Cross of Life Montessori School
  • Programs
    • Toddler Program (15 - 36 months)
    • Primary Class (3 - 6 years)
    • Catechesis of The Good Shepherd
    • The Children's Garden
  • About Us
    • Director's Letter
    • COL Church
    • Mission Statement
    • FAQ'S
    • Staff
  • Montessori
    • Montessori Overview
    • Dr. Maria Montessori
    • Montessori Library
    • The Montessori Advantage
  • Admission
    • Virtual Tour
    • Enrollment Steps
    • Online Student Application
    • Tuition
  • Parent's Corner
    • Covid-19 Procedures
    • Parent Association >
      • PA Meetings and Teacher Appreciation Lunches
      • Pizza Days
    • Calendar
    • Events >
      • February Parent Ed - Importance of the 3rd year
    • Forms >
      • Transportation Permission
      • Lunch Hour (12pm-1pm)
    • Student Directory
    • Staff Directory
    • Quick Reference Page
    • Birthdays in the Primary Class
    • Class Supply Lists >
      • Toddler Snack Shopping List
      • Toddler Class Supply List
      • Toddler Snack Schedule
      • Primary Class Supply List
      • Primary Snack Shopping List
      • Primary Snack Schedule
  • Giving
    • Apogee Scholarship
    • Volunteer Opportunities
    • Indirect Fundraising Opportunities
  • Blog
  • Contact

Blog

Wordless Wednesday

9/18/2013

 
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture

The Montessori Prepared Environment as Community

9/13/2013

 
The Montessori Prepared Environment as Community
Written by: Connie Black, AMI Trainer
Picture
A sense of community has been a distinguishing hallmark of Montessori classrooms since the first Children’s House opened in San Lorenzo, Italy in 1907. That is nearly a century of practice that is now, being reaffirmed by recent research and study. Just what is a classroom as a community?

Picture
A community is where one feels that he or she belongs. It’s home. It’s where we live: where we work, play, eat, laugh, cry, share stories, rest, celebrate, encourage and go the day’s journey with those that are in the community with us.
Picture
 Many of us experience this sense of community in our families, our workplaces, in our places of worship, in and through the places and activities where we pursue our hobbies, our dreams. It is a safe place. Not only do we feel physically safe in our communities, we are emotionally safe. We are respected and valued by other members of the community.
Picture
We honor each other, to raise each other up. We are free to make mistakes without having to worry about being laughed at or ridiculed. We are filled with the confidence to express our hopes, dreams and even our discontent without the fear of being belittled, secure in the knowledge that we will be listened to and responded to.
Picture
 We find comfort in never being expected to do more than that of which we are fully capable. And we often experience intense joy in finding that we are capable of more than we ever dreamed. 

Picture
These are precisely the characteristics of a Montessori Children’s House. It is a community of children and a few caring adults who live together, even if but for a few hours a day.
Picture
It is a beautiful place, carefully prepared especially for the children who reside in it. Its very physical appearance says, “This place is for children. Children are important here. Children are valued here.”
Picture
It is prepared with purposeful activities, which engage the children and give them avenues to develop to their fullest potential. In it they find all the tools they need to continue their “self-construction” which began at birth.

Picture
 Just as in a family, there is a mixed age range. Younger children watch with awe and eager anticipation older children who are engage in activities that they know they, too, will soon be prepared to do. Younger children are engaged in activities for the sake of the activity, because it meets an inner need. Older children engage in some of the same activities, but for different reasons.

Picture
A younger child will polish perfectly clean shoes because she finds great joy in the task itself, fulfillment in the laying out of the necessary items, of replenishing them when done. The older child will polish her shoes because she got them dirty in the garden.
Picture
Practice with the various activities increases the child’s competence, which leads to confidence. She becomes not only competent in taking care of herself and her house and expressing herself, she becomes confident enough to be able to try new things, to express new ideas, to have the feeling that, “I can do this.”
Picture
The child stays in this community for three to four years, developing strong relationships and trust levels not only with the other children but the adults as well. They come to really know each other. This is particularly important when the adult guide relies on her knowledge of the child in order to guide her through all the various activities in the Children’s House. 

Picture
The fruits of a lot of careful nurturing come to bear during that final year in the Casa. That’s when the child has the opportunity to use all the skills she has perfected (few of them academic ones) to become an important driving force in the community.
Picture
Just as she looked up to and followed the example of older children during her first years in the Casa, she now has younger ones coming to her for help in tying their aprons and shoes, or for advice on how to best get some little job done.

Picture
This ability to creatively solve problems, to lead a group, to care about and nurture others… these are lessons that last a lifetime. These are the life lessons gathered while being in a Montessori Casa Community during the years from three to six.
Connie Black is currently the Director of Outreach Programs at the Montessori Center of Minnesota. She is an AMI trainer, consultant and guest lecture. Stefanie and Claire have both had the privilege of working with Connie; in the classroom setting and at the training institute. 

French Class

9/3/2013

 
Picture
The primary children have been enjoying French class with Ms. Oana. Today was the second class and we started by listening to the 'Bonjour Song' which you can see and hear online here. After that catchy tune, we sat in a circle and reviewed how to say 'My name is....'  
Picture
Bonjour, ja m'applle.....
Picture
After everyone had a chance to say his or her name we learned the name for family: la famille. We also talked about how to say the following -
mom/mommy - ma mère 
dad/daddy - mon père
me - moi
brother - mon frère 
sister - ma soeur 
grandfather - grand-père 
grandmother - grand-mère 
Picture
Everyone had a chance to draw a picture of his or her own family. It was wonderful to see how excited the children were about using their new French vocabulary to describe their family members! 
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Since pets are part of many families, we also talked about 
dog - mon chien
cat - mon chat
fish - le poisson 

Be sure to ask your child about the picture they brought home today! 

    Archives

    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2020
    December 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    November 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    May 2017
    March 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    February 2016
    December 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    January 2015
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011

    COLCM

    We are an AMI accredited Montessori school growing daily in spirit & intellect!

    Parenting Books

    Categories

    All
    Atrium
    Camp
    Catechesis Of The Good Shepherd
    Garden
    Growing Up
    Primary
    Toddlers

© 2020 Cross of Life Montessori
  • Programs
    • Toddler Program (15 - 36 months)
    • Primary Class (3 - 6 years)
    • Catechesis of The Good Shepherd
    • The Children's Garden
  • About Us
    • Director's Letter
    • COL Church
    • Mission Statement
    • FAQ'S
    • Staff
  • Montessori
    • Montessori Overview
    • Dr. Maria Montessori
    • Montessori Library
    • The Montessori Advantage
  • Admission
    • Virtual Tour
    • Enrollment Steps
    • Online Student Application
    • Tuition
  • Parent's Corner
    • Covid-19 Procedures
    • Parent Association >
      • PA Meetings and Teacher Appreciation Lunches
      • Pizza Days
    • Calendar
    • Events >
      • February Parent Ed - Importance of the 3rd year
    • Forms >
      • Transportation Permission
      • Lunch Hour (12pm-1pm)
    • Student Directory
    • Staff Directory
    • Quick Reference Page
    • Birthdays in the Primary Class
    • Class Supply Lists >
      • Toddler Snack Shopping List
      • Toddler Class Supply List
      • Toddler Snack Schedule
      • Primary Class Supply List
      • Primary Snack Shopping List
      • Primary Snack Schedule
  • Giving
    • Apogee Scholarship
    • Volunteer Opportunities
    • Indirect Fundraising Opportunities
  • Blog
  • Contact