SJES NEWS September 2016
Are the Children Normalized? As we head into October, I begin to see and hear signs of the children “normalizing.” In Montessori education, the term “normalization” has a special meaning. This term “normal” does not refer to typical, average, or usual. “Normalization” does not refer to a process of being forced to conform. Instead, Maria Montessori used the terms “normal” and “normalization” to describe a unique process she observed in child development. Maria Montessori observed that when children are allowed freedom in an environment structured to meet their needs, they blossom. After a period of intense concentration, working with materials that fully engage their interest, children appear to be refreshed and contented. Through continued concentrated work of their own choice, children grow in inner discipline and peace. She called this process “normalization” and cited it as “the most important single result of our whole work” (The Absorbent Mind, 1949). In my observations of the classroom, the children typically glance in my direction then easily re-focus on their work. I witness children recalling the steps in their cycles of work. I notice there’s hardly any tears because the children are happy, content and busy! While a Montessori classroom is definitely peaceful, it is not a place of serious quiet - it is more so a silence that rises and falls between children deeply focused on their work to socializing with friends. I hope that those of you who were able to join us on the Silent Journey were able to sense the peaceful yet joyful nature of our environments and are able to imagine your own child experiencing the wondrous normalization process. Mrs. Loree
Silent Journey September 17, 2016
Dear MDO Families, What a great first month we have had! It is heartwarming to see the older students help the younger ones adjust to their new environment, their new friends, and their new routines. In turn, the younger students observe what their older classmates are doing, imitate them, and learn! These first few weeks, we have been focusing on Practical Life activities. Practical Life is the foundation for all other areas of the classroom, and teaches care of self and care of the environment. In addition, Grace and Courtesy activities are important for establishing respect for self and others. Some of our favorite Grace and Courtesy activities for the beginning of school are greeting each other, rolling a rug, pushing in our chair, and asking permission to observe or participate. Circle time and works have centered around the five senses, Fall, apples, the color red, and circles. We love to sing and dance, count in both English and Spanish, hear Bible stories, and eat snack! Thanks so much for all of your support and kindness as we get to know you and your children. Please do not hesitate to let us know if you have any questions or concerns! All the best, Ms. Eva, Ms. Mary, and Ms. Pamela
MDO
Eleanor carefully matches the objects to the cards.
Opening and closing zippers and containers is one of Margot’s favorite works.
Quote of the Month: Montessori Instruction “Do not tell them how to do it. Show them how to do it and do not say a word. If you tell them, they will watch your lips move. If you show them, they will want to do it themselves.” - Maria Montessori
Aidan enjoys slicing the wooden fruits and vegetables!
Side by side, Calder and Reilly are completely focused on their work.
Toddler 1 has been learning and practicing some of the basic rules, works and manners of the classroom. Walking feet, inside voices, please, and thank you. They have also been learning these rules and manners in sign language. This year’s class has normalized very early, which makes for a warm and inviting environment. Practical Life is the busiest area of the classroom - banana slicing, apple coring, cream cheese spreading on crackers, and of course orange juicing. The restroom has also been a very social place in the classroom. Potty learning has taken off to a wonderful start. Returning students are becoming pros and new students are very interested and seem to be very excited to become more independent on self care. Learning the work cycle has also been part of our mornings. Working on rugs and putting them away when work is completed before the child can move to another work. Rug rolling has been so much fun that some children want to help others roll their rug.
Toddler 1
This year I have incorporated group snack in the morning to self-serve individual snack, and the class seems to like eating whenever they are ready for a snack. Toddler 1 is also helping take care of our classroom environment - watering plants, flower arranging, leaf polishing, feeding Buddy the guinea pig and our one algae eater.
I also wanted to thank all the parents that came to the Silent Journey. I enjoyed sharing our room with you. Thank you, Mrs. Anna and Ms. Andrea
Happy fall? It certainly doesn’t feel like fall yet. Let’s hope the cooler weather is on its way! Thank you to all the parents who joined us for the Silent Journey. We hope you got a small glimpse of what your children get to work with everyday. The children have started to settle into the daily routine, and we are working on the “cycle of activity.” The cycle of activity is one of the first lessons the children learn. Choosing a space by placing a rug or mat down, independently choosing a work, working on the task to their satisfaction, and then
placing it back where they got it from. This is modeled for the children in the beginning. Little by little they embrace the order of the new environment. Before the children can progress to more challenging work, they must master the ability to work through the cycle of activity. It is so exciting to see the children working with purpose and self discipline. They take pride in the community and thrive on order.
