WHMS Montessori Messenger September 2022

montessori

MESSENGER

Woodland Hill Montessori School

Michelle Edwards

Top 10 Things We Love About Back-to-School

View this video from Head of School, Michelle Edwards, on her Back-to-School Top 10!

Students in LE Makerspace worked in groups to test the strength of different structural shapes. They used index cards and masking tape to build their structures and toy frogs to assess them.

In Art & Makerspace...

The Primary students made paper sculptures while exploring how lines make shapes.

The LE students reviewed three dimensional art and sclupture. They had fun using cardboard to make free form sculptures to brighten our hallways.

The Upper El student drew self portraits with colored pencils and outlined their goals for the upcoming year.

International Day of Peace Celebration

The International Day of Peace was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1981. This day is devoted to strenghtening the ideas of peace, through observing 24 hours of non-violence. The theme this year was End racism. Build peace. The whole school gathered in the amphitheater on the morning of Septme ber 23 to celebrate peace. Michelle spoke to the community, the Lower Elementary led us with song and sign language to Light a Candle for Peace and the Upper Elementary sang Building Bridges. This assembly has become a Woodland Hill tradition, always finding new ways to share peace with one another.

You can read more about the International Day of Peace here.

Coach Patrick Kraft has been leading the Wolfpack Soccer team in a series of practices and games with other area independent schools.

After three games at home, the Wolfpack will travel out for their next few matches in their new jerseys! From the sidelines, you can hear the the shouts of encoragement from their teammates and peers.

Coach Ben Kelts and Kim Morrison have a team of determined cross country runners this season. Students practice twice a week and competed in their first meet on Septemeber 28 where several of our students finished in the top five places, even after a sudden downpour! The best times went to Regan in UE with 8 m 25 s and Marco in UE with 8 m 8 s. We are so proud of all our athletes and can’t wait to see them exceed their potential!

Be sure to find yourself at a school sporting event this school year - Go Wolfpack!

Welcome to a New Level

By Heather Ayers, edited by Erin Mergil

The transition in a Montessori school from the Primary level to the Lower Elementary is particularly remarkable, and requires our special attention. Maria Montessori developed an educational model to offer information and experiences during the times when it matches the child’s actual interests and physiological development, and ability to easily learn material.

Typically, readiness for this transition happens at the time when the child is losing their first baby teeth. Certainly, children will cling to some of the comforts of infancy while entering fully into the amazing time of life we call Childhood!

Socially, the requirements of this phase are very different from early childhood. For one thing, fairness is a major issue. Children start to regulate and edit the rules of their own games, as well as create elaborate contingencies to account for different situations.

Excuses are not easily tolerated and children expect other children to be accountable. “There will be doovers, but only if you really deserve them”.

Don’t be surprised to see your Elementary age child exhibiting new ways of behaving that are different than when they were in Primary classes. This is a normal part of their development.

Expect to see:

• Your child, who may have been so diligent about quietly working in Primary class, might be more interactive in the Elementary classroom.

• They may be much more talkative as they seek to foster social connections.

• They will likely be negotiating and problem-solving as they learn to handle social situations.

• They will participate in collaborative work and group lessons more often.

To support this stage of development you can:

• Encourage your child to problem solve, help them discover their own ways to maneuver through social situations rather than rescuing them. This helps them develop practical social skills.

• Encourage them to be themselves as they seek to find their place in the social group. Authenticity is a great trait at any age.

• Avoid outside tutoring. We know it’s tempting for parents to start their children on lessons outside the classroom to help them excel academically. But at the Elementary age, the most important thing for your child to learn is to “love learning.”

We encourage children to do their very best every day. This fosters a sense of persistence and commitment that goes beyond just getting good grades.

We emphasize independence by inviting children to select their work each day and helping them discover their purpose and talents. Extra work can send your child a mixed message of feeling it is unimportant to concentrate in class because they are just going to work more at home. Or they may feel learning is hard, frustrating work instead of joyful discovery. Finally, they may get confused by different teaching methods, impeding their learning instead of helping.

Encourage reading at home. Reading together fosters parent-child bonding, which is always worthwhile. It also equips children to become more comfortable with a vital skill that fosters their learning for a lifetime. Reading also helps children develop empathy, an important tool for both self-regulation and successful social interactions.

