Moringa Oleifera benefits: enrich your life with the Miracle Tree
The Tall Oak Leaves€¦ · The Miracle Tree Project is Always Memorable! It was unanimous decision...
Transcript of The Tall Oak Leaves€¦ · The Miracle Tree Project is Always Memorable! It was unanimous decision...
January 31, 2014
The Tall Oak
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Letter from Megan: Lower is Growing 1
Infant & Toddler: Empathy & Compassion 2
Primary: Reflections from the Nutcracker 2
Lower: Miracle Tree Project 3
Upper: Cultural Studies 3
Middle: Children’s Theater 4
Specialist: The Value of Free Play 5
Inside this Issue
Megan
Lower Elementary Is Growing! Over the past several years, our Lower Elementary pro-
gram, powered by our outstanding teachers and the in-
credible Montessori elementary curriculum, has contin-
ued to grow. This year we had our highest Lower Ele-
mentary enrollment to date, and even had a wait list of
interested students.
To meet the increased demand, I am pleased to share
that next year we will be expanding our program to a
third classroom. The Green Farmhouse, formerly
home to Upper Elementary, will be remodeled this spring and will be home to LE 1 with
Jamie Worman as lead teacher. Debbie Kovets and Ines Oldenburg will continue in LE2 in
the Red Barn, while Meghan Dohring will become the lead teacher of LE3, which will be in
the Red Barn.
Meghan, who began as a co-teacher with Oak Farm in the 2011-2012 school year, has a
bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from IPFW and has been completing her Mon-
tessori Elementary training with Seton Montessori in Chicago. Meghan brings dedication,
talent and passion for working with children in a Montessori environment, and will make
an incredible lead teacher.
We are currently launching a search to find an outstanding candidate to join Jamie in LE1
as an assistant teacher or co-teacher. If you have any suggestions, please forward them to
us. We would love to hear from you.
We are excited to be able to offer an Oak Farm education to a few more families, and are
equally as excited for the growing strength of our Lower Elementary community!
Specialist: Primary Outdoor Environment 6
Green Team : The “GREEN” Prairie House 7
Community Happenings 8
Our Mission:
To provide a Montessori
environment that inspires children
to reach their potential
through meaningful work.
Volume 7, Issue 4
Page 2
Infant & Toddler
Empathy and Compassion Surrounding children with love
and care will allow them to
grow up learning how to love
and care for others. Empathy is
what allows them to under-
stand others’ feelings and be
sensitive to those feelings.
Compassion goes one step fur-
ther. Compassion is not just
understanding feelings but acting on them. “Would
you like help?” “Are you alright?” These are big
questions for infant and toddlers and yet they can
and do start to learn these skills before they even
talk. We work on showing each child what caring
behavior looks like. They learn to be kind and pleas-ant to everyone around them, even when they are
having a difficult day.
We talk about it. We model and teach feeling words
and concepts by talking with them about their own
emotions and those of others. “How do you think
your friend felt when she fell down? Did she cry?” or
“How does that feel that your friend took your
work? What can you do?"
Saying thank you can go a long way when children
share. If they respond in a kind manner to a request
for help, tell them you could see what they did and
thank them. Then watch as they feel proud of them-
selves. We also recognize compassion. When we
notice a child acting with compassion toward some-
one else (finding an infant a work he needs or asking
if a sick friend is feeling better), we say so. It’s nice to
be noticed.
Primary
Student Reflections on the Nutcracker The Kindergarten students had the privilege to travel to downtown Fort Wayne on December 12. They
were joined by three teachers and three parent chaperones. This was an exciting event for the students -
riding the Oak Farm bus to the “city”, getting dressed up for the event, experiencing a story being told with-
out any words, and seeing all the dancers in such beautiful costumes. This will be an outing they will remem-
ber for a long time!
Primary One students, Aidan, Viviana and Alek, share
their favorite part of the Nutcracker.
Lower Elementary The Miracle Tree Project is
Always Memorable!
