Dear Parents,

I know it has been a little while since I have shared an update of the property! My team and I have been working diligently and I can share where we are at now. I chose a General Contractor. It was tough because two of them seemed really great. At this point, I would recommend either of them if you need one for any of your projects. All of the paperwork has been submitted to get approval to do the work that we agreed to do in order to get our Certificate of Occupancy for September. The elevator has been ordered. The subcontractors have met to plan on what they are doing when. We are expected to be able to get started on the work by the first week in June. Furthermore, as far as the General Contractor goes, he is guaranteeing, the best he can from his end, that the work will be done before the first week in September. He will be doing this by working nights and weekends if he has too. Once he finishes, we have to get inspected and get our CO. The Township is aware of our deadline and says they will do everything they can to get us open on time from their end. Please let me know if you have any further questions.

Dear Parents,

The Toddler classroom was buzzing with excitement for a large part of the month of May in anticipation of the arrival of the monarch butterflies. The children had the wonderful opportunity to observe first hand the many stages of their development. After they finally arrived, we enjoyed them in the Butterfly habitat. The children watched Ms. Julie preparing the nectar for them to feast on. After three days we ceremoniously walked outside as a group and released them. It was a memorable day as the sun was shining, and so we could see them take flight in various directions. Over the weeks butterfly and caterpillar stories were read, various butterfly and caterpillar art projects were completed, conversations were enjoyed at gathering, new vocabulary words were introduced and butterfly washing was added to the practical life area.

Mother’s Day activities created a lot of stir, and each of the children anxiously and patiently waited for their turn to help out with the muffin making. We are very proud of the way in which they practiced the songs and especially the seriousness with which they played their roles as “performers”!

A big thank you to Kristina Kroot, Allie Cours and Lilly (from the adolescent program) all of whom visited our classroom and presented to the class on Cultural Diversity Day. The children learned something new about Spain, its flag and flamenco dancers. They had the opportunity to see a Chinese newspaper and be introduced to the word “characters” . Additionally they also practiced saying the numbers 1 to 10 in Mandarin. Lilly sang a new continent song with them which they enjoyed.

During their remaining days we will be making some rainbow projects as a way of reinforcing the color names, and also we will be reading some books about birds, doing a little bird watching and of course enjoying some bird works on the shelves.

We look forward to seeing all of our Dads for our Fathers Day celebration on June 7th.

A special thank you to Ms. Tori and Ms. Julie for the great job they have done helping with the transition in Ms. Chris‘ absence. They have been so supportive and helpful. Thank you!!

Elementary

Dear Parents,

What a packed month May has been! All of the children experienced a visit from some farm chickens and got a presentation from the adolescents. They observe the egg incubator in the Primary Classroom and are excited to see them hatch. There was a Mother’s Day celebration. Some children experienced Standardized Testing. Ms. Anne did more crafts with the children. Most of the Elementary children went on another memorable camping trip.

The School year is almost over and I want to give parents some food for thought for the remainder of the school year and the summer. I would like to touch on Freedom & Responsibility, Montessori in the Home, and screentime . Some of the information is from my own experience and knowledge, and some is from short books written by several Montessori Professionals.

Parents have a shared need of Freedom and Responsibility at home and at school with their children. Yet, this is not usually fully recognized! Your family is a culture and everyone’s is different. Your child should be acclimated to it in a way that demonstrates contributions. Your children are learning, mostly through observation, what dress codes are desirable and acceptable, what social behavior is appropriate and what certain limits are. Children should be given permission and shown how to contribute at home. Your child is not "doing chores" around the house, they are contributing to your family at an age appropriate level.

All children truly want and need to do this, but they need parameters and expectations set. Parents should stick to these guidelines and adjust as needed. Children can be contributing to meals, showed how to clean, and explained why it is important, even though they have something “better” to do like screen time, or the option not to help. Frustration stirs among you. Not participating must not be an option. Have an age appropriate discussion with your child about why things need to change if it is not already happening. It is okay to say not choosing to cooperate is not an option. It is so hard to remember that if we do not want the child to have the choice of no, we should not frame questions or statements that leaves room for them to choose no. Also, when we say okay at the end of our sentences, it can give the child the indication that they can choose no.

Parents are concerned with motivation, punishment and reward. Well, it comes across that way if structure has not been initiated and maintained. We can say to our children, “I made a mistake, what you have been doing has not been good for our family. Sometimes we have to do things we do not want to do and that will be the case for the rest of our lives. What is good for all of us sometimes means we have to sacrifice what we want to do for what we need to do.” There are so many lessons offered here, just with this scenario. If our child is not getting enough sunlight and is staying inside or not doing hands on activities, we are creating opportunities for our children to develop behaviors like hyperactivity.

No parent wants this for their child, so it just makes sense to exercise good habits now, instead of dealing with consequences later. In fact, parents note what an improvement they see in their child and their relationship when more natural light is included and less screen time spent. While children are happy in the classroom, there is a notable difference in their engagement and experience when I see them outdoors, (i.e. camping)!

Children need help with their own decisions at this age, to know their limits within decisions, allowing them to participate in adult experiences and preparations. Sometimes, they just cannot have a choice, even if it makes it harder on the adult, because it will get easier and better. Choosing not to work or choosing not to contribute should not be a choice. It is helpful for our children to learn to live and also work in a society that is wider than that of the immediate family.

They want to know the why’s of things. Taking them to the museum or zoo with friends or just family is paramount to broadening their horizons. Talk about where the lion lives, its habitat, etc., discuss different paintings at the museum, talk about perception and what happened during the time a certain painting was created. How was it different or similar to now?

In conclusion, I attempted to give you food for thought and capture glimpses of perspectives to share with you that might be helpful to better engage and integrate your child into your family culture. There is so much more to share and discuss. However, if you get nothing else from this, I think the big takeaway is, “how can we continue to better serve our children? Guidelines, nurturing why questions, sticking to our guidelines, and giving them freedom and responsibility to explore and make good choices are the main takeaways.”

Yoga

Higher Minds Yoga

Our theme for May was Determination.  We learned that with determination and practice, we are able to achieve things we never thought possible.  Students practiced more advanced poses such as inversions (shoulder stand and handstand) and arm balances (spider, crow and floating lotus).  Students even created their own unique poses to teach to the class. We played games of musical mats and sang many songs with the harmonium.

Ways to Incorporate at Home

 

Mindful Breathing – Sat Nam (I am truth)

Sit tall in a comfortable position; inhale and say aloud or in your mind the word ‘sat’ and on the exhale say the word ‘nam.’ Repeat for a few rounds.

Book Recommendation

I Am Yogaby Susan Verde

Positive Affirmations

I am determined.

I am focused

I am resilient.

When I fall, I get back up.

Question to Ask

Can you remember a time when you were determined?

Follow Higher Minds on IG @highermindsyoga