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5/15/2008
General News
SAVE THE DATE - No Child Left Inside
Richard Louv Visits in September
Thursday, September 25, 2008 • 7pm
No Child Left Inside
Presentation & Book-Signing
Come share the insight and knowledge of one of America’s premiere journalists on nature and community. Winner of the National Audubon Society Medal, Richard Louv has written for The New York Times, The Washington Post and other newspapers and magazines.
The Greensboro Montessori School will host a one-hour talk followed by a book-signing of Richard’s new book. Please join us in celebrating community and the need for nature in our children’s lives and education.*
Click here to find out more about Richard Louv.
Contact:
Kerry Meyers
Director of Development
336.668.0119 ext 273
rlevent@thegms.org
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5/14/2008
General News
The Myths of Montessori - Part Two
Ongoing article series from GMS and the Montessori Foundation
Each month, The Greensboro Montessori School will offer one to several articles that will help in understanding the Montessori philosophy and Montessori education in general.
The following series is taken from Tomorrow's Child magazine. A publication of The Montessori Foundation ©2008.
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Montessori Myths
by Maren Schmidt & Dana Schmidt
Myth #2
Montessori Classrooms are too Structured.
Parents sometimes see the Montessori concept of work as play as overly structured. The activities in the classroom are referred to as work and the children are directed to choose their work. However, the children’s work...
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5/12/2008
General News
Middle School Field Trips a Huge Success!
Middle School students return from Arizona, Charleston and Costa Rica.
Last week, GMS Middle School students traveled to three destinations for their year-end field trips. The 8th levels visited sunny Costa Rica, the 7's trekked out west to Arizona and the 6th level students enjoyed historic Charleston, South Carolina.
The Middle School students and staff wish to thank all the participants of this year's fund-raisers including the recent Under the Treetops Parent Prom. Without these funds our trips would not be possible.
Enjoy the images they speak for themselves.
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3/4/2008
General News
The Myths of Montessori
A new ongoing article series from GMS and the Montessori Foundation
Each month, The Greensboro Montessori School will offer one to several articles that will help in understanding the Montessori philosophy and Montessori education in general.
The following series is taken from Tomorrow's Child magazine. A publication of The Montessori Foundation ©2008.
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Montessori Myths
by Maren Schmidt & Dana Schmidt
What Montessori Is
In it's simplest form, Montessori is the philosophy of child and human development as presented by Dr. Maria Montessori, and Italian physician who lived from 1870 to 1952...
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2/28/2008
General News
GMS 7th Grader Wins Writing Awards
Nicole Shumaker loves to write. She even does it in her spare time. Recently she has won 2 awards for essays she has written. The first was for an essay about her mentor. She wrote it about a teacher she had at the Greensboro Montessori School. She was awarded the Suave Dollar General Education Essay and the essay was about how someone in your life helped you to improve your life through education. Fantasia Barrino (the American Idol from High Point) was the Suave representative for the contest.
The second award she earned for writing was the one pictured here. It is an award for her essay on Patriotism given by the Veterans of Foreign Wars.
Congratulations Niki. We're all proud of you.
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2/26/2008
General News
National Middle School Association Says We're on the Right Track
GMS Middle School is ahead of the curve according to NMSA
A recent article in the National Middle School Association's magazine Middle Ground says, "the future belongs to a very different person with a very different mind". The Greensboro Montessori Middle School has been creating a very different student with a very different mind for years.
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2/24/2008
General News
Montessori on Target with Innovation in Education
The recent American Association of School Administrators’ conference focuses on innovation as key to future education.
The Greensboro Montessori School provides a foundation for innovation in your child's education. In fact, Montessorians have been doing it for over 100 years and now more and more current research is backing it up. Problem solving and critical thinking is what's on the mind of today's school administrators.
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1/1/2008
General News
Spiral Dance Builds Awareness and Community
GMS Students celebrated peace and diversity on Monday, December 17 with the Annual Spiral Dance.
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10/18/2007
General News
Secrets in the Woods
By Jon McLean
At the beginning of the year, the Faculty Support team was asked to pitch in with coverage for recess. I was asked if I would cover the woods on my three days of recess duty. As I was watching vigilantly one day, I realized that there was something more going on than just children occupying an area on our campus for recess. I found that everyday small to large groups of children were creating microcosms of wonderment.
One group used an eroded tree stump as a mortar and pestle to create magical remedies. Another, spent the entire time designing and constructing a lean-to of sorts. Some shelters were erected for children and others for found creatures already occupying the woods. These events opened my eyes to something I was unaware of. That is the unknown beauty of an area of campus I tend to frequent on my own. After visiting the woods on any given day for my own reasons, I was overwhelmed when I discovered that the woods held something that I couldn't see and that is the potential that children always find hidden in things.
On any given day, the woods are filled with beautiful creations and areas of activities not afforded to other school campuses. So when you get the chance, take some time to visit the woods, but make sure that you go soon. The secrets in the woods change everyday.
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10/18/2007
General News
Land HO!
Middle School Land Experience Off to Good Start.
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7/23/2007
General News
Adopt A Minefield Service Project Raises Over $400
Update on 2007 8th Grade Class Service Project
Thanks to the many generous donations made by students, parents and faculty, the GMS 8th graders raised $416 towards the United Nations "Adopt A Minefield" Program. Thank you everyone!
