The Montessori Method is fundamentally about instilling a “ process”  for doing everything.  Process precedes content.  

If a student is given the proper lesson up front on how a job can be done, they will be able to duplicate the steps and experience the satisfaction of using the materials effectively.  

As Montessori students receive lesson after lesson where the emphasis is on process, they begin to feel the underlying message of “when work is done in this order, in this manner, the greatest experience can be drawn from the materials and the lesson at hand.”

Concentration is a natural byproduct of using a learning format in an intentional and repetitive way.

 Not only is a technique learned and a greater sense of independence is felt by the student, but an overall sense of peace and well being flows from a mind fully engrossed in their work at hand.

It takes a steady awareness on the part of the teacher (and the parent at home) to keep the course and gently, but firmly redirect the child back to the process and not be swayed by their natural enthusiasm to get to the end results, without doing the vital steps in between.

Once the process is secured in the mind of the student, then the variations or extensions of the work can be introduced.

At that point, the student has a “place” in their mind where to store the new information.

 Then when the need arises to recall the steps or retrieve a more abstract fact, the student has a well trodden pathway in their memory upon which to draw upon.

Mastery of process then makes mental storage of facts easier and allows the student to participate more fully in the lessons they are learning.  

An engaged student is one who is building upon their abilities to function effectively in the classroom, absorb more and more abstract information and then to eventually be able to synthesize and analyze the data learned.

TAIKO DRUMS

Last week, the multi-purpose room was filled with the rich timbre of large, Japanese drums as the primary classes enjoyed the musical journey of the performers who came to our school today.

Taking up most of the stage, the Taiko drums sent out rhythm and sounds that sounded ancient, and powerful.  Like the physical heart, the drum has a rhythm that speaks directly to the ears and to the skin.

It was easy to move with the “voice” of the drum. “Archaeological evidence shows that Taiko drums were used in Japan as early as the 6th century BC and were likely used for communication, festivals, and other rituals.”

International Children’s Day was a huge success thanks to all of your contributions;  including your time and the many supplies donated for the activities in our classroom.  Thanks for making it easy to do!

Thank you to all the parents who hiked with us at Red Rock Canyon; helping all of us to create a meaningful and safe field trip for our Kindergarten students

REMINDERS:

Thursday, 11/20 is picture re-take day.

Friday, 11/21 is the annual PTO Holiday Bazaar.  Don’t miss seeing the wonderful crafts!!

Wednesday, 11/26 is half day with dismissal at 11:15. No School on 11/27 and 11/28.  Happy Thanksgiving;  we all have so much to be grateful for!

A big thanks to Clare and Addison B. (and their families) for providing delicious snacks and beautiful flowers.

During a recent Friday at school, the students were at home and the teachers were in class.  We were learning about “Bringing out the Best in Students and Teachers” from Grace Dearborn, a Mentor Teacher/Consultant.  With over 15 years of teaching students ranging in age from kindergarten through high school aged children; Grace was a master storyteller, easily conveying tried and useful information to the FMS teaching staff.

Starting with some of the basics, like “The two pillars of effective classroom management are structure and safety.”  The more clearly the structure of the classroom is laid out for the students the easier it is for them to follow the procedures in the classroom.

For example, in the primary classrooms,  we show students how to roll up a mat so that it is evenly rolled up and tightly done.  In the course of the day,  if a child haphazardly rolls up a mat and then puts it away, they have not internalized the structure of “how to roll up a mat.”  

Hopefully, a teacher will see this and gently ask the child to try again, thus giving them a pattern of rolling up a mat that is in compliance with the structure of the classroom.

As each child is able to move and operate in the classroom, successfully navigating the rules and expectations within the room, the smoother the classroom runs.  Children naturally test the boundaries laid out by teachers (and parents) and most of the time, they are just testing to see how trustworthy the teacher is.

The first time they push a limit and a teacher is able to meet the child with “positive love and regard” while redirecting the student to making a better choice, the  student’s sense of safety is reinforced.  

They begin to relax because they know that the teacher is directing the room from a position of strength and awareness.

Naturally teachers are motivated to convey content to their students; the “important information”, like facts and concepts.  Yet, an equally important component of teaching is modeling appropriate behavior.  In fact, as was reinforced in our training; children come into a classroom wanting to learn appropriate behavior.

 It is the teacher’s duty to clearly lay out the procedures for appropriate behavior, redirecting a child to better choices when they are testing the limits, and to implement clear consequences for the choices being offered.  

As children learn to conduct themselves within the framework of the classroom, they begin to develop the skills to effectively be in groups.  Since most of our lives are spent working in groups, this is a fundamental skill that requires the attention it deserves.

