Exploration of natural and social environments
Fall is in the air and Halloween is right around the corner. Using pumpkins as our backdrop for plant exploration and scientific experiments, all of our students, from infants to upper elementary, had the opportunity to enjoy a beautiful day with the staff from the Tribal Garden.
As Tribal Council joined us, we were able to create a pumpkin patch adventure with our infants and toddlers at the school, while the pre-K, Kindergarteners, and elementary students ventured to the garden to pick their own pumpkins.
Using Dr. Montessori insight and desire for children to reach the goal of “help me do it myself,” many toddlers chose the biggest pumpkins they could carry, without the teacher/guides helping. Another goal that Maria Montessori spoke of was to realize an education should encompass the fact that every child wants to reach his or her full potential in all areas of life: emotional, social, spiritual, physical, cognitive needs, and self-chosen interests.
As the older students are working on how different soil types might affect the growth of squash and pumpkins, this was the first trip on an ongoing field trip month to other pumpkin farms. The desire to learn about the different types of soil supports Dr. Montessori’s belief in an important tendency that emerges at the elementary level: the intensification and drive to explore the natural and social environments.
Reminder
Permission slips are being sent home for our scheduled field trips. After the form comes home, please remember to return it quickly so that your child can attend the trip with his/her classmates.
School Board
The School Board will be meeting the second Wednesday of the month. Open meeting dates will be advertised soon. The school board members are, President – Rhiannon Velasquez; Vice President – Dominika Joy; Treasurer – Joe Poynter; Secretary – Morgann Graham; Member at Large – Kristean Velasquez; Alternate – Ann Peck.
Parent Advisory Group
The next PAG meeting will be Oct. 17 from 6 – 7 a.m. via Zoom. We still have a few parents who have not signed up for Classroom DoJo. Please remember to accept the invitation that has come to your phone, or email, so that you can get the meeting link as well as an abundance of other good stuff.
Family Nights
We had a full house for our first Family Night. With many families in attendance, the staff provided parents with information on the Montessori method, presented Montessori materials, and talked about Dr. Montessori’s philosophy. For our October Family Night, we will be using pumpkins from the Tribal Garden as they get carved into ghoulish Jack-o-Lanterns. Join us for an evening of spooky music and good food on Wednesday, Oct. 25.