Reflection Inside this issue:

Reflection from The Director about the Annual American Montessori Society (AMS) Conference

1-2

AMS Conference and 2-3 Teachers Tour Little Friends Clinic

4-5

Class Questions

6

Calendar Reminders, Summer & Fall Enrollment

7

Ms. Martha:

“I was fortunate enough to attend the 2012 annual AMS Conference in San Francisco. It was wonderful and exciting! It was amazing to be remotivated by Professionals who have been in the field for 20 and 30 years! (Continued on page 7)

April, 2012

Volume 11, Number 3

The month of March was full with Montessori happenings! American Montessori Society held its International Conference in San Francisco from March 16—18. For the staff at Montessori at Five Canyons this was a great opportunity for professional development. Almost all the teachers attended the Conference and the cost was subsidized by the school. The conference workshops varied in content, so different teachers attended different workshops in order to share their new knowledge with each other. There were inspiring keynote speakers, workshops for parents, new research in Montessori and local school tours. The Conference uplifted the spirit of teachers and inspired them in Montessori teaching. The Conference offered a large Market Place to purchase Montessori didactic materials and other educational items. Each teacher picked out new units and materials to bring back to their classroom. The teachers were also part of the local organizing committee in California and proudly volunteered at various information and registration desks (see photos on this page). The staff was well acknowledged and appreciated by the AMS Board of Directors and Executive Director of the AMS as well as Chairs of the California Organizing Committee. I was invited to present to the Teacher Educator group on the curriculum of Greening and Gardening at Montessori Schools. It was well received by the attendees who were the directors of the Training Programs, including the MACTE Directors who accredited the Montessori Teacher Education Programs. ~Meher Van Groenou, Director

Montessori School at Five Canyons

April, 2012

Page 2

Reflection on the AMS Conference and School Tour—(Comments from our Teachers)

“Preparing for the School Tour was like preparing for guests to come to your home! We enjoyed buying new plants and flowers for our classroom. Although the weather was grey and wet, our school shined! Talking with other teachers made me realize how all the things we do are inline with Montessori philosophy.”

“The workshops were very informative and inspiring! I am glad for the opportunity to learn new strategies which can be applied in my classroom. Some of the workshops helped me understand the Montessori philosophy even better. It was nice to connect with other teachers and catch up with some whom I had almost lost contact.” ~Ms. Sri-Sunflower Room

~Ms. Lane-Rose Room “The two-day AMS conference was a great experience for us to help improve our Montessori ways of teaching, and enhance our skills to become more competent Montessori teachers.” ~Ms. Sonia-Lily Room

“The recent AMS School tour brought honor and great pride to our Montessori School at Five Canyons. Compliments from people who came from different parts of the country and the world really made us feel happy and thankful that each one of us was part of such a memorable event. The Lotus Room children were excited to show off their classroom that we prepared for the visitors to feel welcome. They were especially excited to show the work being done in our Nature’s Corner and display board. Aware that people were watching them, our children were inspired to focus more on their work that day… We applaud their efforts! They’re one of the reasons why M5C is becoming known globally.” ~Ms. Ila—Lotus Room

Montessori School at Five Canyons

April, 2012

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AMS Teachers Tour

Montessori School at Five Canyons was chosen by AMS to be the exemplary school to be visited by Conference attendees. So on March 15, we had twenty-five international Montessori teachers visit the school and observe each classroom. We prepared a PowerPoint presentation giving the visiting teachers an idea of the activities during the school-year. The visiting teachers also had a chance to ask questions, meet with the teachers and talk to parent-representatives. You should be very proud that the teachers from Moscow, Chile, Mexico, Europe South Africa, Korea, Taiwan and China felt this school is among the best they have seen. The visitors were treated to a delicious Mexican luncheon buffet provided by the Espinosa Family (Salma’s parents). Some of our Five Canyons parents acted as hosts and chaperoned the group from San Francisco to Castro Valley and back. They greeted visitors, guided the movement of the group, served lunch, socialized and helped with the clean-up. (Thank you Patti Presto, Louis Sanchez, Aneema VanGroenou, Kim Gorski & Lisa Moreno.) We heard praises from those who toured the school during the Conference the next three days!

