Salutations!
I have always loved that as a greeting, and since we are reading Charlotte’s Web as our chapter book this month, I feel inclined to say it! I would also like to say that one of the great joys of my job is meeting with parents and celebrating successes and planning for challenges ahead. Thank you all for making the time to meet with me- I truly enjoy sharing stories and information about what your children are doing in the classroom. We have a wonderful community and I enjoy celebrating and planning for the future so thank you again.
April is sure to be an exciting month at school. We will be celebrating Earth Day on April 22nd with some sprucing up of our school grounds. In Primary 3, we will have the pleasure of hosting Robbie Ratan, Thelo’s dad. Robbie is going to join us on Earth Day to create some fresh, spring poems and raps, while sharing with us one of his favorite activities…skateboarding! I can’t wait to hear what kind of rhyme we will come up with for Earth Day- I will be sure to share! As it is April in Michigan, the weather is always topsy-turvy, and so are the children as they return from Spring Break and start to prepare for….
International Night!!
The single greatest social event of the year is held on May 13, International Night. For those who haven’t been at the school before, our classrooms are transformed into the continents of the world as a celebration of our world’s cultures. The event is held from 5:00 to 7 p.m.
Primary 3 will be Europe this year, and we welcome volunteers to help decorate our classroom. Feel free to contact me or sign up via ivolunteer. So many of our parents this year are truly creative – we could use that spark for the metamorphosis that day, to go from classroom to The Continent in several short hours. There is an international food court in the gymnasium, and you can sample some world foods. It’s one of the best days of the year!
As a reminder, school will close at noon that day, May 13th, and no afternoon child care or classes will be offered. Sometimes it helps to plan in advance.
Social Development
As many of you ponder and reflect on the academic and physical growth of your children over the course of this last year, I would like you to take a moment to also consider their social development as well. Montessori education cares about the whole child – and his or her interaction with the world is a significant part of that. Friendship is one of the great joys in our lives. We encourage that growth in friendship, as Primary age students truly notice people in the world around them. This is when your child will start to want to play WITH others, instead of merely alongside them. Your child may have his or her first best friend during this time, and may experience birthday parties and playdates. It’s a magical time, wherein he or she will start the building blocks of learning social cues and building a social future. Children are naturally open to others and our classroom is designed to encourage that, with free movement between people and lessons.
One of the questions parents ask regarding social interaction in the classroom is whether we allow children to work together in class? Yes! Group work, or work in pairs, is a hallmark of the Montessori experience, and efforts between younger and older children helps our community grow stronger. When friends work together, it helps reinforce that lesson, because each child brings their strength to the experience. However, we do not allow children to interrupt each other’s work if one child wants to work alone. Think of your own work place — would you want to be interrupted in the midst of an important project? We treat the children’s work the same way. It’s important to respect their boundaries.
In class we spend time talking about kindness and respecting others, with role playing and lessons on the ellipse in a group. For some children, the ability to make friends is not innate, and takes much practice. Other children carry a great social destiny, but still need lessons in observing limits and boundaries. Interacting socially is one of the greatest lessons we have and a great example to share.
Wishing you all a rejuvenating spring break, and we will see you in April. And for all you E. B. White readers…That’s some blog!
Peace,
Trish