Vol. 5, Issue 8: April 2019
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Message from Matt Simberg, M.Ed.
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Dear Parents,
As you all know, and probably cannot believe like me, the school year is coming to a close. We are one newsletter away from the last one of the school year. There are several events still planned: The Mother’s and Father’s Day celebrations, camping for the elementary and the end of the year festivities to name a few. It is bittersweet as we come to the close of this school year. I appreciate the well wishes that have been offered by so many and even from the families that will not be able to join us. I think that is a real testament to what we started in 2014 and have grown to over the past five years.
We have had so many tours since January, and we are at around 60 children for this coming school year. In fact, this does not include, a toddler who was enrolled last night, a family from Houston that inquired and is planning on enrolling her toddler and primary aged child, an elementary student who visited on Thursday (probably enrolling), and a boy who will be in fourth grade is likely going to enroll as of this week for next year. I share this with you to express my excitement for you in the continued growth of MSOE. Our school has a lot to be thankful for, especially because of all of you!
With this spirit of growth and excitement, I want to encourage your continued collaborative efforts. I have some questions for you to reflect on and share with me. Please think of some of these as two sided questions. What might you be willing to contribute more of to your child’s classroom or the school for next year? What can we do for you to help you feel more connected or included? Are you willing to do a monthly book club related to mindful parenting or Montessori Philosophy? Will you be a contact for potential or new parents? What resources might you have that we can offer and have not potentially thought of? What can we or you do to continue a feeling of connectedness and not a feeling of “I drop my child off and pick my child up, like in a traditional school?" Would you be willing to come to an event with us like Moorestown Day?
Anyway, I think you get the idea. MSOE always wants to strive to be and do better for you and your children! For example, maybe collaboration nights would be better for more parents to attend if we did them between 4:00 pm and 5:00 pm. Maybe you would like to do some kind of activity with the children after school. Please don’t be shy and feel free to ask about or suggest something. We are growing and continuing with a good reputation that is reflective of our mission statement. With that, we have to always have a student’s mindset. What else can we learn and what else can we do better? Then we obviously have to do that, whether from a school or family perspective. The teachers of MSOE ask themselves regularly, how can we best serve this child today or best in this moment for this situation? How can we continue to help each other, to collaborate? I’ll leave you with that and look forward to your responses, as always!
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Dear Parents,
It has been said for a long time now that peace will be accomplished through education. The children are our future. This has now been said for decades. Seemingly, it may feel like we are no closer now, than we were in the 1940s. Maybe we are worse off even as a society. We all know that public and traditional schools, even just at the elementary levels, only allot
for time to lecture and copy and answer questions. Children find time in between to deviate and attract negative attention. Parents and teachers are horrified by things that happen in these schools.
There is seemingly hope in a school like Montessori Seeds of Education. There are many reasons parents send their children to a school like this one. One of those reasons is also to “protect” them from experiences that children their age should not be experiencing. Another reason could be to learn to the best of their ability. Some parents appreciate and get the method of Montessori about teaching to the whole child, and that each one is different, special and beautiful. However, with all of that said, as guardians choosing this method for their child what are a couple things we are allotting for and not?
You can be certain that your child is treated as an autonomous individual, but also an interconnected individual. We meet the child where he or she is at and not where their guardians want them to be, or where we want them to be for that matter. That is when mistakes happen. We mistake the opportunity and take two steps back. Children need to learn to be leaders, managers and followers. They need to learn to make mistakes, fix them, waste time, manage time, build their character. We cannot protect children fully from the judgments and will of adults. However, we can teach children to navigate their way through the currents of others' judgements and will.
Isolating a child is the only sure fire way to keep them safe from the influence of others, right? Then we hurt and hinder them in a different way. We want to protect their innocence and keep them from things that are not deemed “age-appropriate.” Yet, the world we are living in does not give us that option. Abstinence from education outside of the home and not including homeschooling, the choice to isolate, hinders the child that much more. We have to meet the children where they are at and within the context of the society they are living in, regardless of a mixed age classroom. Preparing them for the world is the antidote to negative experiences.
