By Marc Cobb
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The changing of seasons has long been a reliable marker of time. Early humans used the unwavering journey of the sun to track the hours into days — and then the days to track the sometimes subtle, often blatant transitions between seasons. In modern times, we find our calendars themed to match the seasonal catchphrases and we each look forward to our own favorite time of year.

Back to School
For teachers, back to school was its own season. It is filled with eager lesson planning and engagement with students, colleagues and parents. The children settle into their refreshed classrooms, and before we realize it, life begins to hum along straight into autumn. It can be easy to let each day flow quickly into the next. Often, it’s the students who end up reminding me one day later in fall that the colors are changing, balance has been achieved and the community has reached a calm pace of ease and independence.

Winter Break
Now, as we approach Winter Break, life is busy inside and out of the classroom. Students and teachers alike participate in the balancing act of finishing school projects, attending holiday events and more, as the days move ever more swiftly. Before we can blink, it seems the holidays arrive on our horizons and move past just as quickly. Finally, when we all return from break in January, it can sometimes feel like the break was over before it began, making those first months of the new year feel like they will stretch out ahead forever. In the past, I’ve personally noticed that it can be hard returning to school, finding it hard to get motivated while waiting for the days to get longer, and the light to return.

Opportunity for Change
This year, though, I plan to approach the early months of the new year with a renewed sense of hope and opportunity. If Fall was a time to harvest knowledge, winter after the holidays can become a time to reflect on experiences from the previous year. It is a chance to ask, what awaits me in the coming months? What have I learned and how can I apply that learning to the rest of the school year? How might new connections inspire the present environment? Regardless of what your needs and interests may be, perhaps you too will choose to embrace creativity amidst the chaos of new changes. For though fall may bring the vibration of newness, it is my hope that Winter brings us all a chance for peaceful reflection and the gifts of peace and quiet contemplation.

​Have a wonderful break, we can’t wait to see you in 2020.
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Marc Cobb is the Middle School Program Director/Lead Teacher in our Middle School Program. You can reach him here.

by Tammia Streuber
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Maria Montessori wrote, “The child has a different relation to his environment from ours… the child absorbs it. The things he sees are not just remembered; they form part of his soul. He incarnates in himself all in the world about him that his eyes see and his ears hear.”

If we adhere to these powerful words of Montessori then we are to believe that our young infants and toddlers are absorbing all that is around them, and are really creating a version of their future selves. If we want these future selves to be emotionally mature beings who have empathy for others and aren’t afraid to express themselves then it is our job to teach these children how to identify and respond to these emotions, and maybe most importantly of all that it is ok to express and have these feelings.

Talk About the Emotions
Labeling how your child is feeling in the moment may be one of the most helpful tools in learning about emotions. It allows the child to have a real example of what it means to be sad, frustrated, or even angry. When we put the words, “I see that you’re sad,” or “I know it’s frustrating” into context with their tears or angry outbursts we are helping them understand what is going on inside of their body. The words sad or frustrated begin to have a context and meaning apart from just being a word that adults use. It gives these children a way to eventually start discussing their feelings with others.

Model
Not only is labeling a child’s emotions helpful, but we can also label our own feelings for children. When we lock our keys in the car and have a moment of frustration that could lead into a not so pleasant expression of words; we can think twice and say, “I’m so frustrated.” It’s OK for our children to see our vulnerable expressions of feelings. It again puts a context to the words and makes it more real for the child. Saying, “I’m sad right now. I can feel the tears on my face,” may be exactly what your child needs to see and hear to know what sadness means.

Empathize
Go beyond just labeling emotions, and let your child know that it’s normal and OK to express their emotions. We want to create humans who are in touch with this side of themselves, and don’t hesitate to let others know how they are feeling. When your child is throwing themselves on the floor because they didn’t get that toy they wanted; feel free to say, “I see that you’re angry right now. It’s OK to feel that way. I get angry sometimes too.” The simple words of “it’s OK to feel that way” may be the magical words that stop the tantrum.