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7/18/2007
General News
Annual Montessori Market
Mark Your Calendar Now!
The annual Montessori Market will be held on July 27th.
Look for our tent outside the elementary classrooms.
Some returning favorites are all ready for you - famous potato rolls, lavendar sachets, apple butter, and more. Plus, you will not believe what the children created from plastic grocery bags.
Our young artists have designed unique gift items this year and are eager to have you visit the market.
Market time: 9:30 until
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6/5/2007
General News
Haley Hawkins Finalist in State Essay Contest
Haley Hawkins, a 6th level student, is a finalist in the statewide Laws of Life Essay Contest. Her essay focused on "Selfless Hope" and placed in the top ten middle school essays in North Carolina.
Congratulations Haley!!
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http://jessehelmscenter.com/programs/lawsoflife.asp
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4/16/2007
General News
Adopt A Minefield
2007 GMS 8th Grade Class Service Project
In October of 2006, GMS 8th graders participated in the Youth Visits the United Nations Project. (Please read about this project under the Middle School News section of this website.) During our time at the UN, we took a tour of their headquarters and ate lunch in the famous Delegates Dining Room. We met with the Ambassador from Jordan and heard from a variety of speakers from UN agencies regarding global issues.
One issue we learned about that made a big impact on all of us is the issue of landmines. Landmines are silent, secret weapons. People can't see them and step on them, causing death and injury. Millions of landmines are lying in the ground in over 60 countries. Landmines claim thousands of victims each year, and many of these victims live in the poorest parts of the world. Did you know that a lot of companies that make land mines manufacture them to look like Game Boys and yo-yos?
Soldiers are not the only people affected by landmines. Each year landmines kill more civilians than they do soldiers. Many landmines are left over from wars. When civilians come across landmines, they can accidentally activate one. Landmines are hidden so people don’t know where they are. Some of them are underground, camouflaged as everyday objects or hidden in tall grasses.
Each year landmines kill or injure nearly 18,000 people. There are between 300,000 and 400,000 people in the world today who have survived landmines. That’s the same as the entire population of Miami, Florida.
Landmines can stay active for over 50 years from when they were first placed. Some landmines from WWII are still active. Special teams use metal detectors and dogs to find mines. Once landmines have been detected, they can be deactivated. Clearing mines is a very dangerous job. Specialists have to be very careful. It takes a whole day to clear only one hundred square feet of minefield. It can cost up to $1000 to remove one landmine.
We are lucky that we do not have to live in fear of landmines in the United States, but how can we help make other areas of the world safe and prevent landmines from further destroying the lives and communities of children in other countries?
People like you- students, parents and teachers- are taking action to heal the world of landmines. Here are a few things that all of us can do:
• Learn everything you can about landmines and mine action.
• Question why landmines continue to be used.
• Imagine ways you might be able to help.
• Take action by joining other students and activists around the world.
• Help the GMS 8th graders raise funds for the Adopt-A-Minefield Project!
The GMS 2007 8th Grade Class chose to adopt the country of Afghanistan as its Adopt-A-Minefield recipient. Decades of conflict in Afghanistan have left its landscape littered with landmines and unexploded weapons. Recent bombing raids by coalition forces have left cluster bombs scattered throughout the country. Continued conflicts have increased the movement of people as refugees throughout Afghanistan. Large areas of fertile land cannot be farmed and residential areas cannot be resettled. People in Afghanistan live in fear of landmines and unexploded weapons every day. In the past 20 years, almost 14 thousand Afghani people have died due to landmines.
Locating and disarming landmines is a dangerous and expensive task. It takes an average of $15,000 per month to support a landmine removal team. Adopt-A-Minefield has supported mine clearance in Afghanistan since 1999 and survivor assistance since 2002.
While we would like to be able to raise enough money to support an entire landmine removal team, that goal may not be realistic. Every penny counts and funds collected from various groups can be combined to help Adopt-A-Minefield operations. It is our goal to raise one thousand dollars to go to this program and help a landmine removal team to rid the world of these dangerous weapons. A donation jar is located in the front office. All contributions are greatly appreciated. (Make checks payable to GMS with “Adopt-A-Minefield” written on the memo line.) Thank you!
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3/31/2007
General News
International Festival
The Greensboro Montessori will be celebrating the diversity of our School community on April 10-13, 2007
Our children will experience different cultures around the world during various events throughout the week (Program on reverse side). Displays for various countries will be placed in the gym on Friday, April 13 for children and parents to see. We are expecting performances from the community and presentations from school members. We are also planning to have food items to sample the flavors of the world.
This is an event you do not want to miss! Please mark your calendars and take time out of your schedule to make this
a memorable cultural experience for your child.
