Infants Peek at the Week 08.31.26

Hello Families!

Rosh Hashanah is just two weeks away, and our classroom is buzzing with sweet excitement as we prepare for the holiday! Our infants are exploring the sights, sounds, and textures of Rosh Hashanah through their five senses. This week, we are bringing apples into our daily activities by slicing them up for a delicious tasting experience and floating them in our water bins for some delightful, splashing sensory play.

We are also filling our classroom with joy by listening and clapping along to cheerful Rosh Hashanah songs (“Dip the apple in the Honey”). To round out our festive preparations, the children are working hard on a special holiday craft using paint and wooden apples. It is wonderful to watch them connect our Jewish traditions through hands-on learning and play.

Throughout the day, we use sign language with the children: helpful communication signs such as eat, more, milk, and all done, along with some of their favorite food signs like cheese. Using sign language is a fantastic way to help young children express their needs before they can fully speak, which greatly reduces frustration and builds early communication skills. We encourage you to practice these same simple signs during meals and snack times at home to help reinforce what they are learning!

Thank you for partnering with us!

Shana Tova! 

Morahs Rachael, Mary, and Nina

Infants Peek at the Week 08.17.26

Dear Parents, 

This month, we are highlighting the intentional design of our infant environment. 

Unlike a traditional nursery, you won't find playpens, bouncers, or restrictive baby gear here. Instead, our space features open floor spaces and low shelves designed to build deep, early trust.

Freedom on the Floor

Traditional baby gear keeps infants passive and contained. By leaving our floor wide open, we invite infants to stretch, roll, and crawl freely. Navigating a safe, open room helps them build physical strength, spatial awareness, and a profound trust in their own physical capabilities.

Clarity on Low Shelves

Our shelves are intentionally built low to the ground, keeping curated materials directly at eye level. We place only one item per shelf space. This intentional layout prevents visual clutter, helps an infant focus on a single object, and allows them to make clear, independent choices. They learn to trust their environment as a predictable, orderly place.

Incorporating Montessori at Home

You can easily recreate this peaceful, trust-building environment at home:

*   Ditch containers: Swap swings or playpens for a large, comfortable floor mat.

*   Simplify shelves: Display just 3 to 4 toys on a low shelf, giving each object its own dedicated space.

*   Clear the clutter: Keep the rest of the toys out of sight and rotate them weekly.

By stripping away the containers, we create a sanctuary that honors your infant's natural drive to explore. Thank you for partnering with us in these beautiful early years!

Warmly, 

Morahs Rachael, Nina, and Mary

Infants Peek at the Week 08.14.26

Dear Families, 

We are so happy to welcome you to our Infant Room. This year is filled with growth, discovery, and warm connections. We are thrilled to introduce the Morahs who will be guiding your little ones.

• Morah Rachael: Entering her eighth year at Chai Tots, Morah Rachael is thrilled to be back with our infants after originally starting in the infant room and then spending a couple of years with young toddlers. She deeply cherishes the daily bonding moments and warm baby snuggles. Guided by the Montessori philosophy, she focuses on strengthening each child’s sense of self by fostering early independence, and she looks forward to building deep, meaningful connections with all the babies and fellow Morahs in the Alef Room.

• Morah Mary: Celebrating her fifth year at our school, Morah Mary brings valuable experience from working in both our infant and toddler environments. She loves creating a serene, peaceful atmosphere for our youngest learners by playing classical music softly in the background. This soothing environment beautifully supports the babies as they confidently explore, move, and discover the room around them.

• Morah Nina: Bringing seven years of valuable teaching experience, Morah Nina is thrilled to begin her very first year with us at Chai Tots! She is excited to bring her background in education, in both the Philippines and the US, to our infant team and looks forward to partnering with our families to give the babies a warm, supportive start.

Our classroom is designed to support independent exploration through low wooden shelves and safe floor spaces where babies freely choose their own developmental materials. Our Morahs work together closely to create a cohesive, loving community that honors each child's unique biological rhythm for sleeping, feeding, and playing. We also treasure our daily outdoor time, taking the babies out in strollers for fresh air, nature walks, and sensory stimulation (when it's not storming)!

To help us stay organized, please send a dedicated backpack or tote bag with your child each day. This bag will house their daily bottles, snacks, and lunch. This will help us contain all of their personal items and safely transport everything back and forth between home and the classroom.

We are off to a great start!

Morahs Rachael, Mary, and Nina