​Most importantly they are the magical words that your child will remember when they are the adult who may be feeling angry, and instead of bottling up these emotions they will be able to express them in a healthy way.

Simple Responses
At the infant and toddler level we need to remember to keep our responses simple and to the point. Once we’ve labeled and empathized with our child then we can give some words and directions that will hopefully help our child self-sooth and manage their emotions. Taking a deep breath and exhaling can often work wonders for the child who is very upset. This moment of taking a breath often relaxes their body in a way that very few things can, and lets them begin to focus on what comes next.

When taking a breath doesn’t work we can also offer the option of needing some time and space. It’s ok to tell your child that it looks like they need some space, and slowly step back to give them the time and space they need to work through their emotions. Not all emotions have an easy resolution, and sometimes the best thing is to allow the toddler to feel the emotions and let it pass. Other times asking them if they need something or asking them if they would like a hug is a sign of respecting them but offering a tangible connection they may need to work through their emotions.

Dealing with emotions is not always an easy thing to do. However, the work you put in now will only help to benefit your child’s future self!
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Tammia Streuber is MCH's Lead Teacher in the Infant/Toddler Program. You can reach her here.

by Angela Spayde
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It turns out, hugs are more important than candy. 

As the children walked down the hallways of Aegis, trick-or-treating at the doors of residents (one of whom was 101 years old!), we ran into Betty taking a stroll on her way to the dining hall. Betty didn’t have any candy to give out at the moment and asked the children if they would like hugs instead. As almost all of the children lined up to give Betty hug after hug, tears streamed out of Betty’s eyes as she joyfully embraced each child and chaperone. She explained how her children were all grown, and that she doesn’t get to see children much anymore. 

This first verse from a William Blake poem feels like a nice way to describe what took place at Aegis that day:

To see a World in a Grain of Sand
And a Heaven in a Wild Flower, 
Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand
And Eternity in an hour.

Over the last few years, MCH and the Aegis community have established a growing relationship. Aegis is a local assisted living community that serves memory care patients. This year we have partnered with Aegis Redmond, and we couldn’t be more excited. Once a month, residents come to our campus to participate in various activities in our Early Childhood classrooms. Our elementary students are also visiting their community once a month.

This intergenerational connection is invaluable. The young, the old, and the in between are making lasting connections, and it’s impacting both of our communities in beautiful ways. 
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Angela Spayde is the Student Support Director at MCH. You can reach her here.

​by Joan Dietrich
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The goal of raising an independent, capable child without encountering endless power struggles on the way is an age-old dilemma for parents.

One of the prime goals in a Montessori education is to foster independence and critical thinking skills in each child. Sometimes, though, successes teachers see at school don’t necessarily translate in the home.

One of the most frequently raised concerns in my own years as a Montessori guide have centered around the goal of fostering greater independence in the home. A recent talk led by our wonderful consultant, Jonathan Wolff, opened up a great dialogue on the topic. I’d like to share some practical ideas for helping your child to develop those great skills at home.

1.) To strategize getting out the door, try selecting clothes the night before.
I know very well how difficult it can be, for example, to get out the door on time in the morning, and how tempting it can be to do things for your child in order to be on time. My daughter and I commuted together every day for seven years, and I remember, red-faced, grabbing all of her items to just get in the car and go, darn it! Her seven years of Montessori education, fortunately, were enough to overcome some of those tough moments and I am happy to report that she is an independent and capable person today.

Check the weather forecast together, and have some practical clothing suggestions at hand (ideally, a choice of two or three items) when the selected clothes are, say, a tutu and water shoes for a cold, rainy day! Lay out the clothes with the agreement that this is what will be worn tomorrow. If your child changes their mind in the morning, try having a set agreement that the second preferred outfit can be worn tomorrow instead.

Jackets hung on hooks at your child’s height will help them to remember to grab them before you leave. When you’re shopping for a winter coat, try, if you can, to test out the zipper. Not all zippers are made alike, and some can be challenging for small children to fasten. See whether your child can zip themselves, if you help them to place the pin in the channel first. Until they have learned to tie their own shoes, Velcro-strapped shoes are ideal for small hands to master.