While I am wanting to convey many things in a short blurb, a main point is the following. Choosing a school like MSOE should not be to protect from, isolate, or to get a competitive edge. A child does not do better here because he/she is more or less intelligent than most.
Although, by default those things will happen to a certain extent. We are mindful to the experience of your individual child and the experiences they bring from home, screen time, friends and extended family. In our minds, your children are here so that we can navigate the incubation period that they spend within the cocoon of their immediate environment, preparing them for their wings to begin to become strong enough so that they may contribute to and endure the experiences of the world as they get older. Traditional school does not allot for this.
With all that I have seen and heard, mostly good, it leads me to ask you to reflect on what your child is learning, absorbing and being prepared for. We are all living, moving and evolving organisms. While protecting is important, sometimes we need to ask ourselves at what cost, to what extent and for what purpose? This is the way of nurturing and educating the elementary aged child. I can say for sure, I see many positive differences and evolvements in all of the children of the different classrooms. Some know more than others, but they are all learning and practicing to be good stewards and that is way more important. You can be a genius and have a terrible personality, and it will get you nowhere. Someone can not be the smartest person, but the kindest and that will take them way further.
Case in point, I appreciate everyday with your children and the opportunities they afford me to be a part of their evolvement. As adults, in a fast paced and scarier world, mindfulness, reflection, and action, not reaction are of the utmost importance. If you are in a place where adults and children are learning to be mindful, collaborate, and be their most authentic selves, you are in a kitchen where you have a recipe for success and fulfillment, regardless of the experience.
While their are others, there is a main point that I want to convey to all of you and for you to hopefully convey to others. We are growing rapidly and there are so many misconceptions of a Montessori Education. Parents will say, I send my child to a Montessori school because they are smart already. Others think it is mainly for children with special needs and who can’t function in a public school. Some think it only goes up to six years old. I have heard that it is just another day care. It is mind blowing that for something that has been around for over a hundred years, there is still such a misconception. What separates MSOE from other Montessori schools is that our mission is to create a mindful, collaborative and authentic Montessori Experience for families!
What makes us the same as many, but still few compared to the total is that we adhere to Association Montessori Internationale standards. With all of this and the rate that we are growing, I want you to have the tools to help convey our message clearly to others. The first step would be our mission. Secondly, the standard we adhere to. Lastly, that transparency, professionalism, and connecting are key with MSOE. We focus on giving age appropriate tools to children so that they may grow up to be positive, interdependent, successful and fulfilled contributing members to society. Your experience with us can afford you examples of how we do these things already. Thank you for your continued collaboration and support!
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Dear Parents,
I hope everyone had a nice Spring Break!
Happy Birthday to Daisy who turned three years old on April 20th and Ryan who turned three years old on April 22nd!
The children enjoyed silver polishing in the Practical Life Area. We introduced watercolor painting in the Art Area. We painted bunnies and eggs. The toddlers especially liked the sponge painting work. One of the new works in the Language Area included garden animals. Egg color matching and bunny color matching were in the Sensorial Area this month. We have a flower nesting work that aids in developing fine motor skills. A new work in the Math Area that proved to be a favorite was a 1-10 number grasshopper puzzle.
A special thank you goes out to the parents who came in to school and helped stuff and hide eggs for our class Spring Egg Hunt! The toddlers had so much fun finding the eggs!
We will begin the transitioning process for our older toddlers into the Primary Program in May. They will each have the opportunity to spend some time afternoons in the Primary Classroom to become acquainted with Mr. Carl and the Primary Work. We will also be spending more time with the Primary Class. We have some fun activities scheduled in May together such as picnics and gardening activities.
It has been so nice to be able to spend more time outside since the weather is getting warmer.
I look forward to seeing the toddler moms at our Mother’s Day Tea on Friday, May 10th at 8:30am!
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Dear Primary Parents,
It was a pleasure to welcome all your children back from spring break this month! I hope that all of you had a great vacation. Mrs. Mary and I certainly enjoyed hearing about so many stories from the children on adventures shared during the break. The month of April was an extraordinary month. The children were immersed in a plethora of joyful activities.
