Keep up with our globe trotting teacher, Shana, with "Hodels on Global"

Hodels on Global: Check out our pictures: Life continues in Hong Kong and we are having a great time! Marty has taken some amazing pictures that we would like to share. The easiest ...

Everyday Thanksgiving

 

Happy Thanksgiving Montessori style..

 

Halloween

 

Halloween is great fun for the children. We can't decide if it's the dressing up in costumes, the parade past the middle school, the piñata, or our other MCH tradition--carving the "Jolly Goblin"--that we love the best. For the most part it's the joy we feel as we come together at the end of October as a true community.

 

Here are "itty bitty love's" tips for making a confusing holiday like Halloween fun for a young toddler:

• Try on costumes with friends and family before Halloween.  I set up a costume corner for Elise a couple weeks before Halloween.  She tried on costumes with friends and family, and had lots of fun. She also went to a Halloween party the day before Halloween, and played with other children wearing costumes.  On Halloween night, Elise didn't seem at all surprised or frightened to see people in costumes.  Occasionally, she squealed in delight when she saw someone whose look really struck her fancy!
• Choose a costume that your child can relate to.  Next year, Elise will choose her own costume, but at 15 months, it was up to me and Hubs.  One of Elise's first animal sounds was a monkey, and she always gets really excited when she sees monkeys in books, so "monkey" seemed like a fairly logical costume choice.  
• Include your child in the costume-making/ buying process.  Elise participated in putting together her costume from start to finish.  She went to the craft store to pick out the pattern and supplies, and she tried on the costume as my mom and I sewed.  If you're buying a costume, invite your child to go shopping with you, and if possible, let them try on costumes in the store to check fit and style. 
• Give your child time to get used to wearing the costume.  As soon as Elise's costume was finished, it was available for her to wear throughout the day for a week or so before Halloween.  By the time the big day rolled around, it was covered in food (!), but she was also really comfortable wearing it.
• Look at Halloween decorations in the daylight.  Not all Halloween decorations are as cute as my owls!  On Halloween morning, Elise and I walked our trick-or-treating route, and watched people putting up decorations.  Many of our neighbors explained to Elise what they were doing, and invited her to come by to trick-or-treat that night.  I was also able to see which houses would be too scary to walk by in the dark (i.e. the house with zombies crawling out of the yard).  
• Take your time packing up the decor.  This applies to all holidays!  As an adult, I'm usually ready to put away the holiday the day after it's done, but I learned as a teacher, it's better for kiddos to do it gradually.  There's so much build-up before a holiday; putting things away over the course of a week can prevent children from feeling totally letdown.  Elise is still playing in her costume corner, and our jack-o-lantern is smiling at us from the nature table in our living room.  

 

Post Halloween

Here is a timely post from our friend Micaela at Mindful Momma:

 

How to Manage Sweets Season

 

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Are you up to your ears in Halloween candy? Yeah, we are too. Like it or not, sweets season is officially upon us! By the time the Halloween candy is gone, we’ve got pumpkin pies and then it’s candy canes and countless other holiday sweet treats. So what’s a green & healthy parent to do? Here are a few ideas:

Swap it out

Have you ever heard of the switch witch? Apparently she visits  unsuspecting houses and swaps out healthier treats for crappy ones.  Some brave parents even pay money for each piece of candy the child hands over or substitute a toy for the entire candy stash. Where does the candy actually go after that? Why the office candy bowl of course – where treats magically disappear without worry of calories, preservatives or artificial dyes! Full disclosure: I have never done this (although I have been known to toss whatever is still left after a few weeks).

Set limits

No matter how old your kids are, it’s important to set some type of limit on candy consumption. Obviously, it’s going to be different depending on the age of the kids. When my kids were younger, I limited it to one or two pieces a day. Now that my kids are older (9 and 13), I don’t try to micro-manage the situation too much but I do ask them to limit it to 2 pieces after a meal. And call me the worst parent on the planet, but I let them have candy for breakfast on the day after Halloween. They must dream about candy all night long and they wake up completely obsessed! Oddly enough, I find that they get over the candy-mania after a couple of days and all-in-all they self-regulate pretty well.
Same goes for the rest of the holiday-season dessert overload. Moderation is the key!