It was unanimous decision by the students to
continue our Miracle Tree program this year. The
program volunteers work very hard from
Thanksgiving to Christmas collecting and organiz-
ing donations from the community to distribute
to families in need. The Miracle Tree is a pro-
gram that makes sure that every child in Noble
County has a memorable Christmas.
This year, we chose Thursday, December 12th as
Miracle Tree Day in Lower Elementary! Shortly
after arriving at school, half of the LE students
and our very helpful parent volunteers headed to
Walmart to shop for our Christmas families. Af-
ter filling six shopping carts, we drove back to the
Red Barn and were greeted by our wrapping vol-
unteers. Students were so excited to know that
all the wonderful gifts they purchased would be
going under the trees of needy children in the area. The holiday spirit was visible as they
worked together to shop, sort, and wrap their
gifts. Thank you to all who donated to our pro-
ject – we were able to help a total of 17 children
this year - ages 3 weeks to 14 years!
Page 3
Upper Elementary Cultural Studies
“We change the world
a little each day
by our kindness.”
Tom Giaquinto
Author of
Be a Good Human
In the Upper Ele-
mentary the cul-
tural studies are
considered the
backbone of the
curriculum. This
includes the sci-
ences and humani-
ties. The cultural studies address the questions:
“Who am I?, “Why am I here?” and “What will my
contribution be to the world?”
Through exploration and experience with the cul-
tural curriculum the students are able to discover
what Montessori referred to as their Cosmic Task.
Currently the Sixth Years are delving into early hu-
mans’ migration to the Americas. This will include a
study of North and South America’s geography, the
rise of agriculture, and the civilizations of the Pre-
Columbian America.
“The task of teaching becomes easy, since we
do not need to choose what we shall teach, but
should place all before him for the satisfaction
of his mental appetite.” - Montessori
Page 4
Middle School
The goal of the winter plays was to share the arts with the Oak Farm
community. As part of the experience, Middle School students performed
their original plays for over 150 younger students ages two to twelve.
This new tradition had a number of challenges beyond the repeated delays
of practice and performance dates caused by the polar vortex. One of
the biggest challenges was to make the plays mobile so that performances
were able to occur at a variety of locations on campus.
Another big challenge was writing the scripts. Students chose to adapt
folk and fairy tales. Seventh years added a new dwarf named Clumsy and
put a few more creative twists on the classic tale Snow White. Eighth years
performed “The Journey for the Sickly Bear” which was a fairy tale mash
up of Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Little Red Riding Hood, and Hansel and
Gretel. Everyone collaborated to conceive the plots, write the scripts, and
develop the characters. During rehearsals, lines were added that were the
result of inspired and funny accidents.
Middle School students were responsible for all aspects of the show in-
cluding the creation of the costumes and sets from recycled materials.
Everyone performed a part in the show and contributed to the prepara-
tion process. The creation of the plays was a dynamic experience.
The audience at the Victorian Farm House included the Toddler, Primary
and Lower Elementary classes. The younger children laughed at the
punch lines and enjoyed the stories as they unfolded on stage. After the
show the cast took a moment to answer questions before receiving many
high fives, big smiles, and hugs from the audience members. The plays
were also performed at the Prairie House for Upper Elementary.
Student Writers, Set Designers & Actors
Produce Children’s Theater
Specialist: Elementary Physical Education
The Value of Free Play
Page 5
Family schedules can be packed full of piano lessons, soccer practice, glee clubs,
dance practices, swimming lessons, and more. While these activities no doubt
can be a positive presence in a child’s life, this can be taxing on children as well
as parents when children lack free, unstructured time as a result. There are
many benefits to children having free time all their own, including:
1. Building creativity and ability to come up with unique ideas.
2. Developing motor planning skills, helping the child to create and carry out
ideas, motor actions, and activities.
3. Fostering decision-making skills. Unstructured play provides many
opportunities to make choices while playing alone or while playing in a group.
