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Upcoming Events
February
| Friday the 3rd | International Day |
| Thursday the 9th | School Closed - Parent Conferences |
| Friday the 10th | School Closed - Parent Conferences |
| Monday the 20th through 24th | School Closed - Winter Break |
March
| Thursday the 1st | Last day for 2012/2013 Albrook Registration |
| Friday the 2nd | School Closed - NJMAC Conference |
| Friday the 30th | APA Spring Event |
Summer Camp is just around the Corner
Summer will be here before we know it and now is the time to think about camp. Registration has begun for Albrook’s summer camp sessions. Don’t wait until the last minute and risk being disappointed.
Tablet Computers come to Albrook
The Upper Elementary students have enjoyed accessing and using technology in their classrooms with iPads. As part of their geometry studies, the students used the iPads to explore the golden mean in art, architecture and nature. They also drew inspiration for their haiku writing project to explore beautiful examples of Asian watercolors. The students loved having instant access to a wealth of information for research projects and various curricular areas.
Holiday Sing
All the Albrook students and many of the elementary parents were fortunate to kick off the holiday season with a wonderful program of instrumental and vocal music presented by Ms. Crawford and the elementary students. We were treated to a violin solo by Maya Bacelar, a flute solo by Martha Ainsworth, and music by the Upper Elementary advanced recorder group. All of the elementary classes performed works on the xylophones and the recorders and the entire school joined in singing holiday songs.
Honduran Students and Teacher Visit Albrook
Once again, The Albrook School has been honored with the visit of two students and a teacher from La Entrada School in Honduras. Every year, thanks to Mr. D. Liguori, a coordinator in the Liberty Corner Presbyterian Church, our children have the opportunity to talk and interact with children from that remote area.
Our visitors were amazed at the quality of education our school offers and the wonderful materials our children are exposed to. The two students, David and Mildred, thought that Albrook is a lovely and beautiful environment to be part of.
Sometimes, we take for granted how much we have and it is only when others point it out that we realize how fortunate we really are.
“I bless all the people who in different ways belong to the Hearts for Honduras family because they do a great labor for the children and without knowing them bring a smile to all their faces,” said Ms. Murillo, teacher at The Entrada School.
Nature: What a Parent Taught Me
By Nina Marvi
No body of water was too small. Any one of them might harbor something of interest. A waterlogged grassy patch might yield a minnow, tadpole, or with any luck, a frog. Though salt water was preferable, given that she was raised by the sea, the appearance of puddles, pools, or marshy spots warranted an investigation. Rock pools were probably considered to be nature’s greatest treasures. Who knew how deep they were and what trophies lay hidden within. Each slippery rock had to be assessed as steps were wisely taken. Seaweed was approached with excited caution.
Growing up in a cottage overlooking Balscadden Bay instilled in her not only respect for the forces of nature, the strength of the wind and the energy of the waves, but a sense of awe at their power. The forces of nature were at once an ally and an adversary. Weather dictated whether the boats went out or not. The signs were clear to those who knew them. If the moon was on its back and shrouded in mist, rain was on the way.
This awareness of nature she passed on to her children and grandchildren. We didn’t always know it. We were city slickers. But on our excursions to city parks and beaches alike, we absorbed an excitement at what nature placed at our finger tips. We fed pigeons and ducks alike and marveled at cormorants diving for silvery prey. Harbor seals basked as fishmonger’s scraps were tossed. We got to feed half-tame pheasants; “those birds, those birds,” she said, when in later years she could no longer recall their name.
I suppose what was special about this was how privileged we felt. These simple experiences were a very big deal to us. We weren’t swimming with dolphins or watching whales. But each exposure to a raucous crow call or a squawking seagull was greeted with infectious delight. Being privy to the first cherry blossoms in spring or the best blackberry caches in fall, were events to be celebrated. She wasn’t a teacher, but as a parent she facilitated our natural desire to explore and fueled our curiosity.
As a teacher, I consider Montessori's words:
"I would therefore initiate teachers into the observation of the most simple form of living things, with all those aids which science gives; I would make them microscopists; I would give them knowledge of the cultivation of plants and train them to learn their physiology; I would direct their observations to insects, and would make them study the general laws of biology. And I would not have them concerned with theory alone, but would encourage them to work independently in laboratories and in the bosom of free nature."
As teachers and parents, ours is the privilege of observing the interest and enthusiasm of the child as they observe the rough bark of a tree, the soft enveloping moss or the playful dashes of squirrels. Our response to their excitement carries great weight. They look to us for validation. Our attitude towards the world about us colors theirs. But as their eyes open, so may ours. How lucky we are!
Albrook Community Gives Generously
Every year our Albrook parents touch our hearts with the generosity and support of our annual food drive for the Somerset County Food Bank. This year is no exception. We are very happy to report that the food bank had to send a van to collect the food this week. The Somerset County Food Bank called to say that the food arrived just at the right time as their shelves were getting low due to the high demand.