Take a break

So you let your kids go a little crazy on sweets for a while. Then you’ve got to cut back, which can be hard because sugar is a bit addictive in case you haven’t noticed. First, we cut the candy because that’s not something we keep around the house all year long. Then we cut back on having sweets after every meal. How about some fruit? Then, sometime after the holiday sugar season is finally over, we usually have a sweets-free week for the whole family. Getting off sugar completely is a great way to reset your system. The cravings go down and after that we can get by on homemade cookies and healthier treats. But then Valentine’s Day comes along….

Emphasize healthy eating

The last part of the story is that it’s important to model healthy eating habits for your kids. So like don’t take away their candy and then down a couple of Cokes in front of them, OK? Our kids see us cooking healthy foods, reading labels and watching what we eat. We serve veggies with (almost!) every meal and the fruit bowl is always open for snack time. Talk to your kids about healthy foods and empower them to take charge of their health. Do what you can to make healthy food fun!

Drop off and Pick up

Here are some insights from our wise friends at Baan Dek Montessori School--

Drop-off and pick-up are two of the most important times of the entire day. Here are a few insights that we've gathered over the years. We hope you find them useful. These are many of the same recommendations that you'll find in Montessori parent handbooks throughout the world. Of course, we've made a few modifications, and put our own spin on things.

Drop-Off: If entering the school, we recommend that you walk in with your child, instead of carrying them. This will help give them a sense of independence and confidence. You can further empower your child by having them carry their own lunch or backpack, which will help foster that sense of ownership and responsibility that children so cherish.
While it can be difficult, we strongly recommend a quick drop-off. We know it can be the hardest thing in the world, but the longer a parent stays, the harder the separation becomes. Lingering can create anxiety for both children and adults alike, and this is never a good start to a day. Instead, children need the reassurance that you have confidence in them and their day.
With that in mind, it's important to note that children live by consistency and routine. We recommend that you try to ensure that your child has a good night sleep the night before school. If there's going to be a change in the day, we recommend that you inform your child, or send us a note so we can do the same. Children thrive on being made aware of what's happening, so the more we can do to help quench that sense of wonder, the better.
Additionally, it's extremely important to be on time, for a number of reasons. Most importantly, perhaps, is that we don't want your child to feel left out, as they enter the classroom while everyone is already eagerly engaged in their daily activities. One of the best examples that we as adults can relate to, is the feeling of walking into a meeting late. You feel disheveled and overwhelmed. You're not sure what's already transpired. No matter how hard you try to catch up, you just don't feel that you're going to manage it.

 

 

Pick-up:  Picking up your child after school is just as important as dropping your child off for school. Here are a few tips:

1. First, we recommend that you ensure a prompt, timely and cheerful pick up. Lengthy pick-ups can cause confusion, unease, restlessness and disrupt the other students in the classroom.
2. Second, we recommend that you greet your child respectfully. They're, of course, excited to see you, but meet their enthusiasm with calm and passion. Speak softly and encourage normal behavior. We know, it can be very exciting!
3. Third, while you are with your child, provide them with your full and undivided attention. We recommend that you are not on the phone during this time, as it can be very disruptive for your child.
4. Fourth, please ensure that you arrive to pick up your child in a timely fashion. Tardiness can cause anxiety for children. If you're running late, be sure to notify us, so we can inform your child. Children love to know what's going on, so they can prepare themselves. Additionally, if you need to pick your child up early for something, please let us know in advance, as this can be very disruptive for their day.
5. Fifth, ensure that you keep your child apace of any changes in their routine. If there is a change, let them know, explain the situation and offer reassurance. Sometimes they just need to hear it from you.
6. Sixth, it's always nice to hear about your child's day. Try asking them some open ended questions. "Would you like to tell me how your day was?" Try to avoid judgements, praise and rewards.
7. Lastly, if you have comments, questions, or concerns about your child, please schedule an appointment to discuss rather than speaking in front of them. They're highly aware of the conversation. Please know that we are here to help your child (and you!) to have a comfortable and happy experience at school.

