The History of Life, and the Joys of Living

Dr. Maria Montessori turned 149!

Why celebrate this amazing woman?!   She discovered, through research and detailed observations, that children are not merely vessels to be filled, but rather unique individuals craving real learning and meaningful work.  Instead of being controlled and taught, students should be approached with respect as we follow and guide their instinctual desire to learn and belong to the world.  Today, at TNSM, we continue to honor and nurture this philosophy and pedagogy to unlock the potential in all of our students.

Montessori-educated Gabriel Garcia Marquez (Nobel prize winning author) said, “I do not believe there is a method better than Montessori for making children sensitive to the beauties of the world and awakening their curiosity regarding the secrets of life.”
 
Another amazing week has come and gone.  Thank you, Carrie Driehaus, for bringing in some homegrown opal basil and nasturtium flowers for our lunch!!
 
In between learning about the History of Life, the Pacific lamprey, or how to make lemonade with Chef Combo, we also managed to have fun, play in the rain, and take care of our planet and campus.
Our students embraced all forms of weather, playing in the rain and in the sunshine. Casey Rodriguez (9-12 Teacher) played soccer at recess with the students and Gina Sabato (6-9 Teacher) enjoyed her time at our outdoor hair salon.
On Thursday, our 4th and 5th graders divided up into three groups. One learned about composting and set up our compost station for the year.  Another weeded an area that will become a garden outside of the Ginkgo House, and the third went to the preprimary students to talk about similarities and differences.
Oh, and there were many other spontaneous moments of kindness, like Peggy (6th grader) taking time during recess to read with Cecily (1st grader).
I love this place!!!
Jeff Groh

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