Montessori School at Five Canyons

April, 2012

Page 4

Little Friends Get a Check-Up By Aneema VanGroenou, MD, Leila’s mom This year, we held our annual “Little Friends Clinic” in March, at the height of cold and flu season. As every year, children bring in an ill or injured doll or stuffed animal and act as their caregiver during a full history and physical exam. Then the children provide support when their little friend receives vaccinations, medication administration, prescriptions, and even surgery! This year, we were lucky to have four health care professionals to help with this busy clinic. Thanks to Dr. Fatma Siddiqui, Dr. Mark Tanaka, and Nurse Marjorie Joliecoeur. The clinic is a learning experience that fits with the anatomy and self-care curriculum for older children. Most importantly, it is a way to help all children build confidence in visiting the doctor and learn some healthy habits (the prescriptions for the “little friends” focus on cold prevention, healthy eating, exercise, for example). For some kids, it is a way to work through illnesses they have experienced. For the providers, the clinic is a fun way to volunteer at our school, dispel the fear of clinic visits, and—the best part!—hear the stories kids come up with. Let me share some of my favorites: Doctor: “Good morning! How is dinosaur doing?” Child: “He broke his neck!” (waggling the limp neck) Doctor: “Oh, that is very serious! How did this happen?” Child: “I always carry him by the neck, like this.” Doctor: “Ok, let’s put a splint on that neck so it doesn’t hurt him and you can carry him carefully to x-ray so we can see what’s going on. How are you going to carry him?” Child: “By the belly, like this!” Doctor: “Good thinking!” Doctor: “Hello! Who is this?” Child: “This is Chicky-Chick. She has asthma!.” Doctor: “Ok, let me take a listen to her lungs. Yes, you are right, she is wheezing. Has she been having a cold or difficulty running around?” Child: “Oh yes, and she cant breathe right!” Doctor: “Let’s make her feel better; we’ll give her a breathing treatment with this mask. Can you hold her so she stays calm in your lap? I’ll check on her in a few minutes.” Child sat down, very seriously holding the mask over the chick’s beak.

Montessori School at Five Canyons

April, 2012

Page 5

Little Friends—(continued from Page Four) Child: “Rabbit has had migraines for six weeks.” Doctor: “Oh, that is very tough. Has Rabbit tried any medicines? Child: “Yes, but none of them quite worked.” Doctor: “Does Rabbit have any other symptoms along with the headaches?” Child: “Yes, she has been vomiting and not eating, and sleeping a lot.” A child walks to the desk with a very large shark. Child: “He has a tummy ache.” Doctor: “What happened?” Dr. Tanaka, Dr. VanGroenou, Dr. Siddiqui, Nurse Child: “He ate something he shouldn’t have.” Boutet—all parents of children at 5Canyons. Doctor: “Oh, really? Like what? A scuba diver?” Child: “A surfer!” Doctor: “Oh boy. So, he is a danger to others! We are going to have to put him on a 5150 psychiatric hold. That means we keep him in the hospital until he is able to be a safer shark.” There were many other charming stories. There were also some truly heroic saves: like a very old elf who was brought to clinic in a plastic bag, decapitated. Dr. Tanaka was able to re-attach his head and the elf had a speedy and uneventful recovery. Many animals had serious lacerations along seams, partially amputated arms and legs, and visible stuffing—all repaired with local anesthesia administered by our busy 5C helpers, Dr. Samana (Rose room), Dr. Lucas (Sunflower room), and Dr. Leila (Lotus room). Thanks to everyone who helped make this annual event possible!