To volunteer or contribute items for display, please contact:
Shelley Ireland – 392-6329 or smli@earthlink.net
Karen Keneflick-Massand – 413-7560 or kmassand@litera.com
Program for April 13, 2007
8:40 a.m. Toddlers will visit booths in the gym
9:00 a.m. Remaining classes will go to the gym for the first concert
9:10 a.m. Concert begins with 3 performances Torque, Flamenco dancing, Indian dancer
10:00 a.m. Concert dismissed children return to classes except for primary who will stay to visit the country booths
10:30 a.m. Lower El attends the booths
11:00 a.m. Upper El attends the booths
1:00 p.m. Children return to the gym for 2nd concert
1:10 p.m. Concert begins with 3 performances: Greensboro Folk Dancers, Grade 8 presentation on land mines, Brazilian music
Dismissal as usual
Food Preparation Requirements:
For those willing to prepare food, please label your dish with a 3x5 index card including the name of the item, the region it comes from and the ingredients. We do have children with allergies to certain items so this is very important.
All items should be free from nuts or nut products (including oils and sauces) since we do have children at the school with severe allergies to these items.
Food items from various cultures of the world will be placed in the gym for sampling as the children will visit the booths.
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3/20/2007
General News
Montessori Method Proven in Science Journal!
Scientific study reveals conclusive proof of our teaching method.
Education Week recently published an article about the effectiveness of the Montessori Method and the possibility of using it to reform schools on a national level. Points made included that in order to implement the method you would have to maintain the two components of the method that Education Week credits for it's success; all staff has to have the appropriate training and the whole of the method has to be implemented not just pieces of it.
Education Week cited the recent study published in Science Journal that logs the data proving the effectiveness of the Montessori Method. Click on the link below to download a PDF of the study.
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www.thegms.org/campus/news/images/Montessori Data Science Mag 092907.pdf
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2/27/2007
General News
GMS Students Compete in Regional Spelling Bee
And Win!
On February 13, 2007 three GMS students competed in the Regional Independent School Spelling Bee at The Piedmont School. Jenna Schnitzler (winner of the 3/4 level bee), Olivia Meyer-Jennette (winner of the 5/6 level bee), and Zoe Little (winner of the 7/8 level bee) competed against 24 other independent school students from Guilford County. The alternates, Michael Canziani, Haley Hawkins, and Soren Huette (respective by levels) also came to observe the bee. In the end, Zoe Little stood victorious as the winner of the Regional Bee! Congratulations Zoe!
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2/6/2007
General News
Lift Every Voice and Sing
Exploring Music and Black History Month
In honor of Dr. King's Birthday and the 27th anniversary of the Greensboro sit-ins, Lower and Upper El students have taken the song 'Lift Every Voice' as a jumping off point for a discussion of the Harlem Renaissance, the Civil Rights Movement, and the role of music in these periods of American history. The song took on a new complexity and seriousness for the children as they sung it in the context of a conversation about heritage and civil rights. This week students raised their voices, together celebrating our history through music.
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12/15/2006
General News
Spiral Dance 2006
GMS Students Promote Peace with Annual Dance
Parents, students and faculty enjoyed fellowship and fun during our annual Spiral Dance. Hosted by the Middle School, the Spiral Dance is an acknowledgement during the holidays of our mission of peace curriculum and general well-being and health of the world.
All participants join hands and begin spiraling inward until the center of the spiral is reached. Then the leader reverses the spiral and continues outward until all are in one big circle again. The event always wraps up with several more songs and dancing.
Our Head of School, Frank Brainard, reflects:
A cacophony of voices, music, and shuffling feet arose once again at the annual Spiral Dance at GMS. Led by retiring librarian, Sylvia Meisner, children, teachers, staff, parents, grand parents, and other friends of the School circled the soccer field to the tune of Joy to the World by 3 Dog Night and other old rock and roll music.
When the music began, the children (and many of the adults) began to dance as they awaited there turn to be pulled into the diminishing circle – diminishing in the sense that it spiraled into itself only to burst forth in a very long line of greetings to folks face-to-face as all of us moved toward a final huge circle as we had begun.
Every year that we have done this “dance” I have been moved to tears. Oh, I know, some of you will say, “What’s new about that? Frank tears up when a child sneezes,” Well, for those of you who are new to the school, I actually do tear up a lot, but no time more so than at the traditional Spiral Dance event.
To witness the cross-cultural nature of GMS in one fell swoop, to see the smiles on the faces of everyone who is part of the event (even those who cannot be part of the circle, such as parents, staff, and Middle School students who yearly chronicle this event with photographs and film), and to be part of such overwhelming good will and cheer is to witness what is truly important about the holiday season: the fellowship of humankind. Therefore, my wish for all of you is to be part of a world that will ultimately emerge as a welcoming place for all people, and a place wherein our children will learn to become responsible, global citizens.
With that, I also wish for each of you a very, very warm and happy holiday and the prospect of a prosperous and glorious New Year.
Sincerely yours,
Frank
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1/22/2008
Toddler
I Do It Myself!
Written by Claudia Lane-Stafford
“I do it myself!” This is the toddler battle cry. Our toddler classroom is set up to foster independence. The child size furniture and low shelves allow the children to move freely around the classroom and choose work that interests them. As they pursue their interests, work with the materials, and learn new skills, the children discover they can solve their own problems. As they discover the power of relying on their own resources, their self-confidence grows.
Even the youngest children are drawn to purposeful work such as preparing their own snack, feeding the classroom pets, and arranging flowers in a small vase. Meaningful and purposeful work is socially important. Children get a feeling of personal worth when they do meaningful, productive work. They learn that they can maintain their environment and be a useful member of society. The independence and self-esteem that children develop, when allowed to do things for themselves, opens the door for them to discover their full potential.
