We have welcomed several new students into our class since the beginning of the school year. Veronica Jenislawski joined us before winter break and we welcomed Sita Suri and Vivian Schmitt in January. Veronica and Sita were new to Mountain Laurel and Vivian moved up from our Toddler Community.
Our class continues to mature and grow into a cohesive, increasingly independent group of children. Every year I am humbled and amazed as I watch each child grow and develop through this first plane of development. The children are building upon previously learned skills, continuing their explorations of the various materials through challenging variations of the initial lessons.
"Practical Life" work such as polishing, is being done with more care and precision. Water is being poured and carried with less spilling. A popular activity is working with a science activity called "Floating and Sinking." The children enjoy learning about the properties of water and it is great practical life work making everything dry for the next person!
More advanced math and language materials are now on the shelves and are of high interest to all. The young students are working on impulse control and coordination as they respectfully walk around the long bead chain mats used by the older students counting the cubed bead chains. The older students enjoy giving lessons or reading recently mastered books to their younger friends. All are enjoying the winter weather and recent snow. We have been singing songs about building snowmen and enjoying seasonal songs and poems.
November 24, 2008 I am amazed at how quickly our class has come together to form a cohesive, well-functioning community. We have many young, first year students, yet they seem totally integrated into the rhythms and routines of the class. I love watching each child grow and become more independent, gaining confidence in their abilities. More advanced materials are continually coming back to the shelves, as some of the older students are now ready for those lessons. There is much work going on with the Golden Beads and the operation of addition. Several children have discovered that they are beginning to read words! Many of the older children have recently mastered the Bow-tying Dressing Frame and are glad to be able to help their friends tie their shoes. The students enjoy creating their own geography maps or making posters of the sensorial materials. Many are choosing to work on sewing and weaving skills, work that strengthens their perception and concentration, as well as their fine motor control.
We have been focusing on the seasonal offerings of autumn. We are using apples to make prints, and making rubbings of the beautiful fall leaves. We have learned some poems about apple trees and falling leaves and as always, enjoy singing, "Shake, Shake, the Apple Tree" using the egg shakers and rhythm sticks. The oldest group has been noting the similarities and differences from different cultures around world. At this time of Thanksgiving, we are all finding much to be thankful for and this is a favorite topic of conversation for the children and for me.
October 10, 2008
We are enjoying a wonderful beginning to our school year. The returning children have matured over the summer and relish being the older students. They enjoy revisiting lessons given in past years, as well as working on new lessons that build on previously learned concepts. The new students have now become familiar with the rhythm and procedures of their school day. Lessons in "Grace and Courtesy" continue to give the students tools to interact with each other in a kind and respectful manner.
Observing the students continually reminds me of how powerful purposeful work is for children. Polishing a favorite brass animal, scrubbing a table, counting a bead chain, building a puzzle map, creating a beautiful flower arrangement - all bring about concentration and contentment.
A favorite activity is singing songs together at the end of the morning or as part of a small group lesson. I often will hear the same songs from a child singing softly as he/she works. Our bells are now out and the children enjoy listening to the tones or trying to play simple songs.
Please call the office to schedule a visit to observe, as well as for your conference. I look forward to meeting with you!