Medical Helpers included: Lucas Tanaka, Leila Knaebel, Samana Siddiqui and Samuel Boutet

Montessori School at Five Canyons

April, 2012

Page 6

Class Questions The question, “In which classroom will my child be going into next year?” comes up naturally at this time of year when parents are re-enrolling their child / children for the next school-year. I would like to address this question from the point of Montessori philosophical principle that we take into account when distributing children to various classrooms. We adhere to the multi-age group in the classrooms—with three years age span. Secondly, we create a harmonious group with multi-age groupings, developmental levels and years of Montessori experience. We also take into account the girl-boy proportion, and active, more focused children, and the levels of abilities. As you can imagine, this is not an easy task. The teachers and the Director put their heads together to create groupings. This way the teachers, who know the children well, and the director who understands the Montessori principles deeply, can have combined input. Parents do not have all this information, which is why parents are not allowed to choose the classroom for their child. This process does not start to formulate until the end of July when we have finalized the enrollment for the whole school. If we have any space, then the late-comers are distributed in various classes based on the same principles.

Why Multi-Age and Ability Groupings? Research indicates that learning is an individual process based on timeframe, pace, abilities and interest. A well designed classroom supports each child’s learning needs. Montessori educational theory and practice has implemented the heterogeneous groupings for the last 100 years. Here are the important points: Children learn from one another. A multi age-ability groupings creates a non-threatening environment for each child to progress at their own pace. Peer teaching also becomes a learning tool. Older children learn to take more responsibility as compared to the younger ones. Older children create a role model for others in the class to follow. Children work at their own level without the pressure to follow the group. Collaborative learning happens naturally as children of different abilities work together. Curriculum and activities in the classrooms are multi-dimensional and concrete. Children explore abstract concepts through concrete materials together. Children repeat an activity many times to come to an abstract concept. Multi-age groupings lend itself well to inclusion of children with special needs. Children may have the same teacher for 2 – 3 years.

Montessori School at Five Canyons

April, 2012

Class Questions—

Calendar Reminders Friday, April 1:

(continued from Page Six)

Summer & Early-Bird Fall Enrollment forms DUE

April 9—13:

Friday, April 27:

Page 7

Teachers’ Workday and Conferences Daycare is available but you must sign up. AND also on the 27th Spring Concert and Cookie Social: 6—7 pm at the Gymnasium at Golden Oak Montessori in Hayward (invitation coming soon).

Summer & Fall Enrollment Already our 2011-12 school year is winding down! It’s been a great year with children making so much progress! Please remember: 1. Summer Program: June 4—August 24. Please complete your summer enrollment form along with a $100 deposit to reserve your child’s spot.

School Year 2012-13 !

2. School Closed the week of August 27 for cleanup and set-up. 3. Fall Program begins Tuesday, September 4. (Quote from Ms. Martha—continued from Page One) The first session I attended was full of great ideas but the simple message, “Treat others like you want to be treated.” One workshop focused on the role of the teacher to assistants, which I found really valuable since I could apply the learning on a daily basis in our classroom. Also during the conference we met up some of my classmates where we took our Montessori Teacher training at the Montessori Institute in Castro Valley. It was great seeing them and how different we are now and how much we have grown as Montessorians. Overall, I’m excited to strengthen our Montessori community!

The Montessori School at Five Canyons follows these Montessori principles as closely as possible in the way the classrooms are set up. Except the toddler room, all classrooms have the three years age span of children. There is no separate Kindergarten class. Depending on which grouping (age, abilities, experience) dominates each year, we create classrooms that will have the three year age span. If we have many older children (4 and 5 plus years) we may have 2 or 3 classrooms where these children will be distributed, just like this past year. Please know that each classroom is fully equipped with activities going up to 2nd grade. Teachers also share curriculum ideas and materials. Moreover, all our lead teachers are fully qualified and have many years’ of experience to guide a heterogeneous classroom. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to come and talk to me.

“Education is a natural process carried out by the child and is not acquired by listening to words but by experiences in the environment.” -Maria Montessori