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10/21/2007
Toddler
Classroom Environment & Group Lesson
By Kelly Wainscott
During January 2007, I had the opportunity to observe one day in Claudia & Kumiko’s Toddler classroom. Once they returned from outside, the students immediately began working in various areas of the classroom. Some of their work included: food-coloring water that demonstrates color recognition and blending colors, playing a xylophone, obtaining their own diapers in their cubbies for diaper changing, scooping rice from a bowl into smaller bowls, pouring water from a pitcher into a glass, feeding the gerbil (Shippo), which means “tail” in Japanese) corn the student picks off the cob, opening and closing jewelry box drawers, putting on and taking off a pair of zippered shoes, listening and interacting with Middle School study buddies who read books, exercising on the climbing apparatus.
The environment was very calm and relaxing. Instead of arguments and the traditional “grab, take and run” technique, these students used their words saying, “My work,” if a second student started to take their work. The student who wanted the work paused and waited patiently for the first student to finish their work process. At that point, the second student realized it was available and started using the work himself.
The block building area is interesting as well. Students build with blocks that have certain shapes on each side of the block. To attach the blocks together to build, the student must match the same shape on two blocks and connect them. If the shape does not match, the blocks will not attach to one another.
Another observation was the fact that older children demonstrated their work to younger students. The younger student carefully and patiently observed the older student to learn the process. Once the older student was finished with the work, the younger student could easily do the same learned work
During the group, Kumiko performed the entire lesson in Japanese which was understood by the students. Kumiko first rang a bell and all students stood still. They all began singing, “It’s Time to Put Your Work Away…and Come to Group” song at which point they cleaned their work areas and sat outside the mat area calmly.
Kumiko first started the lesson with her Japanese puppet (Ai-chan) who says “Ohayo” – Japanese for “Hello” to all students by calling each of their names individually. They then began with musical instrument work. First, Kumiko demonstrated loud and quietly with the full basket of instruments; she made a loud noise and spoke the Japanese word for loud and all students automatically covered their ears. She then said the Japanese word for quiet and students nodded “yes.”
Each student was given a specific musical instrument. Kumiko identified each instrument as she placed it on the floor mat. Kumiko gave a special instruction on how to play the triangle: she muffled the triangle with one hand as she struck it with the bar in the other hand - the students said, “no;” she then placed her hand where the triangle was not muffled and struck it with the bar in the other hand – the students said, “yes!” They knew the sound of the triangle is brighter when held at the string from its top that does not touch the triangle while playing it. This demonstrated sound recognition, fine motor skills and learning the proper way to play the triangle.
Once all of the children had a musical instrument, each student picked them up and formed a line behind Kumiko. They sang a song and played their instrument. Kumiko then said the Japanese word for “stop” and the students stopped playing and stood still. They began again once Kumiko said the Japanese word “play/start.” The children used great listening skills during this process in addition to learning how to play an instrument.
Once the song was over, all students returned their instruments to the basket and sat down around the mat for the book. Each month, a new book is introduced to the students in Japanese (by Kumiko) and in English (by Claudia). Each day’s group lesson is either performed in English or Japanese. For January, the book is Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? While Kumiko read the book in Japanese, there was a small stuffed animal that matched each character in the book. Kumiko said their name in Japanese and laid each one on the floor mat. Once the story was read, Kumiko asked a student (in Japanese) to place an animal into the basket. Kumiko sang a song in Japanese, then all students calmly prepared to go outside to exercise.
An example of many of the works that involve multiple stages was feeding crackers to the birds. This work starts with the student placing a cracker into a nut grinder. The child grinds the cracker with a side handle – the cracker falls into the bottom of the glass grinder. Once the cracker is ground, the student takes only the glass part of the grinder (with both hands) and goes outside to pour the ground cracker into the bird-feeding area on the ground. This work involves care for the environment. Additionally, the student has a responsibility which demonstrates that they are am important member of society which builds self-esteem within the student – a very important aspect of the Toddler program. This work also requires careful skill on the part of the student who must carry it outside and back inside without dropping or breaking it; this shows care of objects.
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www.thegms.org/campus/news_classroom/news_detail.asp?nID=112
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10/15/2006
Toddler
The Observations of a First Time GMS Parent
By Tom Szott
From the first time parents enroll a child at the Greensboro Montessori School, particularly in the Toddler program, they hear the phrase "practical life skills." Although some may be dubious as to what life skills a toddler can acquire, as first-time parents, we have been impressed and at times amazed at some of the skills that Matthew brings home, as well as what we hear he does in the classroom. While our son has always had an independent personality, for much of the summer he seemed to experience frustration because he could not actually “do” that much. As much as we would like to consider ourselves parents who foster and encourage independence, we now see that what we missed and what Montessori provides is the opportunity, moment by moment and day by day, to practice being independent by trying out these practical life skills.
For instance, let's consider feeding. At home, Matthew was always quick to try out utensils, but Montessori has taken him to a whole new level. We remember being amazed at seeing Matthew’s ability, without even being prompted, to use tongs to get his own snack, sit down at the table by himself (another recently acquired skill), and then when finished to take his GLASS plate to the sink and make his best effort to wash it off.