4. Fostering independence. Helps children learn to think independently and
teaches them how to entertain themselves.
5. Developing social skills and collaborative play skills. Free play allows children to develop conflict
resolution skills and learn to take turns. It also helps children develop their skills as leaders and as followers.
6. Providing opportunities for children to discover their interests and skills!
Here at school we provide children structured physical education that supports social, emotional and physical devel-
opment. We also allow for unstructured time during recess where students are allowed to invent a game, pretend
play, build a fort, or do whatever their imaginations inspires.
Structured time is best when it is balanced with unstructured time that gives the child a balanced development. True
free time, away from technology such as television and video games, is guided by the child’s imagination and allows
for natural discovery and self-development. So the next time you find yourself running from one activity to the next,
as yourself if you have remembered to offer your child free time?
Oak Farm Ski Club 2014 You are invited to ski with the Oak Farm Community on Friday, February 14th at Swiss Valley, MI.
Please contact Andrea Deihl for more details: [email protected]
Page 6
When the school year begins the weather is warm and there is
still a lot of work to do out in the yard and gardens. The chil-
dren refer to their time outside working as “gardening”. Now
that we are in the heart of winter and the activities at this time
of the year are much different from spring or fall time, the chil-
dren still refer to their time outside as “gardening”. We put
away the sun hats and garden gloves, replacing them with snow
gloves and warm hats. Our mud boots are sitting on the shelf
waiting for the warmer days of spring as we now wear our
warm winter boots to keep our feet cozy on the cold days of
winter. The Primary classes go outside every day for fresh air
and movement, as long as the temperature outside feels like 10
or above. There is also an opportunity for the children to go
out for two more times each day for Primary outdoor educa-
tion (otherwise referred to as gardening).
Sledding is a favorite winter activity of many children. We are
lucky to have a pretty good sledding hill at Oak Farm. The exer-
cise is one very positive aspect. The trudging up the hill thru the
snow is so great for muscles and a healthy heart. Team work is
practiced while looking out for the safety of one another, help-
ing a friend with a boost down the hill or a helping hand up the
hill, sharing sleds together or even helping someone up who had
a spill.
When the weather is just right for making a snowman or snow
forts, not only is it a fun activity for the winter, it is also a great
team building activity. The children will work together on
making the blocks of snow, putting them together to form an
area large enough for many friends and packing the walls in with
snow to hold them fast. When snowman making comes into
play, well really, who does not want to get in on that!
Woods are the best place to have an awesome outdoor adven-
ture and we are so fortunate at Oak Farm to have an amazing
woodland to explore to our hearts content. Climbing and bal-
ancing on the trees and log is well loved by many children. Not
only does it help develop great balance, each child works at
their own comfort level to help build confidence , enjoy achieve-
ments and don’t leave out muscle building. Not only is the
woods the best natural play area, but the study of nature allows
the children endless opportunities to develop their own love
and respect for the outdoor environment. The study of track-
ing animal prints and scat to determine what type of animals
share the woods at Oak Farm is a very informative way to see
who has been there when we are not able to see them first
hand. Where certain animals live, what they eat, and how they
move around are easily tracked in the snow.
Bird feeding is a big work on the Primary playground area in
the winter time. We have several different feeders in the trees,
bushes or on poles in the gardens. The children have all made
pine cone birdfeeders, (pine cones hung by a string, covered
with lard and bird seed). The feeders are hung in the trees
which attract a variety of birds. As the children observe the
birds, they have been learning the names of the birds by their
sight and sound.
So to those of you that think you have had enough of this win-
ter weather, don’t sell that white stuff short. As you can see,
there are many reasons to get out there and enjoy the snow!.
