Week of April 4th – 8th Summary

April 8, 2011

Important Upcoming Dates:

• Pre-ordered produce boxes from Heritage Organic Farm can be picked up from the school foyer between Noon and 6 pm on Tuesday, April 12th. To be a part of the April 26th delivery, sign up now!

• SPMA is sweeping the beach! Come help clean up a portion of HHI’s beach on Saturday, April 16th from 10 am to 12 pm. Sign up here.

• Due to field-tripping 6th Grade and Middle School student babysitters and a busy Heritage Week during the month of April, there will be no monthly Saturday babysitting event.

• More calendar events here.

School Notes:

• Lots of new SPMA Shutterfly photos: Preprimary Garden Party, SPMA Volleyball players, the Red Fish Dedication at Town Hall, and the 3rd-6th grade music and art field trip to SCAD in Savannah!

• Watch WHHI/Lowcountry Child SPMA videos here. The latest March episode covers The Arts @ SPMA!

• Order forms for Bess’ lunch are due each Friday by 10 am for the following week. Lunches can be ordered for 1 to 5 days per week. Call Bess at 785-2377 with questions and for full menu options.

• Every Friday is Spirit Day! Go to ShopSPMA to click into Land’s End school uniform shop.

Board Notes:

• The Development Committee invites you to participate in a campus naming opportunity to honor your student or another loved one.

Ask Maria:

Q: Why do Montessori classes tend to be larger than those found in many other schools?

A: Many schools take pride in having very small classes, and parents often wonder why Montessori classes are so much larger. Montessori classes commonly group together twenty-five to thirty children covering a three-year age span. Schools that place children together into small groups assume that the teacher is the source of instruction, a very limited resource. They reason that as the number of children decreases, the time that teachers have to spend with each child increases. Ideally, we would have a one-on-one tutorial situation.

But the best teacher of a three-year-old is often another somewhat older child. This process is good for both the tutor and the younger child. In this situation, the teacher is not the primary focus. The larger group size puts the focus less on the adult and encourages children to learn from each other. To teach is to learn again, and the ability to teach demonstrates a child’s mastery and understanding of the material.

By consciously bringing children together in larger multi-age class groups, in which two-thirds of the children normally return each year, the school environment promotes continuity and the development of an integrated community.

Do you have a Montessori Method question? Please email it to “Dr. Maria Montessori” and we’ll get it answered. Your question will be posted anonymously.

Class Notes: