The previous month at MCH has been an amazing month for us as we took home several awards and recognitions! We are so thrilled to have received the award for Best of 425 for our Preschool Program! Thank you so much to our community, alumni and Facebook subscribers for helping achieve this amazing recognition. We truly couldn’t have done it without you. We accepted the award from 425 at a Best of 425 celebration on Wednesday. If you haven’t seen our Facebook live announcement, check it out on our Facebook Page!
Last year we were incredibly honored to have won the Washington State Green School Leader award for excellence in Pillar 2 (Improve the health and wellness of schools, students, and staff) and this year we are even more excited to build on our win by achieving both Pillar 2 and Pillar 3 (Providing effective environmental and sustainability education, incorporating STEM, civic skills, and green career pathways). Sultana Shah from OSPI presented our Elementary Green Team the award on our outdoor natural playground on Earth Day….which couldn’t have been more perfect! It’s been a stellar month at MCH and a stellar year as we celebrate our 30th Anniversary. We hope you will come join us at our 30th Anniversary Party on May 13th! We’ve made it easy for you to attend with complimentary childcare and free dinner and drinks! Grab your tickets here and make a date night out of it. See you there!
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Whenever I hand my child a screen, I feel like the timer starts NOW. I don’t want to give him too much time, but this is the tech age – it will always be a part of his life. And I really need a minute to get this one thing done real quick, or enjoy a meal without having to shove it down, or have a minute to myself when I don’t have to have my parenting hat on. If this sounds like you, read on. Because of the area we live in -- steeped in tech employers – you may think it’s important for children to have hands-on exposure to tech so they can learn the skills to get a job in technology down the road. But what kind of skills is your child getting from watching YOU TUBE for three hours? I’m going to drop some realism on you right now: Screen time is the number one reason why your kids don’t spend time outdoors. And screen time is TOTAL screen time; from the time you handed the phone to your child while you shopped in the grocery story, to the time they watched an educational video on the iPad. Anytime small eyeballs are on a screen equals Screen Time. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) suggests that children and teens have no more than one to two hours of screen time per day. Children under the age of two should have no screen time at all. And here’s a little trivia for you: Steve Jobs, the father of modern technology and mobile screens, didn’t allow his own children to use the iPad and limited their technology use in general. WHAT TO DO ABOUT SCREEN TIME It’s great to have goals, but when reality sets in, we can only do our best. And situations do arise when screen time is needed (for educational research) and enjoyed (family movie night.) Here are some ways you can aim for shortened (or no) screen times and teach your child how to develop a healthy relationship with technology: * Walk the walk. I once saw a mother scold her child as they sat in a doctor’s waiting room, “No, you cannot have my phone!” she said and then proceed to swipe open Facebook herself. See the irony? Children do what they see done; if they see you continually on your phone, they will be on theirs (if they have one.) But if they see you reading in the waiting room, they are more likely to read too. If you are constantly sitting on the couch, they will want to be there too. When you’re bored or have some down time, instead of checking your feed, go for a walk, listen to music, take some extra time making dinner – and invite your child to be right there with you too. - Establish boundaries. If everyone knows the rules, it’s a lot easier to play. Determine what works best for your family and come up with rules together. If you do need 10 minutes to yourself each night, make that time your child’s time to have screen time. But you are sure to fail, be on the receiving end of epic tantrums, if those time rules change from day to day or situation to situation. No one likes to feel like they aren’t getting a fair deal; your child included. - Do something else. As much as screen time may be a part of your child’s everyday life, add