PREPARATION FOR L IFE

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MISBEHAVIOUR

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SPOTLIGHT ON PRE-K

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THE GREAT OUTDOORS

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Play, Laugh, Learn

Feb, March, April 2018 www.thechildrensmontessorihouse.com

The Children’s Montessori House News

INFANTS

TODDLERS

PRE KINDERGARTEN

“Never help a child with a task at which he feels he can succeed.” ~Maria Montessori

Dear Parents,

The second half of the school year begins fresh and full of promise. There is much to do before June but students have a sense of place within the school community, families give their full support and teachers have each piece in the process well planned.  There will be long peaceful “work periods” (class time offering uninterrupted con-centration on tasks paced at each child’s development level) stretch-ing out before us, accented with field trips, parties and special projects.

Early in the school year we were surprised to hear the comment “preparation for kindergarten”

Preparation for Life

Montessori is an educational approach unlike any other. We notice our families have almost always done some research before enrolling and are eager to learn more as their children progress.

The Montessori goal is to support the development of the child’s highest potential. Rather than pre-paring children for their next school experience, we are providing the foundation, at each child’s unique pace, that will help them to live peaceful, purpose-ful lives.

The curriculum for our youngest students (birth to 3 years old) focuses on motor development, care of self and independence. Once the child has mastered dressing, toilet-ting and basic self care, at around 2 years old, they begin to learn ab-stractions such as colors, shapes, quantities, vocabulary and the nu-merals and letters that represent them. Continued on page 3.

February Birthdays

Toddlers • Janae casimir 8th

Pre K1 • J’lon Long- 15th • Shae Stava- 10th

Pre K 2 • Davida Mondesir- 27th

Pre K3 • Deezya –Cher Sidoine -

08/02 • Ryan Young - 23th

March Birthdays Toddlers:

• Jae Francis: 2nd

Pre k - 1:

• Gareth Yarde : 17th

• Taveon Mc Donald 26th

Pre k 2:

• Izaiah William: 28th

Pre k 3:

• Shaquelle Jn. Charles : 25th

• Jordan Daniel 30th

• Ms Heather Alfred

April Birthdays Pre k 2:

• Hadasah Joseph 24th

• Gabriel Ramjaewan 13th

When parents give in to misbehaviour, children tend to repeat the misbehaviour for example: The child makes a demand; “I want some candy” The parent refuses to give the child candy, pointing out that it is almost dinner time. The child’s demands continue; “But I still want candy!” The parent becomes irritated. The child keeps pressing. The parent gets upset and overreacts. The parent feels guilty and gives the candy after all. The child “Learns” that misbehaving is a way to get what he or she wants.

Punishment or Setting Limits Misbehaving is often a call for help or some added adult encouragement and understanding. Helping your child verbalize feelings often is enough for him/ her to continue to problem solve. Sometimes physical holding is necessary to stop a tantrum and help a child learn to self-soothe. Discipline is about teaching, not punishing. Rather than exclude a child, we want to encourage the development of empathy and insight. We want to set clear limits while helping empower children to understand and collaborate with us so that respect flows in both directions.

Changing Time-Out to Time-In These ideas may help: • Anticipate and prepare for challenging situations. Have appropriate

expectations for your child's behavior based on his age and abilities. Be willing to adjust your plans accordingly.

• Take games or quiet activities for those wiggly waiting times in the doctor's office, a restaurant, or on the airplane.

• Support your child by explaining the reasons for requests. Make clear brief explanations appropriate to the child's age.

• Spend 5 to 10 minutes with a young child when you notice frustration developing. Change the activity or just assist in making it easier to handle.

"No one who has ever done anything really great or successful has ever

done it simply because he was attracted by what we call a

'reward' or by the fear of what we call a punishment”

—Maria Montessori, The Discovery of the Child

Don’t give in to Misbehaviour

"Eventually we gave up either punishing or rewarding the children."

—Maria Montessori, The Secret of Childhood

Preparation for Life

…Continued from page 1. The typical 3-year-old enters our early childhood program having mastered much of the public school kindergarten curriculum. During the 3-year early childhood curriculum the child masters the self care, responsibility and developmental skills that were begun in the infant and toddler classes. Decades ago we knew that we were preparing children to go to high school, college and work at a good job for the next 40 years while raising a family in a comfortable home. Nowadays we are less certain of what exactly we are preparing our children for, but being resilient, learning from new experiences and solving problems while finding personal fulfillment will set them up for success no matter what the future brings. This is preparation for life. This is Montessori. References, Shermer, M. (2018). For the love of science. Scientific American, January, p. 77. Trierweiler, G. (2016). Let Me Do It Myself! Parker, CO: Books to Believe In

Spotlight on Pre K

Abby is using letters by using phonetic sounds rather than letter names. Letters are not introduced in their order within the alphabet. Instead, they're introduced in an order that allows the child to make many words with the let-ters he or she has learned.

Hadasah moves into a new level of abstract ion. S t u d e n t s b e c o m e f a s c i n a t e d w i t h t h e challenges of reading, writing and math.

Danielle is using her workbook to rein-force concepts and master new skills in the second term. This integration of the traditional curriculum, prepares students for easy transition which leads to a more success in a non Montessori kindergarten classroom.

IMPORTANT NOTICES

Parent Handbook

Please pick up your copy of the Parent’s Handbook from the office or have your copy emailed to you .

Uniforms and T-shirts

Students must be dressed in full school uniform at all times, except for dress-down days and birthdays.

Uniforms are to be worn with white socks and black shoes.

Students must wear blue and white hair accessories.

Dates to Remember

March 22nd - Toddlers Sports

March 23rd-Pre - k 1,2, & 3 Sports

March 29th-Picnic - Toddlers and Pre k 1, 2 &3@ Pigeon Island

March 29th- Infants Picnic and egg hunt on the school grounds.

March 29th - Last Day of School-All classes.

March 30th-Good Friday - No school

April 16th - School reopens

April 16th - Extracurricular activ-ities resume

April 20th - Open House 5pm-7pm

The great outdoors April vacation is on, our motto to “play, laugh and learn” is the focus of my message to you. Let's make this vacation fun! Entertaining your child during the Easter break is not always the easiest thing to do. If you are at home this vacation, you may want some tips on things the children can do that will keep them occupied and having fun. Have fun with your child exploring our indoor and outdoor activities discussed below.

Tell your child to "go outside and play." With the almost-constant supervision of our children today, they have little time to discover themselves or the world. Children need time on their own to think their own thoughts, explore, and move with abandon. Parents may worry about keeping their children safe. Of course, supervision depends on your child's age, but most children over two and a half can be taught how to safely explore the outdoors if the yard is prepared with care. Children fall from trees and swings, and they learn how to pick themselves up and move on.

Your Own Back Yard

Even with only a postage-stamp-size yard, there is space for nature. Certain plants attract butterflies or hummingbirds. A bird feeder brings the birds close enough to identify. Flowers or herbs in pots or window boxes can be planted and nurtured by your children. Children can play with water and dig sand in a plastic dish pan or tub. A potted tree or shrub can provide shade on a sunny day. Add a child-size chair and table, and you have an outdoor playroom.

When You Only Have a Moment

In the midst of your busy day, take an extra minute to experience the outside as you walk from the parking lot into the market. Make a ritual of walking up the street with your children or stepping outside with them for a few minutes just before bedtime. Take a deep breath, look at the trees, and see the sky. Just go outside!