We thank you for your continued support and your loving, giving spirit.
Understanding a Child's Love of Work
By Maren Schmidt
The young child's love of work, or being involved in meaningful activity, is an inborn trait. With proper nourishment this love survives a lifetime. Even in utero the child is involved in what can only be classified as work--growing and moving in a confined environment.
Movement defines a child's activity from the first kick in the womb or grasp of a finger, to learning to sit up, crawl, walk, talk and thousands of other activities. The child has an innate need to move, and movement, in turn, aids development and learning in the human being.
Freedom to move, within the limits of safety, is essential to our positive growth. And do children love to move!
Children's movements may not seem like purposeful work to us. If we could sit back and watch a child in an environment where we didn't have to worry about them getting into something they shouldn't, we might observe the children's natural impulses. With interesting objects in the environment and motives to be involved in activity, we should see children moving to explore and orient themselves and choosing to be involved in self-selected meaningful activities.
On the first day of school, three-year-old Andreas was constantly on the move. In the course of an hour, Andreas had touched almost a hundred different objects in the classroom. He climbed the bookshelves to reach framed pictures on the top shelves. His need for movement and creating order seemed to be at full speed. His activity was exhausting to watch, and his movements pushed the envelope of safety.
On the second day of class, Andreas' teacher invited him to sit next to her and watch the other children in the classroom who were working on self-selected activities. Andreas' sense of order started to come into play as he watched how the other children were interacting with the objects and people in the classroom. When his teacher asked him what looked interesting to him, Andreas mentioned sweeping with a broom. After having a lesson on how to sweep wood shavings into a square outlined on the floor and then use a dust pan, Andreas spent 15 minutes sweeping up large wood shavings, re-scattering the shavings and sweeping them up again.
Movement directed towards purposeful work created calmness in Andreas. In these moments of calm reflection, Andreas was able to choose another interesting activity, do it to his satisfaction, return the activity to order and then choose the next activity. In this way Andreas created a cycle of work, lengthening his concentration and aiding his learning.
Andreas' teacher helped Andreas by connecting his innate love of work to an interesting and purposeful activity of his choice. His teacher's understanding and support of the inborn characteristics of young children--love of order and love of work--calmed Andreas' hyperactivity. Instead of seeing his behavior as impossibly chaotic, Andreas' teacher understood that there was a young boy trying to connect to his natural love of activity, or work.
Demystifying the Montessori Preschool Classroom
by Susan Francese
"How was your day at school? What did you do today?” Parents pose these questions to their children regularly and usually hear “fine” and “nothing” in response. Moms and Dads are then left to hope for a crumb of information about school by way of a comment or story, often revealed at a random moment when it may not be possible to give their full attention.
Those parents present at the recent workshop entitled “Demystifying the Montessori Preschool Classroom” facilitated by Ms. MacNeill and Mrs. Tarangul, came away with a new awareness of and understanding for their children’s school day.
Upon entering any classroom at Albrook, it is easy to see how beautifully and thoughtfully the classrooms are prepared. The needs of the children dictate everything, from the arrangement of the furniture to the work displayed on the shelves. The Montessori materials and carefully constructed exercises are all designed with a direct and indirect purpose. Each activity prepares the child for the next and is often self-correcting. The teacher serves as the link between child and work, guiding as needed, but also allowing for exploration and self-discovery. This is where the “real” learning occurs.
As exciting as this is, the more profound beauty of a Montessori preschool classroom lies in what is less obvious. It is in how the children respond and interact with and manage the environment and one another. The members of the classroom function as a community, each working together and independently to “get the job done”. Every moment is a teachable moment, as incidental learning occurs when a younger child observes an older child solve a problem or meet a challenge with confidence. An attitude of “I can’t” is quickly replaced with “I can”.
Mrs. Luo, a parent who attended the workshop, remarked that she was not sure how her three year old daughter spent her days at school. “I found the workshop to be informational. It showed me how to talk to and guide my daughter, but most of all, it showed me the world through her eyes.” Luo also expressed that she is already looking forward to attending the next workshop.
Encouraging Creative Abilities in Your Child
Creativity is the ability to invent and to approach problems with a fresh, unusual perspective. As a parent, you have the unique opportunity to help uncover and foster creativity in your children but it must be done with respect for each child's unique abilities and development rate. The list below is a general list of broad criteria that indicate creative potential in children and should be encouraged:
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Montessori In The News
Montessori Madness
A video, by Trevor Eissler, informs us about why children enjoy a Montessori education. It is called "Take Five Minutes To Watch This Video," and we hope you will find it interesting.
The Montessori Mafia
By Peter Simms, reprinted from The Wall Street Journal
The Albrook School
361 Somerville Road , Basking Ridge, New Jersey 07920 | P. 908 580-0661 | F. 908.580.0785 | Albrook@optonline.net
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