in ‘non screen’ activities as a part everyday life. Read a book together, play a board game, do an art project, throw a ball around the backyard even ask them to help you with whatever you ‘need’ to do (help with the laundry, help you wash the car, work in the garden, take them to the grocery store with you and they take the items off the shelf and put them in the cart.) All off these things put off screen time but also build daily life skills they need. * ‘Doors open’ Policy. When your kids are having screen time, set the rules that their door is open and no headphones. That way you can hear what they’re watching, who they’re watching and when they’re watching. You can side step a door open policy by having a common area or room where screen time happens. Keep your computer in the family room, iPads must always be watched on the couch – these rules help prevent content you don’t want your child watching from ever making it to the screen. - Make it a group activity. When your child is playing the latest app he asked you to download, watch him play it and ask questions. Getting involved in your child’s screen time not only gives you a solid understanding of what the game is about (and if it’s appropriate for your child); it evolves screen time into family time. WARNINGS SIGNS: “TOO MUCH SCREEN TIME” It may be time to power down those devices once you observe how screen time affects your child physically, mentally and emotionally. Notice how your child’s normal attitude shifts after she has a small amount of screen time versus a longer amount of time. Some warning signs may be: Behavior changes. Experts says that TV and computer time have “an immediate impact on children.” Take a moment to note your child’s behavior before they take hold of the iPad and after. If you see any aggressive, impatient, selfish, and irritable behavior you may want to scale back the amount of time, limit screen time to weekends or eliminate devices all together. Poor sleep. Screens are a kaleidoscope of continual little flashes of light and constant sound. If you notice your child has a hard time falling asleep or staying asleep, it’s time to make some easy changes. Studies show that beyond the eye stimulus and repetitive noise, just the glow from the screen disrupts sleep patterns. Don’t put a TV in your child’s bedroom and all devices should be kept in one common room location. That way, they can be charged overnight, beeps and sounds won’t wake your child, and you can end the never-ending game we call in my house “Where’d You Put the Charger?” Weight gain. If you’re one of those families who have the TV on all the time, including meal times, it’s time to hit the power button. Not only are TVs conversation stoppers, they also seem to captivate children of all ages. Being distracted while eating can lead to over-eating, or sometimes not eating at all, and neither is a good choice for young bodes. THE BOTTOM LINE ON SCREEN TIME The best advice regarding screen time from a Montessori standpoint is much like the Montessori teaching method itself: Freedom within limits. Children can use the phone, computer or hand held devices; but they must know that there are rules around what they watch and how long they can watch it. Screen time should never be in place of engaging your child in the three-dimensional world they live in. Yes, children should be knowledgeable in technology, but chances are, they are already more tech savvy than you are so there’s nothing to worry about there. But there is everything to worry about when it comes to interpersonal communication, grace and manners, and being OK with quiet time instead not fighting off the next wave of alien invaders. In the Montessori world, we don’t introduce computers into the Early Childhood curriculum at all. In the elementary program, we use computers as a tool for research or teach keyboarding. By the time our MCH students are in third grade, we teach them Internet safety, what they can do to protect themselves and what’s appropriate, what’s not. Montessori is the alternative teaching method that teaches children to be independent, mindful and aware of the world around them. But if they have their face in screen, it’s not so easy to do that. Some of today’s biggest entertainment and business influencers credit their career success to timing. Others, to good luck. But there is a large population of entrepreneurs, artists, actors, singers and business leaders – even royalty – who credit their success to a Montessori education.