We began the month with a wonderfully successful School Gala! It was so nice to see so many of you there. Truly, it was inspiring to think of the possibilities and potential of such a beautiful new space for next year. Additionally, we also hosted a Spring Egg Hunt in collaboration with the toddler classroom the week before spring break. During the week, the children were introduced to egg slicing and orange squeezing activities! The children also crafted their own bags for the Egg Hunt as well. All in all, the event was a great time. Many thanks to all the parents who stopped by to help and join in on the festivities.
Since the break, we have hit the ground running. As a special treat, Hannah Ceccarelli’s mom, Nicole, stopped by to do an earth week activity with the children. She read the story titled Fredrick by Leo Lionni, about a mouse who appreciates the warm weather during the winter time. Subsequently, the children painted rocks to place in their gardens and homes to remind them of the beauty of nature. A big thank you to Hannah’s mom for such a lovely activity.
Additionally, the children have become expert ornithologists! As a classroom we have been learning all about the different kinds of birds in our own backyard, observing wingspan, beak shape, and discussing the different kinds of food that birds eat, as well as discussing the different kinds of bird homes. Following this activity, all the children went on a bird walk! We observed many different birds in the neighborhood and listened to the bird calls of each bird. Soon after, the children made birdfeeders to hang in their own backyard.
Throughout the course of the month we have highlighted the continent of Oceania (known to many as Australia). The children explored many animals of Australia, particularly the species of mammals known as marsupials. We also observed artifacts of Australia such as the boomerang, the cave art of the Aborigines, and real-life fur of koala bears. To top it off we introduced the children to a native instrument of Australia called the digeridoo. All the children were delighted and mesmerized by the beautiful instrument and resonant sound it made.
Things to look forward to in the Month of May
- Mother’s Day Tea celebration May 10th (The event will begin at 8:30 a.m., please arrive around 8:15 am to accommodate for ceremony transitions).
- Lots of opportunities for planting and getting our hands dirty, as well as many language opportunities surrounding gardening.
We welcome Testimonies
As end of the year conferences approach us, I welcome any written feedback as to how you feel the year has gone. As always, we want to continue to grow and evolve. I appreciate any constructive feedback you might have. I also welcome funny stories and highlights as to what each of your children have gained from this year in the primary classroom.
Mrs. Mary and I continue to be inspired by more experiences of discovery and engagement with all of your children. Thank you for your continued support, and we look forward to another exciting month.
Best Regards,
Mr. Carl and Mrs. Mary
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Dear Parents,
For the month of April, I want to express gratitude and appreciation for what I get to see your children doing each day. As parents, I know we all have individualized goals for our children and most of us can agree that there are universal hopes and wishes that we want for our children with regards to their education. While all of you get to see some of the work they are doing each day, I want to share with you a glimpse of what you do not get to see.
In this picture you see four boys who may or may not be friends if they were in a different school. One boy is older, so he definitely would not be. Yet, here they are laughing and working together to understand, remember and classify different kinds of nouns, starting with concrete and abstract nouns and breaking them down further to count and non-count nouns with proper, materials, abstract, idea, state and quality nouns. First of all, who at this age really does this? Second of all, this picture shows it and I can genuinely tell you they enjoyed themselves.
There was no stress involved and they had fun coming up with nouns. This experience is not just with these boys; it spontaneously happens with all your children throughout the day. Sometimes, I group children together in a lesson who would not normally work together, and they do a good job together doing follow-up work. They are experiencing a child version of what happens in the workplace. Adults of different ages have to work together and do a good job for a common goal. The motivations are definitely different, so this is more innocent. However, arguments happen, things are said or done and they are given the tools to work through those conflicts, because we have time to! We are all busy, but please take some time, pause and think to yourself about the opportunities you are affording your children each and everyday. Thank you for giving me the opportunity for getting to share this with them!
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April was an exciting month which started with the Seeds of Spring gala, was interjected by spring break and culminated with a great visit from one of our parents and another great trip to Philadelphia. The countdown for MMUN in Chicago continued, and the details of that trip will be shared in May's newsletter. The students were actively organizing and preparing themselves, including doing research on the best route to drive, the best meal options, taking into consideration all of the dietary preferences of the group. They even wrote a song about the conference, which hopefully will be recorded and shared.