Specialist: Outdoors
The Inside Scoop on Primary’s Outdoor Environment
Considering Options Lisa Coville ~ Oak Farm Parent
Page 7
The Green Team Thinking Green in Designing the
New Upper Elementary Building
A note from
Oak Farm’s
GREEN
TEAM We recently spoke with our architect, Rod Collier, about how
he incorporated sustainability into the design of our newest
building, the Upper Elementary Prairie House. Rod shared
with us the following:
Designing an environmentally-friendly building starts with the site. The Upper Elementary Building is nestled
into the rolling meadow of the northern campus to give sweeping views of nature. The deep horizontal over-
hangs and low-sloped roof not only embrace the adjacent landscape and blend with the natural surroundings,
but also provide passive solar shading while still giving complete natural lighting to every space. The classroom
layouts provide for natural cross-ventilation to minimize the need for mechanical ventilation. When the me-
chanical systems are running, they utilize a multi-zoned high efficiency system. Finishes used throughout the
facility are comprised of low VOC and recycled-content materials.
Green features of the building include:
Natural connection to site and surroundings (views of nature from every classroom)
Natural lighting in all classrooms and public spaces (deep porches protect from direct sun)
Natural cross-ventilation in all public spaces (operable windows around rooms)
High Efficiency Systems (multiple-zoned mechanical systems)
Insulated, Low-E coated, aluminum-clad wood windows (built from wood from sustainable forests)
Low VOC/Recycled content materials and finishes.
Lumber for framing harvested from sustainable forests.
Low VOC paint and interior materials
Recycled content flooring/carpeting
Locally harvested stone for exterior
Low water consumption plumbing fixtures
Low energy consuming bulbs and lighting with multiple zones (building and site)
We are proud of our Upper Elementary program,
and are grateful to Rod and Jon Diehm's fabulous
construction team who created the program's in-
credible new home built with the environment in
mind.
Take extra care….
With snow, slush & ice on the ground,
we ask you to be extra cautious and
vigilant in car line. We suggest
driving slowly and encourage
children to stay seated &
buckled whenever possible.
Page 8
Re-Enrollment Re-Enrollment is currently underway for current Oak Farm Families. Remember to have your re-
enrollment application completed on or before February 15th to reserve your space for the 2014-2015
school year!
Community Happenings
Do you know of something that is happening in the community? Please email it to
[email protected]— it may end up in the one of the monthly
newsletters or weekly community memos.
Discovering Me—Oak Farm’s Parent/Child Program Do you have an infant/toddler child or know someone who does? Then, please consider this two part par-
ent education program. Parents and children (conception to age 3) attend this class together. Children are
free to explore and interact with other children and the learning materials in a safe prepared environment. Parents will learn to observe their child’s development, provide support and add challenges over time. Dur-
ing the morning class the parents will have a break out session for parent discussion. These parent discussion
circles will help parents gain knowledge on parenting issues, child development stages and new research as
they network with other parents. To register, you may find the Discovering Me brochures in the Victorian
Farmhouse lobby or on the School’s website.
Upcoming Art Show An upcoming art show at Wunderkammer (Fort Wayne) will include work from some of the middle school
students. They created some pop art sculptures that the show's curator thought would be fun to include.
Also, Heather Miller, the Art Specialist, will have pieces at the show. This is a chance for students to see
what their art teacher does outside of school. The show is called ALT: Alternative Sculpture. The main
show in the gallery has educational value as it showcases African American icons who have made positive
change in honor of black history month. Show opening is February 8, 6:00 PM.
Volunteers Needed: The Art Program is in need of a person who is familiar with machines who can take a look at the pottery
wheels. One is off-center and needs repair. The second makes a rattling noise.
The plans for the Gala are in motion.
The invitations are mailed.
The classrooms are working hard on their auction items.
and
We hope you are all as excited about
this year’s Gala as we are!
This is an evening to celebrate & invest in the one and only Oak Farm community...
the children
the parents & grandparents
the teachers
the faculty that support the whole campus
the animals on the farm
our founder, Lorene
and future generations of Oak Farm students
Please feel free to invite others who may be a part of the Oak Farm Community—aunts, un-
cles, neighbors & friends - those who make a difference in the life of your child.
Come CELEBRATE with us at the Tall Oak Gala!