Hello Friends, We hope that everyone was able to revel in the spectacular solar eclipse last Monday. It was an extraordinary moment that somehow, for me, deepened my awareness, for the moment, of Earths place in the expanding universe. We can get rather bogged down in our own lives but when our attention is pulled toward celestial events, some of Life’s “slings and arrows” can seem diminished and more manageable. Time itself seems to both contract and expand; understanding the brevity of our lives while also being aware that we are apart of the infinite universe…somehow. In other words, it …
Keeping Still
This article is written by TNSM parent members of the Diversity and Community and Engagement Committee (D+CE) and expresses their views. At TNSM, we are grateful to have this D+CE forum that allows opportunities for members of our community to share their own beliefs, always with the goal of expanding our understanding of each other’s experiences and points of view. It’s Earth month and lucky for us, it kicked off with a magical solar eclipse at the beginning of the week. Whether you saw the eclipse in totality or not, hopefully in stillness you were able to marvel at our …
We’re off to a good start!
Welcome back from spring break! We hope everyone had a restorative time away. A personal favorite moment our first day back to school was when a (6-9) student came up to me during lunch, absolutely beaming, and said, “I was stung by a jellyfish over spring break!” He seemed thrilled. “Those hurt,” I responded. “I know!” he exclaimed, still smiling. It was a reminder for me that some of life’s biggest joys strangely come from getting through scary moments. He was obviously proud of this accomplishment. I was proud of him too. (3-6) Learn about Thailand A parent from the …
What would you include in the house of your dreams?
In Writer’s Workshop, New School Montessori 2nd graders began their project with great anticipation, as their teacher, Catherine Pray Bollmann began class by setting a wrapped present in the middle of their circle. “What’s the present about?” “Is it somebody’s birthday?” Catherine answered saying, “The present in front of us is a noun. It’s an object. Let’s describe this object with adjectives.” Students rattled off adjectives, peppering the room with sentences like “It’s rectangular in shape.” “It’s wrapped in pretty paper!” “It’s kind of heavy.” Once opened and the contents revealed, students were overjoyed to see that an air popper …
The Head and the Heart
Hello Friends, As many of us know, Montessori education is renowned for its holistic approach, aiming to develop not only academic proficiency but also essential life skills, including emotional intelligence, compassion, and kindness. Maria Montessori said, “Establishing lasting peace is the work of education. The task of the teacher is to cultivate the love of the beautiful, the sense of the true, and the feeling of the good in the hearts of children.” Our TNSM environments include mixed-age groups, allowing younger students to learn from older peers and vice versa. This dynamic creates a sense of community and fosters empathy as …
The Best Part of Me Is…
New School Montessori 1st-3rd graders celebrated Valentine’s Day by being paired with a classmate they didn’t know very well. The goal was for each set of students to get to know one another better. Students asked their partner questions about what they liked, and what they like about themselves too. Students shared about their families, pets, favorite books, vacations and went wherever their interviews took them. Students then created a gift for their new friend, based on what they learned about them. In the process of learning about each other, students also learned some things about themselves. The next project …
(3-6) classes learned about and celebrated Lunar New Year.
This article is written by TNSM parent members of the Diversity and Community and Engagement Committee (D+CE) and expresses their views. At TNSM, we are grateful to have this D+CE forum that allows opportunities for members of our community to share their own beliefs, always with the goal of expanding our understanding of each other’s experiences and points of view. Declan’s mom, Erin, came to visit the non-nappers and kindergarteners to share about Lunar New Year, a tradition celebrated by many Asian communities around the world, including Korean, Vietnamese, and Chinese people. This tradition lasts 15 days, and celebrates themes …
Goodbye to an old friend (with student tributes)
Dear Friends, As many of you noticed this week, the time had come to say goodbye to a cherished member of our school community – our old Ginkgo tree. After careful consideration and consultation with arborists, it had been determined that the old Ginkgo tree, which has been a symbol of our school for many years, must be removed due to safety concerns and to facilitate a smoother flow for drop off and pick up procedures that will be implemented next academic year. While it is always difficult to bid farewell to such a significant part of our environment, we …
Presenting “Voices of Our Community”
At TNSM, we are grateful to have the Diversity and Community Engagement (D + CE) forum that allows opportunities for members of our community to share their own beliefs, always with the goal of expanding our understanding of each other’s experiences and points of view. As part of our forum efforts, we are proud to bring to you “Voices of Our Community” – a once-a-month special feature of our D + CE blog that aims to become a “window” into our unique TNSM community, rich in backgrounds, origins, ethnicities, and thinking. We believe in the power of acknowledging, honoring and celebrating …
The Absorbent Mind
Hello Friends, I love sitting in our Montessori environments. I always witness a vibrant and bustling classroom filled with laughter and curiosity. Without fail, I am impressed with the patience, kindness, and skill of our teachers as they guide their students, honoring the absorbent mind at play. In the Montessori world, the absorbent mind refers to the innate ability of young children to effortlessly absorb information and experiences from their environment. Maria Montessori observed that during the formative years (especially from birth to around age six), children possess a remarkable capacity for absorbing knowledge without conscious effort. This concept underscores …