2.) In the kitchen, try providing a cupboard or shelf space that is at your child’s height.
Stock it with cups and bowls that are just their size. In the refrigerator, a shelf or drawer that is stocked with snacks that they can access whenever “hangry” moments loom can allow them to tend to their own needs. Fruit, vegetables, and something protein-rich like hummus or cheese all stave off cravings well without taking an appetite for dinner away completely.

You could take the snack preparation a step further by having your child help to prepare snacks. Food preparation is a familiar activity in just about any classroom. Keep a small pitcher of water in your refrigerator from which your child can pour their own drinks. When it’s possible, have your child help to prepare meals by washing produce, tearing greens, or setting the table.

3.) Show them how to clear the dishes from the table, and have them assist in the process whenever possible.
Montessori children learn to care for their classroom, taking ownership in a place that is theirs. Introducing the language of caring for your home together, because it is theirs as much as yours, will help them to invest in chores like sorting laundry, tidying their toys, or putting away their clothes.

None of these suggestions are a magical fix, and mastery of any skill by your child is often accompanied by an apparent backsliding in some other skill that they once had. Parenting is never a linear process! However, the more ways you can involve your child in the day-to-day tasks of running your home, the more invested they become in caring for it themselves, and the more independence you will gradually foster in your child.

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Joan Dietrich is MCH's Early Childhood Curriculum Coordinator. You can reach her here.

by Mary Moore

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Children in the elementary program are in the second plane of development, according to Dr. Montessori. They have left behind the absorbent mind, which helped them soak up learning through individual experiences in the environment, and now learn more deeply through social interaction. This change requires a new approach to their education. For example, the children in Morado work together frequently. We’ll explore different ways the social impulse changes our approach to education in several posts.  Today, we explore how it makes stories an ideal inspiration and framework for the curriculum. We’ll particularly focus on the Great Lessons, which are five stories we tell at the beginning of every year. 
 
The secret of good teaching is to regard the child’s intelligence as a fertile field in which seeds may be sown, to grow under the heat of flaming imagination…so to touch his imagination as to enthuse him to his inmost core.  
Maria Montessori To Educate the Human Potential (p. 11) 
 
When your children were younger, they were content to know what things were, so we spent lots of time naming things. Now, they want to know that, plus how and why they are that way. They want details, but only after they get the big picture. What bigger picture could we give than how the universe came to be? This first story starts children wondering about things. It introduces the disciplines of chemistry, physics, astronomy, cosmology, and geology. It also introduces the idea that everything serves itself, but also serves the universe. The children begin to think about what their own role might be. This story has a secular spiritual component that can be compatible with both religious and non-religious families at home. 
 
The second story tells about The Coming of Life, opening all the areas of biology for study. Again we suggest that everything has a ‘cosmic task’—it serves its own needs and the needs of the universe. Each of us has a place in the universe. We celebrate The Coming of Humans with its own story, and all the areas of study related to culture come up as we explore how different peoples filled their needs. This story describes “a special kind of love” that appears unique to humans: we can care about people we’ve never seen, people who lived before us and those who will come after us. The fourth story is about writing. Through this, we explore different ways people communicate on paper, and how this spreads their culture and opens them to greater influence by other groups. The final story is about numbers, and it makes math so much more than different ways of calculating; math is a way of understanding the world. 
 
I became an elementary Montessori teacher because I loved how the approach revealed the inter-connectedness of the universe. Children could discover their own role within that web and develop their own powers to learn. I hope you will enjoy your glimpses into what your children are thinking about as we tell the Great Lessons. Bedtime and travelling time are probably the two most likely times for you to hear what your child is wondering about most. Try to remain alert to those moments, and give your particular attention then.  

The Great Lessons will take us into October, but we will not leave them behind at that point. Future lessons will refer back to these Great Lessons from different angles. In grammar, we see how nouns are matter and verbs are energy, for example. In biology, we learn how plants and animals are adapted to their surroundings. 
 