MCH Little Free Library

 

TAKE A BOOK-RETURN A BOOK
We are the stewards of a new Little Free Library in Northfield. Our library will join others in town and all over the world in offering a way to share books. Children's books will undoubtedly be featured, but any books may be shared at our location. It belongs to everybody--neighbors, friends, and people we don't even know yet. Anyone can use it, but the MCH community acts as steward.
How does it work?
Take a book--if you see something you would like to read, take it. Look inside and see who gave it; who else has read it.
Share it--return it to any Little Library or pass it on to a friend.
Give Books--Leave notes in them. Be a friend of all libraries by helping any way you can. Pay it forward!

We support reading for children, literacy for adults, and libraries around the world.

Back to School

     

 

As summer winds down and we get ready to head "back to school", we wanted to take this opportunity to offer a few general tips to help ensure a fluid transition. Whether you're a new family just starting out or a current family returning for your second, third or even fourth year, we've put together a list of what we hope are some helpful suggestions. Here's the first:
The Week Before School
Before school starts, we recommend that you talk positively about school. Often, "going to school" can be subjected to negative connotations in our society, especially when high school students are involved in the equation! As adults, the same thing could be said for, "going to work". To combat this, and to foster a positive appreciation of school, you can use favorable expressions like, "Next week, you get to go to school!"
Another tip is to drive by the school, pointing it out as you go about your daily routine. Keep the conversation enthusiastic and upbeat. Try to relate to your own childhood experiences. Here's a sample: "I was always so excited to go to school, meet new friends and learn new things." If you want to add in the part about walking uphill there and back, that's up to you! As school becomes more familiar, it will become less of an unknown.
Also, however hard it is to imagine, it's also probably a good idea to start getting back into a routine, going to bed at a reasonable time, and starting to wake up in anticipation of the many awesome things that are going to happen this school year! With that said, enjoy the last few days of summer!

Natural Playground Visitors at MCH

This summer a group from the new Wildwood Elementary School in Mahtomedi visited our school to research their own natural playground. They were in town to buy trees from Knecht's Nursery and had a nice self-guided tour of the MCH grounds.

Seems like yesterday that we were planning our own natural playground at Montessori Children's House.

 

Kristin Lucas did the design with us and the good folks at Knecht's Nursery did the hard work. They also installed the beautiful landscape areas all around the building. We are very proud of our grounds. Roxanne and John Ludwig are our exceptional caretakers and we are so grateful to them. Recently the awesome contractor, Pete Carlson, has added some fun elements.

Of course, you know who plants the big vegetable garden:

 

But in the summer months our friend Kelly Miland keeps it all going:

We love our outdoor areas at MCH and can't wait to get back out there and PLAY!

 

 

 

Look how they've grown!

Meet Our Staff

Bela says, "when will school start?"

 

As we head into a new school year, we wanted to take this opportunity to introduce you to what we affectionately refer to as, "The League of Extraordinary Montessorians". We're enthusiastic, invigorated and share the same philosophy of nurturing the young child in exploration of the world. Together, we're really looking forward to sharing in the joys, adventures and challenges of the new year. Of course, we're always around to answer any questions that you might have, and help in any way we can. Please don't hesitate to get in touch. It's going to be a great year!

 

 

MEET OUR MONTESSORI CHILDREN"S HOUSE STAFF

 

 

MEGAN DURKIN

primary teacher:classroom one

head of school

 

EMMA KLEESE

assistant teacher:classroom one 

 

NICOLE REGAN                                                   

primary teacher:classroom two                                 

 

  

 DANIELLE PEDRETTI

assistant teacher:classroom two

  

 SHANA HODEL

primary teacher:on travel leave

 

 

 PAT ROGNE

ASC teacher

 

PATTY GALLIVAN

float assistant

 

 

SEE YOU IN SEPTEMBER!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Summer at MCH

