From the Principal………..
Over the last 2 weeks our staff have been extremely busy conducting Parent interviews and reporting. This process requires a lot of dedicated time and effort put in by the Directresses, Specialist staff and Administration. On behalf of the community we would like to thank the staff for their commitment and time spent providing the parent body with detailed information about the children’s progress at Canberra Montessori School.
This week I was fortunate to have been able to visit the Cycle 3 students on their camp. They were having a wonderful time! The facilities were very impressive – lovely new facilities after the 2003 bushfires. We all went on an arduous bushwalk, up and down hills and valleys. Our fitness levels were certainly tested! But the rewards after this walk were magnificent. A splendid view of the Tidbinbilla Valley (I think it has another name which escapes me at the moment!). What an amazing place! We were met by an Aboriginal Ranger who talked to the students about the Indigenous culture and traditions of the area – I’m sure the children will love to share some of the tales with you when they return!
Going on Camp in a Montessori group involves a wide range of experiences for the children. Firstly they have the opportunity to get to know one another even more! They learn to be fully independent of home comforts or routines. They are able to bring classroom experiences out into another environment eg. Zoology, botany, astronomy and more. The comments that are received by the co-ordinators are always very positive about Montessori children. They are always impressed with how well they respond to instructions, how little fuss there is when tasks need to be carried out and they are always amazed at how friendly and well mannered Montessori students are! I look forward to hearing more about the adventures the Cycle 3 students had on camp.
Can I take this opportunity to thank all the families of Canberra Montessori School for their support and well wishes over the Term. It is hard to believe that the Term is almost over! We have been so busy on the new year, BER funding projects, annual funding projects, enrolments, day to day management, interviews and generally getting to meet and greet everyone.
I would like to extend a thank you to all the Parent Committees and their dedication to making Canberra Montessori School a better learning environment for the children. I would like to thank the teaching and administrative staff for their patience and support throughout Term 1 and I look forward to the coming Terms.
I am still very excited about the prospect of continuing to work together with the staff and board making Canberra Montessori School a place of Educational Excellence.
Tina Forsyth
Principal
Drop off time: BETWEEN 8.30am-8.45am
Upcoming Dates
TERM 1 & Term 2 2009
Apr 8 Canteen Day
Apr 10 Public Holiday – Good Friday
Apr 13 Easter Monday
Apr 09 Last Day Term 1
Apr 27 ANZAC DAY
Apr 28 Children return to school
May 2 OPEN DAY
May 13 Information Evening
May 18 Open sessions
May 23 Working Bee
Jun 5 Pupil Free Day
Please see School Calendar for events during Terms 2-4 and check Bulletin regularly for changes to published events.
Term Dates for 2009
Term 1: 4 February – 9 April
Term 2: 28 April – 3 July
Term 3: 21 July – 25 September
Term 4: 12 October – 16 December
Public Holidays 2009
Friday 10 April Good Friday
Saturday 11 April Easter Saturday
Monday 13 April Easter Monday
Friday 27 April Anzac Day
Monday 8 June Queen's Birthday Holiday
Monday 5 Oct Labor Day
Tuesday 3 Nov Family & Community Day (to be confirmed)
Term Dates for 2010
Term 1: 3 February – 9 April
Term 2: 27 April – 2 July
Term 3: 21 July – 24 September
Term 4: 11 October – 15 December
101 Things Parents Can Do To Help Children
By Barbara Hacker
Continued…..
19. From the earliest age give your child the responsibility to pick up after himself/herself, i.e., return toys to place, put dirty clothes in laundry basket, clear dishes to appropriate place, clean off sink after use, etc. This necessitates preparing the environment so children know where things go.
20. Hug regularly but don't impose affection. Recognize the difference.
21. Assign to your child regular household tasks that need to be done to maintain the household, as age appropriate. (Perhaps setting silverware and napkins on the table, sorting, recycling. dusting, watering plants, etc.)
22. Attend school parent education functions.
23. Arrange time for both parents to attend parent-teacher conferences. Speak together in preparation for the conference and write down questions to ask.
24. Talk to your child clearly without talking down. Communicate with respect and give the child the gift of language, new words and expressions.
25. When talking to your child, physically get on his/her level, be still, and make eye contact.
26. Sing! Voice quality does not matter. Sing together regularly. Build a repertoire of family favourites.
27. Refrain from over-structuring your child's time with formal classes and activities. Leave time to "just be," to play, explore, create.
28. Teach your child safety precautions. (Deal with matches, plugs, chemicals, stairs, the street, how to dial 000, etc.)
