News and Announcements

Support Reading and Writing at Home
December 5th was our first Parent-Teacher Conference day of the year. As I walked around the campus that day, I heard snippets of conversations. I heard teachers reminding parents of the importance of reading to their child each evening/or listening to the child read aloud to them, and I heard parents asking teachers what they can do to support their child. I thought it might be an appropriate time to share with everyone a great list of suggestions entitled: Ways Parents Can Support Reading and Writing at Home. I pass it on in hopes that you will incorporate many into your family routine.
Consultant Brings Vast Experience to Primary Classrooms
The week after Fall Break proved to be a very fruitful one for all of our Primary teachers. Our consultant, Carol Alver, once again came from Michigan to spend time observing, coaching, and conferencing with each lead on the team. Her deep understanding of the Montessori philosophy and her vast experience as both a teacher and trainer filled all of us with new insights and renewed enthusiasm for the important work we do on behalf of our Villa three to six year-olds.
Middle School Students Attend GCAP Conference at UN
The Global Citizenship Action Project (GCAP) is a professional conference for students sponsored by the American Montessori Society. GCAP came to be in 2003 when after serving on the AMS board for a number of years, our very own Tom Jankowski along with other Montessori leaders formed the organization. The selected participants have the opportunity to experience and discuss the work of the United Nations and learn what they can do to become better informed and more productive global citizens. Participants learn about and attend the United Nations, meet with international leaders, and dialogue with fellow Montessori students from all over the United States and beyond.
Redesign of the Traditional Classroom
This piece from CNBC discusses the movement towards a "flipped classroom" eventually becoming the educational standard in 25 years. Why wait 25 years when Montessorians have been using this model for over 100 years? Take a minute to view this short video.

Click here to view the video
What Children Teach Us About Peace
John Hunter, a keynote speaker at the AMS 2014 Annual Conference and creator of the World Peace Game, shares his thoughts about peace education and how Maria Montessori’s ideals of the prepared environment and following the child can lead to new discoveries for students and educators alike. Peace education is a vital component of the Montessori curriculum. The teaching of peace and global citizenship can transform a child's life and lead them to a more fulfilling world view. Learn more about Montessori education at amshq.org/Montessori

What Children Teach Us About Peace from American Montessori Society on Vimeo.
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Parent Pointers

Follow the Child
There has been plenty of fear lately among policy makers that American students are lagging behind students in many eastern world nations. I was recently sent an article from the New York Times written by Yong Zhao, an authority on Chinese and American education that addresses this. What was astonishing to me was the author’s viewpoint that traditional Chinese education actually harms students. He believes it ignores children’s unique gifts, talents and interests and places tremendous stress on them to compete academically, thereby damaging self confidence and lowering self-esteem...
Have you Filled a Bucket Today?
There is a new buzz word on the Early Childhood Campus these days and as parents, I think it is important to know it and tap into its power!

The word is BUCKET-FILLER… and the question that is posed on a daily basis is: HAVE YOU FILLED A BUCKET TODAY?

This new lingo sprang up from Carol McCloud’s book; Have you Filled a Bucket Today? In her book she explains that everyone in the whole world walks around carrying an invisible bucket. Each person’s bucket has only one purpose. Its purpose is to hold YOUR GOOD THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS ABOUT YOURSELF. We all feel very happy and good when our bucket is full. We all feel very sad and lonely when our bucket is empty.
New Focus on Teaching Self- Regulation Skills
What is Self-Regulation?
Self regulation is pretty synonymous with self-control but with some added depth and breadth. It includes self-efficacy, responsibility & accountability, moderating behavior, maintaining balance both within and without, responding appropriately, being proactive vs. reactive, and a combination of self-confidence and empowerment.. In a nutshell, self-regulation is learning to regulate one’s own physical, emotional, and cognitive processes in healthy, pro-active ways in order to be successful across several domains of life. It is critical for both success and happiness.
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