The Importance of Outdoor Education
by UE Teacher Laura McCrady
Maria Montessori believed deeply in the value of children being offered the opportunity to explore the natural world as an extension of their classroom. In our Upper Elementary classrooms, this takes a variety of forms. Our immediate outdoor space provides us with the ability to work and give lessons outside, explore the diversity of plant life found within our many gardens, and observe and work with our new beehives. These opportunities not only allow the child to become fascinated with the wonder that is Creation, but also learn how to be thoughtful and caring stewards of the earth. However, our school’s location in a residential area limits our ability for outdoor exploration. We supplement these outdoor opportunities by taking the 5th and 6th-grade students to outdoor school each fall.
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When you walk into a Montessori classroom, you will notice that everything is at the child’s level, organized, and orderly. Then you observe in a Montessori classroom and you see children putting their work back on the shelf where it belongs before getting another work out. The children even keep their work contained on a rug or at a table. You may walk out saying to yourself, “Why does my child do this at school, yet at home, he/she leaves everything everywhere?” Whether you are new to Montessori or a veteran, you can transform your home to be an organized, orderly environment even at your child’s developmental level without having to do major construction.
We love this glass pitcher from For Small Hands.
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Welcome back to a new school year!
By SJMS Head of School, Brenda Huth
Our mission, as a Catholic Montessori community, is to provide a learning environment that respects the uniqueness of each child in reaching his or her full potential. It is our goal to address the intellectual, emotional, physical, spiritual, and social growth of each child entrusted to our care. We do all of this in the spirit of service and preparation through Montessori pedagogy and practice.
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Montessori Matters - Reading Matters!
By SJMS Librarian Jessica Appel
At school, students are encouraged to read daily. But reading at home is where the real practice happens. “The amount of free reading done outside of school has consistently been found to relate to growth in vocabulary, reading comprehension, verbal fluency…” (Cullin, 2000, p.3). Click here for more details. Developing home reading habits with good reading role models (parents and siblings) will help your child develop better reading skills, and will push them along the path to becoming a lifelong reader.
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Montessori Matters - Storytelling: The 5 Great Lessons
By SJMS CH1 Teacher, Jessika Casey
The 5 Great Lessons are:
1. The Story of the Universe (God Who Has No Hands) - the prelude to Geology, Geography, Astronomy, Physics, and Chemistry studies.
2. The Coming of Life - the prelude to Biology, Zoology, and Botany.
3. The Story of Humans - the prelude to Biology, Archeology, History, and Art studies.
4. The Story of Language - the prelude to Ancient History, Culture, and Language Arts.
5. The Story of Numbers - the prelude to Ancient History, Culture, and Mathematics.