There is a BIG difference from the atmosphere in the Primary classes. You can almost feel it in the air when you walk into the Lower Elementary: this age group means business. This is also true of the educational environment, and it is also a change from the Primary classroom. There is a great level of care and respect for the child as they grow beyond the fragile and formative stages of early childhood. They are still developing and just as they were given the emotional space to construct themselves in the Primary class, they

are now ready to handle some increased expectations and responsibility for their own learning.

These differences often come as a shock to both parents and children. At age six, the child has spent half of their entire lives in the Primary class. They have mastered it and they are quite comfortable. Children are to be offered the opportunity to completely master each stage of their development and then, of course, move on.

The Elementary classroom requires the six year-old to get out of their comfort zone. This is the first of many times in their educational career when they will be asked to do so. One of the wonders of Montessori education is how it prepares our children for real life. By the time our children reach the Upper grades, they will have learned to take on new challenges with ease. They will develop confidence and awareness of their own abilities. They will know their own comfort zone, but will not be afraid to reach beyond it in the quest for personal growth and a desire to know their own potential.

The first step is always the hardest. But, for our children, it is a necessary step in the right direction, and will lead them to both maturity and fulfillment.

On Thursday, September 28, the Upper Elementary traveled to Patroon Island Farm to harvest vegetables and remove large rocks from the land for the Regional Food Bank. This is their first community service project of the school year!

In the Toddler Room

Woodland Hill's youngest children are beginning to establish ground rules and routines.

We have introduced snack and food tasting and are getting out to our playground in the woods every day. The afternoon class has even worn their rain suits twice!

& Through the Halls of Primary

If you were to walk down the hall, you would be sure you have see many new smiling faces (& returning ones too). The children in primary are slowly settling into new routines. If you were to peek into any primary classroom you will see children learning how to walk slowly, carry a work with two hands, having a lesson with a teacher or another peer, enjoying a snack with a friend or working independently.

Outside the children have been enjoying the beautiful Fall weather on the playground. This first month is a busy one but the children seem to be adjusting quite nicely!

Upper Elementary - Middle School Family Night!

More on Middle School

The Middle School is in full swing as we wrap up our first month of the school year! This year we have 45 students; the largest Middle School in WHMS history!

The students, full of energy and eagerness, have been busy developing an enthusiastic Middle School community. We began the school year with an orientation where students were introduced and reacquainted with one another, academic classes, and expectations. We spent most of the first week establishing the foundations of a strong community, a key component of the Secondary prepared environment. Some of our orientation work included a Lego team building challenge, working together on a social contract, and setting personal, academic, and community goals.

Last Friday, the Middle School took a team-building field trip to YMCA Camp Chingachgook on beautiful Lake George. Students participated in leadership and community building activities, and had a blast working together on a low-ropes course, shooting arrows on the archery range, and learning about the plants and animals of Lake George through an ecological lake studies station. It was a great sunny day for the activities and an excellent opportunity to bring our community closer together.

The Middle School students are busy planning their first coffee house and the grand opening of the school store! They are also busy on bike projects, service projects, accounting and advertising initiatives.

SCHOOL

Wednesday, October 19 | 6 p.m.

7:30 p.m.

Interested in exploring independent high school as an option for your family? This information session will give you an overview of options, guide you in assessing the right fit, and share a timeline for applying. Admissions representatives from area independent schools will be available to answer your questions about admissions and financial aid.

Tuesday, November 8 | 6 p.m.

7:30 p.m.

How to set yourself, parents and students, up for a successful transition to high school is the focus of this information session. A local high school guidance counselor will cover important information on how to connect with your local high school, course selection, scheduling, and other tips on making a successful transition for your family.

Students in Upper Elementary and Middle school started their first session of electives on September 21. These classes are once a week allowing our students to expand uopn their knowledge by learning different skills in new activities!

Classes this session include archery, Mandarin, design, crochet, hand sewing, puzzles and board games, guitar, glee club, mythology, herbalism, curator club, soccer, fitness, and land art!

Support Woodland Hill Montesori School

Each contribution to the WHMS Fund is important no matter what the size because it is an expression of your support. This year, we are aiming for 100% parent participation! Every gift counts and every gift is truly appreciated.

In the past, the WHMS Fund has been used to pay for a music and art supplies, playground equipment, Montessori materials, classroom furniture, library books, and so much more!

Have questions? Reach out to Moira Rienzo.

RSVP to Kris Gernert-Dott