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• 1905 was treated to an interesting presentation on Vietnam by Mrs. Pham. She brought spring rolls for all of the kids to enjoy and shared some wonderful pictures.
• To celebrate Chinese New Year we had two great presentations on China and Chinese New Year by Mr. Wang & Ms. Phuong, respectively. The kids loved learning about China, and we will all have good luck all year. Gung hay fat choi!
• Ms. Gibbs gave a great presentation on Ethiopia to Ms. Denise's class. The kids loved learning about a different culture, and Ethiopia's interesting alphabet. Everyone received an informative booklet on Ethiopia to enjoy at home. Thanks Ms. Gibbs!
• Ms. Ali's class was treated to a wonderful presentation on Chinese New Year from Ivy's mom, Ms. Louie. The kids all received a lucky red envelope and some Pocky. Yum!
• Ms. Denise's class was treated informative presentation on Chinese New Year from Emma's mom, Mrs. Ton. She brought some traditional clothing and delicious food. Everyone learned a lot!
• Last Thursday, January 12th, Jack's parents, Ms. Lee & Mr. Cecil came by Ms. Denise's class to give a very informative presentation on Jolly Ole' England. They taught our students the British equivalent of American words, sang "The Yellow Submarine" and brought delicious jam tarts for everyone to enjoy. It was a great time!
• Ms. Sunita's class had the opportunity to learn about the South American country Ecuador during a presentation from Carol Ramsey, Sophia and Alana's mother. The children loved the photos of the mountains and old-fashioned trains they got to see.
• Kalki and Ashok’s mother, Nishamathi Pradeepkumar, gave a wonderful presentation on India to Ms. Sunita’s class on August 19th. We learned about the colorful culture of India, and the students were even given bindis as a reminder of what they learned!
• On September 21st, Ms. Ali’s class was treated to a presentation on woodworking from Ron Chandler, Riley’s dad. The students were fascinated by all the different types of tools used to construct things out of wood.
• Anna Garcia, Jase’s mother, spoke to Ms. Sunita’s class about Mexico. She brought maracas so we could play some traditional Mexican music, and we were even shown some Mexican games. It was an enjoyable time for all.
• On September 27th, the children of 1903 were excited to hear about being a lawyer from John Scott’s mother, Shelly Gray. We learned about the law and how we can find it in our everyday lives. Everyone learned a lot!
• On Wednesday, September 28th, Anjeanette Watkins, an industrial engineer, taught us about the way mail gets from one place to another. It was an enlightening experience for the whole class.
• Maceo’s mother, Jeanette Cross, told the students of 1905 all about her job as a doctor. The whole class was fascinated by the stethoscopes and other instruments that we use to listen to our bodies.
• Armin Vit, Maya’s father and a graphic designer, gave a very interesting presentation to Ms. Ali’s class on his job. We learned all about where the images we see everyday come from.
• Shanna Barry gave a wonderful presentation on September 28th about her job as a nurse. The class learned lots of different ways to stay healthy all year long.
• Damon and Nanette Flowers, the parents of Summit and Sage, taught us all about communication in their absorbing presentation. The opportunity to chat with children in India by way of Skype was an unforgettable experience for our class.
• On October 3rd, Nathan’s mother Angela Vogeli spoke to the class of 1903 about her job as a lawyer. It was great for the children to think about what great jobs such as this they can look forward to when they grow up.
• Joseph Di Giovanni, Miranda’s father, gave an interesting presentation on his job as an engineer. It really made our class think about how things that we see everyday are built.
The Montessori Method
Dr. Maria Montessori
(1870 - 1952)
Developed the Montessori method of education. The Italian Physician who formulated this method had a particular genius for observing children. The materials are based on the young child's unique aptitude for learning, which Dr. Montessori identified as the "Absorbent Mind." In her writings, she frequently compared the young mind to a sponge, literally absorbing everything in the environment.
The Purpose of Montessori Education
Dr. Maria Montessori believed that all human beings possess a natural curiosity and love for knowledge, and if that passion for learning could be nurtured from childhood on then there would be no limit to what that we could achieve. Education must come from the inside out and not the outside in. Dr. Montessori felt, therefore, that the goal of early childhood education should not be to bombard the child with facts and numbers from a pre-selected course of studies that do not take into account the different needs of the individual child, but rather cultivate and inspire every child's natural desire to create, explore, discover, and experience.
