Kissing Camels and Cytokinesis

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Middle School students visited Roos ‘n’ More to learn about exotic and endangered animals; played games to learn about the order of operations; studied diffusion through semi-permeable membranes by observing eggshells; created flipbooks to illustrate the complex process of mitosis; and more.

 

Other studies include discussing U.S. History during the pre-Civil War era and WWII; learning grammatical concepts like irregular verbs and vocabulary words such as ‘anthropomorphism’; reading Julius Ceasar and Animal Farm; memorizing funeral orations; and, finally, analyzing political cartoons with the sixth-graders.

Read more on the E1 Classroom Blog (FMS Parents only).

Foothills Montessori School is a private Montessori school serving families in Henderson, Las Vegas and Southern Nevada.

Courtesy in the Classroom

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Let’s peek inside the doors of P2, where students are learning about the concept of courtesy in the classroom.

“Grace and courtesy are fundamental concepts taught by Dr. Maria Montessori  in her original school for young children of working class parents. It was the recognition of how the children and their ‘guide’ (teachers) interacted with each other inside the classroom that helped create a peaceful and productive learning environment.

Today, we see that when each child recognizes that their voice and their actions have a direct impact on the flow of the whole class, they experience the power of working and being with others.

Not only do they begin the lifelong process of developing inner control and discipline but they experience the joy of being in harmony with the collective. It is a profound and important lesson in social development.

Some examples of practicing grace and courtesy begin first thing in the morning when the classroom doors are opened and the children are welcomed into the classroom. You may see a teacher extend their right hand greeting the child individually by name.

This action calls the child to the present moment and gives them a deep sense of belonging to the whole group. At the same time, this gesture reminds the child that they have entered a special place of learning and that they individually play an important role in that space.

Pushing in a chair after completing a task, is another tangible action of courtesy and one that our students experience numerous times a day. While the act is practical and signals to the child that they have completed their task, it reinforces the awareness that other children are using the environment with them.

Replacing a job in the condition they received it in and at the precise spot on the shelves also creates the awareness that if they do their part to preserve the order in the room, the whole Montessori classroom functions at a higher level. Watching a young three-year-old cheerfully push in a chair and roll up a mat is one of the delights of being a Montessori teacher.

Try this at home:

Create a simple method of organizing their toys or books. Use baskets and shelves to find a specific home for each toy or groups of toys and then teach your child to consistently replace the item in that exact spot. Actions speak louder than words, so in the beginning you might have to show your child the correct location for the toy and repeat the lesson until they have absorbed the idea. Once your child sees the advantage of having their toy accessible in the same location, it will be easier for them to return it consistently to that spot.”

–The P2 Teachers

See more pictures on their blog (FMS Parents only)

Foothills Montessori School is a private Montessori school serving families in Henderson, Las Vegas and Southern Nevada.

The First Great Lesson

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In Montessori education, students often start off their school year with “The First Great Lesson.” Says Ms. Vickie, teacher in E2: “The lesson is intended to make an impression on the children and spark an interest in the world around them. We do a series of experiments that demonstrate basic science to inspire and motivate them to want to learn new things.

“Maria Montessori said: ‘Knowledge can be best given when there is eagerness to learn, so this is the period when the seed of everything can be sown, the child’s mind being like a fertile field, ready to receive what will germinate into culture. [In lower elementary], all items of culture are received enthusiastically, and later these seeds will expand and grow.’ (To Educate the Human Potential, pg. 4).”

As a grade level, we would suggest that the parents look through the classroom blogs for pictures of the First Great Lesson and discuss them with their child and see what they learned and what they thought was exciting and fun!”

First Great Lessons often touch on the origin of the earth, science, physics, astronomy, composition of matter, geology, chemistry and biology. This is the ultimate way to spark excitement for learning; to build a foundation for future learning; and to give a “big picture” perspective on how fields of study work together within the universe. For an example of lessons given, click here.

Foothills Montessori School is a private Montessori school serving families in Henderson, Las Vegas and Southern Nevada.

Primary Starts Off Right

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Let’s peek into the window of P3, where primary students are already making friends and learning new things:

“We are having so much fun getting to know your wonderful children. We love our new friends already! We spent the first week easing into the school routine. We will spend the next few weeks of school building our classroom community, getting to know one another, learning important social skills and practicing all of our school routines.

