grand party was preceded by our monthly class concert, where the children took to the stage to perform for their peers, as well as our monthly birthday celebration complete with delicious cookies baked right here in-house by the children themselves. It made for a super sweet end to a busy, productive month!
It has been a cracking October in Solano, and we look forward to carrying this great energy into the next half of the term.