Last Friday we read the book Martin Luther King Day, by Linda Lowery. During our follow-up discussion we explored the meaning of the words respect, fairness, and peace. We spent a long time talking about how other people, such as Mohandas Gandhi, showed the people of India peaceful ways to change unjust laws and stressed that even one person could change things for the better. This week Sylvia and Kaya decided to pursue this idea further. They wrote a question "How can you change the world and help people?" This question is now on a clipboard waiting for your response in the front lobby!

My parents always told me to never assume. However, at least once a week, I am reminded of this by one of my students. Yesterday, while working with the Movable Alphabet, I asked Sebastian if he wanted to write the words he was spelling. I whispered in his ear, "go get a clipboard." He gave me a quizzical look and then whispered back in my ear, "what is a clipboard?"

Cheryl and Sarah

The Birch Room 

10:30 - 10:50

The room is a buzz with happy and busy children:

• Talia and Aiden help Leo construct an airplane using construction paper and tape.
• Hailey builds phonetically correct 4-letter words with the small movable alphabet.
• Lila is reading the book, Spring.
• Avery punches out a circle he has traced using the metal insets.
• Tucker decodes 3-letter words with short a and matches them to the corresponding picture cards.
• Hazel traces a square using the metal insets.
• Senji and Max build an extension with the brown stair and the pink tower.
• Corbin works on an animal tracks book.
• Ava reads the Bob Book, Muff and Ruff.
• Rhys works on a penguin nomenclature book.
• August, Delia and Ciana chat while having snack together.
• Mark computes the table of 6 with the multiplication bead board.
• Lydia is home with a cold.  (We hope you feel better soon!)

We hope you enjoy the weekend and stay healthy!

Melissa and Ellie

This week, the often-heard phrase "love of learning" is what comes to mind when walking through the upper el class. After introducing the building blocks of chemistry, pointing out hands-on class materials, and turning the kids loose on the periodic table, the place is literally buzzing. There is regularly a gaggle of students examining one of the big elements charts on the wall or pouring over related books. Students are applying current math and geometry work to make pie charts of the distribution of elements in the universe, oceans, and atmosphere. Kids are excited to check out the wonderful youtube series (www.periodicvideos.com) found by Leah S. and her Dad.  

Older students studying human body are making models of the cell (ask Lily how to incorporate food into virtually any study this year ...), flip books and slide shows on cell division, as well as presenting diaries, historical maps, skits and newspaper articles about their Westward Expansion topics.  

On the subject of geography, finding one's assigned lunch table on designated days now involves matching clues to various table maps of countries traversed by the Silk Road, yet another new area of study. We then hear discussion of this capitol or that country throughout the lunch period.  

Quieter moments are found sharing poems in a large group circle. The students are being introduced to two poetry forms a week, then writing, sharing, and getting feedback on their work. They are able to offer constructive criticism with honesty and sensitivity. In short, it is a complete joy to be working with these individuals at this time in the year.

Joan Daly, a teacher educator with the Center for Montessori Teacher Education, was an important teacher and mentor to Kerstin, and Patrick, and me. Before she began training teachers, Joan was a Lower Elementary teacher for over twenty years. Joan was at the same time both wonderfully loving and no nonsense, a perfect combination. We learned so much more from her than simply how to present Montessori lessons. She taught us how to be patient when a child grapples with a new work, how to make someone feel both challenged and supported at the same time, and how to always model humility. Joan passed away suddenly this past summer, but she has been very present with us this year. We talk of Joan often. She had many sayings that we often quote. The one we recall most often is, "Just play. Play with the children." Joan believed that play is an important part of engaging children in learning and that it helps build community within a classroom. She felt that when teachers engage with children in a spirit of play it helps build the relationship between the teacher and child. Joan taught us that when we bring a spirit of play into our classrooms, we are respecting both the child and the spirit of childhood. Joan believed in the unique potential of every child, and she taught us that play is a wonderful way to help nourish and engage that potential.

When I observe in the Upper and Lower Elementary classrooms, I see a lot of wonderful work happening and it looks a lot like play. Measurement activities in the Lower Elementary this week resulted in equal amounts of learning, spilled water, and laughter. I observed two students wearing huge grins as they worked on a math fact memorization activity that engaged their bodies and their brains. I watched, and heard from across the room, a rather raucous reading group lesson in which the teacher was laughing as much as the children. In the Upper Elementary, teachers and students alike have been gathered wide-eyed around experiments about heat. Students have been building models of cells out of jello and candy and making flip books of white blood cells attacking a pathogen. Real work, but also real fun. Last week I observed three students working to name all the parts of a trinomial cube in algebraic terms with their eyes closed. They were laughing as they waved their hands around searching for pieces and raced to go as fast as possible. They were learning (a+b+c)3 and playing at the same time.

I have been wanting to write a piece to honor Joan since the beginning of the year, but it would never quite come together in my head. On Thursday afternoon, Tom launched a hot air balloon with the children during recess. He did it because it was a science lesson, because the balloon would be beautiful against the clear blue sky and snow-covered ground, and because it would be really fun. As the students cheered and then chased after the rising balloon, I finally figured out how to write about Joan and all that she has passed on to us. I miss her very much.

Dan Filler 

We spent this chilly week continuing our exploration of conflict. On Tuesday, Ann Braden, the founder of Gun Sense Vermont, spoke with us about her work raising awareness about gun laws and working through the legislative process to make change. Some student reflections from Ann's visit:

"Ann really made an impact on me personally. She said that even the smallest deed can make the biggest difference." Jazmin

"I like the gentle approach Ann takes to change our gun laws. I know from experience that Vermonters can be very stubborn. It is really inspiring that she is working in a field overpowered by men." Isabella

"I agree with her theory that the way to control gun violence is not just through laws but also working harder to help people with mental illness and other things." Ian

"Ann believes that, if people trust and look out for their neighbors, they will stop having to rely on guns to feel safe." Izzy

"It was inspiring to see how one person started an organization, stuck with it, and keeps her high hopes." Malick

Next Monday, we are hosting Jackie Trepanier from the Brattleboro Justice Center who will be talking to us about their work in reparative justice and then conducting a classroom workshop on mediation. During the week, students presented their collaborative "World Awareness Projects". These presentations focused on an international, national, or domestic conflict. All the topics were difficult to contemplate but important for us to be aware of. We talked about domestic abuse, gangs in America, the heroin problem in Vermont, civil war in Syria, child soldiers, gun violence, and capital punishment.

While we explored the common issues of poverty, gender, and race that seem to permeate these conflicts, students are also contemplating and writing about their personal thoughts about peace. Next week these writings will be the beginnings of a film each student will be making that attempts to explore what peace means to them.