The entire thought process behind a Montessori education is uniquely positioned to create people who strive for something more. Why? Because it bucks trends and never defines where the student should be and what is possible. A Montessori foundation is “follow the child” which means that each child has their own unique set of skills, attributes and talents, and Montessori allows the child the freedom to explore their talents without the pressure to meet pre-determined “success rates” created by standardized testing. Will Wright the creator of the software game Sims City and Spore says “the joy of Discovery” in his Montessori education is what uniquely inspired him to become a video game developer. He attributes Montessori to being an “imagination amplifier” for him that propelled him into the creative innovation of video game development. Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon, says that “Discovery and experimentation where what allowed him to be comfortable with risk and failure as he built his mega empire, Amazon, from the ground up. Larry Page and Sergei Brin, the founders of Google, attribute their success to their Montessori foundation where they developed self-motivation, the ability to question and discover, ultimately the fostering of their curiosity. Stephen Curry, NBA basketball player for the Golden State Warriors, says that he attributes his self-confidence to Montessori. Julia Childs, famous chef, attributed her Montessori education to a lifelong love of discovery and mastery, manual dexterity and her love and joy of her work. P Diddy (Sean Combs) is the Grammy award-winning musician; rap recording artist and CEO of bad boy records. Sean recalls the following from his Montessori education “I feel like I was nurtured into wanting to be somebody special.” Gabriel Garcia Marquez, a Nobel prize-winning author, has said his Montessori education gave him “the desire to kiss literature” and states, “I do not believe there is a method better than Montessori for making children sensitive to the beauties of the world and awakening their curiosity regarding the secrets of life.” The list of Famous Montessori students is extensive and just to name a few more: JOSHUA BELL – Grammy award-winning violinist and subject of a Pulitzer prize-winning media story GEORGE CLOONEY – Academy award-winning actor, director, producer, humanitarian, United Nations messenger of peace DAKOTA FANNING – Actor ANNE FRANK – Memoirist & author HELEN HUNT – Academy award-winning actor HELEN KELLER – Political activist, author, lecturer, awarded the presidential Medal of Freedom, one of Gallup’s most widely admired people of the 20th century BEYONCE KNOWLES – Singer, songwriter, actress and fashion designer, 16-time Grammy award-winner YO YO MA – United Nations Peace Ambassador, winner of 15 Grammy Awards, Presidential Medal of Freedom & National Medal of the Arts HM QUEEN NOOR of JORDAN – U.N. Advisor, humanitarian activist, memoirist and wife of the late king Hussein of Jordan JACQUELINE KENNEDY ONASSIS – Former first lady and Doubleday editor TAYLOR SWIFT – Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter PRINCE HARRY AND PRINCE GEORGE – British Royals Here’s the scenario: Imagine a colleague at work asks where your child goes to school. You answer, MCH, of course.
“What’s MCH? Is that a public school?” she asks. “No, it’s a private Montessori school,” you reply. “Montessori, huh?” (Insert slight smile, questioning look in the eyes HERE.) “Is that a gifted school?” “No,” you respond. “Is it a school for kids with special needs?” “No,” you respond again. “Then what is it?” she asks, desperately wanted to find the appropriate category to put your child in. “It’s a 100-year old educational system based off the discoveries of Maria Montessori, one of the first female doctors, and educational innovator,” you smile. OK, so maybe you didn’t exactly say that. But you could, and you should, because that’s what Montessori is about. It’s about smaller class sizes, individualized learning and igniting a lifelong love of learning in people. So why is it that the Montessori Method seems to be so much more forward thinking than global traditional models of education? Is it perhaps that our traditional model was developed in the early 19th century and was created to educate factory workers and corporate bureaucrats? Is it that is prioritizes academic subjects such as Math and Language, while subjects such as Humanities and the Arts are de-emphasized and underfunded? Is it that the old method of education fails to develop skills such as self-discipline and initiative, the flexibility of learning new skills, social intelligence, curiosity and innovation and imagination? Rather the old model encourages; standardization and conformity just like a factory mold, rote memorization of facts, test-taking abilities, discouraging failure, and suppressing emotional responses. What skills and attributes will our children need in their future? The world has changed so rapidly over the last 20 years since the introduction of technology and the pace of change continues to excel beyond our ability to keep up with it at times. The jobs that have been available to