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| Volume 8 |
December 3, 2009 |
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Message Board
12/15 Board Meeting
12/18 Holiday Songfest (Early Dismissal 11:45am)
12/21-1/1 Winter Holiday (No School)
1/4 Teacher Work Day (No School for Students)
1/5 First Day back to School for Students |
 Letter from the Head of School Dear Montessori Parents,
After almost four months of our 2009-2010 school year I believe we can truly see that this school year will be remembered as wonderful for a number of reasons. When you have forty percent growth in student population you can set yourself up for some bumpy times. On the contrary, it has been a very positive experience.
The Elementary satellite location is working better than I could have imagined. The credit for this success belongs to the teaching staff, the parents, and the children. They have made that large room with no windows come to life. The returning students have shepherded the new students in a caring and understanding way. It is difficult to tell the difference between the returning students and the first year Montessori students. The PE program led by Mr. Terzaken is truly geared to Elementary students. The Environmental Education classes are certainly meeting a need for our children who are so interested in understanding the beauty of the earth and its fragile future.
The Primary programs in the Children's House are thriving. We expanded to three classrooms instead of two this year and we find that the demand in this community for Montessori is great enough to support 60 student spaces. We certainly have a team of teaching staff that continues to strive for an ever expanding curriculum that meets the needs of our inquisitive students. The Directresses never stop developing teaching material and initiating new ideas. Many thanks also to the parents who are volunteering for yoga and cooking. All of this adds to the student's experience.
The Young Children's community is amazing to all of us. We have such a wonderfully experienced teaching staff that any time spent observing adds to our awe of their capabilities. The Stepping Stones East part time program is working very well but again I give the credit to the teaching staff, the parents, and the students.
The Environmental Education program is a dream come true for the students. We already hear students relating the points of interest in the curriculum. Mr. Addams and Mr. Patterson are great gifts to the students and add to the base laid by Mrs. Tucker over the last few years. I know it must make her proud to see the expansion of the outdoor program.
We thank the Board of Directors for their willingness to take a chance on new ideas and new growth. The PTO is so hardworking and constant.
Our parents and their contributions have given the final ingredient to the recipe for success. We thank you for your support of our work, your support of your children, and your incredible patience.
For our reflection on the language program this week I would like to encourage you to support the book fair at Barnes and Noble that is hosted by the PTO. Reading great literature to your children will lead them to a life long love for reading and it will expand their worlds.
Sincerely,
Peggy Higgins
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Staff Bios of the Week
Environmental Education
Mr. Jason Addams - Environmental Education
Jason grew up in Greenville, NC and is a fan of the East Carolina Pirates. He loves to watch and play sports especially baseball. He always looks forward to college basketball season and watching Duke beat Carolina. He enjoys going the beach and especially enjoys fishing and crabbing. He does dabble a little bit at the electric violin, which he has been playing since 2002. He got the inspiration when he met violinist Boyd Tinsley of the Dave Matthews Band during the summer of 2002; he had been previously playing the viola since 1998. He atttended The Asheville School and college at Elon University. After college, he moved to Pine Knoll Shores, NC and worked for the Sound to Sea Environmental Education Program. He taught over six hundred students ranging from 2nd grade to 9th grade. The curriculum was the Barrier Island Bogue Banks and the habitats that make up the island. Prior to that, he was a YMCA counselor at Camp Sea Gull for seven summers as a Senior-in-Charge and also was the Athletics Chief in 2004 and 2006. He has been working with children for over a decade and enjoys interacting with and educating children.
Mr. Bob Patterson - Environmental Education
Mr. Bob Pattterson is an alumni of Clemson University where he received his Undergraduate in Finance and his Masters degree in Parks and Recreation. He now enjoys visiting his old stomping grounds for football games. He has three wonderful daughters of which two are in the Elementary Montessori program. Bob and his family have been in Montessori going on 9 years. Bob has many years of Environmental Education experience. He was a park ranger at Hammocks Beach State Park for 2 years and currently runs kayaking tours through the intercoastal waterway for Barrier Island Kayaks in Swansboro. Bob is an incredible resource for our program and we are so happy to have him on staff.
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A Letter from the Editor
Dear Community, It is unbelievable to observe a nine year-old work on a mathematical equation like long division, or to observe a twelve year-old work on sentence analysis and see the wheels turning all the while. Education is important because it allows them to realize a sense of self and that they are a part of a larger world. In education, I feel that there are three main parts of a successful classroom: First, the environment needs to be one of creativity, structure, experimentation, and caring. Second, as an educator I must understand that I am there to guide the children and not dictate to them. And finally, I must be willing to learn and grow myself if I expect my students to do the same.
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Through my experience in Montessori education, I have learned that the classroom must be designed specifically for the students, and as an educator I am a part of this prepared environment. This allows the students to feel a sense of ownership, thereby giving the students a creative and experimental outlet. In the learning environment, students have access to manipulative materials, which allow for greater understanding by appealing to the senses. If the student has the ability to touch, hear, smell, and see a work, it is more likely he/she will be interested in it and as a result, understand it.
As an educator I am also an observer, which allows me to understand each individual child's learning style. I feel that I am there to guide the students in finding the answers instead of giving the answers, which creates a great sense of pride for the student when the work is completed. Further, I guide the student toward their goals by being an example, giving examples, and always asking the inevitable question, why?
Even though I am an educator, I must be willing to learn and grow myself. I always ask my fellow educators for advice, collaborate with them, and observe them. I have discovered that flexibility is as important as perseverance in becoming the best I can be. I have also found that I can learn as much from the students as they can from me. The compassion that students show, along with their growing love of learning, has taught me to never underestimate a 9 year-old.
Ultimately, I feel that education is crucial because everything is a learning experience. To see the transition into independence is the reason I love to educate. The excitement in a students eyes when the educational light bulb comes on is priceless. This excitement, in turn, will build the foundation for an inherent curiosity of the world.
Thank you,
Shane Terzaken
a.k.a. Mr. T
Editor
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"Qoute of the Week"
"If help and salvation are to come, they can only come from the children, for the children are the makers of men."
-Maria Montessori- |
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