Social graces are another important area to develop on the road to full-fledged childhood. Matthew learned to wave goodbye relatively early on, but he was often shy with strangers and did not grasp the concept of saying or waving hello. Since starting at GMS, we see him greeting Shirley on the way in, waving or trying to say "hi" when he meets others, and giving plenty of hugs as greetings.
Physical skills are also important in the Montessori philosophy, and we can see Matthew's development here as well. Whether it is the ease with which he now sits in a chair or at a table, or the clapping and thigh-slapping he does in the car when he hears music (or when he just wants to make his own!), we see that the biggest gift GMS is giving our son is an expansion of his experience. While the classroom walls may enclose a small area, and the tools and equipment seem sized sub-miniature, they are providing Matthew and his classmates the opportunity to explore a vast world of skills to help them to survive in and feel positive about the world outside the classroom.
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2/26/2008
Primary
Asian Studies in Kelly & Rhea's Primary Class
Classroom visitors support class lessons on Asia
The children in Rhea and Kelly's class have begun their study of Asia. They will look at maps, animals, food, stories and more. We are fortunate to have many families in our class willing to share their culture with the children.
Makiko Uchida and her friend came recently to act out a traditional Japanese folk tale about rice balls. After the story the children made their own rice balls and ate them.
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2/26/2008
Primary
Sensorial Work Develops into Math
Last year's work is this year's math.
Last year, many students began sensorial work based on basic math concepts. They have repeated this work over and over, constructing and comparing. Now, when higher level math work is introduced, the pay off is that the lessons are very easy for the them.
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12/12/2007
Primary
Practical Life
I did it myself!
Every parent has heard their young child assert “I do it myself!” In a Montessori classroom the first place a child can fill that innate need is the Practical Life area of the classroom. It is here the child begins to build their self-confidence as well as practical skills to be able to conquer and master all the areas of the classroom. These practical skills include fine and gross motor skills, social skills, problem solving ability, and a sense of responsibility. The work they do here is their link between home and school. It is the work of becoming independent and happy children. Through the exercises of Practical Life a child acquires true self-discipline and “He has therefore enlarged his dominion.” At the end of the three-year cycle a child in a Montessori classroom has been able to extend himself into reading, writing and math, but only after he has created himself through the works of practical life.
Because these works lead to all the other areas of the classroom it is the beginning of establishing the concept of the interconnectedness of the world. While children may not be exposed to true cosmic education and the great lessons until they reach the elementary curriculum, beginning in the Practical Life area the directress has the opportunity to introduce connections throughout the curriculum and the world. All the transferring works take children from one to one correspondence to one to two, and then one to three which leads children to division. They are mixing things together which leads to addition. They are looking for similarities and differences which set the beginnings for language and math. Everything is set from left to right and top to bottom which is pre-reading. Grasping and squeezing works help establish the pincer grip necessary for writing. But the most important lessons which are the precursors to cosmic education are the complete set of lessons in Grace and Courtesy. If these lessons are set within the framework of building a community, children see themselves as part of a community within a school and a school within a town and a town within a state, etc. The directress is then able to connect this child truly to the greater environment and thus the world.
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10/8/2007
Primary
The Peaceful Environment
Preparing for Peace
One of the things that makes a Montessori classroom different from other preschools is the peace curriculum. As teachers we purposefully prepare the environment with purposeful work to help children move from a place of disorder to one of self-discipline. Children gain self confidence through their work and are given the tools they need to work through peer conflicts. Children learn how to talk and listen to their friends rather than look to an adult to resolve their conflict. In the classroom, children will invite each other to sit at the peace table to discuss the situation, but even on the playground they learn to make peace with friends wherever they are playing.
If children believe they can make peace they will.
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2/20/2007
Primary
Japanese Art and Celebrations
Shelly and Yukiko continue celebrating the arts.
Having finished our New Year celebrations we turned to the study of Japan. We learned that the Japanese word for the country is Nippon.
We are making origami animals including: a cat, penguin, pig and bunny.
We are also beginning to study a festival called Setsubun. This is when negative impulses and tendencies (in Japan they are called demons) can be dismissed by eating soybeans. Then we'll be gluing soybeans on the Japanese numeral symbols.
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1/29/2007
Primary
Happy Australia Day
Cultural Studies
Students in Carmen and Rhea's class celebrated Australia Day on Friday, January 26th. We read stories of Australia and ate Ansac biscuits made by Baxter Smelzer's mom.(Thank you!) Sarah brought in a Kangaroo that hopped down the board. The children have been tracing maps of Australia, learning about the flag and studying the native animals in Spanish too!
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1/19/2007
Primary
Setting Goals for Ourselves - An Important Skill
These children all set difficult goals for themselves today. The choices they made reflect their individual development and self-assessment. This is an important skill for people to develop, no matter what their age.