our generation are disintegrating and being replaced by technology and robots. What skills will our children need to be successful? Bragging rights: The 5 things your child is learning right now that is already making them an even more successful person 1.) First and foremost they are developing the skill of being flexible. You child may hold a total of 20 different jobs in their lifetime. They will need to be a lifelong learner in order to keep up with changing technological advances and trends in business. The creative, innovative thinkers will be the elite in our society. Bragging right #2: The best jobs will be in innovative technology development or executive managerial roles. Our children will need to be intrinsically motivated, creative thinkers with well-developed social and emotional intelligence that allows them to excel in executive management positions (Really, that's bragging rights 3, 4 and 5 right there.) 21st Century competencies will be organization, creative problem solving, collaboration and big picture thinking. Bragging right #3: We will be in need of a radical reform in our educational model. We will need a system of education that fosters intrinsic motivation, which approaches teaching through Socratic inquiry. Bragging right #4: There is a tremendous amount of research on the value of peer teaching. Learning will need to be productive and active through project-based processes that allow children to develop their organization, time management skills; that evoke critical thinking by teaching children how to ask the right questions and find their own answers. Bragging right #5: Project-based learning, not one-hit wonder lectures – and then a test to prove you learned something. Project-based learning allows children to evoke their imaginations and discover not only the facts but also thinking through the possibilities. It develops skills of communication, presentation and it solidifies what they’ve learned as they present their projects and educate others on what they know. Best Regards, Jennifer Wheelhouse Head of School Montessori Children’s House jennifer@mchkids.com 425-868-7805 office This week, many of our classrooms are having volunteer training, so it felt like the perfect time to talk about what “getting involved” means to your child and the MCH community. All of us have busy lives and it’s easy to think up reasons why to not volunteer: work, family, travel. But even if it’s just for one hour, once a month, the benefits of your child seeing your face in their classroom are surmountable. Here are 4 wonderful side effects and character-building results that come from you volunteering (and here’s a sneak peek – not all the benefits are for your child. YOU will reap the benefits!): 1.) Actions speak louder than words. You may tell your child that school is important. But when he sees you in the classroom, he will KNOW it’s important. “Mom has to work. Dad is busy. But if my parent is taking time to be in the classroom, it must be important.” By volunteering in class, you let your actions do the talking. As a result your child will learn the importance of “showing up” and being involved in the school community. This is an important skill for any student to develop… and he is never too young to learn. 2.) Pride. There’s just something about having your mom or dad (or grandparent) volunteer in the classroom. Students have a sense of pride by seeing their family member in the classroom. It also gives other students a chance to get to know you and builds a relationship between you and the teacher. 3.) In their own environment. Sure you can ask your child how their day went (and they may or may not tell you,) but getting a glimpse into the classroom on a normal day is one way to see what’s really going on. See their natural interactions, how they work, how they play, what they do great and what can be worked on. You’re not going to get all this insight just by asking, “So, what did you learn at school today?” (With all this being said, volunteering in the classroom is for the benefit of yourself and the classroom. To solely observe your child, please contact your teacher.) 4.) Share your talents. Everyone brings a unique skill set or perspective into the classroom. And because Montessori is a full-spectrum education, almost nothing is off limits. Do you make an awesome apple pie? Come in and teach the students how to make a pie. Are you knowledgeable about a famous artist? Come in and do an art history discussion where the students can share who their favorite artists are. Are you passionate about gardening? Come and show students how to pick the perfect carrot. One hour of your time will make a lasting impression on your child, and their friends in the classroom. And it’s because of our awesome parent community, that MCH is a place like no other. For a list of volunteer opportunities – or to suggest your own – please contact your child’s teacher. --- Jennifer McConnell is MCH's Head of School. You can reach her at Jennifer@MCHkids.com. This week, many of our classrooms are having volunteer training, so it felt like the perfect time to talk about what “getting involved” means to your child and the MCH community.