The adolescents have so many opportunities to help serve and exercise self-construction. They don't even realize how much they are learning and how many useful skills they are practicing on a regular basis that will help them to excel in their world. "Teaching" the adolescents is effortless, because they take so much initiative over their own education when given the freedom to do so. There is so much forward momentum to be productive, making adjustments and implementing new tools and strategies along the way, fostering a positive environment fueled by a growth mindset.
One of the things the adolescents do very well is present. They thoroughly enjoy sharing their knew found knowledge, ideas and perspectives on various subjects, infusing a bit of their heart, character, creativity, wit, humor and personality into their work. No presentation is the same. Throughout the year, they have practiced presenting to the younger students, to their local peers, to adults, and at the MMUN conference, they will present to international peers from almost every region of the world.
Even though the students were on spring break, the learning did not stop. Even those who went away continued to enhance their knowledge and experience, whether it was spending time with friends and family locally, out of state, going to a museum, or going on a humanitarian trip to bring educational resources to a remote village in a far away land. It was great to hear about their adventures.
We want to thank Renee Giustino, Juel's mom in elementary, and who is an architect in Philadelphia for giving of her time to share her expertise on some of the architectural projects she has worked on, including the Fairmount Water Works in Philadelphia. The students truly enjoyed creating their own floor plans after Mrs. Renee's inspiring presentation and with the tools and resources she provided. They shared their creations with one another and then headed out to Philadelphia to visit the Fairmount Water Works for a bit of a scavenger hunt and an exploratory time. They discovered the rich history of the Water Works, the engineering that went into its operation, the contributions of the problem
solvers who were committed to ensuring clean water for the city of Philadelphia,
and they even learned about the current ecological conservation initiatives at the muscle hatchery. It was truly a holistic and multi-disciplinary experience.
This first year of the adolescent program has been full of transformative experiences for the students, and it is not over yet. There are still more impactful activities to participate in before the summer months. This year has truly set the stage and the tone for a positive and effective vehicle for creating world changers, people who are able to overcome failure, implement smart goals, and solve the real problems of the world they will inherit, as agents of social change through meaningful work and their developing sense of justice and personal dignity. Their work is acknowledged and very much appreciated.
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For the last module we made slime that bounced, got hot, changed colors, got hard and was really messy. Then we blew up balloons with ingredients that could also blow out candles! This week we are finishing off STEM for the year with a lab that culminates a lot of the science we learned to create a very important experiment... Icecream! I hope the experiment goes well. Best wishes from Mr Frank and Mr Walt. Viva Montessori!
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Students have continued to learn mindful strategies to center themselves, to calm their bodies and minds, and to embrace the present moment. We have just started discussing how gratitude shapes perspective - if your child brought home a “gratitude button” to give you, it’s to serve as a token to remind us to be thankful for all things, big and small, that make you feel happy, content and at peace. Practice gratitude any time of day, and notice how your problems start to shrink!
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Higher Minds Yoga
Our theme for April was patience. In class, students practiced patience by ringing the singing bowl and waiting for the sound to completely vanish before passing it on. Our yoga poses were downward facing dog and squat. We played fun games with these poses such as down dog bridge and lily pad hopping from mat to mat.
Higher Minds now has a YouTube channel with ways to incorporate these practices at home. Please
click here
to check it out and subscribe.
Mindful Breathing
Lion’s Breath Sit on knees, take a deep inhale and while exhaling a silent roar, lean forward stick out your tongue and roll eyes to back of head
Yoga Pose – Down Dog & Squat
Book Recommendation
Remy the Rhino Learns Patience by Andy McGuire
Positive Affirmations
I am patient.
I am calm.
I am forgiving.
Question to Ask
Can you remember a time when you were patient?
Follow Higher Minds on IG @highermindsyoga
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www.montessoriseeds.org | 609-832-2546 | info@montessoriseeds.org
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