Every month we will taste different seeds or fruits. This month we were given “cardamom.� Cardamom has a strong, unique taste with an intensely aromatic, resinous fragrance. All the kids tried it, and we had several different outcomes as far as who liked it or not. Some even wanted more! :)
Toddler 2 Team, April, Lilly, and Annabel
Toddler 2
Toddler 3 has had a busy first month of school! The children are learning the routine and getting in the groove of things! They love to change into their Montessori Movers upon arriving to school! This gets them ready to transition from home to school, and makes them feel like a part of our toddler community. We are working on the children defining their work space with a work mat or rug. They are exploring all areas of work, and are learning how to take turns at school. This is a very important skill for them to learn in life. Harris works with dry pouring as he transfers pine cones from bowl to bowl.
Jones stacks magnetic blocks to make a tall, tall tower!
Clockwise from left: Avery makes his own flowers with a build-abouquet. Briggs slices mini bell pepper to have a yummy snack. Evelyn and Alexandra play “roll the ball� together. Thank you, Ms. Coral, Ms. Amy and Ms. Brittney
Toddler 3
Toddler 4 has been enjoying their days at school! The children are well adjusted and our classroom is beginning to normalize. On Mondays we do flower arranging and on Fridays we do a cooking project and have gardening with Ms. Loree.
We have been working on new vocabulary, using our words with our friends, and introducing sign language as well.
Toddler 4
Practical Life snack is an important part of our morning! The children love apple coring, banana slicing, cucumber chopping, and especially orange juice squeezing! If your child doesn’t hug or kiss you at drop off, don’t fret! This just means they are eager to come to class and get started with their daily routine. This month we are celebrating four September birthdays. Happy birthday Amelia, Oliver, Penelope and Mrs. Amanda! Much love from your Toddler 4 team, Mrs. Amanda & Ms. Ashley
Dear Primary 1 Families, We are off to a great start this year. We are seeing the children begin to normalize and make friends. We have been doing a lot of practical life and sensorial work, as this where it all begins. Practical life works help the child coordinate his movements, gain independence, and develop concentration skills. Sensorial works enable the child to focus on his senses and make classifications in his environment. With the Knobless cylinders for example, the child makes distinctions between tall and short, or thick and thin. The older children have been doing a great job of helping the younger ones learn the guidelines of the classroom, and they have even helped by giving lessons.
We recite our classroom guidelines every day after our morning prayer. They are a list of...I CAN listen when the teacher is talking sit criss cross hands in lap get work that I have been shown only touch my own work use my whisper voice walk slowly always be kind We have also explored some areas of science with our sink and float work, and the Land Air Water work is also very popular right now. The older children are beginning to start new maps and math works. We are excited to see each of the children growing in confidence and happiness as they go about their work day. We are all anxiously awaiting a bit of cooler air on the playground as well! Here’s to Fall, Ms Amaris
Primary 1
We are busily working in the classroom. 25 children all working on a different work. Many of the works in the classroom have “small objects,” and children are attracted to “small objects.” Keeping that in mind, if your child comes home with a small object in his/her pocket that you do not recognize as coming from your home, suggest to your child that the object might possibly belong in their classroom and have them return it to a teacher. No questions asked. :) We are settling into a routine we will keep throughout the school year. The use of materials in a Montessori classroom involves many motions — walking, carrying, pouring, speaking, and the constant use of the hands. One of the most basic lessons a child learns in a Montessori classroom is to choose a work, do the work properly and quietly, when finished with a work put it away and choose another work. When the student stands up to return the work, they must remember to push their chair in (so no one trips over it and so that the room stays neat). We have been working on this most basic lesson since school started and will continue to do so the entire year. In addition, our focus has been on establishing some habits of our daily routine: sitting quietly around the rug, working quietly, using an indoor voice in the classroom, and staying in line as we travel as a class around school.
Primary 2
Please allow your child to independently put lunch boxes, sweaters, etc., in their cubbies and also independently retrieve those items at the end of the day. One of the goals of the Montessori classroom is to lead the child to independence. PLEASE LABEL YOUR CHILDS CLOTHING: sweaters, sweatshirts, ties (boys), etc. All the best! Mrs. Barrineau and Ms. Sheila
Primary 3 parents, Welcome to fall! We have had an amazing start to the school year. The children are becoming normalized and working hard during each work cycle. This month we have focused on getting to know the classroom and introducing the work to the children. Thank you to all of our reading parents. It is so fun to watch the children get excited about reading, and the extra help is much appreciated!
