(630)553-4263
February/March 2010 News & Photos
Montessori in the Home
Montessori is not only an educational approach, it is essentially a philosophy of life. This evening will offer parents an introduction to practical translation of Montessori's insight into our family life. Topics will include how to organize our homes to facilitate the growth of our children's independence and growing sense of kindness, responsibility and compassion. We will look at specific strategies for setting a tone of warmth and respect, establishing positive expectations and limits and organizing the physical environment at home to include children.
This program is appropriate for parents, grandparents, and caregivers of toddler, primary and early elementary aged students.
Monday, March 22 at 7:00 p.m. Please call or email the school to R.S.V.P so we can rent a chair for you!
Easter Break
Easter break will be observed Monday, March 29 - Monday, April 5. School resumes Tuesday, April 6.
Have a blessed Easter!
Science Behind the Genius
On Thursday, March 11 Peaceful Pathways will be hosting a discussion and video presentation of Angeline Stoll Lillard’s lecture on her book “The Science Behind the Genius” at 6:00 p.m.
The sleeve of her book explains: “Traditional American schooling is in constant crisis because it is based on two poor models for children’s learning: the school as a factory and the child as a blank slate. School reforms repeatedly fail by not penetrating these models.
One hundred years ago, Maria Montessori, the first female physician in Italy, devised a very different method of educating children, based on her observations of how they naturally learn. Does Montessori education provide a viable alternative to traditional schooling? Do Dr. Montessori’s theories and practices stand up to the scrutiny of modern-day developmental psychology? Can developmental psychology tell us anything about how and why the Montessori methods work?
In Montessori, Angeline Stoll Lillard shows that science has finally caught up with Maria Montessori: current scientific research provides astounding support for her major insights. Lillard presents the research concerning eight insights that are foundational to Montessori education and describes how each of these insights is applied in the Montessori classroom. “
Everyone interested in education, at all levels should attend this discussion/viewing. This evening may be especially helpful to parents who are considering Montessori elementary. This discussion is open to the public. Please call or email the school to RSVP for this event.
Do you ever wonder . . . .
how your Scholastic book order is processed at our school? The elementary students tally the orders, make the call to Scholastic Books and sort it when it arrives!
Esther's Place Going Out Trip
Several students from our elementary class scheduled a going out trip to a local fiber shop to learn the process of how yarns are made.
The students learned how the wool is dyed and combed.
Samples were shown of the many animals that produce fibers to make clothing.
The students each took a turn felting.
We even traveled to the farm to see the newly sheered sheep.
Several days later there were younger students interested in the fiber arts after hearing about the trip the other students had taken.
Two parent volunteers came in to show the students how to crochet, knit, drop spindle and use a spinning wheel.
Reading Aloud - Creating Lifetime Readers
Join us for a discussion about how the love of reading can be nurtured. We will be watching a video presentation of Jim Trelease on Reading Aloud.
Readers don't grow on trees - but they are raised. And nearly always they are raised in homes, classrooms, and libraries that fertilize them with the right ingredients. For more than 25 years Jim Trelease has been talking about the ingredients that go into raising readers. It's a message that made him one of America's top education speakers and sold more than two million copies of The Read Aloud Handbook world wide.
R.S.V.P. by calling the school to reserve your chair - 630-553-4263
Choose one: Tuesday, February 23 from 1:30 to 3:00 OR Wednesday, February 24 from 1:30 - 3:00
NO SCHOOL
Monday, March 1, 2010 - Institute Day