Hilltop Montessori School's mission is for students to practice responsible independence in a caring community of curious, critical learners and thoughtful citizens.

Newsletter / Friday, November 9, 2018

Upcoming Important Dates: Monday, November 12 No School (Teacher In-Service Day / Veterans Day) Thursday, November 15 3:00-4:00pm, Lower El Workshare 6:30-8:30pm, All School - Parent Information Night: Executive Function at School and Home, Arts Barn Friday, November 16 2:00pm Upper Elementary Author's Tea Tuesday, November 20 Stone Soup Day (bring ingredients by November 15; see Stone Soup below for what your class should contribute) Wednesday, November 21 - Friday, November 23 No School, Thanksgiving Break NOTE: Our lost and found is very full! Please check the bins for any of your missing things! Correction: Last week's calendar incorrectly listed the Lower El Author's Tea as occurring in November. The correct date of the event is Thursday, December 20th, by which time there will be lovely poems to share.

Please Come to the Executive Function Information Night this Thursday

Parents of toddlers through middle school are encouraged to set aside  this coming Thursday, Nov 15 at 6:30 - 8:30 pm for next weeks Parent Information Night, "Executive Function at School and Home: What is it and Why does it matter? Why is this important for teachers and parents?  Executive Function skills are not innate. Research shows children have the capacity to develop these skills shortly after birth, and at age 3 - 5 a dramatic growth opportunity is seen and continues throughout adolescence and early adulthood. Maria Montessori saw this and incorporated an understanding of developing Executive Function skills, long before there was a term for it. Knowing what we can do to help build this skill for our children is important! Learning and practicing these skills through activities in the home and at school is critical. The teachers have added some highlights unique to each program in this weeks newsletter. Let us know if you can attend this event by sending a RSVP to  info@hilltopmontessori.org .

Toddler Room

In a recent article I came across, Dr. William Gilliam, director of the Edward Zigler Center in Child Development & Social Policy at Yale’s Child Study Center, explained executive functioning as, “the brain wrestling with its emotions.” I love this definition because it’s so often evident when watching a toddler process a situation. Over a child’s time in the Toddler Room, their executive functioning skills begin to evolve and develop.  Understanding and supporting this process is central to the work we do in the Toddler Room. To encourage and inspire the development of these skills in toddlers, we: Provide opportunities to practice patience. Be it waiting for a turn to wash hands after using the toilet or learning to accept that a seat at the snack table isn’t available right away, children must learn patience. The more opportunities they have to practice, the better they become at managing their emotions and figuring out strategies to help them be patient. Give children language to help articulate their needs. This happens All. Of. The. Time. Encouraging a child to say, “Help, please” instead of flailing on the floor in a tantrum when it’s hard to put on shoes is an example of what a very young toddler might need help expressing. Giving a child language to protect their work space and concentration is another common phrase we teach, “This is my work. I’ll let you know when I am finished.”  Help children develop impulse control. Toddlers are so young and just beginning to understand that their actions have an impact on social interactions and their outcomes. Snatching won’t help you get (and keep) a material. If you use language (often supplied by a teacher) to ask for a material, you’ll likely get it (sooner or later). We look forward to joining you all to learn more about these important topics this coming Thursday, November 15, 2018 at 6:30 - 8:30pm .

On Friday we welcomed two of the four middle school mentors who will be visiting the Toddler Room over the next few weeks. The children were thrilled to meet Nora and Django and spend time together!

Many thanks to the Walker family for donating tiny mittens to our stash of extras! So needed and appreciated. Enjoy the weekend. Ellie, Marco, Sarah & Amanda

Children's House

Executive functioning is the process by which we plan, organize and carry out a task. It takes a certain set of skills that typically developing children are able to accomplish. Executive functioning skills are more closely tied to memory, flexibility in thinking, and self control , or regulation . Many of the teaching and learning tools in our classrooms provide each child with the skills necessary to stimulate and nurture this cognitive process. Memory: During our lessons using vocabulary or math and language concepts, we use what Maria Montessori referred to as a Three Period lesson. First the concept is presented by identifying the vocabulary in a digestible set of 2 or 3 parts. For example, we may say, “This is Red, this is Yellow, this is Blue…” as we point to each part. We then ask the child to notice each part: “Can you show me Red? Yellow? Blue? For some concepts, we may spend a good deal of time here. The active memory will strengthen during the second period and solidify for the Third Period: “What is this? And this? And this?” Here, we ask for recall, noticing if the concept has been memorized and ideally cemented.  Flexibility: Is there another way to reach the same result? Often during an initial presentation of a material, we show (or model) a pre-prescribed formula. We are showing how to match each color, or how to build a tower of cubes in order from largest to smallest. Beyond the lesson, a child explores the material to find out for themselves how to build the tower. The child finds different ways to stack the cubes, until they complete the tower on their own. Observation is also important during this phase. the child may observe other children building with this material, or ask to have another lesson. Their exploration, however, is what truly leads to their success. Self Control: “I use my walking feet…” We model movement and design our environments to help children control their bodies, find desired materials and regulate their own needs and behaviors. The color tablets are always in the same place. The Pink Tower is inviting and in order. Work is organized on trays, inviting children to choose, use purposefully and return it to it’s home on the shelf. Snack is presented and self-served, with numbers showing how many pieces or scoops each child may have. Gross motor and sensory tools are also provided to help each child regulate body movement. Self regulation is a cornerstone of independence. Although it may take a while for some to navigate through an entire day without assistance from peers or an adult, it is both a functional necessity and greater goal in the Montessori classroom. It is a challenge for many, but an in important skill to nurture! Some children struggle with these skills. Some children need daily reminders and help accepting others suggestions or controlling themselves throughout the long days. Our materials, environment and guidance intentionally supports the executive function skills of your children. We look forward to joining you all to learn more about these important topics this coming Thursday, November 15, 2018 at 6:30 - 8:30pm . Have a wonderful weekend!  The Children’s House team