Primary 3
A few reminders for you all. • Please make sure your child has a full set of extra clothing for the classroom and the nap room. If any dirty clothing is sent home make sure and replace it with clean labeled garments. • Please keep water bottles in the red basket outside the classroom and out of the cubbies. • Please refer to the St. James uniform policy and make sure your child is not wearing anything that is against dress code.
Thank you for all the patience and support as we transitioned into a new school year. We appreciate you all so much! Please let us know if there are any questions and concerns that come up! -Mrs. Eloise & Ms. Jaymie
How quickly the first month of school has come and gone! This past month we really dug deep into our Montessori roots and focused on many Practical Life works and Grace and Courtesy lessons. The Practical Life area sets the tone of the classroom by fostering independence, allowing the children to build and refocus their energy on repetitive movements, and aiding in the development of concentration. Some of the Practical Life lessons the children have been enjoying are table washing, metal and wood polishing, and hand washing. Rhys slices a banana to serve to friends; Anna Kate practices sponging up a spill; Anna works with her sounds.
Stella spells using the Moveable Alphabet; Tate creates using the Metal Insets; Liam works on quantity and numeral association using the Numerals and Counters.
We love these lessons because they not only teach the children foundational practical life skills, but also because they are the basis for everything in our classroom to build upon. Grace and Courtesy lessons help our classroom function beautifully and allow the child to understand appropriate classroom expectations and interactions. A few lessons we have practiced are how to greet someone, how to interrupt, and how to observe. We practice these during group time with fun role-playing games that allow all the children the opportunity to participate.
Our Second Level children have been drawn to the Language area of our classroom. Many have mastered their Sandpaper Letters and are ready for beginning spelling with the Moveable Alphabet. We have also seen many of the children working hard on their fine motor skills by practicing tracing their name at the light box and making beautiful Metal Inset books. We are so proud of all of our Kindergarten students! They have come into the classroom as strong leaders and role models for the younger children. They have also been showing such pride in their new Kindergarten responsibilities - from Chapel jobs to tackling their first spelling test, you name it, and they can do it! And they aren’t stopping there. Many have begun working on skip counting with the Long Chains and reading any and every word possible. Please remember that our Montessori environment is here to nurture and aid in the independence of each child. You can help us Annabelle pricking out states on the US map; Anna reading in the garden; with this by allowing your child to Noah pricking the parts of a fish; independently walk down the hallway to Zane practices balance by walking on the line their classroom, put their personal items without ringing the bell. away in their cubbies, and provide them lunch containers they can open self-sufficiently. Giving your child these opportunities will surely allow for their self-confidence to bloom! -Ms. Sarah and Ms. Bianca
Primary 4
Have you visited the Little Libraries? The tall one has big people books and the shorter one has small people books!
Beautiful Flower Arrangements by Lake Highlands Flowers This year Lake Highlands Flowers is a community sponsor of St. James. Each week they donate bouquets of flowers to the Toddler classrooms for their flower arranging works. Visit Lake Highlands Flowers for the best flower arrangements and gifts in Dallas! You can find this community-minded florist located at the SW corner of Audelia and Walnut Hill (next door to Resident Taqueria). Lake Highlands Flowers delivers flower arrangements throughout Dallas, and offers same-day delivery for your last minute gift needs - at no extra cost! Lake Highlands Flowers can also deliver quality flowers nationwide through their trusted florist network. http://www.lakehighlandsflowers.com/
It has been such a fun start to the year! The children are excited to come to class and create masterpieces! I can’t wait to see what this year has in store for us. Our first project this year was creating Dots. Our inspiration came from the book The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds. The story is about a little girl who doesn’t think she is good at drawing. Her art teacher encourages her to “just make a mark and see where it takes you.” The little girl makes a dot on her paper, and it ignites a creative passion within her. I wanted to inspire the children with this story, and show them that anyone can be an artist. I worked with all the children in the school to make their “Dot.” The toddlers used balloons and marbled paint to make their dot. They dipped the balloon into the paint, and then pressed it onto their paper. Using a balloon allowed the children to put both hands on their painting tool – thus creating more control to make a dot. The children had a great time painting and watching how each child’s dot turned out differently. The Primary children used a variety of mediums to create their dots. Some used paint, some watercolor, some marker, some a combination. I love how unique each dot is! The children are so creative, and I loved watching them experiment with their medium of choice!