Playful, meaningful connection with the world outdoors needs to be a fundamental ingredient of every childhood. An integral part of the Montessori philosophy is the belief that children learn through personal experience. The summer at Montessori Children’s House focuses on increasing the child’s awareness, particularly in the area of life sciences. The summer is an ideal time for exploration of our natural areas, bird life and other animal life surrounding our school. The children plant and maintain their own garden of flowers and vegetables.  Many practical life activities like washing, scrubbing and polishing are moved outdoors. The program is designed to involve children in environmental education through interactive stories, songs and games.  They create arts and crafts projects and conduct experiments and scientific studies.  Regular cooking classes take place in our summer kitchen and feature healthy products picked from the garden. Outdoor exploration includes nature walks and scavenger hunts as well as tending our MCH garden and creating a mini-Farmer’s Market and lemonade stand.

A special session in late summer focuses on increasing the child’s awareness, particularly in the area of music learning.  Parents recognize the earliest signs of musical interest when children begin to capture portions of songs and move in response to music. To reinforce a child’s spontaneous musical activities leads to enhanced natural development of communication, expression, and cognition. It is also a lot of fun! Along with the American Orff-Schulwerk Association we at MCH are united in our belief that music and movement—to speak, sing and play; to listen and understand; to move and create—should be an active and joyful experience.   

Summer programs at MCH are open to current, past and future families who seek a nature based play environment where their children can explore and learn in a community of friends.

For more information visit our website or call 645-2445.                      
 

To Hold Back Or Not To Hold Back? Views On Redshirting « CBS Minnesota

Go, Edina--let them eat cake!

To Hold Back Or Not To Hold Back? Views On Redshirting « CBS Minnesota

Hello, Julia Child!

This spring break I did not attend the annual AMS conference (I do intend to listen to some of the workshops via the folks at EGAMI A/V). I did visit an intriguing Montessori site, though, while in Pasadena, CA.

The Aria Montessori School on Euclid Avenue dates back to 1913 and surely must have been the school attended by Julia Child. It was also visited by Maria Montessori herself in 1917 a few years after her famous demonstration class at the pan-pacific expo in California.

 

Bulding the Pink Tower

"Building the Pink Tower" is a documentary film project that reimagines schools and learning through the lens of Montessori education.

 

In a climate of concern and criticism about American schools, Building the Pink Tower shines a light on what we want in education: eager learning, creative thinking, and collaborative work. The film will examine how Montessori schools nurture the imagination of children and lay a solid foundation for their success in life. And it will offer strategies for incorporating elements of Montessori philosophy into any classroom environment.

The filmakers spent a morning at Cornerstone Montessori School in Saint Paul, MN, to gather footage for the fundraising trailer. They were moved by what they saw.

 

We want to share this video which shows the magic of Montessori education. www.buildingthepinktower.org

Like us on Facebook www.facebook.com/buildingthepinktower.

Kids in the Kitchen

Winter is a great time to initiate, or expand on, children's roles in the family kitchen. Our weekly cooking classes at MCH follow the Montessori principles of empowering young children to be independent and feature hands on developmentally appropriate and fun projects for young children. Each year we compile a cookbook of our child friendly recipes for families to try at home and have their children take the lead in the kitchen. There are several good cookbooks on the market geared toward preschoolers, such as Molly Kasten's Pretend Soup and her newest, Salad People. Habits for healthy eating and participation in family life can never start too early. It's a great way to empower your child to develop fine motor skills, concentration, a sense of order, independence and more. The end results are sweet rewards--you'll be surprised what even picky eaters will try if they have helped to make it themselves.

First Lady Michelle Obama's blog, Let's Move, had the following post today:

At just 12 years old, Haile Thomas has made a big difference. A youth leader working hard to inspire kids to eat healthy, Haile joined First Lady Michelle Obama, along with a handful of other guests, for the President’s State of the Union Address on Tuesday evening.  
read more

Happy Lunar New Year!

Preparing for the new year.

tea table

jiaoze 

good luck signs for the doors

Last year's lion dance to bring in the year of the dragon--

Hoping for good luck for all in the year of the snake!

Games for Children

The following post from Montessorian, Maren Schmidt gives great examples of activities to do with young children to develop awareness and self-control.

Learning to Stop and Think             Impulsivity is a sign of Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) and probably most 36-month-olds' behavior would meet the criteria for being ADHD.   Some of the criteria follow: makes careless mistakes, has difficulty sustaining attention in work or play activities, does not seem to listen, does not follow through on instructions, has difficulty organizing tasks, avoids tasks that require sustained effort, is easily distracted, is forgetful about daily activities.   What happens during years three, four and five of a child's development determines whether that child learns to self-regulate behavior. Mastering certain key skills during this first six years of life makes a huge difference in a person's life.     Learning to stop and think is one of those key skills. When I was a six-year-old my teenage neighbor taught me a singing cheer: Stop, look and listen. I've sung this cheer many a time with my preschool and elementary students to get the point clear and in the air when ADD behavior was everywhere.     It really does boil down to those three words. We need to help our children learn to stop, look and listen.   Stop. One of the simple games I recommend for helping direct and redirect a young child's behavior is the Verb Game. Helping your child integrate thought and movement, i.e. having the body obey the will, is a great help to the young child.       Directions for the Verb Game: On 3'' x 5'' index cards, with one word per card, write the following words: jump, walk, sit, stand, twirl, spin, squirm, wiggle, laugh, smile, nod, shake, blink, smack, stomp, tap, clap, click, rub, pat, crawl, freeze and stop.   I suggest writing these words down because in a moment of great need, I can never think of enough action words. But I can usually find the stack of cards.   Play the game by telling your child that you are going to play the Verb Game, that you'll say a word and both you and your child will do it together. Read ''jump'' out loud, and begin to jump. Jump for about ten seconds with your child, and then give the next command. After the fourth or so command, say, ''Don't jump.'' Wait about ten seconds, and see what happens.   What you more than likely will see is your child jump or do whatever you've instructed him or her to not do. Continue on with rest of the commands, and then offer your child a chance to give the commands. Play on a daily basis to help your child learn to follow directions by connecting mind and body, thoughts and actions.   Look.Helping your children to notice the world around them can be done with a game I call "What Do You See?" Take a detailed filled object-perhaps a photo from a magazine or an art postcard. Invite your child to play the "What Do You See?" game. Sit in a comfortable place and place the object in sight and say, "We are going to sit silently for 30 seconds and look at this picture. When 30 seconds is up I am going to ask you want you see."       On small slips of paper write what your child tells you he or she sees in the picture. Try to elicit ten items, placing the labels around the picture. Review and re-read each label. "You looked at this picture and you saw a girl, a bike, a bike helmet, a pink dress, a black dog, a boy, roller skates, a fence, red flowers, green grass, a big tree."   Point at each label as you name the items. Gather the labels, read them one at a time, hand the label to your child and let them place on the picture. Afterwards place the picture and the labels in a basket and place on an activity shelf for your child to repeat by either looking or, looking and labeling. Needless to say, this looking exercise is also an early reading activity.     Listen. Children love quiet. All they need is to learn how to listen. Children enjoy a listening game where everyone gets quiet for about two minutes, which is a very long time for three- and four-year-olds, and for some 34-year-olds, too.       In my preschool class I'd set an hourglass-type egg timer in the middle of our group to give the children a focal point and concept of how much longer they should sit and listen. In the quiet the children heard each other sigh, squirm and change positions. In short the children became aware of how a simple movement disrupts the mood of the group. At the end of the two-minute period, I would go around the group and ask each child what they heard as they listened.   Without exception, the children were amazed at what they could hear. Birds outside even though all the doors and windows were shut. Cars at the stop sign a block away. A fire truck leaving the station a mile away. The rumble of a train. The neighbor's tractor or leaf blower. The refrigerator. The heat clicking on. The air going through their noses. The clock ticking in the adjoining room. The faucet dripping in the bathroom. In the quiet the children listened. After this five- to ten-minute listening exercise the children appeared more confident and controlled in their actions, left the group lesson with tranquil smiles and worked the rest of the morning with deeper concentration than before the lesson.      Stop, look and listen. Cheer your children on to learn how to stop and think, essential skills for a lifetime.