 

Our goal is to take the time to explain the daily steps needed for our children to truly succeed. We have found that children progress much faster throughout the school year, and accomplish much more academically, if we take the time at the beginning to model and practice appropriate behaviors. We will teach children how to get along with one another and solve problems in a peaceful and respectful manner. We want every child to feel a sense of belonging and of course have fun!

We are working hard at building independence and responsibility. The children are practicing the morning routine of putting their lunch box in their cubbie, washing their hands, choosing a work, and putting their finished work in their file folders. During snack time, the children are serving themselves, cleaning their snack area and getting to know each other through daily conversations during snack.

Our returning students are doing a wonderful job being role models to our new students and helping and guiding them throughout the day. We are thrilled to be spending our year with your children. It is going to be a full year of growth, friendship and laughter!

This month’s themes are: Safety and Community Building, Health and Nutrition, Living vs Non-living, Land and Water. In addition, each month the children will be doing self-portraits to display on the wall. The children had a great time looking into a mirror and drawing themselves. We have some very proud artists!”

— P3 Teachers

 See more pictures on Primary 3’s blog (FMS Parents only).

Foothills Montessori School is a private Montessori school serving families in Henderson, Las Vegas and Southern Nevada.

Living the Writerly Life

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Let’s take a peek inside E5 this week, where students are learning about tectonic plates, metacognition, and living a writerly life:

“Our first week was amazing, and filled with some exciting community building activities! From post-it note competitions, to ‘Saving Fred!’, our students have started to build a solid foundation of working together to solve problems and using different strategies to brainstorm creative solutions. We are thrilled with our intelligent, kind and thoughtful class and can’t wait to see them thrive this year.

Our 6th years taught our First Great lesson this week, starting with the birth of our universe and spanning to the formation of planets. Concepts such as the Big Bang theory, centrifugal force, gravity and tectonic plates were covered. We are so proud of our 6th years hard work and preparation.

Elder Mary assisted in teaching the first great reading lesson on Metacogniton. We modeled the importance of thinking while we read, truly enjoying our literature!  As the year continues we will touch upon more great lessons in both Cultural and Reading. We have also launched our Writers Workshop. During our ‘Sacred Writing Time’, the children have been exploring various collection strategies. These strategies will help them when they feel like they feel like they have writers block. Ask your child today about any ‘seeds’ they may have written in their notebooks.  Often time conversations about their writing in school will help them remember a great story for their notebooks. We encourage the children to live a writerly life, observing, taking notice of the small things, and pausing to capture a seed and record it in their notebooks.

We will keep you posted on the happenings of our E5 community. Our blog is a great place to see reminders of important dates and events that are coming. Thank you all for your continued support at home!”

–E5 Teachers

Visit the E5 Blog for pictures (FMS Parents only)

Foothills Montessori School is a private Montessori school serving families in Henderson, Las Vegas and Southern Nevada.

Finding Beauty in Numbers

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E1 is learning about the beautiful mathematical Fibonacci sequence. Check out pictures from their classroom which illustrate the concept in all its perfection, and read more about Fibonacci numbers here.

 

 

Foothills Montessori School is a private Montessori school serving families in Henderson, Las Vegas and Southern Nevada.

 

Celebration of Life

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One special Montessori tradition is the celebration of a child’s birthday. Called “The Celebration of Life,” it involves the child standing in the middle of a circle with all of the children seated around him or her. In the center of the circle is a paper cut-out of a sun, a candle, and the 12 months of the year.

Displayed prominently is a poster board with pictures of the child at each age and the child’s life story. The child’s parents can also provide snacks. While some families prefer traditional birthday treats of cookies and cupcakes, we recommend striving to provide nutritious (yet delicious!) treats such as oatmeal cookies, fruit trays and whole wheat muffins.

As an expectant hush settles over the room, the teacher begins: “On [child’s birthday and time of birth], [child’s name] was born to loving parents and two older siblings, all of whom were very excited for [child’s name] big arrival.” The candle in the sun is lit, and the child, holding a globe, gets ready to walk around the sun. The teacher continues telling about the child’s first year on earth. Then all the children sing, “A trip around the sun, A trip around the sun, every year we get to make  a trip around the sun.” Says the teacher, “Now [child’s name] is one year old!” The teacher proceeds to tell stories from this year and to hold up or point to the pictures on the board. This continues until the child’s present age. The child can then blow out the candle to make a wish, and treats are enjoyed.

There are many variations on this theme, and if your child has a summer birthday, you can host your own Celebration of Life with friends and family. Here are some more instructions, and here is a video of an example. Another great story to read on a child’s birthday is On the Day You Were Born by Debra Frasier.

What you will need:

  • paper cut out of a sun
  • candle
  • small globe
  • days of the month
  • pictures of the child at each age
  • Life story (here is an example)

Foothills Montessori School is a private Montessori school serving families in Henderson, Las Vegas and Southern Nevada.

The Keys to Success

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My name is Elizabeth Carleton. I was very honored to have my essay selected to be the speech at eighth grade graduation; many thanks to Ms. Arlene for helping me to polish my speech. I have been going to FMS since third grade and it has been a wonderful time. I am excited to start ninth grade at Bishop Gorman High School in the fall. I will be taking forensics and hope to continue refining my oratory technique. I also hope to join the musical theatre program and expand my recent interest in classical singing. Much gratitude to FMS for helping me to begin my journey!

[h2]The Keys to Success[/h2]

The purpose of a key in its most literal sense is to open a lock. A key to success can unlock many different things for many different people, depending on their unique perception of success. For some, success means money. For others, it’s helping those less fortunate. For others yet, it means having a family.

I have already acheived some success in my young life. I experienced success when I rode a bike for the first time as a child, and again recently when I mastered the French song Dirait-on. In between, I was the school winner for the AMC-8 School Mathematics Competition, solved the Rubik’s Cube, and have never lost a game of Risk. These successes, though small in the grand scheme of the world and even in my life, have helped motivate me to learn more and reach higher. Small successes are to life as caffeine is to mornings; they help us to get up and move.

Success is important because it adds a sense of fullfilment to life and enables us to go wherever we want to. I believe that true success is having the empowerment and the knowledge to leave your mark on this world, like a thumbprint on moist earth. Everyone has goals, and success can mean either acheiving those goals or finding new goals aong the way.

Picture life as a maze, an intricate, constantly changing maze. Some find contentment in following the path of wisdom laid down by history, while others are not satisfied until they have become a trailblazer and found an innovative way to navigate the maze. As long as one enjoys both the journey and the destination, both are wonderful. At intervals, there are choices we must make that will shape our paths. Sometimes, not every path is open to us. That’s when we need a key. Almost six years ago, my maze took a sharp and unexpected turn: my family had to move halfway across the country. I had never lived outside of the small-town Midwest in my life, and I was a little shell-shocked. Luckily, I stumbled upon the small metaphorical garden of Foothills Montessori School.

This school is different from other schools. It’s not all about test scores, it’s about — as Ms. Erica says — learning to understand. FMS has instilled in all of us the joy of learning and given the tools and the knowledge we need to have successful careers in high school, in college, and in life.

In our early years, the Montessori method nurtured our imaginations and helped us grow from toddlers to inquisitive children. As we progressed into elementary school, not only were we taught fundamental knowledge about the world around us, but our curious minds were indulged with the refrain, “Go research it!”. In middle school, many of the Montessori materials became less fundamental, but our school continued to differ from most. Ms. Erica constantly strove to improve her math lessons to an even higher level, and she always had interesting demonstrations in science and invigorating reenactments in history. In Ms. Arlene’s English class, we learned so much more than grammar and spelling. We read culturally significant books and discussed every aspect, relating them to current and historical events. In both classes, we were taught critical thinking skills and learned how to apply our knowledge to the world around us.

At this school, teacher and student form a unique bond based on mutual respect and appreciation, and I can’t imagine a more secure and supportive environment for student-on-student interaction. Out of these bonds, we forged keys: the keys to success.

I have been attending this school since third grade, and I have watched my peers and myself grow from uncertain and tentative children to confident young men and women who are ready for whatever the next bend in our theoretical mazes brings. In this unique learning environment, the teachers and staff strove to help us recognize our path and gave us the neccesary keys to help us go where we like in our mazes of life.