Lower Elementary

For children in the Lower Elementary age range (6-9), it is important to steadily increase the complexity of activities. There are a few strategies we use to support these steps. One of the most important tools to help a student grow their executive function skills is the daily work plan. At the beginning of each school year, Lower El teachers are much more involved with the planning of a student's day, filling in, or helping to fill in, work plans for many students. Discussions center around what work needs to be done and in what order it will be completed, with the acknowledgement that breaks are necessary and important. For younger students or those who need a bit more help with organizing their day, limiting choices to as little as two works, or one work at a time (and checking in with a teacher after each one) is helpful.  Quieter work spaces help some children accomplish their goals for the day. In fact, as children grow older and become more aware of their own learning needs, they often either request such a space, or simply get up and go where they have more quiet. The art room (when art classes are not in session), the corner room, and the table outside our door all serve as quiet/silent spaces for these learners. Several one-person tables inside the classroom also function as more private work areas. To help children begin to think about time management, we have a couple timers in our room. These are offered to, or requested by children who will benefit from the visual cue of seeing the red area (the allotted time in which to complete a certain task-agreed upon by the child and teacher) on our timers grow slimmer until it disappears altogether. While we recognize that learning and strengthening executive function skills can be a years-long process, children in Lower El practice these on a daily basis. We see so much growth in this area as they move through our program, becoming more confident and accomplished each year. We look forward to joining you all to learn more about these important topics this coming Thursday, November 15, 2018 at 6:30 - 8:30pm . Have a a good weekend. Kerstin, Patrick, and Amelia

Patrick and Kerstin demonstrate the jobs of water with the water table.

Harper collects “parachuting” milkweed seeds during our field trip to BEEC. Carter and Eleanor step through the hollow portion of Mother Maple at BEEC.

Upper Elementary

As students progress through the upper elementary program, increased independence is asked of them in the management of their individual work time. Large group lessons are scheduled as much as possible at the start or end of work time, so that students have a chunk of space in which to attend to their various assignments and projects. Using tools in the classroom such as a large schedule of weekly lessons posted on the wall; details of the daily lesson schedule also posted; individual lists of assignments in their planning binders; and individual schedules in which the students list during daily advisory their priorities for the following day, students work towards best use of their time. Sometimes this involves a choice to do one of the hardest works first! Sometimes it involves figuring out who are best work buddies, and planning around both of your schedules for a particular task. Another component is keeping track of one’s work materials. The students have individual cubbies in the classroom, as well as spots in the room where assignments are routinely turned in. Our EF consultants in the past have talked about “done” and the next step, “get done”, to avoid “Gee - I know I finished that, but oops it never got turned in, and where is it anyway?” In planning the prepared environment of our Montessori classroom, we strive to make it easy to identify certain notebooks that may look alike, with simple solutions such as colored duct tape on the spines (yellow is grammar, for example) making it easy to find it in one’s cubby. These seemingly mundane details can make a big difference. We look forward to joining you all to learn more about these important topics this coming Thursday, November 15, 2018 at 6:30 - 8:30pm . OTHER UE NEWS : We had a fantastic trip to the Boston MFA this week. We had a one hour tour of the Egypt collection with a docent, and later spent time sketching in the Greece/Rome collection. Students were especially absorbed with the sketches, applying their expanding art techniques (thanks to Jade), and connecting more deeply with the material at the museum. We took a bit of time before leaving to say hello to Van Gogh, Renoir, and others including some more contemporary artists. Families are encouraged to return there, as there is SO MUCH housed in this excellent facility. Our Olders meanwhile spent a quiet day progressing on their examination of important court cases (Dred Scott for starters), owl pellet dissections, new class experiments connected to heat transfer that relates to the vital functions of animals studies, and a new topic, why people invest in the stock market, presented by Mace who has a wealth of experience in this area. This really caught their interest, and they hope to delve further with Mace on this in the future. Thank you to our MFA drivers and suppliers of nutritious snacks: Jen, Kathryn, Elizabeth, Collin, and Sara. Once again: Join us next Friday afternoon, November 16, for Author’s Tea at 2:00 p.m. in the classroom.