In the Montessori classroom this is achieved primarily by allowing each child to experience the excitement of learning through activities of their own choosing rather than by being forced to follow what the other children may be doing, and further by helping each child to perfect all of their natural tools for learning so they can reach their greatest potential. The Montessori materials thus function of two levels: giving the child immediate insight and feedback, and providing the child with long-range skills and confidence to carry with them into the future.
How Children Learn
Through Dr. Montessori's observations and studies she discovered that every child possesses what she called an "Absorbent Mind", or a unique and sponge-like aptitude for learning. We need only compare the way a two-year old instinctively learns his native language without formal instruction versus the conscious and often tedious way adults master foreign languages to know that the young mind literally absorbs information from its environment. Learning through experience is a very organic and delightful activity for young children who naturally process and discover the world and their environment by employing their senses.
Dr. Montessori reasoned that the child retains the ability to absorb information in this way until they are nearly seven, and that in order to best nurture the child's "absorbent mind" it was necessary to have a classroom full of materials which would demonstrate basic educational information. Her teachings emphasized that children learn more through their own hands than through any other influence. The best way a child learns concentration is by fixing their attention on some task they are performing with their hands. When Dr. Montessori established her first school in 1907 it seemed radical to think that a child could learn to read, write, and calculate in the same natural way in which they learn to walk and talk, but over a hundred years later we continuously observe that if we allow a child to learn at their own periods of interest and readiness they can accomplish more than we dared hope for them.
The Importance of Early Childhood Education
Dr. Montessori wrote "The most important period of life is not the age of university studies, but the first one, the period from birth to the age of six. For that is the time when man's intelligence itself, his greatest implement is being formed. But only his intelligence; the full totality of his psychic powers...At no other age has the child greater need of an intelligent help, and any obstacle that impedes his creative work will lesson the chance he has of achieving perfection."
Upcoming Events
• May 1st - 3rd: NWM Annual Science Fair (Details)
• Sunday, May 12th: Mother's Day
• Monday, May 27th: Memorial Day
Important Alerts
• The school will close early at 5pm on Friday, May 17th for the Annual Teachers' Dinner.
• The school will be closed Monday, May 27th in observance of Memorial Day.
Parents' Reviews
"I am continually amazed by NW Montessori! The Science Fair is just another example of how truly smart and advanced ALL of the NW Montessori kids are b/c of the great teachers and supportive parents. Kate is more than prepared for kindergarten and possibly 1st grade :)"
"Northwest Montessori is an exemplary school for children. We are so glad that both of our sons have had the opportunity to attend and benefit from all of the skilled teachers and the incredible curriculum. This school exposes children to other countries, their cultures; the children learn mathematics through division; they are always reading and writing and they explore various American traditions and others from around the world. They have an annual science fair with individual experiments and several performances throughout the year. We can't say enough about NWM. We know our sons have both acquired skills that they will build on for the rest of their lives."
"I just wanted to let you know that we were VERY impressed with the science fair in Ms Khataw's class today!! The kids and teachers clearly spent a lot of time and effort preparing for the fair, and it was a wonderful event! The songs and riddles were so cute, and the kids obviously practiced. Also, very impressive that you were able to keep the whole event (with 33 kids) in 1 hour! I was so proud of Alexander and all the children today!"
"My daughter went to this school when she was 2.5 years till she was 5 yrs. She is now 8 yrs. She used to be a skittish little girl, afraid of doing most things. But now she had blossomed and grown to be a well-rounded girl. She has done really well in elementary school so far because of her Montessori background. It is not just the materials that she got exposed to, but also the great learning habits that the teachers instilled. The best part about this school is that it has the right amount of balance between structure and fun/free activities. This school has worked so well for our daughter that we are now sending our son to go there. And he loves it."
"Having an extensive background in education research, my husband and I had high expectations for any pre-school program we would select for our twin boys. Over two years later, we are still quite happy that we followed the advice of another parent to give the program a try. The teachers are all very experienced, and provide structure and support while still being nurturing. Additionally, they help children value education and become motivated independent learners. My children gained many skills in the program, both academic and social. I feel they will be heading into Kindergarten way ahead of the curve. I highly recommend this program!"
"We are always amazed (but no longer surprised) when Liam beams with pride after he learns how to spell new words we didn't teach him at home. The teachers at NWM are not only talented and dedicated, they truly care about all their students."
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