.  A big thank you to all of our parents who donated time and materials for making our International Children’s Day the successful event that it was.  “Muchas Gracias!”

An interactive job of “fetching” the precise knobbed cylinder.

Our Monday morning started off with a “rat a tat tat” of a sacred drum and the soulful, energized dancing from Wendall Powless, a Native American Dancer.

Wendall is a member of the Sioux Ojibwe tribe from Bad River, Wisconsin.  As we watched Wendall dance the ancient stories, it was easy to see the movements of the hunt that he was trying to convey.

His headdress came from the capture of a porcupine, and since his name translates into “Eagle in the Sky”, he was allowed to wear three, golden eagle feathers.

Wendall taught a dance to a group of children and even got the teachers to take the stage and follow his dance steps!

REMINDERS

No school on Friday, 10/31.  We are celebrating Nevada Day.  Happy Halloween!

No school on Friday, 11/7 for teacher in-service.

No school on Monday, 11/10 and Tuesday, 11/11 in celebration of Veteran’s Day.

Picture re-take day is Thursday 11/20.

We are grateful to Cortland and Zoey and their families for providing delicious and entertaining snacks.  The flowers they provided were also beautiful.

 The Spanish language can be heard in our classroom as naturally as we hear words and phrases being said in English.  In our room, Ms. Diana is the teacher delivering all of her lessons in Spanish.

  Ms. Diana’s lessons mirror the lessons given to the children in English.

the seasons, in Spanish

  If a child has done a math lesson using the small bead stair, they will also be given the same lesson using Spanish nomenclature.

“One” becomes “uno” and “two” becomes “dos.” In the process of using the Spanish language to respond to Ms. Diana, not only are the children reinforcing the core lessons, but they are utilizing their second language skills in a practical and useful way.

Spanish bingo.

 Many of the children enjoy the lyrical sounds of the Spanish language as they learn numerous songs from Ms. Diana, and listen to her give instructions such as “Es hora de almuerzo”  (it is time for lunch) and “lavarse sus manos” (wash your hands).  

Research confirms that immersion in a second language when a child is young, often makes it easier for the child to acquire the fundamentals of using the second language.

Learning about bats.

Author Ronald Kotulak observes, “During the first three years of life, the foundations for thinking, language, vision, attitudes, aptitudes, and other characteristics are laid down,” he says in Inside the Brain.

completion of the 100 Board

  Consequently, it would be a waste not to use a child’s natural ability to learn during his or her most vital years, when learning a second language is as easy as learning the first.

Since 50 percent of the ability to learn is developed in the first years of life and another 30 percent by age eight, early childhood development programs have the opportunity to encourage early learning and development.”

Some of the common words and phrases we use in our classroom are:

hola :  “hi”

Como esta? : “How are you?

por favor: “please”

de nada: “you are welcome”

gracias:  “thanks”

con permiso: ”excuse me”

Como se dice:  “how do you say?”

cuantos? :  “how many?”

Walking the “Road of Peace” and thoughtful action

Caring for the outside classroom.

REMINDERS

NO SCHOOL, Friday 10/17 due to Teacher in service.

Native Pride dancers will visit our school on Monday, 10/27.

International Children’s Day will take place on Thursday, 10/30.  It is a half day with dismissal at 11:15.  The theme in our room will be celebrating the country of MEXICO. We encourage our children to dress up using clothing found in Mexico (FYI: the colors of the Mexican flag are red, white and green) or any culture they would like to represent.

. 

NO SCHOOL on Friday, 10/31 due to Nevada Day.  Happy Halloween!

We are grateful to the families who recently donated books to our classroom, GRACIAS!

A big thank you to Sophia and Steven and their families for providing delicious snacks and beautiful flowers for our classroom.

Matching the continents

tweezing dried corn cobs.

Using the multiplication board.

Please review the following letter:

October 14, 2014

Re:  Active Threat Drill

Dear FMS Families –

We currently perform regularly scheduled fire drills and shelter in place.  However, we will also begin monthly active threat drills starting in October as part of our continuing safety initiatives on campus.  The purpose of the active threat drill is to prepare the students to urgently seek shelter and protection in the event of a violent incident or intruder on campus. The drill will be conducted as follows:

• “Test Test Test” will be announced campus wide through the intercom system
• Teachers will direct students to quietly hide in bathrooms, closets, or other protected areas and remain out of sight
• An admin staff member and/or law enforcement personnel will sweep the campus to ensure the classrooms are secured quickly and effectively
• Students and staff will be directed to resume activity after the drill is completed

Please note, we will not be discussing specifics with the children regarding shootings, guns and/or weapons of any kind.  Teachers are identifying the drill more in line with “hide and seek” or “quick and quiet”, especially for our younger students. However, it is highly likely our older students will know the reasoning behind the drill. Our primary goal is to stress the urgency and quickness of the lock down process with staff and students alike. Lastly, we will be sending you a one-time “test emergency text” when the first drill is conducted on October 28^th only.  The text will be clearly identified as a “test.” Subsequent drills will not be announced in advance and “test” texts will not be sent.