Logan decided on his own to fix a problem with the windows so everyone could see better. He not only gathered the materials he needed, he recruited help to move the work out of the way. May tackled the number roll to build upon a counting activity she remembered doing with her dad - she made it to 200, and plans to reach 300 on Monday. Chaitra has begun her study of grammar, and will record the words and their accompanying symbol for "noun", then begin exploring articles. At different times of the day, Claire and Jacob both experimented with the limits of their materials as they created their buildings, and after resiliently correcting, restructuring, and repairing for over an hour, they were proud to have their work recorded.
Ian worked similarly hard to balance the cubes on this test of fine-motor skills from Japan. His steady confidence in his abilities shows in his expression. He went from this task to writing the names of his classmates in his composition book.
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1/16/2007
Primary
The light is on! How?
Children in Carmen & Rhea's class are exploring forms of energy. Today they looked at a circuit with a battery and a lightbulb. The children are using wires to connect a circuit. With this work they can understand the terms of electricity and actually see it work.
They also learned about Benjamin Franklin and his many inventions.
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12/8/2006
Primary
Measured Success
Oatmeal raisin cookies
Children learn by doing. On December 8th, the children in Carmen & Rhea's class measured the ingredients for oatmeal raisin cookies into a jar to take home. Each child measured and poured the ingredients for their own jar. They learned the measuring system for baking, patience in waiting their turn, how to pour without spilling and were excited to take the mixture home to cook with their families!
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12/5/2006
Primary
Grateful Feast
A joyous occasion
On November 21, Annamarie and Kelly's classroom had their annual Grateful Feast. Each child contributed an ingredient for the soup that was shared by all. Parent volunteers assisted the children in preparing the soup in our school's working kitchen.
This year was unique in that many class alumni came to join in the celebration and reunite with Annamarie. Many siblings, cousins and old friends celebrated together that morning!
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11/9/2006
Primary
A Visit to Timberlake Farm
Studying the Native American culture
In Isabelle, Diana and Syeda's class, the children have been studying North America and the Native American culture. In late October, the all-day students spent a day experiencing nature, songs and stories at Timberlake Farm in Whitsett, NC with Sandy Brisbee, a former primary Montessori Teacher who did a special program about Native America. The children made journals about their field trip to thank the people at the Farm. The children made teepees with sticks and brown paper and decorated them, they also made beautiful pots with clay and leaf prints. In Science, we focused on the different parts of trees, nature and the beautiful fall leaves that we can see from our classroom.
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11/7/2006
Primary
Gasses, Liquids, and Solids
Students begin studying the structure of matter.
In Shelley and Yukiko's class, the students have been studying particles and how they form gasses. They used puff balls to model how the particles in a gas are spread so far apart that we cannot see them. Several children made paintings so they could better explain gasses to their parents. Since the air is made of different gasses, the puff balls were different colors: nitrogen was blue because that is why the sky is blue, oxygen was pink because everyone has pink lungs, carbon dioxide was green because plants use it, and water vapor was light blue and larger because we usually think of it as a liquid.
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10/23/2006
Primary
Outside Work Space Opened!
Shelley and Yukiko's afternoon class spent the afternoon preparing their front garden. They cut the grass, pruned some lavender, pulled up some spent flowers, swept, and loaded the compost bins with all that greenery. Now they can bring their classroom work, including tables and chairs, outside to work in the sun.
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10/13/2006
Primary
The Homework We Have Known
(link provided for further information - see below)
Homework! Oh homework! I hate you! You stink!
I wish I could wash you away in the sink!
If only a bomb would explode you to bits!
Homework! Oh homework! You give me the fits!
I would rather take baths with a man-eating shark,
Or wrestle a lion in the dark,
Or eat spinach or liver, pet ten porcupines,
Than tackle the homework my teacher assigns.
Homework! Oh homework! You're the last on my list!
I simply can't see why you even exist
If you would just disappear, it would tickle me pink!
Homework! Oh homework! I hate you! You stink!
-- Author Unknown
Boy, this poem certainly brings back memories for me. "Andrea is such a bright student . . ." the teachers' notes would say, " . . .but she can't seem to finish her homework". Yes, the homework that was so boring, repetitive, and such a greedy consumer of my precious time away from school. Going to the stables, piano, ballet; heck, just being a kid, was too much of a conflict with the demands of homework. As a result, my grades were not as high as they could have been, because my mother and I were determined that a child needs to be a child.
The article that has been provided for you is long (5 pages), but definitely worth the time and effort to read. I first heard about the author, Alfie Kohn, listening to an interview with him on NPR about a month ago. Mr. Kohn was promoting his latest book, "The Homework Myth: Why Our Kids Get Too Much of a Bad Thing", Da Capo Press, 2006. In a nut shell, Mr. Kohn believes that homework is neccessary, just not in the quantity and quality that is assigned in today's traditional schools.
What does this poem have to do with a bunch Primary age children who are not assigned homework, even if in another school? If a 3rd level Primary student (or kindegarten age) were in a traditional school, they would have homework - lots of it! The next step for our Montessori 3rd level Primary students is Lower El. There is no homework in the traditional sense of the word. However, there are 3 book reports to be presented during the year, weekly spelling lists to review, and the required nightly reading.
The homework issue is one of many to consider when placing our precious ones in school. If you have more questions about our school's homework policy, please contact our Head of School, Frank Brainard. He is always eager to answer any concerns or questions that you may have.
