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A Letter From the Head of School |
Dear Parents,
Thank you for the time and attention you gave to your child's progress report conference. We know that the child receives his true education from his parents and it certainly helps to share our observations and to hear your comments.
At Montessori School we have a long tradition of celebrating Thanksgiving by having the children prepare a stew (lots and lots of chopping) that they share. They reflect on the occasion of the first Thanksgiving in 1621 when the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag Indians shared not only a harvest celebration but a time for giving thanks after surviving a devastating year. We give thanks for our many blessings. The greater meaning of Thanksgiving was captured in the blessing before the first Thanksgiving feast that is said to be spoken by Chief Massasoit.
"As long as the moon rises,
As long as the grass grows green,
As long as the rivers flow,
May we be friends,
May we live in peace."
To continue our exploration of the language curriculum let's look at the sandpaper letters. The material consists of thin wooden boards with lower case letters made of fine grade sandpaper attached to one side. The consonants are mounted on pink boards and the vowels on blue boards. In an individual three-period lesson the child traces the letter using their index and middle fingers while repeating the phonetic sound made by the particular sounds being studied.
This is very important work for writing and reading. By the repeated tracing of the letter the child develops a muscle memory that facilitates writing when they begin writing work on the chalkboard and then on paper with a pencil. Pencil grip and the hand strength are developed by using tools in Practical Life exercises and pin-punching renditions of the maps of the world.
Each lesson in the Montessori classroom supports the measured development of the child's mental and physical capabilities. Thank you for your understanding of the many Montessori lessons that do not produce a product. The perfect Montessori classroom produces very little paperwork.
Sincerely,
Peggy Higgins
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Staff Bios of the Week
Lower Elementary |
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Mrs. Krista Lee - Lower Elementary Co-Directress
Mrs. Krista Lee is co-directing the Lower Elementary class. She has a B.S. degree in Applied Physics from Hampton University and her AMS Montessori credentials from the NC Center for Montessori Education. She is currently working on her Master's Degree in Integrated Montessori Education from Endicott College. Mrs. Lee is married to a wonderful husband, James Ryans, who is an Infantry Officer in the USMC. She also has four beautiful children: Marcus, 15; Myles, 11; Mia, 8; Myla, 5, who have all benefitted from a Montessori education. The three youngest of these will be attending MCS again this year. Mrs. Lee enjoys reading, quiet moments, tennis, and attending church services.
Bethany Palmer - Lower Elementary Co-Directress
Mrs. Bethany Palmer grew up in Winston-Salem, NC and is excited to be back in North Carolina again. She has a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from Appalachian State University in Boone, NC. Bethany began working in a Montessori school while her husband was in flight school in Florida. She quickly fell in love with the Montessori philosophy, and has been working in a Montessori program ever since. Bethany is in the process of earning her Lower Elementary Montessori Diploma from NAMC, and will be a co-directress in Lower Elementary. Her wonderful husband, Thomas, works for the Marine Corps as a CH-53 pilot. Bethany's daughter Ella will be attending MCS this year in the Stepping Stones West classroom. She enjoys reading novels, painting, watching the Carolina Panthers win some football, baseball, and spending time with her family. Bethany and her husband have a life-long ambition to watch a baseball game in every MLB stadium in the country. |
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A Letter from the Editor |
Dear Community,
This week we celebrated Veterans Day. This is a special day for our school since over half of our students have at least one parent in the armed forces. As an educator Veterans hold a special place in my heart because they have ensured the right to an education. The right to an education gives our children a powerful gift that is used not only in school but also in everyday life.
On Veterans day I always think of my Grandfather who served in WWII and my Wife's Grandfather who was a carrier military man serving in Korea and Vietnam. As a boy I remember my Grandfather rarely speaking of his time overseas. One thing he did speak of was how important an education was and how in other countries children didn't have the same educational opportunities as we did. As a child I never really thought about it. However, as an adult I understand what he was implying. He wanted me to know that the sacrifices he and others made were to ensure our freedoms and without an education true freedom is not possible.
Thank you,
Shane Terzaken
a.k.a. Mr.T
Editor
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