Here are some resources: 
Watch this nine minute video with your child. It captures the wonder of things both very large and very small.
  
If you prefer a visual presentation of cosmic education and the Great Lessons, watch this short PowerPoint presentation, followed by the one specifically on the Great Lessons.
 
This is a great introduction to the Great Lessons on an adult level (not a Montessori version, but notice how mainstream Montessori ideas have become! You can even get a degree in this now.)  
 
Read Montessori Today, by Paula Polk Lillard. This may be a full book, but it is an easy, quick read. 
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Mary Moore is one of the Lead Teachers in the Morado Classroom. You can reach her at [email protected]. 

Around this time of year, people are often encouraged to give to those less fortunate than they are. And while this is an important and wonderful part of holiday time, at MCH we believe giving isn’t tied to a holiday, it’s tied to a feeling. At MCH, this feeling never ends. 

We first began our Community Engagement Program three years ago. The difference in our program is built right into the name – it’s about getting engaged and active within the community we call home. It’s in the “engagement” that we make a difference in today’s world and the world our children will live in when they move into adulthood – and also where the children start learning what it means to care. 

This year, we’ve chosen a non-profit partner close to home. HOPELINK, located right in downtown Redmond, is a vital resource for families who fall on hard times either through job loss, injury/sickness or domestic violence. 
We kicked off our Engagement Campaign in November, where our kindergarten and elementary community came together for a talent show, a potluck dinner and the opportunity to gather hats and gloves for HOPELINK as the season grew colder. 

Continuing into this month, we’re focused on a Basic Needs Drive. Basic needs are those items we all use on a daily basis. To add variety to our Drive, we’re asking the Infant/Toddler Program families to consider bringing in baby items such as diapers and baby wipes. The Early Childcare Program is encouraged to bring personal care items such as toothpaste and toothbrushes, soap, deodorant and other hygiene items. In the Elementary Program, we’re already bringing in paper items (toilet paper, napkins) and household cleaning products. But of course, a donation of any kind is welcome and makes a huge impact to those who need a little extra joy this time of year. 
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To bring the message of the Basic Needs Drive to real life for our students, the students themselves will be loading a truck with all donated items, delivering them to HOPELINK, and unloading the items. It’s in this activity that we see the children make the connection to what’s happening – not everyone is as lucky as they are, and making a difference can happen in your own town. 

I encourage you to consider the families that depend on HOPELINK the next time you’re holiday shopping or at the grocery store. This weekend, students stood outside a local grocery store, spreading the word about our Basic Needs Drive – and they are getting about watching the donations come in. 
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Thank you for making MCH the supportive, giving community that it is. With your help, we are teaching our children a valuable lesson about community engagement and the impact it has on our neighbors. 

​Last year, MCH was lucky enough to be named 425 Magazine’s Best Preschool. Receiving the BEST OF trophy at the award ceremony last year was one of the highlights of our year, and one of the proudest moments of my professional career.
 
The 425 honor was all because of one thing: You. Readers voted and wrote in their favorite preschool, and thanks to the MCH community, our little school was recognized as an outstanding school among other schools who, quite frankly, are a lot bigger than us.
 
This year 425 Magazine is opening their voting period early due to the overwhelming popularity of their BEST OF awards. We would love to hold on to our title, and boldly strive to add a new one: Best Private Elementary School.
 
Once again, 425’s BEST of is completely reader-determined; you can’t buy the award title you have to win it. It’s an authentic vote-driven title and 100% legitimate.
 
If you’re a part of our Early Childhood Program or our Elementary Program, we’d love your vote and support. Online voting takes minutes and it would mean the world to us – and the MCH community.
 
Winning a title is a lot more than great PR for MCH; it’s a vote of confidence in our teachers and staff. There’s a tremendous amount of pride in working for a school that has been recognized for its excellence. Winning the title of Best Preschool and Best Private Elementary School would send a message to our teachers that thanks them for their hard work each and every day.
 
Voting opens November 8th. Thank you for voting for our teachers, thank you for voting for our school, and thank you for being a part of MCH.