Kiersten preps for the museum by examining Greek gods, their symbols, and the stories associated with them.

Students sketch in the Greek/Roman collection of the MFA in Boston, and view hieroglyphs, mummies, and pharaohs in the Egypt collection

Middle School

In middle school we have structures in place for MS students to manage an increasing level of responsible independence.  Students write the day's homework on the board at the end of the day for everyone to copy into their assignment planners. Almost always, a student posts that same list on Google Classroom. Every assignment comes with an assignment sheet describing the project and laying out due dates. This is kept in the binder and is a constant reference point during the life of the project. We have community meetings to discuss classroom work dynamics on a macro scale and recommit to class work norms. We also meet with students one-on-one to identify work/time/distraction management challenges for them and make goals for improvement. Students are expected to practice self-advocacy: asking for help when they did not understand a lesson, checking in with a teacher about homework/readings that were confusing the night before, asking for extensions in advance of due dates.  Students keep 3-ring binders with their work clipped into it. There are twice yearly binder checks to observe and give feedback on students' organizational process.  Home is a place to practice settling in to do work at night and the ever present modern day challenge of practicing not being distracted by screens! We look forward to joining you all to learn more about these important topics this coming Thursday, November 15, 2018 at 6:30 - 8:30pm .

Stone Soup

Stone Soup is an old folk story in which hungry strangers convince the people of a town to each share a small amount of their food in order to make a meal that everyone enjoys. We encourage you to ask your child about the story. The story has been read in most classrooms. Here is a brief synopsis from Wikipedia if you are unfamiliar with the story. This year, in planning for our Stone Soup Day (and holding true to the meaning of the story) on Tuesday, November 20th, we would love each student to bring a vegetable for the soup.  We are asking each student in the classroom to bring their vegetable contribution by the end of day, Thursday, 11/15 .  Middle School: 1 butternut squash per student Upper Elementary: 4 potatoes and one head of garlic per student Lower Elementary: 4 carrots per student  Birch Room:  4 onions per student Willow Room:  1 bunch celery per student Toddler Room: 1 head of broccoli or cauliflower per student

Hazel, Lydia and Iris prepare vegetables for last year's Stone Soup.

After School Programs

The next session of After School Program Flyers went home yesterday- please ask your student for them! Forms are due back to the front desk by Friday, November 16th! What we are offering this time around: Baking Basketball Additional Language Pilot (Learning a Language online, more info below) Art and Nature Art Class Most of these programs have a cut off for enrollment, so please be sure to sign up soon! If you have any questions, please contact the front desk.

Additional Language After-School Pilot Program

We have a plan for the Additional Language After-School Pilot Program! The Strategic Plan inspired us to focus our additional language efforts on: increasing exposure for the young children during the school day, and providing an after school opportunity for the older students.  Click here to review the full Strategic Plan 2017-2021 With Marco working with students in the Toddler Program and Children’s House, we have made progress on the first goal. Our next step is to work on the second goal. We received 31 of the “Additional Language Family Interest Forms” back (from the welcome packets at the beginning of the year) and have used them to gauge the current interest in this type of program for Upper El and Middle School students. The responses included 16 Upper El and Middle School families who have students interested in Spanish (7+), French (1), German (2), and “any language” (3). The surveys showed a priority on keeping cost down and less of an interest in being able to get high school credit for the work. We received survey responses from several Lower Elementary and Children’s House families, too, and are optimistic that this pilot will lead to a program that your children will be able to participate in for future years! Families seem most interested in having a convenient way to get their child started on an additional language and we have put together a pilot to do that. We are thrilled to have staff people fluent in many languages, and will focus on Spanish for this first pilot (although students could work on any language - read on) but could expand in the future to provide staff people for French and/or German.