As former U. S. Representative Solomon Ortiz said, “Education is the key to success in life, and teachers make a lasting impact in the lives of their students.” That could never be more true than it is here at FMS. You have all shaped my path in ways that I never imagined possible. I will always look on my time here as one of the most enjoyable and enriching times of my life.

Today, my fellow eighth graders and I have reached a critical milestone: the metamorphosis from middle school to high school. Here, our paths part — perhaps for good. We must plunge on down the maze of life, in all likelihood meeting with thorns aplenty. But this wonderful school has given us — and we have given each other — the keys we need for the next phase of our lives. I know that everyone on this stage has the knowledge and the determination to unlock their success. I will always remember my outstanding teachers and the amazing group of people graduating with me today. Thank you for the keys.
Foothills Montessori School is a private Montessori school serving families in Henderson, Las Vegas and Southern Nevada.

Summer Fun in Las Vegas

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There is absolutely no excuse for sitting at home and being bored this summer. Put down the video game controller and get outside! Here are some activities and camps around town — from Shakespeare to fencing lessons — that will keep your children active, busy and making friends all summer long!

And the list goes on.
Don’t forget, you can always join us on the Foothills Montessori campus for sports, games, arts and crafts, outdoor fun and more! Camps include tennis lessons and swimming at nearby DragonRidge Country Club. Call 702-407-0790 to enroll today!
Foothills Montessori School is a private Montessori school serving families in Henderson, Las Vegas and Southern Nevada.

 

The Great Technology Debate

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In the April 2013 issue of The Atlantic, author and national correspondent Hannah Rosin takes a long look at The Touch-Screen Generation: the current under-10 set who are just as familiar with Angry Birds as they are Goodnight Moon.

While attending a California conference for developers of children’s apps, a rapidly expanding industry that has some jumping on the “digital education is the future” bandwagon and others longing for less tech-trendy days, she pontificates:

“What, really, would Maria Montessori have made of this scene? The 30 or so children here were not down at the shore poking their fingers in the sand or running them along mossy stones or digging for hermit crabs. Instead they were all inside, alone or in groups of two or three, their faces a few inches from a screen, their hands doing things Montessori surely did not imagine.”

After interviewing various experts, researchers and psychologists — and conducting informal experiments with her own toddler — Rosin ends up echoing the beliefs of Dr. Michael Rich, a pediatrician who directs the Center on Media and Child Health. As quoted in this 2010 New York Times article, he says “with media use so ubiquitous, it was time to stop arguing over whether it was good or bad and accept it as part of children’s environment, ‘like the air they breathe, the water they drink and the food they eat.'”

In other words, stop setting time limits and stressing out, and just let them touch, tap and swipe away. But then, some say toddler iPad addiction is a very real thing, while studies are suggesting that too much tech time can lead to behavioral and relationship problems.

The debate goes on, even at The Atlantic. This month’s issue revived the roundtable via an interview with longtime tech executive Linda Stone. In “The Art of Staying Focused in a Distracting World,” she claims that tech overload can lead to a condition that is “worse than autism”, a lack of empathy, and even “a kind of sociopathy and psychopathy.”

But the app-happy parents and entrepreneurs at Rosin’s conference whimsically quote Montessori (“The hands are the instruments of man’s intelligence”) and emphasize their wares’ educational potential. After all, whether they are tracing a “C” on a screen, in the dirt, or on sandpaper, the end result is the same.

Others assert that technology is essentially and fundamentally Montessorian, in that it allows the individual to learn at his or her own pace, unimpeded. The world’s knowledge is, after all, at your fingertips, and the tablet is a powerful, interactive tool that arguably has its place on Montessori shelves as well as in the home. Everyone from the 2013 Ted Talk winner to forward-thinking educators agree that we need to integrate technology to prepare students for the future, as well as to empower and equip them in new, never-before-seen ways.

Somewhere there is an ideal balance to be found between hands-on, person-to-person learning, time spent playing outdoors, and Toca Tea Party. It’s up to us as parents and educators to find it.

What do you think? Let us know on our Facebook page.

Foothills Montessori School is a private Montessori school serving families in Henderson, Las Vegas and Southern Nevada.