Calendar
of Events
12/23-1/9 Winter
Break
1/16
School Closed - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day
1/19
Parent Night - Montessori Continuum
2/6 Dr.
Steven Hughes - Modern Parenting
2/17
Daycare only - AMI Refresher Course
2/20 School
Closed - President’s Day
Modern Parenting - SAVE
THE DATE!!
Dr. Steven
Hughes, a pediatric neuropsychologist, will be coming to Redding to give a presentation entitled “Modern Parenting”.
This event will be held the evening of Monday, February 6th at the McLaughlin Auditorium (Sequoia
Jr. High). Dr. Hughes has spoken to audiences all over the world and has his own children in a Montessori
School in Minnesota. Cost is $10.00 per person.
Dr. Hughes’s presentation traces the development of the self-esteem “movement” and
reviews some of the surprising (and relieving) results of research examining modern parenting practices. He closes with a
set of practical recommendations on how to “stay out of the clinic” by following sensible, research-proven strategies
to raise happy, helpful children with authentic self-esteem.
For more information about Dr. Steven Hughes please visit his website at www.goodatdoingthings.com .
Silent Journey and Discovery
We had a great turnout of over 20 parents for the Silent Journey and
Discovery which took place in late October. On Friday night the parents silently toured all levels of our Montessori programs
from the infant program through the upper elementary. At the end of the evening the group shared what they observed. On Saturday
morning the same group of parents returned, this time to actually do the activities that the children do, again at every level
from the infant program through the upper elementary! It was an emotional gathering at the end as parents shared their experiences!
We ask that every parent participate at least once in the Silent Journey and Discovery. There is no better
way to learn about Montessori and support your child than through your own experience. We are planning
to do our next Silent Journey and Discovery in the fall of 2012.
Here are some reactions of our parent participants.
“See Montessori through a child’s eyes”
“Effective way to experience the Montessori
environment from a child’s perspective.”
“It is hard to imagine how a parent could grasp the fundamental differences in learning tools without the opportunity
to experience it” AE
“I
can really see how important it is to experience what the children are (experiencing) for yourself. One’s understanding
of their child’s learning will be increased. “ SJ
What value do you feel was derived form this experience?
“A more in depth understanding of the Montessori concept
and how that can be applied in my home” TB
“The value of knowing where my children are, what they do, and where they are going. It is exciting!”
MM
How will it influence
your relationship with your child?
“less plastic, pointless toys…more purposeful play” RE
“I am going to see her as more independent, more capable. I will let
her explore more and observe her more.” SJ
Infant Program
Our infant program has been a real success with
Christina Sanderson as the Intern Teacher supported by Kim Merryman as her assistant. We had 9 infants
12 to 24 months of age until 4 of them just turned two!! Now the toddler room is almost full and we are looking for more infants!
If you know anyone with a one year old child, please encourage them to take a look. We have a
beautiful classroom and caring staff. We currently are offering care between 8:30 am to 3 pm. We will be
starting a waiting list for any one that would need care from 7:30 am to 5:30 pm. Once we have sufficient
demand we will extend our hours for infant care.
Building Cathedrals, not Walls
An architect visited a construction site on his
vacation. As he walked around he asked the brick masons what they were building.
“Mister,” the first worker said as he slopped mud onto a brick,
“can’t you see I’m building a wall?”
Every worker he chatted with, no matter if the chore was laying brick, shoveling or mixing cement,
told the architect they were laying brick or stacking a wall.
One worker offered a different version of his labors. As he stood upright and smiled, the man said,
“Look, I’m building a cathedral.”
If asked what we were doing during our day-to-day toils and challenges of parenting or teaching, we might be apt
to answer, “Can’t you see I’m busy with kids?”
If we shift our perception and develop the art of the long view we should
discover a plan and a vision. We should see that we are in fact building humanity. As parents and teachers we are part of
a group who strives to build a better world, task by task, day by day, year in and year out, generation by generation.
When we have a plan and a vision, we understand
that, indeed, we are building cathedrals, not walls. The mundane becomes the magnificent.
And that makes all the difference.
Maren Schmidt
