Happy first day of school!
Thank you each for your partnership and trust -- we all feel so fortunate!
We shall walk together on this path of life, for all things are part of the universe and are connected with each other to form one whole unity.” Maria Montessori
We wanted to share with you more information about our staff t-shirts this year and our staff picture, above.
Each year a committee of staff members reflect on the past year and year ahead and brainstorms till they come up with a statement t-shirt for the year.
Maria Montessori was an amazing visionary and scientist. She gives us a lot of amazing material to work with each year:). Her love of science and the universe gave rise to her philosophy about what an integral part the child plays as a member of the universe. (check out the quote on the back of our staff t-shirts.) We don’t just love and respect each child, we also see them each with great reverence as they become the guides for our learning as well. We describe this process below on our website, and we utilize the wonder of the universe and the integration of the curriculum each day.
Order forms for the shirt design will be available to families in the next few weeks, thank you for your partnership!
From our website:
Montessori's SPIRAL CURRICULUM
All concepts are interrelated. One lesson leads to many others.
Learners move from concrete work with Montessori materials to abstract understanding of advanced concepts.
Teachers present big picture concepts to provide context and work towards increasing detail.
Major themes in the curriculum are studied again at each level in greater depth and at a higher level of abstraction.
COSMIC EDUCATION
Throughout time and across cultures, human beings have marveled at Creation and asked these tantalizing questions. In this way, they’re as essential to our existence as the food we eat and the air we breathe, so they ought to be central to our education.
Who am I? How am I? Why am I? To what grand scheme do I belong?
Montessori recognized that, “The universe is an imposing reality and an answer to all questions,” and as such, it provides the inspiration and the orientation to make learning exciting and meaningful. Not only does every “chapter” of knowledge fit into the context of the universe story, but by coming to see ourselves as an integral part of that story, we can appreciate the interconnected relationships that join us with every other human being, all living organisms, the entire biosphere of the planet, and indeed, the whole works of the cosmos. Cosmic Education gives primacy to the inward progress of the child and, by extension, humanity itself. This type of progress requires an approach to learning that revolves around the most enticing types of questions, the likes of which will never show up on a standardized test.
Sincerely,
Barbara -
Barbara Burke Fondren, Director