29. Teach your child his/her address, phone number, and parents' names.
30. Count! Utilize natural opportunities that arise.
31. Tell and re-tell family based stories. For example, "On the day you were born..."
ALERT! - CAR PARK SAFETY
It has come to our attention that some people are driving too fast in the car park area and not following the car park rules.
Here is a reminder of our Car Park Rules:
1. Always drive SLOWLY, even if you are running late! Especially when approaching the pedestrian crossing!
2. Do not drive across the walkway! Please reverse to prepare to drive out of the carpark. There are children who may be walking on the pedestrian strip and crossing!
3. Ensure that your children stay with you when walking in the car park. Do not allow them to walk ahead of you!
3. Please ensure that you follow the arrows marked on the ground for the flow of traffic.
We have arranged to have a temporary barrier put up along the walkway until we can find a permanent solution. Once this has arrived we shall place it in the appropriate spot.
Thank you for your co-operation in keeping our Car Park area a safe zone!
Cycle 2 & 3 Late Pick Ups
Please note that there is no supervision for children on the school grounds after 3.10pm except in the afternoon programme. Whilst children are still on the school grounds we have a duty of care. Consequently our policy is that if children on the school grounds (this includes the car park) have not been picked up by 3.10pm they will be sent to the Afternoon Programme and parents will be billed accordingly. If you know that you will be late collecting your Cycle 2 & 3 children from time to time, please make arrangements with them in advance as to where they will be picked up - i.e. either from the afternoon programme or from a pre-arranged spot outside the school grounds.
THANK YOU
A big thank you to the Fundraising & Social Committee people involved in running the Disco last week. The children all had a wonderful time! Thank you also for organising the Hot Cross Bun Drive.
Why Does Montessori Put So Much Stress On Freedom And Independence?
Children touch and manipulate everything in their environment. In a sense, the human mind is handmade, because through movement and touch, the child explores, manipulates, and builds a storehouse of impressions about the physical world around her. Children learn best by doing, and this requires movement and spontaneous investigation.
Montessori children are free to move about, working alone or with others at will. They may select any activity and work with it as long as they wish, so long as they do not disturb anyone or damage anything, and as long as they put it back where it belongs when they are finished.
Many exercises, especially at the early childhood level, are designed to draw children’s attention to the sensory properties of objects within their environment: size, shape, color, texture, weight, smell, sound, etc. Gradually, they learn to pay attention, seeing more clearly small details in the things around them. They have begun to observe and appreciate their environment. This is a key in helping children discover how to learn.
Freedom is a second critical issue as children begin to explore. Our goal is less to teach them facts and concepts, but rather to help them to fall in love with the process of focusing their complete attention on something and mastering its challenge with enthusiasm. Work assigned by adults rarely results in such enthusiasm and interest as does work that children freely choose for themselves.
The prepared environment of the Montessori class is a learning laboratory in which children are allowed to explore, discover and select their own work. The independence that the children gain is not only empowering on a social and emotional basis, but it is also intrinsically involved with helping them become comfortable and confident in their ability to master the environment, ask questions, puzzle out the answer and learn without needing to be “spoon-fed” by an adult.
Australian Early Development Index (AEDI)
In Term 2 this year, schools across Australia will be taking part in the national implementation of the Australian Early Development Index – the AEDI. The years before school are critical for the development of happy, healthy and sociable children who are eager to learn. The AEDI is a national survey of all children in their first year of full-time schooling. The results will show how well children have developed in the years before they come to school. Information for the AEDI is collected through teachers completing an online questionnaire on each kindergarten child. Data will be collected on over 4500 kindergarten children in 99 ACT schools, between the middle of May and the end of June 2009. The AEDI is not a test of individual children. No children are identified in the AEDI results. However, parents may ask for children not to be included in the survey. Community data will be publicly released in late 2009. AEDI results will be reported for populations of children in the suburbs and regions in which they live – no matter which school they attend. In the ACT, results will be reported for suburbs within five regions – Gungahlin, Belconnen, North/South Canberra, Woden/Weston and Tuggeranong. Results will help communities see what is working for children and what may need to be improved. The AEDI is an Australian Government initiative, supported by the ACT Government. The AEDI is managed by the Centre for Community Child Health (Melbourne) in partnership with the Telethon Institute for Child Health Research (Perth).
Canberra Montessori School will be collecting
AEDI data from 15th-26th June in Term 2.
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Playground Equipment and Sandpits
A reminder that playground equipment and sandpits are unable to be used at Drop Off and Pick up times due to supervision issues.
Please remind your children at home and we shall remind them in class.
It is difficult for children to understand the rules if some children are on the equipment and other are not.
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