It is unfortunate we have to take such precautionary steps, but preventative measures are necessary and important.  If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. Jason Russell, CEO and President of Secure Education Consultants, may also be contacted at 616-308-7626 or emailed at [email protected] to address any concerns.

Respectfully,

Karen Kolb

Executive Director

A resounding round of applause to our Parent Teacher Organization for creating a wonderful harvest festival!!

In the Montessori primary classroom, the Practical Life area of the room is often the first choice for doing work, especially if a student is new to the room.

The jobs in this area employ materials often found at home, like beans, peas, cotton balls, spoons and small pitchers of water.

To the untrained eye, the works seem very easy to do; and often they are.  However, the underlying  lessons being learned are foundational to the child’s Montessori experience.

There is a process for taking the jobs to a work area, for accomplishing the task at hand and then for returning the work to its proper place on the shelf. This methodical process sets the tone for using all other materials in the classroom.

Many steps in self control, concentration and coordination are engaged whenever a child uses the practical life materials, as well as developing a sense of independence.

Often a child is shown a work that they know they can do quickly, maybe grabbing two or three items at a time, and it is under the watchful eye of the teacher, that the child is gently guided to “take one thing at a time.”

 It is in this slowing down that a child begins to see a pattern for doing work that is simple, clear and offers powerful results.

Not only is the child setting a reliable pattern in their own mind for accomplishing the task successfully, there is a growing understanding that every task done with a “single eye” is much easier to do.

We are grateful to Ms. Barbara lending her hand to helping the children grow plants.

REMINDERS

FMS’s annual Fall Festival is on Friday, 10/10 from 5pm-8pm.  Join in the spirit of the school, eat some good food, meet new friends, enjoy being with old friends.

 Picture day is Tuesday, 10/14.

No school on Friday, 10/17 due to a teacher in-service day.

 International Children’s Day is on Thursday, 10/30 and the children will be dismissed at 11:15am.  No school on 10/31 as we celebrate Nevada Day.

A great big thanks to Vivian and Ava (and their families) for providing delicious snacks and beautiful flowers.

“The prepared environment” is a concept you will hear often when describing the Montessori classroom.  This is an overall idea of making sure that the areas of the room are clearly delineated from each other, and that the “jobs” on the shelf are logically sequenced and address a full range of abilities from the simplest and concrete materials to the more complex and abstract versions.

The materials need to be refreshed and straightened out daily so that the shelves appear visually stimulating and have the effect of “calling out” to the children to pick up the materials and work with them.

 As the room is tended to with a disciplined eye of the teachers, the overall effect is to show the students an ordered pattern of behavior of using the materials in the classroom.

Individualized lessons are given very carefully, so that the materials are used in a respectful and careful manner, creating a pathway for the academic aspect of the lesson to be delivered to the child.

This approach helps the child internalize a way of approaching a job in a  specific order so that the child can repeat the process successfully.

As a child experiences the job successfully they begin to increase their concentration and coordination.

Ultimately, an engaged student internalizes their own discipline and is drawn to the work around them because they have fostered their ability to approach the jobs with confidence and independence.

Reminders:

Please be sure to sign up for our parent/ teacher conferences scheduled for Thursday, Oct.2^nd and Friday, Oct.3^rd.  If you are unable to make any of the times posted, please let us know and we will arrange an alternate date and time.

The Book Fair is happening the last week of September, (9/29-10/3), please come and browse and maybe find some books to add to your child’s library.

 Next Wednesday, 9/23, the Kindergartners will be attending their first field trip to the fire station located down the street from school.  Please have your child wear their new, blue FMS shirts.  This will be a good way of reinforcing our “safety” theme and give the children a real life example of people who work at keeping our community safe.

Thank you’s:

A big thanks to Police Officer Lynn DeSpain (Zoey’s mom), for visiting our classroom in full uniform, and delivering an easy to understand presentation on safety.

We are also grateful to RJ’s grandmother, Barbara, for her help in the outside classroom green house, and for her continued help in planting seeds in our classroom planter box in the main courtyard.

Delicious snacks and beautiful flowers were provided by Zachery and Phynix and their families, and we are grateful for their contributions.