Pilot details: Bulk of the work will be with Duolingo (a free online language tool that we’ve heard great things about and several staff people have used) Students choose one of over 30 languages, including Spanish, French, German or Chinese We will provide structured support for 1 hour each week after school, initially on Tuesday which includes: a “Snack-Chat” with Marco (a native Spanish-speaker from Ecuador) focusing on Spanish conversation 45 minutes of online work using Duolingo (with Marco available for technical trouble shooting, and/or help with Spanish content) Students can work further at home to progress at a faster pace. (It is recommended to do at least a bit of language work daily.) The first set of classes will run from Tuesday, November 27 through February 5th from 3:15-4:30, with Feb 12th available for a snow make-up day. The cost will be $150 for the 9 classes with a snack included!   Some of the benefits of this program include: each student working at their own pace options for a great variety of languages technical assistance from a facilitator once a week after school in person practice with Spanish with a native speaker ability to take the opportunity as seriously and quickly or as informally and slowly as the student/family would like online program is free so the only cost is for the hour of staff time once a week, keeping costs to a minimum We believe that this program addresses the expressed priorities of families/students who want exposure to an additional language at Hilltop Montessori School. This pilot program is an offering from which we will learn to further develop and refine our future work to increase students’ exposure to additional languages. This pilot is included in the fliers for the After School Enrichment Programs sent home with students and available at the front desk. Please sign up by Friday, November 16th .

Notes from the Board

The Board kicked off its October meeting with Annual Fund! Roselle presented the Development plans for Annual Fund week, and the full Board submitted their pledges to her. We are SO EXCITED by 100% participation in Annual Fund from the Board, faculty and current Hilltop families! What a wonderfully positive statement about how this community is engaged in the school. Thank you SO MUCH to the whole Hilltop community! Other important Board items from the last meeting: We engaged in our fiduciary responsibility by approving the Hilltop Montessori School 990 tax filing enabling our independent auditor to submit to the IRS on time. Paul Lockyear presented his first round of work on the policies and procedures manual. The Board engaged in some deep discussion about risk management. In particular, we discussed depth (how detailed does it need to be, especially in light of the current scope of the faculty & parent handbooks that Hilltop has) and functionality (how do we ensure that the relevant policies are accessible when needed, and that we are not duplicating our efforts). We are excited to move forward with this important project, which will primarily happen through a new committee formed to tackle this, and thank Paul deeply for his expertise and effort in this subject. Please let us know what you think! Vanessa Long, Honorary Outgoing Chair and Secretary, vanessalong4881@gmail.com Alix Fedoruk, Board Chair, alixf@mac.com

Kids' Night Out - Friday, November 30

Do you want to have a fun night out on the town? Are you having a hard time finding a babysitter? Do you want your children to have just as much fun as you do while you’re out? Drop your children off at our arts barn anywhere between 5:00-9:00 pm on Friday, November 30th to have a night of fun and games with our responsible middle school babysitters. There will be fun, games, crafts, and tons more! At least one adult and lots of fun middle schoolers will be there. We will provide snacks, and pizza is available! If you don’t want pizza, please pack a nutritious dinner or feed your child before you come. To attend KNO, your child must be in children's house or above and be able to use the bathroom independently. This fun night for you and your kids costs only $7.00 an hour and $5.00 for each additional child. Pizza is $5.00 more for two slices. All proceeds from Kids Night Out go to the Hilltop Montessori Middle School Odyssey fund. Our businesses are an important part of our fundraising, so your support really helps! To sign up or learn more, visit our website If you have any questions, email us at sponzio@hilltopmontessori.org We have only 30 spots, so don’t wait, sign up now!

Cookie Swap and Raffle Donations

Save the date! Tuesday, December 21st Our Annual Ginormous Cookie Swap and Snowflake Tricky Tray Raffle! For our new families, the day before winter holiday break we ask families to bring in a batch of their favorite (nut free) cookies. We lay them all out on a line of tables. Then, we sell empty boxes and customers get to select a fabulous array of cookies that are sure to impress. We also collect small items from friends, merchants and crafters, like gift certificates etc. for a modest "tricky tray" raffle. We sell raffle tickets and you choose the item you'd like to win and place your ticket in that item's jar. **If you are interested in helping to organize this year's event or would like to donate something to the tricky tray raffle, please email Roselle .

Community

Circus Schools Offers New Thanksgiving Break Camp   The New England Center for Circus Arts is offering a new Holiday Break Camp during the three days leading up to Thanksgiving when area schools are closed.   Thanksgiving Break Camp will be offered Monday, November 19, Tuesday, November 20 &/or Wednesday, November 21. Sign up can be for one, two or three days - each day will include a new and fun experience for each student.  Also, camp is being offered for 3 – 5 year olds in a separate half day options alongside the full day camp for age 5 – 17 year. Half Day Camp 8:30 am-12:30 pm(age 3 - 5 yrs): $50 Full Day Camp 8:30am-3:30pm (age 5 - 17 yrs): $85 Discount: 5% off for all 3 days NECCA will also offer a December Break Camp on two days,  December 27 and/or December 28 for ages 3 – 17. NECCA’s circus skills camps offer your child top-notch instruction in a noncompetitive environment that teaches confidence, communication skills, perseverance, and pride, as well as how to be a fabulous acrobat, aerialist, juggler, or clown. Students will work in groups by age and ability for the best learning experience. Registration at  www.necenterforcircusarts.org  or call (802) 254-9780 for more information.