To access the article, go to the link listed below. On that webpage there will be a box labeled, "Spotlight Articles". The first article in the box, "The Truth About Homework", is the one you want. Enjoy!
Related Links:
http://www.alfiekohn.org/articles.htm
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10/5/2006
Primary
Native American Stories
Coup Sticks
Under a shady tree Coy Thompson told a story of Native Americans relationship with the earth. The students listened and learned about respecting the gifts of the earth that we call food. They learned about being thankful for what we have and sharing with others.
After the story the students returned to the classroom to draw pictures from the story. They cut out circles, drew pictures and tied them with string to the sticks they had collected in the woods. They sat in a circle and retold their recollection of the story.
These story sticks are a tradition from the Sioux tribe of Native Americans. They are called Coup sticks.
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10/1/2006
Primary
Courtyard Transformation
Wildlife Habitat Project
Annamarie, with the help of our families, will transform the small courtyard between the classroom and the office into a self-sustaining habitat for native plants and animals, certified by the National Wildlife Federation. Creating this habitat will enhance awareness of the importance of conservation and further our mission to be an eco-friendly school. We look forward to this opportunity to collaborate on this project.
Please check out the link for more information about the NWF Backyard Habitat project.
Related Links:
www.nwf.org/backyard
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9/26/2006
Primary
Primary Art Work
Happy Accidents
Last week children in Carmen and Rhea's class learned about paper collage and Swiss artist, Hans Arp. Hans Arp lived from 1887-1966. He was a sculptor, graphic artist and painter. He was part of a group of artists called Dadaists and later he became a surrealist.
The children created paper collages by tearing paper, counting out ten random pieces and then watching them drop on the paper. They glued them where they landed. We discusssed Arp's theory of the "Muse of Chance." Through this exercise children learn to see art in different ways. They learn that the finished product may not always look like what you planned. In fact it may be even better!.
Related Links:
www.spa.ex.ac.uk/drama/dada/page12.html
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2/24/2008
Lower Elementary
Take a Tour Through Europe
Cathy, Jenn & Margaret's Lower El class share the wonders of Europe
Cathy, Jenn & Margaret's Lower El class recently completed an ongoing project on Europe which culminated in Europe Day 2008. Parents and other Lower El classes where taken on a tour of Europe and it's culture via presentations from student groups.
The presentations were the final product of a five-week long study of European culture, geography, history, art and architecture. Groups of parents where ushered through the class in shifts. The audience browsed visual aids and posters and then listened to oral presentations by each student group. Samples of European cuisine and examples of fashion were also a part of the day-long show.
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2/15/2008
Lower Elementary
Brrrr, Penguins Bring the Chill
Recent sightings of large penguins in Lower El!
Recently, the students of Kaki and Debra's classroom presented their classroom project on penguins. The students have been working on this project for the past 5 weeks and the exhibit consisted of an indoor and outdoor presentation.
Outside, there was a penguin blubber simulator. The simulator was made so the person could feel as if they had blubber on their hand. The students also displayed their global warming project, diorama and their mini-Antarctica posters. Also seen were maps of Antarctica made of tin foil and bubble wrap.
The students demonstrated the climate of Antarctica by showing different types of ice formations in Antarctica surrounded by paper maché penguins they had constructed.
Inside the classroom, the students made their own Rock Hopper penguin masks to wear during the exhibit. Also, to go along with the masks, one student dressed as a penguin by putting 5 large layers of jackets to simulate the penguin’s blubber.
Another "Antarctic Area" in the classroom was "Save the Egg" on the computer. This game shows how to keep a penguin's egg alive. Over all the exhibit was very well put together and it showed the students hard work and determination to their work.
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12/7/2007
Lower Elementary
Biomes of North Carolina
The students in Kaki and Debra's class just finished their study of Biomes of North Carolina. Small groups presented all of their research to the class and then went on a field trip to the Museum of Science in Raleigh.
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10/16/2007
Lower Elementary
Lower Elementary Planet Walk
Students in several of the Lower Elementary classes took a walk across the solar system. We did this on Drawbridge Pkwy., the street that runs alongside our playground. The purpose of our planet walk was to demonstrate the relative size and spacing of the sun and planets.
Our walk started at the corner of Horsepen Creek Rd. and Drawbridge, where we placed our 8” diameter replica of the Sun. The children measured a distance of thirty feet and placed our Mercury replica, a pinhead, on the sidewalk. The walk continued until the last planet, Neptune, had been placed. The total distance from the Sun to Neptune was 2,331 feet.
The children were amazed to see how tiny the planets were compared to the vast distances between them. Classroom models of the solar system simply can’t communicate this concept.
If you’d like to learn more about the lesson you can visit the website below.
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http://www.noao.edu/education/peppercorn/pcmain.html
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10/15/2007
Lower Elementary
Children Begin Their Own Collections
In the beginning of the year, Sylvester Taylor (Noah’s Dad) indicated to Debbie and Kristy that he would like to volunteer in the classroom every Friday morning. This fit in perfectly with the class’s new schedule. Debbie and Kristy had been giving some thought to changing Friday’s routine, Friday being Friday, after all, to keep everyone engaged in their learning. One thought was to reintroduce free choice math. Each child is required to do a math work but they choose which material or operation they would like to work on. In the past, many of the math based games were popular choices but difficult for the teacher’s to monitor. They approached Sylvester with the idea of him becoming Game Master. Sylvester quickly agreed. Math with Sylvester made it’s debut in early September. Currently, they are playing Pizza Fractions. This is a wonderful game that offers multiple levels of learning. First Level students are learning about how parts make up a whole. Second and Third Level students are learning about equivalency. It is a delight to watch Sylvester at work!
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10/15/2007
Lower Elementary
New Educator in Debbie & Kristy's Class
Sylvester Taylor Makes Debut as Game Master
In the beginning of the year, Sylvester Taylor (Noah’s Dad) indicated to Debbie and Kristy that he would like to volunteer in the classroom every Friday morning. This fit in perfectly with the class’s new schedule. Debbie and Kristy had been giving some thought to changing Friday’s routine, Friday being Friday, after all, to keep everyone engaged in their learning. One thought was to reintroduce free choice math. Each child is required to do a math work but they choose which material or operation they would like to work on. In the past, many of the math based games were popular choices but difficult for the teacher’s to monitor. They approached Sylvester with the idea of him becoming Game Master. Sylvester quickly agreed. Math with Sylvester made it’s debut in early September. Currently, they are playing Pizza Fractions. This is a wonderful game that offers multiple levels of learning. First Level students are learning about how parts make up a whole. Second and Third Level students are learning about equivalency. It is a delight to watch Sylvester at work!
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4/16/2007
Lower Elementary
Spanish in the Library
la Biblioteca
National Library Week 2007
Come together @ your library: celebrate National Library Week
Last week we celebrated National Library Week with "Spanish in the Library." Sandra and Lauri worked with Lower El classes on library vocabulary and conversation in Spanish. We shared many resources with the students that will enhance their study of the Spanish language.
A special thanks to Maribel Ramos for reading Spanish stories and to Dr. Joseph Aceves for sharing his Spanish Dictionary from 1899.
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2/19/2007
Lower Elementary
Dedication of our Peace Pole
special thanks to the Amend family
Our Valentines Celebration was marked with a special dedication of our new Peace Pole. we started this project at the beginning of the school year and quickly discovered the enormity of this project. We sent out a plea for help and Andrea Jung volunteered to come in and help place the word peace in thirteen different language around the pole. After this was done Eileen Wood , Ali’s mom, came to assist us in burning the words into the wood. We realized once again our expectations exceeded our capabilities and sent another plea for help. We were answered by a Knight in shinning armor Michael Amend and his apprentices Sir Matt and Sir Michael. We can not thank them enough for their gallant efforts. Come see our Peace Pole it is stunning!!!!! No less important in our efforts was our very handy handy-man Brian Talbert who was instrumental in the physical installation of the pole.
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1/31/2007
Lower Elementary
Middle School Students to the Rescue
Middle School Students to the Rescue
The Lower Elementary children think of our Middle School students as special friends and helpers. They rush to greet them on campus, love sitting with them in assemblies, and look forward to Study Buddy visits. Recently our Middle School students demonstrated again just what good friends they are.
One morning in early January, Lower Elementary teachers and students arrived to find water flooding the classrooms. Several of the teachers took the students outside for an unscheduled recess while the remaining teachers rushed to save valuable classroom materials from damage and to begin the cleanup. Within minutes, a group of Middle School students arrived in Lower El. They wanted to know how they could help. They gathered mops and buckets from across the campus and began mopping, moving furniture, and rescuing classroom materials. When one task was completed, they asked what else needed to be done. They gave up time they could have used for themselves to help their Lower El friends and former teachers. With their help, teachers were able to clean up, avoid damage to furniture and materials, and return students to their classrooms quickly and efficiently. If the older students hadn’t been there, we would have lost much more valuable learning time. Our younger students are lucky to have such loyal friends and great role models.
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1/5/2007
Lower Elementary
History
In Debra and Kaki's they are busy learning about time. How people marked time throughout history. They marked time with their bodies, creating the first human clock. We also made clocks with paper and stones.
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11/10/2006
Lower Elementary
Science Lessons in Lower Elementary
The Montessori Great Lessons Are Followed by Exciting Classroom Activities
The Montessori Great Lessons, which have recently been presented to the Lower Elementary students, generate many follow-up lessons, demonstrations, and research.
Cathy, Margaret, and Jennifer’s class just finished the study of sound. The children performed demonstrations to learn about sound and described the results on lab sheets. They listened to sound waves travel through water in a jar and from a metal rack through string. They also used sound to make pepper flakes bounce up and down.
Children in Kaki and Debra’s class are studying the properties of water. The children illustrated water tension by placing colored drops of water on wax paper and, using a straw dipped in liquid soap, learned to break the surface tension of the colored drops. They observed the water droplets suddenly break and spread across the paper.
Mary and Dave’s students have been studying the formation of The Earth. The children used sand and soil to create a large volcano. Its eruption was greeted with “oohs and aahs.”
Students in Debbie and Kristy’s class have been learning about the life and death of stars. They created timelines which included the nebula, red giant, white dwarf, black dwarf, and ended with black holes. They also studied the eight phases of the moon. The children created books showing the sequence of the phases.
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