All of us have busy lives and it’s easy to think up reasons why to not volunteer: work, family, travel. But even if it’s just for one hour, once a month, the benefits of your child seeing your face in their classroom are surmountable. Here are 4 wonderful side effects and character-building results that come from you volunteering (and here’s a sneak peek – not all the benefits are for your child. YOU will reap the benefits!): 1.) Actions speak louder than words. You may tell your child that school is important. But when he sees you in the classroom, he will KNOW it’s important. “Mom has to work. Dad is busy. But if my parent is taking time to be in the classroom, it must be important.” By volunteering in class, you let your actions do the talking. As a result your child will learn the importance of “showing up” and being involved in the school community. This is an important skill for any student to develop… and he is never too young to learn. 2.) Pride. There’s just something about having your mom or dad (or grandparent) volunteer in the classroom. Students have a sense of pride by seeing their family member in the classroom. It also gives other students a chance to get to know you and builds a relationship between you and the teacher. 3.) In their own environment. Sure you can ask your child how their day went (and they may or may not tell you,) but getting a glimpse into the classroom on a normal day is one way to see what’s really going on. See their natural interactions, how they work, how they play, what they do great and what can be worked on. You’re not going to get all this insight just by asking, “So, what did you learn at school today?” (With all this being said, volunteering in the classroom is for the benefit of yourself and the classroom. To solely observe your child, please contact your teacher.) 4.) Share your talents. Everyone brings a unique skill set or perspective into the classroom. And because Montessori is a full-spectrum education, almost nothing is off limits. Do you make an awesome apple pie? Come in and teach the students how to make a pie. Are you knowledgeable about a famous artist? Come in and do an art history discussion where the students can share who their favorite artists are. Are you passionate about gardening? Come and show students how to pick the perfect carrot. One hour of your time will make a lasting impression on your child, and their friends in the classroom. And it’s because of our awesome parent community, that MCH is a place like no other. For a list of volunteer opportunities – or to suggest your own – please contact your child’s teacher. The parent looked at me with concern. “Is that safe?” she asked and gestured to our new playground. It was a beautiful day; sunny, just the hint of a breeze. I turned to look at the reality of my vision and smiled.
Since the 90s, swing sets have been removed from playgrounds. Straight slides were removed because they picked up too much speed. The term ‘helicopter parent’ was introduced into our vocabulary. We can all remember playing in the vacant lot until sundown, walking through the woods with neighborhood kids, and taking a stroll to the corner store. A lot of people say, “Those were the days… but it’s a lot different now.” And it is different. Today, children have learning challenges, emotional issues and heightened sensory awareness. ‘Back in the day,’ it was rare to hear about these issues. Psychology Today reported on a study where rats were prohibited to play during “a critical phase in their development.” This made the protected rats “emotionally crippled.” When they were finally placed into a common environment, the protected rats “overacted with fear and failed to adapt and explore surroundings.” Furthermore, protected rats were shown to react inappropriately and with aggression. The same study notes that over the last 60 years there’s been a “continuous, gradual but dramatic increase in childhood mental disorders, especially emotional disorders.” Experts philosophize this is because of prohibited and protected play. Another fear factor introduced into our generation of helicopter parents is the continuous need to be plugged in to the media. Are there more pedophiles today than 20 years ago? Or have the horrible stories been made more known, thanks to the ever-present media? According to the Huffington Post, “If there was a kidnapping or case of child abuse or child murder in one part of the country, those at a distance would never hear about it. But in our Internet-fueled world, we hear about threats daily, however distant they are,” says the Huffington Post. “It’s not surprising that many parents are terrified for their children’s safety.” Psychology Today says children climb trees to “scary heights” to get a bird’s eye view of the world…and they get a thrill out of it. They ride skateboards at high speeds, swing too high and whiz down slides …just fast enough to “produce the thrill of almost, but not quite, losing control.” When you let your child make their own mistakes, they learn from them. They discover limits and push boundaries. Their self-esteem is put on hyper-speed when they learn to do things themselves, on their own terms. There’s no doubt you feel different now that you are the age you are. You have life experience. You’ve had your heart broken. You’ve fallen and gotten back up. If all “the bad things” that happened to you never happened, you wouldn’t be the person you are. You wouldn’t have common sense and know what ‘feel right’ and what ‘feels wrong.’ It’s not easy to let your child walk home from school. It’s scary – for you. And you will feel an absolute moment of relief when you see her come around the corner. But know, that your child just had a little adventure, and adventures are exciting because they’re a little bit scary. This article appears in 425 Magazine Greetings! I am excited to share that an article I wrote, along with MCH Marketing/Advertising Coordinator Georgie Hockett, will be published in the June issue of 425 Magazine. The article is on the importance of Risk Play. We decided to tackle this subject in conjunction with the opening of our elementary nature-based adventure playground. I am passionate about the subject matter because risk play is so important to a child's development during their school age years. Please enjoy the following "sneak peek" from the soon-to-be-published article and look for it in the June publication of 425: There has been a lot of buzz lately about “free-range kids,” “free-range parenting,” and risk play. We can all remember playing in the spare lot until sundown, walking through the woods with the neighborhood kids, and taking a stroll to the corner store with our best friend. A lot of people say, “Those were the days… but it’s a lot different now.” And it is different. Children these days have learning challenges; emotional issues and heightened sensory awareness. ‘Back in the day,’ it was rare to hear about these issues. Some researches say that’s because we, as a society, became all too protective, and all too plastic. According to Psychology Today, children climb trees to “scary heights” to get a bird’s eye view of the world…and they get a thrill out of the view (wouldn’t we all?) They ride skateboards at high speeds, swing too high and whiz down slides …just fast enough to “produce the thrill of almost, but not quite, losing control.” Twice a year, the Elementary students here at Montessori Children's House host two Continental Breakfast events. We invite parents to come into the classroom for an hour in the morning, enjoy food made by the students, and see what they are working on in the classroom.
During the breakfast event, children typically give their parents a "tour" of the work in their folders and binders and show them a favorite or recent work. Everyone eats from a continental breakfast spread prepared by the Elementary students, including freshly baked breakfast pastries, bagels, fresh fruit, juice and coffee. It's an informal social time for parents to connect with each other, their children's friends, and of course, the teachers. This year, we are hosting our first Elementary Continental Breakfast on Friday, January 30 with a second one scheduled for Friday, May 1 (we'll have a May Day theme for this one!). The event starts at 9:00am and we look forward to seeing parents and preparing the breakfast menu. Check back on this post; after the January 30th breakfast, we will update the blog with pictures from the event. Additionally, we encourage you to LIKE us on Facebook where we post pictures, video and new information daily -- another great way to connect with Montessori Children's House and see all the latest news and information. Thank for being part of the vibrant MCH community! As we near the close of Winter Break, it’s a great time to step back and take a look at the school year so far.
With our new building effortlessly moving into its first complete school year — and our second playground nearing completion — MCH is hitting its stride. We welcomed a handful of new teachers this year and by this point in time, students and new teachers have created a bond and establishing formative relationships. Already MCH has welcomed some exciting after- school learning programs such as Ms. Amy’s Music Club (or Rock Star Training, as some say), ceramics, art by Ms. Michelle and Spanish lessons hosted by Sponge. The elementary and kindergarten students have attended several art and theatrical programs such as Dick Whittington and His Cat (at Seattle Children’s Theatre) and The Nutcracker by the Pacific Northwest Ballet; the last year that the Sendak version is being performed. As we look forward to Winter Break and 2015, we look forward to even more exciting ‘field trips’ (such as the Reptile Man and the Pacific Science Center's Outrageous Owl Exhibit), Kindergarten students preparing for their annual Tea and graduation event, and elementary students beginning their Passion Projects, where they put together an in-depth presentation about an interest of their choice. All of us at MCH wish you and yours a very happy New Year. See you on Monday! |
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Montessori Children's House
5003 218th Ave. NE Redmond, WA 98053 Phone: 425-868-7805 Fax: 425-502-6608 office@mchkids.com |
Founded in 1987
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