The Dots are on display in the hallways to celebrate International Dot Day – a celebration of art, inspiration, and encouragement throughout the world. Each display represents a different scene from Reynolds’ book. The toddler’s dots are all grouped together by color to create a bigger dot. The Primary student’s dots are grouped together to make a dot by NOT making a dot. I hope you enjoy the art in the hallway, and I encourage you to read The Dot with your children! In technology, we have been learning the parts the computer. In our first class, we took apart a computer tower, looked at, and identified all the different parts of a computer. The children learned about the motherboard, the CPU, and RAM. They thought it was pretty cool to see the “guts” of the computer. In our next lesson, the children got experiment with the knowledge they learned in our first lesson. They were able to get onto the computer and use the mouse to open a webpage.
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They practiced clicking the mouse, and clicking and dragging, and scrolling. They were able to successfully navigate through various lessons and have a blast while doing it! The kindergartners are going to be computer experts in no time!
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Thank you, Ms. Hanna
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echnology
Everything Begins as a Seed! This month in the Children’s garden we’ve begun with the basics lessons:
• What a Seed Needs to Grow • Planting a Seed • Discovering Seeds
We studied the Marigold because it’s such a fun flower! Marigolds are a wonderful flower to keep in your garden because many insects think they are pretty stinky. Your children have smelled the marigolds and decided for themselves if they believe they’re stinky or not! We learned that when the flower dies you can peel away the base of the flower to find the seeds. We used a dibbler to make a small hole in our garden bed, then used pincer grasp to hold the tiny seed and place it in the ground, gently covered the seed with soil and finally, gave it a little drink of water. We began looking for the seeds of other plants and saw some on the Rock Rose, Lamb’s Ear, Black Eyed Susie’s, and Oregano. The Lamb’s Ear seeds are pretty amazing because they explode from their pods and can grow new plants up to 10 feet away!
In the Children’s
Garden
Learning is a lot of fun in the Garden! Mrs. Loree
We have settled into a nice routine in our ASC program. Each day the ASC Staff will have snack ready for the children when they arrive at 3:30. The next hour is spent eating snack, changing diapers/potty time, playing, singing songs, and reading stories until 4:30 when the toddlers go out to play until 5:30. The primary children are busy as usual. They also arrive in the lunch room at 3:30 and are served snack, have a quick bathroom break and go out to play. We all are enjoying getting to know your children. The primary children are enjoying lots of coloring and building with blocks, while the toddlers love singing songs, and playing with blocks. Something new that you might have heard your ASC child talking about this year is Stretch-n-Grow. We are so excited for our ASC children to participate in this program. They are having a blast!!! The program is on Tuesday and Wednesday. Any regular scheduled ASC child, primary and toddler, will attend on both days. I have included pictures of the primary children attending a recent class. Thank you for waiting for your child by the iPad while we bring your child to you. This enables the staff to keep their focus on the children and not be districted with extra adults in the room, and we appreciate you helping us to keep everyone safe. Please remember that pick up time is 6:00 p.m. If you are late, please call the school with an estimated time of arrival. Just a reminder, after 6:00 p.m. there is a charge of $1 per minute for late pick up.
ASC
Lisa Wilson
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
Genesis 1:1
We started our chapel services by reviewing proper chapel etiquette and by learning the hand prayer. I was told that it was a beautiful first service by many and I would have to agree. The kindergarten class is doing beautifully at their chapel jobs and I was very impressed with all of the children sitting so nicely and listening. Mrs. Loree and I love the hand prayer so much that we have decided to include it in every service, so in case you forgot it goes like this:
Thumb - I love you God Pointer - I’m sorry God Middle - I thank you God Ring - Help others God Pinkie - Help me God Palm - I’m listening God
We next turned to the story of creation and how God made everything and it was “good, good, good, you know it’s good!” In the weeks to come we will learn about the Garden of Eden and the naming of the animals. Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow, Amaris
Chapel
We appreciate your support on NORTH TEXAS GIVING DAY! Thanks to your generous gifts, St. James Episcopal School raised $13,410 on North Texas Giving Day for improvements to our Montessori environment. The Annual Fund runs through November 20th. Please consider making a tax-deductible donation to help us reach our goal of $25,000. The class with the most participation will win a LEGO party! Thank you for making a difference in the lives of our students!